Thread: Cumberland freeholders firm in support of driver's licenses for undocumented immigran

Cumberland freeholders firm in support of driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants

By Bill Gallo Jr. | For NJ.com
on October 24, 2015 at 7:46 AM, updated October 24, 2015 at 12:27 PM

BRIDGETOWN - Cumberland County freeholders have rejected new requests that they back off on their backing of a measure which would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses in New Jersey.

"All we are doing is saying for our particular county it is something we would support," said Freeholder Director Joe Derella. "It hasn't been Republican or a Democrat issue, it's a moral issue."

Consideration is being given to a bill in the state Legislature which would allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driving privileges.

On Aug. 25, the Cumberland board, in a 5 to 1 vote, adopted a resolution supporting " ... the passage of a state bill allowing eligible undocumented residents access to driver's licenses regardless of their migratory status."

Voting in favor of the resolution were Democrats Derella, Deputy Director Doug Long, Carol Musso and Darlene Barber and Republican Tom Sheppard.

The lone "no" vote in August came from Republican Jim Sauro. Republican Carman Daddario was absent for that meeting.

The board's action on the license issue was brought up again at Tuesday's freeholder work session.

Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi, R-1st Dist., urged the board to reconsider.

"Bottom line is we should not reward illegal behavior," Fiocchi said.

Fiocchi served as a Cumberland freeholder before being elected to the Assembly two years ago.

His statements were echoed by a woman who told the board, "I don't think anything good will come from that. They are here illegally. They really should not be getting any privileges."

The issue has even more focus in Cumberland County where the population of immigrants continues to grow. Many work in the county's huge agricultural industry.

"I really believe the board acted too quickly (with the Aug. 25 vote)," said Sauro who is Fiocchi's running mate in the First District Assembly contest. "I believe that we didn't have enough information at the time."

With that, Sauro made a motion to rescind the license resolution. There was silence. Not one of the other six freeholders offered a second so the motion could be voted on.

Daddario said he has talked to a wide range of people about the issue.

"I think we have to start somewhere. Is this the right place? I don't k now."

He said he has been told stories by some immigrants of the difficult path to citizenship which has taken them years and cost them thousands of dollars.

"To me, the government is not taking care of this issue," he said.

It's estimated there are more than 300,00 undocumented immigrants living in New Jersey, the Cumberland freeholders noted in their resolution.

In passing their resolution in August, the board noted California, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Vermont, Connecticut, Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Puerto Rico have already adopted measures similar to what New Jersey is considering.

The idea of driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants — and the immigration issue in general — remain hot-button issues nationally and locally.

The Republican and Democratic candidates running for First District Assembly seats in this November's election agree on — they all oppose the board's action.

A statement released by the Democrat campaign called the Cumberland freeholder action "just wrong."

The campaign promised "nearly 1,000 postcards and emails from constituents who are calling for the resolution to be reversed" would be delivered soon to the freeholders.

State Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblyman Robert Andrzejczak and Assembly hopeful Bruce Land all said they would vote against the license plan if it were to reach the floors of the Legislature.

Derella said the Cumberland freeholders acted correctly.

"It's something we believe as a whole. It is something we stand together shoulder to shoulder on."

http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.s..._licenses.html

The business class and the government class, both, are willing to sell this country out for their own selfish interests.