Tuition bill wrong

Each year, legislators sink to new levels of self-interest, pandering and occasional mean-spirited behavior. The most recent example of this concerns Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, and his sponsorship of HB 191 to repeal resident tuition for children of undocumented workers.

Wimmer's bill sets aside a 2002 law allowing these students who complete three years of high school with graduation to enroll in a Utah public university with resident tuition benefits. The arrangement has given a significant number (650) of students reason to complete high school and look forward to entering college to better themselves and the community. By requiring them to pay 3 ½ times the resident rate, Wimmer's bill would effectively dash the hopes of these students to remain in school and complete their education.

The state university system will also lose tuition-paying students (net loss of $2.3 million). He uses a straw argument (out-of-state or international students who pay higher rates have contributed nothing to our state) to justify the change.

These students and their families make contributions every day to our economy, quality of life and diversity vital to Utah's future by their positive example.

Daniel Olympia

Salt Lake City