Posted on 10/27/2007 4:12:58 PM PDT by jonyyeh
In a major shift, Gov. Eliot Spitzer is backing off his plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain the same kind of driver’s licenses as other New Yorkers, after weeks of furor over the proposal.
Instead, the governor said on Saturday, illegal immigrants in the state would be able to obtain a license that would permit them to drive but would not be accepted as identification to board planes or cross borders.
Other New Yorkers who can prove that they are legal residents of the United States would be eligible for federally recognized ID cards. These would serve as driver’s licenses and would be accepted as identification for a number of purposes, including boarding planes and entering federal facilities.
The move followed a wave of criticism over the governor’s proposal, with many Democrats warning that Mr. Spitzer had put the state party in political peril. The new plan also reflects the increasingly complicated security requirements that have been developed by the federal government since the Sept. 11 attacks.
The plan will probably do little if anything to quell the controversy over the issue, as people on both sides of the debate in New York expressed concern about it on Saturday.
And the State Legislature, which has expressed concern about any extension of licenses to illegal immigrants, would probably be required to provide the funds for the new system, which is expected to be costly.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
see:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1917336/posts
(for comments)
Why ain,t this queer-bait in jail.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10222007/news/regionalnews/elex_bigs_fear_fraud_in_gov_li.htm
POLS FEAR VOTING FRAUD IN SPITZER’S LICENSE PLAN
By KENNETH LOVETT, Post Correspondent
October 22, 2007 — ALBANY - State election officials are worried that Gov. Spitzer’s plan to allow illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses will make it difficult for them to catch people voting illegally.
“There has been concern,” state Board of Elections spokesman Lee Daghlian told The Post.
While it is up to the local boards of election to determine who is eligible to vote, it is rare that election officials check into a person’s legal status, particularly if they have identifying information on their voter-registration form like a driver’s license or the last four digits of a Social Security number, Daghlian said.
In order to register, a person must sign an affidavit stating that they are an American citizen.
“You assume that people don’t lie, and that’s what the form says,” Daghlian said. “It’s an affidavit you sign under penalty of perjury.”
But Daghlian concedes, “Nobody checks it” to determine its validity.
At the polls, voters are asked to show some form of photo ID, like a driver’s license, to prove their identity, Daghlian said. (more story at link)
If I was an illegal, I would not want one of these. Maybe they are safe for now but if the information should get in different hands they are out of here.
I’m sure Spitzer will still spread the BS that this will save NYrs money and that illegals will learn to drive and pay insurance (THAT has to be the biggest line ever)
This man makes my skin crawl.
What we should be asking Spitzer is “Can the illegals use the licenses to vote?”
1) Deport them
or, because I’ve had enough of this crap
2) Put these ILLEGALS in an internment prison. They get out whenever one of the following conditions have been met:
A) They stay five years (similar conditions to a Mexican prison only)
B) They pay $50,000 for the impact they, and their ilk, have caused on this country
C) They can be traded for an American in a Mexican prison who is being shaken down for money by the Mexican government.
The idea of granting ID to someone who is here illegally is beyond comprehension. Utterly.
The election officials understand well the reason politicians want illegals to be documented illegals.
One has to ponder as to why a lawmaker would even consider such a promotion.
Does this moron swin in the Hudson every morning with Kramer?
Like it or not chuckles is going to have to get it through his thick armored plated skull that New Yorkers will not accept licenses for lawbreakers, period. One lawsuit has already been filed and another is on its way...
Spitzer apparently thinks we're all a bunch of morons. Illegal aliens will still have all the advantages of driving privileges except not have the ability to fly, big deal. He's not going to get away with it.
They tried the same deal in CA —
Gov. Arnold played Rope-a-dope on the State Senator ( One-Bill-Gill ) who kept bringing it up.
He keeps sending him back for a re-write - it appears the fool still hasen’t figured out that Arnold was never going to give it to him.
This reporter HAS to know this. Why is he lying about it?
Congressman Billybob
He thinks all his reads are a little dense and he may be correct.
spitzer doesn’t even deserve to have the first letter of his name and title capitalized. He is so stupid he doesn’t even realize that he will be one of first into the terrorist oven. What a jerk.
The dirty little obvious truth is that a Driver's License would make it all but impossible to prevent illegal immigrants from voting. Which was the purpose of licensing them from the git-go. A fact which the New York Times is studiously ignoring.
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