Cross posted from Morning Coffee:
This is simply outrageously wrong on many levels but what can you expect from the state that continually sends Ted Kennedy and Hanoi John Kerry to the US Senate. From the Boston Herald
Lawmakers have slammed the classroom door shut on Massachusetts soldiers home from Iraq and seeking to go to state college, failing to cough up $8 million needed for crucial tuition waivers.
Army and Air National Guard soldiers expecting to be rewarded for their war duty under Gov. Mitt Romney's "Welcome Home" bill found the welcome mat ripped out last week by the Legislature as it ended its formal session without approving money for the waivers.
Lashing out at the "wrong priorities" of lawmakers, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey said, "The Legislature has made the appalling decision to vote on things like tuition breaks for illegal immigrants, but they couldn't take the time to take a vote to help our Massachusetts war heroes . . . I find it deeply disturbing."
National Guard officials say the bureaucratic red tape has left some soldiers scrambling to meet tuition costs.
Providing handouts like free tuition to Illegal Immigrants does nothing more than serve as a magnet and invitation for more illegal activity. Providing free tuition to those who are not even LEGAL residents in the country, and denying the same benefits to US Citizens who live in a neighboring state is ludicrous.. Providing those benefits to illegals while at the same time Denying them to those who wear the nations uniform is outrageous.
Here is some contact info for the Massachusetts House of Representatives, & Senate, Just in Case anyone wanted to let them know where their priorities should be.
Some of the Schools will be honoring the tuition Waivers.
At Framingham State College, where 17 National Guard members enrolled last year, administrators said they plan to honor the fee waiver and petition the Board of Higher Education for reimbursement.
A UMass-Boston spokesman said the school will continue to honor the tuition waiver for veterans, and advocate for better benefits for soldiers.
And some are not…
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.**"We have to comply with what the legislation says and we're in the process of trying to figure that out," said Brian Baldwin, a Bridgewater State College spokesman.
