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Bid to block license law has immigrants on edge
NAPA News ^ | November 24, 2003 | DAVID RYAN

Posted on 11/24/2003 2:18:57 PM PST by yonif

Gabriel Ide lives in fear of being involved in a car accident.

The 19-year-old St. Helena resident drives his mother's minivan to his classes at Santa Rosa Junior College with more on his mind than the average driver.

One fender bender or stop by the police and the truth would be discovered: Ide does not have a driver license because he is not an American citizen.

Ide has lived in the country on a tourist visa since he was five years old. His father, a resident alien in the United States, and his mother both have legal Social Security numbers. But Ide is not his father's biological son and right now there is no path to legal status for him.

"My biggest fear is that somebody rear-ends me," Ide said. "I wouldn't know what to do if the police came."

Ide is caught in the crossfire of rapidly shifting state policy. In the weeks before the recall election, then-Gov. Gray Davis signed a measure, SB 60, that would allow non-residents to get driver licenses. But Davis' replacement, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has vowed to block the measure.

When Davis signed the law on Sept. 5, Ide's parents consulted an attorney to help him gather what he needs to apply for his license when the law takes effect on Jan. 2: A Mexican identification card, his birth certificate and an Internal Revenue Service tax identification number designed for foreign investors.

Proponents say the new law will make the roads safer by forcing undocumented residents like Ide to carry insurance and show they know how to drive in California. Republicans in the legislature say the law rewards illegal immigration and provides a dangerous security loophole for terrorists.

However, Republicans don't have large numbers in Sacramento and they don't control the committees that grant life or death to proposed laws.

"What we do have," said Bill Bird, communications director for State Sen. Rico Oller (R-San Andreas), "is a new sheriff in town by the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger."

During his first week in office, Schwarzenegger called for special sessions of the legislature to tackle the state budget, worker's compensation reform and SB 60.

Bird said Schwarzenegger personally instructed Oller to lead the fight against SB 60. Last week, Oller introduced a senate bill to repeal the law.

Today, Oller's bill heads to the Democratically-controlled transportation committee.

It takes a two-thirds majority to overturn the law, requiring about 12 Democratic senators to switch sides. Bird is confident Republicans will be able to influence their Democratic colleagues by gathering signatures to place SB 60 on the statewide ballot.

"The referendum effort is the hammer behind this legislation," he said. "(Democrats) do not want to see this on the ballot, just as they did not want to see the recall on the ballot."

Bird said GOP petition pushers will work the crowds of bargain hunters outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving.

"The grassroots that got the recall going is the same grassroots that will get SB 60 on the ballot," Bird said.

Dan Savage, press secretary for east Los Angeles State Sen. Gil Cedillo, the author of SB 60, said he thought it would be a hard sell to win a majority of Democrats.

His boss is open to discussion of a compromise bill that would require background checks, but Schwarzenegger hasn't provided details about what kind of background checks he would accept, if any.

"From his perspective, (Schwarzenegger) doesn't have to offer too many details," Savage said. "He wants to repeal the law."

Added to the legislative furor are threats from the Internal Revenue Service that it will block anyone it knows wants to obtain a key tax identification number to obtain a California driver license.

Cedillo wrote SB 60 to require individual taxpayer identification numbers, or ITINs, as a replacement for Social Security numbers and a way to meet requirements of federal child support laws.

Jesse Weller, a spokesman for the IRS, said ITINs were originally intended for foreign investors with business interests in the United States. That way, not only could foreign business people pay U.S. taxes, but they could claim their spouses and children as dependents -- even if they are citizens of other countries.

Weller wouldn't go on the record to describe how the IRS would check on the identity and purpose of applicants for ITIN numbers. He would only say the IRS would pursue enforcement of tax violations.

Bernardo Mendez, a spokesman with the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco, indicated hope for the law among Latinos was waning.

Immediately after Gov. Davis signed the bill, he said interest in obtaining Mexican identification cards from the consulate jumped about 30 percent.

"In the beginning (Latinos) were enthusiastic, they were optimistic," he said. "But after two or three weeks they realized this law wouldn't be enacted."

Although the Mexican government has no official opinion on the issue, the idea of repealing SB 60 struck Mendez as unfortunate.

"All these people have the need of driving to work, because you know most of these people are workers," he said. "We haven't found that terrorists are coming from the Mexican border."

Neither fear of political changes nor the IRS has stopped Ide from pursuing his plans. He believes that on Jan. 2, he'll be able to apply for his licensee.

"I don't really drive that much just for pleasure, just for places I need to go," Ide said. "Basically it's going to take the load off my back, I can stop worrying so much. That's basically it. I'm a nervous wreck every time I hop in."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: aliens; illegalimmigrants; immigrantlist; immigrants; immigration; license
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To: yonif
In the beginning (Latinos) were enthusiastic, they were optimistic,"

It's funny how "latino" and "hispanic" have now become synonymous with "illegal alien". I know a lot of latino americans who weren't at all enthusiastic --- they aren't here illegally from Mexico and have their drivers licenses and auto insurance.

21 posted on 11/24/2003 4:27:52 PM PST by FITZ
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To: ibbryn
I've never understood why people think a**holes who drive with no licenses, registeration or insurance will pay $xxx for insurance just because we give them a free license.

Above all that, (which is valid)----How in the H#LL is this guy registered as a student at college. What status does it show on his college admittance???? He is a Calif citizen? He is an out of state student paying more? He is an illegal immigrant and the college doesn't charge him anything???? WHAT????? THIS IS MY TAX MONEY, and I CANNOT AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE.....I'm PI$$ED, as you can tell.
22 posted on 11/24/2003 4:28:32 PM PST by ridesthemiles (ridesthemiles)
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To: cookiedough
I know of a man who was in his 50s, having lived here since he was a baby, illegally. He was deported to his native country. He didn't speak any language except English, knew no one in that country, and had to leave his family behind, they being U.S. born American citizens.

Why did he ignore the 1980's amnesty? Certainly he could have applied for legal amnesty then --- millions of people rushed over the border to get in on that who had never before stepped foot in the USA and didn't speak a word of English. What stopped your friend then? It'd be pretty rare to meet an illegal who only spoke English --- there might be a rare one --- but certainly isn't the norm.

23 posted on 11/24/2003 4:31:47 PM PST by FITZ
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To: FITZ
they aren't here illegally from Mexico and have their drivers licenses and auto insurance.

Proponents of SB60 are LYING. They keep saying warm and fuzzy things like "this will prove they know how to drive" and This will make sure drivers have insurance". Both are wrong.

Unless the rest of the vehicle code laws are changed in Calif, there is NO current provision that a DRIVER who gets a license has to show ANY proof of insurance. The proof of insurance goes with the REGISTRATION of the car only. Even with that proviso, car owners will get insurance, show the "Proof" to get their car tags, and cancel the insurance. Hence- car is on the road with no insurance. Ask your insurance agent about this wonderful phenomonem.
As for being a better driver, the test to drive is very basic at best. The written test is given in I don't know how many languages, and the road signs are in English. I don't know how any of these people find a road or stay out of trouble driving as much as they do.
I do know one thing: My "Uninsured Driver" portion of my auto insurance used to be about $1.00 /month. Now it is $4.00 + /month on each of my vehicles and trailers. Truck (76 Chevy dually), car (79 Buick wagon), 2 horse trlr(1974), and 4 horse trlr(2001), means I currently pay prox $16.00 + /month for UNINSURED DRIVERS alone. I don't even want to ask my agent what it would be after Jan 04 if this bill doesn't get stomped into the dirt.
Drivers Licenses are good for 5 years, and are automatically renewed if you have no activity showing at DMV.
Since illegal immigrants by nature keep moving around and try to stay below the radar, where are the authorities going to find a bad driver who gets a ticket and leaves with the promise to appear in court? Spare me the BS of this whole issue. Cedillo can go back to Mexico and stop trying to impose this kind of legislation on Calif residents and the rest of the USA. JMO.
24 posted on 11/24/2003 4:43:00 PM PST by ridesthemiles (ridesthemiles)
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To: yonif
I have an idea: a reprise of Clinton's executive order granting expedited naturalization to people who served in the active-duty military during Gulf-War 1

Get something passed that, if you are an illegal, joining the military and serving 12 months in an active combat zone will get you naturalized. See how many take the US up on it, versus how many whine

25 posted on 11/24/2003 4:53:02 PM PST by SauronOfMordor (Java/C++/Unix/Web Developer === (Finally employed again! Whoopie))
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To: yonif
One fender bender or stop by the police and the truth would be discovered: Ide does not have a driver license because he is not an American citizen.

The author would do better not to begin his story with such an outright lie in the second sentence. My wife is not a U.S. citizen and she's had several U.S. State DLs - of course that might be because she and the millions of licensed non-citizens like her, are legal immigrants.

26 posted on 11/24/2003 4:57:50 PM PST by dagnabbit (Stop immigrating Islam. Don't let France happen to America.)
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To: VU4G10
Thanks for the heads up! It's now 10 to 1 against!

Do you think undocumented immigrants should be able to obtain a California drivers' license?
Choice Votes Percentage of 4932 Votes
Yes 439 9%
No 4454 90%
no op. 39 1%


27 posted on 11/24/2003 4:59:43 PM PST by 1ofmanyfree (Defend Our Borders - If they won't do it WE THE PEOPLE will!)
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To: RKV
But!
28 posted on 11/24/2003 6:04:00 PM PST by Conspiracy Guy (Ignorance can be corrected with knowledge. Stupid is permanent.)
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To: FITZ
Good point. I have no idea, and when the discussion came up about this man, I didn't ask my friend about it because it never crossed my mind.

Back to the discussion about the guy in the article, do you think that in his case, and others like it, the child should be deported even though the U.S. has been his home since he was 5 years old? He hadn't reached adulthood during the amnesty season.

29 posted on 11/24/2003 6:32:10 PM PST by cookiedough
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To: ReagansShinyHair
You are right, vis-a-vis the 50 year old guy.

But what about the case under discussion, in which the illegal immigrant is only 19 years old and has been here since he was 5. Should he have to pay for the sins of his mother?

To me, this is an important sub-issue because there are probably plenty of children living in the U.S. in the same circumstances.

As to whether illegal aliens should, per se, be permitted to have driver's licenses, I firmly think they should not. The issue about illegal immigrant children is a different one, and I branched out from the original topic.

30 posted on 11/24/2003 6:39:46 PM PST by cookiedough
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To: dagnabbit
Apparently the 19 year old's mother is here as a legal immigrant, since she has a social security number. The subject of the article is in a different position than most illegal immigrants, and he is not at personal fault for being in this position. His mother and putative stepfather are, however.

Nonetheless, using this kid to bolster an argument for giving illegals driver's licenses is spurious. The argument about the kid is what to do about folks in a similar position, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the driver's license issue.

If the kid gets to stay legally because of his circumstances, or he doesn't, either way the driver's license issue is resolved. He's legal, he gets a license. He's illegal, he doesn't. It's as simple as that, as pertains to the driver's license issue, IMHO.

31 posted on 11/24/2003 6:47:39 PM PST by cookiedough
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