Congress back-hands California and other border states

Same war, new Administration

Congress has been remiss for decades in seriously shirking its responsibilities in putting teeth to border enforcement. California alone spends $10.5 Billion annually on  illegal immigrations costs. The cost to jail illegal immigrants is astronomical. Congress is scrambling around like a gaggle of displaced geese for funds to pay for another ten years of war in Afghanistan, now this.  This war comes at a great hidden cost to the American people.  We need that money here in the homeland.  California needs help with its problems cause by congressional incompetence.

iePolitics/SacBee By Rob Hotakainen, Dec. 10, 2009, WASHINGTON – California and other financially strapped states will lose tens of millions of federal dollars that they spend to jail illegal immigrants charged with crimes, under Congress’ latest spending bill.

The $1.1 trillion plan, finalized by House and Senate negotiators Tuesday night, combines six of the large yearly appropriations bills passed by Congress to keep the government running.

State officials and members of the California congressional delegation had lobbied hard once again to increase aid to the states for the program, hoping to cash in on California’s increased clout in Washington this year.

But their efforts fell flat, with the program set to be cut by more than 18 percent.

“It’s a hit to many states, but more so to California because we get the lion’s share of the appropriation,” H.D. Palmer, budget spokesman for Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said Wednesday.

He estimated that the cut could cost California $16 million this year, rising to $22 million on an annualized basis beginning next year. Palmer said the state and its localities receive roughly 38 percent of the money that Congress appropriates for the program each year.

“That’s something we’re going to have to take into account as we close out decisions this week and next on the (state) budget that the governor will submit to the Legislature in January,” Palmer said.

Overall, spending for the program would fall from $400 million to $330 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or SCAAP, which President Barack Obama had targeted for elimination. It’s a formula grant program that provides aid to states and localities for correctional officer salary costs incurred for jailing criminal undocumented immigrants.

California spends nearly $1 billion a year on the program.

The plan is drawing bipartisan opposition from the California delegation.

“The state of California cannot afford any reduction in federal funding for this program, especially when the state is facing its own budget shortfall,” said Sacramento Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui.

“When it comes to illegal immigration, the federal government has to step up,” said Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.

“We have a responsibility to protect our borders,” McCarthy said. “The federal government has the responsibility to do this. Those who live in border states take an unfair disadvantage, and it’s not right. I think there will be a heavy debate about this.”

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she was disappointed.

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“The ends do not justify the means.” If you use illegal mean to accomplish a legal and even desirable result, the good result does not make the bad means you used justifiable.

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Tags: Afghanistan, appropriations bills, arnold schwarzenegger, bills passed by congress, california budget, california congressional delegation, california jails, congress, dianne feinstein, gaggle, homeland california, Illegal crime, illegal immigrants, over crowded penal system, republican gov, senate negotiators, war, War in Afghanistan