Dave Cox Senate Report: April 2006

Illegal Immigration and State Government

My offices have been contacted by many constituents calling and writing about the debate going on in the United States Senate regarding illegal immigration and what to do with the over 12 million illegal immigrants in our country.

After helping a few of these people understand that I am a State Senator who has no direct control over our nation’s immigration laws, people tell us how frustrated they are with the current debate over whether to allow illegal immigrants to apply for citizenship and how so many of them are being allowed to come into the United States illegally.

My position on illegal immigration has always been clear. I do not support efforts by the State Legislature to encourage illegal immigration. I oppose and have repeatedly voted against bills to allow illegal immigrants to obtain state driver’s licenses. I have also opposed bills providing for in-state tuition for undocumented students. However, the most effective action against illegal immigration into this country has to come from the Federal Government. That is what the United States Congress is considering now.

The most important thing the Federal government should do is secure the borders. This is best accomplished by increasing the number of Border Patrol officers, building a border fence, improving the technology currently in place to detect illegal entry, and enforcing the current laws on the books. Americans who knowingly employ illegal immigrants should face heavy fines. We must provide businesses with needed tools to verify the identity and status of job applicants.

There is something that the State of California can do, but it would still require the cooperation of the federal government. We currently incarcerate thousands of illegal immigrants in our state prisons. Those convicted of non-violent offenses should be turned over to the federal authorities for deportation. However, I do not support the release of murderers or sexual predators. Governor Schwarzenegger recently made an effort to secure more federal funds to cover the cost of housing non-violent prison inmates.

For the record, the protests that have been taking place in California and across the country are just irresponsible.

I don’t know about you, but when I hear about students walking out of class to march and protest, I want to know why they were allowed to leave campus in the first place. I think that any teacher or principal who encourages their students to become truants should be disciplined, including possible suspension or termination.

Is it any surprise that weekend protests drew much smaller crowds than those on weekdays? Maybe that’s because students lost interest in expressing their opinions if it meant giving up their free time. Clearly they’re more interested in being out of class.

I share the frustration of the people of the First Senate District over illegal immigration. Unfortunately there is not much a state legislator can do. I applaud the efforts of the President and the Congress to engage in a thoughtful debate and hopefully reach a strong resolution on this very difficult issue.

I am working on a more comprehensive immigration policy statement, which I will share in a future newsletter.

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Health Care Working Group

Sacramento has been selected as the site of a community meeting on the nation’s health care system. The Citizen’s Health Care Working Group was created by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 to develop a plan of action that will result in health care that works for all Americans. The plan will be developed after holding open meetings all across the country to receive input from the public about health care benefits and services, and how they should be paid for. When the plan is complete, five different committees of the U.S. Congress are required to hold hearings on the recommendations.

The community meeting will take place on April 19, 2006 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Downtown Sacramento at The Grand, a meeting room located at 1215 “J” Street. The meeting will feature a short presentation on the health care system followed by focused discussions in small groups to share ideas on how to improve the health care system.

For more information on this meeting and the Citizen’s Health Care Working Group you can call (301) 443-1521 or go to their website at www.citizenshealthcare.gov.

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Reminder On Nursing Homes

As a member of the Subcommittee on Aging and Long Term Care, I have been working on improving the conditions in our nursing homes and residential care homes. Through my membership of the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, I have been pushing hard to fund and improve the efforts of the Community Care Licensing Division. This department is responsible for inspection and enforcement of standards at these homes where our most vulnerable Senior citizens are often placed when they are in need of 24 hour care.

I have also joined Senators Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) and Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) in requesting an audit of the division.Last year we pointed out the availability of a centralized database with information that is very valuable for families that must make a decision on where to place a family member who is in need of care at these types of facilities. The California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform provides a website that gives the location and contact information for all of these licensed facilities, as well as information on the services provided, costs, and records of complaints, violations and enforcement actions against the facilities.

The website can be found at: www.nursinghomeguide.org.

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Medicare Part D - Another Deadline

May 15, 2006 is the final deadline for Californians and all Americans to enroll in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. The California Department of Aging estimates that approximately one million Californians have not yet made their choice of a prescription drug plan.

Luckily there is help available. The California Healthcare Foundation and California Public Television stations will air a thirty minute informational program to help explain this program on all public television stations throughout the state during the month of April. For residents of the First Senate District, here are the dates, places and times to view the program.

KVIE Channel 6, Sacramento
April 11, 2:00 p.m.
April 29, 7:30 p.m.

KIXE Channel 9, Chico/Redding
April 18, 6:00 p.m.
April 22, 7:00 and 7:30 p.m.
April 28, 8:00 p.m.

The California Department of Aging website also has tools to help guide you through Medicare Part D. You can go to www.aging.ca.gov.

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Sierra Nevada Conservancy Workshops

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which was created by the Legislature last year to enhance the environmental preservation and economic well-being of the Sierra Nevada Region, will be conducting several workshops on developing its strategic plan over the next few months.

The Conservancy’s Strategic Plan will be developed through an open, public process and adopted by the Conservancy’s board of directors in July. The Board will meet to hear from the public on the Conservancy’s future objectives, including:

• Increased opportunities for tourism and recreation.
• Preserving the region’s physical, historical an archaeological resources.
• Reducing the risk of natural disasters, such as wildfires.
• Protecting and improving water and air quality.
• Enhancing public use and enjoyment of public lands.
• These workshops will be held at the following times and locations.

Tuesday, April 25

Jackson Rancheria Conference Center
12222 New York Ranch Road
Jackson, CA

Wednesday, May 10

Miners Foundry Cultural Center
325 Spring Street
Nevada City, CA

Thursday, May 11

Paradise Elks Lodge
1100 Elk Lane
Paradise, CA

Tuesday, May 23

Mammoth Mountainside Conference Center
Mammoth Lakes, CA

Thursday, May 25

Sacred Heart Parish Hall
507 East Fourth Street
Alturas, CA

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Quotes Of The Week

“The apportionment of taxes on the various descriptions of property is an act which seems to require the most exact impartiality; yet there is, perhaps, no legislative act in which greater opportunity and temptation are given to a predominant party to trample on the rules of justice. Every shilling which they overburden the inferior number is a shilling saved to their own pockets.” - James Madison (Federalist 10)

“Death and taxes and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them!” - Margaret Mitchell (Spoken by Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind”)

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