The cost of immigration
Title: “Stop Subsidizing Lawbreakers”
Sponsor: Backbone Issue Committee
Type: Radio ads
The message: Rather than address the fiscal impacts of the 275,000 illegal immigrants in Colorado, lawmakers want to “increase your taxes” through Referendums C and D. The voice of Kathy Redmond, who describes herself as a “single working mom and a former crime victim,” says she will vote no on the referendums “to force our politicians to address the expensive and dangerous problem of illegal aliens and open borders.” The voice of state Rep. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, says, “The silent invasion of illegal aliens is taking money from every taxpayer. I recently visited the border to see for myself. Arizona has declared a state of emergency. Colorado politicians just want to take your TABOR refund to pay for all this.”
Facts: The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are 150,000 illegal immigrants in Colorado. The cost of this population in terms of government services and infrastructure impacts is unknown, according to the state government. The closest thing to a relevant figure is $38.4 million – the federally mandated Medicaid cost of emergency medical treatments for illegal immigrants and newly arrived legal immigrants last year, according to the state.
Redmond has never before said she was victimized by an illegal immigrant and does not in this ad. She has alleged being raped twice in college by a University of Nebraska football player named Christian Peter. He was never charged.
And though the state of emergency declared in Arizona over illegal immigration does trigger spending in that state, none of the revenues generated by Colorado’s Referendums C and D are likely to be spent in that state.
