California's Berkeley to give college scholarships to illegal immigrants

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/californias-berkeley-college-scholarships-illegal-immigrants-022706936.html

By Mary Slosson | Reuters – 2 hrs 13 mins ago

SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - The University of California's Berkeley campus announced on Tuesday that a private foundation has given $1 million to fund scholarships for illegal immigrants.

The scholarships will go to nearly 200 students illegal immigrants who are not eligible for federal grants, government-backed loans or work-study positions, the school said.

The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, a private family foundation, provided the scholarship grant. It is the largest scholarship for undocumented illegal immigrants immigrants ever given to a U.S. university, the foundation said.

"These motivated, hardworking and inspiring students are an asset to our state and our country," the fund's president, Ira Hirschfield, said in a statement. "Now that it's legal to do so in California, we encourage other foundations and private donors to consider providing funding to help undocumented students illegal immigrants achieve their potential."

Higher education has become a battleground in the nation's immigration wars that have seen the Obama administration grant leniency to young people brought into the country illegally as children even as a number of states have sought to crack down on illegal immigrants within their borders.

Last year, California signed into a law a bill dubbed the California Dream Act that allows illegal immigrants to receive privately funded scholarships to attend the state's public colleges and universities after attending at least three years of high school in the state.

The California law is named after national legislation in Congress to give young, undocumented illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for at least five years a pathway to citizenship through college or military service.

The federal bill failed to win passage in December 2010, and its chances have dimmed since a Republican majority took control of the House of Representatives.

Critics say the California Dream Act gives illegal immigrants a false promise because their status will not change after graduating from college and they will remain unable to find legal employment.

But that reality may well be shifting. President Barack Obama will push for comprehensive immigration reform during his second presidential term, his spokesman said in November.

And the Obama administration already relaxed deportation rules earlier this year by allowing for some illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children to be given temporary legal status.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505267_162-57546237/calif-gov-jerry-brown-prop-30-a-tough-battle/

Calififornia Gov. Jerry Brown: Prop 30 a "tough battle"

CBS News) California voters agreed to raise their own taxes to fund education, passing Proposition 30 on Tuesday. That's a victory for Gov. Jerry Brown who personally campaigned for its passage in his state.

High stakes for Calif. Prop 30 Election Day decision

Voters approve Prop 30 increasing sales, income taxes

Pictures: Obama celebrates election win

Brown said on "CBS This Morning," "People believe in our schools and our university and what it represents for opportunity for people who are in low-income circumstances.

"Look, this was a tough battle," he added. "A lot of people say we couldn't do it. A lot of people said 'you're crazy to go to the people,' but I ran for governor on the pledge that there would be no taxes unless the people themselves voted for them and in this case, they did and it's only after, however, 30,000 fewer teachers, we had a massive budget deficit of $27 billion and I've cut that thing and we'll be balanced. This January, we'll have the first balanced budget since 1998 and that's a positive. And I think the reason why is because I think people were willing to ask for some more revenue because the cuts have been -- across the board...this has been a very tough fiscal program of austerity. Three dollars of cuts for every dollar of income and I think that's the reason why people finally said, 'OK. Enough is enough. We'll vote you some more money.'"

Prop 30 will increase the state sales tax by a quarter cent and raise income tax rates on people making more than $250,000.

The stakes were high as the Election Day decision loomed. If the measure didn't pass, the state budget would have put $6 billion in education cuts automatically into effect. That could have shortened the school year by up to three weeks.

Out-of-state anti-tax groups helped fund a $53 million war chest to fight Prop 30. Opponents questioned if the tax money will really go to schools. They also said raising sales tax to as high as 10 percent is bad policy.

The Yes on 30 campaign, promoted by Brown, raised more than $69 million. But heading into Tuesday's vote, support was below 50 percent -- the threshold Prop 30 needed to pass.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[Harsh_77 718]

Its ironic... California does not have money for itself and citizens but are inclined on giving scholarship to illegals.

[MyLittlePony 340]

I love watching Alaska state troopers goes to show how fvcked up the state really is.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Its ironic... California does not have money for itself and citizens but are inclined on giving scholarship to illegals.

It was a private foundation, not the state, that funded the scholarships.

[Harsh_77 718]

I love watching Alaska state troopers goes to show how fvcked up the state really is.

This is not a CA, AK issue... is CA completely independant? Don't they get Federal money... which is mine and yours.

When a state is in deficit has to lay off teachers, police officer close down fire station they are keen on giving money to illegals how smart is that.

[Harsh_77 718]

It was a private foundation, not the state, that funded the scholarships.

Even if its a pvt fund by accepting such prop doesn't school send wrong signal to younger genration?

If someone was so much interested in giving his own money he could had done without involving the school.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Even if its a pvt fund by accepting such prop doesn't school send wrong signal to younger genration?

If someone was so much interested in giving his own money he could had done without involving the school.

What a socialist, wanting to dictate what private citizens want to do with their money.

[rlogan 2,036]

President Barack Obama will push for comprehensive immigration reform during his second presidential term, his spokesman said in November.

Meaning it will be even harder for legal immigrants to get here but easier for illegals to stay. This will be cheered even by the people going through the legal immigration nightmare on the basis of the need to keep illegal immigrants out of the country.