Posted on 10/24/2010 4:29:31 PM PDT by therightliveswithus
PORTLAND, Maine -- Like his neighbors, Claude Rwaganje pays taxes on his income and taxes on his cars. His children have gone to Portland's public schools. He's interested in the workings of Maine's largest city, which he has called home for 13 years.
There's one vital difference, though: Rwaganje isn't a U.S. citizen and isn't allowed to vote on those taxes or on school issues. That may soon change.
Portland residents will vote Nov. 2 on a proposal to give legal residents who are not U.S. citizens the right to vote in local elections, joining places like San Francisco and Chicago that have already loosened the rules or are considering it.
Noncitizens hold down jobs, pay taxes, own businesses, volunteer in the community and serve in the military, and it's only fair they be allowed to vote, Rwaganje said.
"We have immigrants who are playing key roles in different issues of this country, but they don't get the right to vote," said Rwaganje, 40, who moved to the U.S. because of political strife in his native Congo and runs a nonprofit that offers financial advice to immigrants.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Alas, “living and breathing”...
Constitution? That old thing?
WTF!!!!!!!
Here we go...
Possibly not IF the state in question amended its constitution to allow it.
Or, worse, it may be able to be argued now that the way a state constitution reads today may not specifically reserve the right to vote to US citizens, as it pertains to non-federal elections.
My brother-in-law is Australian and spends several months a year in the US and has a home in the US, pays taxes etc. I don’t think he has anymore right to vote in our elections than I do in Australian elections. The right to vote comes with citizenship period. This idea is asinine and unconstitutional.
I would hope that a Constitutional challenge would be made.
They may vote stupidly?
Liberals never tire of screwing this country.
Of course there’s nothing in it for them.
For Federal elections to be sure, but wouldn’t a state be able to do what they want for their elections?
I think I would trade a non-citizen who pays taxes and is a permanent resident for a citizen who does not pay taxes and only uses tax money.
But, they lack that vital thing; citizenship. Sorry, but some things simply must be reserved to the citizens. Certain things such as voting are a privilage, not a right. Just because someone lives here doesn't mean that they are entitled to everything that the citizens have. They're allowed to stay here and work, and they should be thankful for it, not whining for more.
Insanity.
There are also PROPERTY situations where the owners, irrespective of where they live, are given a vote.
That seems to be the motive here ~ and I imagine there are beaucoup Canadians who own outlots here and there, and a moose or two, and they want to vote.
Now, regarding FEDERAL ELECTIONS, there are federal laws that most likely restrict the extent this sort of thing is going to happen.
Same thing with my GF who is a green-card holder from Canada. She pays taxes here in America and that’s good enough for her.
By the bizarre standard of this article the billions of tax payers in Red China should have a vote in the US because it is, after all, their money keeping Obama’s America afloat.
This is just more evidence of the self evident fact that the left is an anti-democratic, authoritarian, facist movement that will stop at nothing to get what it wants.
These LIB/Asshat/Moonclowns want noncitizens to vote when at the same time they succeed often in not letting citizens who are in the military vote???!!! Insanity, I tell you! LIBs are surely in need of life-long incarceration.
That was my thought as well. If a state wants to allow non-citizens to vote for state offices, that is a state issue, and frankly, I don’t care. If they try to give non-citizens the right to vote in elections that are considered federal in impact (House, Senate, Presidential), then I expect immediate lawsuits challenging those laws.
Are you effing $hitting me ??? Who in their right mind would even consider some BS like this ??
Ah, dumbass question. My Bad.
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