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Main Entry: 1coun·try
Pronunciation: 'k&n-trE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural countries
Etymology: Middle English contree, from Anglo-French cuntree, contré, from Medieval Latin contrata, from Latin contra against, on the opposite side
1 : an indefinite usually extended expanse of land : REGION
2 a : the land of a person's birth, residence, or citizenship b : a political state or nation or its territory
3 a : the people of a state or district : POPULACE b : JURY c : ELECTORATE 2
4 : rural as distinguished from urban areas
5 : COUNTRY MUSIC

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Main Entry: im·mi·grant
Pronunciation: 'i-m&-gr&nt
Function: noun
: one that immigrates : as a : a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence b : a plant or animal that becomes established in an area where it was previously unknown
- immigrant adjective

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Main Entry: 1il·le·gal
Pronunciation: (")i(l)-'lE-g&l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French illegal, from Medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin in- + legalis legal
: not according to or authorized by law : UNLAWFUL, ILLICIT; also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game)
- il·le·gal·i·ty  /"i-li-'ga-l&-tE/ noun
- il·le·gal·ly  /(")i(l)-'lE-g&-lE/ adverb

Quoted from 47

I am probably considered an extremeist on this one, and I'm ready for the beating, but when ILLEGALS go in for their drivers license they should be put on a bus/train/plane and returned to where they came from. Let them go through the process like the immigrants who come here legally to start a new life.  

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Licenses for illegals: Don’t expect a rush
Carl Strock can be reached at 395-3085 or by e-mail at carlstrock@dailygazette.com.

   Then we come to the question of drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants, which is something that Gov. Spitzer just decided on his own that he will do. That is, he will scrap the policy adopted post-9/11 by Gov. George Pataki, requiring that applicants for a license have a Social Security number, which was supposed to make it more difficult for terrorists to operate, and he will let applicants establish their identities with foreign passports, foreign birth certificates and various American papers like W-2 tax forms and Selective Service cards, without any need to show they are in the United States legally.
   To those of you who anticipate a stampede of Mexican fruit pickers and day laborers into your local DMV office and who are in a great huff about it, and this includes the state Republican Committee, which is circulating an online petition, I say, relax.
   The first requirement for getting a license, the sine qua non, will be a passport, and do you really think that the millions of poor Mexican and Central American villagers who surreptitiously cross the border into this country have passports? It’s ridiculous. They save up their hard-earned money back home, trek to the border and pay a “coyote” a large sum to sneak them across. What would they be doing with a passport? By definition they are undocumented, which means well, you know what it means.
   So this is largely a show, as far as I can make out, or a gesture. It’s a way of pandering to more established immigrants, especially Hispanics, and to the labor unions that supported and called for this change with an eye to potential new members.
   I don’t doubt there are some illegal immigrants in New York who have passports and birth certificates and who either own cars or have the wherewithal to buy cars and are just waiting for the opportunity to “come out of the shadows,” as the governor offered, but I doubt if they include any great number of laborers from Mexico and Central America, who account for the bulk of the illegal population. For them, life will go on as before, in the shadows.
   I tried to get more detailed information about how this program will work, by the way, but the Department of Motor Vehicles was deflecting all questions to the governor’s press office in New York City, and that office wanted my questions in writing, which I had not previously experienced.
   Cooperative soul that I am, I acquiesced and e-mailed them my questions, including, “How many other documents will they need besides a passport?” All I can say is, the answers that came back, likewise in writing, were more complete and responsive than the answers returned by Republican candidates for the Niskayuna Town Board to Friends of the Stanford Home, but they didn’t precisely address either my main question or my concern about most illegals not having passports.
   Applicants for a license will get two points for a passport, but how many points they will get for a Selective Service card or a W-2, I wasn’t told. Not even how many points they will need altogether (I believe it’s six.)
   Anyway, I repeat, don’t worry about hundreds of thousands of newly empowered Mexican day laborers suddenly causing a traffi c jam at your local shopping center. I don’t believe that will happen.
NISKAYUNA EVASION
   The above reference to Niskayuna had to do with a list of questions drafted by a group that opposes a new commercial development where the old Stanford home is located, at the corner of State Street and Balltown Road.
   They asked such things as whether Town Board candidates in the coming election would support a building moratorium or an environmental advisory committee, and so forth, and submitted those questions to all the candidates.
   The three Democratic candidates responded individually with precise answers — yes’s and no’s, accompanied by explanations.
   The three Republican candidates, on the other hand, responded with a platitudinous list of “leadership themes,” as they called them, on the lines of, “People and families thrive in cohesive communities,” “Economic development in Niskayuna should be supportive of the needs of its residents,” along with a cover letter touting the credentials of their candidate for supervisor, Briggs McAndrews (the former school superintendent), and saying that “his record of concern, action and commitment to the town and its future is a stronger predictor of his leadership as the future supervisor than answering a series of questions.”
   So I’d say I did a lot better with the governor’s New York City office than these Niskayuna people did with their Republican candidates.
MODEST PROPOSAL
   Returning to the immigration front, I see that the government has come up with a new list of 100 test questions for those who seek to become naturalized citizens.
   These range from the politically correct (“What did Susan B. Anthony do?”) to the basic historical (“Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?”) to the current civic (“Name your U.S. representative”) to the geographical (“Name one state that borders Canada.”)
   They are not surprise questions. Applicants can study them in advance, which I think is perfectly fair and of which I approve.
   But I have one suggestion, which should find favor with those who are alarmed at the growth in our population owing to immigration.
   Give the same test to native-born Americans, with the same opportunity to study in advance, and for every immigrant who passes and becomes a citizen, deport one native who fails it! Is that brilliant, or what?

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Something doesn't add up here if we really think about it! Some political or other entity had to start this illegal ball rolling.

Quoted from bumblethru

It's been said before....but these millions of immigrants are not going anywhere. And there are clearly  not enough law enforcement to check each and everyone of them for terrorist backgrounds. And yes we know they are actually criminals! Breaking OUR laws. And should be punished or deported. But somehow, the masterminds that govern this great country of ours, will figure out some way to keep them all here. Get them drivers licenses, put them to work(legally) to add to the tax roll and of course to get votes.
Once the dems and reps figure out a way to accomplish this correctly...in a manner that will make that party come out smelling like a rose....it will be a done deal! Whether we like it or not!

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Conservative Party of New York State

Press Release  ~ October 1, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~

For Immediate Release                                     Contact:  Shaun Marie Levine

October 1, 2007                                              518-356-7882     http://www.cpnys.org

Long to Governor:

  New Yorkers Won't Be Steamrolled By Political Promises

New York State Conservative Party Chairman, Michael R. Long sent the following letter to Governor Eliot Spitzer today, telling him that his obligation to all New Yorkers out weights the promises made to political parties.  The letter follows:

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Hon. Eliot Spitzer

Governor State of New York

Executive Chamber

State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224



Dear Governor Spitzer:



As the leader of one of the viable political parties in New York State, I understand how important it is to fulfill pledges made to it when seeking public office.  However, the commitment made to the citizens of New York State when you took the oath of office as Governor far out weights the wishes of a minor party.



Bad ideas do not make good government.



Your proposal to disregard Section 502 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, which states, "the commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide his or her social security number" is a very bad idea that has the potential to harm the citizens of New York State.



It takes a great leader (the man portrayed to the people of New York and whom they thought they voted for last November) to admit that he has made a mistake.  Governor Spitzer, you indicate that you do not believe that employees of the Department of Motor Vehicles should act as employees of the Citizenship and Immigration Services, yet, you expect these same employees to recognize and accept a foreign passport or other documents, for example, birth certificates from foreign countries that can easily be forged as identification.  And you neglect to tell the taxpayers of New York State how much your new anti-fraud measures that include photograph-comparison technology will cost.



To assume that the Federal Government will rescind the requirements of Real ID, based on the safe guards New York State implemented after 9/11, is just wishful thinking.  The safety of America is at stake...do you really want to be the person who eases restrictions thereby making every American more vulnerable?



Governor Spitzer, New Yorkers will not be steamrolled.  You took an oath of office to protect us.  Your moral obligation is to protect those citizens who uphold the laws of the land...not to provide solid identification to those who have no regard for our laws.  



Michael R. Long

State Chairman

~~~~~~~~~~




State Headquarters:

486 78th Street
Ft. Hamilton Station, NY 11209
718-921-2158

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Statement by Senator Farley Regarding Issuance of Driver's Licenses
In addition to placing all New Yorkers at risk of our lives, the Governor has imposed a new burden on law-abiding citizens

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Governor Spitzer's administrative directive to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens is equivalent to hanging out a "welcome terrorists" sign at the State's borders.


Driver's licenses are used for all kinds of identification purposes, including, ironically, access to the underground parking garage next to the State Capitol. The Governor's plan effectively demolishes six years of anti-terrorism preparations, and returns us to the day when the September 11th terrorists were able to use driver's licenses to masquerade as citizens.


The Governor's action may well be illegal itself. The legal way to change a State agency's regulation is through adoption of a new regulation, following publication in the State Register and a period of public comment. Last year, I sponsored a law which encourages public participation in the regulatory process by allowing people to comment using electronic mail. It is unfortunate that the Governor is using the ruse of an administrative directive to avoid giving citizens the opportunity to formally express their views. Even a correctly adopted regulation would seem to violate the State law (section 502, Vehicle and Traffic Law) which requires driver's license applicants to provide their Social Security number, because illegal aliens obviously don't have Social Security numbers.


In addition to placing all New Yorkers at risk of our lives, the Governor has imposed a new burden on law-abiding citizens. Since New York's licenses will not meet federal standards as a secure means of identification, citizens will have to provide another form of identification, such as a passport, for federal purposes such as air travel and access to federal facilities.


I hope that the Governor will come to his senses and rescind this dangerous administrative directive. If he does not do so, I will join my Legislative colleagues in pursing all possible corrective actions including, if necessary, litigation.

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Statement by Senator Farley Regarding Issuance of Driver's Licenses
In addition to placing all New Yorkers at risk of our lives, the Governor has imposed a new burden on law-abiding citizens

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Group backs Spitzer initiative on illegal immigrants’ licenses
Official cites comments by Tedisco
BY BOB CONNER Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Bob Conner at 462-2499 or bconner@dailygazette.net.

   A Capital Region community organization has come to the defense of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s initiative to provide driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, and denounced opponents of the measure.
   Dick Dana, president of ARISE (A Regional Initiative Supporting Empowerment, a coalition of community and religious groups), said at a news conference Monday that opponents of the Spitzer measure have engaged in “xenophobic and vicious smears.” Asked to whom he was referring, Dana cited comments made at a news conference Friday by Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady.
   Tedisco said Friday: “My thinking right now is Osama bin Laden is somewhere in a cave, I don’t know where, but he’s with his den of thieves and terrorists and he’s probably sabering the cork on some champagne right now saying hey, that governor’s really assisting us, that chief executive in New York state, he’s tying one hand behind the back of the law enforcement officials who really want to help protect against any more terrorist attacks, or those homeland security individuals who suggest that we need this type of identification for anybody who wants to get a driver license.”
   Spitzer’s press office on Monday released a statement from September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, which, without naming Tedisco, said statements accusing the governor of helping bin Laden “are wrong, hurtful, irresponsible, and they propagate a climate of racism toward immigrants.”
   Tedisco said ARISE and Spitzer were trying to distract attention from the substantive disagreement by “playing the race card,” and that the governor’s policy raises legitimate security concerns. He said he supports legal immigration and the diversity of American culture, but that Spitzer’s policy could make it easier for terrorists to obtain driver’s licenses and launch attacks.
   Christine Pritchard, a spokeswoman for the governor, responded: “We’re not going to let baseless anti-immigrant fear-mongering prevent us from implementing a common-sense public safety measure.” Spitzer contends his move will keep better track of immigrants and enhance security.
   While most of the opposition to the governor’s policy is coming from Republicans, not all Democrats are behind it. Rachel McEneny, spokeswoman for U.S. Rep Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, said the congresswoman opposes the governor’s action. She released a statement from Gillibrand saying, “I do not support giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. I do support federal legislation that will require applicants to show proof of citizenship in order to obtain a driver’s license.”
   Sen. Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna, pointed to a section of the state’s vehicle and traffic law, which, in referring to the Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner and an applicant for a driver’s license, says: “In addition, the commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide his or her Social Security number.” Farley, a former law professor, said Spitzer cannot abrogate that statute by administrative action.
   A Spitzer administration attorney, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the law cited by Farley was intended to ease the collection of child support payments, and was not intended to target illegal immigrants. He said the law has been interpreted by the Court of Appeals to mean that an applicant who has a Social Security number is obliged to provide it. Those who don’t have a Social Security number, the attorney said, are under no such obligation.
   The Spitzer lawyer also said that illegal immigrants will have to provide a passport to get a license, and consular documents will not suffi ce. However, he said it may be possible for immigrants living in New York illegally to obtain passports from the consulate or embassy of their native countries.  

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State should arrest, not aid, illegal immigrants  
First published: Tuesday, October 2, 2007

I was always taught that owning a gun is our constitutional right and having a driver's license is a privilege. Leave it to liberals in New York to turn that upside down.
  
Governor Spitzer believes that those who have broken our immigration laws should be rewarded instead of being arrested and deported. The governor should be ordering the State Police to arrest anyone who breaks our laws. When a person is arrested, and is deemed to be here illegally, he or she should be turned over to immigration officials and be deported. What better way to enhance our security, and to make streets safer, than to remove those who choose to break our laws?

Illegals are nothing but a drain on our society. There is a reason for having immigration laws, and they should be enforced. I am not against immigration. I am only opposed to illegals. New York is a border state, and we will see an influx of illegals if this policy goes into effect.

The state should be looking at ways to remove illegals, not pander to them. Just another reason, among many, for citizens to leave New York.

JOHN TULLY
Albany

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Sen. Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna, pointed to a section of the state’s vehicle and traffic law, which, in referring to the Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner and an applicant for a driver’s license, says: “In addition, the commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide his or her Social Security number.” Farley, a former law professor, said Spitzer cannot abrogate that statute by administrative action.
   A Spitzer administration attorney, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the law cited by Farley was intended to ease the collection of child support payments, and was not intended to target illegal immigrants. He said the law has been interpreted by the Court of Appeals to mean that an applicant who has a Social Security number is obliged to provide it. Those who don’t have a Social Security number, the attorney said, are under no such obligation

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Little sense to Spitzer alien license plan

   A driver’s license for every illegal immigrant in New York [Sept. 22 Gazette]? What a clever idea! It’s my understanding this will encourage them to want to become citizens. How? Why? If we hand them things, what’s the incentive?
   This is opening a can of worms that should not be opened. If you are a legal New Yorker, you have to pay to take a written test, then a road test, and if you pass, you get a license. No road test for them. Who cares if they can speak or read English, or if they’ve ever even driven a vehicle before?
   Bravo, Mr. Spitzer. I’m sure this will keep our insurance rates down and help curb criminal activities too. Good job.
   MELISSA HORGAN
   Stillwater  

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Spitzer: GOP reaction to proposals is ‘politics of fear and selfishness’
BY MICHAEL GORMLEY The Associated Press

   Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer blasted Republicans for “politics of fear and selfishness” in opposing his plans to allow illegal immigrants to get New York driver’s licenses and to provide health insurance to all children.
   “What has happened is that the politics of fear and selfishness has replaced the politics of common sense and responsibility,” Spitzer said at Fordham University on Tuesday. “We are witnessing knee-jerk reactions to sound policies that have no business being politicized or polluted by fear-mongering rhetoric.”
   Spitzer was responding to Republican Assembly leader James Tedisco, who said Spitzer’s license plan in particular will be welcomed by Osama bin Laden. Some Senate Republicans also said the plan will lead to another Sept. 11, 2001, attack.
   Spitzer would allow undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses, which he says will improve public security by creating records for more immigrants. He would also add what he calls antifraud measures to the process.
   Republican Senate spokesman Mark Hansen called Spitzer arrogant.
   “Governor Spitzer is putting the safety of New Yorkers in jeopardy through his arrogance and another abuse of government power by ignoring the law and bulling ahead with bad policy despite opposition by most New Yorkers and elected officials at all levels of government,” Hansen said. “He can’t defend his policy so he is attacking his critics.”
   “This is not a partisan issue, it’s a protection issue,” Tedisco said. “This is one man in a room with the far-left liberal special interests. My message to the governor is clear: You have 29 days to change your misguided policy or I will see you in court.”
   Spitzer also said another senator used the fear of socialism to criticize the plan to provide health insurance — through private carriers — for all New York children.
   But most of Spitzer’s comments were aimed at Republicans who oppose his driver’s license plan for immigrants.
   “What we are not going to accept is hysterical rhetoric that preys upon the public’s fears,” Spitzer said. “Over the past six-and-a-half years, this type of politics has dragged our country down. People are sick of it. … Let’s rise above the rhetoric and press forward with a positive, reality based agenda for change.”
   Spitzer said he is working with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg over his concerns.
   “We’ll just have to work it out,” Bloomberg said. “He’s the one that makes this decision, and he doesn’t tell me how to run the city and I don’t tell him how to run the state.”