Perry’s in-state tuition Works for Texas (and Utah..)

The New Texas Forum ^ | October 26, 2011 | Katie Thompson, Chairman of College Republicans at St. Edwards

[Cincinatus' Wife]

[embedded LINKS at source]

Have you heard? “The government is subsidizing illegal immigration! The Texas DREAM Act grants amnesty! Illegal immigrants are going to college for FREE!”

Hold your horses, folks. These statements, which are hurled at Gov. Rick Perry from both sides of the political spectrum, are simply not true.

In-state tuition for illegal immigrants is a hard policy to argue because it rests on such a thin line between supporting education and rewarding law-breaking. Admittedly, the governor didn’t argue the case well when he said opponents of this policy “don’t have a heart.” (He’s since recanted that statement.) But the people of Texas and the law support it and, when you know the truth, the policy is really not as controversial as it sounds.

Let’s start with the facts.

Those officially qualified as residents of the state of Texas are eligible for reduced in-state tuition rates at public universities. Resident status, as defined by the Texas Education Code §54.052 and §54.053, requires the following:

* Citizens must have lived in Texas for a minimum of three years and have graduated from a Texas high school. * Non-citizens must have lived in Texas for a minimum of three years, have graduated from a Texas high school, and commit to starting the process of obtaining legal citizenship.

It’s that simple.

Critics say it’s a policy Texans don’t support. But it was overwhelmingly passed by the state legislature in 2001 with just five dissenting votes out of the 181 members in both houses. If that isn’t a majority, and a bipartisan one at that, I don’t know what is.

Other skeptics say it creates an unmanageable drain in tuition dollars and costs taxpayers millions. But in the 2010 fiscal year, only about 16,476 students out of 1.3 million, most at two-year community colleges, took the reduced rates. That’s about one percent – hardly a takeover of the public education system. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board estimated that, “assuming many of these students would enroll in less expensive schools or drop out altogether if faced with higher tuition costs,” the state would actually lose almost $92 million if the policy were repealed.

Still others say it’s the equivalent of amnesty. This is the one point that makes my internal alarm begin to chirp. I do not and will never condone illegal immigration or amnesty for illegal immigrants in any form – but the fact is, many of these students were brought to the U.S. by their parents. They are committing themselves to furthering their education, making a better life for themselves, and becoming productive citizens. This policy makes the best of a bad situation.

In the words of Geoffrey Tahuahua, Texas state chair of Students for Rick Perry, “Rather than allowing these kids to be a burden on the system, it’s better to encourage them to become educated contributors to our economy and our society.”

And Texas is not the only state to offer in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. According to CNN, California, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin have similar policies (though Wisconsin’s may be set to expire this year).

Bottom line, in-state tuition facilitates the education of young people and commits them to obtaining citizenship. That’s the crucial piece of the puzzle.

Finally, in-state tuition is just that: a state issue. Not once has Governor Perry advocated for the federal government or other states to adopt this policy. He has yet to indicate that he would do so as President. The fact is, this policy is legal, and it has no real negative consequences. Until the border is actually secured, I can see no reason to repeal this law.

You may not like it, but it works for Texas. And as y’all know, it’s never a good idea to mess with Texas.

[buccaneer81]

As of today, your boy is polling at 4% in Ohio.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[The Sons of Liberty]

And Texas is not the only state to offer in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.

But Texas IS the only state where Perry has been Governor and pushed this policy!

Does Texas give in-state tuition rates to all criminals, not just those that violate our border? If I were an out of state student who wanted to go to college in Texas (Lord knows why?) I would do better to go to Mexico, sneak across the border - then I could get the in-state tuition rates!

[achilles2000]

It is terrible policy, and it is a form of amnesty. All that can be said for Perry on this one is that a veto would have been utterly futile and the feds aren’t doing their job. Everyone of the these “scholars” should be deported back to their countries of origin. They have received enough stolen goods and services from the citizens of the US and Texas.

I have defended Perry on other threads and would vote for him, but this policy can only be defended by a corrupt form of sentimentality.

[al_c]

Critics say it’s a policy Texans don’t support. But it was overwhelmingly passed by the state legislature in 2001 with just five dissenting votes out of the 181 members in both houses. If that isn’t a majority, and a bipartisan one at that, I don’t know what is.

If it was put forth to be voted on by the CITIZENS of Texas, it would show that indeed the majority of us are against it. The legislature didn't ask us ... they went around us and passed it.

[MrEdd]

La Raza Rick is encouraging more illegals to come and get educations for their kids that he and his political cronies are subsidizing in preference to the kids of actual citizens.

Perry supporters, like Perry himself desire to give Illegals that come here from Columbia to sell drugs a subsidized price on educating their kids. Much better than offering such to a Marine Corps combat veteran from Kentucky who wants to send his kids to a Texas university.

Perry and his sycophants will not remain unchallenged. His position and their position is what it is.

[achilles2000]

No state can simply enforce “English only” because of liberal court decisions. Or, perhaps we should and tell the feds to screw themselves.

[MrEdd]

We’re working on it. It absolutely is an election issue for state legistators. Many of the people who rammed it through were gotten rid of over their support for the TTC.

Thank you for playing.

[txroadkill]

Yeah! let's blame the the Governor of Texas for our displeasure over the Federal Government's failure to secure the border! It's all his fault that he has to deal with 1.1 to 1.2 million illegals living in Texas! We should all hate him because he was the governor of a state for a few months that decided to pass a law that tried to turn some of them into tax payers because we can't kick them out and have to educate them, provide them with medical care and feed them because they have given birth to American citizens! It's ALL PERRY'S FAULT!!!

You may want to remember that Perry is the guy who kills illegals who murders Americans in Texas while the rest of the Government cries and begs him not to.

[Azzurri]

Perry went from 30% to 6% in just a few weeks, after defending this bill. The people have spoken. If he continues to defend this nonsense he will be out of the race before the first primary. That he fails to recognize why this offends ordinary American citizens is just more evidence why he lacks the judgement to get the Republican nomination.

[csmusaret]

From reading the first 24 posts it seems that critics are Ok with illegals gong to college in Texas; they just want to charge them more.

[skeeter]

Works for Texas - cool.

I still hate it for the USA. And I won't vote for any politician who thinks any kind of incentive for illegal aliens at all is OK.

Its that simple.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

That's -- I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals. [video clip] -- Mitt Romney, GOP presidential debate - October 18, 2011 - Las Vegas, NV

Rudy Giuliani asked Mitt Romney the same question in the 2008 CNN debate that Rick Perry asked him during the CNN 2011 debate -- Mitt lost it both times.

Nov 28, 2008 CNN-YouTube Debate: Sound familiar? [LOOK who interrupts whom!!]

Funny Accent Mitt Romney, discussing reports illegal immigrants did landscaping at his home: It would "not be American" to check workers' papers simply because they have a "funny accent." [acknowledges need for giving health care and education to illegals]

Sound familiar? Mike Huckabee, replying to Romney's criticism of providing college scholarships to children of illegal immigrants: "In all due respect, we are a better country than to punish children for what their parents did."

At the same debate: John McCain: "We must recognize these are God's children as well. ... I will enforce the borders first. But we won't demagogue it."

[Gaffer]

Still others say it’s the equivalent of amnesty. This is the one point that makes my internal alarm begin to chirp. I do not and will never condone illegal immigration or amnesty for illegal immigrants in any form – but the fact is, many of these students were brought to the U.S. by their parents. They are committing themselves to furthering their education, making a better life for themselves, and becoming productive citizens. This policy makes the best of a bad situation.

This is the convoluted equivalent of saying "make the most of being raped". Honestly, you say you're against illegals and amnesty and then in the same damned breath say "make the best of it".....the fact that you call them students doesn't amount to a hill of beans - all I see are a bunch of trouble makers La Razing it up on Reconquista day at school ala California.

Sheesh! Stop with the justifications and weird rationalizations about illegals, tuition and amnesty. Your own laws as part of its implementation say "must commit to taking the steps to citizenship". You neglect that the very fact they are here is illegal, whether brought here or walking across the border on on their own two feet. That fact disqualifies them by current written law.

You'd be better off letting the tuition thing dying down and stop rationalizing. I think his tax plan is worth talking about more than his penchant for saying the rest of us don't have a heart.

[buccaneer81]

What a silly, lame rant.

Does the word principle mean anything to you?

[so_real]

Or, perhaps we should and tell the feds to screw themselves.

Maybe we should organize a Tea Party? We're past the "should" stage. We are "doing" it. And the broad lack of grass roots support for Perry and Romney are evidence of that. I find them insignificant at this stage. Either one of the genuine conservatives will be our next President, or I will focus on local and congressional elections so as to stymie Obama's Marxist agenda throughout his second term. Romney is no more likely to beat Obama than McCain was -- McCain who spanked Romney last go 'round. Perry is even less popular than Romney. Considering either of these two as "front runners" is an incredible waste of talking points. Those two are the only way to guarantee four more years of Obama and his ilk.

[Gaffer]

It’s not that he isn’t rigorous on other aspects of the illegal infestation. It’s the fact that he said the rest of us don’t have a heart in the face of Texas’ capitulation that they can’t do anything about illegals already here. In effect Texas is paying ‘protection’ money to keep the illegals toned down. It’s not his fault that the Fed won’t round them up, but he doesn’t have to push his values on the rest of us in a national debate saying “we don’t have a heart.”

[Vigilanteman]

A 2010 Texas Tribune Poll found that 77% of Texans OPPOSE in-state tuition for illegals.

What an inconvenient statistic for the Perrywinkles!

From what I see of nationwide polling on the issue, that is fairly reflective of Americans as a whole.

Common sense tells us that if you put out more things to cater to illegal immigrants, you will get more illegal immigrants.

Given that Texas has a significantly higher Hispanic population than the rest of the nation, it would be wise to see why Texan opposition to perks for illegals is pretty much the same there as it is nationwide.

The only logical conclusion is that legal U.S. Citizens of Hispanic origin (the ideological descendants of those which also fought against Santa Ana at the Alamo) are even more opposed to perks for illegals than their Anglo counterparts. Ya think?

[txroadkill]

It’s the fact that he said the rest of us don’t have a heart...

That he has apologized for and he said it in the context that the other option was to kick children (who broke the law because their parents made them) to the curb.

Was it a dumb thing to say? Hell yeah it was, but it does not define his immigration or border policy.

A Governor has to deal with the reality not desire. There are at least 1.1 million illegals here sucking up tax money and hurting his state, he has to play the cards he has not the cards he wants.

[bobby.223]

The ILLEGAL lovers who defend La Raza Ricky don’t know or have it I guess. These ILLEGAL criminals invading our nation and eating away at it’s foundation like a cancer must be stopped. From 30% down to 3% or 4% in a quick time following his calling us all “heartless” shows most Americans do not buy into Ricarrdo’s ILLEGAL loving plans for us no matter how hard he tries.

[magritte]

Hey, there’s been a ton of lies about Perry “open borders, forcing little girls to have sex shots, free tuition for illegals” etc. It takes time and money to correct these lies.