November 10, 2007
Spitzer May Shift Gears Again on Driver's License Plan
Governor Spitzer may back off his controversial plan to offer driver's licenses to illegal immigrants after weeks of bipartisan criticism. During a trip to San Juan, Puerto, Spitzer didn't quite rule out shelving the plan, acknowledging, "It's a tough issue."
Spitzer's aides are apparently worried that the issue is preventing the governor "disliked by voters, elected officials, and pundits all around - and also caused some problems for Senator Hillary Clinton, when she seemed to waffle about her support for the plan.
Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., who supported Spitzer's earlier version of a driver's license plan, which would have given illegal immigrants easier access to licenses (the argument being that it would encourage them to get insurance and work with the system, plus give them the chance to apply for certain jobs), was annoyed that Spitzer did not address the license issue at length at an earlier meeting with Hispanic lawmakers, "He had nothing to say about licensing, other than to jest with the lieutenant governor. That is the elephant in the room. He should have addressed it."
Later on, Spitzer did say, "The way policy gets created, you put out ideas. Most of them we've succeeded in implementing. Sometimes you put out an idea and there isn't so much support and you try to persuade people and you see where you go. This is the way the world works."
Photograph of a flier from an upstate Republican politician to encourage voters to vote Republican on Election Day by Mike Groll/AP
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Why are so many Republicans racist and xenophobic? It's sickening.
I'd think the anti-vehicle left would support less drivers...
Why are so many Republicans racist and xenophobic? It's sickening.
One can be against the driver's license plan and not be racist or xenophobic. It's a conclusion that you can't even back up with evidence. Maybe we should ask you why you're clouding the issue and can't argue for the plan on its merits. If the only defense of the plan is to attack the other side then maybe your position isn't very strong. If you want to give licenses to illegal immigrants on moralistic or humanitarian grounds, say so.
giving illegal aliens ID? how about just deport them. it'll be cheaper.
Simple, have the illegals pay the state for drivers licenses, give the data to Immigration, round up illegals. This way the state gets more revenue while people who don't play by the rules get their comeuppance.
Immigration is fine, as long as people do it properly and play by the rules and people aren't rewarded for cheating.
Oh Toby, you xenophobe! (kidding)
There have been cases where someone under a deportation order was called to DVM to "fix a problem" and found INS ready to deport them. Maybe it sounds good to most people, but how many times would that work?
DVM hates being used to collect child support, tax debts and other non-driver issues because it's going to cause them a lot of trouble (BANG, BANG)in the future.
The case I remember was a mother from Bangladesh, but her husband had a green card and the kids were born here. He drove a limo and just earned a living. So, the family will just break up as they cannot afford to all follow Mommy to Bangladesh. The law is clear, but the consequences of 2 American kids growing up without their mother is not, Toby.
This is another case of democrats being outsmarted by the GOP on a fringe issue. That flyer links illegals and licenses to terrorists when we all know the 9/11 terrorists arrived legally.
Hillary was trying to turn this into a Bush-failed-us issue by backing up Spitzer but the has been Dodd and sissy Edwards missed the entire point.
They're almost trying to blow this.