Let me be the first to Congratulate MARTIN WATCHER for his diligence and nose for news.

It is about time we prevented DL's from going to people whom we have NO IDEA who they are.

BUT..... I will wait until it is FORMALIZED into law.

I think it is common-sense legislation. But I really question some of these "groups".

Helpsavemaryland and groups like them are more anti-immigrant legal or otherwise. This, to them, is just a political football. their site offers no real information or statistics to back up their claims and they shout down any dissent.

Still, people with DL's SHOULD be legal citizens. I just don't like some of the grandstanding some of the groups use.

James, have you ever met anyone from HELPSAVEMARYLAND? Did you know they have MANY Hispanics in their group? Some of their local leaders are of Mexican decent.
PLEASE name just one policy they promote that is "anti legal immigrant", just ONE.

Without their hard work this bill would never have made it to the desk of ILLEGAL ALIEN promoter
Joe Vallario. He WILL do everything in his power to keep it locked in his drawer never to see a vote.

Also thank Del. Jimmy Malone for sponsoring this legislation.

$5 says O'Malley does not show up to actually testify. He goes and leads a march to repeal the death penalty, gets national media (NYT) for it, and says even with only 22 votes he will push it in the Senate. And then he gives a little blurb to AP. Don't confuse obsfication with agreement.

All I know is the Helpsavemaryland people that are on the Sun board. They constantly use racially charged language and seem to be more anti-immigrant than anti-ILLEGAL-immigrant.

My problem with Helpsave MD is that their site offers no real information other than anecdotes and opinion.

They make claims that are completely unsubstatiated and un-cited. I would treat them better and look more kindly on their cause if they actually said things that could be verified as fact.

Just how many traffic violations involve illegal aliens that have obtained a MD driver's license? How big of a problem is this? They talk about "depressed working conditions" ect, but they don't back anything up with anything that is remotely verifiable.

That, to me, is a problem. And Now someone will say "open your eyes" or some such nonsense. If that is the case then I guess people are saying that they can judge the legality of people by looking at them.

"Just how many traffic violations involve illegal aliens that have obtained a MD driver's license?"

How would we know that? Ask O"Malley why police are FORBIDDEN to ASK about immigration status.
How can we answer your question when there is policy to deny those figures?

I do remember MANY stories of rape and robbery and traffic deaths contributed to illegals.
Ask the citizens in Mo Co how they are dealing with the illegal alien influx. Ask the MoCo police chief why HIS department WILL not inquire of immigration status.

James from Hampden

When you ask "Just how many traffic violations involve illegal aliens that have obtained a MD driver's license"?

I have to ask
How many more than 1 is too many?

Carole: But that is unrealistic.

Your view implies that the fact that they ARE illegal immigrants is somehow contributing to their accident. Even though in getting the license they have gone through the same training process as everyone else.

That somehow being legal makes the traffic accident less likely?

Traffic accidents happen, they happen to everyone. And no one has been able to explain to me how someone who is illegal is more likely to be a danger on the roads than anyone else.

I have many friends who live in MoCo who do not share this view.
So what does that say about these groups?

Without any hard data you have nothing but anecdotal stuff which can be clouded easily by bias and sensationalism.

And, frankly, pick a period in US history. Every 30 or so years there is a new ethnic group that is supposedly "taking over".

Now, again, I support this legislation but these groups live in a world of sensationalism and fear mongering to me.

James from Hampden

You said "Your view implies that the fact that they ARE illegal immigrants is somehow contributing to their accident".

I say "You just proved my point".

We don't know. Therein lies the problem.
So why not take out the negative part of the equation so we can be free to tackle the real problem.
A Maryland driver's license should never be a god given right. It should be earned.
There are too many good drivers out there who depend on it.

Now if only the state would stop wasting taxpayer's money helping to fund that subversive group CASA of MD.