Georgia has a law that prohibits illegal aliens inhabiting the state from tapping into taxpayer-subsidized in-state tuition. Nay, nay says attorney Charles Kuck. Illegal immigrants have a right to in-state tuition that non-state residents and legal immigrants are, for Kuck, seemingly justly denied. What’s a lawyer to do when such an absurd proposition comes to mind? Why, sue to force taxpayers to pay for a new entitlement, of course – [Illegal] Immigrant students seek Georgia’s in-state tuition rates.
This is a Utah blog, however, so what’s the connection? The Kuck firm is the go-to firm for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. Members of the Kuck firm serve on their Immigration Task Force and Kuck touts their involvement with their “Utah’s Next Steps on Immigration” video (which is also on the Chamber’s blog site.
Kuck also get’s the nod from Governor Herbert who appointed their representative to the Utah Commission On Immigration as well as from Mark Shrutleff when he was still Utah’s AG and found the time to host a conference with the firm. Shurtleff was also quite satisfied heralding Obama’s “Deferred Action” Constitution-undermining executive order (one of many) that is the basis for Kuck’s case.
The takeaway here is that the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, the current Governor and another (former) high-level executive branch member appear perfectly fine with a firm that wants to shakedown another state’s taxpayers to benefit a select group that demands entitlement (despite their lack of legal presence). Unless you benefit from this type of corporate cronyism, it might be something worth remembering when any of the above come out with flashy ads and soundbites about having your best financial interest in mind.
Utah Rattler 
Taking the position that children who were brought into this country and this state through no fault of their own, who have excelled in elementary and secondary school in spite of the fact that English is their second language and have lived in the state of Utah their entire lives should not be allowed to pay in state tuition on order to continue their education is just mean spirited bigotry. A little humanity would go a long way to soften the hard edge heartless and uncaring rigid partisan ideology that comes through in this blog.
Labeling these young people “illegal aliens” and “illegal immigrants” or just “illegals” is a means of dehumanizing them in the same manner “Japs”, “Gooks”, and “Krauts” were used in time of war. They are human beings just like the rest of Utah’s residents with all of the same hopes, dreams, and aspirations for a better life that we have. I would be pleased and honored that part of my state taxes would help to provide a higher education for these bright and talented young people.
Take your race-baiting schtick elsewhere. It’s not going to be tolerated here. Period.
…and congratulations on your outstanding grasp of racial epithets…or something.
Labeling these people does in fact “dehumanize” them so that they can be treated as “less than”. Rather than take me to task for offering other words that have a similar effect, let me hear your argument as to why calling people “illegal aliens” does not strip them of their humanity. While you are at it please defend your position that these students who have lived in Utah practically all of their lives and have graduated from high school should not be granted the same tuition as every other student who has lived here for the same amount of time.
It is easy to take shots at me for disagreeing with what you have written. Instead, let’s have an honest and open debate about the principles and values inherent in your point of view that would deny these young people a chance at an affordable college education and an opportunity to improve their lives and the lives of their family members.
The terms are commonly accepted legal terms just as any other legal designation related to individuals and their legal status. That’s all there is to it. For instance, the designation of “burglar” doesn’t dehuminize it simply states a fact of legal status. I do not need to defend the use of such legal designations. I’m quite sure you are aware of this but chose to play coy and opt for the demogoguery route.
It may also cause some chagrin to know that I’ve lived in various countries and have friends of various races and nationalities and have also helped with their legal entry into the US (a really tedious process that needs improvement).
As far as illegal alien children it is unfortunate that their parents have decided to place them in such a position but the same applies to legal immigrant children and citizen children who’s parents’ legal decisions (eg criminal behavior) have had impacts on themselves and their family. Furthermore, if any of the illegal immigrant children have obtained a reputable job they likely engaged in identity theft/fraud (involving multiple felonies and victims). Ironically, their theft can dash the college hopes of their victim if their credit and earnings history (disqualifier from means-tested tuition assistance) is corrupted. They are also inelligible to work after gruduation (unless they engage in identity fraud) and not all are as law-abiding as you make out yet criminal history is no disqualifier from Utah in-state tuition.
Allowing such a practice can also displace university slots for legal US residents and immigrants who followed the rules and entered legally. It is an additional affront to both groups when they must, respectively, pay the much higher non-resident and international tuition rates.
If you support this type of program, I challenge you to work to establish a private full-ride scholarship (so they don’t have to engage in ID theft for work) at non-resident or international student rates and alleviate taxpayer burdens for the current program.
Sigh. Now you rationalize your bigotry toward these bright young human beings who have resided in Utah most of their lives by calling them criminals. In your dichotomous view of the world it apparently makes sense to you to call them criminals for just living in this state and breathing the air. Stating that you have friends who are brown and black skinned does not erase the fact that you have a bigoted view toward these students and would treat them as less than when compared to other students who have excelled in school and have met the admission requirements.
The universities in our state with the exception of BYU do not have a capped enrollment so the notion of these students displacing “slots” for other students is nonsense. I challenge you to meet a group of these young people face to face and explain to them why you would deny them the opportunity to an affordable college education which of course would take a great deal more courage than labeling them and condemning them from afar. I am going to assume that you are a member of the dominant religion in this state and that you call yourself a Christian which, if this is the case, puzzles me even more as to why you cling to this narrow, inhospitable view of God’s children who just happen to be of a different race and color.
I’ve put up with your snarky name-calling in my posts for quite a while now as they were useful jump-offs to provide further information on the subject matter. However, you continue to prove yourself incapable of focusing on issues and consistently resort to name-calling and disrespectful comments. I’ve warned you in the past and explicitly warned you on this very thread that I wouldn’t put up with it.
Evidently, no matter how many chances I’ve given you to stick to the issue, your solution remains the ad hominem and this time you’ve completely crossed the line with a despicable attack relying on projected bigotry. I’ve stated factual information while you focus on color and race. This may be news to you but legal and illegal immigrants come in every race, color, and nationality and you are the one who can’t seem to get passed that.
I surmise the main reason you do so is because you have no further argument and it is preferable, for you, to shut down debate with name calling in an effort to cow the writer and other readers/commenter from engaging for fear of being labelled by you. You seek to quash dissent with verbal intimidation. That ain’t happening here.
You’re finished. Go peddle your divisive race-baiting crap elsewhere.