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The Candidates on Illegal Aliens
10/03/06

When it comes to issues of illegal aliens in Massachusetts, the views of Democrat candidate for governor Deval Patrick and the Republican candidate Kerry Healey could not be more different.   

If you believe illegal aliens ought to have a driver’s license or be awarded in-state tuition, then your candidate for governor is clearly Deval Patrick. If you don’t, then Kerry Healey is the one for you.

Deval Patrick supports giving illegals a driver’s license. He says that if illegal aliens have a license, then the state will have the names, addresses and faces of these illegals and it will be easier to identify them. Healey, on the other hand, sees this as a national security issue saying that if illegal aliens obtain driver’s licenses, then they will have a government ID, which can be used to board an airplane.

  Healey is also opposed to giving illegal aliens the same in-state tuition rates as legal Massachusetts residents. First, she argues that these students cannot obtain a job once they graduate because they are not here legally, and second, she believes that the state’s tax dollars should not pay for illegal immigrants to go to college.

Patrick says he supports giving the tuition breaks and believes that all Massachusetts students should receive the same benefits, regardless of their immigration status.   We believe the U.S. is a nation of laws! As such, we believe that “illegal” means “illegal” and that no awards (or rewards) should be given to people, including students, who are in this country without going through the proper channels. We also do not support giving driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. An illegal with a driver’s license can board airplanes, vote, and take advantage of those benefits afforded to American citizens who are supposed to be here.  

We see a clear difference between the two candidates for governor, as each has a very different vision for how the state spends its revenues and who should reap the benefits of these resources. So, when voting in November, ask yourself if you would give illegal aliens driver’s licenses or in-state tuition rates, and then vote accordingly!         

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The October, 2006 Edition of the Valley Patriot
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