BM> The unsavourary example of over-reaction I had in mind
BM> was California's recent law excluding illegal immigrants
BM> from schools, hospitals etc.

RS> I dont see whats so 'unsavory' about that. Whats so 'savory'
RS> about the government providing tax payer funded services to people
RS> flagrantly breaking the law ? We dont ourselves. Good thing too IMO.

BM> Rod, I am in favour of smaller government and less welfare,
BM> but I oppose redneck extremes such as the California examples

Welp, they were basically saying that they dont see why they should
be paying with their taxes for government services to those who flout
their laws. And they cant be rednecks, it got up, the majority were
sick of paying for it. Fine by me, I wont be paying for it here out
of my taxes if I have any say in the matter either.

BM> I quoted and other silly ideas being pushed in the US.

BM> They just encourage bigots and racists to have a field day and
BM> detract attention from the areas where real savings are to be made.

I just dont believe you can decide policy issues like that by
considering first if the policy might be liked by rednecks.
Thats no way to run a country.

And in fact you are just sticking emotive terms on policys you
dont approve of. Hardly a rational discussion of the policys.

BM> If someone needs medical treatment he should get it - regardless
BM> of his race, religion, hair colour or residency status.

And they do. They have just decided that illegal immigrants dont. They
dont here either. We dont need to have a referendum on it coz we arent
proposing stopping doing it, we just dont do it, no need for change.

We in fact deliberately exclude some immigrants because of the
potential for them to have to be paid for like that. Fine by me,
coz otherwise you will inevitably see quite a few people in
countrys with inadequate health services thing it would be fine
idea to migrate here and have it paid for on our health scheme.
We cant afford it.

BM> If a person is injured in a car accident the paramedic should
BM> not be asking him if he is an illegal immigrant before deciding
BM> to treat him.

That was not proposed. Its never been the case. If you are say an
Aust tourist they dont ask 'can you pay' and unless you can prove
you can just jump in the ambulance and drive off leaving you to die.

BM> (BTW I have not seen the actual text of the California rule -
BM> hopefully they allow for life- saving treatment).

Yes, thats precisely what they do.

BM> We should not penalise children for the failings of their parents. 

Its a nice ideal Bob. Its got some massive problems tho. We have
precisely the same problem ourselves, what do you do about say people
who come here on tourist visas, choose to stay illegally, have kids.
Basically we make them leave when they get caught, the kids too.

You can say that about the kids of our own criminals, they often
do end up suffering from the parents criminality. Thats life, no
one has invented a solution yet. And its certainly not very sensible
to say let a murderer get off scot free just because their kids
will be disadvantaged if they get incarcerated.

BM> Does a 6-year old Mexican kid really have a say in his parent's
BM> decision to sneak into the US?

Yes, but there just aint any solution for that and that majority of
voters decided they wont be paying for state services to that kid.
Thats their choice, its their country. I think its called democracy.

Some people think that we shouldnt be sending boat people back.
Its our choice, its our country, and if enough people are in
favor of open slather, anyone who gets to the beach can stay,
we have procedures in place that can change that law.

BM> Why should Californians seek to deprive that child
BM> of the chance of a decent education and start in life
BM> just because his parents entered the US illegally?

Coz they are sick of paying, thats why.

You might as well ask why that child should be sent back to Mexico
or wherever if its parents are caught as illegal immigrants too.

BM> BTW, some of these new arrivals are harder working and more
BM> honest than many US citizens.

Yes, and there are legal ways that you can migrate to the US too.
Those are ones who chose to enter illegally. There is no alternative
to returning those who do when you catch them.

--- PQWK202