Sunday, October 21, 2007

NY, Drivers Licenses and Illegal Immigrants

Todays NY Times offers badly needed support to Eliot Spitzer, concerning the Governors proposal to allow NY drivers licenses to be granted to illegal immigrants. This topic has been a hot issue in NY lately because everyone agrees that the illegal immigrant problem needs to be addressed.

The NY Times op-ed explains that one must examine the risk/benefit ratio of granting drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Spitzer wants to make NY highways safer by insuring that all drivers are trained, licensed and insured. As the op-ed points out, Spitzers plan has the added benefit of putting names and addresses to the persons being granted a drivers license. Moreover, the op-ed says security expert Richard Clarke supports the plan.
Richard Clarke, an adviser under the last four presidents, mostly on national security issues, has said that making driver’s licenses available to immigrants regardless of their legal status would promote security because “it is far preferable for the state to know who is living in it and driving on its roads."
Lastly, the op-ed rightly claims that illegal immigrantion is a national problem that can only be effectively addressed in Washington, not on the State level. Citizens truly concerned about illegal immigrants should be complaining to their congressional representatives rather than unloading on Eliot Spitzer.

3 comments:

Brian said...

I've never joined in the anti-immigrant bashing and I believe all immigration from Mexico should be legalized under NAFTA. That said it does seem odd to provide a legal state-issued identification card to folks who are here extralegally.

PCS said...

I've never heard of it either, but it's done in 8 other States. I guess if push comes to shove, I'd rather have licensed drivers on the highways rather than unlicensed drivers. Hopefully, by now, we know how to keep terrorists out of the country.

Anonymous said...

"extralegally" wtf is that, Orwellian for illegally? About 75% of New Yorkers disagree with Spitzer. So at least I know the liberals haven't won there yet.