As the new state legislative session is underway, Arizona residents hope that our lawmakers will discuss the budget deficit, education reform and health care coverage.
In a mere month, the sad appearance of our state is all too apparent. The Tucson Sentinel reported that we entered 2011 with a daunting $2.1 billion budget shortfall.
For individuals on Medicaid, cuts have been made to mental health and organ transplant services. Projections point to even higher tuition costs at universities in the next academic year.
Despite the growing tumult, the largely conservative Arizona Legislature has already made its priorities known, alerting Arizona citizens that its main concern aligns with political rhetoric rather than the welfare of the common man.
Immigration —which seems an age-old debacle — is at the forefront of lawmakers’ minds.
We have little money to speak of, an educational system in shambles and health care that leaves several patients who need vital transplants bed-ridden. And yet, birthright citizenship is the hot topic.
The ease with which Senate Bill 1070 was passed last year has encouraged one of the bill’s authors, Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, to speak up yet again.
Spearheaded by Pearce, the Republican Party’s goal is to revoke citizenship from the children of illegal immigrants.
This bill is so obviously unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment, passed after the Civil War, is designed to grant all persons born on American soil citizenship.
The Constitution states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
We won’t delve too closely into an obvious ploy by our legislature to make another imbecilic decision that will become an international affair.
More importantly, let us reflect upon the fact that this poorly concocted bill, with no relevance to many in the state, is at the forefront of our lawmakers’ minds.
In a nutshell, this piece of legislation unnecessarily complicates an already complicated situation — and is projected, according to an article published by The Arizona Republic, to cost big bucks.
The proposal requires that birth certificates differ based on whether the newborn’s parents are American citizens.
These poor legislative decisions are reflective of the tags that so easily brand our policymakers as either conservative or liberal.
A common theme for politicians today is serving based upon affiliation rather than their constituents’ true interests.
Our conservative representatives will continue to point their fingers at immigration, making it our only enemy. Liberals are equally guilty at the other end of the spectrum, claiming they never have personal interests or enemies of their own.
The prolonged and more recently heated contests between the two sides are going to complicate this year’s legislative session, if not move it to a complete standstill.
It’s an endless, mind-numbing circle.
Don’t count on a kidney, and say sayonara to your hard-earned cash, college students.
You can, however, count on an endless debate on whether we should have multiple forms of birth certificates for persons who are legally citizens but whose parents are not.
Our legislators may stray from the pressing issues, but we won’t deviate from the obvious one — Arizona has a wretched lack of priorities.
Send your rants to Brittany at bemorri1@asu.edu
