Dream Act supporters urge NY Senate to OK measure
Bundled against the wind and eliciting honks from passing cars, supporters of the Dream Act gathered Saturday outside Roosevelt Field mall to urge the State Senate to approve the measure.
Students, workers and advocates for immigrants in the country illegally, held colorful signs that read, "LI Has A Dream To Pass The Dream Act!" and "NY Dream Act Now!" and chanted "What do we want? Dream Act! When do we want it? Now!" as they huddled on Old Country Road in Garden City yesterday afternoon.
The group of about 20 held a news conference outside the busy mall to call on Long Island's nine state senators to support the Dream Act, which would provide college aid to students who came illegally to the United States as children. The act, strongly supported by the Assembly's Democratic majority, is opposed by the Senate's Republican majority. The measure had previously passed the Assembly, but failed in the Senate.
The rally, which was organized by the Long Island Dream Coalition, included representatives from Long Island Wins, Long Island Jobs With Justice, Long Island Immigrant Students Advocates and others.
During budget season this year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo promoted an unsuccessful initiative tying the Dream Act to an education tax credit that was favored by Republicans.
"New York State has the second-largest immigrant population, and Long Island holds 22 percent of the political power in the state," said Victoria Daza, an organizer for Long Island Jobs With Justice. "We are calling on the Long Island Nine, all Long Island Nine senators, to support the Dream Act. . . . It's time for generations of high school graduates to be able to access education, the same way as their peers."
The group also sought to debunk the myth that undocumented workers don't pay taxes. Before the news conference they walked through the mall and bought lunch at the food court, then posed for pictures in "#DREAMERS Drive Business" T-shirts.
"We hear the pundits that say, 'Well they don't pay taxes' -- are they kidding me?" said Assemb. Michaelle C. Solages (D-Elmont) to cheers from the group. "Every day they use their purchasing power to ignite communities, they own small businesses that employ, and those dollars go around the community over and over and over again."
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
