Why not insure illegals....

[Bigmack]

or whatever you want to call those people in the country with no documents?

If there were public clinics for all comers, perhaps the undocumented wouldn't use the ER for the flu. That's the most expensive kind of care, and I've had a hard time getting even the most rabid wingnut to admit that they would let undocumented people die by the side of the road by throwing them out of ERs, so why not build care for all into the system.

If I was hurt or sick in any other developed country, I could get care. Why not have that same standard for foreigners in this country? Has this country become so Third World that we can't help people who are sick or hurt, even if they aren't tourists?

Shit.... don't tell the Freepers I'm suggesting this. They will fall all over themselves telling one another how many illegals they would let die by the side of the road..

[JuniperLea]

1. They can buy in...

But they won't get any freebees.

[Luminous Animal]

19. They should be covered by their employers.

Who are "illegals", too. That is, they are engaging in illegal activity by hiring undocumented workers.

[JuniperLea]

24. We need to keep our eye on the big picture...

Or we will drown in the minutiae!

WSJ

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

Worker Status Checks to Start - Federal Contractors Required to Use Electronic System to Verify Employees' Eligibility

By CAM SIMPSON

WASHINGTON -- Agencies across the federal government on Tuesday will start ordering contractors to use an electronic system to verify whether their employees are eligible to work in the U.S.

The sweeping new mandate, crafted by the Bush White House but being implemented by the Obama administration, represents a significant expansion for the so-called E-Verify system, which government officials and independent experts expect to eventually become mandatory for private employers. Already, some states require companies operating within their borders to use it, regardless of whether the companies have government contracts.

U.S. District Court Judge Alexander Williams Jr. rejected an 11th-hour-effort late Friday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups to delay the mandate while a federal appeal is pending. Upset about the liability the mandate puts on employers, the groups suing argue it is illegal for the government to extend E-Verify to contractors through an executive order. The Chamber argues that given the state of the economy, this isn't the time to add more costs to U.S. businesses.

Judge Williams had in August dismissed a lawsuit by the groups seeking to have the program thrown out after the Justice Department fought to keep it intact. The Obama administration is using the program as part of its efforts to shift the emphasis in immigration enforcement by focusing on employers.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125236773673291025.html

[TransitJohn]

20. We can't even buy in

if by that you meant to a public option.

[JuniperLea]

23. Well not now we can't! This is about changing that!

Can we please stay focused here? Cheesus!

[TransitJohn]

28. We never will be able to if the President's plan is passed.

Did you not listen to him? "Let me be clear....."

[JuniperLea]

29. I listened...

And read the transcript twice.

I understood it too; did you?

[TransitJohn]

30. Yes.

The public option will only be for people who do not have insurance. The rest of us are to continue to pay our money to for-profit corporations. Not to terribly difficult to grasp. Unless you're implying that the President was lying or something.

[blue sky at night]

2. you are right....

and I am sick of waiting for this country to grow up....guess I will look into moving, cause it ain't going to happen anytime soon.

(I found out it takes two to six years to emigrate to Canada)

[mike_c]

3. the notion that we're too good to share health care with others in need...

...utterly disgusts me. Anyone who walks into a doctor's office or hospital in the U.S. should receive medical care, paid for by taxes. I'd be PROUD for my tax money to be spent on medical care for anyone, no questions asked. Instead, my tax money is used to kill poor people around the world in the name of U.S. corporate greed.

[madrchsod]

15. as a believer in christ`s words i agree with you...

[yodoobo]

35. Our system isn't good enough to share

Why inflict our misery on people who didn't do anything wrong?

[Pool Hall Ace]

4. I agree, especially since so many of the wealthy people

don't mind hiring undocumented workers to care for their children, cut the lawn, or paint their house, wouldn't they prefer healthy workers?

[guitar man]

31. not if it costs them an extra penny

I think most of them would just rather toss 'em out like a used paper cup and get another one. Hell they do that with us citizen workers too, not just the undocumented. I think the fact that our companies call us "human resources" speaks volumes. :(

[bigjohn16]

5. It would cost us much less to just let them buy into the health care system like everyone else.

But it will never happen in this country. "Illegals" are the red meat that the right throws to their constituents to get elected. They're getting health care in hospitals whether the right wants it or not but that point means nothing to them.

[pampango]

25. Great post. ""Illegals" are the red meat that the right throws to their constituents to get elected.

Illegal immigrants (who tend to be younger and healthier than the general population - they come here to work, not to get health care or welfare) are less than 1% of the health care crisis and yet the right can tie things up in knots with everyone worrying who to deal with this tiny problem, when there are major reform issuer to deal with.

:thumbsup:

[BOG PERSON]

6. Because they can't vote. n/t

[w4rma]

7. Exactly. And that fact is the basis for many reasons why they shouldn't be freely insured. (nt)

[Quantess]

11. Felons, legal residents, and minors under 18 can't vote, either.

So?

[LuvNewcastle]

8. I don't have a problem with it.

Any country is going to have a certain amount of illegals. Adding some money to cover them for humanitarian reasons is not too large a price to pay.

[w4rma]

10. Insuring them promotes illegal immigration and the loss of jobs and reduction of wages that

come with it.

[LuvNewcastle]

12. Sure, conditions in America are tempting

to people in other countries -- that's one reason they come here. Another reason, however, is that they know it's so easy to come in and get work. If the government didn't turn a blind eye to all the illegal immigration, it wouldn't happen nearly as frequently. Regardless, we're always going to have illegals and we can't just let them die in the streets.

[BOG PERSON]

17. Another reason, besides "conditions":

they think Americans are overpaid and they want to be overpaid too.

[Edweird]

9. Maybe we could just have some immigration reform and make it a non-issue?

[madrchsod]

13. whether we like it or not we have to....

[DeadEyeDyck]

14. we will...

that is why ER's can't turn them away now. It's the equal protection clause

[Hello_Kitty]

16. Their employers should be insuring them.

Make no mistake, all this caterwauling about "illeguls" by these Repuke politicians is just cover for their cheap labor big campaign contributors. The business community looooooves that it has an unskilled workforce that is deathly afraid of being deported.

[onlyadream]

27. Exactly.

Who's cleaing their houses & taking care of their lawns?? If it weren't the illegals, then they'd have to cough up more dough for these servics. Make the employers pay or fine them and use that money to pay.

[BOG PERSON]

18. n/t

[lynne]

21. They can buy the public option, they just won't get any premium assistance -

- they'll have to pay full premium. But they can buy into the plan.

[Matariki]

22. Whenever I've lived in a foreign country I had to prove I had health coverage.

[onlyadream]

26. When I saw the part in the speech that said they won't

insure illegals, I turned to my husband and said, "If an illegal goes to the ER, what are they supposed to do? Let them die?" That is crazy. ER has to treat them.

[BOG PERSON]

32. And ER will continue to treat them

They just won't be provided preventative care, ordinary check-ups, etc.; this serves no practical purpose except to mollify the Minuteman crowd.

[yodoobo]

33. dup

[yodoobo]

34. Why would they want to use our healthcare system anyway?

When they can receive far superior care in their home country at no or little cost to them?

It seems the best thing to would be to administer emergency care, and then fly them home to their healthcare system.

That way everyone wins, they get better care, an illegal is exported, an American job is opened up, they save money and we save money.