Cost of illegal immigration on one Florida hospital

SoundofMusic · Jun 7, 2008

I for one am so tired of this issue, so tired of seeing them loitering in our streets, so tired of seeing hoardes of them at our hospital, bursting pregnant with their 3rd or 4th child and then seeing them at the local welfare office picking up their free healthcare and benefits on our expense.

Our own hospital says it spent $15 million in one quarter picking up the tab for the uninsured. These people are using the hospital ER's as their primary care clinic. continue to serve these people, you and I as nurses will continue to see quality care go down the tubes, as well as our salaries and benefits cut. There is just going to be an end to the party here, when the money well runs dry.

Makes me mad when WWII vets have to share a room with them and their 100 family members also. That vet paid the price to be taken care of, worked and built this country, paid his taxes, etc. These illegals snuck over our border, get it all for free, and work at low paying jobs at wages that can never be taxed high even if they DID pay taxes.

Their presence here is to line the pockets of the power elite Republicans and garner votes for the Democrats. It's the average taxpaying citizen who is paying for all of this, not to mention, at risk for diseases that they are brining across the border.

We do not need millions of uneducated low skilled workers -- it's more of a drain than it is a boost to this nation. It's thievery IMO as well. These people have no intention of assimilating into our culture. They want to work here and send it all back home, while they cling to their own culture and practices. I say ship them all back ASAP.

Atheos · Jun 7, 2008

I for one am so tired of this issue, so tired of seeing them loitering in our streets, so tired of seeing hoardes of them at our hospital, bursting pregnant with their 3rd or 4th child and then seeing them at the local welfare office picking up their free healthcare and benefits on our expense.
Our own hospital says it spent $15 million in one quarter picking up the tab for the uninsured. These people are using the hospital ER's as their primary care clinic. continue to serve these people, you and I as nurses will continue to see quality care go down the tubes, as well as our salaries and benefits cut. There is just going to be an end to the party here, when the money well runs dry.
Makes me mad when WWII vets have to share a room with them and their 100 family members also. That vet paid the price to be taken care of, worked and built this country, paid his taxes, etc. These illegals snuck over our border, get it all for free, and work at low paying jobs at wages that can never be taxed high even if they DID pay taxes.
Their presence here is to line the pockets of the power elite Republicans and garner votes for the Democrats. It's the average taxpaying citizen who is paying for all of this, not to mention, at risk for diseases that they are brining across the border.
We do not need millions of uneducated low skilled workers -- it's more of a drain than it is a boost to this nation. It's thievery IMO as well. These people have no intention of assimilating into our culture. They want to work here and send it all back home, while they cling to their own culture and practices. I say ship them all back ASAP.

Good Idea! Ship them back. When that's done we can start with the activists.... then let's see. Hmmm ok well we are at war in Iraq so Muslims... then, well my people. Jeez...

Same arguments Hitler made about the Jews. People still think like this? Since when do people HAVE to assimilate? Not to make it personal but what you posted embarrasses me.

We dealt with this issue in the 50s and 60s. Do we need to bring this kind of nonsense up again????

SoundofMusic · Jun 7, 2008

Since when do people HAVE to assimilate? Not to make it personal but what you posted embarrasses me.

You're darn right I'm going to bring it up. This is my country they're taking over. These are our hospitals that are closing down -- our schools that are going broke, our people who are constantly being killed on the highways while these people drive drunk and uninsured.

Um, they could start by learning English and speaking it when they use our schools, hospitals and other services, not requiring our government to pay the costs of translation and printing to ensure that everything is printed out in their language. This is the US and we speak English here.

Same old argument, but my ancestors came here and didn't "demand" anything, much less welfare benefits. They learned English and paid their dues, became Americans the legal way and respected this country. It's a far cry from what's being now by the masses we're seeing now coming from South American countries -- all being allowed to cross in illegally because our government won't do its job and uphold the law.

I worked at a local county clinic in public health and couldn't believe my eyes. It was 99% full of illegal aliens signing up for welfare the day they got their positive pregnancy tests. This country is being scammed by this stuff.

I remember seeing an American girl at the counter wondering why she was being denied help with her rent, while every other illegal coming up was being given housing for free.

I could go on and on about it -- it's NOT scapegoating. It's making our views known about what we see is happening to our country in the name of economic "progress." The only progress is that the rich are getting richer and poor will stay poor. The middle will disappear and we'll be living like the third world countries these people are coming from in 15 years or less.

Danish, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 7, 2008

LOL, I just read almost 7 pages of this debate that have swayed from the original post but when you get to my comments, it's a problem.
Go back to my last post prior to this one and look at my second point and see how my comments relate to the current discussion.

I did not think your comment was completely off topic...you were simply following the sheep my dear.

My POINT was that 3 people yourself included were debating, actually arguing about which came first, the chicken or the egg.

I dont deny your point or that you have a right to make it, just that I posted the link to make my OWN point and the thread was getting off topic.

I dont understand why some people are soooo argumentative.

suzanne4, RN · Jun 7, 2008

can we please get back to the original topic that we being discussed and not try to flame anyone here?

i understand quite well that this topic is quite important to many of you for whatever reason, but to attack someone because you do not like what they wrote is just not the way to do things her.

it this continues, then the tread will be closed.

Atheos · Jun 7, 2008

There really is no point to this debate. There usually are only 2 sides.

One is the let's get rid of them all side. This argument usually has a nationalistic and racial component. We all know what nationalism and racial undertones lead to. Ahem... holocaust. I will gladly accept one, just one, example where those ingredients did not result in that end result.

The other side usually is against illegal immigration also. However, being liberal, they are sympathetic to people that are trying to escape extreme poverty (that most Americans can't even begin to understand), violence (ex. countless people dying to the drug and other types of violence in border towns, 5000+ women dying in nothern Mexico, etc) and oppressive regimes. They then are subject to ridiculous stereotypes, like they ALL stand around and are on welfare or they are causing all the crime. So this second argument then not only has to argue their point, they have to argue against the nationalism, isolationism and racism that the other argument usually presents.

I am not pointing out any one person but please, someone point out one argument that doesn't fit these 2 sides in this thread???

I know more illegal aliens that work twice as hard as any citizen to live here and send money home. Do they do it to spite us? No, they do it to feed their families. I mean come on. What the h is the American Dream if not that. The only reason your relatives that immigrated didn't engage in this same behavior was that there were no Western Unions.

I would willingly welcome an argument that isn't just thinly disguised hate speech. Please, I see more Americans sitting around, homeless, on drugs, in prison and otherwise draining our economy than illegal aliens. At least they'll work.

And please, the next person that says 'My relatives came legally' do some research. America used to take anyone that came. If they were from the right country, religion and background. Look at all the Europeans that came here en masse. Now that the inhabitants from South/Central America are coming its a problem?

Hospitals spending to much money on people without insurance? Please, you mean shareholders, CEOs and top level admin aren't getting there multimillion dollar bonuses? Good. Medicine shouldn't be for profit. Profiting on health is the same as profiting on war.

asoonernurse · Jun 7, 2008

Fine, fine...
Now, what are the numbers of the many legal citizens who pour into our healthcare system (read county/state hospitals and facilities) who are uninsured and also costing us millions of dollars? and what about the drunks who come into our EDs just to get a meal and never pay for it or say things like: "My Medicare is paying for this, so give me, give me, give me".
When you are undocumented, you don't get the luxury of medicare or medicaid. When you are undocumented, you work your pants off and pay taxes because it gives you a good record in case this mighty country finds it in their heart to "allow" you to live here.
Americans cannot survive without the cheap labor immigrants provide.
What are you gonna do? pull the plug and throw them out back?

1. Undocumented workers do not pay taxes.

2. Provide proof that America "cannot survive" without cheap labor immigrants.

3. Yes.

asoonernurse · Jun 8, 2008

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Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Jun 8, 2008

I would beg to differ with your statement that undocumented workers do not pay taxes. Some do not, no doubt.

But my husband and I are not getting the greatly-touted economic stimulus check, why? Because we have filed taxes jointly every year of our marriage, and he is here illegally. We have paid taxes every year.

Why did the IRS come up with the great ITIN idea? So people otherwise ineligible for a SSN could still have a # with which to file their taxes.

Hard to know how many do and how many don't pay taxes, but the blanket that they don't is just not true.

asoonernurse · Jun 8, 2008

The ones who created the country were.

You have to actually have a country and a government with laws on immigration to produce "illegal" immigrants. Which country and which government are you referring to?

You cannot be serious. Now you and I are going to have end the discussion of this issue right here because this comment shows a complete ignorance of history. How could they travel back to their country when a)most of them had no idea what that was since their culture and language had been stripped from them b)most people are a mixture having been born of people from different countries, not to mention the impracticalities of what you are suggesting. It's laughable.

My knowledge and understanding of American history and the slave trade is quite good, thanks so much. But, you are correct. If you wish to debate American history, then we should start another thread.

At first I thought you were deliberately missing my point but it's clear that you just don't get it. This is not about who was wronged or who was wronged the worst. One more time for you: it's hypocritical to talk about how this country was built by people who entered the country "legally", who did everything "right" to achieve their citizenship when the history of this country states otherwise.

And you are missing mine.

There was NO country here at that time, only indigenous peoples. As NONE of the Indian tribes had laws concerning immigration into the Americas, NO ONE entered illegally.

It is ONLY when settlers broke away from Mother England did a "country" develop (with associated laws, etc.) The indigenous people of the Americas were nomadic tribes...there never was a COUNTRY here and no LAWS for the original settlers to break to be labeled "illegal immigrants."

It's something to consider for those who harp and harp on the "illegal". No you don't have to open the borders and let everyone in, that would be impractical.

I agree.

But let's talk about practical solutions that can ease the path to citizenship, punish those who use them for slave labor while providing nothing in the way of benefits and providing support for hospitals in affected areas so that they don't have to close down under the crush of immigrant care (even though it has been proved that immigrants access the health care system LESS than non-immigrants). They need more neighborhood clinics and they need to be encouraged to seek preventative care so that when they do seek health care, it is not an emergency and it is less expensive.

I agree.

asoonernurse · Jun 8, 2008

I can't help but think that people who get so upset about, for example, a few undocumented immigrants who require very costly care that pushes small hopsitals into insolvency are missing the bigger picture. Why, in one of the richest countries in the world, are SO MANY of our hospitals operating on the brink of insolvency in the first place? Hospitals are a very basic part of the infrastructure of any civilized nation, and we're operating like a Third World country in this respect. A few people who can't pay for things like organ transplants are a symptom of a much larger problem.

Because Mr. Bush and his cronies are spending a gazillion dollars to police and bring "Democracy" to the world. :chuckle

I still think BOTH parties should focus less on throwing money at other countries and start policing our own back yard.

asoonernurse · Jun 8, 2008

Not only would we not survive without cheap, illegal labor. Our economy would fail horribly.

Please provide supporting documentation to back up this ludicrous statement.