The Phoenix

Why the big drop of students in Central Falls?

Talk radio was yesterday abuzz with this story, with hosts like John DePetro supporting the view that Governor Carcieri's approach to illegal immigration in responsible for a sharp decline in the number of students in Central Falls.

Matt's theory, IMHO, strikes me as closer to the mark:

One word, people: FORECLOSURES.

“But I am surprised by this — I did not think the numbers would go down as significantly,” [superintendent Fran] Gallo said. “But all you have to do is walk around the neighborhoods around here and see all the boarded up houses. And given the tough economy, my principals have told me many families are moving away, to the south or the west or where they have relatives.”

. . . .

Rhode Island is one of 11 states — and the only New England state — officially in a recession. Unemployment hit 7.7 percent last month, the second-highest rate in the nation, and more than 1,800 homes were foreclosed on during April, May and June. Cities have been especially hard hit. Sixty-eight percent of those foreclosures are in Greater Providence, which includes Central Falls, Cranston, East Providence, Johnston, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence and Warwick.

Here's a project for the right-wing activists out there. Why don't you do an analysis of foreclosures and then overlay data of enrollments for each school. My guess? The maps would be identical. The grim reality of Rhode Island is that with a foreclosure crisis, an employment rate second only to Michigan (did you see the feeble Help Wanted section on Sunday?!) and crime rates on the rise, people are fleeing en masse, leaving our cities in economic havoc.

Published Aug 19 2008, 09:21 AM by Ian Donnis

joe bernstein said:

How many of these students came from foreclosed homes?It seems like too high a number,especially in Central Falls,where the predominant mode of housing is the three decker,most owned by absentee landlords.

Unemployment is another story.People move to get jobs.There is really no way to empirically determine if the Governor's Executive Order caused an exodus of illegal aliens or not because such people don't normally repond to polls.

The effect of the Governor's order has been magnified by the very advocates who are so opposed to it.Including your friend Matt.The overheated response to a directive aimed at state employees,contractor employees,and CRIMINAL aliens has perhaps caused a panic response among some illegal aliens in the state.How ironic that people are fleeing Rhode Island thanks to the efforts of Rabbi Flam,Charley Bakst,Shana Kurland,the Hispanic advocates like Progreso Latino,Chispa,et al,and steven Brown(couldn't leave him out)and other assorted do gooders like Rev.Duane Clinker,Bishop Tobin-I could go on here.

There was never a plan to sweep up illegals en masse-can't be done anyway.I have no problem if they left out of misplaced fear.They weren't supposed to be in the USA to begin with.

August 19, 2008 10:38 AM
John Doe said:

So will the Central Falls teacher union give back some money since they'll have less work to do now?

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

August 19, 2008 11:43 AM
Will said:

I agree that people like Matt have served to greatly magnify whatever effect that the Governor's very limited Executive Order on ILLEGAL Immigration may have had.

Of course, we'd love to take as much credit as humanly possible, but that would likely not be supported by enough empirical data that we could know it for certain. Given the transience of the population in C.F. and other similar areas, I'm not sure we could ever be certain of any cause and effect.

I do happen to believe that much of the problem in Central Falls can be tied to the foreclosure "problem" (which is only a problem in so much that people cannot afford to pay back what they have borrowed). When landlords, especially those who do not live in the residence are foreclosed upon, the tenants often feel the negative effects more directly.

However, there are probably some families headed by one or two illegal alien parents who are feeling the heat and have voluntarily decided to get out of the kitchen. Adios!

The way I look at it, the more of them leave, the more money we save as taxpayers, so hopefully they will keep up the pace.

August 19, 2008 11:55 AM
joe bernstein said:

Ian-if you think "right wing activists"are the only people wanting better control of immigration,you are very mistaken.I know numerous liberals who are seriously concerned about criminal aliens and aliens voting.Maybe you are listening solely to people at RIF and PDD to get the pulse of what liberals think vis a vis immigration.Or at least listening to them disproportionately.

August 19, 2008 4:45
Ian Donnis said:

Joe, how many times have I said that secure borders in the post-9/11 age is a no-brainer?

August 20, 2008 9:15 AM
joe bernstein said:

Yes you have and I wasn't discussing the border security issue.I just know a lot of pretty liberal people who are going to vote for Obama that don't like the fact that schools and hospitals have been stressed to a critical point by illegal aliens,and that the aliens are making a lot of demands which rubs people the wrong way.

An incident like that involving Marco Riz gets the attention of a broad cross seciton of the population.It is interesting that in a very Democratic state like RI the Governor's executive order got a 75% approval rating.

I notice that you do a lot of crossover with RIF,which you acknowledge,so no problem there,but they have a very activist viewpoint over there.As does Anchor Rising.For most people the issue of immigration is not one of liberal vs.conservative.

August 20, 2008 2:28