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Show aeeteeeeaee ~ EDITORIAL DAILY Friday, February 10, 2006 HERALD DailySHeratd | Albert J. Manzi, President & Publisher RandyWright, Executive Editor Donald W. Meyers, Editorial page editor Nancy Hale, Public adviser In-state tuition for immigrants kids? n 2002, the Utah State Legislature agreed to charge in-state tuition to the children of someillegal immigrants, Utah was oneoffour states that had the rule, and Congress was consideringit under the Dream Act. Now,a Utah lawmakeris seeking to undothat andraise the cost of education for the immigrants’ children. Rep.Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden,claims the tuition policy violaics federal law by givingillegal immigrants an educational benefit that is nat available to all U.S. citizens. A groupofout-of-state students at the University of Utah are threateningto suethe state because they are charged non-resident rates whileillegal immigrants in Utah pay the lowerin-state rate. HouseBill 7 awaits a vote in the full House of Representatives. The House should scrapthe bill as an unjust act against innocent people. Allowingillegal immigrants to get in-state tuition was notthe idea ofa wild-eyed liberal. The original legislation was sponsored by Rep. David Ure, R-Kamas, a man with impeccable conservative credentials. Ure argued atthe timeit was a matterof fairness. Hesaid there were some Utahns who could not goto college becausethey happened to be the childrenofillegal immigrants. In somecases, the children were unawareoftheir parents’ immigrationstatus. Ourlegal system does not believein punishing children for the crimesof their fathers or mothers. Manyofthe students affected by the law werebroughtinto the country as small children or infants who hadnosay in whether they wanted to makethe trip. But they ended up being residents of Utah. If not for their parents’ status as illegal immigrants,these children Would be entitled to in-state tuition. They've gone through Utah's public education system, worked at Utah jobs and paid Utah taxes. The tuition law is hardly a perk that would encouragemoreillegal immigrants to come to Utah. The students seeking to take advantage ofit must go to school in Utah for three years, graduate from a Utah high schooland be actively working toward U.S.citizenship. Anyone who thinks a USS citizenis easy is not an immigrant. Aside from having five years’ residency, potential U.S. Whatdo you think? J ust three weeksafter an explosion led to the deaths of 12 coal miners, two more men died in an underground mine fire. Both WestVirginia tragedies have prompted a national outcry for better enforcementof federal mine safety regulations. Butit's hard to enforce rules when they don't exist, or when they did but were deep-sixed, It’s fair for workers to be questioning whose interests federal regulators serve. The Sago Minedisaster, in which the men succumbed to carbon monoxidepoisoning, has miners clamoring for mandatory underground oxygen caches. The ideafirst came upsix years ago, then was scrapped by the Bush administration. The Aracoma Mine accident, in which a conveyer belt caught fire, haslegislators wondering why a Clinton-era rule requiring fire-resistant belts was erased by Bush. In all, this administration has junked 18 proposals for the Mine Safety andHealth Administration. I childrenofillegal immigrants? Send your comments to dhpolls@heraldextra.com orcall 344-2942.Please leave your name, hometown I | and phone numberwith your | comments.E-mail comments should not exceed 100 words; voice-mail comments | | should be no longer than 30 I seconds. Anonymous and unverifiable responses will not be published. | \ | The Daily Herald will publish comments on Feb. 19. \| citizens must show good character, submit to being photographed, fingerprinted and interviewed, as well as takea test on the English language andU.S.civics. The civics test, those who havetakenit say, would challenge many nativeborn Americans’ knowledge of USS.history, of how their government worksand of what's contained in the Constitution. Toget a taste of whatthe test is like, go to http//uscis.gov/graphics/exec/natz/natztest.asp and try some sample questions.It’s no freebie, as H.B. 7’s proponents claim. The bars have beenplenty high enoughto limit the numberof people who actually take advantageofthe discounted tuition rule. In the 2004-05 schoolyear, only 169 children of immigrants applied for in-state tuition, hardly the flood ofillegal immigrantsthatcritics suggest. The argumentthat the immigrantchildren aregetting a benefit thatU.S.citizens are not eligible foris spurious. Utah does not have to give in-state tuition to people who live in Wyoming,California or New York. The immigrants who are applying for this are Utah residents. The lawalso helps Utah by allowing a segmentofits population to break the poverty cycle and gain higher-paying jobs. People with education areless likely to require welfare services or go to prison. Utah should not abandonits currentpolicy.It should not punish the innocent. MEDIA VOICES Overseeing mine safety nojobforpolitical cronies From the(Peoria, Ill) Journal Star, Feb. 2, 2006 | Should Utah continue to Offerin-state tuition to the But look who's running the show. Until 2004, it was Dave Lauriski, a former mine executive who's been accused of covering up a toxic coal slurry spill by Massey Energy, ownerof the AracomaMine. His nominated replacement, Richard Stickler, is a longtime coal man whose Pennsylvania minesafety record has comeunderfire. Manypresidents,including Bush's predecessor, have made dubious appointments.But this leader’s nominees stand outeither for their inexperience — a la FEMA's Michael Brown — or their cozy ties to the industries they govern. Recall that now-indicted former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay once was eyed for Energy Department secreti ary. Workerprotections and corporate interests don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The Senate must vet Bush's new mining administrator to ensurehis interests aren't tilted too heavily towardeither. In the meantime,it would be wise to revisit those 18 junked mine proposals so that the oie of... miners isn't compromised further. DOONESBURY- Garry Trudeau HEN T POUND YOU, YOU WERE JUST AN UNDEFPAID GOVERNMENT Z Dutcher willing to take risks to make quality LDSfilms After seeing Richard Dutcher's latest film, “States of Grace,” I think I understand his recently quoted comments aboutthe state of the LDS film industry. ManyLDS films, though they may havetheir uplifting moments,aim primarily to entertain and provide some good laughs, A smaller number, including Dutcher’s films, aim higher. However, due to the varying quality andlighter nature of most LDS films, whena spiritual masterpiece like “States of Grace”arrives, many ofus don't bother to gosee it. For me,this film delivered one of the most powerful messages regarding the atonementandthe unconditional love of God thatI have ever seen in a commercial movie. To achieveits powerful effect, Dutcher takes somerisks with the intense material andthe portrayal of the fallibility of our missionaries. However,having seen the movie twice and having pondered its message, I believe that the discerning heart will recognizethatthis film does not intend any disrespect for our missionaries or ourfaith. On the contrary, it portrays a profoundrespect for the atonement and it challenges us to love more unconditionally and to forgive more freely — a message worthy of our appreciation and patronage. “Can you give me a prescription for somethingthat'll get me excited about the Olympics?” People have right to waste gas with high-powered rigs I can't take it anymore. “Just say no to oil addiction?” Is that the best you can do? Give me a break. You mention something akin totelling a heroin addict to go somewhereelse » David Sewell, for his next hit when he runs out. That's Provo Legislature using sd ‘ moneyto give rich a break Twenty years ago,I recall the Legislaturetelling teachers and students,“If wehad the money we would use it to improve education for Utah's students, | but alas, we are strapped for money and can't do it.” | Then, each time some money was available it was sent to other“more im| portant projects.” The state now has some money that could be allocated to education,law enforcementand possibly helping the elderly with their prescription drug expenses. The Legislature had come up with a plan to reduce or do awaywiththe sales tax on food. This would have meant cutting somestate programs,but it would have given those on low income some relief and would not have taken money away from the state's school system. But now wehavea plan on the table to reduce the income taxes ofthe rich | and wealthy of the state, which willtake money away from the state's schools. Only the upper middle income and the wealthy would benefit. The legislators are certainly out of touch with reality. Or are they just fol| lowing the wishes ofinfluential lobbyists? | » Ken Morgan, Pleasant Grove all your editorial is telling us to do— go somewhereelse for your nextoil hit. And since whendid the Daily Herald becomethe socialistic authority to tell us what kind of car to buy? If | want a Hummerand can afford the gas, then that's whatI'm going to get. If I want to buy some gutless wonder like the ToyotaPrius,thenI'll buy one of those and curse all the wayup Parley’s Canyon as the Dodge Neons pass me by. Give me something with some serious horsepowertototeall of my gas-guzzling toys and throw in a good conservative gas usage, then I'll be listening, But don't make your own assumptions on whatI sI be driving. I've heard these arguments since the ‘70s. Catch up with the times fellows. Give me horsepower or give me death. ‘ » Mark Koster, Orem ‘Illegal immigrants deserve no reward for corrupt actions I grew up in Los Angeles where I had many Latino friends.I studied Spanish in high school, attended La Universidad de Las Americas in Mexico City for two years, and completed my bachelor’s degree in Spanish at BYU. In surveys,the Latinos usually come out on top in terms of “personal happiness,” regart of economic status. ‘Thereis a lot we can learn from this segmentof the world’s population. 1 also know that many Latin American cultures are largely corrupt and that people raised in those cultures often see thingsdifferently than many Americans. Immigrants are escaping corrupt political and economicpolicies that have stifled prosperity in their lands and enriched a few at the expense of many. Yet, the act of crossing illegally is, itself, an act of corruption. Totolerat suchacts and to imbue the perpetrators with“rights” suchas the entitlement to in-state tuition, driving privileges or free medical careis to justify the very cultural qualities that cause the need for escape. | believethis issue requires a strong statement from American citizens to Washington that corruption will not be tolerated at anylevel. I support repealing the non-resident tuition waiver. » Bob Lavender, vo | Howto comment E-mail letters to dhletters@heraldextra.com ||| Fax to 344-2985 || Mail to P.O. Box 717, Provo, UT 84603. » Letters must include the author's full name, address and daytime phone number. » Weprefershorter letters, 100 and 200 words. Letters maybe edited for length. » Writers are encouraged to include their occupation and other personal information. » Because of the volume of letters, we cannot acknowledge unpublished letters, » Letters become the property ofthe Daily Herald. ———— | |