Thread: Utah needs your help. Please e-mail.

1st Govenor John Huntsman

http://governor.utah.gov/goca/form_comment.html

Comment Huntstman


Guv says he opposes bill to repeal tuition breaks


Bill would repeal law that lets undocumented Utah college students pay in-state rates
By Jennifer Sanchez
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 02/15/2008 01:32:30 AM MST


Gov.Jon Huntsman Jr. said Thursday that he is opposed to a bill that wouldrepeal in-state college tuition for undocumented students and hopesCongress comes up with an immigration solution next year.
"I have a very hard time saying you punish the kids ofimmigrants who had no say over their journey in life," he said duringan interview. "And we say, 'OK, we're going to deprive people of theAmerican dream.' "
For the first time in five years, HB241 passed in the Housethis week and is waiting to be heard in the Senate. The bill, sponsoredby Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, would repeal a law that allowsundocumented students who graduate from a Utah high school to payin-state college tuition. Some 280 students used the law in 2006-2007.
"The whole debate fails to articulate properly that the kids have earned the right, even though they're here with a differentstatus," Huntsman said. "The only way they're going to move on and makea contribution and make their dreams come true in this state is throughthe great leveler: higher education."
At the Capitol on Thursday, Utahns for the American Dream,which represents some 30 businesses, churches and groups, held a newsconference to announce that they delivered a letter and DVD inopposition of HB241 to each senator. The documentary DVD shares thestories of undocumented students who grew up in Utah and are in collegeor have hopes of going.
HB241 opponents say students may lose hope if college is not anoption, and that could, in turn, increase the rates of teen pregnancy,welfare and domestic violence.
"What we do now can prevent so much negative impact in ourcities," said Rosanita Cespedes, a Utah Board of Regents member.
jsanchez@sltrib.com

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_8268713


The LDS church.


Debate resumes over illegal immigrants' status in LDS Church
Some question granting of temple rights, baptism
By Dennis Romboy
Deseret Morning News
Published: February 15, 2008


Comments made by an LDS Church leader this week again stirred debate in Mormon circles about whether the church should baptize illegal immigrants or allow them to enter its temples.
"The church's view of someone in undocumented status is akin, in a way, to a civil trespass," said Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy, relating it to coming onto someone's property uninvited. "There is nothing inherent or wrong about that status."

Elder Jensen's comment came Wednesday during an interfaith forum on immigration at Westminster College in response to an audience question.

The LDS Church has no official policy on illegal immigration nor does it ask local clergy to question prospective converts or members seeking temple privileges about their citizenship status.

"The church does not see itself as an enforcement agency," Mark Tuttle, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said Thursday, repeating earlier church statements.

That doesn't sit well with some Latter-day Saints who wonder why the church baptizes people and issues temple recommends to members who live in the country illegally. To qualify for a recommend, they must avow to a bishop and a stake president that they are honest in their dealings with others.

Some members can't reconcile church membership and illegal status, particularly in light of one of the church's Articles of Faith that states, "We believe ... in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law."

"I wonder how they'd feel about the second great commandment, to love thy neighbor as thyself. It's not an answer to your question, but it's another question. Sometimes it's hard to do them all," Tuttle said.

Discussion about how local church leaders deal with undocumented immigrants arose on the heels of remarks Elder Jensen made earlier this week.

Speaking on behalf of the First Presidency at the interfaith forum, Elder Jensen asked Utah lawmakers to consider proposed immigration legislation with a "spirit of compassion." He called for a more "thoughtful and factual, not to mention humane, approach" to the issues.

The Legislature is debating a string of get-tough-on-illegal-immigration bills including measures to revoke driver privilege cards and repeal in-state tuition options at state colleges and universities.

While reiterating the LDS Church is politically neutral, Elder Jensen noted that immigration is not only a political issue but a moral and ethical one.

Addressing the matter of baptism and temple rights for undocumented immigrants, Elder John C. Pingree, an Area Seventy, told the Deseret Morning News in 2005, "It's not a problem for me."

Questions about citizenship are not part of the formal interview local leaders conduct with people before they join the church or attend the temple, which is open only to members deemed worthy. Bishops and stake presidents look for commitment to live the tenets of the religion, he said.

Enforcing immigration law is not the role of the church, said Elder Pingree, who served as a mission president in Mexico City.

"This isn't the church's issue," he said. "This is the government's issue."

The October 2005 interview with Elder Pingree came in response to a Morning News request to the LDS Church to speak with a leader about the church's stance on illegal immigration.

His comments were included in a story headlined, "Church chooses to stay out of questions of status," which was part of a Morning News series on illegal immigration.

The church, Elder Pingree said, does everything it can to encourage its members to stay in their home countries to strengthen local stakes and wards. "But once they're here, we want to make them feel like part of the community, a valued part of the community," he said.

Tuttle said Thursday that statements Elder Pingree made then remain accurate.

PLEASE E_MAIL

http://governor.utah.gov/goca/form_comment.html
SEPERATE CHURCH AND STATE

The LDS Church in Utah.

http://www.myfoxutah.com/myfox/pages/Ho ... geId=1.1.1

Please help us.


Separation of church and state is the political and legal idea that government and religion should be separate, and not interfere in each other's affairs. [1]

In the United States, separation of church and state is often identified with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…" The phrase "building a wall of separation between church and state" was written by Thomas Jefferson in a January 1, 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. [2]

Here is what I sent to Huntsman, Hatch, Bennett and Cannon. I also sent this to both newspapers.

The Mormon Church is breaking the 1st Amendment. We need them exposed.
Separation of church and state is the political and legal idea that government and religion should be separate, and not interfere in each other's affairs. [1]

In the United States, separation of church and state is often identified with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…" The phrase "building a wall of separation between church and state" was written by Thomas Jefferson in a January 1, 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. [2]

Please protect our rights. (The legal citizen in Utah's rights. ) Separate us from the church. If the LDS wants them here then they need to try and get them visa's and totally take care of them. We should not have to pay for there welfare benefits, food stamps. Schooling and welfare. We should not have to pay for crimes they commit. Separate Church and State now. Let the church be the sponsors of these illegals and leave the Utah Citizen out of it. This is our first Amendment Right.

Dana

Paige,
One of the emails I've been sending to the church on this issue, without any response yet I might add, asks them to confirm if the Lord condones law breaking. Then I throw in all the scripture references which state man must obey the laws of the land. I would still love any response from them regarding my argument, but alas, no.

Sippy

This is just simply disgusting. They need to take care of these people if they want them. For them to do this is forcing there views on us. It needs to be stopped, dead in its tracks. Not only that Sippy but they are putting every american at risk. Secure the borders and send these people home to there own country. This is just distressing.

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd see politicians and pastors in the same light. I have always been a churchgoing Christian woman, but this is just getting to be so blatant.

And the college issue -- why does an AMERICAN kid, then, who does not pay taxes in a state have to pay the out of state rates???

These people do NOT pay taxes; therefore, they should not be able to take advantage of state schools and tuition breaks. Sorry, they've been sending all that money home to Mexico ..they should have been using it to pay taxes or save for college.

And what the heck . . .we continually hear that 50% of them drop out of high school....all of a sudden, they are all college goers . . .

I wrote these guys.

"I have a very hard time saying you punish the kids of immigrants who had no say over their journey in life," he said during an interview. "And we say, 'OK, we're going to deprive people of the American dream.'"

One issue that guys like Huntsman don't consider in their arguments is that they are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Sure, they might be well-intentioned, but resources like classrooms, teachers, libraries, computer labs, and one-on-one tutors are finite in supply.

The more students there are in public schools and university classrooms, the more overextended the resources become. Teachers cannot give their students the amount of care and attention they would like to give because classrooms grow in size all the time. The quality of education goes down. Money is funneled away from reading, writing, and math to fund ESL programs.

Ultimately it just goes back to the reason we formed nations in the first place. We can't save the world, but perhaps we can save ourselves.

Paige,

Every year my family does a pilgrimage
to Park City. This year we were all terrified
by all the Mexicans and Spanish
all over town cashing in their WIC checks.

I dont get how they can affort to live there.
It's getting scary. Please dont let them
destroy your beautiful state.

we are ttrying to make our state government take some responsibility. But the LDS church keeps making statements that make it tough. Our Govenor, Senators and congressmen are all LDS, have all been in office way to long. We need to vote them out and get some good laws in place to protect us. I don't know how long that will take. I will tell you one thing, Utah will be overwhelmed and to the point of destruction before they change anything. We have people at the top making big money off of illegal immigration. According to the LDS church, if you know there doctrine, they are to follow the rules of the land. Well, lets say right now no one is living the LDS Church Doctrine.