I think that actual issue is easier to understand than your analogy. Owner A is supposed to be upset because Owner B decides to rent out his units cheaper?
I understand the issues with illegals. We hate that there are illegals here. We hate that the federal government refuses to send them back, is not doing their job. We hate that the government forces states to educate the illegal children of illegal immigrants in our schools for 12 years.
And we hate that when they graduate, the federal government doesn’t kick them out, but lets them stay here in our country, and get jobs, and earn a living.
What you need to understand about those on the other side of the issue from you is that nothing Texas does about college tuition will make ANY difference on those things we all wish were different.
Texas has these kids. They are here, they aren’t going away. They are educated, americanized, and living in Texas. They are smart enough to go to college. If they lived in Mexico and applied for college, they’d get accepted, and get student visas and be here legally.
But they are already here, in Texas. If they don’t go to college, they will take low-wage jobs in the state, or become delinquents, and I guess if they commit a serious crime the feds might deport them after the fact. So Texans, for whatever reason, decided they would rather help those kids get educated. They aren’t doing it with your money. They aren’t sending illegals into your state. They aren’t taking your jobs. Heck, they aren’t really even giving Texas tax dollars to them.
IN exchange, Texas gets a higher-educated class of illegals, they get extra tuition money to help run their colleges, they get illegals off the streets for 4 years. Maybe some Texans get to feel good about helping children to live happier and more productive lives regardless of what country they were born in.
After all, Americans are not looking to deny kids from other countries a great education. We wish all children could reach their full potential — just some of us wish they would do it in their own countries, or come here legally.
To these people who oppose your view, they don’t understand why you think you should dictate to them what they do with their own money. They don’t understand why you would sentence smart, americanized 18-year-olds to a life less productive than they are capable of, just because you are upset at the federal government for not handling the illegal problem. They see children, illegal through no fault of their own, who want what every human wants — a fulfilling life of acheivement to their greatest potential.
Since they see no value in your plan to deny them this education, and they see it costs you nothing, but you want to make THEM stop supporting it, they may think you are being unreasonable.
Me? I could care less what Texas does. I opposed this in Virginia, where I live. I certainly wouldn’t reject a good candidate for President for a reason as stupid and trivial as this.
I might not reject an otherwise good candidate for this if it were the sole troubling issue. However, we are talking about Perry here, and not this proverbial good candidate.