Posted on 07/21/2004 11:14:44 AM PDT by Smogger
SAN JOSE, Calif. - (KRT) - The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to place a controversial ballot measure on the November ballot that could make the city the first in California to allow non-citizens to vote in local school board elections.
Under the proposed charter amendment change, parents or guardians of children in San Francisco schools - including undocumented immigrants - would be allowed to vote.
"I believe this is important because it further democratizes our society," said board president Matt Gonzalez, author of the initiative. The board voted 9-2 to place the measure on the ballot for a city vote.
But Supervisor Fiona Ma, one of two supervisors who voted against the measure, said she opposed it because she believes only U.S. citizens should have the right to vote.
"We start going down a slippery slope when we start giving special privileges," Ma said. "There is no question that improving our schools should be a priority for this body. But expanding voting rights to non-citizens does nothing to further those ends."
San Francisco has attempted to extend voting rights to non-citizens in the past. In 1996, a state judge struck down an attempt by some residents to allow non-citizens to vote in all municipal elections. The judge ruled that the proposal conflicted with the California constitution, which requires U.S. citizenship to vote.
Supporters of the new ballot measure said they are confident that this time, with the narrow focus on local school board elections, the proposal will stand up to a legal challenge.
"It's important because it integrates residents of the city who are disenfranchised in the decision-making process in schools," said Carlo Petroni, a founder of Movimiento de los derechos des inmigrantes, (Movement for Immigrant Rights), a San Francisco group that's campaigning to get the ballot measure approved. "It's good policy and it's good government."
This is in November? Is it scheduled the same day as the national elections? If so, how would you prove that illegal aliens are not able to vote on that too?
Sorry, Carlo. This just gives ILLEGAL immigrants a say in the decision-making process which will ultimately affect the children of LEGAL immigrants and citizens. I f*cking hate liberals.
Idiot Bastardos. You should hang your traitorous heads in shame. Any American citizen who would be a part of this should be tried for outright treason.
C'mon now, the San Francisco Gay Community is probably very eager to see that these illegal alien children are properly 'reared'.
LOL!
Can you imagine what would happen to an American citizen who was attempting anything like this in another nation..say the Bahamas for instance. They'd be laughed [or expelled] right out of the country.
This is all I can say now without getting myself banned or breaking my keyboard.
If these people, and their supportive politicians, want the Next Civil War, they will soon get their wish.
All I see when I read that sentence is "There are 9 people who should be in jail this evening, and 2 who shouldn't be."
And how would they know which voters get to vote on local-only as opposed to US citizens? Sounds like a very useful list to me.
By 1928, voting at every level had been restricted to United States citizens.
That remained true until 1992, when the town of Takoma Park, Md., passed a measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. Since then, four other towns in Maryland have followed suit.
Two communities in Massachusetts, Cambridge and Amherst, have passed similar measures, but have been blocked from implementing them by the absence of enabling state legislation. snip
Maybe that's actually the point. A subterfuge to get all the illegals into the voting booth with no harassment so no potential 'Crap voters get "disenfranchised".
Since nearly every single measure I vote on in San Francisco goes the opposite way I vote, I expect this one will pass.
I know it's hard for people to believe that something like this could pass, if they don't live here.
PC idiots really get under my skin.
CG....don't even get me started on that one...if I start, every 4-letter word I know will come out and then some. i.e: "Please excuse me, wouldn't want to f'n offend anyone in telling the truth."
"Why don't they send absentee ballots to the world. The world has a right to vote in SF."
ROTFL. Great example of illustrating absurdity with absurdity! This is the type of comment that makes Free Republic such an awesome place!
Private email me and let it out. It's good for the soul.
When are we going to saw SF off and send it to sink in the Pacific? They are positively retarded. To even consider giving non-citizens the right to make decisions for our country is beyond stupid.
"Senorita, I am here in your country illegally and I wish to vote really fast before the posse comes to get me, so please give me a voting ballot -- in Spanish please
Thanks. My comments usually get me flamed. Actually the best way to expose a farse is to amplify it. Non-citizens have no right to decide how or where we spend OUR money. If they don't like that they can, GO HOME.
Yeah, well...pretty simple power politics. The SF lefties have such a tight grip on local politics they can now make a play to grab control of the local edumacation system forever.
All the illegals will be rounded up and sent to the polls to vote for the favorite commies and queers. No one else will have a chance. Ipso facto, local schools become re-education camps and homo factories.
Too late, Santa Cruz is right next door and we KNOW how THEY are, it's a disease. The only cure is most likely WMD oriented.
Seriesly, LOL!!!
You must be "white".< sarcasm on>
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