Commentary by H.G. Listiak

Wednesday 12/3/2003

Welcome to my world. From Washington to Westminster, from Wickenburg to Wasila, all cross America, health care, in some cases staying alive, is cause for a great deal of concern. One of the big problems we have here in the Southwest is that we have illegal aliens soaking up a lot of services without paying for them. This while homeless American citizens die in the streets. Down in Tucson, the University Medical Center is trying to do something about it, and they are, of course, catching all kinds of Hispanic hell for it. Illegals who fail to pay their bills are being reported to immigration officials, with a warning that they could face deportation. They have started calling the Feds, turning in the foreign nationals who simply refuse to pay. In the past four months, U.M.C. in Tucson has stacked up over 3.3 million dollars in unpaid bills from illegal immigrants. They simply can't afford to do that. Ah but here come the Tucson immigrant advocates, actually advocating breaking U.S. immigration laws. They call U.M.C.'s actions immoral and unethical. They say it's the right of all human beings to receive medical care regardless of their citizenship. In a perfect world maybe, but this is not a perfect world. Now don't get me wrong. I don't like to see anyone sick or suffering, but health care is not the right of law breaking illegal aliens. They have run up 24 million dollars in unpaid bills in Pima County alone, which could bankrupt care providers, leaving them to provide care for noone. The U.M.C. move is a good one, but it's long overdue, maybe too long. Granted, hospitals cannot turn away anyone seeking medical help, but they do have the right to be paid, even if it is in pesos, as I see it ... I'm H.G. Listiak.