For years, open borders advocates scoffed at those who claimed their ultimate goal was to not only welcome illegal immigration, but to subsidize it. No longer. Gavin Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco and, barring an upset, the next Governor of California, wants to include illegal aliens in the state\u2019s taxpayer-funded healthcare plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did universal healthcare when I was mayor \u2014 fully implemented, regardless of pre-existing condition, ability to pay, and regardless of your immigration status,\u201d Newsom bragged<\/a> back in August. \u201cI\u2019d like to see that extended to the rest of the state.\u201d<\/p>\n This month, even as some polls show the race narrowing<\/a> to within single digits, the Democratic hopeful is doubling-down<\/a> on his stance on universal healthcare for all, including illegal aliens. \u201cEveryone should be covered,\u201d claimed Newsom adviser Mitch Katz. \u201cFor Gavin, It\u2019s a fairness issue.\u201d<\/p>\n The California legislature is already considering<\/a> expanding many parts of California\u2019s \u201cMedi-Cal\u201d to more than 100,000 illegal aliens, at a price tag of $250 million.<\/p>\n According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), California taxpayers already pay<\/a> a staggering $23 billion for costs related to illegal immigration. Among that total, $7.4 billion goes to state benefits, primarily healthcare programs already made available to illegal aliens. If Newsom is elected and makes good on his promise, this burden on taxpayers will only skyrocket.<\/p>\n More than one-third of California\u2019s already bloated budget goes to healthcare. Despite this, a study from George Mason University\u2019s Mercatus Center on healthcare accessibility ranks<\/a> California number 40 in the nation. So potentially adding millions of illegal aliens to the healthcare subsidy rolls will make it even harder for U.S. citizens in the state to see a doctor.<\/p>\n For years now, California has made it embarrassingly public that they value illegal aliens over the interests of\u00a0 citizens. So perhaps it should not come as a shock that they would extend this kind of abusive favoritism toward illegal aliens to their already-struggling healthcare programs as well.<\/p>\n However, many Californians are beginning to take a stand for the rule of law because they understand that their state government does not fully value them. Lawsuits are being filed<\/a> and polls are narrowing. Perhaps a new day is dawning in California. But until the sun rises, the current leadership seems hell-bent on letting American citizens know that their interests are no longer top priority.