[quote=pri_dk]If you don’t like paying for Jose’s kid, then why are you OK with paying for Joe’s kid?
Lots of people without kids of their own like to make the “why should I pay taxes so your kid can go to school?” argument. (I personally never agreed with this, even before I had kids).
The common argument for public education is that these kids will eventually become adults in the community. And an educated population benefits everyone.
Both Joe’s kids and Jose’s kids are going to end up in US communities as adults (like it or not). So perhaps we should educate them both.
Regrettably, I agree that we can’t afford to help Juanita (outside of personal charity).[/quote]
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So where do we draw the line? There are a limited number of resources. One of the main reasons California is having financial difficulties is because the cost of educating all of these kids is skyrocketing (it’s the state’s largest expense). I used to work for LAUSD, and can attest to the extra expenses required (by law and by practice) to educate illegal immigrants and their children.
It’s not a personal issue (like Russel and SK keep trying to make it). It’s a practical issue. We have finite physical and financial resources. If we agree to educate every poor kid who comes here from Mexico (and how does one justify discriminating against kids from other foreign countries?), then we have to agree to educate everyone who comes here from any poor country. You think we have immigration/cultural problems now? Imagine what it would look like if we opened it up to every poor person who found a way to come here.
We can’t do it. Not because we don’t **want** to, but because we physically and financially cannot afford to do it. That is a fact.
