CLT
UPDATE
Tuesday, November 2, 2005
What part of "Illegal Aliens" doesn't
the AG understand?
A war of words has erupted between likely
gubernatorial opponents Attorney General Tom Reilly and Lt. Gov. Kerry
Healey after Reilly went to bat for a bill giving state college tuition
breaks to illegal immigrants.
The pair clashed in a heated impromptu debate yesterday on WRKO-680 AM
radio and later each accused the other of being "out of touch."
"Illegal immigrants should not be here," Healey told the Herald. "When
they’re legal, we will welcome them with all the benefits afforded to
Massachusetts citizens."
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Healey, Reilly face off on tuition breaks
Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey set off a firestorm of
protest yesterday when she suggested that children of undocumented immigrants
who cannot get in-state tuition rates at Massachusetts' public colleges should
"go to private schools" instead.
"Let them go to private schools if they want to," Healey said on WRKO radio....
But the state Republican Party came to Healey's defense. Republicans pointed out
that a public statement by the state Democratic Party failed to mention that the
bill would assist children of undocumented immigrants.
"It is telling that the Massachusetts Democratic Party's statement did not once
use the word 'illegal' when praising this latest way to spend the people's
money," GOP executive director Matt Wylie said in a statement. "If Tom Reilly
and his buddies in the Legislature were really in touch with Massachusetts
taxpayers, they would be focused on rolling back the income tax, as the voters
have demanded."
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Healey tuition remarks draw outrage
She takes a swipe at undocumented
What part of "illegal" don’t some people understand? . . .
What part of illegal don’t this bill’s sponsors understand? .
. .
They say that they want to "open the doors of opportunity." The illegal
immigrant tuition bill opens the floodgate to illegal immigration, inviting
people from all over the world to break the law to get an education for their
kids. All their kids are "deserving," we’re sure. But – they – can’t – all –
come – to – Massachusetts to get a taxpayer-funded education.
CLT Memo to the Legislature
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Re: In-state tuition for illegal immigrants
Chip Ford's CLT Commentary
Our news release is on its way. What more needs
to be said? What more can be said in response to this criminal
conspiracy by public officials? Attorney General Tom Reilly -- alleged
chief law enforcement officer of the commonwealth -- is leading the
charge for this foolhardy violation of federal immigration laws.
A high-profile public official should never promote
rewarding criminal behavior -- or law-breaking for whatever reason.
Tom Reilly no longer deserves the public's trust, never mind being
elevated to the higher office of governor as a consequence.
He should immediately resign -- or be impeached for
clearly violating his oath of office and conspiring to break federal
laws.
|
 |
|
Chip Ford |
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Healey, Reilly face off on tuition breaks
By Dave Wedge
A war of words has erupted between likely gubernatorial opponents
Attorney General Tom Reilly and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey after Reilly went
to bat for a bill giving state college tuition breaks to illegal
immigrants.
The pair clashed in a heated impromptu debate yesterday on WRKO-680 AM
radio and later each accused the other of being "out of touch."
"Illegal immigrants should not be here," Healey told the Herald. "When
they’re legal, we will welcome them with all the benefits afforded to
Massachusetts citizens."
Reilly spent the day yesterday lobbying Beacon Hill lawmakers to pass
the bill that would allow illegal immigrants to pay, for example, the
$970 annual in-state tuition rate at Worcester State College instead of
the $7,050 out-of-staters currently pay at that school. The bill, which
Gov. Mitt Romney has vowed to veto, requires students to attend
Massachusetts schools for three years and graduate and seek citizenship.
"She’s totally out of touch," Reilly said of Healey. "These are kids
that just want a chance."
Healey fired back, saying: "Tom Reilly is the one who is out of touch
with working families of Massachusetts if he thinks they want their tax
dollars to pay for illegal immigrants to go to college."
Businessman Deval Patrick, who is running against Reilly for the 2006
gubernatorial Democratic nomination, also supports the bill.
"Denying kids who qualify in every other way to be an in-state student
is unfair," Patrick said. "We shouldn’t be trying to erect barriers."
Nine other states have laws that allow illegal immigrants to attend
state colleges at resident rates, including California, Texas, Illinois
and Utah.
Return to top
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Healey tuition remarks draw outrage
She takes a swipe at undocumented
By Raphael Lewis, Globe Staff
Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey set off a firestorm of protest
yesterday when she suggested that children of undocumented immigrants
who cannot get in-state tuition rates at Massachusetts' public colleges
should "go to private schools" instead.
"Let them go to private schools if they want to," Healey said on WRKO
radio. Moments later, she repeated: "Let them go to private schools."
Healey, a Republican positioning herself for a run for governor, made
her remarks during a heated, impromptu debate with Attorney General
Thomas F. Reilly, who had called into the "John DePetro Show" to defend
his support of a bill that would allow in-state tuition rates to
undocumented immigrants under certain conditions.
Responding to Healey's private school comment, Reilly accused the
lieutenant governor of being cold-hearted: "Your own president has a
more compassionate, more understanding, and, frankly, a more realistic
view of this."
Immigrant rights activists and Democrats said that Healey was out of
touch, and they likened her comment to the "let them eat cake" remark
attributed to Queen Marie Antoinette prior to the French Revolution.
They also pointed to Healey's husband, Sean M. Healey, who in recent
months cashed out about $13 million in stock from his firm.
"Not all of us have $13 million in stock options to cash in," said Ali
Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee
Advocacy Coalition, which is spearheading the fight to pass the in-state
tuition bill.
But the state Republican Party came to Healey's defense. Republicans
pointed out that a public statement by the state Democratic Party failed
to mention that the bill would assist children of undocumented
immigrants.
"It is telling that the Massachusetts Democratic Party's statement did
not once use the word 'illegal' when praising this latest way to spend
the people's money," GOP executive director Matt Wylie said in a
statement. "If Tom Reilly and his buddies in the Legislature were really
in touch with Massachusetts taxpayers, they would be focused on rolling
back the income tax, as the voters have demanded."
If passed, the bill would allow children brought into the country
illegally to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and
universities, as long as they have lived in Massachusetts for at least
three years, have graduated from a Bay State high school, and have
signed a sworn affidavit affirming that they are applying for US
citizenship.
Healey, in assailing Reilly's position, put the price tag for the bill
at $15 million. She also warned that the bill could violate a 1996
federal immigration law and force the state to provide in-state tuition
rates to all students.
"If you disagree with the federal laws of this country, it is your job
and your prerogative to try to change those laws," Healey said to
Reilly. "You are, however, the attorney general, and you need to enforce
those laws, not only of this Commonwealth, but also of this country, and
I think it is outrageous that you are advocating illegal activity here
in Massachusetts."
Noorani, however, disputed Healey's assertion that the bill would lead
to in-state tuition rates for all public college students in
Massachusetts, saying that the bill is written like laws in Utah, Texas,
California, and five other states, some of which have withstood legal
challenges on those grounds.
Private, four-year colleges charge an average of about $23,000 a year in
tuition and fees, according to a recent College Board survey.
Out-of-state tuition and fees at the University of Massachusetts, which
undocumented immigrants graduating from Bay State high schools currently
pay if admitted to UMass, cost about $18,400. In-state tuition and fees,
by contrast, cost $9,300 annually.
Healey aides said the lieutenant governor intended to highlight the fact
that children of undocumented immigrants not only qualify for admission
to private colleges, but also qualify for scholarships that would make
such education more affordable.
Kristen Cole, a spokeswoman for Smith College, said US laws prohibit
undocumented immigrants from receiving federal aid. However, the
colleges may provide scholarship money to such students. Smith is a
private all-female liberal arts college in Northampton that charges
$30,000 a year in tuition.
"We work with students on a case-by-case basis, and we are very
committed to working with any talented woman who wants to be here," Cole
said.
Yesterday was not the first time that Healey has endured biting
criticism for comments that made her appear insensitive.
In March, she was roundly criticized for insinuating that senior
citizens are "overhoused" and taking up residential space better used by
growing families.
More recently, Healey came under fire because her husband's firm,
Affiliated Managers Group, received a $1 million tax credit intended for
businesses that relocate to economically strained communities.
The company, located in the well-to-do Prides Crossing neighborhood of
Beverly, announced last week that it would return the money.
Deval Patrick, a Democrat and former Clinton administration lawyer who
is vying with Reilly for his party's gubernatorial nomination, raised
the Marie Antoinette analogy and said, "None of us needs a governor or a
lieutenant governor as out of touch with the struggles of regular people
as the lieutenant governor apparently is."
Asked to explain the private-school comment in a telephone interview
with the Globe yesterday, Healey said: "The point here is it's Tom
Reilly who's out of touch, because he doesn't understand that this is a
key issue for Massachusetts taxpayers.... I'm here to protect the
taxpayers."
Asked to respond to criticism that she failed to appreciate the cost of
a private college education, she said, "I appreciate that, but what I
appreciate more is that the taxpayers of Massachusetts shouldn't be
asked to pay for tuition breaks for illegal immigrants."
Return to top
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this
material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes
only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
|