Opinion: Column
Immigrants must pay state its due
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Joey Labuz:
- Read between the lines: Library proposal spells financial disaster (June 18, 2009)
- No DCNYing it, Mifflin plan ready to rock (April 30, 2009)
- Initiative's goals deserve justification (April 20, 2009)
- New 911 director no silver bullet (March 25, 2009)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
We might not realize it, but those of us paying in-state tuition (or something near that) have a pretty sweet deal. Our university education is actually worth a lot more than we pay. In fact, over the whole University of Wisconsin System, the budget is north of $25,000 per student per year. Of that, residents pay only about $7,500 and non-residents around $22,000 in yearly tuition at UW-Madison campus.
Some sort of benevolent force — or really talented accountant — had to make this bargain possible. In fact, it turns out that it’s neither Billy Mays nor Chef Tony who are crazy enough to extend to us such a great offer — it’s the people of Wisconsin.
The logic goes that in order to offset the large cost of a university education, the citizens of Wisconsin (along with the federal government and private donors) pool their money to make college a little more affordable for their citizens. Residents of Wisconsin pay into the system since they (or at least their parents) pay taxes here. In return, those residents get a heavily discounted tuition rate. Should people from outside that revenue base want to attend a Wisconsin university, they are free to do so but are not entitled to an equally discounted rate. Since they (or their parents) have not contributed to the state’s tax base, they are not entitled to reap its benefits.
There is one problem. There are many who live, work and go to school in Wisconsin who are not technically residents. In fact, they are not technically even citizens of the United States. And if you’re not a citizen then you can’t be a resident — right?
Gov. Jim Doyle doesn’t think that sounds fair, so he has included a measure to grant “tuition remission for a person who is a citizen of another country” in his budget, provided this person meets three conditions. First, they must have graduated from a Wisconsin high school or received their equivalency in the state. Second, they must have lived in the state for three straight years. And third, they must swear they will take action to become a citizen.
Setting all arguments regarding illegal immigration aside, the fact remains, by definition, illegal/undocumented workers do not pay state or federal income tax — save for the precious few that care deeply about the 16th Amendment — and therefore do not contribute into the treasuries that are used to fund the majority of an in-state education at a Wisconsin university.
However, most glaring is the discrepancy this measure would introduce between those from out of state it covers and those it does not. If a path toward in-state tuition was made available to a select few, the thousands of out of state students who attend universities across the state would be getting screwed. In order for a U.S. citizen not from Wisconsin or Minnesota to earn in-state tuition, they must live and work in Wisconsin for a year without taking classes.
The rules regarding FIBs, coasties, et al. falls in line with the reasoning behind in state tuition in the first place — those who contribute the most should get the biggest discounts.
Doyle should pursue a policy similar to this in regard to illegal immigrant tuition. By including a clause requiring some form of service to the state, the governor could transform this measure from a partisan hack piece to a viable component in a greater move towards immigration reform. While it may not be viable to expect every 18-year-old illegal immigrant to find a job, it would not be off-base to require a year of volunteer work, or a commitment to service work during the summer months.
There are few who would argue that making education more accessible is fundamentally bad, but doing it in a decided sloppily fashion certainly can be.
Joe Labuz (labuz@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in biomedical engineering
27 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Don’t expect to be saved by this ‘Death Bell’
Muckrakers
Report: Barrett to make decision by the end of the week
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
HOUSES FOR Fall 2010. All houses are on W Dayton or N Bassett. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 bedrooms. All have parking. madisoncampusrentals.com
521 W Dayton 4BR/2BA. Marble showers, dishwasher, completely updated! madisoncampusrentals.com
1, 2, or 3 bedroom apartment available for spring 2010. meltzer@wisc.edu if you are interested!
Let’s just go with this: If you’re not an immigrant, you pay the tuition due according to your status, then you go back home and apply for immigration. No green card upon graduation from our schools. You’ll stand in line like everyone else. We’re in the middle of one of our worst recessions right now. We won’t be needing more immigrants for a long while.
No taxes should mean no education. An illegal immigrant would not be such a big deal to most people if they paid taxes. Why are handouts so popular?
Yeah, that’s what we need, ANOTHER incentive to increase illegal entry into the USA.
Combined with the free health care for all proposal this should REALLY give the taxpayers a good reaming!
It’s the taxeaters vs. the taxpayers, and you can see who’s winning these days.
Joe,
Well written piece. You have backed up your position with a logical, fair, well thought out process. Fair is fair.
Keep up the good work!
If you’re going to write an article please make sure to do your research first. Obviously you haven’t so. First, you can be a resident without being a citizen and you can pay taxes without even being a resident or a citizen. Many immigrants pay taxes all you need is an ITIN, it’s done all over the U.S. so your argument is baseless. I understand your concern but in order for your article to hold any ground please state the facts and statistics and figures from the state proving your point, that immigrants don’t pay taxes and thus don’t deserve in state tuition. Unless you do so your article is no better than a Dear Sally complaint. Through research you’ll find out that what you wrote is nothing more than your opinion. So next time you decide to write an article do your research and state the facts not what you think are facts. I’d expect more effort to write an accurate article from a college student.
those are future democrat voters once they become citizens
See, Jose, here’s the issue: we’re not talking about 35 year olds who swam the Rio Grade, we’re talking about 17 and 18 year olds. If you place yourself in their zapatos, try it, you will be quite upset that your parents’ indiscretion has damned your otherwise bright higher education potential. You, like your parents, have minimal opportunity to realize the American dream and will likely live the rest of your days as a wage slave (in America). Because you wear the scarlet letter; your ideas, your inventions, and your soul’s value are worthless.
Joey,
Stick to engineering and keep your nose out of topics you don’t understand.
“you will be quite upset that your parents’ indiscretion”
Yeah, bank robbers kids have problems too. I suspect that one of the parents main objectives in illegally entering the USA was to better the prospects of their children. Rewarding illegal behavior will encourage more illegal behavior - of this there can be no doubt.
Don’t reward the cheating line jumpers!
4:07, time to pay reparations for your great granddaddy’s slaves. Don’t reward… blah, blah, blah. You can’t punish descendants when they had nothing to do with the crime.
Joey,
As far as I know, when you are going to write about a topic you have no idea about, the first thing you do is RESEARCH. Sadly, the lack of research when writing about something you don’t really know or understand makes you look like an ignorant. This is a clear example.
“You can’t punish descendants when they had nothing to do with the crime.”
“The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the sons” and all that.
PS. My great great granddaddy fought to free the slaves. And his great great granddaddy fought to free the colonies from the King. And his great great granddaddy fought to conquer the land from the previous immigrants.
PPS. The decedents of the slaves are doing MUCH better than their cousins that are still in Africa, being raped and killed and enslaved by other Africans.
o yea i agree tax those immigrants and tax them well
Great article, Joey.
I linked you up with my blog. http://wissup.blogspot.com/
Here’s another article I read that coincides with your (my) viewpoint.
Double thumbs up.
http://www.coalition4families.com/site/ArticleComment.aspx?id=12045&rpid=4486
I can’t believe that a college student can be so ignorant. Please, do your research before writing an article, and save this embarrassment.
One word…Ignorant.
Joey,
My neighbors are illegal and they do pay taxes. They can’t get a SS# but they are allowed to get an ITIN and that’s what they use to pay their taxes. Oh, and you CAN be a resident without being a Citizen.
“My great great granddaddy fought to free the slaves. And his great great granddaddy fought to free the colonies from the King. And his great great granddaddy fought to conquer the land from the previous immigrants.
PPS. The decedents of the slaves are doing MUCH better than their cousins that are still in Africa, being raped and killed and enslaved by other Africans.”
Wow a big hands up for you! Oh please, your grandfathers stole the lands from the people who lived in here first. And don’t say that African Americans are doing better in the United States than they are in Africa! Does it make slaverly okay then?
Africans have nothing to do with it.
Get YOUR facts right!
I’ll admit that I didn’t bother to read this whole article because this whole newspaper and University is a joke filled with a bunch of know-nothing liberals. However, I loved the title of the article because the immigrants of today (mostly hispanics) don’t have to go through nearly ANY of the hardships that that most of our decendents went through (I.E. Europeans). Our government practically hands them anything they want, and it’s at the point where I’d almost rather that my “status” be that of a poor hispanic than that of a middle class, white, male, because trust me, I’m not seeing the benefits of being part of that class that crazy liberals claim we get.
“There is one problem. There are many who live, work and go to school in Wisconsin who are not technically residents. In fact, they are not technically even citizens of the United States. And if you’re not a citizen then you can’t be a resident — right?”
Joey, you’re an idiot. People who live, work, and go to school in Wisconsin ARE residents — that’s what the word means. And that’s true whether or not they’re citizens. Further, they pay taxes, just like the rest of us. I realize that facts are inconvenient for your argument, which brings us back to my first sentence — you’re an idiot.
I’m sure that the Anglo-Saxons wish that the Normans hadn’t shown up in 1066, but then they “stole” the land for ther Britons and Celts, didn’t they?
The Huns didn’t start off living in Hungary you know.
All land titles are “By Right of Conquest” at the bottom.
Get your FACTS right, right?
PS. Slavery isn’t OK, not even when Africans do it right now today. That doesn’t change the FACT that thed decendents of those who were sent to the USA are lucky compared to their cousins left behind.
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that’s even remotely true! - Homer
Great article Joey, I’m sick of all these illegals thinking they are entitled to anything American. Come here legally and then we can start talking. If you’re here illegally then you should be deported no questions asked. People seem to forget that they are ILLEGAL immigrants, they are committing a crime by just being here. Make illegal immigration a felony offense and get them the hell out of here.
Why do all the ignorant people write stuff like: “ignorant” and “get your facts right?”
Do some freakin’ research!! Residents DO pay taxes in Wisconsin— regardless of whether or not they’re citizens.
@ 1:27am “We won’t be needing more immigrants for a long while.” So where did your ancestors come from?
The university is good for the state regardless of it’s profitibility. And increasing tuition only turns away qualified students who will then contribute to other campus’.
Think about the employment the university provides. Think about the academic output that attracts all those companies to Madison and the State. Higher tuitions (for anyone) negates all that.
“We won’t be needing more immigrants for a long while.” So where did your ancestors come from?
What does one thing have to do with the other?
PS. I doubt that the guys hanging out on the corner for day labor pay much SS or income tax.
@1041 do you really not get the logic the commenter is trying to get at? How are you in college? Yea those damn day laborers with their doing back breaking work for terrible wages that are country needs to keep prices low.
Oh, and if you still can’t figure out the logic the theory is pretty fucking simple, if you (or ancestors) received breaks you should allow others the same breaks or at least attempt to. Not just do the equivalent of telling them to suck it.
At this point I think most of you that agree with the article (not all, but most) should just start yelling the goobacks took er jobs! over and over again