“It is time for a governor who understands the difference between ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ behavior,” GOP gubernatorial candidate Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, proclaimed last week. Oh, please.
Barnett’s hyperbole is based on Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ support of a state law allowing children of illegal aliens to pay in-state tuition rates at a public higher education institution if they have graduated from a Kansas high school, lived in Kansas for at least three years, and are on the path toward citizenship. But this law wasn’t Sebelius’ doing — it was passed in 2004 by a GOP-controlled Legislature that recognized it was a win-win-win for the students, the colleges and the state’s economy. And as Barnett’s running mate, Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, noted when she voted for the law, it was “the right thing to do.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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22 Comments
Barnett: a would-be kinder, gentler Phillllll Kline.
Can you say, “four more years, Kathleen Sibelius?”
Flip flopping? By republicans? Say it isnt so….
kfg,The purple chicken got so pissed at the lack of resources on the other side, she shot herself. . . in the foot.
Boy, I am confused, I thought Barnett was supposed to be a moderate and Susan Wagle was added to the ticket to throw some red meat to the ultra conservatives. Now we have Barnett not sounding like a moderate and Wagle sounding like one???
Barnett/Wagle ticket – back to rehersal, you guys are off key, confusing, and we expected better from ya all.
A health nut and a wing nut…what did you expect?
Would somebody please do some number crunching here?
Illegal aliens can’t qualify for federal Pell Grants or federally-guaranteed student loans, or state financial aid. So how many are attending our state universities and public community colleges, at their own expense?
If the number is less than a thousand, which would be virtually insignificant statewide, what is Mr. Barnett’s objective? Personal aggrandizement and advancement?
If the number of enrollments is much larger, then who is making sacrifices on their behalf? Maybe Mr. Barnett should study this: sacrifice is GOOD.
There is nothing in the Kansas Constitution to prohibit the state from giving legal Kansas citizen students more financial aid. Is Mr. Barnett championing this?
Or is Mr. Barnett just opposed to better and more higher education? If he wants to be a GOOD governor, he has to move beyond denigrating illegal immigrant higher education, and make take a positive position on enabling MORE KANSAS LEGAL CITIZENS to obtain a higher education.
If the demorats and repukes won’t do the right thing regarding immigration then there are millions of angry and well armed White Americans who WILL!
Viva La Revolucion Blanco!!
Good shot heartlander.The exact number is 224.
“what is Mr. Barnett’s objective? Personal aggrandizement and advancement?”
Heartlander, you must not have gotten the talking points :)
Immigrants are the new gays since they are done with gays in ks…
Gotta have someone to be the next boogey man.
I noticed an interesting statistic in the Wichita EAGLE a few days ago: “How many undocumented people are living in Wichita?” The EAGLE’s reply: “As many as 22,992 non-citizens according to the 2004 census.”
Because this was based on 2004 figures, I estimate in the two years or so from 2004-2006, the number of inbound non-citizens to Wichita has been 10 per day or 3,650 per year or 7,300 in more than two years (+). This would assume a total of 30,000 undocumented citizens now living in Wichita.
So, if they had not come, Wichita population would have dropped from about 250,000 by 10% to 220,000. At this rate of rapidly dropping population, without influx of undocumented citizens, in another 10 years or so, Wichita will be neck and neck with Hutchinson or even Pratt/Great Bend/Dodge City for population numbers.
The new Hispanics and other nationalities generally are church going people, noticibly polite in most cases, cash paying customers, and “builders” of their environment. In many cases, they are looking for a better life and might even take the American concept back to their home countries.
Admittedly there are problems such as documentation, health issues, school issues, etc. On balance I think we need to take a constructive approach to this situation right here in River City. We need to admit the U.S. government has its hands full with the terrorism/middle east situation so will not do anything of consequence about immigration.
The politicians are going to spin this issue in the coming elections for their own benefit. TV and newspaper reporters will try for brief sound bites as usual. Somehow, the intellectual Wichita public needs to come up with a plan to document these undocumented people here locally on a kind of “leave no undocumented person behind” program. Anybody have any thoughts on this?
ROTFLMOSRFAO!!!
You are a freakin’ comedian, JWink!
V.L.R.B!!!
Good post JWink
Wichita could indeed lose population. It’s got a geographically-disadvantaged location, being located between two much larger cities, KC and OKC, at a not-great distance of 180 and 160 miles respectively. They’re both much more economically diversified, they have international airports, and are both located on major east-west transportation corridors. They have biotech research institutes, law schools, and full-spectrum medical schools.
OU is a research-extensive doctoral university. (People are talking about the possibility of making UMKC into one.) The OKC school district has 1 computer for every 2.7 students, and a large-portfolio AP program. Plus a residential math and science academy for the state’s top high schoolers. With skyrocketing oil prices, OKC is going to be seeing major prosperity, which will translate into major job opportunities at every level of enterprise.
If Mexicans are kept out of Wichita, employment opportunities will abound for them in Oklahoma, including Tulsa.
The problem is, Oklahoma’s and KC MSA’s job markets are also going to prove alluring to many south-central White Kansans as well, including a substantial number of current Wichita citizens.
Does anybody know what our civic leaders are planning to do to compete against the big boys, or do they expect some kind of trickle-down, or what?
heartlander,Yep . . . teach em ID and report em if they have sex younger than 16.
“Does anybody know what our civic leaders are planning to do to compete against the big boys”
Heartlander, I dont know much about wichita, but I suspect your civic leaders will do what all of kansas does to compete in the world.
1. Deny we have a problem. 2. Say that if we do have a problem, it was caused by the schools 3. Also, whenever possible, blame the gays and the mexicians, with the evil unions at hand if needed 4. tell everyone that kansas has green grass, black dirt and blue skies so they should bring their business here 5. Supply an insufficient number of uneducated and untrainable but obedient workers.
and number six?
Wave buh-bye to jobs, population, and money as they all go out of state. Can you say “quality of life”?
Repeat process every election year as needed.
NO INCUMBENTS!!!!
Oh, I forgot one. Trot out our looney and learing attorney general just in case anyone might THINK about moving to kansas.
Besides, we dont want “that kind” of people here, no matter what “that kind” might contribute.
Naw, we’d rather wallow in our own crap and lie about how it smells than admit the truth on “what’s the matter with kansas”.
I see how well that is working for us.
The key word is illegal here. It was interesting to see the flag so many of them carried. It was not the flag of the county they fled to and said they wanted to be part of, it was the flag of the country the fled from because the were suppressed and not allowed to have the liberties provided in the land of the free. It was sad to see them waving and talking so proud of their country (Mexico). Had then been in Mexico they would not have been allowed to be their illegally nor would they have been allowed to protest as they did.
I have no problem with folks wanting to come to a country that allows us the opportunities we have but they truly need to make a decision when they do. Do they want to be an American or not? That is the question.
You hear folks talk about the immigrants that traveled to this country many years ago and how we are all from somewhere else and that is true. What you do not hear is that these same people came here looking for a better life, worked hard, learned the language and become citizens. Not of their country but of America. They did not use hyphens when asked where they were from. They proudly said I am an American.
This Governor wants to legitimize the illegals with the tuition waiver and she also wants to give them a driver’s license. You don’t hear her say much about the driver’s license right now because that might be a negative in her campaign.
If you want the benefits that our constitution provides then we welcome you as an American.
Damn I hate defending governor leadership but…
Ruby, maybe giving (? nice spin, you get points for style) er, making them EARN a driver’s license is acknowledging that the federal government either cant or wont do it’s job in terms of enforcing the laws and securing our boarders.
Maybe it is an acknowledgement of the reality that if they are going to be here, unhindered by the feds, they might as well have licenses AND INSURANCE so at least the rest of us in this state are protected.
And if we do those things, we should also throw the book at ANYONE, legal or illegal, who drives without a license and/or insurance. Make it hurt at least as much as a DUI. Make having a license and insurance an attracive alternative to driving in our state without either.
And immediately deport those illegals caught driving without a license or insurance. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go immediately to jail and then back to your land of origin. No exceptions.
Damn I hate defending governor leadership but…
Ruby, maybe giving (? nice spin, you get points for style) er, making them EARN a driver’s license is acknowledging that the federal government either cant or wont do it’s job in terms of enforcing the laws and securing our boarders.
Maybe it is an acknowledgement of the reality that if they are going to be here, unhindered by the feds, they might as well have licenses AND INSURANCE so at least the rest of us in this state are protected.
And if we do those things, we should also throw the book at ANYONE, legal or illegal, who drives without a license and/or insurance. Make it hurt at least as much as a DUI. Make having a license and insurance an attracive alternative to driving in our state without either.
And immediately deport those illegals caught driving without a license or insurance. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go immediately to jail and then back to your land of origin. No exceptions.
Sorry for the double post. Clearly the work of the devil in my computer.
Why are we providing instate college tuition to illegal immigrants if the purpose for not deporting them is that they do work that no one else will do at a lower pay
Great job, joewilsonder – you’ve bought into the justification for driving American wages down.
It’s easier than thinking, I guess.
Sorry Todd,
You are the one not thinking. I was neither advocating either position. I was only pointing out that our lawmakers talk out both sides of their mouth. Too bad that when it goes in both of your ears, you cannot process it for what it is.
By the way, If the Wichita Eagle is the best newspaper in the state, it no wonder Kansas is becoming the laughing stock of America.