Rob Horowitz: Chafee Does the Right Thing on In-State Tuition
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Governor Chafee is to be commended for his well-timed, public support for providing in-state tuition at the three state colleges for qualified children of illegal immigrants. Last week, the Board of Governors of Higher Education moved forward with this new policy, a version of the Dream Act, making Rhode Island the thirteenth state in the nation to do so. To meet the requirements under the new rule, students need to have attended Rhode Island schools for at least three years, commit to pursuing American citizenship, and gain admission to the colleges.
Governor Chafee’s support helped strengthen the resolve of the Board of Governors, nearly all Chafee appointees, in the face of vocal and intense opposition. Eva Mancuso, who chaired the Board of Governor's committee that proposed the policy, eloquently advocated for it and played a big role in this success. (My wife is as an attorney at Eva’s law firm).
This new policy is an important step forward for Rhode Island. Rhode Island lags behind the rest of New England in educational performance and in the skill of its workforce and these deficits underlay our high unemployment rate and mediocre economic performance. It is critical that all our youth -- no matter how they arrived here -- are given the best possible opportunities to advance their education. In today’s competitive global economy, it is the key to success for all of us.
Further, studies of successful regional economies demonstrate that geographic regions that are tolerant and diverse generate more wealth and economic growth. If Rhode Island wants to attract and keep the creative entrepreneurs who are the real “job creators” it is important to demonstrate that we are a state welcome to all.
Latino Population Has Grown
Contrary to the vocal reactions on local talk radio and the general tone of a Republican Presidential Primary contest where Governor Perry has been attacked by nearly all of his primary opponents for supporting a similar policy in Texas, backing this kind of action is good politics—both in Rhode Island and nationally. While the rest of Rhode Island’s population stagnated over the past 10 years, the Latino population grew by more than 40 percent. Latinos now comprise more than 12 percent of the state’s population and that percentage will continue to rapidly increase. Nationally, Latinos account for more than 16 percent of the population. In the 2008 Presidential elections, nearly one out of every 10 votes was cast by a Latino and this percentage will rapidly increase over time. Latinos are also concentrated in key swing states.
This is why national Republican strategists are worried about the harsh and inflexible positions and tone being advanced by nearly all the Republican Presidential candidates regarding immigration. Their positions appeal to conservative primary voters, but do not play as well with general election voters and are a big turn-off for Latinos.
President Bush’s support of comprehensive immigration reform including a path to citizenship gave the Republicans a platform that enabled them to compete effectively for Latino support. That approach has now been abandoned at a large cost to the party’s long-term prospects.
Of course, Latinos do not vote on immigration issues alone, but the signals sent are of major importance. Governor Chafee, a former Republican, sent the right signal last week.
Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island.
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