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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

DA Slams Driver Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants

DA John Morganelli
Easton City Council and Mayor Sal Panto have unanimously adopted a nonbinding resolution calling for state legislation that will make it possible for undocumented immigrants to obtain driver licenses. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli called a news conference on June 2, calling on other municipalities to ignore what he calls a "bad public policy".

Calling the actions of Easton "misguided and uniformed," he chided its Council and Mayor for failing to seek input from the law enforcement community. He called it a "spur of the moment" decision that was passed without much thought.  "[T]he fact is that this kind of initiative is an invitation to terrorists and criminals to come to your jurisdiction," he elaborated.

Driver licenses for undocumented immigrants are currently only available in a handful of states. It started in New Mexico in 2009, but Governor Suzanna Martinez is leading an effort to repeal the law on the basis that it leads to fraud, human trafficking and organized crime. Seventy-two percent of New Mexico voters were opposed to this law in a 2010 survey. According to Morganelli, New Mexico has become a magnet for illegal immigrants who have moved there from as far away as China, just so they can get a driver license.

According to Easton Mayor Panto, many undocumented immigrants came here legally, but stayed after their visas expired. He added that the "vast majority" of them are "good people who work hard to provide for their family." But at his news conference, Morganelli noted the resolution Easton passed would grant driver licenses to the "vast majority" as well as criminals and terrorists.

Morganelli agreed that undocumented immigrants who came here as children might be entitled to relief. But that is a federal matter, not something for Easton City Council or even Northampton County, according to the DA.

"Local municipal government should not attempt to influence public policy in an area outside of their responsibility and which could have dire consequences and unintended results for law enforcement's responsibility to protect the public," he concluded.

Morganelli is a long-time opponent of what he calls illegal aliens. But at yesterday's news conference, he conceded their number is shrinking, primarily because of the economy.

Blogger's Note: As John knows, I have never shared his views concerning undocumented immigrants. I understand the concern about terrorists and real criminals, but I think even he would agree that most of them are here for economic reasons. Not having a driver's license means they are basically forced to drive illegally. This means that if there's an accident, there's no insurance. How does that help us? In addition, the children of undocumented immigrants who were born abroad should not be forced to suffer for their parents' sins. But I buy the "magnet" argument. And I'll also agree that the solution, if it ever comes at all, must come at the federal level. I'm not holding my breath.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

You mean Illegal Aliens.

Fuck your Political Correctness.

Fuck your Lord God King Obama.

Bernie O'Hare said...

This is not about political correctness. This is about using words as accurately as possible. An undocumented immigrant is an illegal alien. But the word "undocumented" makes the reader aware of the nature of the transgression. The word "illegal" is more vague and could include numerous crimes. The word "immigrant" is pretty clear. The word "alien" is more vague and could mean beings from another planet. Thus, the most accurate phrase to use is "undocumented immigrant." The phrase "illegal alien" is also accurate and i have no problem with it, but it is more vague.

Anonymous said...

Right Wing Maniac Targeted at Bethlehem City Council

Bernie O'Hare said...

And your filthy mouth tells us all we need to know about your intellect.

Anonymous said...

Save Bethlehem City Council From Right-Wing Disruptions

Anonymous said...

Karen Dolan said...
How many of you, recently, have been on the receiving end of public rants challenging your honesty, legality, intelligence, and patriotism? Try sitting on the dais while a citizen loudly claims YOU are corrupt, guilty of serious crimes, and/or have No RIGHTS under the constitution to hold office. Now imagine the citizen who is ranting is leaning toward you, he's dressed in baggy clothes, speaking incoherently while clutching a copy of the constitution. He claims YOU have never read the constitution and YOU are destroying the country. YOU are killing HIM, and he's getting madder and louder and madder and louder...

This happened twice at recent Bethlehem City Council meetings, and this blog and others dismiss it as unimportant; they cooly ridicule council and Bethlehem police for escorting the ranting gentleman out of City Hall.

Now, another group of citizens is saying, publicly, "Enough. Stop threatening, stop screaming. You must be civil to engage in civil discourse."

This is not rocket science. If you want people to behave in a civil manner, you have to set and maintain a standard of civility. The members of Bethlehem City Council have managed to do this for decades. Why is this too much to ask of citizens?

Anonymous said...

Karen Dolan said...
How many of you, recently, have been on the receiving end of public rants challenging your honesty, legality, intelligence, and patriotism? Try sitting on the dais while a citizen loudly claims YOU are corrupt, guilty of serious crimes, and/or have No RIGHTS under the constitution to hold office. Now imagine the citizen who is ranting is leaning toward you, he's dressed in baggy clothes, speaking incoherently while clutching a copy of the constitution. He claims YOU have never read the constitution and YOU are destroying the country. YOU are killing HIM, and he's getting madder and louder and madder and louder...

This happened twice at recent Bethlehem City Council meetings, and this blog and others dismiss it as unimportant; they cooly ridicule council and Bethlehem police for escorting the ranting gentleman out of City Hall.

Now, another group of citizens is saying, publicly, "Enough. Stop threatening, stop screaming. You must be civil to engage in civil discourse."

This is not rocket science. If you want people to behave in a civil manner, you have to set and maintain a standard of civility. The members of Bethlehem City Council have managed to do this for decades. Why is this too much to ask of citizens?

Anonymous said...

Panto is a clown. A pandering clown. This is nonsense. This is political drivel meant to collect votes.

Morganelli is right. How in the Hell do you give an illegal alien a drivers license, which can be deceptively used to get all kinds of benefits and for nefarious activities. What a clusterfluck in Easton.

Panto should resign.

GW said...

Why does this have to be so complicated. If you visit a country, say Barbados, you want to drive a car. you get an international drivers license. You take the test, you buy an insurance bond to cover your stay, you rent or buy the car.It dosnt matter how you get there.Fly there,swim there,arrive on a boat, fall out of the sky your not a resident. Its all about money and liability. Gets some common sense people.

Anonymous said...

If the illegal immigrants don't drive Panto loses money in potential parking meter income.
Feed me, Salmor. Feed me!

Anonymous said...

Not only what Morganelli said but what about the effect on our system for elections? We can argue whether automatic registration when getting a drivers license is a good thing, but expanding the pool of those who can receive drivers licenses to illegals will surely create problems.

Anonymous said...

Bernie
I disagree with your reasoning on not using the term illegal alien.
The documentation and identification cards given to those following the rules and the law are called "Resident Alien" and "Non-Resident Alien" cards.
I doubt they are ever asked if they are from Mars!

Anonymous said...

This is what we do. The activist wear us down and then we go along... Both sides will become complacent in this and the illegals will become our mouths to feed. The left gets the voters and the rest of us get the bill.

Morganelli must be hated by the left. They want their way and the 80% should just go along. He gets voted I. Because he is not a politician. His views are what the majority usually go for. Not always but many times.

And Mis Dolan caused her own problems. That loud guy is typical of a frustrated American tired of a politician getting away with doing the wrong thing. I feel his frustration and he knows that without being heard he doesn't stand a chance.

Where there is smoke there is fire.....she is afraid of being exposed and who could blame her. They fight to win....people like her and we can't just keep allowing this to go on.

Stay after her Bernie.

Guy Williams said...

Its all Emma Lazarus fault and I got the solution. Give me your tired,your poor,your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shores.Send these, the homeless,tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door. Attn: 2014 fill out paperwork and stand in line 6 PS pop always said to be careful what ya wish for

Anonymous said...

"the illegals will become our mouths to feed"

Where is the evidence to support this? My guess is as many or more want to and do work and support themselves.

GW said...

Maybe its just time for the US to follow the lead of many corporations and rebrand itself. Reclarify the words under the statue to say. Bring all your money here people.Educate your kids here, and while here stop #1 Orlando 2 california... yada yada yada #8069 crayola crayons museum and the new hockey arena #8070

Anonymous said...

Good thought-provoking post, Bernie. I agree with your analysis of the term "illegal immigrant" and "illegal alien", but I don't go around every day complaining how America is going to hell, lost its exceptionalism, and is run by a socialist. If I felt that way, I'd be a mean miserable fuck myself, and want everyone else to be as well.

Anonymous said...

Hunt them down,put them in chains and ship them south on railroad cars.
Men,women and children.

Anonymous said...

anon 12:35, I think you have something there but Hannity already thought of that.

Guy Williams said...

Good for you 1132 am, I think were on the same train to paradise

Anonymous said...

Morganelli is a grandstander and all for himself. There is a reason he was the only democrat to lose statewide when the all other democrats won.

Bernie O'Hare said...

ok. Keep telling yourself that.