Pressure Mounts on Governor Brown to Sign AB 131

On August 25, Assembly Member Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, released a statement protesting Assembly Bill 131, the second part of the California DREAM Act that has passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is headed for Governor Jerry Brown’s desk for his signature.  Brown already signed the first part, AB 130, which authorizes the use by aliens of private funds if they are accepted into California’s universities and colleges.

In the same statement, Donnelly urged citizens to call Brown’s office to encourage him to veto not only AB 131 but also AB 1081, a separate bill that permits cities to adopt sanctuary policies that gives safe haven from law enforcement officers to criminal aliens.

Donnelly called the two bills nightmares. The DREAM Act ignores the financial needs of struggling citizen students who are hard pressed to meet the ever increasing California university system tuition rates while it gives aliens access to $40 million in state funded Cal Grants. Analysts estimate the cost to taxpayers of this extravagance will reach into the tens of millions annually and predict it will increase over the years as the lure of cheap but high quality education lures more illegal immigration to California.

Donnelly is convinced that Brown knows that the state can ill afford to further subsidize aliens’ educations and also that the governor knows that continuing to ignore the considerable public safety risks that sanctuary cities create is shortsighted. When he was attorney general, Brown warned against sanctuary cites.

Donnelly promised to file a referendum if Brown signs the DREAM Act.

In the meantime, the pressure on Brown to pass AB 131 has intensified. Late last week in Los Angeles, Illegal alien activists including the Association of Raza Educators demonstrated. Chanting "Keep your promise Jerry Brown," a reference to Brown’s repeated campaign pledges that he would sign the DREAM Act after he was elected, the demonstrators recognize AB 131 as their best chance for financial aid—a possible now or never situation. Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed similar bills.

Some aliens’ arguments reveal a greater sense of entitlement than financial need. For example, Roman Morales, a Cal State L.A. business management student, currently pays his tuition with income from a daily janitorial job. But said Morales, aid would alleviate his "tremendous stress." [Advocates Push Public Aid for Undocumented Students, by Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, August 24, 2011]

As long time observers of the illegal immigration movement know too well, nothing is ever enough. Morales benefited from a free K-12 education, attends a university and holds a job he is not legally entitled to. Instead of being thankful, Morales wants more.