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I find it funny that you're ok with it.....

I'd like to hear how a weekend college party is a drain on the economy. How is that one time event or once a week event comparable, with respect to the loss of tax dollars, to an illegal collecting government money on a daily basis?

Seems like we declared war on drugs a while back.... but ignore illegal entry....

.... seriously? are you still whining about the illegal kids? Those illegals are being processed by the system. We generally have to feed/clothe/house people while they are processed by the system. The topic is illegal immigrants, as in people actually continuing to be illegal immigrants. Not people who were caught and are being sent back.

You're better than that....

and why are they here again..???? I think they crossed the border illegally right..??

Doesn't matter. Look, I know you like to play dumb, but this is really really simple. We are NOT giving them any money what-so-ever. Any resources or services they are receiving is NOT because they are illegal immigrants, but because they are in custody awaiting trial. I know you really want to spin this as some thing, but it isn't relevant to the discussion, and I'm sure that isn't what Bucky was referring to. Your insistence on this being the answer is simply distracting from an otherwise possibly interesting discussion.

Short answer, if you have a problem with the damn illegal kids being in some housing while they await trial, go find them, and shoot them in the damn head and shut up about it. If you don't have the nutsack to kill the damn kids, then quit whining about them being fed and housed while the gov't figures out where they go.

And again, we get back to the fact that we have to question whether the cost of ensuring they can't make it in is greater than what they cost to deport.

no drafter. You decided to spin off into the "illegal kids" tangent (incidentally, the illegal kids is a very small part of the illegal immigrant problem it just has lots of visibility right now)... you're easily distracted by stupid high-profile tangents. hey.... look, a shiny object.

that's what I'm looking for. Thank you bucky. I'll take a look at this

you're spinning trying to cover your butt cause you know you're wrong... it's ok.... really... we won't laugh at you and stuff....

Hey! Shut up!

I am concerned about the issue of illegal immigration because of this:

Mexico is corrupt, and run by drug cartels. There is not enough work or money for a lot of the poor, tired, huddled masses to be productive and earn a living... so instead of doing what is necessary to change it (revolution?) they come here.

Used to be people wanted to immigrate to the USA to become American. Now they don't. They want to marque numero dos para espanol. The Mexican people are not assimilating into our society. They want to make it theirs. Please refer to my previous paragraph for an example of that...

Now who's being obtuse? Drug felonies are like comparing apples to oranges. Many will argue the war on drugs is an abject failure, and I am one of them. I do not condone the use of heroin or cocaine or such... but who does it hurt? The retard doing it (many would argue his or her family too, but that's a family matter, not society's). The embargo on Cuba was enacted in what? 1962? Cuba is still around and everyone but us buys their cigars... epic fail.

Completely and utterly different from illegal immigration which affects our entire country. Years ago it was a border problem. California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas... well... illegal immigrants are EVERYWHERE now. Well... maybe not South Dakota and Montana.

Yessir...

Hehehe. Don't get me wrong, I don't care about drugs either. But if people are whining about the cost of illegal immigrants, there is definitely an equivalent cost in drug use. First you've got the cost of drug abuse... an abuser unable to hold a job or get a job which can get him out of poverty is going to be on welfare (hey... that's just like illegal immigrants!... actually probably worse because he doesn't have to have a legal kid to collect). Second you've got the health costs. Easily attributable, I'm not gonna bother looking them up but can if you want. Third you've got the loss of tax revenue, every time illegal drugs are purchased that's tax money forgone. If the drugs are cocaine or heroine or other imported drugs the money directly leaves the country (hey! that's just like illegal immigration too!!!!). And fourth and finally you've got the ancillary crime and the costs associated with dealers and manufacturers fighting for terriroty (hey! that's just like immigration too!!! only probably a little more violent).

My point isn't that the costs are the same. For all I know the costs of drugs could be higher. As TW pointed out, there is absolutely no way to really know the costs of undocumented workers, anyone telling you they know it is lying to you. I'm just saying that similar to illegal immigration there is a cost associated with these felonies. People have their panties in a bundle over illegal immigration NOT because they know it is a bigger cost (because they DON'T know it, since they have no way of knowing it) but simply because they want to be upset about it.

What goes up must come down
spinning wheel got to go round
Talking about your troubles it's a crying sin
Ride a painted pony
Let the spinning wheel spin.....

wrong again Bucky... they get debit cards now... not checks...

EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards to be more specific. Just trying to be more accurate and clear for Victor.

I didn't have a problem with your daily basis phrase. Money collected once a month is intended to represent per diem needs.

My problem was with the implication that there are govt programs to distribute welfare to illegals. The programs are intended to assist legal citizen children. The illegal parents may be benefitting as well, but are not the reason for the program.

Weak. You got your ass handed to you by Bucky and you can't say "Damn... you're right".

I guess I didn't really expect it. For all my faults, I can at least admit when I'm wrong. When presented with information that proves your opinion wrong... you can either change your opinion, or continue to be wrong.

MACS, when I'm wrong I'm wrong. In this instance I wasn't staking my claim on an idea that illegals don't manage to get some benefits within our country. I was incredulous that there was some sort of program distributing money to illegal immigrants. (Now for all I know there may actually be, especially at the state and local level)... but the examples given weren't what I thought Bucky was claiming. If he was just claiming what was in the examples, then I've got no argument that it occurs. It makes sense that it occurs, given that we take care of american citizen children, and given that some american citizen children have illegal parents.

I'll pull the OIG report on Monday to get a better look but I think I can comment on the Medicare issue.

There is no benefit available to illegal aliens. Apparently a small number 4000 found a way to get enrolled in file claims. While a small number one is too many. The whole purpose of the proposed rule was to shut that down and bring it to zero. This is not an example of giving illegal aliens benefits or federal money. It is actually an example of clamping down and trying to do the opposite. It's an outlier and an error, it's an exception not the rule

I still don't understand the Medicare advantage part. The article did a horrible job they threw out Medicare advantage but never really said what happened. I'm not sure on that one so I'll check it out as well. I suspect it's the same issue and also very small. The whole article was written poorly and with the kind of strange slant.

As for the others it's the age-old anchor baby issue and a legitimate gripe. Technically the benefits are being paid to an American citizen. But in reality The money ends up with the parent who isn't an American citizen. The same could happen if I got paid from those benefits and ship the money out of country to a Mexican. The difference is it would not be direct. This is an issue for parents that are legal as well. The money is for the child's well being but it loses its identity once paid (unless in a non monetary form). That money could also end up in the illegal hands such as drug dealers etc. That said it's a legitimate gripe and we need to clean this one up too. I'm not sure how to accomplish that. But it is disingenuous to suggest those are benefits to illegals. They are not. But it is money that ultimately ends up in the illegal hands. This is one data set that should be a little more obtainable than some of the others. I'll have to look for this one too. It would still be problematic but it at least would be a little more accurate than some of the others.

The anchor baby issue is the most difficult part of the illegal immigration issue in my mind. I do have a soft spot for the kids themselves because they are pawn in the game and don't have much choice. So I do struggle with anything that would harm them and yet I don't want to do anything that benefits their parents. It's a catch 22.

I still don't buy that the federal government is doling out all kinds of money to illegal aliens though. There are all kinds of mechanisms would've been a plate put in place by both parties to make sure that does not happen. I also don't buy that that number is zero. The crumbs that fall off the federal dinnerplate are often very large.

Damn voice recognition.

I already said if they are here illegally....,.,,,

Open up our border for way more legal immigration and clamp down fiercely on illegal immigration.

Except the fact that we really don't want more Mexicans legally or illegally and its a better argument to say it's not about being Mexican it's about being illegal.

The refusal to protect the boarder is almost like the politicians are laying out a welcome mat to terrorists.

Oh come on.
If your problem is not with Mexicans, then your problem isn't with the southern border. That's probably the most secure section of our country. I had friends accidentally end up in canada on camping trips... and anyone willing to give a fishing boat some cash could come across from russia into alaska. From there you're flying domestic.

If the problem you're trying to solve is Mexicans, then fine, concentrate on the southern border. If you're trying to tie in some terrorist angle, then you're closing a window while leaving the door open.