Subsidies Work!

"California finally has a budget deal, through accounting maneuvers and budget cuts (including the release of convicted felons). But California's bidget deal is toast--whether or not the econo0my turns around. The cauase: Millions of low-income, unskilled immigrants (not just illegals) with lots of children have moved in. And lots of high- and middle-income Americans have moved out. ... Immigration's highest cost is the public education of the immigrants' children. ... Overall, in twenty years, the increase in Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander children in the US made up three quarters of the enrollment increase for US schools. In California in the same period, enrollment of White and Black children declined by 1.4 million. But the enrollment of Hispanic and Asian students increased by 2.5 million students. Therefore, the increase in Hispanic and Asian students in California made up 132 percent of California's enrollment increase (and an incredible 28 percent of the enrollment increase for the entire country). ... Of course, elite opinion dislikes voters interfering in government's taxation plans. The London Economist reflected this consensus recently when it disparaged California's initiative system as the 'crack cocaine of democracry.' ... And Proposition 13 is not the problem anyway. The state of California raises quite enough money through its increased income taxes. ... Tax revenue is down. But whan (and if) it goes up, the problem will not be fixed--because new poor people (and their children) arrive every day. ... Like the old woman who lived in the shoe, she had so many children she didn't know what to do, immigrants (illegal and illegal) simply do not pay enough in taxes to support their public costs. Education is the poster student for this basic fiscal truth. But it extends to all transfer programs. ... California is toast", original italics, my emphasis, Linda Thom (LT), 2 September 2009 at Vdare, link: http://www.vdare.com/thom/090902_importing_poverty.htm.

What's so hard to understand? Import millions of unskilled poeple with an 82 average IQ and expect their children to go to Caltech? Madness. If LT's table is correct, and California has 3,143,000 Hispanic students, their annual education could cost $37.5 billion at $11,000 each. This may be conservative as many qualify for "free lunch" and other programs. Uncle Miltie warned us of unlimited immigration combined with the welfare state over 40 years ago, see my 14 February 2009 post: http://skepticaltexascpa.blogspot.com/2009/02/consensus-foreign-policy.html. Something's got to give. It looks like California. Think of if this way: as California approaches Mexico's demographics, it will approach Mexico's economics.