Licenses for lawbreakers (illegal immigrants) -- the sequel (California)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | June 6, 2004 | Debra J. Saunders

[FairOpinion]

FORGET THE HYPE and the threats and the rumors about a deal brewing in Sacramento. California is not going to enact a bill to allow illegal immigrants to apply for driver's licenses this year or anytime soon.

SB60 author Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, proclaimed that the Legislature's about-face was a good thing because the new governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had agreed to work with him on a bill this year that would be more acceptable to voters.

Did Cedillo actually believe that? At the time, I figured that Cedillo and his supporters were running away from the bill in order to save their own sorry political skins -- and that they had to know that Schwarzenegger, no fool, would not sign on to such an unpopular measure. They just pretended to believe there was a deal to save face.

[FairOpinion]

She is right on.

The Dems were spreading disinformation about Arnold being willing to sign a new bill, and many so-called conservatives here eagerly believed the lying Dems.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Cedillo's office did not answer my requests for an interview before my deadline, but when we talked last year, Cedillo claimed that the motive behind his measure was to "restore highway safety."

So nice that she fed him extra line so the hook could sink in deeper. This is all about erasing the last distinction between true citizens and "residents" who owe their allegiance to a foreign power. That they feel allegiance to a government who effectively forced them out displays how culturally different they are from us, for I don't know any Americans who'd feel that way under the same circumstances.

[spokeshave]

Sounds like Arnie is playing chess while the rats are at checkers.

shadenfreude + strategery = stratenshadenfreudery

[spokeshave]

Hold on..adjusting tag line......positioned for re-entry........dilithium xtals to full power...

[seastay]

Cedillo claimed that the motive behind his measure was to "restore highway safety." Methinks if that were his true goal, Cedillo would have increased penalties for those who drive without a license or without insurance. Instead, he is poised to wink at the practice.

I only wish this rebuttal would be made more often in the press, rather than just repeating Cedillo's talking points.

One idea I heard that had been floated was to have tax payers pay for illegal immigrant insurance, yet if we just eliminated the middle man, the government, we already are paying for their insurance, it's called uninsured motorists!

For sure the cost of the uninsured would increase 10 fold if more people who refused to obey the laws , e.g. immigration laws, are invited here to drive and have legal status, since they broke the law to come here to begin with, why would anybody believe they would all of sudden start obeying the law and buy insurance !

[FairOpinion]

"When Team Arnold floated the idea of marking illegal immigrants' driver's licenses to show they are not legal residents, Cedillo complained to reporters that the very notion "invites discrimination." Actually, immigration law demands discrimination as it prohibits employers from hiring illegal immigrants. "

Arnold is making a requirement, that the Dems will never go for, and Arnold will never go for the Dem version.

The Dems real objective is to erase the difference between legal and illegal immigrants, Arnold, wants to make sure this will not happen.

[Bigg Red]

BTT!

[FairOpinion]

PING for the real story on this.

HINT: Arnold is NOT going to sign it.

[NormsRevenge]

Governor (Schwarzenegger) upbeat on license bill

[FairOpinion]

As I and author is saying -- that is media hype and strategery on Arnold's part.

Arnold makes requirement, which the Dems will never accept, and Arnold will never sign the Dem version.

[Old Professer]

Tn has a new bad law to fix the old bad law to fix the problem of illegal alien drivers; the new law gives them a certificate that looks like a license that allows them to drive (available the 1st of July) but has printed across the front, "Not for Identification."

What makes the new bad law worse than the old bad law that simply gave real licenses to unreal people is that somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the LEOs in the state plan to run these certificate people in if they have no other form of I.D.

Almost makes one believe in democracy and the milk of human dumbness.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

the Los Angeles Times poll found that 38 percent of Latino voters strongly opposed giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

This is what mainstream Republicans miss. To wit, Americans of Latino origin are.. well, Americans.

In 1994 when Prop 187 qualified for the ballot just over 50 percent of Americans of Latino origin were for it. After months of TV lies the numbers fell but still some thirty percent of Americans of Latino origin voted for it. It passed by nearly sixty percent. Americans of Latino origin are Americans. Pass it on. California Republicans routinely get at least thirty percent of those Americans' votes, dem Rats get the rest plus the ILLEGALS' votes.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

(To add to my #12, what good does it do Republicans to bend over for ILLEGALS? I singled out Latinos. About half of the ILLEGALS are from south of the border and the President seems to concentrate on favoring them; but "ILLEGALS" of course includes them all.)

In 1994 Prop 187 passed by nearly sixty percent. Everywhere I looked in those days leading up to the election I saw "Save Our State." Some forty percent of the people who voted that year did so just to vote for Prop 187. It was really hot and the anti-Prop 187 TV ads were vicious lies, mostly.

Prop 187 was never court tested beyond the lowest court. A deal worked out by opponents and Dufus killed it.

Ten years later son of Prop 187 that merely required obeying federal law was hardly noticed. Conservative talkshow hosts except for the few are star-struck by Arnold and refused to support it. It failed to get enough signatures to qualify.

We've gone from "Hell No! No licenses for ILLEGALS!" to "What color should they be?"

Candidate Schwarzeneger made it clear that he was against SB60 and amnesty but he was for helping "undocumented immigrants" in every way possible. I have heard him say (Sac. TV ch 19) and seen his quotes that there will be licenses for "undocumented immigrants."

He is just yanking Cedillo's chain? Then what kind of character has the man?

[Amerigomag]

Somehow he (Cedillo) and his pals in Sacto don't share the voters' outrage that lawmakers would pass a law to reward lawbreakers.

Wrong!

Cedillo does share the outrage of the voters in his Senate district. They are, by a large plurality, the consequences of illegal immigration and are outraged that they, their parents, their siblings, their aunts and their uncles are being denied the American dream over a matter so small as the rule of law. They simply want the governor to defy such trivial federal and state laws.

[Pelham]

SB60 ping

[Sabertooth]

The Dems were spreading disinformation about Arnold being willing to sign a new bill, and many so-called conservatives here eagerly believed the lying Dems.

In your haste, you must not have read more than your excerpt.

From your very own Debra Saunders article:

When Team Arnold floated the idea of marking illegal immigrants' driver's licenses to show they are not legal residents, Cedillo complained to reporters that the very notion "invites discrimination." Actually, immigration law demands discrimination as it prohibits employers from hiring illegal immigrants.

You understand the significance of floating such a proposal, don't you?

Had the Democrats accepted, are you saying Arnold wouldn't have signed the compromise his own team proposed?

Another question...

How did the Democrats get Schwarzenegger spokeswoman to repeatedly indicate that there are circumstances under which Schwarzenegger would sign an Illegal Alien CDL bill?

Margita Thompson, the GOP governor's spokeswoman, declined Tuesday to discuss any details of the closed-door talks.

But Thompson said generally that the governor has a responsibility to ensure that any legislation granting licenses to illegal immigrants contains adequate safeguards.

She said Schwarzenegger is not satisfied that Cedillo's newly amended bill, SB 1160, adequately addresses security concerns.

"So he does not support Senator Cedillo's bill," she said.
License plan's hurdle: Listing illegal status
Sacramento Bee | June 2nd, 2004

In other words, Schwarzennegger doesn't support Cedillo's bill as written, because it doesn't contain the background checks the Governor wants. This is a reiteration of the postition Schwarzenegger staked out during the CA Recall campaign.

More comments from Schwarzenegger's spokeswoman:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met on Thursday with the Democratic Latino Caucus in an attempt to hammer out a compromise on the issue. Although both sides described the talks as "fruitful," the negotiations failed to produce an agreement on security and background checks, the governor's top concerns.

A spokeswoman for the governor said he will stand firm on the issue of background checks. "We have to make sure the people are who they say they are, so therefore public safety and national security are paramount concerns," said Margita Thompson, a spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger.

Caucus members went into the negotiations with concerns that the governor might be backing off a promise to seek a solution to make licenses available to undocumented immigrants. Those involved in the meeting indicated the Schwarzenegger had put those fears to rest. "The governor did say to the three of us today that he was committed to ensuring that we provide driver's licenses to undocumented persons, so long as we address the security concerns that have been expressed," said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles.
Compromise Sought on Immigrant License Issue
News 10 | May 31st, 2004

Once again, according to Margita Thompson, Schwarzenegger's opposition to Illegal Alien CDLs was based on background checks, not on rejection of the idea outright.

"Work still needs to be done before the governor can support any legislation on this matter," said Margita Thompson, his press secretary.

Schwarzenegger and Cedillo are wrestling over how to verify passports or consular-issued identification cards that could be used to obtain a license.
Sparring begins as driver license measure debuts
San Diego Union-Tribune | June 2nd, 2004

The reason that doesn't sound like "there is no way Governor Schwarzenegger will ever sing an Illegal Alien CDL bill" is because that's not Schwarzenegger's postion.

On Tuesday, however, spokeswoman Margita Thompson said Schwarzenegger would oppose Cedillo's bill as written. Thompson stopped short of saying Schwarzenegger would veto the bill, because administration staff members are still working toward a compromise.
Migrant driver's licenses proposed: (CA) Governor (Arnold) opposes new bill
Orange County Register | June 2nd, 2004 (FR link)

So, while Arnold might not be willing to sign this bill at this time, he's still clearly willing to sign an Illegal Alien CDL bill that meets his requirements. As he's always said he would.

As I've always said he said he would.

[SierraWasp]

"...and many so-called conservatives here eagerly believed the lying Dems."

And I'm absolutely certain you're not referring to me, but I'll tell you... Debra Saunders has gotten things really, really wrong a few times. So much so that they occasionally discuss it with her on KSFO radio.

So, although I suspect you could be right, just don't lean your life earning power on Debra Saunder's sometimes fallible opinions. Otherwise, you'll become as shocked and stunned as she was by something political quite recently. I can't remember the specifics, but I do remember her being fed crow by KSFO personalities over it.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: "many so-called conservatives here eagerly believed the lying Dems."

After hearing (Sacramento talk show host) Eric Hogue say that one too many times I stopped listening and went back to KSFO.

Like Mr. Hogue I am sure FairOpinion means it. It's no different than John Kerry intimating that we are not intelligent enough to understand nuances in his comments IMO.

Many here and elsewhere have documented the Governor's statements to no avail.

[DumpsterDiver]

Many here and elsewhere have documented the Governor's statements to no avail.

Let's suppose that Cedillo caves, the governor signs the bill, and the licenses for illegal aliens contains a mark identifying them as illegal. Don't you think that the ACLU would be all over this as being discriminatory?

[KC_for_Freedom]

Don't you think that the ACLU would be all over this as being discriminatory?

Sure they will. But if the illegals carried a card showing their status, it would be a very good step, You want to vote? but your card says you are here illegally, sorry.

You have caused an accident, aha, your license says you are a mexican citizen, you better come with me down to the station... we need to verify your insurance situation, and make sure you don't flee the state.