[lbo-talk] Dean Baker on immigration

[Miles Jackson]

Doug Henwood wrote:
> Marta Russell wrote:
> 
>> When people start seeing the state spending tens of thousands of 
>> dollars printing every Medi-Cal notice in 21 different languages, even 
>> the most left in the disability community are alarmed by what this 
>> portends.   One person I know who has spent her life dedicated to 
>> homeless and legal services said, I get this notice from MediCal in 
>> all these languages and I can't even get my teeth fixed.  So there is 
>> certainly a clash.  And how would you feel if you couldn't get your 
>> teeth fixed because the system is loaded down so much that they cut 
>> dental benefits?
> 
> 
> Marta, I'm shocked to hear you talking like this. Why pit sick 
> immigrants against disabled people? We've got a deeply fucked up health 
> care system in the US. That's the problem.
> 
> And what's wrong with 21 languages? I think the diversity of big 
> American cities is wonderful. It's sad that the diversity comes with so 
> much poverty, but we don't have to make it worse by seeing it as a waste 
> of resources.
> 

Man, I gotta agree with Doug about this.  I respect all the political 
work and consciousness-raising that Marta has done, but like Marta's 
take on the Schiavo mess, file this under "fucked up".

Miles