Hard to re-brand the GOP when its elected officials step in poo like this. From The Columbian:
A proposal by County Commissioner Tom Mielke that Clark County should withhold some public health services from people without valid Social Security numbers has inflamed some Latino civil rights advocates.
At a hearing Wednesday, Mielke said he was “concerned about the service that we give to illegals, and the cost.”
“If we don’t have those Social Security numbers, I would like to know who those individuals are who we are serving that are here illegally, and why we serve them and help them in their health,” said Mielke, a Battle Ground Republican. “I think Sheriff Lucas is very interested in who they are.”
To their credit, Republican Sheriff Gary Lucas and Republican County Commissioner Marc Boldt rejected Mielke’s idea out of hand, as did Democratic Commissioner Steve Stuart.
Tough economic times always put resentments in sharp relief. You could wipe out all public health spending in Clark County and it wouldn’t make much difference to the economy one way or the other. Unemployment is high in Clark County not because of illegal immigration but because the local economy was so heavily depending on construction and endless growth. And coming on the heels of the swine flu stuff, it’s a pretty asinine proposal by Mielke.
This is basically Mielke representing the Limbaugh wing of his party, and the more astute politicians are figuring out citizens are beyond tired of that particular vintage.
Tom was never the brightest member of the Mielke family. I am happy he doesn’t get to vote on state policy any more but restricts his wingnuttiness to someplace far away.
@1
I’d rather have Tom in the legislature where he is one of 98 and couldn’t do much damage. Now he is one of 3, and in the majority party on the County Commission of the fastest growing county in our state. Tom has an incredible amount of power concerning land use, transportation, law enforcement and human services. I feel bad for Clark County.
One more time: Who hires the illegals and pays them below-minimum wages under the table, and which political party let them into the country because its corporate supporters wanted their cheap labor?
I like how Mielke fabricates the story of the county sheriff being interested in prosecuting those who seek health services.
Can we just quarantine Mielke now as a danger to public health, confining him to his house?
He’s still bitching about the party that isn’t in power?
He’s still bitching about him bitching about the party that isn’t in power?
There are a lot of people interested in preserving their privacy who do not give out their SS # for identification. These people would be denied medical care under this proposal.
Not that this isn’a also an equal protection violation.
@3 Daschle hired limo drivers were all illegal aliens as were his gardeners. So did Ted Kennedy. Liberals love to pay cash but not taxes. Taxes are for everyone else. Look at Obamas cabinet, not a taxpayer in the field. Wheres the outrage old man?