At least one town in SW KS is doing something right...

[Army_of_One]

Stiffer driving penalties upheld

Published 1/9/2008


By GWEN TIETGEN

gtietgen@gctelegram.com

Garden City commissioners Tuesday chose to keep the city's mandatory jail terms for certain driving offenses despite a Hispanic group's claim that the penalties unduly target immigrants.

Commissioners revisited three driving ordinances at the request of Commissioner Nancy Harness, who said commissioners should have spent more time talking about the increased penalties and how they could potentially affect different segments of the population.

Harness said violators of these offenses should be punished, but she thought the city could be served well with the state-mandated penalties rather than to tack on mandatory jail terms.

Commissioners amended state-mandated penalties for the three offenses in September at the request of the Garden City Police Department.

Mayor Reynaldo Mesa and commissioners John Doll, J.R. Behan and David Crase said they supported the amended ordinance and didn't want to amend it again.

Mesa said he thought the issue did bring out the point that the commission should be mulling changes to ordinances over a period of time to allow for a community dialogue.

Police Chief James Hawkins said the city sees an unusually high number of violations for no valid driver's license, driving while suspended and no proof of insurance and sees mandatory jail terms as a deterrent.

Armando Minjarez, in representing the southwest Kansas chapter of Sunflower Community Action, a grass-roots Hispanic advocacy group, has said many immigrants must drive to get to work or for other life functions, and many, for various reasons, cannot get driver's licenses. They want to get licenses, and would if they could, but they cannot, he said.

About 20 people attended Tuesday's meeting, all of whom appeared to be in support of amending the ordinances.

Commissioners said they received calls from those opposed to changing the penalties and several callers told stories of being involved in accidents with uninsured drivers. Those who drive without a license or without insurance are breaking the law and should be punished accordingly, they said.

The calls influenced Crase enough that he questioned whether the city could impound a vehicle after citing a driver for no proof of insurance.

City Attorney Randy Grisell said a high percentage of drivers cited for no proof of insurance have that proof but not with them at the time. He said the state doesn't set any provision for vehicle impoundment on a no-proof-of-insurance offense.

While vehicles are impounded if a driver is found driving under the influence, Grisell argued that citing a driver for no proof of insurance doesn't make the driver any more or less likely to get involved in an accident, whereas a violation of driving under the influence could.

In talking of the mandatory jail terms, Grisell said in practice, a defendant cited for any of the driving offenses traditionally is given the benefit of pleading to a lesser charge.

For instance, if someone has been cited for no proof of insurance but can prove they obtained insurance shortly afterward, Grisell said he traditionally will waive the case. The point of the ordinance is to have insured drivers on the road, not slap a defendant with a fine that may cause them to not be able to afford insurance, he said.

Sister Roserita Weber, with the Dominican Sisters of the Presence, said the state needs to address the fact that someone convicted of driving with no valid license is automatically entered into the system with a suspended license.

After the discussion, Doll said he may get in trouble, but when the city meets with state and federal legislators, he said he believes "we need to find a way to get undocumented workers driver's licenses."

The comment was met with applause from those in the Commission Chambers.

Doll, who owns an ag spraying service, said people need to be held accountable for breaking the law, but undocumented workers are needed in this agriculture economy. The process to get a work visa is difficult, but the demand for workers remains, he said.

"We have to have them," he said. "I think that's the message we need to send to the state and federal government."

He said state and federal lawmakers know it's political suicide to support giving illegal immigrants anything, but it's needed.

"They don't want to do the right thing because they want to keep their jobs," Doll said of politicians.

Sister Janice Thome said she was part of a group that recently met with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. She said Sebelius told the group of about 20 with the Dominican Sisters that she realized it's economic suicide to continue the country's slippage into retroactive immigration reform.

Many states now are passing laws to crack down on illegal immigrants, including laws that punish landlords that rent to illegal immigrants or employers who hire them.

Thome said Sebelius told the group that she would work to ensure Kansas didn't go down that road, but she thought federal answers to immigration reform still were four or five years away.

Commissioners agreed that immigration is something they should address when they meet with the cities of Dodge City, Liberal and Ulysses later this month. The joint meeting is set at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at Mariah Hills Gold Course in Dodge City.

Garden City Telegram Online

[Army_of_One]

My question is that if this is working in Garden then WHY can't it work in Dodge? What is so different about their city than ours?

Police Chief James Hawkins said the city sees an unusually high number of violations for no valid driver's license, driving while suspended and no proof of insurance and sees mandatory jail terms as a deterrent.

One thing that is troublesome though is this:

Many states now are passing laws to crack down on illegal immigrants, including laws that punish landlords that rent to illegal immigrants or employers who hire them.

Thome said Sebelius told the group that she would work to ensure Kansas didn't go down that road, but she thought federal answers to immigration reform still were four or five years away.

In OTHER words although the states around us are making it tougher to be a criminal alien in their state KS will still pander to illegals. The criminal aliens will flock to KS like crazy.

[Bubba]

You know, I was just thinking, if every city in America did things like this, the country could save a lot of money and not build a border fence. With mandatory jail time, businesses losing their licenses for employing illegals like in Arizona, etc. Things would get so difficult for the illegals they would pack their bags and go home on their own.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by Bubba

You know, I was just thinking, if every city in America did things like this, the country could save a lot of money and not build a border fence. With mandatory jail time, businesses losing their licenses for employing illegals like in Arizona, etc. Things would get so difficult for the illegals they would pack their bags and go home on their own.

That's happening in some places...it's called self deportation. If you close the vault to the bank they will stop sticking their hands in helping themselves.

Illegal immigrants self deport as woes mount | U.S. | Reuters

Mexican consular sources in Phoenix say they are seeing a spike in the number of immigrants applying for Mexican citizenship for their U.S.-born children, which will allow them to enroll in schools in Mexico.

They are also seeing a rise in requests for papers enabling families to carry household belongings back to Mexico, free of import duties.

Members of the Brazilian community in the U.S. northeast, meanwhile, say they are starting to see an increase in the number of illegal immigrants heading back to their homes in Brazil in recent months.

"They are beginning to put in the balance the constant fear of being detained and deported, and many are deciding to leave," said Fausto Mendes da Rocha, executive director of the Brazilian Immigrant Center in Boston.

All I have to say is..."Don't let the door hit you in the ass..."

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

That's happening in some places...it's called self deportation....

That is one epidemic I would love to see spread like wildfire across the U.S.

[Highwayman]

Armando Minjarez, in representing the southwest Kansas chapter of Sunflower Community Action, a grass-roots Hispanic advocacy group, has said many immigrants must drive to get to work or for other life functions, and many, for various reasons, cannot get driver's licenses. They want to get licenses, and would if they could, but they cannot, he said.

Boo-fricking-hoo.

Sebelius told the group that she would work to ensure Kansas didn't go down that road….

Another reason to vote Sebelius out.

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

In OTHER words although the states around us are making it tougher to be a criminal alien in their state KS will still pander to illegals. The criminal aliens will flock to KS like crazy.

That’s exactly it Army. It will just increase the labor pool faster than the market can handle. The law of supply and demand kicks in and wages drop even lower while the burden on social services becomes even greater. It may adjust itself over time but how long and at what expense? In the meantime how many locals will leave the state in search of better wages and living conditions.

Originally Posted by Bubba

You know, I was just thinking, if every city in America did things like this, the country could save a lot of money and not build a border fence. With mandatory jail time, businesses losing their licenses for employing illegals like in Arizona, etc. Things would get so difficult for the illegals they would pack their bags and go home on their own.

That’s the best way to do it Bubba. We save a lot of money by not having to put them through the deportation process.

[Army_of_One]

After I read the article I emailed the commissioners again this evening. I already received 2 responses both which are positive.

Hi Walter,
I appreciate you taking the time to express your views and I agree with you wholeheartedly. The tricky part is going to be getting 2 more votes for a measure such as you described. Not impossible, but may take some work. We have only 3 more months left in this commission term and there may be anywhere from 1 to 3 seats changing hands. What I am saying is that this may very well bleed over into the next term and there are candidates out there that this may be a campaign issue for. I am for doing it right now, but just saying it may well be an issue in the campaign. If you know of anyone willing to come to commission meetings and speak in the visitors section to help put the pressure on, that would be great. I will also recommend it myself and push for it at every opportunity. If I can be of further assist, just let me know.
Terry
(620)430-1112

Walter,
Thanks again for your email. We are in the process of looking into this issue and will be discussing it soon. Our City Manager is gathering information on this issue.
Thanks for sharing -
Jim Sherer


I hope this and other immigration reform in Dodge DOES become an election topic. I especially like what Mr. Lee says. If that holds true he would have my vote all the way.

[old timer]

Actually, if you arrested the whole crowd on Sunday at DC Country Club, you would probably solve the issue... that's the folks that made/make the money from the work of the illegal workers in Dodge City, without doubt. Just roll up the whole bunch. Should set a good example, I would think........... oh, yes, get their lawyers, too ... they don't eat with them.

[K C Muffin]

Yeah, but then who's gonna "take care" of the city commissioners?

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

...In OTHER words although the states around us are making it tougher to be a criminal alien in their state KS will still pander to illegals. The criminal aliens will flock to KS like crazy.

Look who else is complaining.

A delegation of nine state legislators from Sonora was in Tucson on Tuesday to say Arizona's new employer sanctions law will have a devastating effect on the Mexican state.

At a news conference, the legislators said Sonora - Arizona's southern neighbor, made up of mostly small towns - cannot handle the demand for housing, jobs and schools it will face as illegal Mexican workers here return to their hometowns without jobs or money.

Welcome to the club, we feel your pain. Boo-fricking-hoo.

Sonoran officials slam sanctions law in Tucson visit | www.tucsoncitizen.com ®