Policy Position #3: Prioritizing Tax Dollars for Citizens and Legal Residents in Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is facing enormous challenges in addressing the needs of its citizens and legal residents, such as rising living costs, increased homelessness, higher rent prices, and a severe shortage of affordable housing. While compassion for all individuals is a core value, the primary responsibility of the state government is to prioritize the welfare of its citizens and legal residents. The allocation of taxpayer dollars must reflect this obligation, making sure that public resources are directed toward those who are legally entitled to them and who contribute to the state's economy. This policy position outlines a framework to redirect state funds to prioritize citizens and legal residents, addressing the damaging impacts of current policies that allocate extremely high levels of resources to illegal aliens. This position directly contradicts the default position of Senator Michael Rodrigues (stated or unstated) that goes along with every budget Maura Healey has approved.

Background

Massachusetts, as a sanctuary state with a "right-to-shelter" law, has seen significant amounts of taxpayer money spent on emergency shelters and services for illegal aliens. Reports show that the state has spent over $1 billion annually on its emergency shelter system, with projections suggesting costs could reach $1.8 billion over the next two years. These funds, drawn from taxpayer dollars, have been used to provide housing, food, healthcare, transportation and other services to thousands of illegal aliens, many of whom entered the country illegally or through controversial federal parole programs under the Biden administration.

Meanwhile, citizens and legal residents face increasing economic pressures:

• Rising Living Costs: The cost of living in Massachusetts is among the highest in the nation, with median rents exceeding $2,000 per month in many areas. The average rents in Fall River and other towns in the district have risen dramatically.
• Homelessness: The state's homeless population, including veterans and families with children, continues to grow, with waitlists for emergency shelters increasing due to capacity constraints.
• Housing Shortages: Massachusetts faces a shortfall of approximately 200,000 housing units, exacerbating affordability issues for legal residents. This problem is seriously impacting all seven towns in the district, as well as the city of Fall River.
• Veterans and Vulnerable Populations: Disabled veterans and other vulnerable citizens often receive minimal support compared to the substantial benefits provided to illegal aliens, such as $30,000 in rental assistance over two years through the HomeBASE program.

These challenges are compounded by policies that critics argue incentivize illegal immigration, such as the provision of driver's licenses, in-state tuition, and access to welfare programs for undocumented individuals. Such policies strain public resources and contribute to the perception that the needs of citizens and legal residents are being sidelined.

Policy Position

This policy position advocates for a reorientation of Massachusetts' fiscal priorities to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to benefit citizens and legal residents first. The following principles and recommendations outline a path forward that I am proposing:

Core Principles

1. Fiduciary Duty to Taxpayers: The state government has a moral and legal obligation to prioritize the use of taxpayer dollars for the benefit of citizens and legal residents who contribute to the state's economy and uphold its laws.
2. Fairness: Public resources should be allocated fairly, ensuring that vulnerable populations—such as veterans, the homeless, the elderly, and low-income families—are not disadvantaged by policies that prioritize illegal aliens.
3. Sustainability: The state's fiscal policies must be sustainable, avoiding the depletion of resources that jeopardize critical services for legal residents.
4. Rule of Law: Policies should not reward illegal behavior, including unauthorized entry into the United States, as this undermines public trust and the integrity of the legal immigration process.

Policy Recommendations

1. Restrict Eligibility for State-Funded Benefits

• Amend the "right-to-shelter" law to limit eligibility for emergency shelter and related services to U.S. citizens and legal residents, with exceptions only for those with pending asylum applications or other lawful immigration statuses.
• Require proof of Massachusetts residency and lawful immigration status for access to state-funded programs, including HomeBASE, MassHealth, SNAP, and in-state tuition benefits.
• Phase out the use of taxpayer funds for services to illegal aliens, redirecting these resources to citizens and legal residents.

2. Prioritize Vulnerable Citizens

• Establish priority access to emergency shelters and housing assistance for Massachusetts citizens, particularly veterans, the elderly, families with children, and individuals with disabilities.
• Increase funding for programs supporting homeless veterans, such as the Veterans' Homelessness Prevention Program, to ensure they receive adequate housing and support services.
• Expand affordable housing initiatives, such as the Affordable Homes Act, to focus on creating opportunities for legal residents rather than diverting resources to temporary shelters for illegal aliens.

3. Enhance Fiscal Transparency and Accountability

• Require regular, detailed public reports on the expenditure of taxpayer dollars in the emergency shelter system, including a breakdown of costs associated with services for illegal aliens versus citizens and legal residents.
• Conduct an independent audit of the HomeBASE program to assess its effectiveness and ensure that funds are not being misused or disproportionately allocated to non-residents.

4. Address Housing and Cost-of-Living Challenges

• Accelerate the development of affordable housing units through public-private partnerships, tax incentives, and streamlined permitting processes to address the state's 200,000-unit housing shortfall.
• Implement rent stabilization measures to protect legal residents from excessive rent increases driven by housing shortages exacerbated by high demand from shelter programs.
• Expand job training and workforce development programs for citizens and legal residents to improve economic mobility and reduce reliance on public assistance.

5. Reform Sanctuary Policies

• Repeal or modify sanctuary state policies that attract illegal aliens by offering benefits unavailable in other states. This includes revisiting the Work and Family Mobility Act, which grants driver's licenses to illegal aliens, and policies providing in-state tuition to students who are here illegally.
• Collaborate with federal authorities to ensure that individuals who have entered the country illegally are processed according to federal immigration laws, rather than being supported by state resources.

6. Seek Federal Support for Immigration Costs

• Advocate for increased federal funding to address immigration-related costs, emphasizing that the federal government bears primary responsibility for border security and immigration enforcement.
• Support bipartisan federal legislation to secure the border and streamline legal immigration processes, reducing the burden on states like Massachusetts.

Addressing Opposition To These Recommendations

Critics may argue that prioritizing citizens and legal residents over illegal aliens lacks compassion or contradicts Massachusetts' values as a welcoming state. However, compassion must be balanced with responsibility to those who have followed the law and contributed to the state's prosperity. The current approach, which allocates significant resources to illegal aliens, has led to much harm for legal residents, including longer waitlists for shelters, increased competition for housing, and higher taxes to cover escalating costs. By redirecting resources to citizens and legal residents, the state can uphold its commitment to compassion while ensuring fairness and sustainability.

Conclusion

Massachusetts must prioritize its citizens and legal residents in the allocation of taxpayer dollars. The current expenditure of over $1 billion annually on services for illegal aliens, coupled with policies that incentivize illegal immigration, has strained public resources and exacerbated challenges for legal residents, including rising living costs, homelessness, and housing shortages. By implementing the proposed reforms—restricting benefits to legal residents, prioritizing vulnerable citizens, enhancing transparency, addressing housing shortages, reforming sanctuary policies, and seeking federal support—the state can restore fairness, sustainability, and public trust in its fiscal policies. This approach ensures that Massachusetts remains a compassionate and equitable state for those who call it home legally.

Call to Action

We urge Governor Maura Healey, State Senator Michael Rodrigues, and the Massachusetts Legislature to adopt these recommendations immediately. Taxpayers deserve a government that prioritizes their needs and upholds the rule of law. We call on citizens and legal residents to engage with their elected officials, attend public hearings, and advocate for policies that put Massachusetts citizens and legal residents first.