I back drivers licenses for all. Now!

Why not just include a pilot's license while you're at it?

Cars Suck.
Spare the Air.
Cars are slavery for the working class.

The absolute arrogance of the critical mass types just amazes me. Why do you assume everybody wants to or CAN ride a bike? What about old people, people with kids...oh, why even bother to go on. Just remember, not everyone is 22 and fit. Perhaps when you grow up you will understand how ludicrous your idea is. Remember, it's all about "diversity".

if you are in this country illegally you do not deserve to obtain a license, also if you cannot speak and /or read English well enough to function on the highway you do not deserve to obtain a license.
and "how will illegal aliens obtain insurance" state law

and.....why should they? they are already illegally in this country (criminal offense) why would you think they would care if they caused an accident
as the news footage seen on illegal boarder crossings shows, a complete disregard for the lives of anyone else. NO WAY!

The US can't accept everyone under the sun. There need to be immigrant limits. It's one thing if a people are being exterminated or something, but under normal everyday circumstances, if you aren't here legally, then don't get upset if you get booted out.

The earth is a big place.

Hello, I work in immigration law trying to legalize immigrants who have some valid reason to be in the US through either employment or family sponsorship, in an increasingly hostile anti-immigrant political climate. I should start out by saying that there are various shades of "illegal," for not very to quite, and each person has a story, a reason to be here, trying to provide for a family they couldn't support back home, or we have you. Of these, many people are erroneously refused driver's licenses by DMV if there is even a question about their status, many more denied nowadays for even the most minor breaches in US status if detected by DMV, and then those with no tangible US status -- even though here working for a US employer and driving a company vehicle -- are denied the right to drive. I am not passing moral judgement, just wondering aloud.

Meanwhile, California agriculture business conitnues to employ truckloads of immigrants both legally and also "under the table" -- largely Mexicans, from whom the honkies stole California back in the day -- in low-paying temporary seasonal farm jobs. Illegals are preferred as workers, will work for almost nothing, and are afraid to complain because of their tenuous status in this country. Meanwhile, others illegals are still widely employed in California in restaurant or laundry or factory jobs that no Americans -- not even unemployed Americans such as abound aplenty lately -- are willing to take s**t jobs for sub-human wages.

It is not so different from what we called slavery when it was Africans we were talking about.

There will be immigrants in the US as long as we have use for them and while our use of them is better than their lives back home. Simple migration, which birds engage in freely via the friendly skies. Seeking a better life and livelihood is not in itself immoral, and who can blame the immigrants, when here they find US employers here willing to exploit them?

The disadvantage to having a sub-class of illegal immigrants with no rights is that they will drive anyway, often in connection with their jobs, whether or not they are licensed. But if not licensed, they have no insurance, they flee from the scene of the accident rather than stay to talk to police since this means deportation, and so forth.

Advantages to refusing to license drivers who have no US status but happen to live and work here? Ummm, well, I guess it does align with our government's current agenda of making life hell for immigrants by denying them the basic rights others around them enjoy. Discrimination is a word that comes to mind. Funny, when California needed software engineers to fuel Silicon Valley during the dot com boom, immigrants were OK & visa numbers were magically raised. Check out the Chinese Exclusion Act for clues of what happens to a race of people once the railroad, like the information superhishway--has been built.

Mexico has a strong border presence on their southern border in order to prevent people from South America to migrate into the US and the Mexican border patrol is much more burtal than US border patrol.

As to the “honkies” stealing California – take one step back and the Mexicans/Spaniards stole the land from the Native Americans. Yet why is that fact over looked?

The insurance statement is a strawman because the truth of the matter is regardless of having a legal license a majority of legal and illegal people in this class seldom have insurance.

If you want to help these migrant workers, then instead set of giving them licenses, advocate for a migrant work visa – much like an H1B visa or something that more closely resembles the TN visa. But we all know the truth of the matter that it’s not about the migrant workers but getting them into the voting booth and using them to vote and help push a political agenda.

Let's just get one thing straight... If you are not here by legal statute, GET OUT. No free care, no handouts and no trips to the DMV. Apply for legal immigration status and (if you are not wanted by the law in Mehico), get tested for AIDS, pass, and then come in and we will adore you as one of the "huddled masses".
Until then, you do NOT have the rights and priviliges of a U.S. citizen or legal entity. This is not one-sided thinking, racist or a strike at diversity. This is what the vast majority of Californians and Americans work for, fight for, and are entitled to live with.
Bustamonte loses, WE WIN.

What kind of cars do you think illegal immigrants will drive? Will be a Prius, or other Hybrid? No, it will be what they can afford, which will be fuel-inefficient, highly polluting older cars...

This will also increase traffic - in which the stop-and-go creates more emissions than any other time.

Gee, do you apply that philosophy to your house? When your wife and children are home alone? You think nobody is illegal in your home? Anyone can enter? Your home borders - the walls of your house -are they just random? Howabout your car? When you stop at lights can anyone enter your car?

For some reason you seem to think there is no difference between illegal immigrants and immigrants - when someone opens a conversation on illegal immigrants, the conversation is twisted towards that person being anti-immigrant (hence the feeling that you seem to see no difference between them). Therefore, continue your thoughts on your house, do you think people who enter through your window at night are the same as those you invite in through your front door for dinner? Do you welcome both to your kid's birthday parties? Is the person who takes your car without asking the same in your eyes as a neighbor who asks to borrow your car for an hour?

Yes, I still think borders are a random shifting concept, like flags. It's an us and them kind of thing, which sucks. I believe that the US was initially derived from a free flow of cultural energies, the strongest tended to swim or fly here from whence the came, built a mutually beneficial infrastructure, played the game, then, what, the law changes? Since I work closely with the Bureau in signing up as many immigrants as possible for legal benefits and relief, I feel fairly certain that I understand the economics reflected, the mood swings our country goes through, and in general agree with granting some sort of amnesty to people already part of the US system and here and working in some capacity. It only makes economic sense to acknowledge that there are immigrants living among us who are already part of our system, who would love to pay taxes but cannot, who would love to buy insurance but cannot. I also think the concepts of money and private property cause concepts like theft. But so much for theory, homes. Davis signed to license everyone, so take your anti-immigrant attitude & examine how you might feel if you were on the outside looking in.

License back seat drivers.

Hey, today I was talking with someone who was really insistent that you can register to vote with just a driver's license, and that proof of citizenship is never checked.

Does anyone happen to know how voter registration is processed? I don't really know how to go about doing this.

With regards to this licensing issue, I've been wondering what Davis' motivations are, given that he has so rarely thrown the smallest bone to his democratic constituency- almost anything vaguely progressive that has happened during the past few years has been the result of the democrat legislature, and not him. In my perspective, it seems that the real problem is that our economy is based on having lots of near-slave workers in the central valley and other positions, and various companies would basically cave in if they didn't have these workers. In other words, if the government actually ever did anything to truly help out immigrants from central american and Mexico, or to bring the wages in Mexico up so there wouldn't be an incentive to immigrant for jobs, then all these companies would lose their profit, so this will never happen.

Anyway, voter fraud is a problem. We all know about Florida. http://www.brasscheck.com/stadium/ The brasscheck website shows how voter fraud has been epidemic in San Francisco for decades where groups used to bus people around, including children, to vote at all the precincts. Silicon valley experts have been warning about how dangerous and risky the current computerized voting systems w/o paper trail are. In my precinct in Berkeley, my felonious ex-housemate Dylan Anderson plus about 7 others who I've never met are still registered at my house and anyone could request an absentee ballot in their name or vote at the Blake street location, and I felt bad about it and once sent them the list of names of people who don't live here, but they don't get removed, so I bet these people are registered in two places.

Oh yes, also, the flakey students in charge of the precinct at one of the UC-B dorms set up a help yourself pile of ballots and left to go study for a few hours, and so students were taking several ballots each for a while until finally someone reported it.
Anyway, the state is already undemocratic enough as it is. It would be pretty cool actually if a really minor candidate won the next election with computer ballot fraud so that everyone would get pissed off and solve the problem for the future.

"so take your anti-immigrant attitude & examine how you might feel if you were on the outside looking in."

Once again an attempt to shift the issue. This IS NOT an anti-immigrant issue. Its an anti - illigel issue. I admit that constently shifting it to immigration is a good little tactic to but those opposed to illegal immigration on the defensive since the vast majority of those opposed to illegals are not racist.

Progressive should be in the forefront of the anti illegal battle. Illegal workers are kept that way to benefit big business and big farming - the benefit to small farmers is a sidebar from the benefit to the big companies that buy produce from small farmers.

The argument of big business is echoed repeatedly by those pushing keeping illegals - that is that Americans won't do the job that illegals do. This is true. To a point. American's won't (can't actually) do the work the illegals do AT THE EXPLOITATIVE WAGES that are paid illegals. When workers are paid living wages, Americans line up for the work. Look at New York City where they have a lottery each year just to apply for garbage man opening.

Being in favor of illegal immigration is being in favor of exploitative wages, two tiered social system and racist hiring. Period.

The only solution is to force the hand of business. Stop illegal immigration and make them adopt a sane and humane policy whether its open borders (which won't work) or guest workers or even better, more liberal legal immigration. The pious arguments given above to provide band aids like driving licenses and free medical care play directly into the hands of big business and don't solve a thing. In fact they serve merely as mouthpieces for these exploitors.

If you really want to help the illegal immigrants, stop changing the topic. Stop supporting big business. Stop encouraging the exploitation of workers. This will ONLY happen when illegal immigrationn stops and legal controls on workers come into play.

First, California WAS NOT stolen from Mexico. It was bought. The price $15 million dollars to the Mexican government. In the 1800's that was a whale of a lot of money. I suggest that you learn your history before you start making accusations.

Second, shades of illegality is still illegal. If Mexicans or any nationality want to come to the US - they should do it legally. My ancestors did. And I would dare to say that most of our ancestors came to the US through legal means.

Third, people need to be documented to enter the US and we need to know who they are before they came in. If we were pre 9/11 - I might agree that we shouldn't worry about this - but the world is a change place. Plus, let's face it an average of 28% of most states budget deficients are due to social service provided to illegal immigrants. That to me, constituents a big problem.

Finally, if it is desirable for Farmers to use Mexicans on their farms - than we should issue work visas - much like the HB1 program.

I believe most Americans "get it." They are sitting at home right now wondering "why is there a debate
about this?"

Being granted the privileges of citizenship requires that one become a citizen or legal resident.

There is a legal process involved in becoming a
citizen or legal resident.

Why? Because that is the only way to fairly admit a percentage of the literally billions of people who want
to come to this country.

The governor of California is confused about whom he was electd to represent: its citizens, or its illegals.
And that is why he is subverting immigration laws,
instead of enforcing them.

And why, thankfully, he is about to be recalled.

And why I urge you to send a clear message
in your support of legal and controlled immigration,
and against this irresponsible granting of illegal
alien driver licenses, social security cards, and
voting rights.

You are correct and I agree 100%. Bustamonte and Davis are in for a rude awakening in a few weeks. It will be funny to see them in line at the unemployment office... unfunny when unfortunately behind a legal immigrant or U.S. citizen put in the line by their asinine 'progressive' agenda. it is embarassing to hear them lie so directly. How can ANYONE be so friggin stupid and out of touch with REALITY as our (soon gone) govenor???

this is for all racist people. i think that people who live in the united states must have the same rights as legal people do.

Anna,
Can't you open your eyes and see that this is not a racist issue? Why do you insist on clouding things? Race is not the issue.

Why, by he way, do you insist that people in the US illegally have the right to bear arms? Voting rights, for illegals or, by your definition, people merely visiting from Toronto for the weekend, is absurd enough but GUNS? Are you crazy?

anna, a technical note --- driving is not a right, its a privledge under the law. hence the testing, etc. there is a big differnece.

i disagree with your statement on racism. it is about assiting big biz in exploiting workers. it is actually ANTI RACIST, or I guess counter racist.

Arm the homeless.

Arm the illegals

don't bother giving them arms... how 'bout a bus ticket?


one way

>>Does anyone happen to know how voter registration is processed? I don't really know how to go about doing this<<

Yes: It’s simple go here:
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm
This is the CA gov website for voting registration.

Under identification the proof one can submit is a valid California Driver’s License number.

why shouldn't everyone vote for american politics? America actions influences the entire world. all should have a say. if the us won't listen to the UN then let the 'UN' vote in america.

Then open up elections for all the countries on the UN Security Council.

Also, your “if the us won't listen to the UN then let the 'UN' vote in america” statement is naïve. There is a long list of countries that at one time or another went against the UN wishes. Maybe we should open the elections to everyone in those countries as well.