Posted on 11/03/2004 4:12:31 AM PST by 4.1O dana super trac pak
PHOENIX - Arizona voters approved a contoversial measure its supporters claim may do something about those who cross the border illegally.
Late results Tuesday showed Proposition 200 passing by a comfortable margin. The move came despite the fact that foes outspent supporters during the campaign by a factor of close to 2-1.
'snip'
Proposition 200 will require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and display of some type of identification when casting a ballot.
It also mandates that public employees verify the "immigration status" of applicants for "public benefits>' Workers who ignore the law would be subject to four month jail terms.
The big fight is likely to come in what constitutes "public benefits," a term not defined in the initiative.
(Excerpt) Read more at azstarnet.com ...
First, on the priviledges and immunities clause, you need to read the Slaughterhouse Cases.
Second, the law is specific enough to understand its intent and how it is to be applied. Everyone knows what a non-federally mandated public benfit is. It does not mention specific benefts, but such specificity is not necessary in a common law system such as ours.
That's okay -- we'll just appeal to the Supreme Court where our wonderful President will have appointed a good Constitutional Law Judge..
For the third time, we have a common law system and not a continental system.
That will be hard to do with Specter as head of the Judiciary Committee.
Yes it does.
Which we ALL need to push Frist to not let happen.
The Prop 200 crowd has been in touch with organizers in other states. Bottom line: in a state referendum, don't try to change Federal law. Don't try to fiddle with the State Constitution and try to avoid changing existing State laws. That's where you're asking for a plague of lawyers to descend upon you.
Instead, work with what laws you already have on the books and find ways to make the state enforce them.
Prop 200 did not get written overnight. Several months were spent just creating a good working draft. Then it was given to the Arizona Legislature's own legal counsel with instructions that it be tested to destruction. The legal counsel provided a number of good tweaks. After that, it was passed to a number of the best legal minds in this country for further study. A couple more tweaks were added and it went to the ballot.
The opposition to Prop 200 was half-hearted at best. The other side knows this is bad ju-ju and will not even try to state the real reasons for their opposition. Instead they call it mean-spirited and divisive, racist, xenophobic, and all the other fun words.
I should admit that the opposition was kept way off balance by a couple of really draconian bills in the legislature. One would have piled all sorts of state penalties on any employer caught knowingly or very negligently employing illegal aliens. Fines, temporary shutdowns, permanent revokation of business licences -- all sorts of fun stuff.
That set them to yammering six times louder than Prop 200 ever did. It also splintered the state GOP and led to a grassroots revolt that is still ongoing.
Works for me
I need to get this info into the proper hand (alas, none of them California Republicans)
Coffee, Orange Juice and Sweet Rolls?
There is a vast literature out there in economics and finance which documents that common law systems are much more conducive to economic growth and development than continental legal systems.
"Proposition 200 will require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and display of some type of identification when casting a ballot."
This strikes me as really, really significant. Now, will it be enforced?
GOOD!...Maybe the dorks in Washington will get the message that the overwhelming majority of people in this country want immmigration reform...
Voters only. Most of the politicians, INCLUDING the "Republicans", were against Prop 200.
The citizen may have spoken--that is until the ACLU shows up.
Read later. (I swear)
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