NH mayor bashed for immigrant voting idea

[AnCap Dave]

Source

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) - Now New Haven's Mayor is getting bashed by his own party after proposing the idea to allow illegal immigrants the right to vote.

Top Democrats are telling mayor John DeStefano to back off on the controversial issue.

Most Democrats, enthusiastically supported the law to allow the children of people here illegally to go to state schools and pay the in-state tuition rates, but voting, that's another matter.

The Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy, the Democratic Speaker of the House, Chris Donovan, and the Democratic Majority Leader of the State Senate, Martin Looney are all telling Democratic Mayor John DeStefano to forget about it.
       
Earlier this week Malloy said that he was not comfortable with DeStefano's proposal, today he was even more stand offish to the idea.

"I'm doing my best to honor a willingness to hear other ideas, but nothing I've read or heard thus far would convince me to support such a law," said Malloy.
       
Republicans in the General Assembly are champing at the bit in hopes that any Democrat would introduce the idea.

"I'd like to see some Democrats come out in favor of it because I think it would put them in very bad shape for the elections," said Markley.

"If you've come to this country in violation of law, nothing could be more offensive than to grant you the privilege that soldiers have fought and died to protect," said Roraback.

But perhaps most telling for the New Haven Mayor is that State Senate Majority Martin Looney, the most prominent state legislator from New Haven, said no thanks.

"That is probably a non starter, won't get any traction in the current session, which is a short session," said Looney.

"I believe that as well, there are more serious issues we're facing and also, I think we need a broad immigration policy, and um this idea just won't fly," said Donovan.

"For one thing, it may actually require a Constitutional Amendment rather than a statutory change," said Looney.
     
That is only done for very,very popular moves, like when the voting age was lowered to 18 during the Vietnam War, when 18 year olds were drafted, but couldn't vote.

There already is a law on the books in Connecticut that allows non United States citizens who are here legally, and who own more than $1,000 worth of property to vote on municipal budget issues.

[MrBogosity]

Check me on this: LEGAL residents can't even vote, right? You need to be a citizen.

I'm amazed at how many politicians don't know the difference between a resident and a citizen!

[AnCap Dave]

Check me on this: LEGAL residents can't even vote, right? You need to be a citizen.

I'm amazed at how many politicians don't know the difference between a resident and a citizen!

Currently in Connecticut, as far as I know, you have to be a citizen in order to vote in municipal elections. Even if you are a legal resident, if you aren't an official American citizen, you aren't allowed to vote. That's as far as I'm aware. I'm doing some research on this now and the only thing that has really come up is this story from different websites.

[Ibrahim90]

I'm amazed at how many politicians don't know the difference between a resident and a citizen!

they pretend to do so in Colorado. though they seem to have it completely backwards: an Illegal immigrant or child of such who is a "resident" here gets free tuition (or at least instate) for college, and people like me (a citizen, and legal resident of the US and ideally of Colorado), has to pay up 34,000$ a year for college. their argument is that I'm not 23 yet (I'll be 22 in March)-yes, this is the law here.. though I now have a job (hell, 2 of them), and a permanent Colorado Address. And I do not receive a penny from my parents nowadays. (and in case anyone wonders, I pay for most of with scholarship money; my GPA is sufficient for these things. still means I'll owe 25,000$ when this is all over. of course, if the law was fairer, I wouldn't even owe a penny)

let that sink in: I've legally lived in Colorado for 3 years now, and they won't give me residency because I'm not 23 yet, yet they'll give an illegal immigrant or child of such tuition wavers....

in fact, it got to the point, where I sent this letter as a reply to some idiot in the CSU administrations (the amount mentioned also includes my parent's debt; and while I'm not actually in favor of debt forgiving, it's still better than what I get):

[spoiler]to whom it may concern,

thank you for the notification, it cleared up much for me. however one point, which I feel I am qualified to under the last line in your letter: "Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments. In the meantime, enjoy your well-deserved summer break."

my comment:

it is no good pointing out the "benefits" of a tuition hike, when the person is an out of state student living below the poverty line, and in heavy debt (40,000$)-coutesy of Colorado's "fine" legislators. perhaps it would be more worth your and my time if you informed me that I miraculously got in state tuition...or that my debts were forgiven, and me and my family awarded compensation. or some other arrangement, similar to what business school got. (I am in the geosciences-thus obtaining maximum shafting).

mind you, I have no problem with you-as mentioned, your notification was helpful. however I do not appreciate trying to sugar coat what is just another piece of bad news, and rubbing into me and my family the severity of the injustice caused by Colorado's residency laws.

take care,
Ibrahim
[/spoiler]

this letter by the way is now pretty infamous in the geo-department. and much to my relief, most of the professors seem to agree with my sentiments.

I'll be blunt: the point of this is that our immigration laws are fucked. they are in fact downright satanic; I would even go far as to say that if satan exists, even he wouldn't come up with laws this retarded.