Michael Brown Show, ASSET Legislation, January 16, 2013
Station: KHOW, 630 AM
Show: The Michael Brown Show
Guests: None
Topic: ASSET Legislation
Link: http://www.khow.com/cc-common/podcast/single_page.html?podcast=michaelbrown
Date: January 16, 2013
Topics: Senator Angela Giron, Pueblo, Undocumented Students, Illegal Immigrants, Parents, Benefits, State Universities, Cesia Trejo, Ana Calderon, Dreamers, Anchor Babies, Status, Citizenship, United States Citizens, Colorado College Opportunity Fund, Metropolitan State University, In-state Tuition, Out-of-State Tuition
@ 1:25, Part 1
BROWN: [Quotes CBS4 news report – Senator Giron gave her speech, behind her stood several dozen students who had been lobbying lawmakers for years. This bill has been introduced several years, several attempts, even when Democrats had control of the Legislature, they couldn’t pass it. Now, the current version offers in-state tuition to these undocumented students at state universities.]
@ 2:52, Part 1
BROWN: One student, Ana Calderon was quoted as saying, “We are tired of waiting. These young people are tired of waiting. We have to go on with our lives. And if we don’t go to school now, when?” Well, let me just answer the question now. You want to go to school now, just get off your butt and go to school. If you’ve got to pay tuition, um [facetiously pondering], find a job? I don’t know. This other student, Cesia Trejo, said, “I want to be able to hand my parents a college diploma one day, and tell them their sacrifice has not been in vain.” What sacrifice? Coming across the border illegally? Breaking the law? That was the sacrifice? I’m not sure. So, as I read this story, I got to thinking about the argument that people make about, “Well, you know these students aren’t the ones that have broken the law. You know, they came here, and maybe they were anchor babies because their parents came across the border illegally, from God-knows-where, –it’s immaterial to me where they came from!. Their parents broke the law. They came into this country illegally. So, now all the feel-good Democrats want to provide lower tuition—in fact, they want to provide in-state tuition to these illegal immigrants, to these non-U.S. citizens. Well, I guess, actually, if they are true anchor babies, they are U.S. citizens. They want to provide them lower tuition. Now stick with me here for a minute, because this is what bugs me about it. Let me ask you, who is the beneficiary of this? Who is the beneficiary of providing the kids of illegal aliens in-state tuition? Is it not the very people who broke the law? It’s not the students unless the students themselves are the ones that are paying the tuition. And that’s why I said, “We are tired of waiting.” According to this one student, “We are tired of waiting. We have to go on with our lives. And if we don’t go to school now, when? “ That indicates to me that they are waiting for a better deal before they go to school. Well, you know what? Get off your butt and go to work and pay your tuition. I did that! Thousands of people do that!
[…]
@ 6:25
BROWN: Why should we provide a benefit to someone who has broken the law? Now, if you’re going to argue with me that the students, the students themselves who are already here – I don’t know how you would monitor this, but if a student is here because their parents came across the border illegally and now they are U.S. citizens, why wouldn’t they already be getting in-state tuition anyway? Because they’re residents. Irrespective of their parents’ status because they were born here! So they have US citizenship! And if they’re living in Colorado they would already be entitled to in-state tuition. So what the hell is this bill all about? I think this bill is about providing a tuition break to the illegal aliens who are paying the bills for their ‘students’ because you know, they want to pay the tuition. I don’t get it! See, if your parents came here illegally, and you were but a twinkle in the eye of your mom and dad, when they crossed the border. And nine months later, because they were jubilant after they sneaked across the border and broke the law and they decided to, you know, uh, copulate, and make love because –to celebrate their coming across the border and making their way into wherever they made their way into, and you’re born nine months later, guess what! This conservative doesn’t have any problem with you getting in-state tuition. Because you know what, you’re – whether you like it or not , you are an anchor baby! You were born here, you are a U.S. citizen. And if you’re in Colorado, so you’re entitled to in-state tuition. What I don’t understand, then, is, what’s the big hullaballoo about giving people whose parents are illegal aliens in-state tuition? And I can only come to this conclusion: that they are trying to figure out a way to give another benefit to someone who is here illegally.
[…] [Brown expounds at length, pointing out that many immigrants come here legally and following the rules and processes. He reiterates his objection to student Ana Calderon receiving in-state tuition if she is not “an anchor baby”, and challenging her to “get off her butt” to find a job, work and attend school, if that is what she wants to do. Then, Brown reads from the CBS4 news story, where Republican lawmakers are quoted. Senator Brian Del Grosso (R-Loveland) objects to the broader application and terms of this bill –offering in-state tuition as opposed to a third tier, intermediate tuition rate.] He says it does seem like “a take-it-or leave-it” kind of bill this year. Brown continues by opining that “anchor baby” students, as U.S. citizens have to justifiable reason for “bitching and moaning” while undocumented students brought here as children shouldn’t get any breaks, as they continue to break the law, and Brown wonders why they haven’t simply “gotten their citizenship yet” since then they would presumably qualify for in-state tuition.
@14:45, Part 1 [Monty (or Amani?) Ali, husband of Gloria O’Neal – former colleague and radio show host on 760am—brings a plate of treats and Michael Brown questions him as to whether they are poisoned. ]
@15:30, Part 1 [Caller Damian represents “all of us” who came here “le-gal-ly”, had to stand in line, first to get a visa and then to wait their turn to be given the okay to travel to the US. Damian is from Peru and came when he was 17. He got his citizenship so he could tell “these clowns” in Washington how to spend his tax dollars, and believes it is his responsibility, as well as his right, to participate in this democracy. U.S. government instructed Damian when he got his visa that he would not be permitted to speak against the government or demonstrate, or participate in politics. Damian doesn’t understand why these immigrants think anybody owes them anything. He is a grateful immigrant, grateful for any small give-away that the government might hand him. Damian considers himself a guest in this country, as an immigrant. If he sees or hears anything, he is already sending a letter or email to his Representative.]
@ 0:18, Part 2
BROWN: This one Republican state Representative made this comment: You’ve got a lot of students who come here to Colorado to go to college. And they’re paying that high out-of-state tuition fee, and they’re like, ‘You know, why should I not get the same benefit as some of these other students?’ I don’t think that the entire Latino community is one hundred percent behind this. It’s unfair to say that it’s us against the Latino community because we have definitely heard from several folks of the Latino community who quite frankly don’t want us to go this route! We just heard from Damian, saying the same thing. He came here the right way. And the point – I think, the point that I don’t want us to gloss over is you hear these sob stories about people who are here illegally. And their kids have gone to school. And they’ve gone to school for, I don’t know what — two years or all twelve years. It’s kind of immaterial to me. If they were born in another country and they came across the border illegally with their parents, I honestly don’t care. I mean, I’m just being honest with you. I don’t care if they were two years old or they were sixteen years old when their parents brought them across the border. They are here illegally, just like the parents. So that has to be the group that the Democrats are trying to target for this in-state tuition–people who are violating the law getting a benefit. I want to separate that from, some– a couple that comes across the border, whichever border it is, excuse me, they then conceive and have a child. That child is born on American soil. That child is a U.S. citizen. Now, that child grows up and becomes – you know, they graduate from high school. They want to go to CU, they want to go to UNC, they want to go wherever they want to go. They are U.S. citizens, and I believe that they should get in-state tuition. Now you could argue that one, “Okay, Mike. Now, you’re being inconsistent here.” Because if the parents are paying that, they’re getting the benefit. Well, that may be the unintended consequence, but we have to face the reality that as long as we let anchor babies come to this country, they are U.S. citizens. But that’s different from the person who comes across the border and is asking for the benefit. Because it’s the person – and I don’t have a clue about Ana Calderon. I don’t know who she is. I don’t know what her background is. I really don’t care. What irritates me is, her comment […] Well, you know what? I’ll tell you what, Ana. If you want to go to school now, I suggest that you know what, you get your butt out of the chair, you go find a job, and maybe you have to work full time and go to school part time. You know, there are a lot of people, there are a lot of people in this country that work their butts off and went to school part time. And there are a lot of people — [lowering his voice] there are a lot of people that worked full time and went to school full time. And so I really don’t have any sympathy. And I think this is pure pandering by the Democrats. And I just – I think it’s just absolutely wrong. Let’s go to the phone lines.
[…]
CALLER DANIEL, from Denver: [Daniel currently works full time, putting himself through school, and can’t afford all the costs, so he found a company that pays his tuition.]
BROWN: [@ 4:15, Part 2] Yeah, well, excellent! So, you didn’t do as Ana did and sit around and say, “We can’t wait any longer. If we don’t go to school now, when? ” You said, “I want to go to school now.” And it’s a pain in the rear, but you’re making it work.
CALLER DANIEL: [Agrees with Michael Brown’s point, made earlier, about only legal residents of Colorado deserving in-state tuition, and adds that graduates from Colorado high schools are entitled to benefits from the Colorado College Opportunity Fund.]
BROWN: [@5:15, Part 2] And to your—And to my earlier point, that’s a benefit that belongs to them, even though the benefit may accrue to the illegal parents who are actually paying the tuition. And that’s just something I have to live with.
[Daniel cites the Metro State University policy of offering in-state tuition to undocumented students, although they are not offered the benefit of the Colorado College Opportunity Fund, are then contends that these students are taking seats away from legal residents who don’t fill affirmative action and minority quotas and depriving them the opportunity to enter Metro at in-state tuition and as legal residents of Colorado.]
BROWN: [wishes Daniel luck in his studies and thanks him for working his butt off and making it work, then welcomes next caller]
CALLER MICHAEL in Denver: [Giving breaks to illegals that black students born in Alabama and descendent from slaves who wants to come to Colorado and study are not entitled to, is not fair. Points out that a lot of these undocumented students don’t graduate from high school. They drop out. Michael believes that the inferior state of Latin American educational systems shows that these countries and cultures don’t value education as Americans do. Illegal immigration is a way of importing poverty. Michael is African-American and here legally, and doesn’t begrudge opportunities to anyone who is here legally. He wonders why we don’t help out Haitian victims of poverty and earthquakes, living in Haiti, with in-state tuition in Colorado universities, implying that they could travel here to receive their education
BROWN: [Citing points made by previous callers, Brown recaps his argument, claiming reverse discrimination or some sort of “odd” discrimination inherent in the ASSET bill. After a commercial break, Brown summarizes that Democrats, newly in the majority in the Colorado legislature, has introduced ASSET again and it is expected to pass. Brown welcomes the next caller.]
CALLER MARY: [introduces here theory that this law is a way for officials and authorities to save face among students and relieve pressure by not having to ask for documentation. Mary says she knows teacher in Denver who say that students are terrified that they will be asked for documentation. Mary asks why students aren’t required to take citizenship classes and acquire their citizenship before receiving a diploma, and she wonders if the expense of such a program wouldn’t allow its inception and success. Mary thinks that all students, irrespective of their immigration status could benefit from such instruction.]
BROWN: [extends Mary’s hypothesis, saying this is a way of automatically assimilating these students, without data or metrics, by a government action. In answer to Mary’s question, Brown asks for crowd sourcing assistance from his audience, requesting input from any educators who might have insight, and then wonders why civics classes are not required for graduation from high school and agrees with Mary that students need more instruction in citizenship and civics. Brown thanks Mary for her call and then welcomes his next caller.]
CALLER MICHELLE from Longmont: [Michelle is a veteran divorcee, mother of two daughters who are basically grown, and a full time student, now a senior in nursing school. She didn’t receive court ordered child support, so had to work. She has been on the brink of homelessness every month for a year, and had to go to a food bank, while maintaining a high GPA for her scholarships and holding down a job. Getting the help she needed was very difficult. She doesn’t have medical insurance, so pays $200 a month out-of-pocket. Michelle resents that undocumented students in school get free medical care and eye glasses, and then that they would complain that they have to pay out-of-state tuition or have to work to attend school. She thinks we are breeding complacent, self-centered mindsets here and she doesn’t understand why we would do this. She believes that an entitlement mentality exists and that some of these people with that mentality don’t deserve the benefits they enjoy. She says she in a first generation American, that her parent immigrated from Greece and England, and so she doesn’t feel any pity for immigrants who come here and complain about lack of opportunity.
BROWN: [congratulates Michelle on her hard work and success, then breaks for commercials and introduces the next segment on guns.]
