Special Order 40 for Cars
I find myself amazed, but not surprised, by City Hall's decision to stop impounding the cars of unlicensed drivers. This is a de facto legalization of unlicensed driving -- a policy shift that puts the lives of everyone at risk, contributes to gridlock, and drives up insurance rates for every one of us idiots who still plays by the rules.
Now, I am sympathetic to the argument that illegal immigrants should be allowed to get driver's licenses: It would take unsafe drivers off the road, get more vehicles insured, and get millions of anonymous Californians properly identified. But like it or not, this is a legal effort that has failed, repeatedly. Public support for giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses is exceedingly low. So licenses-for-legals-only remains the law of the state, a law the city of L.A. should honor.
But the Ninth Circuit seems to think protecting motorists from unlicensed, uninsured drivers is unconstitutional. And city leaders are all too happy to indulge this absurd reasoning. So, as with Special Order 40, L.A. has taken it upon itself to make up its own law, or disregard state/federal law as it prefers.
And in this case, the city is penalizing -- and endangering -- its own law-abiding residents in the process.
From what I see the Los Angeles Police Department will no longer impound vehicles of unlicensed illegal immigrants. Why? Because now, the no-guts City Attorney Office is facing a lawsuit from immigrant-right activists, battling for the rights of illegals to drive unlicensed (this group should rename itself Illegal Immigrant-Right Activists) and instead to fight the lawsuit the CAO caves in and the illegal immigrant wins another battle. When this perpetual bowing to illegal immigrants demands will end? What is so difficult to understand that TO MIGRATE TO A COUNTRY IS A PREVILAGE AND NOT A RIGHT! A PREVILAGE, NOT A RIGHT! A PRIVILAGE!
Right now, with what I'm dealing with in my neighborhood, this Special Order 40 nonsense, for me, is not only about immigration but another example of how our tax paid civil "servants" screw us taxpayers again and again.
Two doors down from me - a nice little suburban home in the West Valley - I have a house full of criminal parolee squatters. They've destroyed the homeowner's house; illegally tapped into DWP water (which was gushing down the street for a week); broke into the back door; bring drug users day and night...this has been going on since last April.
The homeowner still has to pay the mortgage and has to pay for an attorney. We neighbors are worrried about our children, our safety and our property.
All anyone can tell me is that they have Squatters Rights.
Once again, the people who break the law get the perks and taxpayers have to suffer.
This new law regarding unlicensed drivers is just more of the same LA City-upside-down-business-as-usual to me.
Why am I paying taxes again?