Border control starts at the county line

It's a pretty safe bet that here in conservative Columbia County, most people are opposed to illegal immigration - especially lawbreakers who sneak into our country, then avail themselves of social services provided by taxpayers.

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Why, then, do we ignore lawbreakers who cross the borders of our county to take advantage of educational services provided by county taxpayers?

Columbia County has never been aggressive in targeting those who illegally attend school here, but perhaps we can learn from Houston County, in central Georgia. Recognizing the tough economic times every system faces, those schools have begun cracking down on zone-hoppers by prosecuting parents for lying on school registration forms.

"Georgia law... does address (the) penalty for falsification of documents," says Columbia County School Superintendent Charles Nagle. "We do cite this on our procedure regarding school zones, but to my knowledge we have never pursued the penalty."

Maybe that explains why, as Nagle then admits, zone-hoppers "are a constant burr under our saddle."

If the school system made a few criminal cases against parents who lie to get their children in the public schools provided by Columbia County taxpayers, might that not deter other zone-hopping saddle-burrs?

Taxpayers in the United States aren't responsible for providing services to third world citizens sneaky enough to get across our borders. Likewise, cash-strapped Columbia County citizens shouldn't be taxed extra to educate refugees sneaking in from other school systems.