illegal immigrants

Dome memo: Big money edition

bniolet — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:14:29 -0400

ONE MORE QUESTION: U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx has introduced a bill that would requires U.S. Census takers to try to find out how many illegal immigrants are in the U.S. We're guessing some answers to that question might just not be truthful.

BILLIONS AND BILLIONS: The state lottery director wants to add another national super jackpot game to complement Powerball. The move would be the first step toward creating a near-nationwide big jackpot game that would appeal to those who think the Powerball odds are too fair.

BIG SPENDER: State Sen. R.C. Soles Jr., a Columbus County Democrat, spent the second most of any competitive candidate — more than $830,000 — to win his Senate seat last year. That was BEFORE he shot someone. No telling what the figure might be next time.

IN OTHER NEWS: Margaret Harper, who ran twice for lieutenant governor and was a pioneer among female political figures in North Carolina, died at 92. The Triangle region buys 40 percent of all lottery tickets sold in the state. The Attorney General won't appeal Superintendent June Atkinson's right to run the state school system.

Foxx's bill would affect only a few states

bniolet — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:51:49 -0400

A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx requiring the Census to try to count illegal immigrants would only affect the Congressional districts of a few states.

In an e-mail message to Dome, Foxx spokesman Aaron Groen said Foxx is concerned with the rule of law and fairness.

"Our immigration laws should be respected and enforced and every vote should be of equal value," Groen said.

States with a high per capita number of illegal immigrants are over-represented in Congress. North Carolina has a high number of illegal immigrants, but it doesn't compare to the per capita numbers of states such as California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada and could have an unfair representation in Congress, Groen said.

Foxx wants illegals counted

bniolet — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:27:38 -0400

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx has introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Census Bureau to count illegal immigrants.

Foxx's Fairness in Representation Act would require census takers to try to determine how many of the people living in the nation are illegal immigrants. Currently, the census does not distinguish between citizens or illegal immigrants, according to Foxx's office.

"Accurately counting the number of illegal immigrants in our country is a matter of equity and justice for American citizens and those legally present in the U.S.," Foxx said. "This bill is a commonsense proposal to require the Census Bureau to ask about citizenship status on the same census form that already asks recipients’ race, age, and sex."

The census is required by the U.S. Constitution to determine the apportionment of members of Congress.

A spokesman for Foxx said her legislation seeks to prevent unfair distortions in the distribution of House of Representative seats among the 50 states caused by large populations of illegal immigrants in certain areas.

Document(s):
Fairness in Representation Act.pdf

Verizon spent $21,000 on gifts

bniolet — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:07:30 -0400

* Employees of Verizon Business spent more than $21,000 over four years on gifts and meals for state employees, many of whom had direct oversight of a $51 million, no-bid contract given to the company.

State officials had previously disclosed they were investigating the gifts. On Tuesday, Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner Mike Robertson revealed the extent of the gift program.

The names of nearly three dozen DMV employees appear on a list of those Verizon says accepted steak dinners, spa treatments and a ticket to a Carolina Hurricanes game.

Among those listed as being among the most frequent recipients of Verizon's largess was Deborah Brewer, deputy director of DMV's License and Theft Bureau.

Brewer and her boss, bureau director Brian K. Bozard, both retired May 1, shortly after Robertson reopened an inquiry into whether the pair had accepted $900 in tickets to sit at Verizon's table during Gov. Beverly Perdue's Inaugural Ball in January.

Bozard and Brewer, neither of whom could be reached for comment Tuesday, helped oversee DMV's implementation of the eSticker program, a digital system for tracking state automotive inspections that ended the need for windshield stickers. (N&O)

* State Reps. Wil Neumann and Pearl Burris-Floyd plan to introduce a bill in the General Assembly that would block the enrollment of illegal immigrants in community colleges. The Gaston County Republicans announced their intention at a Tuesday news conference outside the Gaston County Courthouse. (Gaston Gazette)

Too many perks, too few women

markjohnson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:42:11 -0400

* The State Bureau of Investigation is probing whether officials at the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles accepted improper gifts and meals from employees of Verizon Business, which holds a lucrative no-bid contract to provide computers to state inspection stations.

Investigators also are seeking to determine whether the state paid Verizon for hundreds of computers that were never delivered, at a cost of more than $1,700 each. (N&O)

* When Beverly Perdue was sworn in as North Carolina's first female governor in January, many women cheered her historic achievement.

And though many of those same women give Perdue high marks for her first months in office, there has been some grumbling among Democratic women that Perdue has not done more to bring other women along with her.

Perdue has appointed fewer women to Cabinet posts than any North Carolina governor in a generation and has fewer females among her top policy advisers than her recent male predecessors in the Executive Mansion. (N&O)

* At first, some Latino advocates celebrated news that North Carolina community colleges would open their doors to illegal immigrants.

Last week, they lamented that the opening was no more than a crack. The Sept. 18 decision from the State Board of Community Colleges allows undocumented students to enroll in degree programs at all of the state's 58 campuses, but it won't take effect until at least next fall because of a slow-moving administrative rules review process. And if enough people object, the rule could face a vote by the General Assembly, which has the power to kill it.

If the rule is approved, undocumented students will get last priority for classes at a time when surging enrollments have filled classrooms to capacity. And out-of-state tuition of $7,700 per year will be out of reach for many of the children of low-wage workers. (N&O)

Who's at fault?

bniolet — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:48:08 -0400

State Republicans have decided to direct outrage over the decision to admit illegal immigrants into the community colleges toward Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger and state Republican chairman Tom Fetzer have issued statements that seek to accuse Perdue of reversing herself on the issue.

"Despite her repeated claims that she opposes this policy, the Governor’s appointees voted nearly unanimously to enact the policy. This is yet another example of Gov. Perdue’s lack of leadership and peculiar priorities," Fetzer said in his statement.

Perdue says that not only has she not changed her mind, she has told the board members of her opposition to allowing undocumented students into the colleges.

"Each individual board member clearly understood her views," said Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson.

Perdue appoints 10 of the board's 21 members. Earlier this week, another state agency, the Building Code Council, voted not to lessen a code requirement for a special circuit breaker after Perdue expressed support for the devices.

When asked if there would be consequences for the Community College board members who changed the policy, Pearson said, "The governor believes the consequences will occur when the General Assembly reconvenes."

Stam: Board defied governor, citizens

bniolet — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:24:59 -0400

House Republican leader Paul Stam said the decision to admit illegal immigrants to community colleges ignores some costs state residents will have to bear.

Undocumented students would be denied financial aid and would have to pay out-of-state tuititon rates. Stam said a study of the financial burden of educating illegal immigrants was flawed. And Stam said the policy does not account for illegal immigratns who take unaccredited courses at taxpayer expense.

"This decision to admit illegal aliens to our community colleges is an affront to the people of our state who value the rule of law," Stam said. "The board has defied Governor [Beverly] Perdue and the majority of North Carolina citizens. We have no objection to those of other nations studying at our colleges, if they have a proper visa. But the state cannot ignore the law."

Myrick: Look it up

bniolet — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:11:02 -0400

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick has weighed in on a decision by the State Board of Community Colleges to admit illegal immigrants.

"Someone needs to look up the meaning of the word 'illegal,'" the Charlotte Republican said in a news release.

A board's ruling means that undocumented students would have to pay out-of-state tuition, be denied financial aid, and be enrolled in classes only after legal students are given slots.

Dalton votes, ducks out

janestancill — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:55:12 -0400

The State Board of Community Colleges appeared to be headed for a unanimous vote this morning, as several members extolled the virtues of opening the doors to illegal immigrants.

But when the votes were cast, there was one quiet "nay" vote — from Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who had been silent during the discussion, reports Kristin Collins.

After the vote, one of Dalton's staffers passed out a written statement to reporters. It said the colleges should focus their limited resources on helping laid-off workers get new training, not educating illegal immigrants.

"Now is not the time to increase the demands on our already overburdened community college system," Dalton, a Democrat, said in the statement.

Community college officials said that they expect allowing illegal immigrants to enroll at out-of-state rates, about $7,700 a year, to add fewer than 150 students to the current total of about 800,000.

Before the board meeting ended, Dalton made a quiet exit. While most of the reporters stood in the building lobby, community college staffers escorted Dalton to a staircase just outside the meeting chambers.

When Dome asked Dalton to elaborate on his no vote, he said, "I've got a statement," before disappearing into the stairwell.

Board to admit illegal immigrants

bniolet — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:07:44 -0400

Illegal immigrants will be allowed back into the state's community colleges.

All but one member of the the State Board of Community Colleges voted to allow them in at out-of-state tuition rates, Kristin Collins reports.

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, a Democrat, was the only board member to vote no on the matter.

Other board members said the policy puts them in line with the UNC system policy.

"The whole economic prosperity of the United States depends on the education of the next generation," said State Treasurer Janet Cowell.

A committee of the State Board of Community Colleges recommended Thursday that undocumented students be admitted to degree programs, but they would have to pay out-of-state tuition, be denied financial aid, and be enrolled in classes only after legal students are given slots.

The full board vote today caps nearly two years of controversy over whether to allow illegal immigrants to enroll in degree programs at the state's 58 community college campuses.