2009 Candidates Take Positions (or not) on Spitzer License Proposal

By Azi Paybarah 10/03/07 6:25pm

So, where do the 2009 mayoral candidates stand on Eliot Spitzer’s plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain a New York State driver’s license?

When asked for a position, a spokesman for Christine Quinn emailed me to say, “She supports it.”

A spokesman for Bill Thompson said he was "supportive" of the issue.

I'm not sure from his answer what Adolfo Carrion thinks:

“Pretending that a whole segment of the population does not exist lacks integrity of thought and response. However, this is not without risk, given the seriousness of a state sanctioned identification and how it can be used. Unfortunately, the burden of finding appropriate and reasonable solutions to this complex challenge has been transferred to the states once again, just as was recently done by Congressional failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform. On national issues of this nature, it is the federal government's solemn responsibility to act in the interest of all the states of the union. Anything less is an abrogation of that awesome responsibility.”

I’m still waiting to hear back from Anthony Weiner.

A spokesman for John Catsimatidis said he opposes the plan, explaining, “He agrees 100 percent with Mayor Bloomberg.” The mayor raised some questions about the plan but said it’s the governor’s call.

UDPATE: Marty Markowitz's office just sent me this statement: "Brooklyn and New York City's cultural and economic vibrancy is due in large part to our immigrant communities—therefore, as long as we ensure security loopholes are not inadvertently opened to our nation's real enemies, I believe the Governor's plan has great merit as a way to ensure more safety on the roads and get a much more reliable assessment of the hard work we know those in our immigrant community are already doing every day."

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See also
Weiner: 'Legitimate Problems' with Spitzer's Driver's License Plan All for Spitzer Spitzer's 'Hi' and 'Bye' Elsewhere: Clinton, Spitzer, Pedicabs The Power of Spitzer's Purse
topics: Adolfo Carrion, Anthony Weiner, Bill Thompson, Christine Quinn, Eliot Spitzer, Politics Daily