REAL ID ACT: NY TODAY, YOUR STATE TOMORROW
REAL ID ACT: NY TODAY, YOUR STATE TOMORROW
by Michael Cutler
October 9, 2007
NewsWithViews.com
I usually write commentaries that are based on news articles to provide my perspectives.
Today I will discuss my testimony that I provided to a hearing that was conducted by Republican members of the New York State Assembly in response to the proposed plan of Governor Eliot Spitzer to provide driver' licenses to illegal aliens.
As you read my testimony that I have attached below my objections to the governor's proposal will become crystal clear. We all know that politics have played a major role in the creation of the immigration crisis that is now confronting our nation. Traditionally Democrats have favored the massive influx of illegal aliens because they believe that the great majority of new immigrants will vote for candidates from the Democratic Party. Republicans, on the other hand, have seen in the massive influx of illegal aliens, cheap labor that would be in the best interest of corporations that make major campaign contributions. Added to this toxic mix are the various groups that stand to benefit greatly by having millions of illegal aliens enter our country. Immigration lawyers see, in those massive numbers of illegal aliens, potential clients. Advocacy groups see in those same illegal aliens political leverage and money. Employers of those illegal aliens see cheap,compliant and exploitable labor.
In enumerating all those who favor those who see some form of benefit to be derived by our nation's failure to secure its borders just about everyone makes out on the deal except for one group of people. A group of people who, while large in number, are finding that the government is increasingly less willing to represent them and their best interests. This group of people have one name: American citizens (We the People)!
Ours, as I have often pointed out, is supposed to be a government by the people and for the people. Yet today, We the People are largely ignored by the government that is supposed to represent us. Who do we blame? I would submit that we should blame ourselves!
Often more Americans sit out elections then participate in the voting process. Many people do not even know who their elected representatives are. Even among those who know the names of their elected representatives, they never contact them about issues that concern them. In order to have truly representative government We the People need to make certain that those who are elected to represent us know what we want. When we go to a restaurant for a meal we certainly don't tell the waiter to bring us whatever he feels like serving us- we are expected to tell the waiter or waitress exactly what we want and how we want it prepared. Why then do we abrogate our responsibility to make our desires known to those who were elected to represent us?
Governor Spitzer's outrageous plan will not only do harm to the residents of the State of New York, it has the potential to do grave harm to our entire nation. First of all, while the Governor and his political allies are claiming that the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens will enhance security because the licenses are supposedly tamper resistant, the bigger issue is that illegal aliens who may have criminal histories or may be linked to terrorist organizations may well obtain licenses in false names. I make this argument in the document below, so I won't belabor this issue. It can be anticipated that even if you don't live in New York aliens from your state may well come to New York and then return back to where you live with a license issued in a false name. That would literally hit "close to home" for you!
Additionally, if New York does this, can your state be far behind? New York is the second most populace state in the country and has an awful lot of clout. Politicians around the United States are, no doubt watching to see what will happen in New York. If New York, the state that was most heavily hit on September 11, 2001 can violate the recommendations and findings of the 9/11 Commission and then violate the provisions of the REAL ID Act that will begin to be implemented with the next year, then your state may not be far behind.
The issue of the REAL ID Act is not a minor issue. It was passed by a huge majority of representatives from both sides of the political aisle because they realized that this bill was intended to implement the findings and recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Furthermore, if a state issues driver's licenses that do not comply with the REAL ID Act, the federal government will then not permit the bearers of those licenses to use them as proper identification documents to board AMTRAK trains or airliners. The federal government will not permit you to enter federal buildings or facilities. You would then, most probably have to walk around with the closest thing to a national identity document that the federal government issues, a United States passport.
You can read the provisions of the REAL ID Act here.
If you don't have a passport, you will have to apply for one in order to comply with the federal REAL ID Act. This is a costly proposition and would also require that you wait until your application can be processed.
If Spitzer gets away with this, your state may not be far behind!
The majority of country clerks throughout New York State have made it known that they will violate the Governor's edict if he goes ahead with his plan. These clerks understand how dangerous and illegal Spitzer's plan is. We need to match their courage!
Therefore I am enlisting your help. We the People need to let Governor Spitzer know. I would encourage you to call him and/or e-mail him. He is eager to hear from all Americans and we must not let him down! You find his contact information here.
Don't think that he should not hear from you because you are not a resident of the State of New York, his decisions will have a major impact on all Americans and We the People need to have him hear from all of us! Please pass this along to everyone you know and ask them to take a minute to call and e-mail the Governor of the State of New York.
The massive number of phone calls that We the People made to the United States Senate killed Comprehensive Immigration Reform that I came to refer to as being the "Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act of 2007." It is time for all of us to make our voices heard again!
Finally, think about this: If We the People become involved in the political process, we will force our elected representatives to stop ignoring us and our concerns! What a wonderful thing we will be doing for ourselves, our nation and especially for our children and their children! Every soldier who has fought in every war since the American Revolution put their lives on the line, indeed, may have lost their lives in support of this very right, the right to be represented by those who claim to represent us!
Martin Luther King made a wonderful speech where he intoned, "Let Freedom Ring!" I would add, lets make the telephones ring! In Governor Spitzer's office and in the offices of politicians on all levels throughout the United States!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael W. Cutler graduated from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York in 1971 with a B.A. in Communications Arts and Sciences. Mr. Cutler began working for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in October 1971 when he entered on duty as an Immigration Inspector assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport. In August 1975 he became a Criminal Investigator (Special Agent) for the INS at NYC.
He rotated through virtually every squad in the Investigations Branch. From 1988 until 1991 he was assigned as the INS representative to the Unified Intelligence Division (UID) of the DEA in New York. In 1991 he was promoted to the position of Senior Special Agent and was assigned to the Organized Crime, Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which required that he work with members of other law enforcement agencies including the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Customs and local and state police as well as law enforcement organizations of other countries including Israel, Canada, Great Britain and Japan, to conduct investigations of aliens involved in major drug trafficking organizations. He retired from the INS in February 2002, after a career that spanned some 30 years.
Finally, Michael Cutler has appeared on numerous television and radio programs including Lou Dobbs, Fox News, MSNBC and many other television and radio news-oriented programs to discuss the enforcement of immigration laws.
E-Mail: mcutler007@aol.com
by Michael Cutler
October 9, 2007
NewsWithViews.com
I usually write commentaries that are based on news articles to provide my perspectives.
Today I will discuss my testimony that I provided to a hearing that was conducted by Republican members of the New York State Assembly in response to the proposed plan of Governor Eliot Spitzer to provide driver' licenses to illegal aliens.
As you read my testimony that I have attached below my objections to the governor's proposal will become crystal clear. We all know that politics have played a major role in the creation of the immigration crisis that is now confronting our nation. Traditionally Democrats have favored the massive influx of illegal aliens because they believe that the great majority of new immigrants will vote for candidates from the Democratic Party. Republicans, on the other hand, have seen in the massive influx of illegal aliens, cheap labor that would be in the best interest of corporations that make major campaign contributions. Added to this toxic mix are the various groups that stand to benefit greatly by having millions of illegal aliens enter our country. Immigration lawyers see, in those massive numbers of illegal aliens, potential clients. Advocacy groups see in those same illegal aliens political leverage and money. Employers of those illegal aliens see cheap,compliant and exploitable labor.
In enumerating all those who favor those who see some form of benefit to be derived by our nation's failure to secure its borders just about everyone makes out on the deal except for one group of people. A group of people who, while large in number, are finding that the government is increasingly less willing to represent them and their best interests. This group of people have one name: American citizens (We the People)!
Ours, as I have often pointed out, is supposed to be a government by the people and for the people. Yet today, We the People are largely ignored by the government that is supposed to represent us. Who do we blame? I would submit that we should blame ourselves!
Often more Americans sit out elections then participate in the voting process. Many people do not even know who their elected representatives are. Even among those who know the names of their elected representatives, they never contact them about issues that concern them. In order to have truly representative government We the People need to make certain that those who are elected to represent us know what we want. When we go to a restaurant for a meal we certainly don't tell the waiter to bring us whatever he feels like serving us- we are expected to tell the waiter or waitress exactly what we want and how we want it prepared. Why then do we abrogate our responsibility to make our desires known to those who were elected to represent us?
Governor Spitzer's outrageous plan will not only do harm to the residents of the State of New York, it has the potential to do grave harm to our entire nation. First of all, while the Governor and his political allies are claiming that the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens will enhance security because the licenses are supposedly tamper resistant, the bigger issue is that illegal aliens who may have criminal histories or may be linked to terrorist organizations may well obtain licenses in false names. I make this argument in the document below, so I won't belabor this issue. It can be anticipated that even if you don't live in New York aliens from your state may well come to New York and then return back to where you live with a license issued in a false name. That would literally hit "close to home" for you!
Additionally, if New York does this, can your state be far behind? New York is the second most populace state in the country and has an awful lot of clout. Politicians around the United States are, no doubt watching to see what will happen in New York. If New York, the state that was most heavily hit on September 11, 2001 can violate the recommendations and findings of the 9/11 Commission and then violate the provisions of the REAL ID Act that will begin to be implemented with the next year, then your state may not be far behind.
The issue of the REAL ID Act is not a minor issue. It was passed by a huge majority of representatives from both sides of the political aisle because they realized that this bill was intended to implement the findings and recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Furthermore, if a state issues driver's licenses that do not comply with the REAL ID Act, the federal government will then not permit the bearers of those licenses to use them as proper identification documents to board AMTRAK trains or airliners. The federal government will not permit you to enter federal buildings or facilities. You would then, most probably have to walk around with the closest thing to a national identity document that the federal government issues, a United States passport.
You can read the provisions of the REAL ID Act here.
If you don't have a passport, you will have to apply for one in order to comply with the federal REAL ID Act. This is a costly proposition and would also require that you wait until your application can be processed.
If Spitzer gets away with this, your state may not be far behind!
The majority of country clerks throughout New York State have made it known that they will violate the Governor's edict if he goes ahead with his plan. These clerks understand how dangerous and illegal Spitzer's plan is. We need to match their courage!
Therefore I am enlisting your help. We the People need to let Governor Spitzer know. I would encourage you to call him and/or e-mail him. He is eager to hear from all Americans and we must not let him down! You find his contact information here.
Don't think that he should not hear from you because you are not a resident of the State of New York, his decisions will have a major impact on all Americans and We the People need to have him hear from all of us! Please pass this along to everyone you know and ask them to take a minute to call and e-mail the Governor of the State of New York.
The massive number of phone calls that We the People made to the United States Senate killed Comprehensive Immigration Reform that I came to refer to as being the "Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act of 2007." It is time for all of us to make our voices heard again!
Finally, think about this: If We the People become involved in the political process, we will force our elected representatives to stop ignoring us and our concerns! What a wonderful thing we will be doing for ourselves, our nation and especially for our children and their children! Every soldier who has fought in every war since the American Revolution put their lives on the line, indeed, may have lost their lives in support of this very right, the right to be represented by those who claim to represent us!
Martin Luther King made a wonderful speech where he intoned, "Let Freedom Ring!" I would add, lets make the telephones ring! In Governor Spitzer's office and in the offices of politicians on all levels throughout the United States!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael W. Cutler graduated from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York in 1971 with a B.A. in Communications Arts and Sciences. Mr. Cutler began working for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in October 1971 when he entered on duty as an Immigration Inspector assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport. In August 1975 he became a Criminal Investigator (Special Agent) for the INS at NYC.
He rotated through virtually every squad in the Investigations Branch. From 1988 until 1991 he was assigned as the INS representative to the Unified Intelligence Division (UID) of the DEA in New York. In 1991 he was promoted to the position of Senior Special Agent and was assigned to the Organized Crime, Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which required that he work with members of other law enforcement agencies including the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Customs and local and state police as well as law enforcement organizations of other countries including Israel, Canada, Great Britain and Japan, to conduct investigations of aliens involved in major drug trafficking organizations. He retired from the INS in February 2002, after a career that spanned some 30 years.
Finally, Michael Cutler has appeared on numerous television and radio programs including Lou Dobbs, Fox News, MSNBC and many other television and radio news-oriented programs to discuss the enforcement of immigration laws.
E-Mail: mcutler007@aol.com
posted by shummer60 at Saturday, October 13, 2007
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