+
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3. 2014
PAGE 7
+
BILL FROM PAGE 1
assistant director at Alvin's liquor store, said that this bill sponsored by Uncork Kansas will likely have a negative effect on independently owned liquor stores, but understands why it would be good for grocery stores.
"They're just looking out for themselves and this is the last independent business that you can open up to where everybody is equal. You don't have any big corporations picking on you because in this town it's very competitive," Schmidt-berger said. "But once a grocery store begins to sell, they can throw half-a-million dollars — a million dollars — into this program and destroy all these liquor stores over a period of two years."
Schmidtberger said he thinks it would most likely be in his
"I would have to make a decision to adjust and just sell imports and they could have all these domestics and the big ticket items — then I'd just become a specialty store," Schmidtberger said.
best interest to liquidate his items that he has for sale and then close up his shop if the bill is passed. He also said an alternative option might exist because he's unsure if grocery stores will carry the variety that his does.
Brown said, however, that it is neither up to grocery stores nor liquor stores to decide what to do with the bill.
"I think it's up to the voters of the state of Kansas to decide what they want to do," Brown said. "We do have to protect our small businesses and we do have to protect our state."
Edited by Callan Reilly
Top Republicans say they stand by NJ Gov. Christie
NATIONAL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TRENTON, N.J. High-profile Republicans were adamant Sunday that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie should not resign from his post as chairman of the Republican Governors Association following a former ally's claim that there is evidence Christie knew about an apparently politically motivated traffic jam earlier than he has said.
The support from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan put Republicans on the offensive and the Democratic chairman of a state legislative committee
Also Sunday, a member of Christie's administration who was subpoenaed by lawmakers investigating the lane closings confirmed she had resigned. Christina Genovese Renna left the governor's office Friday, according to her lawyer. Renna had reported to ousted Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly, who apparently set the lane closings in motion with an email saying "time to cause some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
Christie, a potential 2016 presidential contender, has been going about Super Bowl
investigating the September lane closures near the George Washington Bridge on the defensive the day Christie's state hosts the Super Bowl.
ceremonial duties and has not taken questions about the scandal in recent days. He didn't respond Saturday when some spectators booed him at an appearance in New York City's Times Square. He planned to watch Sunday's game with his family from a luxury box at MetLife Stadium.
Giuliani, appearing on CBS "Face the Nation" took aim at the credibility of two figures central to the scandal: John Wisniewski, who's leading the investigative probe, and David Wildstein, the former Christie loyalist who as an executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last year ordered the lane closures after receiving Kelly's
email, as someone with less than pure motives.
He said Wildstein "wants somebody else to pay his legal bills and he can't get them paid unless the governor is responsible."
The unannounced lane closures caused massive gridlock in Fort Lee in September, delaying emergency vehicles and school buses and tying up some commuters for hours over four mornings. New Jersey legislators are investigating whether Christie aides engineered the lane closures to send a message to the town's Democratic mayor. The U.S. Attorney's office is also investigating.
GOVERNMENT
Immigration reform might raise price of citizenship
ASSOCIATED PRESS
EDINBURG, Texas — Hilda Vasquez saved money for her U.S. citizenship application by selling homemade tamales. Carmen Zalazar picked up extra babysitting jobs at night after caring for kids all day in Houston.
The women saved for months to pay for the $680 application, but for other applicants in the future, it might not be enough.
As President Barack Obama renews his quest for immigration reform, some proposals would impose fines of $2,000 on top of application fees, making the financial hurdles much taller for people who are here illegally.
"You have more rights when you are a citizen, like to vote," said Zalazar, a legal resident. As soon as she started a citizenship class, "I started to save because I knew otherwise it won't be possible."
The struggle is familiar to millions of immigrants. A 2012 survey by the Pew Hispanic Center showed that only 46 percent of Hispanic immigrants eligible to become citizens had done so. The top two reasons were lack of English skills and money to pay for the application.
Manuel Enrique Angel made learning English his first priority upon arriving in Houston from his native El Salvador two years ago. He now speaks English clearly and plans to apply for citizenship when he becomes eligible this year.
Trained as a lawyer in El Salvador, the 28-year-old works as a cook in a Houston burger joint. His wife, an American citizen, is a hair stylist. He estimates it will take him up to eight months to save the money for the citizenship application.
"It's really hard when you have to pay rent around $600,
when you have car notes for $300 and $500;" Angel said.
Angel plans to take advantage of a program at a Houston credit union that offers small low-interest loans specifically to help clients become citizens. The Promise Credit Union partners with Neighborhood Centers Inc., a nonprofit network of community centers in the Houston area that cater to immigrants.
Credit union President Randy Martinez said the program began as a pilot in 2012 and only officially started last fall.
"We don't want that to become an obstacle for them not to become citizens, just because they don't have the entire fee to pay," he said.
The credit union's $455 loans include $380 toward the citizenship process plus a $75 processing fee for the loan application. They carry a fixed five percent interest rate for a 12-month term, so the monthly payments work out to about $38.
Applicants must contribute $300 of their own money. They are all pre-screened by the Neighborhood Centers legal team to make sure they qualify for citizenship and have all the necessary documentation.
The credit union has already discussed expanding the loans if Congress approves a reform package that offers people in the country illegally a costlier path to citizenship, Martinez said.
An immigration reform bill passed by the Senate in June did not set the costs of the proposed 13-year path to citizenship. Lawmakers left that up to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the idea that fees would make the system self-sustaining.
While the fees remain unspecified, the Senate bill lays out penalties totaling $2,000 to be paid at various steps
along the way. The legislation would create a new status called "registered provisional immigrant" and require anyone with that status to pay taxes.
During the 13-year wait, immigrants would be "working on the books, and you will hopefully be able to make a better income and be progressing in your life," said Ellen Battistelli, a policy analyst with the National Immigration Law Center, who has argued against making the process too costly.
"There are so many requirements and financial burdens, this is a very rigorous path to go," especially for low-wage workers, Battistelli said.
On Thursday, the House released its immigration-reform principles, which included no special path to citizenship for the 11 million people already in the U.S. illegally but would make those here illegally "pay significant fines and back taxes" to gain legal status.
In an interview with CNN broadcast Friday, the president signaled that he may consider legislation that does not offer a path to citizenship — a noticeable shift from his previous position, which was that it "doesn't make sense" to leave that aspect of immigration unresolved.
Vasquez and Zalazar, both legal residents in their 50s, did not have to work in the shadows, and both took citizenship classes.
During Zalazar's classes at the Baker-Ripley Community Center in Houston's diverse Gulfton neighborhood, teacher Crystal Gonzalez asked the class how much it cost to become a U.S. citizen. Several hands shot up.
"How many of you have $680 that you can spend tomorrow?" Gonzalez asked.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hilda Vasquez makes tamales in her kitchen in Edinburg, Texas. Vasquez raised the $680 for her U.S. citizenship application by selling homemade tamales. Immigration advocates are concerned comprehensive immigration reform proposals will make the financial hurdles almost impassable.
HELPING YOU MAINTAIN YOUR STUDENT BUDGET!
KANSAN COUPONS
CLIP & SAVE!
Coupons also available on The Kansan Mobile App
Checkers
LOW FOOD PRICES
BUY 3 BOXES GET 2 FREE! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!
** Limit 1 coupon per person.
May not be combined with any other offer.
COUPON VALID THROUGH 2-5-14
KRAFT Mac & Cheese Dinner
Original Blue Box
7.25 oz
824 MASS ST.
DOWNTOWN
BARBER
785.843.8000
REDEEM FOR A MEN'S
$5.99
$20FF
A REGULAR SIZED SANDWICH
with
PURCHASE OF CHIPS AND A DRINK
coupon expires 3-4-14
WE DELIVER AND CATER
Quiznos
MMM...TOASTY!
785.842.7827
locally owned at 2540 IOWA
+