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Health & Fitness

Who killed New Jersey's in-state tuition dream?

Legislation to provide in-state college tuition to the children of undocumented immigrants died a cynical and hypocritical death in Trenton this spring, with both political parties inflicting mortal wounds.

Fifteen states provide in-state college tuition to children brought to the country without documents at a young age and who have graduated with high school degrees from school districts in those states. Among the states offering in-state tuition to their residents are bleeding-heart bastions like Texas, Utah and Oklahoma.

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It is the humane thing to do, but it also makes economic sense. Why spend hundreds of thousands of dollars educating these children without allowing them to fulfill their potential for the greater good of our society? Most of these children have grown up in this country, speak primarily English, and have nowhere else to go. Besides, these students are not being given a free ride, but rather they are expected to pay for their education. This is a net gain for the colleges and universities by having these additional students enroll.

But, this is not an essay on the common sense of in-state tuition, but rather a reflection on the cynical political process and practice displayed in Trenton during the most recent legislative session.

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There is plenty of hypocrisy to go around, but here is a summary of the major players and their use of the political system:

Gov. Chris Christie, the blustering millionaire-hugger, has traditionally opposed in-state tuition, but during this election year he has suddenly become coy on the subject. Rather than address the issue directly, as we have asked him to do, he has remained silent but instead sent out Latino representatives to travel the state singing his praises, including the self-proclaimed dean of Latino activists, Martin Perez, president of the Latino Leadership Alliance and a recent appointee to the Rutgers Board of Governors.

But let us be fair, the “friends” of the Latino community, the Democrats, who regularly rely on our votes, have buried us in demagoguery as well. The in-state tuition bill was voted out of the Assembly Budget Committee in June, but was never voted on by the full Assembly.

There is plenty of hypocrisy to go around, but here are the major players and how they use the political system.

In the Senate, the bill is being held up by its primary co-sponsor, Sen. Teresa Ruiz, a Democrat. After meeting with Ruiz, who is nothing more than a puppet for her Essex County bosses, Steve Adubato and Joseph DiVincenzo, our organization was told the bill is being held for the lame duck session this fall, when Christie will be more agreeable to sign it.

Huh?

Christie, if re-elected governor, is likely to veer to the political right in his effort to secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and show he is tough on the poor, undocumented children and working families. Immigrant-bashing has long been a staple of the far right’s political diet.

What is more likely the case is that Ruiz is acting on the instructions of her Essex County masters and Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who has declined to meet with us on the subject. It turns out the Essex and Camden county political bosses would rather not bring the subject up during an election year, for several reasons. The most important reason appears to be the fact that they have a lot of ongoing business with the governor. As one example, the political and financial dealings between South Jersey Democratic political boss George E. Norcross III and the Christie administration with regard to Camden’s Cooper University Hospital are well documented. Sweeney relies on Norcross for his political clout, so that political connection is crystal clear.

Why place Christie in an uncomfortable position by making him veto the legislation in an election year and make him look bad in the Latino community?

Everyone wins in this political calculation but the children brought over to this country at a young age. Christie can affirm his love of Latinos without having to act on it. The Democrats allied to him get to keep their relationship, which secures contracts and patronage. And, who cares about some children whose parents cannot vote anyway?

The legislation will go nowhere in the lame duck session. What will be the incentive of Christie or our Democratic “friends” to act then?

The ease with which both sides lie and manipulate would be comical were it not standard operating procedure in Trenton. And, more importantly, there are thousands of young students in New Jersey deferring their dreams, their livelihoods and their careers because of these cynical political wheelers and dealers who think they have carried through their deception so seamlessly that no one will know.

Lázaro Cárdenas is deputy director of the Latino Coalition of New Jersey.


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