Posted on 10/23/2007 9:59:26 AM PDT by xcamel
ALBANY -- Opponents of Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to allow illegal immigrants to gain driver's licenses turned up the pressure on the first-term Democrat on Monday, with Rensselaer County's elected clerk filing a private lawsuit, Assembly and Senate Republicans threatening taxpayer-funded litigation and several hundred citizens rallying against the governor's "unilateral" act.
"We are going to do everything that we can to keep that from happening," said Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, R-Brunswick, in supporting a bill passed Monday night to derail the governor's action.
Rensselaer County Clerk Frank Merola, a Republican, sued the state Department of Motor Vehicles in Albany County in an effort to block the governor's policy and, as Merola told demonstrators on the Capitol steps, "to stop this nonsense."
"The governor is not listening to the people; perhaps he may listen to the courts," Merola said. "New York residents have stated loudly and clearly that we are not in favor of giving licenses to illegal aliens and all we get from the governor are lectures on how we are wrong, and that if we were as smart as he was, we would understand and support this policy," Merola said.
Merola drew enthusiastic support from the crowd of about 200 people.
Holding a sign that read, "Don't Steamroll Our Safety," Richard Benz, 62, of Wyantskill said, "I voted for Spitzer. I regret it. Our country needs a lot more border protection."
"We're not against immigration. We're against illegal immigrants," said Karen Gilmore, 63, of Albany.
Spitzer, who met privately with Democratic lawmakers, some of whom also dislike the directive, insists it is legal and seemed undeterred by the heavy criticism and a recent poll showing more than 70 percent of New Yorkers dislike his licensing plan. He said he governs according to principle, not polls.
"That is part of the discourse we have on tough issues and that's wonderful, as it should be," Spitzer said. "Some of the rhetoric that has been imposed and brought into this issue is not only overheated but ... counterproductive."
Some of Spitzer's Democratic allies in the Senate minority and Assembly majority portrayed him as showing leadership amid fear-mongering and an undercurrent of racism.
Citing the use of fraudulent driver's licenses by the terrorists of Sept. 11, 2001, Bruno and other opponents charged that the governor's program will cause safety and security breaches and voter fraud.
Supporters said Spitzer's move will enhance security by bringing illegal immigrants out of the shadows. They denounced references to the World Trade Center terrorists.
"Racists ... are having a ball," said Sen. Rubin Diaz Sr., D-Bronx, adding that he was referring to people outside the Senate.
"There is no connection between immigration and terrorism," said Sen. Jose Serrano, D-Bronx.
He backed Spitzer's assertion that New York motorists would save $120 million because illegal immigrants who register their cars will become insured, an estimate from the state Insurance Department that opponents consider dubious.
Following more than three hours of arguments, a bill from Sen. Frank Padavan, R-Bellerose, passed along party lines, 33-19. The legislation would require applicants for driver's licenses and nondriver identification cards to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence in the United States.
A few Democrats in competitive districts voted with the Republicans, including Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Westchester County, David Valesky of Syracuse and Craig Johnson of Nassau County.
Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Bethlehem, said he sided with Spitzer despite opposition from his constituents because he believes extending driving privileges is the right thing to do, and Spitzer's opponents are "pandering to people's emotions."
In the Senate debate and in an Assembly GOP news conference, Republican lawmakers expressed outrage at the governor's failure to consult with them or the public before announcing on Sept. 21 a policy to grant licenses to New York's more than 500,000 illegal immigrants.
That could happen as early as December if an applicant can produce identification such as a passport or birth certificate. He would no longer need a Social Security number or a letter explaining why he lacks one.
Assembly Republicans plan to push today for legislation blocking the policy and providing immunity to county clerks who defy it. Although the effort is expected to fail in the Democratic-controlled chamber, Minority Leader James Tedisco said it could help expose Democrats who "have been hiding in the weeds on this issue."
Assemblyman David Townsend, R-Rome, said the Spitzer initiative is part of a conspiracy to get illegal immigrants registered as voters in time to vote for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., next year in the presidential primary and general election.
Under the conspiracy, he said, even "Senor Tedisco" could vote.
Spitzer suggested Townsend's comments are illogical. "A driver's license is not a ticket to voting," Spitzer said. M. Odato can be reached at 454-5083 or by e-mail at jodato@timesunion.com.
It's quite a list.
“The governor is not listening to the people; perhaps he may listen to the courts,” Merola said.
Not very likely.
That is EXACTLY what this sham is...a huge voting bloc for Hillary.
Not just Hillary. Upstate’s depopulating so fast, NYS may actually lose a couple of House seats after the next census. Families and jobs are leaving. ‘Rats and RINOs have run this state into the ground. They need warm bodies. Fast.
I guess the Governor has never heard of "motor voter" laws?
He's lying through his teeth. A license is all you need to sign up to vote with motor voter. Spitzer is such lying, arrogant, scum.
“There is no connection between immigration and terrorism,” said Sen. Jose Serrano, D-Bronx.
More revisionist history. None of the 19 terrorists on Sept. 11 were immigrants, and oh yea, illegal at that.
To all Republican legislators: Remember—keep this BIPARTISAN. It is about security, not immigration. The law, not politics. Seek out Democrat allies whenever possible and do not use words like “liberal” or “left-wing” is describing Spitzer and his allies. That is what he wants you to do to rally his base. Deny him that easy escape. Stick to the issue and draw on the public’s deep concern. Mention this is a “bipartisan issue” that “crosses party lines”. State that Spitzer is trying to “politicize nation security”, and that “Democrats and Republicans oppose this cynical ploy.”
Sheldon Silver needs to take the shovel away from Spitzer before he buries himself alive. NY State needs to amend its constitution to allow recall referenda.
Due to motor voter, it is included on the application for a drivers licence http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/forms/mv44.pdf as you can see by going to this page.
"Pay no attention to that Motor Voter thingie," Spitzer did not continue to say. No idea that show your license, cast a provisional ballot, and disappear back into the weeds means the vote counted, whether the illegal voter is caught or not. Oh wait, he has a perfect idea of what that means.
| All turd-worlders should be eligible for US welfare I have an idea for spreading more freedumb. See, some impoverished folks get to be born in nations connected by land to the biggest nation of bleeding heart liberals that ever existed. They can illegally enter America, never pay taxes, mooch off government benefits for the rest of their lives, have many children, and commit the crimes that Americans don't want to commit - all in relative safety. Tell me, can 20 million+ poor wretches from Africa or Asia do the same thing? How are they supposed to get their reward for breathing air? Billions of people live in poverty and need American welfare. $30 billion for AIDS in Africa isn't going to cut it, and granting amnesty+path to citizenship to tens of millions of illegal-immigrant Mexicans falls short by far. Anyway. I mean, the far-away people are just as entitled to these government benefits as border-hopping foreign nationals, right? I am sure that there are jobs that Americans only sorta want to do that these other poor people would be more than willing to do for $4 an hour - it is just that the geographic realities make it really hard. And let's not forget about the "sweat shop" labor and outsourcing of jobs - if these foreign nationals are indirectly working for America, should they not get things like food stamps, welfare, free primary and secondary education, racist university scholarships, pathways to citizenship (so they can vote Democrat), and free healthcare? Oh, you didn't know every American already has free health-care? All you have to do is show up at the emergency room of any hospital and they are forced to care for you, citizen or not, whether you can pay or not (and even if what ails you is not an emergency). Everything from the sniffles on up. Sometimes the money-tree owning federal government steps in with medicare/medicaid to repay the hospital, sometimes it does not. But they have to be careful - it seems a lot of hospitals in certain cities are closing down from what the right-wing extremists in charge, with their fancy-pants economics, call "uncompensated cost-overruns" (code for "corporate greed" or something I am sure). There I go again, off track. Anyway, I calculate that it will only cost America $5x10^13 to provide this new entitlement program for every turd-worlder (per year), roughly $166,000 per American per year. Throw in some UN assistance, and we might be able to drop that down to $165,000. Come on federal government, you keep spending money like FDR/Johnson at a bad idea factory. What, afraid it will destroy America? Since when has that ever been a concern? Get on it! This should be running smoothly by the time the Hildabeast and Captain Sink get back from the trailer park. That reminds me - what about diversity? There are so many tropical diseases and primitive traditions that America is lacking, and so many languages I do not have to choose from when I call up my representatives to implore them to stop telling me to go away and die quietly - at this rate, it is going to take more than 20 years for America to balkanize. This is unacceptable! |
TRULY Universal suffrage in 2008! (destroy America faster)
ping
“Sheldon Silver needs to take the shovel away from Spitzer before he buries himself alive. NY State needs to amend its constitution to allow recall referenda.”
No he doesn’t, we need to let Spitzer keep digging. He’s showing no signs at all of stopping. Rats are already saying that 2 races downstate are not at risk and that eventually so could Hillary if she doesn’t renounce this.
The illegal immigration issue and all things surrounding it are the best way to victory in 08.
Politicians
Unions
Environmentalists
Liberal Media
Homosexuals
Illegal Immigrants
Criminals
Terrorists
IV Drug Users
Mentally Retarded
Transvestites
Military
Private Property Owners
Unborn Children
Christians
Gun Owners
Smokers
Taxpayers
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