Thread: NJ - Don't reward illegal aliens-

The Governor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy seems intent on rolling out the red carpet for illegal aliens. Many of its recommendations, released earlier this week, should be ignored: chief among them, making illegal immigrants eligible for in-state tuition rates and granting them special driver's licenses.



Even Gov. Jon Corzine, whose appointments to the panel virtually ensured a pro-undocumented immigrant slant, said he couldn't support the driver's licenses, calling the idea "problematic." "Problematic" is being overly charitable.

Extending privileges to those who broke the law to get here — and continue breaking the law by staying — sends all the wrong messages. It tacitly endorses illegal residency and violating federal laws, and it serves notice to other immigrants that the benefits of entering this country unlawfully are well worth the risks.

In a statement, Corzine, who was generally supportive of the report, said, "New Jersey's strength has always been in its diversity, and within that diversity is amazing opportunity — especially important during these uncertain economic times. And all it takes to tap into this resource is a fundamental change in how we work with the immigrant population."

No one denies the role immigrants have played in making America great. The problem most people have with immigration is illegal immigration.

In a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll released last week, 51 percent of the respondents said they saw illegal immigration as a "very serious" problem for New Jersey. Another 28 percent regarded it as a "somewhat serious" problem.

Most people want the federal government to enforce the immigration laws on the books and to implement policies that will discourage people from entering the country illegally. Creating a driver privilege card and providing reduced in-state tuition rates for undocumented immigrants — particularly at at a time when jobs are scare and public services are being scaled back — is an affront to taxpayers and to immigrants who complied with the law in gaining citizenship.

Corzine does everyone a disservice by lumping legal and illegal immigrants together, as if it makes no difference. It makes a huge difference. In weighing the panel's recommendations, the Legislature must keep the distinction uppermost in mind.




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http://www.app.com/article/20090402/OPI ... 29/OPINION

The panel, I believe, is made up of pro-illegal alien members, "community" organizers, immigration lawyers, etc. Yeah, they're an unbiased panel alright.

So how is this panel fair representation with taxation?

Who gave them the 'Blue Ribbon'?

ACORN or La Raza probably gave the Blue Ribbon? What is so important about getting a Blue Ribbon?