Spitzer: DMV is Not the INS

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 01:07:00 AM EST
Tags: immigrants, immigration reform (all tags)

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New York Governor Eliot Spitzer deserves praise today for announcing a new policy: Drivers' licenses will be granted to all residents without regard to immigration status.

Under the new rules, the Department of Motor Vehicles will accept a current foreign passport as proof of identity without also requiring a valid yearlong visa or other evidence of legal immigration.

The policy, which does not require legislative approval, will be phased in starting in December.

His reasoning: [More...]

The governor called it a “common sense change” that will improve traffic safety and lower insurance costs for all New Yorkers by ensuring that more immigrants have valid licenses and auto insurance. Giving more immigrants verifiable identification will also enhance law enforcement by bringing people out of the shadows, he asserted.

“The D.M.V. is not the I.N.S.,” Mr. Spitzer said, referring to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, now part of Homeland Security, by its old initials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Another good point he makes:

People who ignore the reality of illegal immigrants only encourage the use of false Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses.

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Spitzer: DMV is Not the INS | 23 comments (23 topical)

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Good lord. Pandering 101. (1.00 / 0) (#3)
by jimakaPPJ on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 08:14:29 AM EST

"The D.M.V. is not the I.N.S.," Mr. Spitzer said,

No, it's not. But it is part of government that is supposed to help enforce the law and help other agencies protect us.

And this will not increase the number of illegal aliens with auto insurance. It will just give the illegal alien a state issued photo ID that, along with a stolen SS# will help them live illegally in the country.

So... (1.00 / 0) (#6)
by jarober on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:24:27 AM EST

So you now favor voter fraud?

: Only if they vote Demo.. ;-) (1.00 / 0) (#15)
by jimakaPPJ on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 10:06:16 AM EST

I would (none / 0) (#1)
by Wile ECoyote on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 06:50:54 AM EST

love to see the Gov. point out how this will increase the number of illegals getting auto insurance. Or how it will lower insurance costs for the rest of the driving citizenry. I will predict the opposite.

You have a point Wile..... (none / 0) (#2)
by kdog on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 07:47:00 AM EST

I don't think an act of god could lower auto insurance rates. Getting a license doesn't miraculously make insurance affordable for working folks, citizen or not.


LOL (none / 0) (#4)
by Wile ECoyote on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 08:33:30 AM EST

Auto insurance is not affordable for working folks? All people need is no-fault. Drop cable TV, or put down the cell phone. Why should other people pay for skewed priorities.


because (none / 0) (#5)
by Jen M on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:19:17 AM EST

all poor people have lots of money and have cable tv and cell phones


: Then they take public transit. (none / 0) (#11)
by Wile ECoyote on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:43:56 AM EST

Are you proposing people pay for a poor person auto insurance?

Unreal.... (none / 0) (#7)
by kdog on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:28:29 AM EST

It can still run you 2 grand a year, and if you make 22 somethings got to give. After cable, that is.

All for the pleasure of jacking your rates when somebody slams into ya or John Law snags ya in a speed trap.


Like I (none / 0) (#10)
by Wile ECoyote on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:42:18 AM EST

said no fault. If the person slams into ya and they don't have insurance then your rates will not go up.


: Tell my insurance company.... (none / 0) (#20)
by kdog on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 07:58:37 AM EST

In the real world, if you file a claim, your rates go up....like clockwork.

Here's How it Works (none / 0) (#8)
by maha on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:38:25 AM EST

In New York, if you drop your auto insurance the insurance company notifies the state, which promptly suspends your license.


The illegals will get the drivers (none / 0) (#14)
by Wile ECoyote on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:48:50 AM EST

license and not get any insurance. There is no insurance company to notify the state.


: Always a Catch (none / 0) (#19)
by maha on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 11:20:10 AM EST

There's no fail-safe system to anything, and some people will go completely underground and drive unregistered cars without insurance or a license. And that applies to people who are NOT illegal aliens. But if someone's going to the trouble of getting a license he's probably trying to drive legally, which means his vehicle is registered, and owning a properly registered vehicle also requires proof of insurance.

Georgia dropped no fault (none / 0) (#12)
by Molly Bloom on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:45:59 AM EST

because it was more expensive to consumers over a decade ago.

My rates then went down.

Making my case (none / 0) (#13)
by Wile ECoyote on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:46:54 AM EST

How is giving illegals driver licenses going to lower insurance rates? It is going to raise rates. The people who get insurance, pay their bills, prioritizing their finances will end up paying for the new uninsured motorists. Gov. Spitzer is pandering.

If They're Uninsured, They're Unlicensed (none / 0) (#18)
by maha on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 11:15:31 AM EST

Again, in New York if you don't have auto insurance the state suspends your license. There's no such thing as a licensed but uninsured motorist here.


: I can think of any number of reasons (none / 0) (#21)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 12:01:26 PM EST

that would suggest that this program will probably do little to increase insurance compliance in NY, but it would be nice if this type of program would then be followed up at some point with a real study to see if the program was successful or not....

Is this the end of the motor votor law? (none / 0) (#16)
by diogenes on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 10:22:48 AM EST

I guess we'll never see these motor voter laws again, at least.

Probably doesn't matter (5.00 / 0) (#17)
by roy on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 10:29:46 AM EST

Those laws still let states require proof of citizenship for voter registration. A foreign passport is pretty much the opposite.


: In CA, actually, (none / 0) (#22)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 12:03:11 PM EST

the law says you must be asked by the DMV at the time of getting your license if you would like to register to vote.
The law also says it is against the law for the DMV to ask for any proof of citizenship.

Governor Eliot Spitzer is right! (none / 0) (#23)
by john plotnick on Wed Oct 03, 2007 at 10:00:47 PM EST

Those bandit and scoundrel republicans are dividing our society with scare tactics. They are trying to make our country a hatemonger country. We welcome immigrants and their contribution to our society. The Americans who claim not to have jobs and complaining are the lazy scum of our society; we are hard working proud Americans who are not afraid to help the poor and make our society a welcoming society. Governor Eliot Spitzer is a real American whom our forefathers should be proud of. I pray to God he prevails, in which case he already did. For those of you, hateful dirt(s), go join the KKK, live in a trailer somewhere in the South in remote swaps, marry your closest, and do yourself a favor; don't pollute our welcoming state and our country with your hate speeches. After all is it not a republican who was preying on young boy interns, and the other who took his family value straight to the rest room looking for perverts at least that was told. We are God fearing good and clean Americans, not thieves and perverts. Spitzer is right, let the poor dream as well.

Thank you, may God bless Spitzer and our country; may God give your hateful heart the scent of worship and care. And when I say worship is not worshipping the hateful rep., the overweight and ugly Congressman James Sensenbrenner, whose cholesterol level still out scores his ego and hatred. Why don't he focus on his health and eating habits rather than scaring Americans with his inflated fear tactics, back room politics and poisons bills; he might as well go and work for groups like the K.K.K. We are a welcoming nation; we feed the poor; we pray to God; we love and respect our family, neighbors and God's creatures. Why don't we listen to star citizens such as the priests who devoted their lives for the good of men and God; who are telling us to be kind, why do we follow a no good liar republican politician? It simply beats logic away. Go Spitzer and alike, enough of these lies.

: With All Due Respect (none / 0) (#24)
by HeathersDad on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 08:52:23 PM EST

This attempt to give aliens a NY State Driver's license is really an attempt to subvert the law of the land.
The law states that you must be a US citizen in order to vote.
Once someone gets a NY State driver's license, they only need to check a box stating that they are a citizen in order to be registered to vote.
The NY driver's license is the most important piece of ID which is used to register to vote, obtain credit cards, open bank accounts, etc.
This is the real issue, not giving aliens drivers licenses. They already can get licenses but this would allow these people to become indistinguishable from US citizens in the eyes of the law and most businesses.
This is just as wrong as trying to stop people from registering to vote because of the color of their skin.
Citizenship is a privelige and it should be earned, not given away.
My grandparents escaped from Russia during WWII and became citizens. They worked hard and educated themselves and contributed to society by paying taxes and trying to make a better life for themselves and their children.
We can't ignore the illegals in this country but we should make them become citizens before giving them entitlements and priveliges which are reserved for US citizens.