But in modern-day California, it’s not so obvious any longer which “people” the government is allegedly serving.
Let’s go back to September of 2010. In the midst of the Golden State’s contest for a new Governor, a woman named Nicky Diaz Santillan held a press conference in Los Angeles – along with her famous Attorney Gloria Allred – and announced that she was suing Republican gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman.
Santillan, we were to learn, had been a live-in housekeeper for the Whitman family between 2000 and 2009. After she was fired from that position she decided to do what Californians often do, and she sued her former employer for “emotional and financial abuse.”
Ms. Santillan happened also to be an illegal alien -a fact she revealed at her press conference -and had stolen an American citizen’s Social Security number so as to falsify documents and to portray herself as a citizen, when she was seeking employment with Whitman.
It was quite a spectacle, that strange September day in California. Seated behind the microphones and in front of the cameras of the American media, flanked by an American Attorney who had accessed the American judicial system to sue an American citizen named Meg Whitman, sat an illegal alien named Nicky Diaz Santillan.
Nobody dared to ask questions about the fact that Ms. Santillan’s presence in California was a violation of federal law. And nobody said a word about her admission to the crime of identity theft. It was all about the alleged “abuse” done to her by the American Meg Whitman.
In fact, California’s top law enforcement agent at that time – Attorney General Jerry Brown – had nothing to say about illegal immigration and identity theft either. Brown was the Democrat nominee for Governor, and he was polling behind Whitman. So rather than address the apparent crimes and confessions, Brown instead joined the chorus of critics claiming that Whitman had been “insensitive” for ending Ms. Santillan’s employment.
Shortly after that press conference, Brown began to poll ahead of Whitman. On Election Day in November, Brown trounced Whitman by nearly fourteen percentage points.
In California, trying to uphold the law with illegal aliens can be a very costly thing. Yet the political benefits of allowing illegal aliens to live above the “government of the people” can be enormous.
After the election, California was rocked by another bizarre event. At Fresno State University, one of California’s largest tax-payer funded schools, the campus newspaper revealed that their student body president Pedro Ramirez was an illegal alien.
Whether Ramirez was “outed,” or he “arranged to be outed,” is not quite clear. But after the news broke, Ramirez set out on a well orchestrated series of international media interviews (he rapidly became the “guest of choice” at “CNN En Espanol”) and a speaking tour to promote the federal “Dream Act” amnesty legislation. He flew up and down the state of California, and even paid a visit to Washington, D.C. to “lobby Congress” on behalf of illegal immigrants.
Ramirez’ presence in California was a violation of federal law, yes. But once again, California government officials didn’t dare ask the obvious questions: How does he pass through security check points at airports? Does he have an American passport? Does he have a California Driver’s License? How did he obtain these documents? Was identity theft involved?
It’s a “government of the people,” sure. But what does this mean any longer in California?
Not only does California ignore definitions of “crime” and “punishment” in cases involving illegal aliens, it is now about to legislate preferential treatment for illegal aliens which, de facto, will put U.S. citizens at a disadvtange. With a budget deficit of somewhere between $10 and $15 billion – a deficit that is expected to swell to about $25 billion by the middle of 2012 – California is cutting back on funding for everything from highway maintenance to K-12 education.
But – alas! – the California legislature has nonetheless found money in the coffers to fund special college and university grants intended specifically for illegal alien students (Americans need not apply). It’s called the “California DREAM Act,” and it’s sailing quite smoothly through the legislature right now.
In the 21st Century, it’s difficult to imagine that tax-payer funded college scholarship programs designated for “citizens and legal residents only” would be met with favor anywhere in America. But in modern-day California – a state that will probably be asking for an “Obama bailout” in the near future - tax-payer funds set aside “for illegal aliens only” is quite acceptable.
Yes, it’s true - the United States is ordered by a “government of the people, by the people, for the people…” But in our 31st state, it’s a government that is “for” just about anyone – except the American Citizen.
Austin Hill
Austin Hill is an emerging American voice, addressing culture-defining questions through books, talk radio, web, speaking, and interviews. His recent books "White House Confidential" and his new title "The Virtues Of Capitalism" show his range from whit-infused writer to thought-provoking expert on the intersection of philosophy, religion, politics & culture. Hill helps to make the complex seem simple when exploring capitalism, socialism, and other "Isms".
He is an editorial contributor to national publications such as U.S. News & World Report, a columnist with TownHall.com, and is a popular expert-host on radio from leading stations in Washington DC, Chicago, Phoenix and Los Angeles, and nationally with networks such as Fox NewsTalk Radio. He hosts the "Austin Hill Show" weekday mornings at Fresno, California's Talk Radio 105-9 KMJ-FM, and weekday afternoons at Boise, Idaho's Newstalk 580 K I D O radio.
Hill holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, and a Master's Degree in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Biola University in California.
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