Posted on 06/22/2006 2:19:34 PM PDT by calcowgirl
My Note: The following was posted on the Tom McClintock's website on June 19, 2006.
SB 349 was blocked by Democrats the same day as the quoted speech (April 2005), never making it out of the Senate Education Committee
(there were only 3 Republicans on the Committee, out of 12).
Senator McClintock authored SB 349, which would rescind the in-state tuition subsidy for illegal immigrants attending state universities and community colleges that was granted by AB 540 in 2001. However, a bill by Senator Gil Cedillo, SB 160, would allow illegal immigrant students to receive state sponsored financial aid in addition to the in-state tuition.
This speech was given to the Senate Education committee on April 6, 2005.
This measure rescinds the in-state tuition subsidy for illegal immigrants attending state universities and community colleges that was granted by AB 540 in 2001.Under current law, California taxpayers provide non-residents of the state of California – including foreign nationals illegally in the United States – the same in-state tuition subsidy as legal California residents – as long as they have spent three years in and graduated from a California high school.
On January 18th of this year, the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated the total cost of the AB 540 waivers at the UC, CSU and Community College system at $120 million annually. According to the L.A.O., the University of California estimates that up to 13 percent of their waivers are for foreign nationals illegally in the United States and the Community Colleges estimate that up to 90 percent of their waivers are affected. Assuming a 13 percent rate at CSU as well, that brings the total cost to California taxpayers of providing the in-state tuition subsidies to foreign nationals illegally in the to as much as $75 million per year.
There are essentially three arguments made in favor of granting the in-state tuition subsidy to foreign nationals illegally in this country.
The first argument is that these students were innocent children when their parents illegally brought them to this country and had no choice in the matter. This may be true. But they are no longer children. They are of legal age. And as responsible adults, they have an obligation to obey the laws of this nation and that begins by establishing legal residency – as millions of legal immigrants have done.
And until they have established legal residency and agreed to abide by the laws of our nation, they have no claim on taxpayer funds.
The second argument is that these are largely disadvantaged young people who require a college education so that they can seek skilled jobs. But under federal law it is illegal to employ them in those jobs. The argument is self-defeating.
The third argument is that these are not recent arrivals to our country – many have been here for many years. That may be true. But why is it that the longer a person has broken a law the more excusable it is for them to continue to break that law?
In addition to costs of up to $75 million per year, this law creates absolutely indefensible inequities for legal immigrants to this country, and for out-of-state American citizens.
Consider two students from Mexico. One obeys every immigration law to come here legally. He files for the appropriate visas, he runs the gauntlet of the application process and he meets every requirement for legal status in the United States. The other has broken every immigration law for the last three years and is in the United States illegally.
The only difference is this: the LEGAL immigrant – who obeyed our laws -- will be charged nearly $23,000 to attend the University of California ; the ILLEGAL immigrant will pay $6,000 with California taxpayers contributing the remaining $17,000.
Or consider an American citizen who just moved here LEGALLY from Arizona . She will also be charged the out-of state tuition. And while she is waiting tables to pay her tuition costs, her taxes will be used to subsidize the illegal immigrant.
I recently read an appeal letter from the Department of the Navy protesting the non-resident designation by the University of California of a student named Lou-Anthony Palomique Limon.
He is the son of Chief Petty Officer Anthony Limon, stationed in Sigonella, Italy. Lou-Anthony graduated as valedictorian of his class from a DOD high school in Sigonella. The only American residence he has ever had is in California . But he was turned down for resident tuition last year, while thousands of illegal aliens were granted millions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies.
I do not think that it is unreasonable to ask that grown adults who are seeking thousands of dollars of taxpayer subsidies should be first asked to comply with our nation’s laws, starting with our immigration laws. This measure does so. And as representatives of the people of California , so should you.
Too bad we'll have to wait until 2010 to elect McClintock governor.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
It's been amended since then, so doesn't it have to go back through the Senate again
for approval of the amendments, at least?
How a bill becomes law:
SB 160 is introduced in Senate >> Committee hearings >> Floor action >> Passed and sent to Assembly >> Committee hearings >> Floor action >> If passed returned to Senate >> Floor action >> If passed with amendments sent to Governor >> If not vetoed becomes law on next Jan 1.
SB 160 is currently in an Assembly committee and contains numerous amendments to the legislation approved by the Senate on Jan 30.
Next step is floor approval in the Assembly and then back to the Senate for approval of the amendments... then on to the governor.
I think this guy should be term-limited out even if he just started serving.
Time to start supporting anybody who runs against him...
Funny you don't see any of these pro-illegal alien types arguing on behalf of allowing "in-state" tuition for "legal aliens" or "other helpless American children who were brought here by their American parents."
In fact, most of the demands being made for special privileges for illegal aliens come primarily from Mexican-American politicians, and they have in mind serving no one other than Mexican illegal aliens and their kids.
It's a kind of "racist" demand. Every effort should be made to extirpate "racism" from America and American political life even if that seems to require sending all the Mexicans back to their own country.
Thanks for the excellent summary. I'll have to pin that on my wall! It's nice to know there are multiple possible hurdles ahead for the bill.
Ping
on please
All that is needed is to demand an educated exchange in the discussion. Mexicans are the same race as the fast becoming minority in the US ("white" Europeans). Mexicans are, in fact, racially classified as a subset of European Caucasoids.
The matter at hand is cultural differences but the term cultural bigot does not pack the same political punch as the term racist.
Racism was introduced into the discussion of Mexican migration, not as a result of an adroit political motive, but rather because the Mexican patriots residing in the US are simply less well educated.
I'm very much aware that the Mexican government had the UN classify them as Caucasion, but a classification of a nation has nothing to do with a population originally imported from a variety of places.
We have term limits in California. But in California we call him "One Bill" Cedillo because he only sponsors bills for illegal immigrants
Yes I know. He's been known as 'One Bill Gill' for his continual submissions of bills to give driver's licenses to illegal UNDOCUMENTED aliens. What an idiot!
I didn't see your post #34 mentioning the same issue I commented on until just now. I was responding to #29 and didn't see #34.
its all right. We are in agreement that Gil Cedillo is a moron.
Done!
Thanks for the reminder...
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