Illinois Dream Act

[kiwi]

Then we have colleges who want to give immigrants in-state tuition which is another load of crap. Maybe I should have claimed I lived with family in Pittsburgh so I could have ripped off PA/my school just like them.

Can I ask why you have a problem with immigrants who have followed all the rules, have immigrated legally and are not legal tax paying citizens having the same rights as someone born in the USA?

When do you think they should get the same rights as birthright citizens? 5 years, 10 years? Why is it so bad they get instate tuition?

I ask because I am going back to school myself next year and as an immigrant who has followed all the rules and am immigrating legally, one who has paid income taxes and into the pension plan, into unemployment even though I am not entitled to claim them as yet. Why do you think I should pay more than someone who was born here? While I am at school I will be working and paying taxes, after I graduate I will be paying taxes at my new job but somehow because I wasn't born here I should pay more? Explain that to me please.

I get the haterade for illegal immigrants, what I don't get is why people think legal immigrants are somehow lesser beings.
I never experianced racism and xenophobia before I immigrated, since I moved I have been told over and over again what a terrible thing it is to be an immigrant. How all immigrants (legal or otherwise) are low life, job stealing, cultural vultures. I find it really sad.

[FArchivist]

We have our own (legal) citizens to worry about. Why should our own people have to compete with those who are here illegally? By "our own people" I mean those who were born here, or became legal. Yet, these illegals, should be put on the same level? How is that fair?

Short answer: Because the legislation says so. If you don't like the legislation, get it repealed or amended. The voters of Illinois voted for representatives in their legislature who support that legislation. If you think it's wrong, see fit to get rid of it.

[AdminAssistant]

Honestly, I think all publicly funded scholarships should be based on two criteria:

1) Scholarship (ACT/SAT scores, GPAs, class rank, essay contests, etc.)
2) Financial need

That's it. Leave stuff based on race, gender, ethnic background, religion, to private foundations.

[linguist]

My tax dollars aren't mine?

Ok then, stop witholding them every paycheck, then.

they're yours right up to the point the government takes possession of them. once that happens, the money belongs to the government to do with as it sees fit, and you no longer have any say as to how it's spent.

[Gerrinson]

citation, please? i've never seen a single documented incidence where aid was denied to someone with a higher need level in favor of someone else solely because that person is a member of a formerly oppressed minority.

Sure, here's a great example, courtesy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

When I was unemployed, with $0 income, - though applying like hell everywhere and getting no responses - I was at the point where I had to apply for food stamps. One of my roommates applied for foodstamps a few days later.

I was denied. She was approved. She went with me when I appealed the decision. Their rationalization was based on these facts: I am white and male, therefore I have the 'least' need for assistance, based on race and sex. Monetary need isn't considered by the commonwealth because I am white and male.

Since my roommate was a woman, she automatically supercedes me, regardless of our monetary situation - she had a part time job, but wasn't making enough to make ends meet. (If I had the birth records to prove my Native American ancestry, I would have qualified, by the way. Those records are a long story for another time, suffice it to say, I can only prove the existence of one grandparent, who was white.)

I took it further, and was told the same thing right up to my state representative's office. They sympathized, but, as history shows, white males have it easier than others so we go to the end of the list for any benefits. This is the official stance of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It doesn't matter how great my need is, so long as I count as a white male, I'm at the bottom of the list.

They did suggest that my roommate and I could get married, then we would both qualify for family benefits which don't take race or sex into consideration and pay more.

That is some seriously fucked up bullshit. I lived it. I lived through it because my roommate shared her food with me for a month until I was able to finally find a job and cover some bills. Good thing I wasn't living alone, or the state would have just let me starve to death.

A lot of people consider my opinion to be 'racist': No one gets special treatment based on race, period. We're all equal means just that, even if you've got polka dot skin.

[Greenday]

Can I ask why you have a problem with immigrants who have followed all the rules, have immigrated legally and are not legal tax paying citizens having the same rights as someone born in the USA?

Context. When someone is ranting about illegal immigrants, when they complain about an immigrant, they were probably talking about illegal immigrants. I'll go back and edit it for clarity.

[FArchivist]

I took it further, and was told the same thing right up to my state representative's office. They sympathized, but, as history shows, white males have it easier than others so we go to the end of the list for any benefits. This is the official stance of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It doesn't matter how great my need is, so long as I count as a white male, I'm at the bottom of the list.

They did suggest that my roommate and I could get married, then we would both qualify for family benefits which don't take race or sex into consideration and pay more.

That is some seriously fucked up bullshit. I lived it. I lived through it because my roommate shared her food with me for a month until I was able to finally find a job and cover some bills. Good thing I wasn't living alone, or the state would have just let me starve to death.

Question: Since us white males DO have an easier time getting a job, why didn't you relocate to where the jobs are more plentiful?

[Evandril]

which is why they actually don't exist... there's your flaw...

Since the example I was giving was from when I was in college (Back in 1980s), my information is now flawed, my apologies.

As far as private scholorships go, I do not agree with them being restricted for anything but ability and need....Do they have the right to do it? Of course... Does that mean I have to agree with their choice? Nope

[IDrinkaRum]

Question: Since us white males DO have an easier time getting a job, why didn't you relocate to where the jobs are more plentiful?

He had NO MONEY.

With no money, one cannot relocate to where "jobs are more plentiful".

Since he was living on his own, he might have been living in a city not with family in it so they couldn't help him.

And how does one know where this place of plentiful jobs is? Today it might be Pigeontoe, Arkansas and then tomorrow it might be SmallTown, New Mexico to EastofBeltway, Virginia. Should he have kept moving? When he still had no money?

[kiwi]

Context. When someone is ranting about illegal immigrants, when they complain about an immigrant, they were probably talking about illegal immigrants. I'll go back and edit it for clarity.

When you are talking about two distinctivelydifferent groups, I think it's important to realise that the terms are not interchangeable. Espeically when one group is being maligned.

That would be like if I posted about how group of X white men are POS, good for nothing arseholes then in my post just used the term white males. I am fairly certain someone would be jumping up and down about that.