My Letter to the Editor of the Durango Herald
Nathan
My letter:
Animas SDS, Durango's autonomous chapter of Students for a Democratic
Society, demands that the Colorado State Legislature KILL House Bill
10-1067, that will cut funding for the Native American Tuition Waiver
at Fort Lewis College. We stand in full solidarity with and support of
the student, faculty, worker, and community alliance opposing the
bill.
We would like to remind everyone of the fundamental historical mission
of the college and why it is important to uphold the sacred trust
between the Native peoples of America, the City of Durango, State of
Colorado, and the United States.
As a trusted ally recently wrote, "The issue is straightforward. The
state does not want to pay out-of-state tuition for Native students,
and so in order to look like they are meeting their fiduciary
responsibilities they will pay in-state tuition for out-of-state
Native students. Of course, this means FLC will no longer want to
recruit native students, because they will become a financial
liability on the college. Yet, if FLC is to remain financially
solvent, they need the full tuition waiver. Based on pure self-
interest the college will attempt, in its impotent ways, to prevent
the state from passing any legislation that will take away the out-of-
state tuition waiver. In short, the college is in serious trouble
without that money."
KILL THE BILL! SAVE THE WAIVER! ALL POWER TO THE PUPIL!
-Nathan J. Coe, Animas SDS