Posted on 07/26/2004 3:34:08 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO - Republican Senate candidate Bill Jones railed on Monday against a ballot measure that would grant non-citizens here the right to vote in school board elections, calling it a "slap in the face" to U.S. citizenship and the country's immigration laws.
Speaking on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, the former secretary of state said the charter amendment would violate the California Constitution and erode public confidence in the electoral process. He said encouraging immigrants to become citizens is the best way to expand voter participation.
"I will vehemently oppose any attempt to grant Californians' precious right to vote to anyone who is not a citizen," said Jones, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in this fall's election.
Jones criticized Boxer for remaining silent on the issue, but Boxer said Monday that she also opposes giving non-citizens the right to vote.
"I believe the right to vote should remain tied to citizenship," Boxer, who is attending the Democratic National Convention in Boston, said in a statement. "We need to get more people on the path to citizenship, instead of trying to change our election laws and our Constitution."
Boxer said the initiative grew out of parents wanting better educations for their children and that she is working in the Senate to secure more resources for schools.
Jones said that if the measure passes and winds up in the courts, he will write a legal brief opposing it and fight it in the U.S. Senate should he win the race against Boxer.
By a 9-2 vote last week, the Board of Supervisors agreed to place a charter amendment on the November ballot that would give parents or guardians of students at public schools the right to vote in school board races. The measure passed even though the city attorney said it would likely be challenged in the courts because the state constitution requires voters to be U.S. citizens.
Supporters say giving immigrants limited voting rights would further democratize society.
!!!
A Bill Jones sighting?
:-]
I'm on break from the 'RatFest.
I almost fell over when I saw it.
What has it come to when a subject like this actually has credibility rather than being assumed from "The Onion"?
"What has it come to when a subject like this actually has credibility"
Don't know, but if it passes, I'll be soliciting votes from state residents all over the Heartland :)
The bottom line. He had better say this LOUD and often. Big BUMP
Heck 15 points between Babs and Bill? Jones could win this thing yet. ;-)
OOPs,, sorry I must have taken some of TahRayZaa's meds by mistake. ;-)
Is he running much of a campaign? I haven't heard much from him at all.
When is his campaign going to kick into high gear?
He's pretty much been the Invisible Man. I really have no idea when he's going to start a campaign. I looked on his website a couple of days ago under "events", there was one listed, it was July 17th. There was a rally a couple of days ago, and the only way I knew about it was because there was a thread here about it.
Yep. Babs is vulnerable. I'm sure she's shaking in her Jimmy Choo's.
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