The Colorado legislature passed immigration reform legislation that is among the toughest in the country. This law would require verification of citizenship when applying or renewing welfare payments. You can read the whole article here. This bill would deny most non-emergency welfare benefits to illegal immigrants less than 18 years of age.
Couple points of notes. The population of Colorado is around 4.5 million people. This legislation will affect over 1 million people living on welfare in Colorado. That means nearly 25% of the people on are welfare. Why is that? And where is the money coming from for the 25% of people. I'm betting it comes off the sweat of the other 75%.
It also leaves open the continued welfare support of anyone under 18. This won’t affect families receiving welfare. The minors won't directly be receiving welfare; it will go to their parents first. How is that any different? The parents are receiving money now, and they will after the program goes into effect. It is also implied they will continue to receive unearned education benefits.
Near the end of the article they estimate 50,000 people will be removed from the welfare rolls. They are going to reduce the welfare costs to the taxpayers by 5%, hardly a revolutionary change in the distribution of stolen cash.
Politicians are just using illegal immigration as a straw man to distract from the real nature of any government social program. All government social programs exist just to propagate themselves. A government solution is never designed to actually solve the problem; in most cases it makes the problem worse.
The welfare-state policies over the last 60 years are finally, and predictably, reaching critical mass. Most people recognize the current level of spending and the projected growth is unstoppable and unsustainable. Anyone that can read a balance sheet knows that something has to give. Either a drastic rise in taxes or a redesign of the various welfare programs is needed to fiscally survive.
The politicians understand the system can't sustain itself indefinitely. This is not because they recognize the invalidity of their position, but more they are getting more pressure about social spending and deficit financing. The politicians are just throwing illegals under the bus so they can say they are addressing the problems of social expenditures, but without providing any real solutions. Do you think a reduction in 5% is really going to mean anything?
Point to ponder: Why do you think there were no restrictions on immigration (there was no such thing as illegal immigration until 1900's) until the labor unions and labor special interests bought legislation?