Here's The Bill

[Willowdared]

Immigrant cost study officially received by county board

SIGNONSANDIEGO NEWS SERVICES
1:10 p.m. September 25, 2007
SAN DIEGO – Direct expenditures by the county of San Diego in the 2006-07 fiscal year on behalf of illegal immigrants totaled $101.5 million, according to a report presented Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors.

A new study finds that undocumented immigrants cost San Diego County government about $101 million annually, but researchers relied heavily on estimates and didn't factor in taxes paid or purchasing by immigrants.

Nearly half of that sum – $48.5 million – was spent by the Sheriff's Department to house inmates in area jails, according to the report by John Weeks, a San Diego State University professor and director of the school's International Population Center.

For those jail costs, the county was reimbursed $2.3 million by the federal government, according to the report.

The study was requested by the Board of Supervisors, which received the results at Tuesday's meeting and voted unanimously to pass the information to the county's congressional delegation and supervisors in other border counties.

“They're very telling findings,” Supervisor Bill Horn said.

Weeks estimated that there are nearly 210,000 illegal immigrants living in San Diego County, comprising 6.8 percent of the population.

That means that the county directly spends $527 for each person, and that those expenditures amount to $35.21 per resident, his report says.

The figures only include county expenses, not those of hospitals and schools, which are funded privately or by other levels of government.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob said the costs of illegal immigration come out of the general fund.

“That's money we could be spending on others things – fixing our roads, our libraries, our parks, our trails,” she said.

The supervisors blasted the federal government's failure to control illegal immigration, or compensate local governments that bear its costs.

“The federal government is robbing the people – the taxpayers – of San Diego County because of its failure,” Jacob said.

Supervisor Greg Cox noted the government has a program to reimburse local governments for the impact of illegal immigration, but said President Bush has not provided funds for years.

Horn presented an oversized poster board invoice to an aide to Rep, Brian Bilbray, R-Carlsbad, detailing the county's expenses.

“I really want the money this time,” Horn said.

Even though illegal immigration has been a heated issue in recent years, only one member of the public spoke before the board, and he supported the study. There were no protesters.

[cashton]

Time for war.

[Ducky]

Nice to have figures to back up the good guys for once.

[Motorwaycop]

It isn't even the illegal immigrants that are causing us financial problems.

Some of our senior officers are saying that it is costing an excessive amount to police the influx of mainly eastern european migrants.

I know from experience how much it costs to deal with an immigrant/migrant for a relatively simple offence(I don't do complicated),I've seen what the interpreters charge, boy do I wish I could speak a second language other than bullshit!

[Tuff]

OUCH!!! Thats big money for one county in cali!!! On a national level I would bet the numbers would be HUGE, the probelms need to be fixed....

[Willowdared]

Somehow, I think that's just the tip of the iceberg.

No mention of how much TB treatment is costing the county. We see it in our jails on a regular basis, and in the schools as well.

[SaraJ]

Have you noticed the illegal immigrant influx to be growing? I just found out--this week, in fact--that the drug cartels, or families, have taken over a lot of the trafficing of illegals. Just another way to make money for them, but they're using para military techniques now and this seems to be very effective for them.

[Ducky]

Let's start sending the bill to the UN, with a complete outline of the charges and a breakdown of percentage of illegals' nationalities. Stamp it with Payment Due.

[Tony]

It isn't even the illegal immigrants that are causing us financial problems.

Some of our senior officers are saying that it is costing an excessive amount to police the influx of mainly eastern european migrants.

I know from experience how much it costs to deal with an immigrant/migrant for a relatively simple offence(I don't do complicated),I've seen what the interpreters charge, boy do I wish I could speak a second language other than bullshit!

And my mate in the UK tells me its one of the reasons why firearms are not getting common there.

Let's start sending the bill to the UN, with a complete outline of the charges and a breakdown of percentage of illegals' nationalities. Stamp it with Payment Due.

Good luck!!!