This Thursday, Councilmember David Catania countered Mayor Vincent Gray's proposed $23 million cut to Alliance, a public health care program for DC's low-income residents. The Mayor's proposal would preserve primary care services, but eliminate emergency medical care, for many of DC's most vulnerable residents - including many undocumented individuals. At MLOV, we're especially concerned about Alliance because many of DC's Limited- and Non-English Proficient residents rely on it.
Catania's proposal to preserve Alliance, restoring $20 million to the program,
met with unanimous approval from the DC City Council's Health Committee. Whether it survives the rest of the budget season remains to be seen.
The
Washington Post reported "the council would be restoring the health insurance program at the same time it is
scaling back other government services, including millions in services for the poor, potentially sparking fresh debate about whether city benefits for undocumented immigrants are too generous."
Inflammatory rhetoric from the Twitterverse: "Catania gives $20 million 2 illegal immigrants that could be going to the poor children and homeless citizens of DC." "DC puts illegal aliens ahead of taxpayers and citizens' needs." "DC cutting programs for residents, finds $20m for illegal alien healthcare."
Is saving the life of your neighbor - after all, it's
emergency services that the Mayor proposed slashing - "too generous"? Are not some undocumented immigrants themselves poor children and homeless (and they're all
taxpayers)? Should a lack of immigration paperwork be the grounds to deny someone basic human rights? Finally, why are "millions in services to the poor" even on the chopping block in a year when DC has a $240 million surplus?
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