Eliot Spitzer threat to sue Bush on immigrants' health care

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Daily News

Gov. Spitzer threatened to sue the Bush administration yesterday for refusing to pay for crucial medical care for new immigrants - and criticized it for meddling in his plan to give illegal immigrants a driver's license.

"Let us not use artificial barriers, whether it is the entrance to a hospital or access to a driver's license as a false mechanism for enforcing a law that the federal government has failed to enforce," he said.

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff's spokesman told the Daily News the agency is still reviewing the governor's plan but "there should be no uncertainty about the fact that state-issued driver's licenses in our country today are a known vulnerability."

Spitzer said Chertoff shouldn't interfere.

He snipped that Chertoff should "get the regs out, do your job, pay attention to what you are supposed to be doing."



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/09/26/2007-09-26_eliot_spitzer_threat_to_sue_bush_on_immi-2.html

[NYVet]

1. As my grandfather used to say, "Elliot is an idjit"

"and criticized it for meddling in his plan to give illegal immigrants a driver's license."



Can someone PLEASE tell me why we should legitimize someone who is here in violation of our laws?

If they show up for a license, we should return to country of origin, NOT hand them the ID to continue their breaking our laws.

[bulldogge]

2. Maybe because

our laws are a joke. We are over seas fighting a war against individuals labeled by Bush as "freedom haters" while over here in the states we are in an uproar over people who have left their country of origin behind in hopes of a better life. How about this you start out giving them a drivers license and that helps to create some sort of documentation on them. So that you right wingers can track everyone in this land of "freedom". Its an imaginary border anyway. Our relatives were illegal immigrants at one point themselves. This whole illegal immigrant debate was started as a smoke screen for the Bush administration isn't that obvious....get the rabble to fight over the crumps amongst themselves.

[NYVet]

3. "So that you right wingers can track everyone in this land of "freedom""

You can Kiss my ass very much.

:sarcasm:
I am sorry that the immigration laws that were have been passed by the people don't matter to you.
End :sarcasm:

[bulldogge]

4. what would you propose

I mean realistically. We can make comments like ship em back to where they came from but who is going to boot the bill? So on a serious note, all name calling aside what does one do to put these people who are violation of our immigration laws in a position to become a legal citizen? The reasons they want to come to this country obviously varies but I would have to assume some are fleeing war, others are looking for economic freedom, others yet are probably criminals, others have family here. So I'm asking knowing that we are going to have illegal aliens what is the most responsible way to deal with these individuals?

May I also say that I allowed my emotions to go unchecked and I apologize for offending you earlier. I hope that we can have a productive conversation rather than invites to pucker up to one another's ass.

[rmgarrette64]

7. Realistically?

The best realistic plan is to rely on attrition. That means trying to enforce the border, and recognizing we won't be 100%, ever.

So, to deal with that, and the number of illegal immigrants already present, we need to make it harder for them to obtain the 'better life' they came here for. That does involve some unpleasant steps. Deny driver's licenses. Crack down on employers, so they have a harder time finding a job. Don't give in-state tuition, and so on. At the same time, we do this in the hope that some will go back to their homes, so we need to make that easier - certainly don't try to arrest them on their way out. Similarly, if some one was here illegally, and returns to their homeland voluntarily, they should not be barred from re-entry or anything like that.

When we have tried enforcing immigration laws, even sporadically, we have seen some of this self-deportation. It is reasonable, but unproven, that a sustained effort would have a greater effect. Now, if this works, and we get some control of our border, we can then look at some form of legalization for those remaining. But it's a bad idea to try it at the moment.

Oh, and if it matters, I should add that I'm an immigrant myself. I came here, legally, from the Philippines, in 1995.

R. Garrett

[NYVet]

13. My plan?

Lockdown the border (use the national guard until we have enough border guards if need be)and enforce STIFF penalties for employers who hire the illegal immigrants.

I have no problem with people wanting to make a better life for themselves, but the United States can NOT absorb everyone who wants to come to the US. We need to set limits and ensure that those who come to this country do so in a orderly manner as so not to overtax the system.

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. actually

i believe they have to have a passport to get the license.

That way they can get insurance. So if they hit you or me or grandma, we're not stuck with the whole bill because we hit someone that technically didn't exist.

[amandabeech]

14. If they are illegal, that passport will not be a genuine United States passport.

That's just a few more bucks to the folks who make their living copying official documents.

Legal immigrants and long-term visitors can drive here either on an international driver's license, or by submitting their home country license and visa materials to a state.

I don't support illegal immigration for many reasons that I won't go into here. However, I think that the majority of them would make fine citizens if they came here legally.

I agree with the poster that there are too many laws on the books that people ignore. I don't think that state of affairs is a good thing for this country, and I have the same position with respect to them all. Immigration laws are only one area of concern.

[Hieronymus]

15. I trust you don't benefit in any way from illegal aliens .. yard work,

baby sitters, housekeepers. They pick the fruit and vegetables that you eat too.
We need to go after those who hire illegals .. their primary concern is low wages.

[greiner3]

5. Why do Republicans hate America?

Eliot Spitzer for president (2016)!

[fedupfisherman]

8. Screw Spitzer

illegal immigrants are criminals who are in the US illegally.

No reason to give them anything except a trip back to their country of origin!

[Mojorabbit]

9. I don't agree with

refusing emergency care for illegal immigrants. The last thing we need in this country from a public health perspective is for spread of contagious diseases that we have not seen in years because someone is afraid to take their child in to be seen when ill. Till this mess is straightened out, pulbic health is a major concern and refusing care is the worst thing that we can do.

[fedupfisherman]

10. They are bankrupting our emergency rooms

Federal law requires anyone visiting an emergency room to get care.

This raises everyones health care costs.

[Mojorabbit]

11. Forty million

people who are legal and without insurance are also bankrupting our emergency rooms. As a retired nurse, I am saying we don't need to see a resurgence in third world diseases in this country because people are afraid to take their kids or family members in to be seen. That will cost us a whole lot more in the long run.

edited because I really do know how to spell forty.

[nightrider767]

12. The Plan

Round up the illegals who are here with their families and would like to be a permanent part of this country and cut them some slack. Please.

For the guys up here for a couple of years, shacking up 10 deep to an apartment, bankrolling the bucks so that they can return to their own countries, spending little here. I say, brothers, I so feel your pain, but you gotta go.

Don't forget, their are two issues here. Real immigrants, and Johny come lately's who are here for the short term, quick buck, bankroll it, then take it home with them when they leave. Not to put them down. They seem like an awesome group.

But the hard assed fact is, if this country needs more immigrants, and I think we do as they help fuel the economy, I say we let them in from all over the world. Lets focus on people who want to stay here, have kids here, and don't forget, also importantly, spend those hard earned bucks here. It's a myth that only mexicans will do the tough jobs. I've seen tons of Polish immigrants in CHicago not too proud to clean a bathroom, or put a roof on a house.

Nigerians, Mexicans, Chinese, Taiwanese, Lebanese, Greenlanders, who ever. A fair shot for all. Let's make dreams come true for people who have been waiting patiently for years.

My plan, I know. It may need some finessing. :crazy: