← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Centinel
Thread ID: 11163 | Posts: 5 | Started: 2003-11-19
2003-11-19 23:08 | User Profile
Copley News Service: [url]http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/wed/news/news_1n19license.html[/url]
Schwarzenegger modifies stand on driver license law
By Michael Gardner COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
November 19, 2003
SACRAMENTO ââ¬â Just as Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared to soften his stance against allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver licenses, the Legislature's most powerful Democrat yesterday escalated the controversy by charging that some of the opposition is fueled by racism.
"I really believe that if we weren't talking about people with brown skin and foreign accents, we wouldn't be discussing the issue," said Senate President Pro Tempore John Burton, D-San Francisco.
Burton insisted that he was not branding Schwarzenegger a racist.
"I say the issue is racist," Burton said.
Throughout his campaign and on his inauguration day, Schwarzenegger demanded that lawmakers repeal the law, passed this year as Senate Bill 60, that gives illegal immigrants access to driver licenses.
But at his first news conference as governor yesterday, Schwarzenegger said he would consider a new license bill if it includes security measures, is limited to applicants in the pipeline for legal residency, and makes sure they are insured.
"Then we can move forward with it in a positive way," Schwarzenegger said early in the day, before Burton's news conference.
But several Democrats were resigned to the law being repealed, and even the author of the law would not back Burton's comments.
"Mr. Burton put forward his perspective and he has a right to what he believes," said Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles.
In a move widely derided as pandering to Latinos before the Oct. 7 recall election, then-Gov. Gray Davis signed the measure in September even though it had been stripped of background checks and requirements that applicants be in the process of applying for residency or citizenship.
The conservative wing of the Republican Party immediately launched a referendum to block the law from going into effect Jan. 1, which would be moot if the Legislature repeals the law.
During a special session called by Schwarzenegger yesterday, legislators wrestled with the issue behind closed doors and later on the Assembly floor.
Sen. Don Perata, an Alameda Democrat and apparent heir to Burton's leadership post, said before the floor session that he favors a "repeal and replace" approach that could satisfy Schwarzenegger.
Perata noted that there are political perils to ignoring what appears to be broad public opposition to issuing driver licenses with few conditions.
Public opinion polls back him up on that point.
"I don't want to give the right-wing forces who (may) put that on the ballot an opportunity to beat us over the head," Perata said.
In the Assembly yesterday, Democrats rebuffed Republican bids to bring hastily drafted legislation directly to the floor to repeal the law.
Instead, the matter was sent to the Transportation Committee, which may meet this week. Republicans are suspicious that Democrats, who control both houses of the Legislature, will stall beyond the Dec. 5 deadline to submit signatures on the referendum to block the law.
"The people of this state want this bill repealed. We're ready to do it right now. It will take us 20 minutes," said Assemblyman Russ Bogh, R-Beaumont.
San Diego Assemblywoman Christine Kehoe, a Democrat who supported the bill signed into law, said she had second thoughts.
"When I went home, I was really surprised by how widespread the opposition was," she said. "San Diegans all over the district were very unhappy, so I support the repeal."
Kehoe said added security would "reduce some people's fears" but that it will take "some education and work."
Cedillo, the law's author, acknowledged that the law could be overturned with significant backing from members of his own party.
"That could happen," he said.
However, Cedillo noted, "The important and encouraging thing is there is now a discussion about an alternative ... I appreciate the fact that (Schwarzenegger) appreciates that we must assure highway safety. That's what we've always said. If we can come to that agreement, now we're only talking about when and how."
Cedillo has said his goal is to provide a measure of public safety by testing unlicensed motorists and providing them with an opportunity to buy insurance. Insurance companies will not give policies to unlicensed drivers.
The pending law does not require applicants to supply a Social Security number or other proof of legal residency to obtain a license. Applicants would have to provide proof of employment and another form of identification.
Opponents have said lax safeguards would make it easy for terrorists to fraudulently obtain a driver license, which can be used for everything from opening bank accounts to boarding airplanes.
They also question why the state seeks to reward those who break the law by entering the country illegally.
Mike Spence, a leader of the referendum campaign, said about 300,000 of the required 373,816 signatures of registered voters have been gathered to place it on the March 2 ballot.
"We'll make it easily," said Spence, who lives in Monrovia and chairs a conservative group called the California Republican Assembly.
Spence said he was not sure how his forces would respond to a stricter bill if Schwarzenegger endorses it.
"I can't say whether it would go to another referendum," he said.
Although momentum appears to favor repealing the law, about a dozen advocates of the measure went to the Capitol yesterday to press their case.
"Everyone needs a driver's license for work, for school, to take care of our families," said Carlos Espinoza of San Jose.
2003-11-21 07:54 | User Profile
I worked on the Arnold campaign hoping Arnold is a closet Nazi. I thing Nazism is the only hope for our survival. Odin grant Arnold the racial strength to stand up to Der Juden and give Whites as much chance as he can for SURVIVAL.
2003-11-22 07:06 | User Profile
Acorn, I think a lot of people are secretly hoping the same about Arnold, that slowly, but surely, certain ... positive traits will begin to show themselves. I doubt it, but since I'm in CA, I have to believe it's possible, especially when he's already seeing that 'reaching out' just gets you more kicks in the teeth.
Besides, too many old time bodybuilders swear Arnie had Nazi regalia all over his apt. in Santa Monica back in the day (in a bldg. he owned). And his old boss, Joseph Edward Weider (yep, J.E.W.) has for years been rumored to be pretending to have been a jew to further his 'career' goals - and it's claimed he has droves of Nazi memorabilia as well. His brother Ben sure is a nut over Napoleon, that's well known also.
However, look at who Arnie's married to, the circle he runs with ... he's been sucked into the elites hypnotic (for some) vortex.
2003-11-23 03:00 | User Profile
A survey taken before the recall election indicated, and I jest not, that 1% of people surveyed would vote for Arnold on the basis of him being a Nazi sympathizer. :hitler:
Believe it, or not...
2003-11-23 03:28 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Acorn]I worked on the Arnold campaign hoping Arnold is a closet Nazi. I thing Nazism is the only hope for our survival. Odin grant Arnold the racial strength to stand up to Der Juden and give Whites as much chance as he can for SURVIVAL.[/QUOTE]
Here in a nutshell is everything wrong with white nationalism in America.