Obama budget continues Fed underfunding to California

According to the Los Angeles Times, President Obama's recently released budget plan will allocate more than  $1 billion to California.  Besides  going toward healthcare for needy families, funds will also be apportioned to jailing for illegal immigrants  convicted of crimes.

Specifically, funding would go toward the State Criminal  Alien Assistance Program, a program created by way of the Immigrant and Neutrality Act of 1990.  The  goal of the program is to have funds available for when illegal  immigrants are incarcerated in the U.S. prison system.

Past funds for the program have gone toward such costs as correction officer salaries,  overtime, medical and mental  health services, etc.  The  move by the administration was met with a mostly welcome tone from the  state’s politicians--from Senator  Boxer to Rep.  Loretta Sanchez (D-Lakewood).

A number of California’s  officials, the Times says, have long argued that Californians should not  have to pay for the consequences of Washington not properly securing the  nation’s borders. To an extent, these California officials are  correct. The federal government should be more concerned with protecting  the border states from an onslaught of illegal immigration.

Due  to its growing illegal immigration problem, the US does indeed need immigration reform legislation that is not legislation in name only.  Washington should deal  with the growing illegal immigration that’s infecting border states from  San Diego, CA to Laredo, Texas because it is their responsibility to  provide for the common defense of this nation.

While California  is the poster state of the damage that the broken immigration system can  cause, it is a scapegoat to say that Washington is to blame for  California’s illegal immigration problems.  The quick and easy fix  of looking to Washington for more funds easily leads down a slippery  slope to look to them for other policy solutions (i.e. to look to  Washington to bail California out of other problems the state  faces--from providing welfare benefits to healthcare).

Fairly  recently, Californians witnessed such an entitlement attitude when  Governor Schwarzenegger demanded more money from the federal level.  California  voters ought to be tired of their politicians beating the same drum,  always looking for someone to blame for the state’s problems instead of  taking responsibility.  Voters deserve better than the usual  finger-pointing that comes from the traditional two party system.

Californians  are in need of candidates who will present fresh policy solutions for  issues like immigration. As the 2010 gubernatorial race comes around the  bend pretty soon, the state’s citizens need to keep their political  senses open for such candidates.

The only question is: Is he or  she out there? Or, will California continue down the road of business as  usual?