Friday, September 29, 2006

Kulongoski on illegal aliens

Teens interview Kulongoski
My name is Greg Kendoll and I’m a senior from McKay High School. Do you think that in light of the recent budget crisis that there is money to be saved in the state budget by reducing social services to illegal immigrants?

Kulongoski: Well, you know, the answer to that is an easy yes. Obviously if you didn’t provide service to them you would reduce the budget. The question is, is it good public policy? And I would tell you no. And so though there could be some money saved in doing that, obviously because there are non-citizens who access the social service agencies, I don’t think that would be good public policy for us and so I would just as soon keep them having access to those programs.

I’m Tyler Reynolds from Stayton High School. A moment ago you said that it was good government policy to give government programs to illegal immigrants. I fail to see how that would be good public policy when it’s illegal to hire illegal immigrants for a job so the state’s not getting revenues back. All they are is giving revenues.

Kulongoski: Let me draw some lines. In fact, there are a lot of people who come to this country and they come here under a variety of circumstances. The way I look at it, is that if in fact the people are in need, if they are hungry, their child needs medical care, they need medical care. I really don’t think it’s a line that we draw as a society here in Oregon or in this country where we say, look, you’re not going to get anything. That isn’t the way we live. That isn’t us as a people so I don’t see it in conflict with who we are as a people to be able to say look, if you’re here, you access it, so be it.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Outrageous. To be sure, there are certain situations where you might want to provide some services to illegals. The case of communicable disease comes immediately to mind, as does police services and fire, because if we don't you could have cross-over and we citizens could be impacted.

Beyond that, the good "guvna" is talking in theoreticals. He's FOS. He wants us to foot the bill and he doesn't want to be held accountable because of his theoretical and philosophical outlook on life.

Isn't it going to be funny when Mexicans or their descendants one day out-number whites in Oregon. Laugh now, it's already happening in CA.

Anonymous said...

How do you like this gem:

I’m Jose Cervantes, a senior at Woodburn High School. What do you think is more important to implement in high schools: an abstinence program or a safe-sex program?

Well, look. I actually have to tell you that I have three children and I have a daughter and two sons. I would actually think that an abstinence program, there is nothing wrong with it. But I’m also realistic about the society today and I think that if we were smart, though there may be a conflict in the sense that with abstinence, if you think that every single young person is going to follow the abstinence, I don’t think that that’s true and you don’t believe that that’s true.

What I think that you have to have the information available that if they are going to become sexually active at a young age, they should have the information they need to protect themselves and their partners. So I guess what I would tell you, I think that it is good to have an abstinence program, I think you should always try to promote that but there is a reality to it that isn’t the only thing. You have to have a safety net under there, realizing that everybody doesn’t always listen.

Anonymous said...

Nothing like the guvna promoting sex in the public high schools among minors. Classic. Can you see this going on at Jesuit high school?

I can tell you definitively that based on this comment, he would not be allowed to even speak at Jesuit. Helluva guvna, huh?

Anonymous said...

Once again we see how illegal aliens are entitled to more government services than the people who actually PAY for the services.

I'm not for sleepy Ted's "health care for the middle class" but I'm also not for "health care for illegals". Government health care should be reserved for children of people who don't otherwise have health care and that's it. Once we start providing a government service like this to ALL citizens, it'll never stop, and government will grow even more out of control than it alredy is.

Bryan said...

So if an illegal were dying, say seriously wounded because of some job related accident, should we refuse to admit them?

Anonymous said...

If an illegal were dying - that would be an emergency case. They should be treated and once they are able to be released, they should be fingerprinted, etc. and deported to Southern Mexico. We are a civil country, but one that needs to grow a backbone and stop cowtowing to PC thought police - who Ted K. is part of.

Hope that helps.

Bryan said...

That was more than I was hoping for. Thanks KS.

Anonymous said...

Bryan, if the illegal is injured on the job or related to a job, then the employer should foot the bill, not us. And why is an illegal working in the first place?

See what you have done? You have created a vicious cycle, having fun?

You guys created this problem and you don't want to solve it. I have no use for you, nor does my family.

Bryan said...

Anon-

A.) Gus wanted an example of a red herring. Thank you; you gave him one.

B.) There are not enough workers in the United States to fill all the jobs. Even our decrepid president understands this.

President Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program.