Thank you, Governor Easley
Submitted by James Protzman on Sat, 05/17/2008 - 7:19am
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Chris Fitzsimon at NC Policy Watch wraps the week with a good summary of North Carolina's recent spate of adults behaving badly on the immigration front. I hope he will forgive my lifting a little more than usual from the front of his Friday Follies column yesterday.
Say what you want about Governor Mike Easley, but he deserves a lot credit for continuing to stand up for undocumented kids in North Carolina who want to continue their education at a community college or public university. Easley told the North Carolina News Network this week that the recent decision by Community College President Scott Ralls to ban the admission of academically qualified students who are undocumented was an example of "poor leadership."
Ralls and the community college board cited an advisory letter from Attorney General Roy Cooper's office to support the change in policy. But Cooper's position is not only a questionable interpretation of federal case law; it was also contradicted by officials at the Department of Homeland Security, who told reporters that the agency had no position on denying admission to the students
Easley correctly describes the back and forth as "jerking students around," and it ought to be about the students after all, kids who have graduated from North Carolina public schools and were brought here by their parents.
Easley's position stands in sharp contrast to his party's nominee for Governor, Lieutenant Governor Perdue, who talks often on the campaign trail about helping children. That concern seems to stop at the community college door for some kids.
UNC President Erskine Bowles is the other prominent state official standing up to the anti-immigrant rhetoric, announcing that campuses of the university system will continue to admit undocumented students who pay out of state tuition.
One conservative pundit recently said that since the policy affects only a few hundred students in university system and community colleges combined, the whole debate is primarily a symbolic one. Don't tell that to a high school valedictorian who can't go to college because of his or her parents' decision to come here to work and improve their lives.
There is certainly a symbolic aspect of the debate, as it forces state leaders to decide if they want to stand up for students or embrace the rhetoric of hate and fear.
I haven't read Perdue's statement on the issue, but I trust that Chris has his fingers closer to the pulse than I do. If he's correct, it's time for Bev Perdue to follow in her own footsteps and reconsider the wisdom of her position, as she did during the campaign regarding negative advertising.
McCrory, of course, is a full-fledged member of the Coalition Against Brown People (Except When They're Cleaning His Property) and will stop at nothing to use the plight of poor immigrants to bolster his campaign.
Sheesh.
J
PS I thought I saw Mike Munger weigh in on this, but can't find it this morning.
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Munger weighs in
Here.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
Thanks. I knew I'd seen that.
Much appreciated.
Looks like Mike could be drawing more from the left than the right in this cycle.
It's all on Bev
to come up with the
rightappropriate position to pull the left leaning base in.I worry that she won't do that.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
A request to any NC Democratic Senator.
This relates to the NC Citizen Protection Act. Please add something along the following wording as an amendment.
Let's put these Republican's feet to the fire. Illegal aliens make up a large part of the work force in North Carolina. I'll bet if you go to one of Art Pope's stores after dark you would find illegal aliens cleaning it. So, let them say that any employer hiring illegal aliens will spend 15 years in jail. That is the penalty for a Class G felony.
How often do you hide before you forget your head is buried?
I'm a little worried about Bev. I think she is more progressive on health care than she lets on, but doesn't want to lose the election because of "HillaryCare" or some such smear. She is also so pro-child that I find it hard to believe she is not more progressive on this immigration issue than she is letting on, but doesn't want to lose the election because she's soft on Law & Order {bum, bum}. But, the question becomes, after a few years of hiding your true feelings on the issues, do you forget what your true beliefs are? And, if not now, then when?
Yeah, I'm worried about that too.
She'd better step out and speak up. These issues are hers to take and be strong on. It's the Tartuffe syndrome. Tartuffe wore a mask for so long that when he took of the mask, his face looked exactly like the mask he had removed. Come on, Ms. Perdue. These are Democratic Core Issues. You can win on these.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Pointing at Naked Emperors
4th District Democrats Support Education for Immigrant Students
This resolution passed today at the 4th District Democratic Convention. Onward to the State Convention June 21!
SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION FOR IMMIGRANT STUDENTS
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Democratic Party’s platform affirms our commitment to “…full and equal protection of the lives, liberties, rights, and properties of all citizens and residents of North Carolina and to striving for educational excellence for all persons - regardless of their race, age, gender, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic status, developmental disability, primary language, location, or station in life; “ and
WHEREAS, the failure of Congress to pass meaningful immigration reform has left tens of thousands of undocumented North Carolinian school children in legal limbo without the possibility to further their education beyond high school and, therefore, significantly reducing their opportunities to contribute to the fullness of their potential to the communities they call home; and
WHEREAS, immigrant students who came here as young children were educated in our school system; were steeped in our culture and values and consider themselves Americans; will most likely never return to their countries of origin, either voluntarily or involuntarily; and will be an important part of North Carolina’s communities and workforce for decades to come; and
WHEREAS, for North Carolina to remain competitive in a globalized economy it must nurture a knowledge-based workforce that has access to the education and training necessary to adapt to a constantly changing world economy; and
WHEREAS, the NC Community’s College System’s recent decision to reverse its Admission Policy for undocumented immigrants--a fair and sound policy championed eloquently by its immediate past president Dr. Martin Lancaster--is based on flawed interpretation of federal law and is neither necessary nor just; therefore, be it
RESOLVED that the North Carolina Democratic Party hereby urges the NC Community College System to reinstate its 2007 Admission Policy for undocumented immigrants that gives deserving young immigrant students the same opportunities to go to college as their American classmates; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we urge the NC Community College System and the University of NC System as well as North Carolina legislators to make in-state tuition available to immigrant students who have graduated from our high schools and fulfill North Carolina residence requirements since they are clearly an asset to our communities.
That resolution passed in the 12 district as well.
n/t
Progressive Democrats of North Carolina