Support the Arkansas Dream Act
Our community consistently shows its support for our schools because we in Fayetteville know the importance of education. We’ve seen it most recently during last week’s Fayetteville Forward Economic Development Summit: time and again during the sessions people pointed to the critical role of education in our community. We in Fayetteville also know the value of diversity. We embrace the idea of opening ourselves to other cultures and welcoming different perspectives.
Only nineteen percent of Arkansans have a bachelors degree or higher. For our community and our state to secure economic success, we must make the opportunity to pursue education as widely available as possible. We must develop a workforce capable of excelling in the knowledge-based economy.
Senator Joyce Elliot plans to run SB 799—the Arkansas Dream Act—in the Senate today. The bill aims to make available in-state tuition to higher education for all students who have lived in the state for three years regardless of their immigration status. Students who go to school and complete high school should not be penalized because their parents brought them to our country to make a better life. Ours is a country built on the idea that the opportunity to pursue a better life should be available to all. That’s why passage of this bill is so important. This is most likely the bill’s last chance this session, so it’s imperative everyone take action now.
These Senators support the Dream Act. Please contact them to encourage them to continue their support.
Sen. Steve Bryles: bryless@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. John Paul Capps: cappsj@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Jimmy Jeffress: jjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Gene Jeffress: gjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Henry “Hank” Wilkins IV: hwilkins@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Jim Luker: lukerj@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Sue Madison: madisons@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Percy Malone: pmalone@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Mary Ann Salmon: msalmon@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Tracy Steele: tsteele@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Ed Wilkinson: wilkinsonj@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Jack Crumbly: crumblyj@arkleg.state.ar.us
These Senators might consider voting for the bill. Please contact them to encourage them to vote yes.
Sen. Barbara Horn: bhorn@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Paul Bookout: bookoutp@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Kim Hendren: hendrenk@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. David Johnson: johnsond@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Johnny Key: keyj@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Shane Broadway: sbroadway@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Robert Thompson: thompsonr@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Terry Smith: tsmith@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Ruth Whitaker: whitakerr@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. David Wyatt: wyattd@arkleg.state.ar.us
Sen. Larry Teague: teaguel@arkleg.state.ar.us
Let’s go, Fayetteville.
Discussion
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By Johnathan on April 6th, 2009
I’m not sure I agree with this. I think it’s great when young people want to continue their education, and I consider myself to be pretty liberal. But I have a bit of a problem with giving our tax dollars to those who don’t pay taxes. It seems unfair to those who do.
By Steven jarvis on April 6th, 2009
Many natural-born U.S. citizens benefit from public assistance (including needs-based scholarships) don’t pay taxes already, if they don’t make much money. That’s why they need help (like scholarships). Kids don’t make decisions about where to live or how to do it, but they can get educations,gain citizenship (if they don’t already have it), and become productive, tax-paying members of society. I say give ‘em the chance.
By mervin on April 6th, 2009
Johnathan,
The IRS doesn’t care so much about legal status. If you file, they will be happy to collect your taxes. Lot of undocumented families pay their taxes in an attempt to earn legalisation.
By Aran on April 6th, 2009
Jonathon, uhhhh, I don’t know how to explain this to you…..you are dead wrong. Explain this to me please. How do they not pay taxes, I’m confused??? They pay property tax(whether they rent or buy), sales tax, and income tax too. Maybe you know something I don’t, what are they not paying again????
By Aran on April 6th, 2009
Oh, and by the way, I’ll back up my “you are wrong” rhetoric with facts….crazy, I know. The only study done to date, in Arkansas(WinRock 2007), showed that undocumented aliens payed in 20 million dollars more in taxes than services they used in 2006. Please, quit spreading rumors and inuendo that are not based in reality, please.
By Wesley on April 6th, 2009
Everyone pays taxes, whether it be on things they buy (sales taxes, alcohol taxes, tobacco taxes, grocery taxes, milk taxes, etc.) or services they acquire (Cable taxes, Communications taxes, etc.). Most of those people who aren’t registered with the IRS to pay taxes don’t own land, and wouldn’t pay land taxes. And Arkansas as a state doesn’t have a income tax.
The only tax they aren’t paying is a national income tax, and considering the majority of them wouldn’t pay anything even if they were to turn in a income tax form, the point is moot.
They live here, they make up a important part of the workforce, and without them half of the businesses here would be out of business. They pay taxes, and often just as much as any other low class family in Arkansas does.
By Dummy on April 6th, 2009
What?
Arkansas has no income tax?
Well, thats news to the half a million or so people who have it taken out of their paychecks every week.
Stupid.
By Johnathan on April 6th, 2009
Ok, I’ll give you the sales tax thing. But I’m not clear on how you pay income taxes when you have no social security number. Do they make one up just to pay taxes?
Isn’t the big draw of hiring undocumented workers so you can pay them under the table? If they are working with a fake social, I’m guessing their employer would take taxes from their check and then they couldn’t file for a refund. That’s sort of like paying taxes.
I admit I’m pretty ignorant on the workings of illegal aliens. I’ve never been one or even knowingly known one. I just don’t know if we need to sweeten the pot of coming in illegally with a free education. Although, in the long run, I guess it would be better to have smart illegals than dumb ones.
Oh, and Arkansas does have state income taxes. I just paid mine.
By Dummy on April 6th, 2009
Fake S.S. # means you report NO income.
Your children are given welfare, foodstamps, free healthcare, etc because you report NO income. Those services are “income based”.
An illegal alien family makes $60k per year, their kids get free lunches, food stamps, ARKids because they report NO legitimate income.
An American family makes $50k per year and doesn’t get the same benefit because they aren’t stealing someone’s identity or breaking the law.
But hell, if you don’t pay taxes, I can see how you have no problem just GIVING MONEY AWAY. Afterall, you didn’t contribute anything, so why not? I’d like to give away condos at the Underwood building. Everybody who wants, take one for free. Why do I care? I don’t own them and didn’t pay to build them. I’m so compassionate…
And Wesley, shame on you, trying to lecture others about TAXATION in Arkansas when its clear that you have so little experience actually PAYING taxes that you aren’t even aware that Arkansas does indeed collect a state income tax.
Your arrogance is insulting and your ignorance is obvious.
By epuckett on April 6th, 2009
Illegal immigrants are filing taxes using other people’s ID’s, basically identity theft. Here’s an NPR story about it.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101092334
Regardless of that, I am all for in-state tuition for people who have lived in AR for 3+ years.
By David Franks on April 6th, 2009
A lot of undocumented immigrants have a Taxpayer Identification Number in lieu of of a Social Security Number. They pay taxes, establish credit, save money, and sometimes buy homes (using cash or with a mortgage), putting them in the property-tax-paying echelon.
In Wichita, immigrants (particularly Mexicans, but Asian groups also are notable) acquire properties in obsolete or less-desirable neighborhoods and fix them up, increasing property values in the area and raising the tax base. The rehabilitation of older neighborhoods in any city helps to restore urban continuity and increases the viability of the city as a whole, counteracting some of the negative effects of suburban development. Immigrants tend to have close ties to mixed uses in neighborhoods, so obsolete commercial properties (too small or outdated to suit decent people) are rehabilitated as well. The people who do all of this might or might not be documented.
The neighborhood situation in Fayetteville is quite different, of course, which limits the visibility of such positive effects as noted above. The point is that, generally speaking, even undocumented immigrants contribute to society in the “approved” manner. Many of them work at it more diligently than many “real Americans” ever will.
By Scott Stapp of Creed on April 7th, 2009
Oh OK so the tax coffer, if you don’t pay taxes, is like the Underwood Plaza building, filled with unsold condos you don’t own. I didn’t get it before, but now with that analogy, I do. I understand the complicated tax issue a better now!
By David Franks on April 7th, 2009
Wha–?
By George on April 7th, 2009
Where’s East Springdale Earl when u need him?
I kind of straddle the fence on immigration. I mean, we’re Americans….we’re all mutts and immigrants. If you want to come to the US to try for a better life for you and your family, come on over. It’s best if u r documented and legal. That’s healthy immigration. What’s not healthy is someone coming over ilegally to work who then sends all the money they make back across the border to their family. It’s kind of a double-whammy. No tax revenue and the money earned doesn’t get pumped back into the US economy.
Getting paid under the table isn’t relegated to illegal immigrants. I’ve known plenty of naturally born citizens who have participated in the practice.
I fully support The Arkansas Dream Act. Think about it like this, how many college educated workers out there are illegals? That would be tricky. Besides, it’s just offering in-state tuition rates. I’m not really sure why anyone wouldn’t support this act.
By Dummy on April 7th, 2009
the underwood analogy sucks.
It was for Wesley who obviously doesn’t have any experience paying taxes, yet has no problem raising them to give away to others.
I was trying to say, sure, why not give away free money to everybody? If you haven’t paid in to the pot (like Wesley) its easy to say we should give it all away. Why would you care? You own no stake in taxation if you don’t pay them (like Wesley, not the mexicans).
it still sucks.
By Scott Stapp of Creed on April 7th, 2009
George, you forgot to say “no pun intended” after the fence thing. But anyway. Two things. One, of course it’s best if you’re documented and legal. Which is why the federal government ought to make it easier for potential immigrants to pay their fees, get their worker’s permits, come over legally, work here, pay taxes, contribute to “society,” help diversify the United States of America and turn this country into what our founding fathers would have envisioned if they didn’t live in a Anglo-centric culture – a true racial melting pot bound together by an insatiable lust for free-market capitalist venture. Two, illegal immigrants can’t live and work in the United States for any amount of time without contributing to our economy in some way or form. Critics say that they take more than they give. Well, who’s to say exactly how much they do or don’t? The answer is actually accredited research organizations like our very own UofA, which ought to make it easier for students to investigate immigration issues on their own. There’s a brand new immigration law clinic at the University. It’s not an issue that’s going away, but in the meantime Mexicans in the US get to be thought of as an “issue” while they work here.
By origamisnail on April 10th, 2009
http://immigration.change.org/blog/view/my_name_is_maria_el_and_i_am_undocumented
maria is, along with the many others like her, an exceptional individual–the kind of person we, as a state and a nation, need to welcome. and i echo scott’s comment that it is necessary to make the process easier for individuals to become legal participants. doing so removes 85% of the reservations brought up on this topic. i think the biggest problem with the issue of immigration is that natives have very little idea of what it takes to become a citizen: http://www.reason.com/images/07cf533ddb1d06350cf1ddb5942ef5ad.jpg
By Scott Stapp of Creed on April 10th, 2009
Dummy kinda posts like Total Bastard used to, it’s weird.
By Wesley on April 13th, 2009
Arkansas has no income tax. The state doesn’t have a income tax. There are only a few states that tax income. Arkansas is not one of them. The FEDERAL goverment taxes income. But then again, unless you make more than 50,000 you’re most likely not going to pay anything.
By Wesley on April 13th, 2009
Well since you apparently know so many illegal immigrants making 60,000 dollars a year I’d recommend you blackmail them for not paying taxes. I know I would.
Then again I don’t know a single person in this state who makes more than 50k a year, much less a illegal immigrant.
By Dummy on April 14th, 2009
Wesley:
You can’t expect anyone to take you seriously when you are talking about taxes if you aren’t even aware that Arkansas DOES have a state income tax. I repeat, Arkansas collects a state income tax. This is in addition to the Federal income tax. If you actually paid any taxes, you would already be aware of this.
Texas, for example, does not have a state income tax. There are other states, but Arkansas DOES collect a state income tax.
Google it. Good God. Hell, here, I’ll do it for you:
http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html See?
ARKANSAS COLLECTS A STATE INCOME TAX ON A SCALE FROM 1.0 TO 7.0 PERCENT. THIS IS A STATE TAX. IT IS IN ADDITION TO THE FEDERAL INCOME TAX ARKANSAS RESIDENTS PAY. IF YOU HAD EVER FILED A TAX RETURN IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, YOU WOULD BE AWARE THAT IN ARKANSAS, YOU MUST FILE A FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN, AND YOU MUST ALSO FILE A STATE INCOME TAX RETURN.
I’m impressed at how ignorant you are about taxation, yet you soldier on and even suggest that we don’t pay enough taxes. Like I said, its easy to suggest that we raise taxes, when you personally don’t pay any.
When you start paying taxes, your opinion about who should be given your tax dollars will hold water. Until then, good luck in civics. I hope you graduate and go to college and get a good job so you can help pay the ARKANSAS INCOME TAX, which is real, and exists.
And the reason you don’t know anybody who makes 50k a year is because you probably hang out at the skate park and go to FHS.
By Total B on April 14th, 2009
I will say this. That melting pot theory was ok 100 years ago when our population in this nation wasn’t so crowded. Now should they get a free pass? No. They should go home and apply for a work permit like every legal worker has to do. How is it good that all the money they make goes back to their country. How is it good that they take the jobs of folks who were born and raised here. If you think they don’t take our jobs you are sadly mistaken. We lose our jobs and they work for peanuts. Then when we get another job we work for less than peanuts just to take them away from illegals. It’s a win win situation for some of those unscrupulous people who like to use illegals. Just help them come here and maybe someday the jobs they take will be yours.
By Scott Stapp of Creed on April 14th, 2009
Nobody’s saying “let’s give illegal immigrants a free pass.” I don’t think you read anything Origami Snail even posted. Lots of people will take your job if you’re unskilled, but just because you’re unskilled doesn’t necessarily mean someone will take your job. It’s always been that way. For lettuce farmers in California it happened in the early 20th century. As long as there will be international trade, jobs won’t have borders. I suggest retreating to an armed compound in the woods if you don’t like the direction the world is taking these days. Just make sure you don’t follow the “they’re taking our jobs” argument to its logical end and accidentally support additional funding for federal education programs. Your Ron Paul revolutionary buddies would beat your ass for that.
Anyways, do you have any proposed solutions to the problem other than having unaccountable vigilantes patrol the Rio Grande in their pickup trucks, or local police departments checking the immigration status of any brown person they happen to detain, or forcing employers to act as federal agents and verify every employee’s nationality? Please forward your well-researched ideas to the U.S. Department of Commerce/Homeland Security, I’m sure they’d love to hear them.
By Dummy on April 14th, 2009
Here’s a solution.
No more automatic citizenship for children born here.
No benefits given to non-citizens. Let the Catholic church and the bleeding hearts do their “Christian Duty” with their own money.
Employers fined for breaking the law and hiring people without work visas or resident status.
Virtually nothing is being done right now. Ergo, the frustration. Its quite an insult that Mexican Nationals and their children can have free healthcare (taxpayer funded) while citzen veterans in many cases can’t. To a liberal, this is evidence that everyone should have free healthcare. To a right-winger, its time to build a wall.
At best, unchecked illegal immigration is a push as far as being beneficial to our economy. You can find studies stating its a net positive, and others stating its a huge drain.
At worst, it undermines our educational and healthcare infrastructure and separates citizen taxpayers from their hard-earned money unnecessarily.
The Democrats love their new voters, while the Neo-Cons love their cheap labor.
By Scott Stapp of Creed on April 15th, 2009
Hey Dummy, what’s up? Still dumb as ever on this fine day?
I’m gonna need greater detail regarding your solution because as it is I just don’t understand it. Also please specify exactly how old a baby/child may be before they don’t risk being deported to their parents’ country. Also, are we gonna do this retroactively? That might be kinda fun, ripping them from their houses, crying and screaming. That’ll learn ‘em!
Also, why make the distinction between Neo-Cons and General-Cons? All Cons love themselves some cheap labor (they also love whatever voters they can get too, but hey who’s counting).
Oh, and for future reference: I think everyone understands that citizens taxpayer money is generally “hard-earned,” although it’s pretty difficult to actually verify if everyone who earns money has really, honestly worked hard for it. So maybe let’s just leave that part out of our arguments cause it’s somewhat redundant? Thanks!
By George on April 15th, 2009
Dummy makes a good point about healthcare. In my case, he’s right when he says, “To a liberal, this is evidence that everyone should have free healthcare.”
Socialized medicine and immigration control go hand in hand. If we’re going to give a large group of people “free” (read…not really free at all) health services, then let’s just nationalize the whole system. I’ve been hearing talk lately by the Obama admin about getting taxpayer funded healthcare for the uninsured. It’s the same thing to me. I have a healthcare plan that I pay for out of my income. So now I’m supposed to pay for my family’s health plan and the plans of other families via my tax dollars. It doesn’t make sense.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m pretty far to the left on most issues and none of my any-con friends would ever mistake me for a right-winger. I’m an advocate for socialized medicine for many reasons. You just can’t half-ass it. I voted for Obama and would do it again, but that doesn’t mean he gets a free pass on everything.
By Scott Stapp of Creed on April 15th, 2009
What do you think about his point regarding denying babies citizenship?
By Dummy on April 15th, 2009
Hey Scott Stapp of Creed:
Do you believe that its ok for our government to give welfare to the children of illegal immigrants whose parents make 50k per year but not give the same welfare to the children of citizens?
Answer that question for me please, because its at the heart of the issue.
Don’t dance around it. Answer it. Is it ok for the govt to provide welfare and food stamps and free healthcare for Jose’s children, but not to Joe’s children, even though Jose and Joe make the same amount of money?
Answer it.
Yes or no.
Thanks.
By Scott Stapp of Creed on April 15th, 2009
Nobody tells Scott Stapp of Creed what to do! Not Mark Tremonti, not Scott Phillips, not Brian Marshall, and certainly not you and/or Total Bastard.
But yes, to answer your question, I think the federal government should treat hard workin’ tax payin’ Joe Sixpacks like you and me (you know, REAL Americans) worse than they do those illegal law-breakin’ border-hoppin’ criminal scum with goofy names like Jose who just want our jobs but don’t want to be contributin’ nothin’ to our society like we do by payin’ our taxes like good ol’ God fearin’ Christian patriots.
By Dummy on April 15th, 2009
Then you are nuts and I can’t help you.
You obviously don’t understand the question I asked, or the issue well enough to discuss it like a grown man, so I’ll stop trying.
If someone disagrees with you, they must be a caricature of a bible thumpin hillbilly xenophobe. Because, afterall, you couldn’t be wrong on the issue. You’re Scott mother****in Stapp of Creed. Oh my, how deliciously ironic.
And btw, you aren’t funny when you try to be. Just FYI.
By Scott Stapp of Creed on April 15th, 2009
Says the guy with the ironic confederate eagle avatar!