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To the editor:
Passage of the Arizona immigration bill has brought the subject of illegal immigration into the public limelight with new clarity.
Opposition to this legislation has even touched Massachusetts with the Boston City Council passing a boycott, followed by an attempt to do the same in Worcester. There can be little doubt of the polarizing nature of this subject when you see 125 people show up to protest in Worcester at that council meeting.
Then this past week we have a news story of Rep. Mike Moran being rear-ended by a suspected illegal immigrant. It is time we stop and give some thought to how illegal immigration affects those who live here in the commonwealth.
On May 9, Rep. Jeff Perry, R-Sandwich, brought an amendment to the floor of the Massachusetts House of Representatives calling for anyone receiving public benefits, and over the age of 18, to be verified as a legal resident. This would be a giant step forward in beginning to remove illegal aliens from the welfare rolls, including public housing, subsidized by your tax dollars.
The Democrats in the Statehouse effectively killed this amendment, extending the status quo of unwarranted entitlement.
Currently, based on which report you read, Massachusetts has an illegal immigrant population of between 187,000 and 220,000. I read an estimated 25 percent of this population is receiving taxpayer benefits such as medical care and housing. We know that illegals have gained access to public housing. Just look at Zeituni Onyango, the president's aunt, who has lived in Boston public housing after being ordered out of the country in 2004.
In 2009, a social worker who assists me with issues regarding my mother, suggested that we look into subsidized senior housing to help her with a more accessible living arrangement. As her caretaker I had to do all the legwork to get an application and talk to the various facilities. The social worker also made several calls while sitting with us.
What came to light was the waiting list for these units for low-income seniors can range from months to several years. A manager of a complex in Beverly told me that the waiting list for a two-bedroom unit could be as long as 10 years in their facility due to the limited number of spaces. Looking at the application, I noted that the question of legal status is definitely not an issue.
Are there illegals on waiting lists holding back our senior citizens from this needed housing? That is a good question and one that might be difficult to answer. But evidence suggests this is indeed happening not only in Beverly, potentially, but throughout the commonwealth.
It is hard to accept that we allow our own aging population, people who worked hard their whole lives, to wait while non-citizens get housing ahead of them. It is even more astounding that Democrats on Beacon Hill would go further and support illegals by allowing them access to state-funded benefits.
We owe our elder population better. They face enormous challenges with health issues, fixed incomes, paying for prescription medication and their daily life. We cannot continue to put illegal aliens ahead of them when it comes to the assistance they need and deserve.
Richard A. Jolitz
Candidate for State Senate
2nd Essex District
Beverly
(Editor's note: According to the State House News Service, "The Senate on Wednesday voted 32-6 to approve a benefits eligibility verification plan that Republicans called a 'poison pill' but that Democrats said would codify an existing system of checks that in some cases goes further than proposals sponsored by Republicans." Also this week, a Suffolk University/Channel 7 poll indicated that an overwhelming majority of Massachusetts voters (84 percent) favor requiring those seeking state benefits to provide proof of citizenship. Richard Jolitz is a Republican challenging incumbent Sen. Fred Berry, D-Peabody.)
