Students eager to talk state politics
It?s a delicate line when dealing with the rash of illegal immigrants who have swarmed to Tennessee and Warren County. From health care, to driving privileges, to employment, there are an abundance of issues surrounding Hispanics and their role in our society.
Such questions dominated discussion when state Rep. Charles Curtiss made a trip to Motlow College to talk to students in Thomas Vaughn?s class. Curtiss said as long as there is a strong need for Hispanic labor, it?s likely the Hispanic community will maintain a strong presence in this area.
?One thing that attracts them is low-paying jobs that we don?t want to perform,? said Curtiss. ?And we have that here.?
There is a push by Nashville?s Metro government to adopt English as the city?s official language. That proposal has been met with a great deal of resistance and Curtiss addressed that issue.
?I?m all for them having to speak English when they?re in this country, but when you have someone in the emergency room who doesn?t speak English are you going to let them die or find someone who speaks Spanish?? asked Curtiss. ?You have to draw the line somewhere.?
Curtiss said kids today have a great opportunity to learn Spanish while they?re young to help bridge the language barrier. He joked that the opportunity is not so great as you get older.
?With kids, their brains are like a sponge. They can absorb anything,? said Curtiss. ?I?ve tried to learn some Spanish, but my brain is like a rock. You pour something on it and it just rolls off.?
Curtiss talked about Gov. Phil Bredesen?s desire to raise the sales tax on a pack of cigarettes by 40 cents and predicted legislators would never agree to such a large increase. He said with so many border states, Tennesseans would simply drive across the state line if they could buy cigarettes cheaper elsewhere.
He also questioned the wisdom of funding such an important service ? education ? with a cigarette tax.
?The governor is wanting to start an education initiative based on a tax that?s not stable,? said Curtiss.
There were also questions about lottery scholarships and their availability to non-traditional students who take several years off from school before returning to college. Curtiss said he supports broadening the requirements to make more students eligible for lottery scholarships but said such action likely won?t happen this year.
?I honestly believe we will have lottery scholarships available for non-traditional students but that?s probably still two or three years out,? said Curtiss. ?We?re still trying to get a handle on this thing.?