Custom Search

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Educating our Illegal Immigrants


Higher education even at a state run college is one step up on the ladder of life for all individuals. All of the life long benefits of that college education will allow any person the ability to make a few more dollars per year because the person invested in themselves first. They become a valuable asset to any company that would hire them. Should this same thought process apply to illegal immigrants though?

Apparently, Governor Deval Patrick thinks it should and he is testing the waters of the corner office in Boston to see if he can authorize reduced tuition for state residents to illegal immigrants.

In-state tuition divisive

Patrick favors illegals break
By Ken Maguire THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


BOSTON— Gov. Deval L. Patrick said yesterday he’s looking into whether he can skirt the state Legislature by unilaterally allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at state colleges

Patrick’s revelation touched off strong reaction on Beacon Hill, where House lawmakers two years ago defied Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, D-Boston, and defeated a bill that would let those immigrant students pay the same rate as their high school classmates.

“We have had some legal research done to see whether it’s possible to address that question without legislation,” the Democratic governor told an audience of education and business leaders. “The answer to that is by no means clear.”


Snip – jump the border here X

Opposition to the tuition break is rooted in the larger ideological issue of how to address illegal immigration. Opponents say the state shouldn’t be making it easier for undocumented students, who could take higher paying jobs from legal residents.

“I’m amazed that he wants to be the sole person responsible for implementation of the wrong policy for Massachusetts,” said state House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-North Reading. “The public will be rightly incensed.”

Jones said he hasn’t researched whether the governor can grant the tuition breaks.

“We provide the free public education K-through-12 for these students,” he said. “We’ve already done quite a bit for these students. By doing this, we would add incentives for people to come here. Illegal immigrants do pretty well finding out where the best places for them to go are.”
– Worcester Telegram

Hold the INS deportation bus! This kid is going to UMASS and has a get out of jail card. This kid is going to Fitchburg State, these two are going to Worcester State and those sixty three are all enrolled in Quinsigamond State College. Sorry Mr. Bus driver but that seems to be about everyone on the bus. Carry on sir!

I’m as liberal as they come but even I have my blood boiling over this buffoonery by Governor Patrick. As a parent of five daughters I worry about how the hell I am going to put all of them through college and yet the resources to keep tuition rates down are going to be spent on illegal immigrants? Besides that little scenario it concerns me that this will set a precedent for anyone that wants to come to Massachusetts illegally to have state citizenship recognized by the state which would then toss the legality of all illegal immigrants’ status into the courts.

Granting reduced resident status tuition to illegal immigrants is tantamount to slapping all of the residents of the state in the face. Especially, those that have come here legally from all around the world that has faced the gauntlet of legally immigrating and is in the process of earning their citizenship. Why should someone that broke into this state and this country get a reduced resident tuition rate? Our tax dollars from our jobs and the money we spend as legal residents help to pay the costs of some of the best state colleges in this nation and this proposal by the Governor is a giveaway to legitimate criminals.

I’m Liberal but I’m not stupid. Governor Deval Patrick should put this idea in the draw and never let it see the light of day again. He needs to be realistic and know that the education of all legal residents in the Bay State should always supersede the rights of anyone here illegally. Besides the fact that the reduced rate tuition education could find the benefactor on a bus back to the nation they came from if they are ever found by INS or the proper authorities. Then again are they not going after employers who hire illegal immigrants? Bad idea Deval, real bad!

Papamoka
Cross posted at Michael Linn Jones and Bring IT ON!

Feel free to link to or steal this post…


Technorati Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home