Thread: Voters may dump Spitzer over license plan

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/polit ... 9773.story

Gov. Eliot Spitzer's favorability rating has dropped to an all-time low of 41 percent, and has left only 25 percent of voters planning to re-elect him, according to a poll the Siena Research Institute released Tuesday. (Mike Groll, Associated Press / July 19, 2007)

By VALERIE BAUMAN | Associated Press Writer
10:50 AM EST, November 13, 2007


ALBANY, N.Y. - Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to provide illegal immigrants with driver's licenses has sunk his favorability rating to an all-time low of 41 percent, and has left only 25 percent of voters planning to re-elect him, according to a poll the Siena Research Institute released Tuesday.

Forty-six percent had an unfavorable opinion of Spitzer, and 49 percent said they would "prefer someone else" as the next governor. Last month, 54 percent of voters had a favorable opinion of the governor.

"Eliot Spitzer's standing with voters has fallen faster and further than any politician in recent New York history," Siena spokesman Steven Greenberg said in a written statement. "Everything may not have changed on day one but from the voters' perspective, everything about Governor Spitzer changed in year one."



Spitzer swept to office last November with nearly 70 percent of the vote, carried largely by his reputation as a reformer and his campaign pledge to change everything starting on "Day One."

Half of those polled agreed that making licenses available to illegal aliens would pose a national security threat.

"As I've said on numerous occasions, this is a tough issue," Spitzer said Tuesday in New York City. "And it's one where we're continuing to try to talk to the public, explain why we took the position that I have thus far, and explain what issues we're trying to address. But I understand _ you don't need to see the most recent poll to understand that this is an issue that has touched a nerve in the public and we're trying to address that in a thoughtful, modulated way, and then we'll see where we go."

"The governor's fall is directly tied to his license proposal," Greenberg said. "When asked whether his handling of the license issue increased or decreased their approval of his job performance, 52 percent of voters said it decreased their approval, compared to only 11 percent who said it increased their approval."

Spitzer had originally proposed no longer requiring a Social Security number to get a license. Critics argued the plan would eliminate the U.S. residency requirement for a driver's license and allow illegal immigrants _ including terrorists _ to get the document.

After it became clear that the majority of voters and politicians were opposed to the original plan, Spitzer changed the plan.

New York will have three types of driver's licenses: a traditional state license; an "enhanced driver's license" that will be as secure as a passport; and a license that meets new federal standards of the Real ID Act _ a national and secure identification that would make it much harder for terrorists to get licenses.

But the license will be marked that it is not proof of legal residency in the U.S., and it could lead police and officials to suspect the holder may be an illegal immigrant.

About nine in 10 voters are aware of Spitzer's license plan, which has been highly criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike.

About 70 percent oppose it _ slightly less than the 72 percent who opposed it in a poll released last month.

When asked if driver's licenses are a privilege that illegal immigrants should not have, 67 percent of those polled said yes.

Just one in four said putting undocumented immigrants in the pool of licensed drivers will increase road safety and reduce auto insurance rates. Spitzer has argued he wanted to license the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants "living in the shadows" to make traffic safer, reduce auto insurance premiums by insuring more drivers, and bolster public security by identifying more immigrants.

"Anybody who is a representative should know this is not what the public wants and go back to the drawing board," said Assembly minority leader James Tedisco. "I think in our heart of hearts, everybody wants him to turn this around and start working on an agenda for a better quality of life. He's got three years to do that, it's not impossible. I think there was such optimism when he first started ... I think that's why the numbers are so devastating."

The governor is scheduled to go to Washington Wednesday to meet with New York's congressional delegation. Many lawmakers, including some of his own party, have already come out against the license plan. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer have sought to stay out of the issue, repeatedly refusing to say whether they support or oppose the governor's plan.

The telephone survey of 625 registered New York State voters was conducted between Nov. 5 and 8. It has a sampling margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.

_

MY QUESTION IS............WHY NO RECALL PETITION????????????

citizenJustice,

because some states don't have the recall ability. I'm not sure on New York, but I know some states do not have the option of recalling an elected politician. California obviously does, my state does not. At least not that I'm aware of.

Yes we here in California recalled former governor Gray Davis and look what we got!!! Arnold is no better. He is a major major dissappointment and in my opinin no better than Davis. I think I read somewhere that NY does not have recall capabilities.

Quite sure I also heard NY doesn't have recall ability.
Arnold did, on his first day in office, reverse our driver's license bill Davis had passed for illegals, so although he has disappointed many he did do that.
He also reversed the tripling of our car registration fees that Davis had passed. Triple!!!
Davis was a disaster!

Somebody needs to drive spitzer down to ground zero and show him the result of giving illegals drivers licenses. Rotten bastard.

You are correct Jean. Yes Arnold has done some positive things but just not enough. He just outlawed Cities from being able to reject sanctuary status. That ticked me off, but yes Davis was a disaster. The whole bunch with the exception of some of our congressmen are pandering idiots!