Yes, I did watch the recent Democratic Party presidential debate and listened as candidate Hillary Clinton waffled on the question of supporting New York State governor Spitzer’s plan to issue drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Earlier today I heard that Hillary has finally come clean and said she embraces and is in support of Governor Spitzer’s program. So I guess she will ignore the law as referenced below in the lawsuit that was just filed:
Judicial Watch Files Taxpayer Lawsuit against New York Governor Spitzer, DMV to Stop Driver Licenses for Illegal Aliens
(Washington, DC) –Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a New York taxpayer in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Suffolk County against New York Governor Eliot Spitzer over a new policy implemented on September 21, 2007 that will “give all New Yorkers the opportunity to apply for driver’s licenses without regard to immigration status” (Staudenraus v. Spitzer, Index No. 07-33872).
According to New York State law, with respect to driver licenses, the DMV Commissioner “shall require that the applicant provide his or her social security number.” Under the new DMV policy, however, applicants will not have to provide a Social Security number to receive a driver’s license. They must only provide a foreign passport and some secondary form of identification, such as a lease or a copy of parole papers.
The lawsuit, filed in conjunction with the New York law firm Borovina and Marullo PLLC, on behalf of Suffolk County resident and taxpayer James M. Staudenraus, seeks “equitable and declaratory relief against defendants who in the course of their official duties has caused…a wrongful expenditure, misappropriation, misapplication, and other illegal and unconstitutional disbursement of state funds as well as unlawful conduct in connection with their plan to issue driver’s licenses to undocumented aliens in contravention of New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law.” In addition to Governor Spitzer, the lawsuit names Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner David Swartz and the New York State DMV as defendants.
According to the complaint, “There is no express language anywhere in the VTL [Vehicle and Traffic Law] which dispenses with the requirement that an applicant for a driver’s license provide his or her social security number.” Moreover, Spitzer and the DMV intend to implement the policy without involving the New York State Legislature, and “without complying with the rule-making requirements prescribed by the State Administrative Procedure Act.”
“Eliot Spitzer wants to use his public office to sanction illegal behavior and put all of us at risk through his plan to give driver licenses to illegal aliens,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “If Governor Spitzer wants to change the rules, he has to follow the rules – which means going through the New York State Legislature and otherwise following New York law.”
As correctly pointed out by candidate Chris Dodd a drivers license is a privilege, and not a right.
And for Juice drinkers:
Do you support or oppose the issuance of drivers licenses as proposed in NY State?
Maybe Americans should burn their driver license’s in protest.
When my wife was in traffic court recently she was shocked that the fine for illegal immigrants driving without a license was only $10. I would say that is pretty much a defacto sanction of illegal activity. Granted that may not be the official fine, but it was what was being assessed against a very significant number of people. I support licenses. I want illegal immigrants to know the rules, be able to buy insurance and have something to loose. Granted, the license would clearly state that they are illegal and be a very different color and would state that the person is not eligible to vote, etc.
I don’t get it. You give illegal aliens free healthcare, free education, housing assistance, etc. and you stop at a drivers license?
I absolutely oppose issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. They are illegally here and have a demonstrated and continued disrespect for our society and our laws. Seriously – go home, come here legally, and we will welcome you. Otherwise, get the hell out.
Larry,
Driver’s licenses for the undocumented are neither privileges or rights. They are a permission to drive. I think that giving licenses to the undocumented would mean most of them would now get insurance and take driver’s training classes.
There are so many accidents where the undocumented take off because they are afraid. Wouldn’t it be better if they had insurance and would thusly be encouraged to stay at an accident site and do the right thing?
When I visited Mexico this summer, no one bugged me about a driver’s license. And I bought extra car insurance in advance. We drove down there and never had any problems.
That is how it should be here. Folks who need to drive should be able to get a license provided that they show proof of insurance.
I do think that as a society we need to stop coupling voter registration with getting licenses. That is a bad mixture that can only lead to trouble. I would prefer that folks get registered online. You can do that in California, but they do send you something in the mail to sign.
” I think that giving licenses to the undocumented would mean “
Art, it would mean that the police would have their address so they can be picked up and deported.
Is that what you mean?
Example
(Here sir, your California divers license now go though those doors and into the waiting bus for further processing.)
Art.
I rarely agree with Democrats but in this case Dodd was “right.”
PS: And for Hillary, the attorney, to simply support Governor Spitzer’s plan BEFORE asking if he legally dotted the eyes and crossed the T’s shows her eagerness to please everyone without following Ronald Reagan. “Trust But Verify.”
Some people will always shoot from the hip or should I restate it as “ready, fire, aim.”
Issuance of a drivers license to those who enter this country illegally sends a confusing message. i.e. Here’s your license, so long as you have an insurance policy in case you have an accident, but you are still in this country illegally.
That little piece of paper would give me the impression that it’s OK for me to be here.
This nibbling around the corners is not the solution for this huge debate. That piece of paper becomes a foot in the door. It becomes the firs tstep in acceptance while others legally wait in line.
My vote is to oppose the issuance of driver’s licenses, or most any other license I can think of, to people who are not in the country with some form of legal status. (thus I would not oppose issuing licenses to those here on student or work visas, refugees who have been granted asylum, etc.)
Heck give ’em US Passports and a
Government Grant for $150,000
a year! Maybe then they will
go down to ICE and give in their
names! Begging might work too!
It’s all about the insurance companies and the reign of (economic) law. Big corporations override any rants by OC Republicants or any others. This is a corporatist state, wake up!