Thread: N.C. - County leader wants count of all undocumented immigrants in CMS

Posted: 8:16 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13, 2012
By Jason Stoogenke
wsoctv.com

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. —

A Mecklenburg County commissioner wants to know how much of your tax dollars go to undocumented immigrants.

Commissioner Bill James wants CMS to document the students who are undocumented and he wants to know how much it costs to educate them. Then, and he knows it's a long shot, he wants to send the bills to the students' home countries. James plans to bring this up at Tuesday night's County Commission meeting. He said, "It's not our job to educate their kids. It's their job to educate their kids. The fact that they're here illegally doesn't mean it makes it our obligation to write the check."

Latin American Coalition Executive Director Jess George calls James's request "unconscionable." She said, "It's actually an economic benefit to us to educate our population and not pick and choose who gets an education and doesn't."

To school board member Eric Davis, it's even simpler. The law says CMS has to include these students so, Davis told WSOC-TV by phone, "By God, I'm going to do it."

Eyewitness News reporter Jason Stoogenke met another Davis, James Davis. He happened to be on the phone with a teacher, so Stoogenke asked him to put her on speaker phone so he could run James' plan by her. She likes it and feels other countries should pay. She said, "If we can guarantee that that would happen, it would be an excellent job, it would be wonderful if that would occur."

When Stoogenke asked James Davis if he feels more for taxpayers or for the students here illegally, he said, "Both. Because the taxpayers, it's coming out of their money, especially the ones of us that don't have kids ... I feel for the kids because you have to have education now to get through anything."

County leader wants count of all undocumented immigrants in CMS | www.wsoctv.com

"Commissioner Bill James wants CMS to document the students who are undocumented and he wants to know how much it costs to educate them. Then, and he knows it's a long shot, he wants to send the bills to the students' home countries."

Now this is an excellent idea!!!!!!!

Kiara
this is excellent idea
No amnesty or Dream act