Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Sue Ella Deadwyler's WMVV Radio Commentary, 2/8/07

Whether a person is a citizen of this country or an interloper hoping never to be caught, medical care is available to each regardless of the ability to pay. Of course, good old American tax payers have to pick up the tab and that's not fair, but that's the way it is.
Whether a child is a citizen of the United States or is here illegally, those same good old Americans pay for their education. Legal and illegal children, alike, are taught by teachers whose salaries are paid by tax payers. They all use books and equipment funded by taxes. So, everyone can be educated through the twelfth grade and get health care, regardless of legal status. That suggests that legal status does not matter and there's something wrong with that.
While education and health care are free for the asking, a couple of Georgia legislators of Latino descent have tried to provide even more goodies to illegals. During the 2003 session, for example, Representative Pedro Marin of Duluth, Georgia introduced a bill authorizing temporary work permits for professional counselors that have licenses to practice in a foreign country and did practice professionally there. It was no oversight that the bill did not require such foreign professionals to enter this country legally. That bill died.
Also in 2003, Senator Sam Zamarippa introduced S.B. 181 to authorize driver's licenses for international visitors, students, business people and workers from 34 foreign countries, which he named in the bill, plus other foreign investors or U.S. trade-partners. Those "visitors" were not required to be here legally or to be a resident of the U.S. That bill died, too.
This session, Senator John Douglas introduced S.B. 50 to tighten the notary public law. When the current notary public law passed, no one dreamed illegal aliens would apply for that job in this state. But, that's changed and the law has to change. S.B. 50 simply adds a reasonable provision that any person who wants to be a notary public must, not only be at least 18 years old, but must be a legal resident of the United States.
Current law already requires an applicant to be a resident of Georgia and of the county where the appointment is made and must be able to read and write the English language. But, in this day and age, requiring anyone to be able to read and write English could be a problem.
Current notary public law says anyone violating the notary public law is guilty of a misdemeanor and that's all it says. But S.B. 50 would throw the book at repeat offenders. If this bill passes, any person who violates the notary public law would be guilty of a misdemeanor for the first and second offenses. That's the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. But the third offense would be a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine up to $5,000 or both. Call Senate Judiciary Chairman Preston Smith at 404-656-0034 and ask him to pass this out of committee. This law would keep unscrupulous people from handling official documents when they shouldn't be here in the first place.

No comments: