Slowly but surely Gavin Newsom will deliver on his promise to make the taxpayers of this state pick up 100 percent of the cost of healthcare for those that are not legally in this country.

The governor has rolled out a $329 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 that sets aside $80 million to pay for the healthcare of those 65 and older that are in this country illegally who happen to be in California.

It’s a mere pittance especially when we’re talking about $80 million against an overall spending plan of $329 billion.

But you’re forgetting two things. The ultimate goal is free healthcare on your dime for all illegal immigrants. Advocates peg that cost at $3.4 billion a year. Keep in mind whenever the state twirls a bauble in front of the public to get their support they always underestimate the cost substantially. The best example is high-speed rail. It was only going to cost $40 billion. Now the state is saying it’ll cost $77 billion and those with experience building such rail systems elsewhere say it will easily surpass $100 billion.

Also don’t forget the state in the current budget is now providing healthcare for those in this country illegally between the ages of 19 and 25 to the tune of $94 million a year. At the same time they are slapping penalties on those who are citizens of this country or are here legally and are earning a paycheck if they are not covered by health insurance.

Do you see a trend? The day will come in California where you may be better off not being a citizen or having legal status to be here as well as not having a job.

That might sound like a tad over dramatic but a case can be made that we are heading in the direction where a legal citizen or someone in this country legally will become a second-class citizen compared to those that have broken the law to be here.

If you are here illegally you can already be issued a driver’s license. Thanks to illegals who didn’t have driver’s licenses nor insurance when they were pulled over and had their cars impounded like those with driver’s licenses but who had no insurance no cars are impounded any more solely because of a failure to do the responsible thing – and legal requirement – and obtain insurance.

There have even been bids to allow illegal residents to vote in local elections such as school board races.

Keep in mind two things before you rush to man the predicable barricades that Newsom’s proposal will invoke – the one that says enough is enough and the other that argues they are human and deserve healthcare.

First, it is insane for this country to deny citizenship to the Dreamers as adults – those brought here illegally as young children – if for no other reason taxpayers have spent a ton of money educating them. Why would you invest $130,000 in the education of a person at just the  K-12 level – forget community college for a moment – and then deport them to whatever country so they can help strength the economy of a nation that competes with the United States in global markets? At the very least they need to be allowed to become productive citizens to provide this country with the doctors, teachers, tech workers, highly skilled agricultural workers (if you don’t think there is such a thing you really need to open your eyes), nurses, and even those that handle more mundane but essential jobs so they can keep our economy going and deliver on the investment made in their education.

Second, a vast majority of those who are undocumented and are adults who are here in this country work. They contribute to our economy in ways that many that are citizens would refuse to do. That includes agricultural jobs that aren’t highly skilled and are essentially back-breaking grunt work that is key to keeping food costs low.

The paralysis in the immigration debate for the past 30 years that can be laid at the feet of Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, as well as unions and big business has made the entire issue of how we approach resolving or addressing illegal and legal immigration so dysfunctional nothing ever is adopted.

It is why the best defense – and best way to go forward – is pushing for a ballot measure that makes all those illegally in this country and residing in the Golden State legal citizens of the California with the proviso anyone who was a felon and or terrorist at the time they entered the United States would be subject to prosecution and deportation.

California already is usurping federal powers in the arenas of sanctuary cities and commerce so why not the conferring of citizenship as well?

This would work to the advantage of Californians.

That way anyone between the ages of 19 and 25 that is working and doesn’t have insurance can be penalized.

Those who are now undocumented and working can turn in employers that are paying them under the table without fear of being fired and not having legal recourse. That means they will be paying into Social Security to further strengthen the system.

More importantly they can be subject to the same laws and taxes as those who are citizens and here legally. There would be no government carve out to make exceptions to laws simply because they are in the country illegally.

They could go after better paying jobs – those that typically pay union scale. They could compete openly for limited slots at publicly-funded universities.

Now you’re probably wondering what is preventing those in this country illegally residing in the 49 other states from simply moving to California.

That’s the beauty. Nothing would.

California would become a de facto sanctuary state. The legislature that acts as if it exists to lecture the federal government could tell the world send California your refugees, your poor, and the downtrodden.

After all, the streets of California — although crumbling — are paved with gold. There is ample housing to go around. In short this is utopia where money grows like weeds and everyone is welcome — no questions asked and no need to bring anything to the table.

Just come here without permission and California will stick a vacuum hose into the pockets of taxpayers and siphon out everything you need.

It’s a small price for California to pay so our political leaders can put on their resumes that they are fighting President Trump with every penny they can squeeze out of businesses and those Californians who are working.

This column is the opinion of Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or Morris Newspaper Corp. of CA.