Spitzer's Immigration Surrender

The following piece is part of an ongoing series of HuffPost's OffTheBus reports by citizen policy experts critiquing different aspects of Campaign '08.

It seemed like such a good idea. And the security experts - Richard Clarke, Margaret Stock - thought so too. The idea? "[A]n administrative policy change that will give all New Yorkers the opportunity to apply for state driver licenses without regard to immigration status," announced by New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner David Swarts on Sept. 21, 2007.

But in less than two months, this good idea got watered-down, then deep-sixed altogether. What happened? And why did it happen so fast? How did a "solid" plan devolve into a debate "tripwire?"

In a series of columns Juan Gonzales of the New York Daily News traces the demise of the Spitzer plan. First, the Feds' "Real ID" plan, on the ropes, needed a boost; second, and fatally, the plan flew into the buzz saw of anti-immigrant fervor now obsessing significant segments of the public discourse (rational discussions of security be damned).

Nicholas Confessore, Raymond Hernandez and Danny Hakim provide a cogent post mortem (including an MP3 "backstory" audio from Danny Hakim) - "Mr. Spitzer did not spare his harshest critics, who he said had inflamed the debate with anti-immigrant rhetoric that equated minimum-wage, undocumented dishwashers with Osama bin Laden.' He also said he still believed his proposal would have benefited New Yorkers, citizens, and immigrants alike, and lit into federal officials for failing to fix the nation's immigration system." The topic will likely infect the presidential race from here on out.

Meanwhile, Real ID continues to totter, and the Democratic presidential candidates bicker about who said what when about the license issue. Indeed, it was almost the first question to be asked in the Las Vegas debate on Nov. 15th. (Use the Gray Lady's nifty "transcript analyzer" to see exactly how it went down.)

When (or if) the dust settles, perhaps we can go back to Gov. Spitzer's original idea, think about what the experts said about it, and ask the flamers to answer this question: What part of safety and security don't you understand?

Comments

[POMAM]

Here’s my plan:

Halliburton is awarded a no-bid contract to build a 16-lane highway (eight north, eight south) between the Mexican border and the Canadian border. It runs through Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington - where a considerable amount of wasteland is thought to exist anyway. The highway is surrounded by 60-foot-high walls.

There are no exits, but every 30 miles, there is a Jack-in-the-Box and a Chevron station with plenty of parking. Workers at these establishments must have special coded passes and the back entrances are patrolled by armed TSA agents. Drivers enter the highway in Mexico and drive until they exit in Canada, where they are promised entry-level jobs in the shale oil industry - America's next great source of fuel energy.

Or, we can just build a seven hundred mile wall along our border.

[kelfish]

I just had to comment that I am saddened and disgusted by the number of people referring to illegal immigrants as "illegals". It dehumanizes people, real PEOPLE. I also see the growing popularity of the immigration "problem" as a distraction to another place people are being dehumanized, Iraq. How handy.

[wrabbitt]

Its good that our Governor, has found out that his kingdom is not as stupid as he thinks we are. The problem is : most of the criminals already have a license. and, they have been elected,or appointed to positions, Our elected officials are the best money can buy. they only think about themselves they should be paying attention to how many people are leaving the state for jobs. Because there is no chance of opportunity left unless you like Garbage, and/or taxes..We have both.....

[rmirman]

The whole immigration debate has been completely messed up. There is a way to get rational policies --- by admitting we want the illegal immigrants, we need them. What would we prefer, higher food prices and shortages? For detailed discussion see
randomabsu­rdities.wo­rdpress.co­m

[Janelynne]

Now that Spitzer cannot issue driver's licenses, we can all just drive around and hope we don't have an accident with an unlicensed driver. Meanwhile, we can wait until the Conservatives get a law they like. Between waiting and hopefulness, we'll all do just fine, thank you.

[beppenyc]

Does anybody knows that illegal immigrants can pay tax ? Does anybody knows how long a low skilled immigrant has to wait to get a visa? Minimum five years? ANd by the way who benefits from the illegal immigration? Try to answer to this question and you will undestand that 90% of this illegal are poor hard working people who try to make some money.

[splashy]

Immigration has been an issue for CENTURIES in so many countries that have imperialistic tendencies. The key is that you CAN'T keep people out. The Romans thought they could, the Chinese thought they could - all failed.

What has to happen is help the countries they come from to be decent to their citizens. Help them to become more liberal, instead of helping them to oppress their people for OUR corporations.

It's our chickens coming home to roost. So many years of killing and maiming in the name of profit for international companies leads to people wanting to come to where the profits and benefits go. Stop doing that, let the people benefit in THEIR countries, and the problem ceases to exist.

But, of course, that is TOO LOGICAL for the right wingers that abuse others for profit.

Besides, if people had drivers licenses, they might be able to be held accountable for any accidents the cause, and wouldn't come in contact with so much of the black market folks that lead them into more criminal areas. It's logical - but of course those that are afraid of others that they think are beneath them won't be swayed by logic.

[loucheish]

What this frenzy over the past couple of months has revealed to me (a New Yorker, by the way) is the schism in this country not between a political left and right, but rather between people who see the world and its problems in shades of gray, and those who see it in stark black and white. It just so happens that this rift generally parallels the liberal/co­nservative divide.

It is asinine to believe that the proposed plan would have any effect on immigration, illegal or otherwise, whatsoever. Does anyone seriously believe that the granting of a limited form of driver's license would amount to a welcome sign for illegal immigrants? The economic forces behind illegal immigration are much, much larger issues. The aborted plan only hoped to address the issue of unlicensed and uninsured drivers on our roadways. Would every undocumented worker comply and sign-up for the new ID? No. It would be naive to hope for that. But even if only a few took advantage of the new program, we New Yorkers would be a bit safer.

Unfortunately, there a lot of you folks out there who can't see beyond the illegal immigrant as bogeyman to the root of the problem: the economic disparity between Latin America and the U.S. As long as there are jobs to be had here, and desperate people there, some of them will take great risks to come here. Think for just a minute about why someone would literally risk their life to come here and work for wages that are, by our standards, pitiful. If you really want to tackle the problem, start by targeting the employers who take advantage of a desperate and unprotected labor pool to maximize their profits. Maybe there should be much stiffer laws against hiring undocumented workers...

I guess it's easier to regurgitate rhetoric about building walls and such.

A giant fence will only solve the problem in the conservative dream world where abstinence education actually prevents teen pregnancy, and "just say no" keeps kids off drugs.

[daybreak]

So "illegal" immigrants are to blame for everything. Seems that was going on in Germany in the 1930s when hysteria about the jews ended up with people being murdered and sent to concentration camps. Jews were blamed for all the economic wrongs also. Its also been women, blacks, irish, japanese, arabs etc. I don't want to live in a police state because you are afraid of impoverished people trying to survive. These opinions are cowardly to say the least. The superrich laugh because they want a police state and they want us fighting amongst ourselves because we are easier to control. The corporations have open borders and workers do not. We should be free to work internationally. Walls make us prisoners and help keep us ignorant. By the way, much of this land was part of Mexico and before that the native peoples befor white supremacists stole it. Many people who came here were forced to as slaves. Now the superrich have a new slave class with undocumented workers. You don't have the courage to address the corporate elite its much easier for you to attack brown women, chilren and men. How disgusting. I am a working class woman who is white and ashamed of you white americans who are so cowardly.

[seted]

I get frustrated over illegal immigration, or undocumented workers, or displaced laborers, or whatever particular term is being used that day. Use to be a good sheet rock hanger( that stuff on your walls ) could make 20 bucks and hour in the south, not enough to go hanging out at the Ritz but enough to survive on. Uncaring employers and groups of people who didn't realize that immigration laws were there for a reason and not just a way for Americans to be selfish and keep everyone out of our club flooded the construction industry and drove wages into the toilet. They hurt not just workers that to them it was a way of life passed down from father to son, but also the workers here legally doing things right and having the American dream taken away from them. Those workers have my utmost respect, most of them loved this country and planned on staying here forever.
The illegals on the other hand, main objective is to work as much as possible and send every dime they can spare back home. some have their wives and children with them who can take full advantage of social programs like wic, a great program, by the way that has helped many children get some of the nutrients they need. It would be nice to see some other countries implement this as well.
After years of this, some are ready to go back home and live off their savings as long as the dollar stays strong against their native currency.
I live in a tourist town that pretty much dies in the winter months. In the summer we see an influx of workers from Russia and it's satellite countries that will work at the lowest wage possible in the service industry, If you order a pizza from any of the major chains of pizzeria here, chances are it was made by one of these workers. They are in stiff competition with Mexican house keepers for the hotel industry here one side constantly trying to out bid the other side for wages.

[coach777b]

What Kowalski doesn't seem to understand is the true meaning of the discussion, the resistance to Spitzer's decree and how the media continues to distort it. He frames the issue thus: "What part of safety and security don't you understand?" That bogus canard continues to dominate the media. The real question, which is never ask and never answered is "What part of ILLEGAL don't you understand? When he can answer that question, then he can legitimately join the discussion. It's not about IMMIGRATION it's about ILLEGAL.

[Johnz52]

New York Governor Spitzer believes that issuing driver's licenses to illegals is the panacea to our immigration problems and a more secure border. Funny but, illegals didn't abide by regulations and law to enter the U.S. legally, so where is the evidence that they will suddenly become law abiding citizens aho will register their vehicle and obtain insurance? Face it most of the 12-15 million illegals already here have one agenda, themselves. Living in CA you can see how downtown LA has turned into a Third World where English is a foreign language and graffiti is the decoration of choice.
The liberals put out B.S. that it is impossible to roundup 12 million illegals. Hey, if every Japanese person was able to be rounded up in 1942 without computers and high-tech technology then it can certainly be accomplished today. The L.A. School Board recently attempted to conduct a meeting with parents in Spanish. Rightly many African American parents in attendance complained. A Hispanic parent was quoted in the Times "I think it is racist when people say we should speak English in America." Illegals get free education and social services. Illegals pay in state tutition to CA colleges while an American citizen from Colo. must pay higher non-resident fees.
And at this time of year it might be good to remember that it was a drugged out illegal who killed Bob Clark, director of "Christmas Story", and his son. Enough is enough. Since they don't care to learn English or abide by our laws it would be better for all to ship them back to their countries of origin and start taking care of our own first.

[scifiwriter]

What Kowalski fails to mention is that according to polls, 77% of the country is against giving drivers licenses to illegals. This will be a key issue in the '08 election and if Hillary expects to be elected she will have to take a hard line against illegal immigration. It's that simple. We Americans are a generous people, but the idea of allowing increasing number of illegals into the country in order to drive down wages and overtax social services is beginning to irritate many communities. Do we really need more Mexicans standing on our street corners looking for day labor?

[BinBaldwin]

Spitzer was crushed under the Clinton Machine Steamroller. I am sure he was ordered to withdraw his proposal before the debates. Wolf Blitzer also obliged.

[ibsteve2u]

If we can't control our borders, we cannot control who comes into our nation, be they South Americans looking for work or Al Qaeda looking to blow a kindergarten class into the next life.

And yet the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for one, vigorously works to defend illegal and unsupervised immigration.

The thing about this issue is that it clearly lays out who is concerned about the security of America and who is not.

You could even say it clearly demarcates who would and who wouldn't sell America out.