Lawbreakers Will Be...Handsomely Rewarded
A close friend of mine who was a Democrat (until about 20 minutes ago, relatively speaking) called me the other day. She's just over 40, and is going back to school to get a degree in...occupational therapy, speech therapy...something in that neighborhood. In California, in the part of California where she lives, it turns out that these are extremely competitive programs with very few spots.

She has a B.A. from a good university -- one she got in her 20s, when most people traditionally go to college. And now, she lives and works in California and wants to go to a California school, but there's a problem. She's on the lower middle-class end of the spectrum monetarily, and she's also white and in this country legally. Because of that, she's having a hell of a time getting financial aid or loans or getting into this competitive program -- despite working her ass off and getting great grades in the college math and science classes she's taking now to prepare herself.

She told me that she just can't believe she's paid taxes and worked throughout her life, but California is now not only allowing in illegal immigrants to state-subsidized schools (and giving them state-subsidized tuition), but is making priority spots for out-of-state students who pay hefty out-of-state tuition to make up for years of financial mismanagement in the UC system. Meanwhile, the Cal State Fresno student body president is illegal, and, from the LA Times' Diana Marcum:

On Monday, the California Supreme Court decided unanimously that illegal immigrants who graduated from state high schools can continue to receive lower, in-state tuition at California's public universities and colleges. It's the first state Supreme Court ruling of its kind in the nation.

The case was brought on behalf of citizens who are paying the higher out-of-state tuition rates. The group contended that lower tuition could not be offered to illegal students and denied to some citizens.

Meanwhile, University of California campuses, pushed by the state's budget crisis to boost revenues, are taking unprecedented steps to recruit out-of-state and international students for the extra revenue and geographic diversity they bring to the cash-strapped system. UC campuses collect an extra $23,000 in annual tuition from each non-resident student.

On the Cal State Fresno campus, reactions over the revelation of Ramirez's immigration status had one thing in common -- passion, said Tony Peterson, editor-in-chief of The Collegian.

"It's all either really really anti-Pedro or all really really pro-Pedro. No in-between," he said. "Pedro was pretty popular before, but where we're located in California there's a lot of farming, a lot of farmworkers. Immigration issues are big here, because we're at the heart of it."

On Wednesday, Ramirez said he had no intention of stepping down from his position unless the students who elected him demanded it.

He said he had only one concern:

"Could you leave my parents out of it?" he asked. "They've done everything for me."

Starting with smuggling him over the border.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, my friend has not become a Republican, either. Like me, she realizes that politicians are mostly self-interested, pandering sleazebags who talk like they have the public's good in mind, and vote like they're Beverly Hills princesses on an unlimited American Express Platinum card.

P.S. Illegal immigrants to Mexico don't have it quite so nice as those who sneak over the border into the US. Jerry Seper writes in the Wash Times:

Under the Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony, punishable by up to two years in prison. Immigrants who are deported and attempt to re-enter can be imprisoned for 10 years. Visa violators can be sentenced to six-year terms. Mexicans who help illegal immigrants are considered criminals.

The law also says Mexico can deport foreigners who are deemed detrimental to "economic or national interests," violate Mexican law, are not "physically or mentally healthy" or lack the "necessary funds for their sustenance" and for their dependents.

Sounds good to me. Perhaps we should just get a Xerox of it and pass it as a law.

Milton Friedman said you can't have open borders in a welfare state. And he was right. And we'd better figure that out as a country before the whole country becomes California.