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Show OPINIONS r www.uvureview.com JUNE 21, 2010 ;•- -VOL XLIX ISSUE 37 [The Arizona Immigration lawPower Jo the Heople p power from the eople? By DJEGOIBANEZ Opinions Writer /mm/grants across (he states protest ogainsr unjust racial profiling. Utah immigrants might be next. A>couple weeks ago, Johana graduated fronvProvo High School. Along with many of her peers, she had been expecting to attend UVU this fall. Her career of choice: Education. "Right now, I'm hoping to become a teacher," she says. Johana came, legally to the U.S., when she was 5 years old. Shortly, after, their visas expired and Johana joined the undocumented population. "During high school, many councilors or advisors would say, * You can't get this or that scholarship because you're illegal,' and I'm usually scared of cops, but they :are supposed represent safety." When asked if she's aware of the Arizona law, she replied, "I've just stopped thinking about it because sometimes I feel hopeless...because r;Will the less you know about it, the less you worry about it. It can bring you down". Utah is among 12 other states that will propose a bill similar to Arizona's. According to Rep. Steve Sandstrom, an Orem republican, he has enough votes to make such legislation pass. On his web site he states, " Illegal immigration is negatively impacting our society and economy. I am committed to reverse this damaging trend." If he's as diligent as he sounds, it could possibly be enforced as early as February of 2011. Although this seems some distance away, it's not the kind of solution some think will suffice for a monumental topic such as immigration. UVU adjunct professor Paul Nibley sug- Courtesy of stock-xchng gests we are not addressing the root of the immigration problem. "You can keep giving people that have smallpox cough medicine, but it's not going to solve the problem," which he argues is drugs. Mexican cartels have for long been terrorizing residents on the border using drugs, kidnappings and smuggling people. According to Nibley, "My observation is that if we made it legal to take drugs, we could sell drugs very cheaply." If Arizona's attempt is ill guided, how long will it take before this game of chicken concludes? By giving authorities the power to question people if there is a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the U.S. illegally, we have essentially lost the trust of an entire community. Many police officers have challenged the law and have spoken against it. In an interview with KSL, Salt Lake City Police Chief, Chris Burbank, opposed the law adding, "Our first job, first and foremost, is to protect our community, and have people feel secure and safe in our community, and to do that without discriminating." Discrimination through racial profiling is a dead end. It's not likely a white person would get questioned - however, I would, as would Johana and many others here in Utah because of my dark skin. UTA Passes Stay Cheap? Sandstrom's Irresponsible Proprosal By MICHAEL SANBORN Opinions Writer UTA worhs with different colleges throughout the Utah and Sail Lake counties. Courtesy ot UTA ,By MATTHEW A. JONASSAINT and CELESTE THOLDEN -Opinions Editor and Asst. Opinions Editor ;,. . If UTA carries through ;r'\yith their decision to raise the price of their student pass, students without a car or who prefer to save the cost of gas may need to find another means of transportation. The Utah Transit Authority recently released a statement about reviewing the Ed Pass program, a discounted pass available to students, and it would raise the cost. The pilot program at Salt Lake Community "College will offer the pass •'. .for $25 a month, and if UTA doesn't find a significant de::; crease in ridership, the prow-gram will be implemented • system-wide. '.-..'"UVU and UTA haven't •/'discussed changing fees," -•• according to Gerry Car"Cpcnter, public spokesperson, for UTA, although it's not implausible that could change. Carpenter explains that UTA's student pass is $49.75 a month. Each of the many schools in the program - from smaller colleges like Westminster and the LDS Business College to bigger campuses like the University of Utah - choose individually how to subsidize the price. For example, our BYU neighbors pay $120 and the school pays for the rest, subsidizing with other student fees. UVU does the same, but for $20. That's unlimited access to all the buses throughout Utah and Salt Lake county, as well as access to the tracks. But there are more benefits to the pass than just a cheap way to get around what Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell recently said is "becoming the demographic belly button of the state." The pass alleviates the already crowded parking, provides out-of-state and international students who don't yet have a car with efficient transportation, and is a more environmentally-friendly option than each student driving his or her own car. In Orem and Provo, students make up a good number of UTA passengers. A concern with raising the price of student passes, especially here, is the continued efficiency of the system routes if students discontinue their bussing. If there are fewer passengers, there is a possibility of fewer routes and arrival times. Perhaps UTA Teels they can make this change without hurting their efficiency, but when their system already fails to provide routes up and down a major artery like Orem Center Street, it's hard to imagine this being a positive change. Additional reporting by Mel Sundquist. One doesn't have to agree with Arizona's recent controversial immigration bill to recognize that with the tightening of border security in Texas and California, Arizona has become a much more common avenue of illegal entry into the country. If nothing else, the bill has succeeded in pushing immigration reform debate more to the front of the national conscience. With such a hot issue, any politician is guaranteed access to news coverage and TV face time by suggesting similar legislation in their own state. Enter Rep. Stephen Sandstrom of Orem. Shortly after news of the Arizona law hit the nation, Rep. Sandstrom announced that he is crafting a similar bill for the 2011 session. In other circumstances, he could almost be praised for doing so. But Utah is not Arizona; we do not see the same influx of illegal immigrants. We do have a border used as a transit point for smugglers of people, drugs or other goods, whereas Arizona apprehends more illegal immigrants than the population of Provo and Orem combined. Utah does have its own troubles with this complex issue, but not nearly as bad as our Sandstrom calls fora new immigration bill. Illustration by Bryan GorffHi neighboring state. legislative session working A law from 2008 that re- towards figuratively giving quires state officials and of- the bird to the federal go\S ficers to check immigration eminent. '.[1 status in certain situations Sandstrom is less cot£ and report issues to federal cerned about the immigraauthorities already covers tion issue than he is about Utah. Would a law similar politically grandstanding to Arizona's really be able to further his state's rights to better our own state? Ari- agenda. Immigration is alzona is looking at a likely ready a very sensitive topic, lawsuit from the federal gov- and one that needs to be ernment that they could very treated delicately. Pushing well lose. So why is Rep. an extreme measure just to Sandstrom suggesting this highlight a pet project is iraction is needed here? responsible. It will end up Like it or not, we live in a hurting the state dearly in very politically conservative both financial and social state where groups like the terms. Our state will foot the Tea Party movement flour- bill to both enforce and deish. Many of our elected of- fend a measure that callously ficials pride themselves on juins lives so one man can how far to the right they are, capitalize on the attention. and as Senator Bob Bennett You have to ask, is Steshowed us this year, in many phen Sandstrom someone districts showing any sign of Orem really wants to have liberalism could lose them representing it? ^ their seat. Sandstrom spent a eood portion of the previous |