Bad Idea, Made Even Worse

Bad law, but assessment not entirely accurate.

If you read the ballot title, there is a provision to avoid impoundment in cases where the wallet was simply forgotten at home.

This, however, does not negate the true insidiousness of the ballot measure: it creates a situation of encouraging pulling over folks for DWL (driving while Latino).

The primary motivation for the ballot issue is to take cars away from illegal alines. However, to discover if the person is illegal or not, the cop would first have to pull over the person and start questioning the driver's immigration status. Since the majority of Lation people living in Denver country were born in this country and are citizens by right of birth, I would hope reasonable people can see where this practice to extremely over the top.

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by: JustAnotherDem @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 18:40:47 PM UTC

And how is the officer supposed to know?

If you don't have a DL with you, you probably don't have any acceptable ID.  Are they supposed to keep you until you can get someone else to bring your ID from home?

This is a ridiculous law by any stretch of the imagination.  I hope Denver voters wake up and smell what's being peddled to them.

"We're below sharks and contract killers." -- Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), speaking on Congress's 9% approval rating

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by: Phoenix Rising @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 19:01:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's why the taxpayers spend huge $$$ to have computers in the cars.

Ya telling me that they can't look up name, address, age, and see if there is a valid license?  Of course they can!  That's how they bust people with suspended licenses.

I got stopped in Nevada a few years ago for not being pulled completely off of US 50, "America's Loneliest Highway," I kid you not.  He was able to look up my CO registration which came up as "Expired" even though it says right on it that CO has a 30 day grace period.  

Now I'm a wanted man in Nevada.  They can look up your license.

"Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth." Paul Krugman, 9/2010

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by: parsingreality @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 20:16:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hmm.

So in this magic computer is there a current picture of me & my DL so that the officer can look at me and know i"m me?

Otherwise, why wouldn't I just provide a name and address that goes to a current DL?
I mean we all know illegals are all liars already, right?

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by: MADCO @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 21:27:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Will this magic computer make me look

younger? That would be a plus.

"I wouldn't characterize caloric intake as "professional development." c rork

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by: Middle of the Road @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 21:33:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The new law would require more than the driver's say so

It requires something with the name etc be provided, but I am not sure what all would be acceptable. The ballot title specific mentions proof of insurance (which most people keep in the glove box).

Again, I agree the law is very bad, was just pointing out that there is some provision for those of us who are a little absent-minded sometimes.

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by: JustAnotherDem @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 22:25:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Exactly.

Name, address of record, poof.  Age, sex, height, weight.  Hmm.....sure enough, that must be MADCO.

Now, why is that so hard?  

"Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth." Paul Krugman, 9/2010

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by: parsingreality @ Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 18:15:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Boyles?!

Didn't he have a cow on air earlier this year when some poor jerk got his car impounded because he had no current license on him? And though Denver dropped the charges,there were fees the guy could not afford ?

Face it- badly written legislation always has unintended consequences.  

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by: MADCO @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 21:29:38 PM UTC

some poor jerk got his car impounded

Yes, but that driver was an American. As I recall (frankly, I am not going to search for the story and give Peter Boyles any hits), it was a returned Iraqi veteran, and Boyles helped raise the money for the guy to get his car back.

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by: RedGreen @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 23:00:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Right.

So Boyles was in favor of the law, though badly written and results in consequences he hates doesn't man up and just admit that the law is almost impossible to enforce as he wishes.

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by: MADCO @ Wed Sep 23, 2009 at 00:17:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is absurd...

part of my job involves doing background checks on applicants for employment.  I've seen applicants with 5 and 6 DUIs who still have valid DLs.

Colorado has a much bigger problem keeping DUI offenders off of the roads.  If the state is itching to impound some cars, how about starting with chronic DUI offenders?

"But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining."  Glenn Beck  

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by: Arvadonian @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 21:36:11 PM UTC

Hear, hear!

Now THAT'S a good idea!  Get repeat DUI offenders off the bloody roads!

Discipline without purpose is tyranny.

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by: Automaticftp @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 21:50:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Such a waste of time..

..let's just arrest all the brown people and be done with it!  We're building a new Denver jail, right?  For what other purpose besides enforcing immigration law?  None, I say; lock 'em up!

I'm not as sweet as I used to be.

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by: Jambalaya @ Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 22:47:08 PM UTC

If I didn't like my current signature, I'd use this

line from COPols today:

"we think some serious getting of a grip is in order, folks."

Exercise your right to peaceably assemble and reclaim the commons. Stop the militarization of America.

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by: Sir Robin @ Wed Sep 23, 2009 at 02:27:33 AM UTC

I thought this "must carry DL" was the current law in Denver

Now when I plan to drive through Denver I'll no longer worry about having to be holding my DL.

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by: Libertad @ Wed Sep 23, 2009 at 03:39:54 AM UTC

Bad Idea is becoming the norm

If the masses are delusional,  which much evidence now suggests they are,  why would anyone expect sane lawmaking?

"Don't blame them for their political views,  it's not their fault,  they are born this way"

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by: Julibe @ Wed Sep 23, 2009 at 22:35:52 PM UTC