UC

DREAM Act repeal referendum falls short of signatures needed for ballot

By Damian Ortellado | Staff

A referendum to repeal the California DREAM Act will not appear on the state ballot this November after volunteers working to overturn the act fell short of the 500,000 signatures they needed to gather by Friday.

Assemblymember Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, who led efforts to put a repeal referendum up for a vote, announced in a statement Friday that opponents of the act had acquired only 447,514 signatures and therefore could not submit them to state counties for approval.

The act, which allows undocumented students to qualify for state-funded financial aid, has faced opposition ever since it was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in October. Donnelly filed papers to place the referendum on the ballot two days after the act was signed into law.

But the referendum’s failure may prove to be a significant setback for those hoping to overturn the legislation.

Assemblymember Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, who authored the act, said in a statement Friday that he was proud Californians had rejected “the politics of division.”

“Assemblymember Donnelly’s proposal would have taken us in a very negative, destructive and intentionally divisive direction,” he said in the statement. “Like the students that the California Dream Act will help, the voters of California have chosen to look with optimism towards the future.”

Have a question for the Assemblymembers? Ask anyone a question via Your Direct Line.

While the act only makes about 500 UC students newly eligible for state-funded financial aid, its supporters believe the relatively minor cost of the act — about $65 million, by the state Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates — is worth the opportunity for undocumented students to receive a college education funded in part by the state.

UC Student Association organizing and communications director Darius Kemp said he was glad efforts to put the referendum on the ballot failed.

“We adamantly and vehemently oppose any repeal of the (state) DREAM act,” he said. “The fact that it failed is a very obvious statement that Californians want the DREAM Act, and they’re happy about it.”

Although the referendum’s failure is no doubt a roadblock for opponents of the act, Donnelly said in his statement that he was confident their efforts will continue.

“We are not finished with this fight,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”

Damian Ortellado is the lead higher education reporter.

  • Jason

    While I’m in favor of educating everyone in the state regardless of status, I don’t understand what happens to graduating students looking for jobs that do not have legal status. Google and Facebook cannot easily hire these folks and so the lijely outcome is we use state resources to educate studenta that eventually leave the country which doesn’t seem right.

    • Anonymous

      I think that’s the unfair part for all immigrants students. So many smart people who come to Cal on student Visas and then have to go back to their home countries. It’s the stupidest thing ever. Talented and educated people, and there are people who want to kick them out because propaganda about “foreign work”, “lowering the american wage”, “taking jobs”, etc. It’s sad how we’ve lost touch with the original and historic appreciation we used to have for immigrants.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

        [I think that's the unfair part for all immigrants students.]

        As to be expected, you deliberately blur the line between LEGAL IMMIGRANTS and ILLEGAL ALIENS.

        • Anonymous

          I intentionally used the word “immigrants” because that is what they both are. YOU choose to differentiate between the two. The post applies to both. There is no “deliberate blur” but just the truth of the situation.

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

            [I intentionally used the word "immigrants" because that is what they both are.]

            You lie and obfuscate the argument as usual.

            [There is no "deliberate blur"]

            What a bunch of bullsh!t. This is the classsic lefty tactic, so when people criticize illegal aliens, your type starts whining “anti-immigrant” to make it into a racial issue. I don’t have a problem with legal immigrants. I have a problem with illegal aliens. But keep lying, because the only way you can win your argument is with fraud and deception…

      • Raymond@Sproul

              You are correct in your comments.  You are also incorrect.  Most foreign students come to the U.S. with the permission and at the expense of their home countries.  They are expected to return  and become  productive members of their society, and aid in furthering their country’s development.  Many of them, especially if they have marketable skills,  find the American way of life more favorable.  Politely put, they would rather drive a Toyota to work  than ride a bicycle or a rickshaw.   As one example, there are more  Ethiopian physicians in the U.S. than in Ethiopia, where they are sorely needed.  These are all, or all become, legal immigrants.  Chances are  an “illegal alien” graduating from Cal in EE  would have little trouble acquiring residency status, a work permit, and a job.   There are two sides to a story.  You notice they waited until the economy downsized, and the home construction industry, service industry, and big box stores didn’t need anymore cheap labor before Washington (both political parties) decided to start eVerify.  Like the Palestinians, who are being used as a political football by Arab and Muslim countries, illegal aliens are being used as a political football by American politicians (both parties).

    • California Defender

      You have reached the crux of the issue. Why should California educate illegal aliens who have no (legal) ability to be hired?

      Thus, that education is a complete waste of money, time, and effort. What is more heartbreaking is that so many legal Californians who have done nothing wrong and who desperately need those grants will be left out in the cold.

      • roflcopter

        The DREAM Act grants legal resident status to illegal students who graduate. I am completely against this bill(s) but you sounded misinformed.

  • Anonymous

    hahahahaha. I’m waiting for  ”Tony M” to get to this article. When the bill first passed, I told him that this referendum wasn’t going to gather enough signatures. And guess what Tony? Well, read this article, other articles or read Tim Donnelly’s e-mail.
     But, wasn’t there some conservative propaganda that claimed that a majority of Californians opposed this bill?Well, here’s a statistic that you can easily calculate–I hope.1.2 % of CA’s population, using public data on CA’s population (just google it) and the numbers sent out by Donnelly’s campaign, signed onto this campaign. They had four months, including the Holiday season with plenty of free, vacation time, to collect this “vast majority” ‘s signatures. Google tim donnelly on san diego’s abc channel talking about his referendum and he claims this. But, apparently, it’s just Tim Donnelly and his crew–a tiny little portion of this great state–that did not support the bill. Well, I guess there are always a few bad apples. Some even idiotic enough to forget that they had a loaded gun in their carry-on.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

      [hahahahaha. I'm waiting for  "Tony M" to get to this article.]

      I’m already here, and pointed out in your previous post where you continue your disingenuous habit of blurring the distinction between legal immigrants and illegal aliens.

      • Anonymous

        The only disingenuous thing/person on this forum is you, Tony. Over and over you spread your lies and hate against a specific group of people. People don’t buy it, but you just insist on attempting to back up your flawed and politically charged statements. 

        But college tuition? Who’s fault is that? That would be the CA Republican legislators who have held the legislature and our state hostage due to an idiotic 2/3 requirement that prevents from any flexibility in balancing our budget. While Gov. Brown is sane enough to legitimately balance the budget, the fault lies on the CA republicans who wan’t to balance the budget on the backs of students, the elderly, those in care homes, etc. They just refuse to raise any revenues. There’s your explanation plain and simple.

        • Anonymous

          Ever wonder why Cali is becoming a third world like state?

          (Fresno Bee) Doctors say Marco Antonio Fuentes is well enough to go home today. At last. He has spent a little more than 1 year in a Fresno hospital where he had 12 surgeries. 

          He thanks God — and doctors and nurses — he’s alive, and the hospital for his care, he said. Fuentes, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, has no health insurance.

          On Tuesday, the final cost of Fuentes’ care was not available. Much of it will be taken on by the hospital as charity care.  This means you and I will pay.

          Do you ever wonder why California is turning into a third world state?  More reasona at:

          http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/286354/vandalized-valley-victor-davis-hanson

        • Tony M

          [The only disingenuous thing/person on this forum is you, Tony. Over and
          over you spread your lies and hate against a specific group of people.]

          And what “lies” and/or “hate” would that be? Am I lying in pointing out that that Democrat politicians are pandering to people who are here illegally? Am I lying in pointing out that raising taxes on the so-called “rich” will only encourage them to relocate their main residences out of state, and the rest of us will wind up paying the tab? As far as “hatred” , that’s merely the label used by lefties like you on anyone who dares disagree with them, or bring up any information that they would rather not deal with…

          But college tuition? Who’s fault is that? That would be the CA
          Republican legislators who have held the legislature and our state
          hostage due to an idiotic 2/3 requirement that prevents from any
          flexibility in balancing our budget.

          You mean to tell me that those Democrats are trying to cut spending and balance the budget, but they are prevented from doing to by the Republicans? Come on now, you damn well know that the purpose of the 2/3 requirement was to keep the Dems from  taxing and spending more, as their track record in this state (Dream Act, High Speed Rail) makes it quite clear they have NO interest in reining in spending whatsoever.

          the fault lies on the CA republicans who wan’t to balance the budget on
          the backs of students, the elderly, those in care homes, etc. They just
          refuse to raise any revenues.

          Democrats apparently refuse to acknowledge that there’s another way of balancing the budget, which is to CUT SPENDING. However, given that they have created their power base by promising to give people money by taking it from others, that seems to create a little problem…

    • Guest2

      Hey Art32, “hahahahaha”…do you really think this is something to laugh about??? Many LEGAL immigrants are struggling to put their kids through college (with the ever increasing tuition costs) and just trying to get by, while the ILLEGAL aliens continue to demand more freebies. If you truly believe LEGAL CA voters are in support of AB131, then let’s find a way to place it on the Nov. 2012 ballot. I doubt very much you would support AB131 if the majority of the illegal aliens were Africans, Indians, Chinese, etc., anyone other than the Latinos who have the advantage of easily crossing our porous borders.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

        [Hey Art32, "hahahahaha"...do you really think this is something to laugh about???]

        Art32 is your typical short-sighted liberal idiot, believing he possesses some special form of enlightenment over the common folk. He’s not smart or intuitive enough to see the inherent problem in providing economic incentives for breaking the law..

      • Guest

        Funny how some people find it necessary to associate this legislation with Latinos…

        • Tf49665

          “Funny how some
          people find it necessary to associate this legislation with Latinos.”

          Funny how
          the majority of CA’s illegal aliens are from Mexico. Funny how the author of
          this legislation, Gil Cedillo is Latino. Funny how whenever there are any
          protests by illegal aliens, the protestors appear to be Latino. Funny how most
          human interest stories by national newspapers covering illegal immigration are
          about Latinos. Funny how the group of illegal aliens demanding rights in this
          state/country are usually Latin0…

  • California Defender

    Just as Assemblyman Donnelly said, this is just the beginning.

    An opening salvo to show that 447,514 Californians in just 74 days were willing to put their name on record as being opposed to this terribly unjust act.

    The referendum process is not easy or cheap, but the people will prevail. One way or another the people of California will be heard and the Legislature will be shaken awake from the nightmare Dream Act.

  • Dave Francis

    President Obama has persistently promised that his aim is to pass any form of
    Amnesty, and that he is accomplishing this without the consent of Congress. It
    is obvious that this has been approved for the abundant votes for President
    Obama’s reelection, as this will accommodate all those here illegally and
    favorable to families with roots here. I just want to know how the Obama
    administration is going to add $2.6 Trillion dollars to arrange this covert amnesty,
    since Robert Rector of the prestigious Heritage Foundation has reported.  For decades now the majority of Americans have
    been blatantly clear, that they don’t want any amnesty and just to follow the
    law. Not only is this a key issue–but in a Rasmussen national telephone survey
    released in November  shows that 65 percent of voters oppose birth-right
    citizenship, for babies of illegal alien mothers.

    Of course now we have to depend on the new presidential candidates, to rescind
    any laws that are inherently not constitutional? We have already seen the court-forced
    appropriations of taxpayers’ money to support not only the 20 million illegal
    aliens who have arrived here and stayed, but the most deplorable judicial
    response to the 14th amendment. It’s clear that Americans are angry at having
    to pay for the smuggled babies of illegal alien mothers. These Individuals have
    violated our laws to enter the United States and in thousands of cases intentionally
    becoming pregnant, so they have a chance to override the citizenship law and
    able to stay. Once pregnant, illegal females are usually not applicable for
    deportation, so then they can take full advantage of the child’s right to
    citizenship. Owing to the massive expenditures to county and municipal
    hospitals, each year over 300–to 450.000 illegal alien mother or parent can
    ride the child’s welfare, food stamps, low income housing. That only
    ‘Birthright Citizenship Bill’ (H.R.140) can rescind this judicial misinterpreted
    assessment piece in the 14th Amendment.

    Along with ‘Legal Workforce Act,’ (H.R. 2885) or publicly known better as
    Mandatory E-Verify, we can begin to arrest and eventually halt illegal
    immigration. If our incoherent lawmakers introduce the Lamar Smith bill in the
    House, then aliens now working illegally throughout the United States will be
    unable to find work. The core problem is that businesses have ignored these laws,
    because they were able to strongly influence Congress. But with H.R.2885 passed
    in Washington, these company owners will be facing harsh penalties, including
    prison. There is relevant information for you to read at the pro-sovereignty and
    limited legal immigration at NumbersUSA web-pages.

    The liberal press and open border opponents have in desperation tried hard to asphyxiate
    these mentioned laws, explicitly Mandatory E-Verify. This is predominant policy
    of the Left wing in the Democrat party who has been incessantly pressing to
    stifle the TEA PARTY. They cannot comprehend that tens of millions of people
    are joining the TEA PARTY or that the TEA PARTY is succeeding in its
    recruitment of uncountable numbers of ordinary voters. Thousands of citizens
    and legal residents of all nationalities have been greeted and are now paralyzing
    the ‘Pro Quid pro’, or simple put “favor for a favor”; what has always been the
    established way of corruption in Congress. The TEA PARTY is ‘everybody’ in America,
    which is an every racial mix and not just white people? Although special interests
    have rotted away at our politician’s sense of integrity, a new hierarchy of
    earnest TEA PARTY leaders is overhauling the House, with their honest tenancy. Long
    term career politicians have seen the writing on the wall and packing their bags,
    already assured of a new job at the distasteful K street lobbyist Den. The
    legislator  favor-buyers have already
    made millions from their special privileges, but the door is closing and a new ‘hopefully’
    honest tier of fresh faces are in the Senate and House, by the behest of the peoples
    vote.

    Everybody is complaining about both parties in Washington, but are hesitant to
    find a few minutes to contact their Senators or Congress persons at 202-224-3121,
    demanding their lawmakers vote for both federal mandatory E-Verify and amending
    the ‘Birthright Citizenship’ Bill. These two laws must find passage before the offset
    of the 2012 election. Once enacted into law a massive exodus will commence, as
    illegal aliens and family members will return to their country of origin. The average
    American does not seem to understand they have all the power in their VOTE?
    They remain unconvinced that their angry voice can change the insidious direction
    we are facing in a Socialist inspired future, evident of this engorged current
    government who are changing the ‘Rule of Law’.

     

    To ALL CITIZENS! BE WARNED! ILLEGAL ALIENS DO VOTE AND WILL
    DO IN UPCOMING ELECTIONS.

    • California Defender

      Dave,

      While I applaud your effort, nobody reads long posts. Not even supporters. Dial it down a bit and be more concise. A single quote has more power than a novel.  

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

        Here’s the condensed version: Obama and the Dems are pushing amnesty as a way of padding the voting rolls for the Democrat Party. Cal students need to understand that these targeted immigrants, most of them unskilled, uneducated, and ignorant, are net consumers of government services who COMPETE DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS for state funding. Raising taxes will NOT work, as that merely provides more incentive for those who produce (and pay the highest taxes) to move out of state. The Dream Act is a BAD IDEA that needs to be DEFEATED, and those in public office pushing this piece of legistlation need to be recalled, impeached, or voted out of office accordingly. How’s that?

        • Guest

          I’ve got a great idea! We can invest in educating these ignorant people in our public ed system, and then end up with a new generation of skilled laborers and service providers to help boost our economy!

          Geez, some people don’t see an opportunity when it’s right in front of their faces. We have tons of people coming through our borders who will work for next to nothing and there are people out there who DON’T want to exploit their labor???? Damn libs…

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

            [I've got a great idea! We can invest in educating these ignorant people
            in our public ed system, and then end up with a new generation of
            skilled laborers and service providers to help boost our economy!]

            You probably haven’t noticed that we have double digit unemployment in this state, as well as hundreds of thousands of citizens already on some type of welfare or public assistance who are NOT working. Why aren’t we putting those people to work instead?

          • Jake S.

            “You probably haven’t noticed that we have double digit unemployment in
            this state, as well as hundreds of thousands of citizens already on some
            type of welfare or public assistance who are NOT working.”

            WOW, I think I spotted a possible reason for why all those people are on welfare!

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

            So if they are on welfare because of a lack of jobs, what’s the rationale for not enforcing our immigration laws?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

    For those of you who think the Dream Act is a great idea, I wonder how many of you pay any appreciable amount of California state taxes. My company will be relocating to a state with no state income tax by the end of this year, and after paying over $5K in just STATE  income taxes this year, I’m not going to feel any great regrets about not contributing another penny to boondoggles such as a bullet train from Corcoran to Kettleman City, or a college education for someone who isn’t even in my country legally. In addition, there are a lot of people who pay far more than that, and if it comes to getting a place in Las Vegas or Phoenix and calling it home, that’s what a lot of high-income types will do. California is heading for an economic death spiral if it keeps making life more palatable for the moochers than the producers. Too bad, it was once a nice place to live back when the lawmakers in Sacramento still had some shred of sanity…

    • Anonymous

      Will you also stop posting on here since you won’t live in CA anymore? Just face it. You’re wrong. 

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

        Sorry, I still live in California, and I will continue to post here as long as I want. Gee, you lefties are quite the little autocratic control freaks, aren’t you. As I have always said, inside ever liberal is a little fascist waiting to get out…

        • LAWLZ

          …which makes absolutely no sense because they are on opposite sides of the political spectrum…

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

            Not really…

  • GOP Failz Abound

    What’s the matter, Donnelly?
    Couldn’t find a shit ton of voters in CA wanting to sign on to your racist scapegoating authoritarian nightmare vision of ‘Merica? Tell us again how ‘even Hispanics’ supported your referendum!
    AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

      Care to tell us why opposition to taxpayer-subsidized college education for illegal aliens is “racist”?

  • CAgrandparent

    a nice idea but truthfully some dreams are impracticable & unsustainable  and will eventually hurt everyone concerned.

  • Danny D

    Tony M, illegal aliens is racist because everyone born on the earth is legal resident of earth.  You would have to be born on Mars to be an illegal alien. Illegal immigrant is OK But undocumented worker is more PC. I am Latino and I’m against the dream act. I would have signed the petition but could not find one in my area. 

    Danny D. 

    • Stan De San Diego

      Your ignorance shows. Per 8 USC § 1101 (a)(3), The term “alien” means any person not a citizen or national of the United States..  That’s the ONLY definition of “alien” that is relevant to this discussion.

  • Left in Front

    America 1 – Hateful Republican Anti-Americans 0

    Yay team!

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WRACM77JT2RXUR3LMGDPPUGUYY Tony M

      Illegals = 1, taxpaying legal citizens = 0 is more like. If you think giving away money to people who aren’t in the country is a good thing, why don’t you give away your own earnings instead of committing the taxpayers to foot the bill?

  • GoldenBear

    Why fund  the education of undocumented immigrants who are not legally allowed to work in this country?  Are we to believe that the undocumented immigrant will become a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer?  Sounds like a bad decision to me.

  • Abc

    Regardless of your stance, we should probably take care of our legal citizen students before branching out with other philanthropic endeavors.