Victim Is Not Entitled to U.S. Health Care

* In regards to the article “Crash Victim’s Coma Ends, But Not Troubles,” (March 3), I would like to say to Mr. John Palacio of Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund that he is way off base when he says that this illegal (immigrant), a felon, lawbreaker and intruder, has like everyone else in this country the right to full and complete health care.

Send this illegal (immigrant) to Mexico and see if the Mexican government will help him. What a fat chance.

SAL JUAREZ

Santa Ana

* The plight of Roberto Morales is indeed a tragedy. (But) the idea that the taxpayers here in California have already been stuck for a six-figure Medi-Cal bill, to provide medical services to an illegal (immigrant) fleeing the Border Patrol in a high-speed car chase, is a tragedy of monumental proportion. Now, John Palacio of MALDEF is demanding that we, the taxpaying public, provide long-term rehabilitation care as well. His argument, that regardless of Mr. Morales’ legal status, he has a right to subsidized health care for however long and expensive it may be, elevates the discussion of illegal immigration to a whole new level. Mr. Morales is not an American citizen and is in the country illegally. The only thing he should receive is a one-way ticket back to Mexico.

Since Palacio and MALDEF are so concerned that Roberto Morales receive this long-term care, I’m sure they will be willing to reimburse the rest of us for costs to date and assume responsibility for any future costs as well.

MIKE GRABENDIKE

San Clemente

* Your story “Crash Victim’s Coma Ends” is another in a never-ending stream of white, middle-class bashing, which is, of course, never overtly mentioned.

The outrageous quote, “whether this man is here legally or illegally, he has, like everyone else in this country, the right to full and complete health care,” attributed to John Palacio of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, is notable for its arrogant greed.

The demand that citizens of any country provide free services--whether food, shelter or health care--to people not citizens is greedy, wrongheaded and damaging to the entire well-being of the country.

This concept, that is that anyone who crashes U.S. borders is entitled to be rewarded for their cleverness with limitless benefits to support all aspects of life, is advanced by The Times to the detriment of all law-abiding, taxpaying American citizens.

U.S. citizens demand a stop to this madness of pressuring citizens to pay for every service every gate-crashing illegal immigrant demands.

The young man in question can do what others do--or should do--in similar situations: go back to his own country and ask that government to pay for his health care, or ask his family to provide the needed services.

IRV & SYLVIA BERNSTEIN

Laguna Hills