Mike Hanson Hansen is a political
science and history student. Sooner or later, you will succumb to
his views. Send your objections to [email protected].
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Warning to all trick-or-treaters: Don’t stop at Gov. Gray
Davis’ mansion this Halloween.
If you’re a college student living in this state legally,
Davis will confiscate a portion of your candy, including the king
size Snickers bar that was the prize of your plunder. In
return, Davis will hand you a coupon stating, “I’m
sorry. You have been a law-abiding student and a California
taxpayer. You are granted a transfer to a quadruple room in Dykstra
plus a slot on the wait list for Lot 842, the 15-story UCLA parking
structure planned south of Wilshire. Happy Halloween!”
On the other hand, if you happen to be a student living in this
country illegally, Governor Davis has many treats in store for
you. You are eligible to receive all king size Snickers bars
in the state plus a coupon redeemable at any California state or
community college. It says, “Well, you may have sneaked
into California, but I want to reward you with discount in-state
tuition anyway. And remember, think Davis 2002 if you ever do
become a citizen.”
The sad thing about this Halloween is that you don’t even
have to trick-or-treat to receive this perverse distribution
of gifts. Gray Davis just signed it into law.
Our governor recently signed AB 540, a controversial bill
letting thousands of illegal immigrants pay in-state tuition at
state universities and community colleges, even though they have no
legal right to be here. This decision jacks up costs and cuts
resources for all students, increases enrollment at already crowded
campuses, and leaves some California-born students paying several
thousand more dollars per year than illegal immigrants who pay no
income taxes.
No U.S. citizen should pay higher tuition than foreign citizens
at a U.S. university funded by U.S. taxpayer money.
Basically, Davis’ signing of AB 540 amounts to a huge bag
of treats for people who are in this state illegally, and a huge
lump of coal for those of us who are legal residents and California
taxpayers. The new law does not yet include the University of
California, which backs the measure, but the UC Board of Regents is
expected to vote on it soon.
The bill’s requirement, that illegal students declare
their intention to legalize their immigration status, is of little
importance, since they most likely would have already done so had
they been eligible. Instead, Davis should be encouraging illegal
immigrants to seek legal status before they enter college, when
they are still eligible for it and actually have a chance of
obtaining it.
This way, more illegal immigrants could realize their dream of
attending California colleges at in-state rates. Davis is correct
that the education of these students, many of whom grew up here and
graduated from high school here, is absolutely crucial and a
benefit to the entire state.
What Davis fails to understand is that legal immigrants and
residents of California who pay taxes are more deserving of scarce
state resources than illegal immigrants who pay no income
taxes.
Let’s face it. California’s economy is in the
dumps. Next year’s budget will likely be a staggering
$12 billion short out of a total $100 billion budget, meaning deep
cuts in state programs are necessary (San Francisco Chronicle, Oct.
12). With layoffs everywhere, the stock market crash and the energy
crisis (which alone caused a $6.5 billion hole), the state’s
economy was on the verge of recession before the Sept. 11 attacks.
Now the picture only looks gloomier.
The painful truth is that we cannot afford this bag of treats
for illegal immigrants at the same time that Davis orders a
15-percent cut in state programs. Expect this irrational
combination to mean higher costs and less spending per student at
UCLA as enrollment rises and new state funding increases are
frozen.
If you doubt AB 540 will make much of a difference, just
consider: California is home to 40 percent of the nation’s
illegal immigrants (San Diego Union-Tribune, Oct. 12), a total of
more than 2 million (Immigration and Naturalization
Service). The cost difference between out-of-state tuition and
in-state tuition is not to be underestimated. At the UC it’s
$10,244 a year versus $3,964; at the CSU it’s $7,380
versus $1,839; and at community colleges it’s $130 per
unit versus $11 per unit.
Do the math for yourself; it will add up. In addition,
Davis’ signing of AB 540 equals one more benefit that entices
even more illegal immigrants to come to California.
Aren’t there enough triples in the dorms as it
is? And has anyone noticed that it’s almost impossible
to register for the classes you want, due to the hordes of students
and the shortage of resources at UCLA?Â
The extension of AB 540 to the UC system would only make things
worse. Colleen Bentley-Adler, spokeswoman for the CSU system said
that the new law will lead to increased enrollment (L.A. Times Oct.
13). This is the last thing we need at UCLA, especially in
light of the oncoming masses of students expected soon due to Tidal
Wave II.
Then there’s the question of fairness. Is it right
that a student born in California, lived in California most of his
life, attended high school in California, but lived in Nevada for
the last two years of high school pay several times more than an
illegal immigrant who is a citizen of another country? Of
course not.
No U.S. citizen should pay higher tuition than foreign citizens
at a U.S. university funded by U.S. taxpayer money. Even when
paying out-of-state tuition, illegal immigrants are using
California taxpayer money and should be fortunate that
they’re able to attend California public schools.
So you think I’m just plain anti-immigrant? First,
don’t confuse immigrants who are here legally and those who
are here illegally. I am not anti-immigrant, but anti-illegal
immigration, meaning that I draw a distinction between those who
respect the law and those who break it.
In fact, I believe deeply that immigrants make a positive
cultural and economic contribution to California. Immigrants add
diversity to our society and inject vitality into our
economy. Likewise, the contributions of immigrants have helped
make UCLA the top-notch university it is today.
While immigrants are definitely good for California, AB 540 is
definitely not.
With this new law, Davis’ meddling hand reaches directly
into the wallets of taxpayers, proceeds to cut state services with
the swift hack of his butcher knife, and then gives students a good
spanking for added fun. This enormous burden is endured so that the
same hand can “oh-so-generously” reward the
state’s illegal immigrants with a coupon for discounted
tuition (in return for the extreme-left vote in his upcoming
re-election bid).
I strongly urge Gov. Davis to reconsider AB 540 and for the
Board of Regents to veto its extension to the UC. AB 540 is
simply an unjust redistribution of Halloween treats that we just
don’t need right now.