This article was originally published as Colorado House Fails Undocumented Youth on Technorati by Tim Paynter
Comments: We are living in difficult times when an uneducated population refuses to accept the realities that exist. Instead, they insist on getting even for a migration that was invited through loose borders over many years. Without the contribution of undocumented workers this country would not have been able to feed it’s self. Now, with the economy tight, a temporary condition, the foolish wish to wreak havoc on the undocumented workers who built the houses, harvested the crops and made Colorado a great place to live. We must reach out to the “Wal-Mart” community, that is the average Joe who would vote for fundamental fairness if he only were honestly advised. We hope you will join us in the Educating America Project which seeks to inform people about what is really happening in the immigrant communities, not what the Republicans want you to believe.
Technorati Article:
It was on the reluctant vote of Representative Robert Ramirez (R-Westminster), considered an advocate for Colorado Latinos, House Bill 126 granting in-state tuition to undocumented youth was sent to it’s grave. While Ramirez was not the last to vote on the matter, it was clear to all who were in the chamber, without his support and his leadership, the bill would die.
After Ramirez cast his vote he quietly laid his head into his hands. Students, teachers, school districts, chambers of commerce and an auditorium full of young adults who wanted nothing more than to live the American Dream were shredded once again. Colorado will not be joining 12 other states, including “red” states like Texas and Kansas in helping their youth move into the future. One of the most recent states to grant in-state tuition was Maryland.
Supporters of student bill join in solidarity after crushing defeat
On the pro side of the issue was the matter of fundamental fairness. Youth of undocumented immigrants were brought here by their parents often before they could form memories. Yet, when it comes time to seek the opportunities their classmates enjoy to go to school and move ahead, they are frequently denied. Without a social security number they are unable to gain admittance to many colleges and universities.
When undocumented youths find a school to admit them, they must pay out-of-state tuition. Since most of the youths come from poor families, the cost of college proves an impassable barrier. With no avenue left, they are forced into the same low wage jobs and dead end paths which have imprisoned their fathers and mothers. In the alternative, after Colorado pays to educate the students in K-12 grade, the students leave the state in search of a better life in a friendlier place. Colorado tax payers lose the benefit of their bargain as the state's educated populace drops and the state falls in it’s ability to educate the people who live within it’s borders.
House Republicans made it clear this is not to be a friendly place for undocumented youth or their parents.
“On this issue there are no shades of gray. Our founders say we are a country of laws. Lady justice has a blindfold on. Our founders were very careful, we will be a country of laws. I cannot set that aside because of individual stories.” Said one house Republican, whose cold words cut like a whip into the hearts and souls of the youth who gathered to hear the vote.
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Breaking: Colorado House Fails Undocumented Youth, No To In-State Tuition - Page 2
Author: Tim Paynter
Published: April 26, 2011 at 5:35 am
The over-riding argument against passage was the fact the students, through no fault of their own, are “illegal”. If Colorado approves in-state tuition, then Colorado will become a mecca for undocumented immigrants.
The argument is based on ignorance about what compels undocumented workers to come to Colorado in the first place. For most of them, it is hunger and poverty beyond comprehension that forces them to risk their lives in a border crossing on their way to one of the wealthiest states in the wealthiest nation in the world. It is the privilege of the rich to chose places to live based upon their parent’s aspiration for their children. The parents of undocumented youths come to feed their families, not find the best place for their children to matriculate.
Sadly, Colorado Republicans may have pounded the last nail in the coffin for many Colorado colleges. With the state scrambling to make up for massive cuts in education, undocumented youths could have added a critical $4 million dollars in college tuition. To the extent some colleges may close or classes be canceled, the Republican vote to maintain education for citizens and permanent residents who “have done it the right way” may have in reality killed the chance of an education for even citizen children.
"Over the past year people from across Colorado have sent tens of thousands of emails and letters into the legislature urging them to support Colorado ASSET, seven newspapers from all over Colorado have endorsed Colorado ASSET. Yet, our legislators still have a difficult time finding their way to ending an unjust system," Jenny Kraska, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference. Kraska is on the Higher Education Access Alliance (HEAA) steering committee which helped write the proposed law.
The Republican vote is a continued slap in the face to foreign investors from South of the border seeking friendly places to invest their funds because of an undeclared war in Mexico. The state of Arizona recently failed a new round of anti-immigrant laws in 2011 because the reputation of the state as anti-Latino had cost businesses billions of dollars after passage of the most conservative anti-immigrant law in history, SB 1070, which went into effect in July of 2010. Voters are close to having adequate signatures to recall Arizona Senator Russell Pearce who continues to sponsor anti-immigrant legislation. The Republican Party's declared war on undocumented workers is proving costly, a lesson some members of the Colorado House had taken into account when they cast their party line votes.
It was on the reluctant vote of Representative Robert Ramirez, considered an advocate for Colorado Latinos, House Bill 126 granting in-state tuition to undocumented youth was sent to it’s grave. While Ramirez was not the last to vote on the matter, it was clear to all who were in the chamber, without his support and his leadership, the bill would die. Students, teachers, school districts, chambers of commerce and an auditorium full of children who wanted nothing more than to live the American Dream were dashed once again. Colorado will not be joining 12 other states, including “red” states like Texas and Kansas in helping their youth move into the future.
On the pro side of the issue was the matter of fundamental fairness. Youth of undocumented immigrants were brought here by their parents often before they could form memories. Yet, when it comes time to seek the opportunities their classmates enjoy to go to school and move ahead, they are frequently denied. Without a social security number they are unable to gain admittance to many colleges and universities. When undocumented youths find a school to admit them, they must pay out-of-state tuition. Since most of the youths come from poor families, the cost of college proves an impassable barrier. With no avenue left, they are forced into the same low wage jobs and dead end paths which have imprisoned their fathers and mothers. In the alternative, after Colorado paid to educate the students in K-12 grade, the students leave the state in search of a better life in a friendlier place. Colorado tax payers lose the benefit of their bargain as the state falls in it’s ability to educate the people who live within it’s borders.
House Republicans made it clear this is not to be a friendly place for undocumented youth or their parents. “On this issue there are no shades of grey. Our founders say we are a country of laws. Lady justice has a blindfold on. Our founders were very careful, we will be a country of laws. I cannot set that aside because of individual stories.” Said one house Republican, whose cold hearted words cut like a whip into the hearts and souls of the youth who gathered to hear the vote. The over-riding argument against passage was the fact the students, through no fault of their own, are “illegal”. If Colorado approves in-state tuition, then Colorado will become a mecca for undocumented immigrants. The argument is based in ignorance about what compels undocumented workers to come to Colorado in the first place. For most of them, it is hunger and poverty beyond comprehension that forces them to flee to one of the wealthiest states in one of the wealthiest nations of the world. It is the privilege of the rich to chose places to live based upon their parent’s aspiration for their children. The parents of undocumented youths come to feed their families, not find the best place for their children to matriculate.
Sadly, Colorado Republicans may have pounded the last nail in the coffin for many Colorado colleges. With the state scrambling to make up for massive cuts in education, undocumented youths could have added a critical $4 million dollars in college tuition. To the extent some colleges may close or classes be cancelled, the Republican vote to maintain education for citizens and permanent residents who “have done it the right way” may have in reality killed the chance of an education for even citizen children.
"Over the past year people from across Colorado have sent tens of thousands of emails and letters into the legislature urging them to support Colorado ASSET, seven newspapers from all over Colorado have endorsed Colorado ASSET. Yet, our legislators still have a difficult time finding their way to ending an unjust system," Jenny Kraska, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference. Kraska is on the Higher Education Access Alliance (HEAA) steering committee which helped write the proposed law.
The Republican vote is a continued slap in the face to foreign investors from South of the border seeking friendly places to invest their funds because of an undeclared war in Mexico. The state of Arizona recently failed a new round of anti-immigrant laws in 2011 because the reputation of the state as anti-Latino had cost businesses billions of dollars after passage of the most conservative anti-immigrant law in history, SB 1070, which went into effect in July of 2010. Voters are close to having adequate signatures to recall Arizona Senator Russell Pearce who continues to sponsor anti-immigrant legislation. The Republican Party's declared war on undocumented workers is proving costly, a lesson some members of the Colorado House had not taken into account when they cast their party line votes.
We must place a price for selfish laws on the backs of selfish people. When they understand that hate costs more than accepting their fellow man, they will begin to open their hearts to us. Boycotts and civil actions are in order. We must speak out and let people know the true story of the struggling immigrant.
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