In-State college tuition for illegals has been dropped

We have noted here the tendency of fiscally challenged New Jersey legislators to use lame duck sessions to stuff through 'feel good' legislation with unfunded mandates while they think no one is watching. We have also noted specifically the poorly conceived bill promoted by Democrats Rice and Ruiz of Essex that would essentially grant a college tuition subsidy (in-state tuition) to illegal immigrants. The in-state tuition system was created as a nod to the taxpayers of our state who FUND our colleges and universities. It recognizes that WE THE TAXPAYER have invested in these institutions and will get a discount when our children enroll in them for that financial support. Illegals do not pay taxes and do not support these institutions therefore are not entitled to the discount. A college education is not a civil right. And now this silly bill is dead (from NorthJersey.com):

The sponsor of a bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to pay lower in-state tuition rates at New Jersey’s public colleges called off a vote on it Monday because he lacked the support needed to pass.

“We just don’t have enough votes,” explained Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, adding that it was about four votes short of the necessary 21 during the closing hours of the Legislature’s lame-duck session .

Added Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, who was a co-sponsor of the bill, “I’m hugely disappointed. This was a matter of fairness.”

The bill’s sponsor in the Assembly, Gordon Johnson, D-Englewood, had said that although the Assembly seemed to have enough votes to pass the measure, it would not hold a vote without passage in the Senate .

Perhaps the sponsor's of this bill can now concentrate on promoting a culture of job creation in the state for its citizens and taxpayers and get the state's fiscal house in order.

Read the NorthJersey article here.

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Corzine's answer to budget shortfall? In-state tuition for illegals.

I sometimes don't even know how to respond to New Jersey politicians and their incessant desire to spend our money on their latest pet project. We have documented here the tendency among new assembly members to immediately run to the floor to support raising taxes to add benefits with someone else's money (see our April 2008 archives on Paid Family Leave act).

Now our Governor, Jon "I didn't take this job to play scrooge" Corzine, has a new idea destined to close the budget gap. In-state tuition for illegal immigrants. From the New York Times:

Champions of a proposal to allow illegal immigrants in New Jersey to pay in-state college tuition could be forgiven for believing, after years of frustration and defeat, that their cause may finally have momentum.

A blue-ribbon panel convened by Gov. Jon S. Corzine to study immigration matters unanimously supported the proposal in a report issued last month, and the governor has also endorsed the idea. Meanwhile, a new, more liberal wind blows in Washington.

I would like to be clear. I am a major supporter of immigration to this country. I think that EVERY citizen of the world that WANTS TO BECOME AND AMERICAN and is willing to get in line and do it the right way should be supported and welcomed to our country. I do NOT support people coming here illegally, keeping their allegiance to their home country (thereby NOT desiring to become US Citizens other than to gain rights they are not entitled to) and taxing our infrastructure, health care system and criminal justice system.

I also believe that the companies who systematically recruit these illegals outside of the rules are criminally liable. Why? Because these companies are avoiding paying a fair wage and fair benefits to their people by bringing in cheap labor. I am not speaking about agricultural jobs which are frankly done legally via various migrant worker rules. I am talking about hotels, construction, restaurants and lawn maintenance firms.

You see, the only reason there are jobs "Americans won't do" are because employers will not pay competitive wages. Our kids used to mow the lawns in our neighborhoods. Now illegal Mexican immigrants do. The savings generating these firms profits are because the rest of us subsidize their illegality by providing healthcare in emergency rooms, educating their children and providing other social support services that should rightfully be paid by the employer.

But the net of this post is that Jon Corzine needs to wake up and start paying attention to what really matters. Stop trying to add on more spending line items because it makes you feel good. Stop promoting your latest pet project by bringing in some poor person who has been aggrieved and the State needs to correct it. We have several million aggrieved taxpayers in this state right now. How about addressing their concerns?

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