Common Sense: No DREAM Act

The State Senate — led by a unanimous vote of the Republican members who were aided by two Democrats including Simcha Felder of Brooklyn — defeated an effort to provide taxpayer-funded tuition assistance in the form of TAP aid to the children of illegal aliens.

Not surprisingly, the advocates who were pushing hard for the floor vote denounced the result. I guess it goes to the old adage, “be careful for what you ask for.” By defeating this ill-advised and costly piece of legislation, the issue will be off the table for the foreseeable future in Albany.

Of course, it will not be off the table during the campaign season. It is a certainty that the Republicans will use this against the many Democratic state senators who voted for it.

The idea of using an estimated $200 million in taxpayer dollars to help underwrite college tuition of these individuals resonates with the families of American citizens who are forced to take large and costly loans to cover expenses due to a shortfall in the tuition assistance they are provided. And then there is the issue of graduate student tuition assistance, which New York State suspended a number of years ago as a cost-saving measure. Clearly, these student should be the priority.

It is also worth noting that the State Senate has in its budget has an Educational Investment Tax Credit which would help push funds into public, parochial and private education, helping to defer the high cost which have made a non-public education so expensive. This plan to enhance school choice for all parents and at the same time provide extra funding for public schools and re-imbursements for teacher out-of-pocket expenses is a far better use of the many millions the DREAM ACT would cost.

Senator Golden, whom I serve as chief of staff, voted against the Dream Act. The local Democratic Party– without mentioning Democrat Felder’s vote — has criticized the Republican senator.

Marty can only hope they go out of their way to make this a campaign issue right through November. The Republican and Conservative Parties should also hope that the Democratic Party talks about this issue often. I suspect they will find that they are out of touch with many of the rank-and-file Democratic Party members in the community, many of whom are immigrants.

The same can be said for Conservative-Republican Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis who has received national attention for her opposition to the New York State Dream Act.

The daughter of immigrants from Greece and Cuba she in particular understands the inappropriateness of providing this benefit to the children of illegal aliens. Nicole speaks of her parents’ struggles to come to the United States, make a life for themselves and live within the law. She sees the New York State Dream Act as unfair to the majority of immigrants who did the same.

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Hopefully, the NYPD — in making a series of drug-related arrests in the Bay Ridge area recently –has put a dent into what has become a growing problem in the area, particularly in the lower 70s around Fifth Avenue. The arrests come after many months of undercover work and the police say they are good arrests, likely to result in convictions.

The community needs to remain vigilant. If there is a market for the drugs — and there certainly seems to be a big one – new suppliers will try to take up where the old ones left off. They must be made unwelcome. So as we say so often these days, “If you see something, say something” to the police, district attorney or your local elected official.

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New Yorkers overwhelmingly support keeping the horse carriages that circle Central Park and can be found in midtown. Yet, Mayor de Blasio has made eliminating this industry and its 300 jobs one of his top priorities. It makes no sense.

The mayor needs to allow this industry to remain. All evidence indicates that the horses are treated well, countless families make a good living form the work, and it is a strong tourist attraction, resulting in a multiplying effect for others enjoying the tourist trade.

The mayor needs to move on.