So, Ahnold anulled the bill Davis signed granting illegals the ability to get driver’s licenses. Advocacy groups are planning work stoppages and whatnot to protest.

Here’s my suggestion: come into the country legally, grants you the ability to get a driver’s license and pay taxes.

Seriously, I honestly wish we’d quit providing incentive for illegals to show up. Give them incentive to come legally.

24 comments

  1. But illegals aren’t encouraged to come into the country legally. They aren’t allowed in, or they don’t have any money to bribe their way in, or they get deported and are on a list of people who can’t come back. I don’t like people getting things for free, generally, but do you really want to be a migrant field worker for a couple of dollars a day? I wouldn’t. They work jobs that most people wouldn’t take, so they really aren’t taking anything from us, really. It isn’t a good system, but there isn’t a better one around right now.

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    1. It comes down to whether you want find them and deport them etc, doesn’t it? Unless they’re planning on issuing the DLs with “Not In Country Legally” stamped on the front, then issuing DLs is just one more layer of obfscation over a person’s legal status.

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      1. If it’s a means to collect taxes, great, I’m all for it. I have no issues with having legal alien workers in this country. They pay taxes, they contribute to society, etc. etc. If it’s just a means of making sure they have insurance and driving legally, then I have an issue with it.

        We have an illegal alien problem and continue to coddle them is not a means of fixing it. I’m all for making the legal hoops easier to jump through, as long as they make them worth the effort more than crossing the desert, then suing the US gov’t or the desert states for not having water stops during the summer months. It’s ridiculous, especially given the same status is not applicable to Canada.

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      2. *makes a so-so sign* Canada also isn’t considered a third-world country on the brink of civil war; so poor that they’re forced to seek refuge or money somewhere.

        Wendy’s solution to welfare and illegal immigrants: force them to vote. This would force campaigning politicians to do some real dirty work – as far as visiting poorer neighborhoods to campaign, as well get a first-hand look into the eyes of the illegal immigrants. It would force welfare recipients to do *something* aside from collect a check. They’d have to know who’s signing the checks. Immigrants would have to understand the government and policies in order to stay here.

        It would boost public knowledge of the campaigning officiates as a whole; and the government would have to *gasp* see who is voting for them.

        Just a theory. Bust it up at will.

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      5. But they can vote, as far as I’m aware, there’s not a clause in the Motor Voter law that Clinton signed about specifying who can or cannot vote (that’s one way Florida got fucked in the last election – they had to go through their files and find out who was and wasn’t disqualified from voting. ended up disqualifying qualified voters). Politicians already bow to them (Tennessee?), the only problem is, they focus more on those issues – in the border states – than they do on the real problems that need to be addressed.

        Though, I do think your theory has merits 😉

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      6. I don’t know what the decision is intended, whether it’s a trivial revenue generator or an attempt to even what society allows one to do without documentation. What I do know is that all the phrasing of the law that I’ve thing simply said that lack of documentation of legal right to be in the country would no longer be a reason to deny the issuance of a driver’s license. Of course, a DL is one of the first things any law enforcement officer looks for to determine what to do with an apprehended possible offender, and that makes the decision of whether to call INS or not a lot harder. It also means that a lot more questionable documentation with very few chains of verification can be used to obtain actual proof of identity usable as such elsewhere in the US. Hold that up against increasing cases of identity theft, and I at least feel that whatever nickle and dime revenue comes from the $12 fees is not worth the added risks.

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      7. Tennessee allows for driver’s licenses to be issued to illegals, for the purpose of establishing checking accounts and gaining insurance (big problem with illegals driving around without it). There’s a different class marking on the license. Though, it still makes no sense to me, it’d be easier to just give them their papers and be on their way – however much I don’t agree with it.

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      8. See, that method makes a shred of sense at least. Though what the hell a bank wuld be doing accepting an ID that said in effect “We got no idea who this guy is” is beyond me… “Known border-jumper and flight risk” seems like a fine candidate for sending to someone else’s bank.

        I’m sure someone will pipe up with “But he fled TO here! He WANTS to be here!”…

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      9. I believe they also have a means for checking background and whatnot through the DMV. Though, I do recall a huge stink about it at one point. Can’t recall the exact details, but it wasn’t pretty.

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    2. That’s the problem, they should be encouraged to come into this country legally. As far as my state goes, every month we have an amnesty day, for Mexican illegal immigrants. They can go to the local immigration office and get their resident alien cards. The same does not go for legal Canadians (I have a post previous to this about a friend of mine). They may not be “taking” from us in the forms of jobs, but if they become ill, the taxpayers of this country pay for their visits to the hospitals, the taxpayers pay for their children to be educated here in public schools. They are perfectly welcome to come here legally and take whichever job they can qualify for. I have friends, who are Mexican, and here legally who despise illegals more than I do because of the hoops they have to jump through to be here legally, while those who are just waltz on in like it’s a regular occurance. If people choose to flaunt the laws of this country to get in, then they deserve to be deported, bottom of the job bin or not.

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      1. This country was founded by people leaving something they thought was bad for a better chance at life. That is what immigrants (legal or no) are trying to do. The slogan of “America, the great melting pot” has been around for centuries, because of all the people coming here to try to provide for their family a better life than they had. The problem is that if people try to register as an immigrant, are denied, and try to stay here I assume that the penalty for that is much higher than that for just being an illegal immigrant without trying to register. It is ridiculous for these people to sue the government for not having water stops in the deserts, but we do live in a litigious society where people will sue other people over almost anything. It’s “the American way” and all that jazz. I don’t have a solution, but I know that I would do whatever I could to take care of my family, and if that meant working as an illegal immigrant to feed them, I would.

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      2. Immigration laws were passed because we were growing too fast for our resources. Currently, our population is continuing to grow pass what we can handle because of immigration (specifically illegal immigration). Yes, this country was “founded” by immigrants, every country was founded by a migrating people. There are several ways to come here legally: American Immigration Center – Info

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      4. Its not about not allowing people in. Its about _not_ legitimizing illegals through back doors when they have chosen to buck the system from the start.

        If you try to enter this country legally, you’re in for a rather tricky process. If you’re doing it because you’re married to a citizen it’s a bloody nightmare.

        Frankly, I believe that certain countries should have exchanges of workers that are above the basic band of work permits and visas. Japan, the UK and Canada are examples. Canada especially so. It shouldn’t be a hard thing for a Canadian to work here (Or american to work there) because we’re such close economic partners. Overall, the movement of workers should be a balanced thing between the two countries. Or should be managed so that they’re balanced. Getting such a permit should be as easy as a travel visa. When the US issues one, an opening should be allowed on the other side of the border for one back the other way.

        Anyhow, the point is, Drivers Licenses are an often used form of ID for other forms of ID. Allowing one for illegals is a very large back door to getting false papers in the US system of ID’s.

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      5. That’s the problem, they should be encouraged to come into this country legally. As far as my state goes, every month we have an amnesty day, for Mexican illegal immigrants. They can go to the local immigration office and get their resident alien cards.

        Is this a “show up, get a photo taken, and immediately be issue documentation” deal or is it simply a “we promise not to arrest you simply for having entered the country, but you’re still getting a background check for arrest warrants and better have *some* documentation that you are who you say you are” one?

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      6. it’s the latter. they run a check, i know some (from those who’ve come into my store) have the mexican id that Fox is trying to push for wider acceptance. having that card makes the check even easier because mexico already has all their info on file to be accessed, instead of having to run various letter checks that take months.

        from what my legal friends opine, it takes away from their process. they lament the fact that they could have gone that route and not have to worry about visa’s being revoked upon re-entry to the US (as a result, they haven’t been home in years). it’s really screwed up.

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  2. Amen to that! And in a response to one of the comments, I’d have to say this:

    Yes, illegal immigrants do a lot of the jobs that no one else wants to do. I say kick those illegal immigrants out (who apparently have the ability to sue places like Wal*Mart for backpay, but don’t have to pay taxes) and give the crap jobs to people on welfare who haven’t gotten off their asses for 5 years. :-X

    It would just really be nice if, like you said, we didn’t coddle people who are here illegally when we don’t do much of anything for those that ARE here legally.

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  6. I have a couple of thoughts on this.

    First of all, immigration policy as it stands is racist and classist. If you’re Mexican it’s a hell of a lot harder to get into the country than if you’re, say, Japanese. Until the inequities are sorted out, I can’t say as I blame people for coming to our country illegally. I figure we should let people in, make them pay taxes like everybody else (at a fair, flat rate for everyone — from immigrant workers to billionaires, thank you).

    The issue of medical care is a rough one, but my personal belief is that it should be given to everyone, not be the exclusive province of the rich and well-insured. There are too many people in my circle of friends who can’t afford medical care, necessary medication, or even emergency doctor’s visits — one friend broke a toe the other day and rather than going to the hospital to get it dealt with, she bought some surgical tape and wrapped it, because she just can’t afford the doctor’s visit. Medical care should be a universal right, and our tax money should pay for it, IMO.

    Somebody commented about giving migrant worker jobs and other such jobs to “people on welfare” — Sure. Some people on welfare are perfectly able to work, but maybe they have children at home. Who’s going to watch the children while they’re cleaning hotel rooms or picking strawberries? The jobs sure don’t pay enough for child care, medical services, and other necessities, much less rent and utilities. Some people on welfare are *disabled* — as in, unable to work. The only thing that keeps a roof over their heads is social security and the welfare system. What would you advise we do with such people? How will you sort the cheats from the ones receiving legitimate aid? The incidence of welfare cheating is far less prevelant than the government would like you to believe. Let’s get the corporations in this country off welfare first, then talk about what to do with individuals on public assistance.

    Okay, done with my rant.

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    1. I don’t deny that it’s racist and classist (though, I think Australia has us on the classist).

      People who can’t work, disabled or otherwise, should be provided assistance. For those who can’t work because of kids, there should be childcare provided, or a childcare stipend provided.

      As far as the Mexicans are concerned, I really think an overhaul is needed. I’m watching a friend of mine (co-worker) deal with not being able to see his kids because if he crosses the border, he risks not getting back in – and he’s here legally. From what he’s said, he’s working with the law and being screwed over by not being able to take care of his kids, not see them, not see the rest of his family. And he’s watching the migrants show up, breaking their $100’s in our store, knowing that the ones with driver’s licenses managed the “Amnesty day” pass. He would have been able to get his kids here faster (instead of the 7 years he’s working on) had he gone that route.

      I understand the desire to come here for a better life, but one use of the immigration laws is to curb over-population and strain on our resources. Seriously, I think we need to do some more work with Mexico because there’s an obvious problem if so many of its citizens wish to leave to improve their condition. My real issue is the fact that there are people boycotting this because someone pointed out the fact that the people this bill targets are here illegally. There are means to get here legally, and if the issue is the bias in the gov’t against citizens of other countries, then something needs to be done about it at the federal level.

      Let’s get the corporations in this country off welfare first, then talk about what to do with individuals on public assistance.

      Oh, I am very much in agreement with this one. With the tax breaks some of those corps get, we could easily give a really nice boost to the welfare program (and social security). What would be really nice is if there was a requirement with those tax breaks to do more for the local communities (charity donations, volunteer support, etc). Though, I know we’ll never see that until more corps decide to be socially conscious.

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