Thread: Shifting His Stance on Licenses, Spitzer Is Expected to Back

This action is soley to conquer and divide the opposition. Illegal aliens will STILL be getting a NY State Driver's License! Albeit, a diifferent version than Citizens. But they are still getting an official government document, a driver's license. And the U.S. citizens get microchipped and FRd'ed Real ID so they can track and follow our every move and whereabouts.

I say we still keep the pressure on and state our opposition to giving any type of state sanctioned ID to illegal aliens, especially a drivers license.

Furthermore, just how clear of a distinction will it be between the two license versions?

Thanks for digging this article up, GREGAGREATAMERICAN.

I think him blinking is on this is more a result of major party pressure. His action only has about 25-30% support with maybe half of that number coming from illegal aliens that can't vote. His action was threating the reelection campaign of the entire Democratic controlled State Assembly plus the rest of the Democratic party machine, he had to blink.

Zeezil's right. Pressure must be constantly exerted until this entire, misguided plan is a bust.

This is nothing more than a ruse to confuse. The mechanism still exists for illegal voting, and that is obviously what this pandering power glutton really wants from this nonsense.

Citizens could also apply for a less stringent second class of licensee, which would also be available to illegal immigrants.

So basically this does absolutely nothing to erase the voter fraud issue.

I live in NYC, and although I'm glad Czar Spitzer *seemed* to back off this ludicrous idea, the RealID aspect causes some concern.

Also, you should know that most of the "Immigrant Activists" in the city are against any "separate" license scheme because it essentially means that if you have one of the "other" licenses, you are pretty much admitting you're illegal.

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DHS strikes deal on New York driver’s licenses
Agreement creates three-tier system that allows foreigners to get a version
Updated: 1 hour, 14 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration and New York agreed Saturday on a compromise creating a more secure driver’s license for U.S. citizens and allowing illegal immigrants to get a version.

New York is the fourth state to reach such an agreement, after Arizona, Vermont and Washington. The issue is pressing for border states, where new and tighter rules are soon to go into effect for crossings.

The deal comes about one month after New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced a plan whereby illegal immigrants with a valid foreign passport could obtain a license.

The agreement with the Homeland Security Department will create a three-tier license system in New York, the largest state to sign on so far to the government’s post-Sept. 11 effort to make identification cards more secure.

Spitzer, who has faced much criticism on the issue, said the deal means New York “will usher in the most secure licensing system in the nation.â€

[quote]“I don’t endorse giving licenses to people who are not here legally, but federal law does allow states to make that choice,â€

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he was not happy that New York intended to issue IDs to illegal immigrants. But he said there was nothing he could do to stop it.

What B.S. The federal government has the authority to prosecute anyone that aids and abets illegal immigrants!

SPITZ HITS REVERSE WITH LICENSE DEAL
By KENNETH LOVETT, Post Correspondent



October 27, 2007 -- ALBANY - Following intense pressure, Gov. Spitzer is preparing to backpedal on his plan to issue state driver's licenses to illegal immigrants as he nears an agreement with Homeland Security in which undocumented aliens can obtain licenses as long as the cards are not recognized by the federal government, The Post has learned.

Under the expected deal, which could be announced as soon as today, the state will opt into the federal REAL ID program by agreeing to create the type of dual licensing system Spitzer had originally shot down, sources said yesterday.

Under the plan, illegal aliens would still be able to obtain driver's licenses from the state, as Spitzer has pushed for all along.

But such licenses eventually would contain wording that they are not federally recognized, meaning they cannot be used by individuals as acceptable identification to board planes or enter federal facilities such as courthouses, the sources said.

The licenses, which would be available to illegal aliens and citizens alike, would not contain information about a person's legal status - something the Spitzer administration felt was important to avoid them becoming a "scarlet letter," a source said.

A tougher, federally recognized license, requiring applicants to provide Social Security numbers or letters showing they are in the country legally but not eligible for such numbers, would be available only to U.S. citizens and legal aliens.

Those licenses, which would contain special computer chips with personal identifying information, could be used not only to enter federal facilities and board planes, but also to cross the border, federal officials said.

It's unclear just how soon the dual system will be up and running because the state has to put the necessary technology in place and design the two different licenses, the officials said.

It's also unclear what will happen if the Spitzer administration moves forward with its plan to offer licenses to illegal immigrants beginning in December, though some insiders expect for the time being they would be given the same licenses as everyone else.

Laura Keehner, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, last night confirmed that her agency and the Spitzer administration have been in serious talks.

She said her agency believes a deal with the parameters detailed by The Post is close, but the final decision rests with the Spitzer administration.

"We will make any sort of announcement once things are finalized," Keehner said.

Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Anderson denied via e-mail that the governor was planning to scrap or delay the implementation of his plan to license illegal aliens. But she did not respond when asked if the state is readying to opt into the federal REAL ID system.

The REAL ID program was passed by Congress in the wake of 9/11 in an effort to create a national ID card.

Under the REAL ID act, states have until 2009 to opt into the system. The Spitzer administration says that system won't be fully in place by 2013.

The deal comes as state Republicans, some Democrats and 20 county clerks said they would not allow the issuance of licenses to illegal aliens.

As the furor over his plan to provide licenses to illegal aliens grew over the past five weeks, Spitzer and his aides had raised the possibility of dual licensing, but said they wouldn't even consider it until after the federal government released the formal regulations for the program.

kenneth.lovett@nypost.com
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10272007/ne ... licens.htm

October 27, 2007
Spitzer Bends on License Plan

Gov. Spitzer made an abrupt shift from his stance of pushing forward with his plan to issue drivers license to illegal immigrants. He will be appearing with Dept. of Homeland Security officials in DC today to announce a compromise that involves two tiers of drivers licenses. The more secure version will comply with new federal Real ID standards that will be fully instituted in coming years. By 2013, US residents will be required to produce a Real ID or passport to board any flight. Legal or illegal residents could also apply for a standard license.

The shift comes as the governor has faced a firestorm of criticism both from Republicans and from within his own party. More than a dozen county clerks, who operate Department of Motor Vehicles offices upstate, have refused to carry out the policy, even though they are considered agents of the governor’s administration.

This week, in Erie and Niagara Counties, the clerks even said they would report those who could not prove residency to the local sheriff. And a recent poll from Siena College found that 72 percent of respondents opposed the plan.

And at least one county clerk has a filed a lawsuit destined for the State Supreme Court, after promising that he would refuse to comply with any directive to issue drivers licenses to applicants without valid Social Security numbers. And the controversy over licenses has stalled the work of the state legislature, as the Assembly has scaled back its calendar to prevent any riders blocking Spitzer's initiative to be attached to unrelated bills.

For their part, at least one immigrants rights group is outraged at the proposal of a two-tiered licensing system. The New York Immigration Coalition will be holding a protest across the street from the Governor's office on 3rd Ave. at 41st St. in Manhattan tomorrow starting at noon.
http://gothamist.com/2007/10/27/spitzer_bends_o.php