GOP blasts proposal to let noncitizens vote
3/30/09 | 21 comments

GOP blasts proposal to let noncitizens vote


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill opening the door to immigrants and other noncitizens to vote in municipal elections is getting a frosty reception in some quarters.

Blasting the proposal, Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster didn’t mince words in calling on Mainers to urge their lawmakers to toss the bill and move forward with more pressing needs: solving the state’s budget and health care problems.

“This lamebrained proposal is an affront not only to any person who has gone through the process of attaining American citizenship so that they could have the right to vote, but to anyone who voted for legislators that pledged to act with their constituents’ best interests at heart,” he declared after a newspaper reported on the bill.

The proposal — sponsored by lawmakers representing cities with large immigrant communities — Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, and Rep. Brian Bolduc, D-Auburn — would let communities choose whether to allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in municipal elections.

There’s a variety of legal Maine residents who are not U.S. citizens, including doctors, refugees, students, hockey players and more, said Alfond.

“I want to look at this,” Alfond told the Portland Press Herald. “Is there a way to give people in our communities a bigger way to be involved?”

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said he doesn’t think Alfond’s proposal does any harm. Noncitizens couldn’t be included in the electronic, federally funded voter rolls, so a separate paper list of voters would have to be kept, he said.

“Whenever you get more people to participate, you add legitimacy to that process,” Dunlap said. “The voice of the public, I think, is extraordinarily important.”

Already, immigrants who are not citizens are allowed to vote in a number of communities across the U.S., said Ron Hayduk, professor of political science at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and author of the book “Democracy for All.”

The basic argument for allowing noncitizens to vote is that groups excluded from voting are more likely to be discriminated against, Hayduk said.

But Hans Von Spakovsky, a legal scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said it’s a bad idea because “people who are here as residents are not people who have assimilated and become part of the American culture and the American society.”

Mohamud Barre, president of the Somali Culture and Development Association of Maine, said he’s concerned that many immigrants aren’t informed enough to vote.

“They don’t know what’s going on, they don’t speak English,” said Barre, who is originally from Somalia.

Eric Nkusi, executive director of the Intore Club, a Portland-based immigrant and refugee advocacy association, sees it differently. He said noncitizens living in Maine pay the same taxes and their children go to the same schools.

“Knowing how Mainers are very democratic and very good with their neighbors with us immigrants, I have no doubt that people in the counties and the cities would support that,” Nkusi said. “Why would they not support it?”

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Comments
21 comments on this item
On 3/29/09 at 9:33 PM, penobscotman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This has to be a joke, right? Is it any wonder why the dems from Portland and Auburn are sponsering a wacko bill like this. Pass me the kool-aid I'm gettin out!

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On 3/29/09 at 10:41 PM, Beelzebubba wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

New state motto: Welcome to Moonbat Central

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On 3/30/09 at 6:19 AM, massache2 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

When they mention that Cambridge Massachusetts allows non-citizens to vote in local elections they do not also note that Cambridge is a "sanctuary" city, a haven for illegal aliens. Portland is also a "sanctuary" city so if non-citizens are allowed to vote in Portland elections, how do you screen out illegal aliens or, for that matter, legal immigrants here on temporary visas? Eh?

I think we all know the answer to that.

I intend to be at the hearing when it is held and ask a lot of questions that proponents of this measure will try to gloss over.

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On 3/30/09 at 7:23 AM, Beelzebubba wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Guess what? ALL of Maine is a sanctuary state - by proclamation of Bangor's native son, John Baldacci...

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On 3/30/09 at 8:18 AM, safedman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It is no accident that it is 2 democrats that are pushing this trisonous act. It is no longer a joke and if we all do not stand up and let them know we are not taking it anymore you will be driven into the ground. We not only provide medical, housing, heat assistance, education and food to them through our tax dollars we will now allow them to vote for the people who insist in giving them all handouts. Stop the madness NOW. Let your reps know you will vote your concience next election and if the do not listen...VOTE THEM OUT. They want nothing more than to sit on the donkeys and make laws to govern you and I. Stand up and do not take it anymore.

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On 3/30/09 at 9:11 AM, SureNuff wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

as Maine goes...

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On 3/30/09 at 10:48 AM, soibudk wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

No illegal aliens should ever have the right to vote, drive, healthcare ect ect ect... they are illegal they need to be deported asap. We can not afford to pay for illegals who do not even pay taxes.

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On 3/30/09 at 10:48 AM, soibudk wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

No illegal aliens should ever have the right to vote, drive, healthcare ect ect ect... they are illegal they need to be deported asap. We can not afford to pay for illegals who do not even pay taxes.

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On 3/30/09 at 10:48 AM, soibudk wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

No illegal aliens should ever have the right to vote, drive, healthcare ect ect ect... they are illegal they need to be deported asap. We can not afford to pay for illegals who do not even pay taxes.

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On 3/30/09 at 11:53 AM, chickeroo wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oh, what the heck, why stop with municipal elections? Why not make these fools really happy, and let everyone and anyone vote whenever and wherever, no restrictions whatsoever. Pass a law that eliminates citizenship altogether, it obviously means absolutely nothing anymore to these idiots. There wouldn't be any controversy such as that foolishness about whether or not President Obama was born in Hawaii; anyone could run for anything as long as he or she had the money to do so. At least my suspicions were finally confirmed from reading the article and the statement from Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap (whose salary, remember, is paid by taxpayers). In order to be qualified to be Secretary of State in Maine, one must only have to answer yes to two questions. 1. Am I a well connected political hack? 2. Am I a moron?

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On 3/30/09 at 11:58 AM, ravenh2001 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I want to live in maine for the life style but I want to remain a canadian to keep free health care. no vote. your choise.

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On 3/30/09 at 12:07 PM, vchapes wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

BAH. Damn illegals.

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On 3/30/09 at 1:08 PM, MikeinFK wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Never thought I'd side with the Repubs so strongly, but the Dems have lost their mind on this one.

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On 3/30/09 at 1:14 PM, Frankcannon wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Let the felons vote to at least most of them are United States Citizens

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On 3/30/09 at 1:14 PM, Beelzebubba wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Notice Baldy's pretty silent on this one...he'd sign it into law in a New York minute...

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On 3/30/09 at 1:49 PM, maine04401 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Non-citizen??....those three Dem's have to be joking. Lets waste more time in Augusta.

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On 3/30/09 at 1:51 PM, gsdman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oh he**, you know where we are headed! Soon it will be the tax payer who doesn't have a rite to vote.

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On 3/30/09 at 4:59 PM, nanax7 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Why do so many comments talk about illegal aliens. Legal or illegal if you are not a citizen no vote. Very simple

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On 3/31/09 at 4:50 PM, VOM_sux wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Not that I'm in support of this...

But why is everyone howling about ILLEGAL ALIENS when the article clearly states they are LEGAL NON-CITIZENS????

...As in visiting professors, doctors, etc. And yes, refugees *gasp!*

Lets all just jump to conclusions and make ourselves look like morons...

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On 3/31/09 at 4:57 PM, lyndenmi wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

VOM-sux - there is a serious reading comprehension problem here in Maine - or is it an attention problem? And we wonder why our children have difficulty .....

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On 4/1/09 at 6:01 AM, Govt2Big wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

What's the LD# for this stupid idea?

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