Governor refuses to blame illegal immigrants for budget problems

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called it a "big mistake" Wednesday to blame illegal immigrants for the state's looming $8 billion budget gap, just as Republican lawmakers have proposed a rollback of benefits for illegal immigrants to save money.

The Republican governor was pitching his long-term budget solution in San Luis Obispo when Diane Blakeslee, mother of GOP Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, asked Schwarzenegger how the state should handle financial burdens created by illegal immigrants.

"There is, you know, always a time like this where you start pointing the finger at various different elements of what creates the budget mess, and, you know, some may point the finger at illegal immigrants," Schwarzenegger said. "I can guarantee you, I have been now four years in office in Sacramento, I don't think that illegal immigration has created the mess that we are in."

Assembly Republicans this week promoted nearly two dozen bills they said would reduce the "negative impact" that illegal immigrants have on the state budget and border security. The proposals range from requiring individuals to show proof of citizenship when receiving state-funded benefits to repealing a law enabling undocumented students to pay in-state college tuition.

"There's a cost associated with illegal immigration whether we're in a deficit mode or not," said Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville. "I think it just becomes more (significant) when we're in a deficit mode and we're having to make tough cuts across the board in education and health and human services. Those should be provided to the citizens of this country and people who came to this country legally."

Legislative Democrats have vowed to block the GOP legislative package and accused Republicans of using illegal immigrants as scapegoats.

"Frankly, they're wrong," said Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles. "The fact of the matter is, immigrants have a positive impact on the economy and the budget, and they're essential to California's prosperity. We can't have a prosperous future without immigrant workers."

Assembly Republicans on Tuesday said illegal immigrants cost the state $9 billion annually, citing a Federation for American Immigration Reform study released in 2004. The group estimated that California spends an estimated $7.7 billion alone on education for undocumented students.

"It serves as a magnet and taxpayers should not be burdened with those costs," said FAIR spokesman Ira Mehlman.

Dowell Myers, a University of Southern California demographer, disputed FAIR's estimate and said it is difficult to quantify the full economic impact of immigrants in California. He said it is hard to differentiate between legal and illegal workers and that immigrants provide an economic benefit by filling labor shortages in various occupations.

"It's just a gray, murky area that people want to use as a political football," Myers said.

A Public Policy Institute of California survey released Wednesday shows Californians cite immigration as their third biggest concern behind the economy and education.

Schwarzenegger said he believes the United States should pursue immigration reform and have tougher border controls. But he added that blaming illegal immigrants "because we have a budget problem would be a big mistake. I think we have to look at ourselves in Sacramento. We in Sacramento have the responsibility to come up with a coherent budget system, and we haven't done that."

Diane Blakeslee, 75, said in a telephone interview that she asked about illegal immigration because "it's like the 800-pound gorilla in the room and nobody wants to talk about it."

"This doesn't really have to do with discrimination or anything," said Blakeslee, a certified financial planner. "It's a matter of respect for the law. ... We're sacrificing our own kids to take care of people who don't believe in following the law."

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