UCLA: Constitutional amendment should allow non-citizens to vote ["illegals should vote in CA"]

Herald Tribune ^ | December 10, 2003 | GILLIAN FLACCUS - AP

[yonif]

A UCLA study released Wednesday says the state constitution should be amended so California's 4.6 million non-citizen adults can vote in local elections.

Nearly one-fifth of the state's adults are non-citizens and in 12 cities they form the majority, according to the study, which was commissioned by UCLA's Chicano Studies Research Center.

The study also found that non-citizens make up more than one-quarter of the population in 85 California cities and that 28 percent of the state's non-citizens are Hispanic.

"It's really a harbinger of things to come and unless we start to address this issue, we're going to have a political apartheid in California," said Joaquin Avila, the study's author and an instructor at UCLA law school.

The study, based on 2000 Census data, comes days after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger repealed a law that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.

Anti-immigration rights groups reacted angrily, saying the study undermined the legal process for naturalization and essentially sanctioned illegal immigration.

"The distinction between citizens and non-citizens has been seriously eroded over the past generations and the only difference left is the ability to vote. That's not a trivial thing," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C.

"A person who isn't a citizen yet is essentially shacking up with America. It's important to the health of the body politic that that difference be preserved."

Avila said the proposed amendment would not mandate the vote for non-citizens, but would give local governments the latitude to allow it if they choose. Any constitutional amendment would have to go to voters.

Audrey Singer, an immigration expert with the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., said cities and school boards in some states - including Maryland, Illinois and New York - already allow non-citizens to vote in local elections.

Until the 1920s, nearly half of all local elections included non-citizens - but an immigration backlash following World War II sharply curtailed the practice, she said.

"There's a long history of non-citizens having access to the franchise in local situations," she said. "Since then, it's popped up in various places at various times."

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Keep your powder dry.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Keep your powder dry.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

...Item 2: If Illegal aliens are allowed to vote, even in local elections, it will be another unmistakable signal that American citizenship, and therefore America itself, is finished. If the millions of illegal aliens in America are granted amnesty and get the vote, it will mean open immigration and a giant step toward Civil War II...

The above is from some optimist who thinks there is still a republic.

[Bob J]

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[BenLurkin]

When The Levee Breaks

If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break. If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break.
When the levee breaks, I'll have no place to stay.

Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan. Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan.
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home, oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.

. . .

Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good,
Now, crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good,
when the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.


. . .

[upier]

I agree. They are illegals. We should tell them to come on down to a government building where they can pick up their voter's cards. Then load them all up in a bunch of trucks and dump them back in Mexico. Then wait at the border and shoot anyone who tries to get back in illegally (they are invadors).

[monkeyshine]

Political Apartheid?

F that S.

If you don't want "political apartheid" then you should send the illegals back home.

Otherwise, like all people they should count their blessings. They could be living in a mud hut in San Salvador.

[Texas_Jarhead]

""It's really a harbinger of things to come and unless we start to address this issue, we're going to have a political apartheid in California," said Joaquin Avila, the study's author and an instructor at UCLA law school."

I'm sure this instructor would applaud the gov. if they started mass deportations since that is what law allows in many cases. No illegals, no 'political apartheid'.

[matrix2225]

What? I came here legally, waiting 5 years, stayed in line for hours, to get my citizenship, and now they want to make illegally immigrants right to vote! This is not right!

[goodnesswins]

"Nearly one-fifth of the state's adults are non-citizens and in 12 cities they form the majority, according to the study, which was commissioned by UCLA's Chicano Studies Research Center."

20% of California's adults are "non-citizens?" Wonder how they did their analysis? And, if that's the case....Cali has a major, major problem on its hands, as do the rest of the states if they allow illegals to vote. I might (well, I'd think about it anyway) go along with letting illegals vote....IF and ONLY IF, and it's a BIG IF.....THEY PAID STATE & FED TAXES in the year in which they are voting. (If they didn't work, were on the dole, etc, they could NOT WORK.)

[goodnesswins]

make that "could NOT VOTE.)"

[yonif]

It won't be long until it wouldn't matter if you are citizen or not to get benefits of citizenship, at the rate we are going here.

[Maria S]

"A UCLA study released Wednesday says the state constitution should be amended so California's 4.6 million non-citizen adults can vote in local elections."


Oh, what the hey!?! Let's just turn the whole durned election process over to the UN and let the @&^$# rest of the world decide who's our next president.

[dalereed]

Help balance the state budget, eliminat all funding to the U of Calif., they are so far left and corrupt they need to be eliminated!

[Amerigomag]

Nearly one-fifth of the state's adults are non-citizens and in 12 cities they form the majority,

No surprises here. The 12 cities are by county

Los Angeles County: Maywood, Cudchy, Bell Garden, Huntington Park and Bell.

Fresno County: San Joaquin, Huron, Mendota and Orange Cove.

Kern County: Arvin

Monterey County: King City

Orange County: Santa Ana

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

Does that mean the stinky hippie liberals would take buses to Mexico and Canada to bring in more voters?

[Uncle Hal]

Folks this day and age anything is possible. Who would have ever thought that life time smokers could sue and get money from tobacco companies. That some idiot that shoots himself with a gun can sue a gun manufacturer for his stupidity. That illegals could get drivers licenses. That fat people can sue food or restaurant companies because they eat too much. As long as we have lawyers anything is possible.

[NMFXSTC]

Ya know...I really have no problem with this voting issue for the illegals...none at all...

AFTER THEY SERVE THREE EYARS WEARING THE UNIFORM OF THE MILITARY SERVICES OF THIS COUNTRY!

THEN they can vote with my blessing!

[montag813]

Anti-immigration rights groups reacted angrily

Wow, what an unbiased description of those who want to see legal immigration into the U.S. [/sarcasm]