Comment

Comment by Derby Ulloa on April 25, 2014 at 4:54pm

Illegals have a RIGHT, the RIGHT  to be DEPORTED IMMEDIATELY. Any legislator who is more concerned about ILLEGALS  than AMERICAN CITIZENS  should be voted out and should be ashamed of himself. Republicans are naïve ( STUPID) to pander to Hispanics. Most Hispanics will vote Democrat anyway. Shame on every single President after Eisenhower for NOT PROPERLY ENFORCING OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS. What is it about the word ILLEGAL they do not understand? 

Comment by Leanne King on April 24, 2014 at 6:05pm

A response from Senator Gaetz.

Contacted Sen. Gaetz about the illegals getting instate rates for college.
Response from FL State Senator Don Gaetz regarding in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
April 24, 2014 at 1:18pm

Dear XX XXXXX, Thanks so much for writing me regarding Senate Bill 1400, sponsored by Senator Jack Latvala (R-Clearwater).

 

This legislation would provide taxpayer subsidies in the form of in-state tuition for students who have entered this country illegally.

 

In one form or another, a bill like this has passed the Florida House of Representatives in previous years, but has never passed the Senate. This year, the legislation has passed favorably out of three Senate committees. The sponsor, Senator Jack Latvala, has stated that a majority of members of the Senate, including Republicans and Democrats, are co-sponsoring the bill with him. The Speaker of the House, Will Weatherford, has made passing this bill a personal goal and priority.

 

Because of the high esteem in which I hold Speaker Weatherford, I have listened carefully to his arguments in favor of the bill. I am convinced he comes to his position sincerely, prayerfully and with great compassion. I respect him and I respect his advocacy for a cause he believes is right.

 

I am told it is “good politics” to support Senator Latvala’s bill, that it will help Republican candidates appeal to Hispanic voters in the 2014 and 2016 elections. Perhaps. It is certainly true that my Republican Party has lost much of the Hispanic support President Bush earned in 2000 and 2004 and that Governor Jeb Bush still has in our state and across the nation.

 

However, SB 1400 is not limited to Hispanics. It casts a blanket of approval over non-citizens who are in this country without proper legal status from anywhere in the world, including countries which are caldrons of terrorism and anti-American violence. There is no improper or careless intent behind the legislation, but this bill goes much further than merely reaching out to Hispanic voters.

 

Though I am likely in the minority in the Legislature on this matter, I cannot support taxpayer subsidies in the form of tuition discounts for undocumented or illegal students. I will vote against it if amended onto legislation waiting to be heard on the Senate floor.

 

Just three weeks ago Governor Scott signed the Florida GI Bill, a joint priority of Speaker Weatherford and mine. Under one of the provisions of this historic law – designed to make Florida the most military-friendly state in the nation – our veterans of all armed services will receive in-state tuition discounts so they can earn degrees and build families, businesses, and successful lives here in Florida. This is truly an earned entitlement for sacrifice and service to our country.

 

I cannot equate the sacrifice of those who have volunteered to shed blood for this country with the claims, however compelling, of those who are here illegally. I cannot vote to treat these two groups the same.

 

It is also important to note that our universities today accept undocumented students. It is true they are required to pay out-of-state tuition, but Florida’s out-of-state tuition prices are the same as some states’ in-state prices. It is also true that even out-of-state tuition does not pay the full cost of a higher education – taxpayers subsidize out-of-state tuition, too. Finally, it is true the universities already have the flexibility to waive out of state tuition on a case-by-case basis.

 

The question posed by SB 1400 is not whether undocumented students will have access to a Florida public college or university education that is supported by Florida taxpayers – they already do. The question is the extent to which parents, struggling to save for their own children’s education, and taxpayers, slowly recovering from a deep recession, should be required to pay for substantially increased tuition subsidies for non-citizens, who have not attained legal status in our country.

 

Our federal immigration laws are a mess. Democrats and Republicans alike have failed to face the issue honestly and effectively. And, real solutions are unlikely to be popular.

 

SB 1400 – however popular it may be – is not a solution and I cannot support it as a bill or an amendment. As always, I am grateful for your advice. Your guidance and insights – whether you agree or disagree with me – make me a better senator for Northwest Florida.

 

Respectfully, Senator Don Gaetz

Comment by Leanne King on April 23, 2014 at 1:12pm

SB1400 -- a bill that gives illegal-alien students partial tuition waivers and enables them to pay the same in-state tuition rates as Florida residents -- has passed three Senate committees so far. We need your help in stopping the measure.
THANK Senator Gaetz and Senator Negron for standing against the bill:
gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
NEGRON.JOE.WEB@flsenate.gov

These leaders need convincing, or a reminder, that giving the same tuition to illegal immigrants as we do to our military is not acceptable.
Senator John Thrasher THRASHER.JOHN.WEB@flsenate.gov
Senator Latvala LATVALA.JACK.WEB@flsenate.gov
Rep. Doug Broxson doug.broxson@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep.Matt Gaetz matt.gaetz@myfloridahouse.gov
Governor Rick Scott rick.scott@eog.myflorida.com

Comment by robert c tipton on April 2, 2014 at 12:37pm

see my comment   of 3/20/14

Comment by Derby Ulloa on April 2, 2014 at 9:50am

Amanda is right. Maybe we should also be calling Rick Hartley, Duval County Republican Executive Committee Chairman, and The Cindy Graves Show, the voice of the Republican Party establishment, and DEMAND  they tell the Gov. of our DISGUST for his liberal policies.

Surely most of us will vote no more what, but some will simply stay home and that will make the difference and Scott will NOT BE REELECTED. I am tired of being used and betrayed  by the Republican Party establishment. 

Comment by amanda choate on April 2, 2014 at 8:14am

Tricky Ricky is counting on the Hispanic vote over the tea party vote. He thinks we will vote for him no matter what. He probably is right. He won't get primaried. He has changed his stance on the four pillars of his platform; he wants to expand the Medicaid coverage, his new immigration stance, he wants to give teachers raises and  taking tge billion federal dollars to implement Common Core. You gonna vote for Charlie? No. So what is he risking? You gonna stay home? No. You vote everytime. This is a no risk proposition. All upside. Its crass politics at its best. He believes only in getting re-elected. 

Comment by robert c tipton on March 20, 2014 at 10:13am

We  have no one to trust PERIOD. It is long past the time to dismantle the government --The ballot box does not seem to work--Our Founders tried to work with the enemy--that didn't work. They risked all to rid themselves of the enemy. Are we prepared to do the same ?.

Comment by Derby Ulloa on March 20, 2014 at 10:04am

I just called Gov. Scott's office and told them of my anger for his support  of SB 1400. I reminded him that it was the TEA PARTY  that got him elected , not the HISPANICS  in South Florida. I also told them to tell the Gov. to be more aggressive in his campaign against Crist.

Comment by Leanne King on March 20, 2014 at 9:18am

Some additional information should you chose to read..

http://tbo.com/news/politics/committee-advances-in-state-tuition-rates-for-illegal-immigrants-20140318/

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/03/13/in-flip-flop-florida-gov-rick-scott-backs-bill-to-grant-in-state-tuition-to/

Comment by edgar a martin on March 20, 2014 at 1:10am

Affirmative action is actually a misnomer.  It assumes that one is inferior, and therefore gets a boost.  In the case of illegal aliens.  They are people who violated our laws to enter the country, which makes them criminals: we should encourage them to hasten back to their country of origin, not encourage them to entice others to practice this crime.  If they want entry to our country this badly, let's give them another 'scholarship'...a plane ride to a remote area about 70 to 100 miles from Barrow, Alaska...a journey that should be widely publicized to discourage them from Florida (maybe some other states might like to join in).  At any rate, I am sure the experience will be quite enlightening, as they engage in survival techniques