Getting the Message Isn’t as Easy as ABC

Democracy can be downright aggravating. It’s very untidy. And for many, it’s just plain inexplicable. A good example was that judge’s decision to gut Proposition 187.

Five million Californians voted for 187. One judge, a liberal Democrat appointed in an earlier political era, decided those 5 million voters didn’t have the right. Immigration was the sole province of Washington.

Hey, that’s the system--three co-equal branches.

If Americans had not elected Jimmy Carter president, he couldn’t have appointed Mariana Pfaelzer as a federal judge. Last month’s 187 ruling might have been different.

Or, seen from another perspective, if Californians weren’t so hair-triggered with ballot initiatives, we’d have fewer amateurs writing flawed “laws.” Of course, if our professional lawmakers would just do their jobs in the first place. . . . But we elect them.

It all gets back to voters. We sow and then reap. And the crop sometimes takes awhile to ripen.

The voters’ goal with 187 was not just to deny public education and health care to illegal immigrants. They wanted to send a message that California was fed up with footing the bill for the federal government’s failure to control the border.

Washington got the message. Congress and the Clinton administration now are moving to beef up the border and also, at least partially, to reimburse California for servicing immigrants who do sneak in illegally.

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“People used to look at me and their eyes rolled back when I told them there was a problem and we were going to have a backlash,” recalls Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who began attacking illegal immigration even before Gov. Pete Wilson locked onto the issue. “Now, they do know there’s a problem; 187’s gotten their attention.”

Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas), chairman of Speaker Newt Gingrich’s Task Force on California, says: “The ABC syndrome--Anything But California--used to be pervasive in Congress. That appears to be a thing of the past.”

Dreier naturally attributes this easing of anti-California sentiment to the Republican takeover. But he also says 187’s passage “sent a strong signal to Washington” that it cannot ignore illegal immigration.

Getting more federal money for California can be a hard sell, particularly when balancing the budget is a top priority. Many members of Congress represent states where illegal immigration is of little interest, and California sometimes is viewed through a prism of envy and disdain.

When Californians demand to be reimbursed for servicing illegal immigrants, says pollster Gary Lawrence of Santa Ana, they’re often dismissed as “whiners” and “crybabies.” The ABC syndrome still exists outside Washington.

Lawrence saw this in a recent national poll when he queried voters whether California was “right or wrong” to ask “the federal government to pay for the education and health care that illegal immigrants use.” The overwhelming response was “wrong”--55% to 33%. Midwesterners and Northeasterners especially were opposed.

However, half the voters surveyed also were told that Californians “claim the government has failed in its duty to prevent illegal immigration.” People hearing this explanation leaned slightly toward California’s side--45% to 43%.

“It’s hard to work up compassion for the victim when it’s California--the largest and wealthiest state,” Lawrence observes. “People say, ‘Why should it get special treatment?’ ”

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But politicians understand why California’s special: President Clinton needs its support to win reelection. Congress also was reminded by 187 about the power of states rights issues.

California taxpayers now are spending $2.6 billion annually on illegal immigrants, according to Wilson--$1.7 billion for education, $382 million for health care and $491 million for incarcerating criminals.

In Congress, there are good prospects for reimbursing California $1.6 billion over five years for health care and about $300 million annually for incarceration. There’s additional money for other states, plus funds to strengthen border facilities and hire 1,000 new agents.

Feinstein says she’ll also seek reimbursement for education. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) wants to go another controversial step: Eliminate the federal requirement that states educate illegal immigrants. Other legislation would let the states decide whether to provide services and permit local officials to snitch on illegal immigrants.

So regardless of whether Judge Pfaelzer’s decision ultimately is overturned, Washington may enact its own 187. For democracy to work, sometimes you need to send a message and wait patiently for the roundabout response.