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Dream Act not so much of a dream for legal citizens

English, senior

Published: Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Updated: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 00:09

In response to "Undocumented Residents may find California Dream; Florida is unlikely to follow in footsteps" on Sept.  21.

The Dream Act isn't necessarily a Dream.

In response to last week's article regarding California's adoption of the Dream Act, AB 131, I'd like to support Florida's lack of following in its footsteps.

Florida is a very diverse state; we have residents from all over who have come to our state legally. In regards to the Dream Act, why should illegal immigrants be able to receive a break on Florida Tuition when it is reasonable to assume that they are not contributing to the taxes that support such monetary breaks?

Furthermore, why should someone that is a legal resident of a neighboring state and that has contributed to the state's welfare in taxes, etc. be discriminated against by having to pay more?

For all of those students who are out-of-state and already have to pay more, why should someone who is out-of-state just like you not have to?

As an in-state student, I feel as though the Dream Act is unfair. It takes away funding from citizens who would also like to attend a university in our state.

As a citizen and taxpayer, I want my money contributing to a scholarship for a documented citizen who has earned a scholarship due to their qualifications, not their race or citizenship.

We can assist illegal immigrants in schooling and citizenship in many ways. I am not proposing we don't.

What I am proposing is a fair way that does not take away from legal citizens of the United States.

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5 comments

Jim Williams
Thu Sep 29 2011 15:19
This is a response to Jonathan on the Facebook comment section. I tried posting this 3 times using FB on the comment page but it keeps timing out:

Wow, there is always one who will jump up and defend the undocumented, excuse me, illegal immigrants. Oh, that is right, illegal is not PC. Too bad.

Sure there are some undocumented that file federal income taxes. Anything can get a taxpayer ID #. What you don't mention Jonathan is the amount of services consumed, and never paid for. Oh, that is right, when you do not have credit in this country and you technically don't exist you can waltz in and out of any hospital at will. Please don't forget to utilize the latest crime statistics and compare the proportion of crimes committed by illegal immigrants vs. their percentage of the population. Finally, I love the defense that Florida's agriculture would be crippled without illegal immigrants. I have a feeling that it would manage to go on just fine if they were not part of the picture. Oh, but you would have to pay an extra 50 cents to a dollar per pound. God forbid. Wal-Mart mentality really needs to be kicked to the curb anyway.

Possibly you have a personal attachment to illegal immigrants Jonathan and that is fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion - just remember that your support of unchecked illegal immigration is shared by a minority of the US legal citizen population. I am in support of anyone who wants to come to our country but we laws in place for a reason.

Anonymous
Thu Sep 29 2011 15:18
Ummm second Anonymous, you obviously do not understand how in-state tuition rates are determined. It has absolutely nothing to do with what high school you go to. Once you can prove to a school that you have been a resident of Florida for 12 continuous months, you are eligible for the in-state tuition rate.
Anonymous
Wed Sep 28 2011 12:57
Private scholarships are not funded by state or federal tax dollars. Under these types of laws, undocumented students are still ineligible for federal or state financial aid. You already have a choice on which private scholarships to contribute to.
Anonymous
Wed Sep 28 2011 12:45
You also seem to missunderstand how in-state and out of state tuition's are determined. A student pays such tuition rates based on the high-school they graduated from. Being undocumented would not automatically grant one in-state tuition at any university in the country. The tuition rate would be restricted to the state in which they graduated high-school. This is the same restriction placed on all other students. If an undocumented student attended a high-school in Iowa, this does not mean that these types of laws allow them to pay in-state tuition in Florida, only in Iowa.
Anonymous
Wed Sep 28 2011 12:31
If someone works using an ITIN or even a fake SSN, they still pay income tax. Most every purchase made,with the exception of some private transactions, is taxed. Every vehicle registered is taxed. The assumption made here is unreasonable. Please understand what taxes are, and how taxes work before making such generallized statements.




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