The Bee and TB

On the Opinion page (B8) in today's Sacramento Bee, there is an editorial entitled, Mobile Killer: TB remains a threat, even here. The purpose of the editorial is to alert readers to the increase in cases of Tuberculosis in this country, particularly in California. What immediately became apparent in the editorial was the Bee's flagrant attempt at soft-pedaling the reason for that increase of TB in California.

First, the Bee presents the problem:

"...last year, there were 8.9 million new cases in the world and 1.7 million deaths. In this country, California had the largest number of cases last year - 2,900 - and 10 of the 20 most affected urban areas in the United States were in this state. One was Sacramento."

Then the Bee presents possible causes:

"The persistence of TB in this and other wealthy countries can be largely attributed to two recent phenomenon: HIV/AIDS... and human mobility."

Ah yes, "human mobility". What does that mean exactly? Let's read on and find out:

"About half the cases in California used to be among the foreign born; now its 77 percent. Many of those carrying TB are migrants or middle-class travelers, many of whom are not screened before leaving their home countries."

Hmm, what kind of "migrant" (as the Bee so gently puts it) to this country would not be screened before entering? Why, a migrant of the illegal variety, perhaps? What the Bee spends this entire editorial doing is dancing, ducking, and weaving around the fact that Tuberculosis is being reintroduced to our country, and especially to the state of California, through the influx of illegal aliens. What is even worse is the strain of TB that the illegals are bringing in with them. According to an article from WorldNetDaily,

"TB's swift, deadly return now is lethal for about 60 percent of those infected because of new Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. Until recently MDR-TB was endemic to Mexico. This Mycobacterium tuberculosis is resistant to at least two major anti-tubercular drugs. Ordinary TB usually is cured in six months with four drugs that cost about $2,000. MDR-TB takes 24 months with many expensive drugs that cost around $250,000 with toxic side effects. Each illegal with MDR-TB coughs and infects 10 to 30 people, who will not show symptoms immediately. Latent disease explodes later.

If you read the article, you will find that thanks to illegal immigration, TB isn't the only formerly "conquered" disease making a comeback in the United States. There have also been sharp increases in leprosy, chagas disease, dengue fever, polio, and the plague.

People often talk about the need for illegal immigrants because they help keep prices down for us by working for low pay doing "the jobs that Americans aren't willing to do." It's true, that might bring down the price of your produce on your table or the roof over your head. But we are paying for it in other ways, with increased taxes to pay for these illegal aliens who come to our country and have their health problems addressed on our dime, and the health problems that we acquire through contact with these people who shouldn't even be in our country in the first place. You all know the old adage that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Always remember folks, if you don't pay as much for something, that just means you are paying more for something else.

Good Day to You, Sir