The American Dream Deferred
Francisco has dreams. They are good dreams, but not legal ones. The 24-year-old from Zelaya, Mexico, arrived under the undocumented coattails of his parents when he was just five years old. Today, after the failure of legislation called the “Dream Act,” Francisco’s hopes of becoming a schoolteacher must be put on political hold. Introduced in 2001 by Sen. Orin Hatch(R-Utah), The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, commonly referred to as the DREAM Act, would allow children of undocumented immigrants the chance to gain citizenship by graduating college or by serving two years in the military. The bill’s logic is simple. Children of undocumented immigrants do not have a say as to where they live, but they can still plan and invest in their future
Perata Tops Half a Million on Mayor's Race
Don Perata has spent more than half a million on his campaign to become Oakland Mayor – far exceeding his rivals and the voluntary limits for what can be spent in the race. Perata has spent a total of $594,000 on the race and raised $663,000 in his bid to beat out a crowded field, according to filings made today. The voluntary spending limit for the Oakland mayor’s race is $379,000. Oakland City Council Member Jean Quan – who has been polling a close second to Perata and attacking Perata for evading campaign finance rules – at first appeared to have exceeded the limit this morning. But the Quan campaign said it had made a computational error, putting the total she’s raised at $320,000. City Council member Rebecca Kaplan, who’s polling third, has raised $138,000. Joe