California Repeals Illegal Immigrant License Bill

[papau]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3919820

California Repeals Illegal Immigrant License Bill
Mon December 1, 2003 08:18 PM ET

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - In a victory for new Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Democratic-controlled California legislature on Monday repealed a controversial bill that granted driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

The 64 to 9 Assembly vote reversed a bill passed only months ago that the governor had vowed to get rid of during his successful campaign to oust former Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in California's recall election. The Assembly vote followed a similar vote by the State Senate on Nov 24.

Davis had come under fire for backing the measure to grant driver's licenses to undocumented aliens -- after previously opposing such a bill -- to gain support among Hispanic American voters as he fought to save his job.<snip>

Proponents of the measure have said granting the licenses would benefit all drivers and make roads safer because illegal immigrants would receive proper training and car insurance.

[BeHereNow]

1. Oh GREAT!

Now, if I am hit in a traffic accident involving an
illegal immigrant, who will no doubt have NO insurance,
there will be no recourse or way of documenting it...THANKS, AH-nold!
BHN

[gorgan]

2. it's called

just pissing into the wind, and it's all we seem to be able to do these days...

[IndianaGreen]

5. Illegal immigrants are not supposed to be in this country

No country in the world tolerates illegal immigration because it hurts legal immigrants.

[UCLA02]

7. We could be like other countries and just lock up illegals...

Shit, wait, we're doing that, too. Never mind. Move along. Nothing to see here...

[BeHereNow]

9. California DEPENDS on Illegal Immigrants

They are EVERYWHERE in Los Angeles-
Not just from Mexico, they are literally here from EVERYWHERE.
They do our gardening, housework, sweatshop and hundreds of
other jobs no one else wants...
IF they are here, and they arrive daily- should we not
document them?
It is the ULTIMATE hypocrisy in my mind.
Illegals hurt legals, yet NO ONE really wants them to leave,
they are far too profitable to the elite in the Hollywood hills.
I am the ONLY person I know who does my own housework in
Los Angeles, and I am considered crazy for doing so.
Why do your own housework, when you can pull over at
any bus stop and pick up an Illegal who will work for
nothing..that is the thinking here.
They are not leaving, nor are they going to stop coming.
As a citizen in California, I would be far more comfortable
if they were documented in SOME way.
BHN

[Undemcided]

15. I'm here legally

Why do you want special treatment for queue jumping scofflaws? I know I don't. It took me a lot of time, effort and cash to work in the States. Let's stop importing slaves into California. They hurt everyone, especially the poor who cannot compete with illegals for work.

[alarimer]

27. You are right

However cheap labor conservatives (and their corporate and agibusiness cronies) actually WANT illegal immigrants, no matter how much they decry them. They drive wages down. They will do work for a lot less than you or I would cost. I believe that everyone who wants to come here should be allowed to- legally. We need to stop the incentives for illegal immigration in the first place.

[Undemcided]

30. I agree.

Businesses that do require a large unskilled workforce will always be looking for the lowest cost labour, that’s just the way it will always be. To stop this we should be punishing these businesses severely that exploit illegals. We should also not let our sense of compassion cloud our judgment on the issue.

[SemperEadem]

20. No kidding! There seems to be this mentality in this state

that only brown skinned people who speak spanish are the only illegal immigrants in California.... but I see and hear so many people who speak British English, Australian English, New Zealand English, French speaking English, Armenian speaking english, Polish, German, Austrian, Ukrainian, Russian---many, many people who look like Arnold are over here just as illegally as those who come across the southern boarders.
I take it that if they look like Arnold, then it's ok that they are here illegally... but if they have brown skin, then they *must* be here illegally.


People need to start expanding their scope when it comes to illegal aliens in this country to include Europeans who are over here scamming our system to get over. How many of them are here on expired work visas? How many are scamming marriages so that they can get their green card? I find it amazing that someone just off the boat from Armenia or the former Soviet block is, after 2 weeks in this state, driving a Mercedes Benz or a BMW or a Lexus to the market to do their shopping with food stamps my tax dollars pay for, then have the nerve to act as if they're better than me when they're living on handouts from my government...

In the first place, in this state especially, it would seem that every population on the planet has a community somewhere in California... and there is enough of a community for them to be able to sustain those from their homeland who relocate over here without them turning to the government for handouts to get established. They should not be allowed into this country unless they have the means by which to sustain themselves until they get citizenship. Their communities exist in such that they have their own banks who can loan them the money to establish themselves instead of our government paying them, yet denying me who has paid my $$ into the system.

That aspect of the immigration law needs to be changed and Arnold should be the one looking into that, instead of picking on the defenseless by denying folks who help to put food on people's tables cheaply (cause you know no American would work for what they pay farm laborers), or do yard work, or clean some American slob's house or office a means by which to get to their jobs to do those jobs Americans won't do.

[LibDemAlways]

29. Thank you.

You are absolutely right. It's amazing to me how hypocritical people are about this. No, no. We can't have "illegals" obtaining drivers licenses. But we still need them to cut the lawn, watch the kids, clean the houses, buss the tables, distribute fliers, collect trash, wash cars, build houses and on and on....

The well-heeled residents of the Stepford-like suburb where I live wouldn't survive without this cheap labor pool. But God forbid we should insist that they pass a driver's test and show proof of insurance. Stupid.

[ThirdEye]

24. Let's look at this logically, and not emotionally...

Using your logic, we should provide free general health care to illegal immigrants. Why? Because I don't want them getting me sick when I walk by them on the streets!!

Ok, it's a stretch, but it does demonstrate how your statement doesn't suggest a logical solution to the problem. If an illegal imigrant hits your car, he/she should be arrested and, barring special circumstances, deported. There is nothing stopping an America from pulling the same stunt and hitting you without a license.

Honestly, I'm as liberal as it comes. Liberal as in willing to embrace change. BUT I do think for myself. I agree with several important conservative/libertarian ideals, including gun rights and protecting our borders. I believe that illegal imigrants are ruining this country's economy from the inside (and "globalization" is doing a wonderful job fucking everything up as well, from the outside). It's not their fault. It's our fault for not protecting our borders to prevent their entry to begin with. Our current problem with immigration makes it harder to be a LEGAL immigrant. Trust me, I know, my wife is not an American. If we closed the borders tomorrow, I would fully support pardoning all current illegals... to be realistic.

Giving illegal immigrants access to ANY america services is wrong, and it would only justify their presence. The only people who win in this are the corporations who exploit them.

We must first get a handle on our own country, and then offer our aid to the rest of the world through a good example. Freedom to do what we want, responsibly(guns, drugs), safe and honorable work environments, and a government run by the people and for the people... and we can only do this by limiting our country to those who reside here LEGALLY. Otherwise, corporations (who have no alliegance to our country or to our fellow citizens, frankly) will exploit them and everything starts to fall apart.

I refuse to follow the "party line" on this one. I'm just too interested in evolving our race to a better standard of living. If we don't start here, we'll never see the world rise above its enslavers.

Please, excuse the length and the spelling... just had to offer my thoughts. In case someone wishes to comment, be specific and do not pull a staw man out your hat. I get that all the time on forums, so that's why I usually lurk.

[alarimer]

28. Well

I have said this before, I believe that the government isn't really interested in stopping illegal immigration because then agribusiness would have to pay real wages instead the pennies they now pay and our oranges and apples would cost three times as much.

[DeathvadeR]

3. There are a shit load of illegals in California.

You can't walk anywhere, most is sprawled out to far, let alone depend on transit. With $500 beaters on every corner These people will be driving regardless.

[DBoon]

4. The fewer legal right immigrants have

the easier it will be to exploit them.

This will not stop one more immigrant from coming across the border to work in agri-business' fields, or clean up affluent yuppie homes.

It will only marginalize them further, and make them easier to intimidate into accepting their miserable working conditions.

This is the actual goal of the anti-immigrant crowd.

[Code_Name_D]

6. But why did the Dems knuckel under?

Saposably, they were going to stand up to him. But they are rolling over already. What is up with this?

[truthisfreedom]

8. maybe some kind of strategy of back-scratching.

maybe fear of herr gropenfurher.

[dfong63]

11. because they know they'll lose if it goes to a referendum

regardless of whether you liked that bill, if the pubs put the repeal on a ballot, it'd pass. supposedly the former supporters of the bill in the legislature, made an informal deal with Schwarzenegger that they'd vote for the repeal in return for consideration of a new bill that will still allow illegal immigrants to get licensed, but with additional provisions to address security concerns.

now personally i think this issue is a loser for the dems. Davis miscalculated badly. imho it's BAD policy to legalize something just because lots of people are doing it. that will simply encourage more people to break the law. what we need instead is to enforce the law.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

14. This simply underscores the IDIOCY of Bustamante who made SURE

those loyal to him in the legislature PRESSED Davis to sign this bill when the recall was imminent in order to force him out and make room for Cruz. Davis had not signed the bill in the past because he knew it would raise the issues and acrimony that it did but was forced to sign it in order to keep certain members of the party loyal (even though that is debatable given Bustamante's waffling regarding the recall during his campaign). Now Davis is gone and many of the same asswipes that watched him die on the vine changed their votes but for a few.


Although the recall was in many ways a perfectly timed power grab...Davis was ousted in part by mutiny in his own party...Bustamante at the top of that mutiny.

As far as IG's comments that ILLEGAL immigration hurts LEGAL immigration, that much may be true but we treat ALL PERSONS like humans in this country. The industries that hire them should be pursued and prosecuted. It is humorous that we see the "supply and demand" issue on the drug war i.e. the DEALERS keep it going but are very LAX in our enforcement on the immigration issue.

[PennyLane]

12. They Knuckled Under Because.........

........their houses get dirty too! }(

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. They realized that this was an extreamly unpopular measure with voters

Illegal immigrants don't vote. Citizens do.

[henslee]

10. Mexicans are the soul of California.......

this place was mexico a lot longer than it was part of the U.S. and in many ways still is.

Shit, I wish housekeepers would unionize.

[CarinKaryn]

13. Its just not fair

Mexico had this land fair and square before we took it from them by force.
Immigrants built this country on their blood and sweat. Yet the second a rich white yuppies is offended we take away the working classes right to drive themselves out of the barrio and have them thrown across the border.

[Zolok]

16. Can we give it back to Mexico?

IS there a constitutional mechanism by which nonperforming states can be jettisoned from the Union?
Who is gonna pay for this deficit in California...Schwarzenegger sez he won't raise taxes on the poor self pitying citizenry of California...so the solution is obvious THE REST of the country will be made to pay!!!
And another thing, ever notice that when the economy goes south in California, they start blaming the illegals for all of life's woes?
Roman slaves had better recourse than Mexican illegals in the Golden State...
No this experiment called "California Dreamin'" is a rank failure, we should cut our losses and turn the Golden State loose with no hard feelings....the law of diminishing returns is about to set in over there.
:)
www.chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com

[Character Assassin]

18. Really?

Roman slaves had better recourse than Mexican illegals in the Golden State...

Mmm-hmmm. Righto.

No this experiment called "California Dreamin'" is a rank failure, we should cut our losses and turn the Golden State loose with no hard feelings....the law of diminishing returns is about to set in over there.

So we won't be expecting you to be vacationing here anytime soon?

[xxqqqzme]

19. I think California should

B 'cut loose' as U say. Our ports could then charge fees for all the 'made in china' plastic crap bound 4 Mal-warts. U could start paying more 4 all the fresh produce California grows The feds can cough up rent 4 all the military installations. The aero-space & tech industries 'secrets' remain in California and everybody gets to negotiate terms.

[Character Assassin]

17. No they didn't.

Mexico had this land fair and square before we took it from them by force.

They had the land. How they got it wasn't exactly 'fair and square'. How they lost it was: a superior armed force took it from them, and Mexico was unable to get it back.

Immigrants built this country on their blood and sweat.

No one is disputing that.

Yet the second a rich white yuppies is offended we take away the working classes right to drive themselves out of the barrio and have them thrown across the border.

No, we don't.

[Xithras]

26. No offense, but your history is dead wrong.

this place was mexico a lot longer than it was part of the U.S.

California was a part of Mexico for about 20 years. Before that, it was just another European (Spanish) colony stolen from the Indians. By the time of the Mexican American war, there were less than 10,000 Mexicans living on a swath of land that ranged from western Texas, to Utah, to California. The United States paid the equivalent of $330,000,000 for what was essentially a series of large, unpopulated deserts and grasslands.

I've never understood this semi-romantic notion that so many people seem to have about the Mexicans in California. The region was conquered by the Spaniards, settled by the Germans and Irish, built by the Chinese, and only began seeing a large influx of Mexicans in the 20th century.

I have nothing against Mexicans, but it always irritates the heck out of me to see people repeat false history for political gain. It irritates me even more that so many people seem to believe that it's the truth! If we REALLY want to give California back to the people who built this state, we should hand it over to the Chinese

[pinto]

21. Undocumented immigrants will still drive

No green card, no license? No problem! Folks will still drive to work, shopping, school...and work these people do. Check out corner stores in the San Joaquin Valley or parking lots in the big cities and you'll see the day labor force Sacramento denies exists.

Pres. Fox of Mexico had a plan for "work passes" to allow Mexican nationals - not travelling terrorists, not jihadists, not homicidal bombers - but average Mexicans, willing and able, to work here legally but Bush got pissed and shined the whole idea. It was a very rational proposal that could have diffused what is seen as a racial, and yes, political, football here in CA.

[donotpassgo]

22. all brown people are terrorists don't you know.

n/t

[pinto]

23. Yo. Think Fox will have a Special Report:

"Brown in San Diego. The threat within" ?