The word “equality” is getting thrown around far too loosely these days. I write this in opposition to the recent letter in the ODE endorsed by University President Richard Lariviere. Tuition equality is the issue at hand, with the public hearing of Senate Bill 742 being thrown out to the public as a saving grace to the unlucky and downtrodden. The defense Lariviere gave was “fair access to immigrant students … regardless of documentation status.”
In what namesake is this a level of equality? The in-state tuition is supported by the taxpayers of this great state, so it essentially boils down to the rest of us to carry the fiscal burden of another classification of students.
And did no one read the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996? It clearly states that “no U.S. state entity will offer benefits to Illegal Aliens not available to all legal residents of the United States.” This means that if there should be an exemption of in-state tuition to this illegal populous, it would have to allow a student-resident of Iowa in for the same price. Call me crazy, but that is a rather big mistake there.
I find this proposition of equality a clouded bias towards a temporary fiscal spike that would end up dragging the Oregon economy even further into recession. The clause of these applicants “demonstrating their intent to be permanently domicile in Oregon” is a conglomeration of fancy words intended to take away from the real issue. Illegal immigrants pay no taxes because they are exempt from the system. Why should we citizens support those who don’t contribute their portion to the society?
There is no need in defending the point their education here will help maintain our economy. There is not enough math in the world to stabilize this mockery of what it means to be a resident of the United States of America.
I do not mock or insult those earnestly trying to attain legal status — in fact I commend them. But there has to be a line of reason to how much political loopholes should affect the rest of us in such an unfair and unequal manner.
Adam Marcus
University senior