FR Exclusive: Jeb answers questions about his support of drivers licenses for undocumented workers

Jeb's emails to FR poster, summer | April 6, 2004 | Jeb Bush

[summer]

Note to FR, from summer:

FYI -- I am posting here below: (1) an email I sent to Gov Bush today, (2) his email response to me, and (3) another email response he directed to me, and you, from his office.

As most people here know (because I wrote about it at length on FR), I previously had a long dialogue with Gov Bush about education, via email. And, at times, I have emailed him about issues of concern to people on FR.

Consequently, this is another exclusive for you.

summer

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Email #1, from me to Gov Bush, today:

-----Original Message-----

From: [summer]
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 3:11 PM
To: Jeb Bush
Subject: FR person's fax to you

FR Person's fax to you

Gov Bush, I'm sending a copy of this to you, as suggested in the headline, so that if you want to respond online, to the people reading it, let me know and I will post it for you. [summer]

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Email #2, from Gov Bush to me, in response to above:

----- Original Message -----

From: Jeb Bush
To: [summer]
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 6:54 PM
Subject: RE: FR person's fax to you

[summer], I will get [my office] to respond to you.

Jeb

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Email #3, directed by Gov Bush to me and you, from his office, to all here:

----- Original Message -----

From: [Gov Bush's office]
To: 'Jeb Bush'; [summer]
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 7:25 PM
Subject: RE: FR person's fax to you

[summer] --

I hope the below Q&A is helpful. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Best,

[Gov Bush's office]

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Florida Safe Driving Act

[1] Why give driver licenses to undocumented aliens?

Florida has no power over immigration and naturalization issues, but it does have a duty to protect the safety of its citizens. Allowing Florida’s more than 400,000 illegal aliens to obtain a driver license under very strict conditions will increase safety on our roads and highways. It will boost compliance with Florida’s auto registration and insurance laws.

Also, a separate provision in the bill makes it easier for people with visas to renew their Florida driver licenses. Many individuals from outside the country visit Florida annually for an extended period of time. The new law allows them to renew their licenses every two years, rather than having it automatically expire every time they leave the country.

[2]Why wouldn’t the state just deport the aliens once they have verified their identity?

Under Federal law, no state has the power to deport anyone; it is exclusively the domain of the Federal government.

[3]What does the bill require?

This bill creates some of the highest verification standards in the country. It has more than 15 requirements for approval, and it requires the consulates to provide the applicant’s documentation to the state of Florida.

Aliens would be required to:

Ø show an identification card with digital image that has been produced with standards that would prevent counterfeiting;

Ø provide a second form of identification;

Ø submit fingerprints to the state; and

Ø agree to a criminal background check from their country of origin, the state of Florida and the United States.

The bill creates a mechanism for Florida to work with foreign consulates to approve a stringent means by which to verify the alien’s identity and ensure the consulate is not issuing a duplicate ID. Any consulate that cannot meet these verification standards will not be able to participate in the program.

Among the requirements consulates must show:

Ø documentation that the applicant has not been convicted, or is wanted of a crime equal to a felony in his home country;

Ø a certified copy of the applicant’s official driving record from home country;

Ø certification that the form of identification is legitimate;

Ø certification that the underlying documents used to issue identification are legitimate; and

Ø certification that the home country has security system in place to prevent multiple issuance of identification cards to the same individual.

[4] Who does this bill not apply to?

Aliens from countries on the U.S. State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism are prohibited from applying, as are those who are subject to an order of deportation. Felons cannot apply nor can aliens who cannot establish presence in the state for at least six months in the past five years.

[5] How does this differ from California law?

First, California law did not exclude applicants from the list of countries maintained by the U.S. Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism. In addition, California did not require state and national criminal background checks, nor did it provide procedures in conjunction with foreign consulates to verify identity and criminal backgrounds with an applicant’s home country.

[6] Where will the licenses be valid?

The licenses are valid in Florida only, for two years. They will have a distinct look from standard driver licenses.

[7]How will the bill be implemented?

Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will be responsible for adopting stringent procedures and coordinating with the consulates to ensure verifications of identity and background history of aliens. Consulates will have to provide certifications of the processes they have in place to establish identity of their citizens who apply. If a consulate does not meet these standards, their citizens will be prohibited from applying.

[8]What are the benefits of issuing the licenses?

First and foremost, this bill promotes safety by requiring that aliens pass driving tests before they get on the road. It will also boost compliance with Florida’s auto registration and insurance laws. Increasing the number of insured drivers is an enormous benefit to all on the road. Currently, a licensed driver who gets into an auto accident with an unlicensed alien has no means to recover damages against the uninsured alien.

There are also law enforcement benefits; a database of licensed drivers helps law enforcement verify the identity of a driver who is pulled over. Unlicensed, undocumented aliens currently are not part of this database.

[Xenalyte]

I don't imply that it's easy. I state that nothing stands in the way of anyone doing it correctly. If they find a language barrier, it is up to them to learn the language before they move here. If they can't afford legal fees, they need to save before they incur them.

[Libertina]

LOL Then I'll just warn him, I have a great background and am fully capable of getting rolling exactly what I proposed. ;)

[summer]

Re your post #77 - The short answer is: a lot. Not only in terms of money, but in terms of time, in training teachers to use methods that can reach a student who does not speak English. That's why FL's gains in education are truly remarkable, because we have a very difficult population to deal with in the schools down here.

But, I will tell you something else: people on this forum often bring that point up, and do not seem to realize the US Supreme Court made a decision requiring school districts to teach illegals. A school district can not "turn them away" as many posters here constantly suggest. I do not know the exact case to cite, but I recall reading about it when a superintendent in some other state refused to register the children of illegals. He was reprimanded due to that existing federal decision. So, in short, don't blame it all on me! :)

[summer]

You're obviously a troll.

I'll let others respond to you on that. I can see you've missed a lot of my posts, including other threads from Gov Bush on other issues.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Do you agree that, generally speaking, incentives work? Do you agree that these DLs will provide an incentive to illegal aliens? Do you agree that providing DLs to illegal aliens will make it easier to live in Florida as an illegal alien? Do you agree that that will increase the number of illegal aliens who want to come to Florida?

For instance, if Florida makes it easier to be an illegal alien, and Georgia makes it more difficult to be an illegal alien, then all things considered illegal aliens will be more likely to go to Florida than Georgia, correct?

Do you agree that blaming the lack of federal enforcement or jurisdictional issues is just passing the buck?

Do you agree that this sends a horrible message that breaking our laws is OK, and that our borders are nothing more than lines on a map?

Do you agree that having driver's licenses will increase the number of other documents an illegal alien can get? I.e., these driver's licenses will serve as breeder documents.

Do you agree that this will increase the likelihood of illegal aliens voting in your elections? Do you think the illegal alien recipients of these licenses will vote for you?

Do you trust the consulates of Mexico and other countries? Will you take the word of, for instance, the consulates of Pakistan or Saudi Arabia that someone checks out?

How much in campaign contributions have you received from Florida growers, meat processors, the housing industry, and the insurance industry?

[summer]

At a minimum that should mean that they file the necessary paperwork to be here legally under whatever status that might be, or they should be required to leave.

See, this is what I think, too, Dog - that the steps towards becoming a LEGAL citizen should be talked about more. Not a "guest worker" and not an illegal with "rights" but an actual citizen. And that doesn't mean I think everyone who applies should be granted citizenship. Who should and who shouldn't and why may be a more productive debate, in terms of an outcome satisfactory to all.

[summer]

How much in campaign contributions have you received from Florida growers, meat processors, the housing industry, and the insurance industry?

Well, I personally have received none, since I have no interest in running for office! I assume your question here is thus directed to Gov Bush, as is the rest of your post #85.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here, lonewacko_dot_com.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

One more question, in Jeopardy form for a change of pace:

A. 8%. Just eight percent.

Q. What is the percentage of CA recall voters who were somewhat or much more likely to vote for former Governor Davis because he signed Gil Cedillo's anti-American bill.

[summer]

Re your post #82 - Libertina, Knowing all you do here, I bet you could pull it off! :)

[summer]

Thanks summer. I appreciate Jeb (or someone) taking the time to fully respond to the question.

Thanks, baseballmom. And I appreciate your very thoughtful post #78.

[Labyrinthos]

Pardon, but these are ILLEGALS who've already shown a propensity to disregard law - both state and federal. Why would you or Gov. Bush think they would even try to comply with so many OTHER requirements?

This is pretty funny stuff. Althought I appreciate the Gov's response, the rationale is silly. Like you said, I really doubt that illegals are going to take the time to obtain a license that is different from the license issued to legals, thereby providing them with documented proof of the very facts that they probably want to hide.

[evilC]

I know about the "can not turn them away" rule. I just cannot understand the logic of it.

Perhaps, if people understood just how much that "cheap lettuce" actually cost, the voters might encourage the legislators to do something other than PC nonsense like giving them driving licenses.

BTW, and this is not specifically addressed to you, if we can have an instant background check for gun buyers, why not for employers?

[summer]

I really doubt that illegals are going to take the time to obtain a license that is different from the license issued to legals, thereby providing them with documented proof of the very facts that they probably want to hide.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here, Labyrinthos.

[summer]

I just cannot understand the logic of it.

All I can say is once you have a decision like that - all these other issues follow. The kid is now in school, the parents need to drive, and work, etc. If the student was never in school, it might become an incentive to turn around and go back to the native country, but, that is not the case here. The student IS in school. And, then you have issues X,Y,Z, etc.

[summer]

if we can have an instant background check for gun buyers, why not for employers?

You lost me here - do you mean for employers of undocumented workers?

[pooh fan]

Illegal aliens should not be allowed to become citizens b'cuz by rewarding law breakers, there is no longer an incentive for anyone to abide it on numerous other seemingly harmless issues: gathering eagle feathers in Alaska (yes, this is a crime in Alaska that carries a heavy penalty) paying off student loans...

[summer]

Thanks for your post, pooh fan.

[ladyinred]

Thanks summer. I did see the thread yesterday and was upset about it as stated. I have read Governor Bush's response, and I can say that in spite of what was posted here, it is distinctly different from the one Gov. Davis had here in California. I do think some of what Jeb says makes sense, and I especially think that security issues are addressed in this, something that was missing in California. What do you think. or are you still absorbing it all?

[summer]

Hi ladyinred, Thanks very much for your post.

I am still thinking about it, but knowing what I know about Gov Bush and his concern for FL, and his record as governor, I am certain that: (1) security is very much on his mind; and (2) he is extremely interested in hearing from his base on this. Right now, that is all I know for sure about this matter. So, I really appreciate people taking the time to honestly post here, because I know many, many people on FR have good hearts and minds.

And, frankly, posts like yours help to keep this discussion as civil as possible! :)

[Libertina]

LOLOL it's a project so big it would take lots of people and supporters, but it certainly would be great to be on the team! :)