Prop. 200 sidesteps the real problem

America loves to pretend it doesn't cause problems. In the '80s the drug war emerged, and everyone blamed foreign countries for providing the United States with drugs. Most realized at some point that the U.S. was to blame because it created the demand for drugs in this country. Now, decades later, the same trend is happening with illegal immigrants. Proposition 200 blindly addresses the overflow of illegal immigrants in this country by preventing them from voting or receiving public services without proper verification of citizenship. Illegal immigrants are prohibited already from public services, which include welfare, disability, public housing assistance and taxpayer-subsidized post-secondary education. Public services are separate from federal services like emergency medical care, fire department safety and public schooling. Keep in mind that verification of citizenship is not an easy process because it has to go through the federal government. Without verification, it means illegal immigrants may be afraid to get immunizations or report crimes, which have consequences that apply to everyone, not just illegal immigrants. [more ]