by Bob Schmidt

Created on: September 23, 2011

Governor Rick Perry has been taking a lot of grief from conservative Republicans and Tea Pary supporters regarding his support of in-state tuition for children of illegal aliens in the state of Texas. He has also been criticized by some for not supporting a 1200 mile fence along the entire border between Texas and Mexico. 

While the issue of illegal immigration is of considerable importance to the entire nation, it seems curious that how the state of Texas handles tuition questions relates to the overall country. Each state has rights that are the domain of the state, and the policies of state supported universities would likely be under the jurisdiction of each state. 

With reference to building a fence to separate Texas from Mexico, there exists a question of forcing current property owners to forfeit the attributes of owning property on the banks of the Rio Grande River. Many residents of the Rio Grande Valley do not wish to exchange their river-view for that of an ugly fence which denies them access to the most attractive feature of their property. 

When one considers the concept that the Governor of a state is supposed to represent the interests of everyone within his or her domain, it is obvious that individual governors would have priorities dictated by their constituents and each state's unique needs. 

Illegal immigration is a nationwide problem mostly because of non-enforcement of existing laws by the federal government. Arizona's ongoing immigration battles are over this very issue. However, the sad truth is that beyond the difficulties of federal non-enforcement of existing laws, states have been required to accept all children within the public school system. Thus, the children of illegal aliens are receiving a totally free education by federal dictate. 

It is not much of a stretch to realize that an illegal immigrant child that lives in Texas might be dealt with as a Texas resident when they enroll in Texas Colleges and Universities. They are, in point of fact, residents of the state, regardless of legal status. Since Gov. Perry is supposed to represent the interests of all Texas residents, his support of in-state tuition for this group of people actually represents the majority desire of Texas residents, legal or not. 

Just as the case of property owners in Texas not wanting a federally built fence destroying the ambiance of their property, any questions of how Texas manages its universities should fall under the domain of states rights. In other words, Gov. Perry may simply be guilty of giving those he governs what they are asking for. Yes, that would be a strange situation. A politician actually serving his constituents instead of his own personal ideology. 

Whether or not Rick Perry is anyone's ideal candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2012 election is not really an issue. Along with every other candidate, he may not be ideal. The bigger point is simple, immigration is not the priority issue of this day. The nation is faced with unsustainable spending issues that emanate from Capitol Hill. We have no federal budget, and if we did we would not even pretend to follow it. 

Gov. Rick Perry might be good for Washington. He is a bit of a maverick, but has managed to create jobs in Texas while the rest of the country has not. In some respects, he might remind us of Ronald Reagan when he first showed interest in the presidency. Many thought him to be a “dumb actor” unsuited to consider for national politics. Since he is now revered by many as one of the best presidents to have served his country, we should be reminded to not prejudge people.

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