Posted on 07/01/2006 10:14:58 PM PDT by Marius3188
SAN BERNARDINO — San Bernardino County is spending an estimated $38 million annually on health, child care and legal services for illegal immigrants, according to the county grand jury’s new report.
The final report, released on Friday, calls for the Board of Supervisors to require all county departments and agencies to begin tracking and publishing the cost of providing services to illegal immigrants.
Publishing these costs, the report stated, might encourage state and federal governments to “finally take action to solve this issue.”
Of the county’s 58 departments and agencies, at least 20 provide some type of service to illegal immigrants. Only six of those departments were able to give the grand jury a cost estimate for those services.
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center estimates it spends nearly $9 million a year for the treatment of illegal immigrants. ARMC spokesman Jorge Valencia said the federal government reimburses the facility for a portion of those funds, through the federal Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.
“It’s a good thing, because that money wasn’t available to us before,” Valencia said.
He added, however, that the hospital does not ask if patients are illegal, so the cost is determined through a “deducing process.”
The county district attorney and public defender offices each estimate spending $9 million a year for the prosecution and defense of illegal immigrants. The county sheriff and coroner estimate spending $11 million every year on jail costs for those who enter the country illegally, while the Probation Department spends $773,300 annually.
The county also spends a total of $316,232 annually on children’s services for illegal immigrants, including child care, medical treatment, foster care, preschool services, child welfare and food stamps. However, the county is reimbursed at least $173,683, or 55 percent, for some of these children’s services, according to the report.
“The costs for illegal immigrant services provided by the other 14 departments who have no idea of the amount would add substantially to this cost,” the report stated. “There are additional costs for cities to provide services. Obviously, the costs to the federal and state governments have to be enormous.”
The grand jury also recommends that county counsel provide a legal opinion on how to determine the number of illegal immigrant children are in public schools
Other recommendations made by the grand jury include:
Develop a rate structure for air ambulance providers and make emergency communication centers aware at all times of the status of air ambulance equipment.
Increase the public defender’s staff and create a policy that the public defender’s office not accept clients that have the financial resources to hire an attorney.
Relocate the coroner’s High Desert facility until a new facility can be built and increase the coroner’s staff.
Expand the Adelanto Detention Center to add 700 beds.
Return all illegal immigrants being held in county facilities to the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement.
Immediately build a new adult jail facility on the land purchased in Apple Valley.
“The costs for illegal immigrant services provided by the other 14 departments who have no idea of the amount would add substantially to this cost,” the report stated. “There are additional costs for cities to provide services. Obviously, the costs to the federal and state governments have to be enormous.”
-No clue on the actual costs of illegals.
No, it won't.
Heck, they have no clue how many are here. The 12 million figure is probably off by 10 million minimum.
yep. no one will do anything about. Down here it's like little Mexico, the people that matter are for enforcing the laws but we've got a bunch of spineless politicos and consultants that work for the other side of the issue a lot harder. Just a few weeks ago a measure for illegal tenants was slammed down in city hall. I can't believe illegals have that much of a hold here. There's gonna be a huge backlash in the near future.
I think maybe breaking the cost down county by county might make it sink home to the uninformed better. Once they realize it's actually costing them personally in the pocket book could be the tool needed to wake them up and get them to rebel loudly so the DC Reps hear them.
San Bernardino County is larger than three states in total square miles area. I not recall the three states at this time.
Been there, retired at Norton AFB, San Bernardino, CA. Now closed...
yes but, in population SB county comes in @ just under 2 Million (2005 est.)
Just think what these costs will be IF we ever get any info out of LA county, where the pop. is just under 10 million. (2005 est.)
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html
also NO CLUE as to how many millions are here.
NO CLUE as to which (if any) is their real identity from the 5/6 ID cards many carry.
Correct : )
Billions, just in California alone!
Not to mention the 7 public hospitals which went bankrupt due to illegals!
Easy. Have an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer visit, loudly pre-announced, and count the absentees.
What we need is someone gathering the data county by county, and give those numbers to localized grassroots movements. Maybe localizing it instead of nationalizing the issue will get more traction.
Bump
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