Gov. Mike Whatshisname confirmed to Jack Betts what everyone suspected: He is an unprincipled dolt who thinks he is doing great things for North Carolina. In the best crooked trial lawyer fashion, Whatshisname changed the subject and pretended that admitting undocumented students to the state’s community colleges is required by basic social justice.
He even managed to toss in his go-to “compete in the global economy” (CiGE) spiel to boot:
Here’s my position. The people we are talking about were brought here as babies and young children through no fault of their own. They distinguished themselves throughout our K-12 (public school) system. Now, I’m not willing to grind my heel in their faces and slam the door on them. The Community College System has to be open to them in order for them to be productive members of our society and help North Carolina and America compete in the world economy.
Jeez, that is an amazing thing that CiGE stuff. It can justify a $60 million corporate welfare payment to Goodyear et al as well as his all-comers community college policy. Most of all, this confirms the Tax-Give-Elect plan is in full effect. You watch, now that the gub’ner has laid down his position, more than a few Democrats and “pro-business” Republicans will feel free to offer “yes but” support for this policy.
Like I’ve said before, the undocumented N.C. high school grad who pays out-of-state tuition is a completely unsustainable position that will inevitably fall once legal residency becomes irrelevant to admission. As in-state tuition provides even greater opportunities to Give, our pols are powerless to resist that pull.
And as Whatshisname’s unreal quote proves, we will not even be spared empty moralizing along the way.
Bonus Observation: Put this one in the hopper for the braintrust at the Uptown paper of record. Manuel was brought to this country by his parents when he was 2. He has attended CMS since K, sometimes living with his cousins as his mom and dad travel back and forth to Mexico during the school year. He makes solid grades and in 9th grade Manuel intends to play soccer for Garinger, although he often stays with relatives who live outside the Garinger attendance zone. Furthermore, the NCHSAA standard of “legal guardianship” as no meaning as Manuel and his parents are undocumented.
Given the paper’s previous stance on sports eligibility, this would mean that Manuel cannot play soccer in HS in N.C., but can attend college in N.C. upon graduation and should — per the editorial board — pay in-state tuition.
Anyone else think this is exactly bass ackwards?
