NJ To OK Driving ‘Privileges’ For Illegals?
Is there any issue that Governor Corzine doesn’t have a ‘Blue Ribbon’ panel for? Every day I seem to read about another one. One day it’s a panel for consolidation of towns. The next it’s gay marriage. And now it’s a panel on illegal immigration. Funny enough, all of these panels seem to have something in common: they all serve as rubber stamps for the Governor’s latest liberal scheme – in this case driver’s ‘privileges’ and in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants.
According to the Bergen Record:
The governor’s immigration advisory panel this week is expected to consider recommendations that the state allow undocumented immigrants to drive with a special “driver privilege card” and to attend college at in-state tuition rates, two Hispanic leaders say.
The recommendations are among several from subcommittees of Governor Corzine’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigrant Policy, which will meet Tuesday in New Brunswick. The Hispanic leaders, who are not panel members, said that New Jersey Public Advocate Ron Chen told them at a meeting last month that the recommendations would be included in the panel’s report to Corzine.
The “driving privilege card” would allow undocumented immigrants, who are forbidden from obtaining driving licenses in New Jersey, to drive legally. But it would not have the same identification function of a standard driver’s license. Many undocumented immigrant students forgo higher education, which often requires them to pay higher, out-of-state tuition.
(One digression here. To my friends at the Bergen Record, it’s ‘illegal’ immigrants not ‘undocumented.’)
While I’m sure none of us would ever want to doubt the vast amount of research done by this no-doubt most erudite panel, if I were an illegal alien why would I suddenly want to walk into my local DMV and tell them I’m not a citizen? Wouldn’t I still be better off just going for the real deal so I can do things like - I don’t know - maybe register to vote as a Democrat in the next election?
Of course, the travails of the ‘undocumented’ in our society are all the fault of those of us who live here and play by the rules. You see, we just abuse these poor immigrants says Anastasia Mann of the Rutgers University Eagleton Institute of Politics:
“New Jersey has been squeezing the labor out of its immigrants without doing anything to integrate them,” said Mann, noting that a recently released Rutgers University report said that immigrants make up 28 percent of the state’s workforce and account for nearly a quarter of all earnings. “Some of that has been left to non-profits and churches.”
Apparently, we just haven’t done enough to this point to “integrat[e] both legal and illegal immigrants into the state’s economy and civic life” – save doing things like paying for their kids to freely attend our public schools and subsidizing their health care. How unfair and unjust, I know.
Frankly, as a conservative I’m not even sure what to do about this issue anymore. We are on the right side of it, but so long as we have liberals like Corzine pandering to the Hispanic community for votes with ‘Blue Ribbon’ panels and essentially allowing the inmates to run the asylum we will continue to have immigration chaos. And, sadly, we will continue to witness an erosion of the fabric of America.
If a Republican candidate for Governor had the guts to take on this issue, we’d win in November. However, no one is up to the task! This will insure Corzine’s victory & second term!
Plus the politically correct RINOs won’t touch the issure. ANOTHER chance for VICTORY passed by! “And it’s TOO BAD & It’s too sad” as the song goes!
January 5th, 2009 at 12:15 amThe erosion of the fabric of America? Please elaborate! What does America mean to you?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:17 amI believe that before you open your mouth you sure have knowledge of the subject in which you’re going to comment. That person who commented about; and now it’s a panel on illegal immigration. Funny enough, all of these panels seem to have something in common: they all serve as rubber stamps for the Governor’s latest liberal scheme – in this case driver’s ‘privileges’ and in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants.
The “driving privilege card” would allow undocumented immigrants, who are forbidden from obtaining driving licenses in New Jersey, to drive legally. But it would not have the same identification function of a standard driver’s license. Many undocumented immigrant students forgo higher education, which often requires them to pay higher, out-of-state tuition.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:46 amWould you like to have some how a way to drive your children to school, to the doctor, or to work?…All the Universities have 25% of their chairs in their classrooms empty. Don’t you thing that is a waste? Why can all those students be in class other than being suffering because nobody gives them a chance? They still paying any way.
The “erosion of the fabric of America” can only be ascribed to a jingo! Shame on you Proto. If that is really tour name wouldn’t that make you and I paisans? If so, perhaps you better take a second look at your Hispanic neighbors. I’m sure you will see the spirit and hard work of your ancestors alive in them!
January 5th, 2009 at 6:37 pmShame on you Di Motivo for attributing to me comments I did not make. Nowhere in my post to I render judgment on the work ethic of Hispanics - legal or illegal for that matter. I’m only advocating that they come here legally.
Laureana - if you enter this country legally then you would have no problems obtaining driver’s licenses or attending a college or university at the same rate of others. I find it funny that those who have essentially broken into our home now are also making demands or seeking benefits from the homeowner that they are not entitled to.
cd - illegal immigration is harmful to our society. We have thousands upon thousands entering illegally who are not being assimilated through an orderly process. Then they become a drain on our resources. If you don’t believe me on that, then I’d suggest you take a look at what’s happening to many of our hospitals throughout the country, particularly those in border states, who are legally bound to treat everyone who needs medical attention - then are not compensated for their services. They are going broke and in the meantime the rest of us are paying the price. I’d also suggest you take a look at prison systems in places like California which are full of illegals.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:04 pmYour right Mike, you did not attack anybody’s work ethic and I do agree that issuing this type of license is simply “bucking the system”. (Perhaps the immediate problem of people driving around with no accountability whatsoever is the real issue behind the endeavor.) I was not attacking your stance; I was appalled by your use of the phrase “fabric of America”. You see, it was not that long ago when we Italians came to this country during the height of the suffragette movement. It is hard to imagine today why women were not allowed to vote then, but did you know that one of the chief arguments the suffragette’s used was to “balance the influence of the Irish and Italians”. We were seen as “erosion to the fabric of America”. The truth is, due to the magnificence of our great constitution, the fabric of America is always changing. Gone are the days when workmen would drop their shovels and hammers before building a Catholic church. Gone are the days when blacks and whites were forbidden to marry one another. Facilitating driver’s licenses for safety reasons may be a slap in the face to our immigration policies but I do not think it qualifies as an “erosion of the fabric of America”. I’m afraid that kind of talk is a little overboard. Thanks for listening.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:11 pmVDM - I welcome immigration to this country. Immigrants add to the vibrancy of America. Illegal immigration undercuts it on a number of levels, despite the fact that many illegal aliens work hard every day and otherwise have decent values.
Certainly, also, I am well aware of the prejudices faced by Italian-Americans - such as my great grandparents - when they first came to America. However, the difference then was we had an orderly, legal process. And we had an assimilation process as well, where American values were instilled in those immigrants and their children (in schools) which I’m afraid is lacking these days.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:29 pmI don’t understand how people living in this country illegally would pay less to government subsidized state universities than American citizens in neighboring states?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:48 pmNo, dear friend, you’ve got it backwards. It wasn’t American values that were instilled in these immigrants; it was the other way around! Ciao!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:55 pmSometimes I can’t believe this is America.
Thanks for the heads up, Mike.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:00 amIt is to easy to blend the illegal immigrant for what had happened to this country because most of them do not have a voice to defend themselves but no body has done what suppose to be done to stop the government of the United States to sink our nation in this economic situation in which all of us are involved right now. And I said our nation because I am an American Citizen in case of any doubt. I believe that every human been should have equal opportunity in their life, I learned it from the Bible. For those who miss-understood the article about students tuition, read that again. What it says is that every student should pay same amount in college tuition, no less than national citizen, as I said before, we should do our research, get knowledge and than give opinions.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:23 amIf you ask me i think they should leagalize all the immigrants and that way they will all be paying taxes and that might help a samll fraction to pull this contry out of debt. And with the drivers licience i think they should just give it to them because lets say your driving down the road one day and an illegal immigrant smashes into you totaling your car and he’s got no insurance ! well your on your own! they just dissapear and you got to pay for everything your self , how do i know this it happened to my good friend ! so what im trying to say is if they have a licience and are in the system ,they got to pay like everyone else. ! Peace !
January 8th, 2009 at 10:37 pm