Thanks for the comment, gdh.

I think we’re coming at this issue from different places—you from an immigration policy standpoint and me from a somewhat philosophical one. I don’t see providing medical care to children as “rewarding an illegal action.” I see it as a moral imperative.

[Note: somehow, in posting a response to a comment on this entry, I erased the original comment. Here it is (and sorry, gdh!)]

[Original comment]:
Any legislation giving any benefits to people in this country who are here illegally should be vetoed. The fact you are brought here by someone else is not an argument.
Rewarding an illegal action should never be done. As someone once replied when asked why he robed banks: “because that’s where the money is”. If by breaking the law an action returns rewards greater than the resultant punishment everyone would ignore the controlling law as is being demonstrated by the present immigration problem.
The solution is removing the money incentive, i.e., jobs, and other perceived benefits. Creating a daycare type reward program would only encourage more disregard for our laws and teach the children our laws should be ignored if they somehow interfere with some "I want".

Ah, morals. That wonderful word used so often to justify the taking of property from one individual under the threat of force to give it to another who is perceived by the taking party as a less fortunate individual. Instilling a sense of moral obligation into a problem does not fix the problem. Often, it causes more problems that it attempts to solve. In the situation you are arguing for, any parent living outside the US that could not afford medical attention needed by their child could simply find a way into this country, legally or illegally, to get that help.

Generally, immigration into this country, legal or illegal, should not be allowed to anyone not earning income sufficient to support themselves and members of the family they bring with them.

You cannot fault the person who picks up a $20.00 bill found laying on the ground, that is, if that individual has a right to be there, but, I have a real problem with the person who keeps dropping them, especially if I am his unwilling source. To offer another analogy: The reason you often have a bear problem around many city dumps is because that’s where all the free food is.

Gdh:

First off, thanks for giving me the opportunity to take a short leave from the insurance beat! Secondly, thanks for your thoughtful comments. (Maybe I’m revealing my biases here, but it seems like reasoned statements are the exception, not the rule, when it comes to the immigration debate.) While I disagree with you for the most part, I cannot deny that you put forth a compelling argument.

Maybe my position on health care for kids would be clearer if I gave my two cents on the immigration issue. In short, I think the status quo must change—and fast. The system is broken. I believe we need to establish control over who comes in and out of our country. We also need to figure out what to do with the millions of illegal immigrants already here. Label it whatever you want, I think we ought to give many of them a chance to become fully integrated citizens. I’m not advocating blank check amnesty, but rather the opportunity for people who are already de facto citizens of our country to become de jure citizens.

Ok. That said, I think that until the system is repaired, we need to acknowledge the messy reality of lots of illegal immigrants who need basic services. (A side note: I’m eagerly waiting for the study that shows how much money illegal immigrants pay into Social Security and other entitlement programs, and how many immigrants never actually collect on those services. I anticipate it will deflate the “they’re a strain on our government services” argument.) Like it or not, they’re here. We cannot in good conscience turn our back on people simply because we’ve been asleep at the policy switch for so long.

Everyone who does not have car insurance should stay off the road. The punishment should be more intense for non insured drivers.