Talk radio defeats in-state tuition rates for Somerville youth
By George P. Hassett

     Eime is a Somerville student who dreams of one day attending college and becoming a lawyer. She would not allow her last name to be used because she is the daughter of undocumented immigrants and feared her family‚Äôs status in the United States may be in jeopardy.
     ‚ÄúI want to go to Umass-Amherst and become a lawyer, because I love democracy and I love the Constitution. I want to know everything about justice and the way it works,‚Äù she said.
     But Eime‚Äôs ride to college got a hit a bump this week, with the defeat of the In-State Tuition Bill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The bill would have allowed the children of undocumented immigrants who have lived in Massachusetts for at least three years to pay the in state tuition rate at state universities. Currently, children of undocumented immigrants pay three to five times more than their peers.

  The bill was four votes shy of the number it needed to pass, and was hampered by  blatant mistruths broadcast primarily through talk radio, said state Rep. Carl M. Sciortino, D-Somerville, who voted in favor of the bill.
   ‚ÄúThere were so many lies broadcast on the radio,‚Äù said Cynthia Tschampel who helped organize rallies in support of the bill. ‚ÄúThe only people who should be outraged are the families who are paying taxes and not getting services such as affordable state tuition rates. I understand middle-class insecurity, but bullying young immigrants is not the answer.‚Äù
Lt. Governor Kerry Healey said the bill was misguided and ineffective in helping the Commonwealth.
    "This bill does not fix a problem. It compounds an existing one. In fact, it makes no sense for Massachusetts taxpayers to bear the cost of a college education for an illegal immigrant when he or she cannot legally work in the United States and contribute to our economy,‚Äù she said.
    The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation conducted an analysis projecting the Commonwealth‚Äôs public colleges would receive 2.5 million dollars in new revenue if the bill was passed. The projections were based on estimates of the number of undocumented immigrants in the Commonwealth and on Texas‚Äô enrollment experience during the first four years of a similar tuition policy.
     The study said the Commonwealth would also receive millions of dollars in additional tax revenue as a result of college educated workers earning twice as much as they would with high school diplomas and paying higher taxes.
     Peer leaders from Somerville High School and East Somerville Community School watched legislators debate the issue and held peaceful rallies to advocate for their cause. Their efforts seemed to be productive, said Tschampel.
     ‚ÄúWe were shocked by the defeat. A lot of legislators looked these kids in the eye and promised them they would support us, then turned around and broke that promise,‚Äù she said.
       Each Somerville legislator followed through on their dedication to helping undocumented children receive in-state tuition rates, said Tschampel.
Sen. Jarrett T. Barrios said children are currently being punished for the sins of their parents.
      ‚ÄúFor me, there is a categorical difference between adults who enter this country illegally and the children they bring with them. We are penalizing kids who have achieved in high school for crimes they did not commit,‚Äù he said.
       Sciortino said he respects concerns of safe borders, but his job is to serve his constituents.
       ‚ÄúThe federal government has a responsibility to their border policies, but as a state representative I have a responsibility to serve the people who are here right now,‚Äù he said.
        Healey said the bill would have diverted already scarce resources from legal immigrants.
        Eime maintained that undocumented immigrants are no different than any other group that has crossed America‚Äôs borders.
        ‚ÄúEverybody in this country comes from immigrants. I think we should have the same opportunities as everybody else to pursue our dreams,‚Äù she said. ‚ÄúWe‚Äôre not aliens like they say we are.‚Äù