A sit-down with the governor (CA gov. Arnold amends his positions on illegals' services)

Sacramento Bee ^ | 8/11/04 | Margaret Talev

[PinnedAndRecessed]

SANTA FE, N.M. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that he is unlikely to support a push by some fellow Republicans to bar the Legislature from granting driver's licenses to undocumented workers in California and to cut off their access to government subsidies for housing, food and higher education.

"I think it's old hat," Schwarzenegger said of the proposal, which some conservatives hope to place on the ballot by 2006, during an interview following a two-day conference with governors from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and six Mexican states along the U.S. border.

-snip-

In 1994, Schwarzenegger was among a majority of Californians who supported Proposition 187, which sought to limit illegal immigrants' access to government services. Most of the initiative was later thrown out in court.

Earlier this month, a group of conservative Republicans said it would push a ballot measure to bring back some of those limits in a fashion the courts could uphold, and to block lawmakers from granting licenses to undocumented drivers.

Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that while he had not studied the plan, it did not sound like something he would want to support.

"We should find ways to work together rather than to find ways of going the other way," he said.

[NormsRevenge]

Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that while he had not studied the plan, it did not sound like something he would want to support.

"We should find ways to work together rather than to find ways of going the other way," he said.

---

Arnie seems satisfied to have things both ways.. and in the end, we will all have nothing worth much of anything to anyone, imo.

[drypowder]

"I think it's old hat,"

Words of a one term governor.

[SJSAMPLE]

Weren't those issues the reason for Davis' recall and Ah-nold's election?

[gubamyster]

ping

[StarFan]

Seems Kerry isn't the only one suffering from flip flop syndrome. How sad to run on one platform and change once in office.

[NormsRevenge]

fyi

[gubamyster]

Seems Kerry isn't the only one suffering from flip flop syndrome. How sad to run on one platform and change once in office.

Arnold's position on DL's for illegals is not a flip-flop. As some of us pointed out endlessly during the campaign, he only opposed SB60 because it did not have adequate background checks. He did NOT oppose DL's for illegals if a new bill would be written including background checks. Sabertooth has clearly documented Arnold's position in his own words.

[DumpsterDiver]

"I think it's old hat,"

Words of a one term governor.

I won't even tell you what I think of Arnold for saying that.

BTW, shouldn't he have said "I think it's old sombrero"?

[skeeter]

Not good, Arnold.

[Watershed]

...and yet his approval rating is 65%--one of the highest numbers ever. hmmmmmmmmm

[Sabertooth]

Earlier this month, a group of conservative Republicans said it would push a ballot measure to bring back some of those limits in a fashion the courts could uphold, and to block lawmakers from granting licenses to undocumented drivers.

Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that while he had not studied the plan, it did not sound like something he would want to support.

"We should find ways to work together rather than to find ways of going the other way," he said.

At the same time, the governor said he will continue to insist that any driver's license state lawmakers vote to extend to undocumented workers be different from licenses issued to citizens - in part because of concerns that the state cannot trust the legitimacy of Mexican identification cards that would be used to verify applicants' identities.

And yet people still doubt that Arnold supports CDLs for Illegals.

[Lizavetta]

"I think it's old hat," Schwarzenegger said of the proposal

No, Arnold - it's a very irritating and expensive hat. I can't tell you the outrage I feel when we pay and pay and pay and pay only to read in the paper that we haven't paid enough and that the 'rich' (according to the tax authorities is a couple earning approx. $65K) should be paying MORE to send their kids to college (college that politicians feel that illegals should get for free)- that there should be a two-tier tuition rate. In other words, we should pay THREE times - once out of taxes, again for standard tution, and a third time for the 'rich' surcharge.

Old hat indeed.

[Brownie74]

An informed bump.

[Brownie74]

An informed bump.

[ridesthemiles]

ABSOLUTELY...

I have no problem with people being generous with THEIR OWN money. I have a real problem when they are doing so with MY money, against my wishes.

Giving drivers licenses to illegals will have consequences beyond anything we can contemplate today. This is a disaster. Auto insurance alone will go thru the roof in Calif.

[ridesthemiles]

Either that "approval" poll is being taken among persons wishing to get illegal drivers licenses or
when the voters at large realize he is going back on his word during campaigning, this "approval" rating will plummet.

[Logical me]

" Arnold's position on DL's for illegals is not a flip-flop. As some of us pointed out endlessly during the campaign, he only opposed SB60 because it did not have adequate background checks. He did NOT oppose DL's for illegals if a new bill would be written including background checks. Sabertooth has clearly documented Arnold's position in his own words."

Obviously most of the reply on this do not live in CA or never got close to the election. You are right, this was Arnold's position. Background and a method of identifying the driver in case of stopping or an accident was also the reason. To many illegals and green card types drive with no proof of residence are involved in accidents. I had one happen to me and no drivers license to prove he understands CA laws, and couldn't speak English. The Officer shrugged his shoulders and said to just call it a 50/50. More needed to be done, but at least a start is better than nothing at all.

[Logical me]

Also adding that on this drivers license it would be stated something like not a legal US citizen or something of that kind. Forgot the exact notation on the license.

[Southack]

"At the same time, the governor said he will continue to insist that any driver's license state lawmakers vote to extend to undocumented workers be different from licenses issued to citizens - in part because of concerns that the state cannot trust the legitimacy of Mexican identification cards that would be used to verify applicants' identities."

Arnold has already won this fight by shaping the terms of the debate *after* killing the real California Driver's licenses for Illegals that was law under Gray Davis.

Contrary to what La Raza wants, Arnold now has California legislators focused on creating a *different* driver's license for illegals.

Now we can hoot an holler about what nonsense it is to create a legal document for illegals, but that misses the point.

La Raza doesn't want driver's licenses. That's not what this is about. La Raza wants illegals to have the same documentation as legal residents so that illegals can't be differentiated from legals. Heck, Mexican driver's licenses are *already* valid in California...illegals have no "driving need" for a new California license. What they want, however, is a convenient document that opens all of the doors for illegals that are currently open to legal residents, and the California Driver's License is merely an excuse for getting that document.

But Arnold has used their own words against them. After repealing their valid driver's licenses for illegals, he's now got the Legislature talking about a new, *different* kind of driving license.

With that new license, illegals will gain nothing. Worse, for La Raza at least, illegals would have to *register* with the state government to obtain this redundant driver's license (remember, their Mexican driver's license is already valid, so a new California license is redundant). But after registering with the state for this new license, it will still be possible to differentiate between legals and illegals.

Illegals will have Arnold's new, *different* driver's license (which will function no differently than their current Mexican Driver's License). Legal residents, on the other hand, will still have California's traditional driver's license.

This is political jujitsu at its finest. California Dems get to pass a driver's license law for illegals, yet the new document is worth no more to illegals than their old Mexican license.

What we *don't* want is for California to reinstate Gray Davis' real driver's license for illegals law. That law was giving illegal aliens the *same* driver's license that every legal resident in California possesses. That's unacceptable.

A *different* driver's license, however, is not only acceptable, it is a thing of beauty. Illegals have to register with the government to get it, have to show proof of insurance to get it, have to pay taxes to get it, and it gives them *nothing* more than they already get with their Mexican driver's licenses.

Same California license for illegals = Bad.
Different California license for illegals = Brilliant.

5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires