The Barr Code

By BurningAtlanta

March 17, 2008 8:00 AM | Link to this

Spare me the hyperbole and deal with the facts. The law provides that any owner of such seized vehicle can simply swear that they didn’t know the driver was an illegal alien and it’s up to law enforcement to prove otherwise.

If you loan your vehicle to an unlicensed or drunk driver you’re liable. So, this allows for confiscation as an additional liabilty if you KNOWINGLY put the keys in the hands on an illegal alien. Breaks my heart all to pieces.

By LJ

March 17, 2008 8:04 AM | Link to this

Sounds like a plan to me.

By jerry

March 17, 2008 8:07 AM | Link to this

Last time I checked, illegal immigrants don’t have driver’s licenses. If you lend your car to an unlicensed driver you deserve what you get. The roads are full of unlicensed, uninsured motorists. Do you have a better idea?

By Bill

March 17, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this

Come on Bob, people know if they are lending their car to someone who is not here legally. I mean they are not going to be lending it to a complete stranger. Trust me, they know.

By Red

March 17, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this

Let’s just all continue to close our eyes and let these little unimportant pieces of legislation that “don’t affect us” go on by. One of these days we’ll say, “what happened?”

By Richard

March 17, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this

GOOD ! You should be held accountable for your actions—like aiding in the commission of a crime. If you don’t know someone well enough to know if they are here legally , you shoudn’t let them take your car !!

By jan

March 17, 2008 8:23 AM | Link to this

If you are friendly enough with an illegal alien to loan them your car, hopefully you care enough about them to inform them they are breaking the law by being here.

I am by no means against legal immigration, having been a legal immigrant myself. If the GA companies need workers, let’s give them the opportunity to find those workers from other countries and bring them here. Legally.

Until then those drivers (who presumably broke at least law #2 when the police pulled them over) are arrested and the cars they are driving confiscated.

As I would be in Mexico were I to be found breaking the law.

By Red

March 17, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this

Let’s just all continue to close our eyes and let these little unimportant pieces of legislation that “don’t affect us” go on by. One of these days we’ll say, “what happened?” By the way, have you ever “sweared” to law enforcement that you didn’t know something? When you get to the judge and have paid your lawyer a small fortune, you will again say, “what happened? This was supposed to have been easy.”

By ron

March 17, 2008 8:30 AM | Link to this

Loan your car?To an illegal alien?In this household?Isn’t going to happen.I was going to say,”you can take that to the bank”,but that’s not the guarantee it used to be.Trust me.It isn’t going to be an issue.

By Sowega

March 17, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this

After seeing the work ethic and strong families of the vast majority of Mexicans I’ve met, I’d gladly have them as members of my community. I propose and immigrant trade—one Mexican immigrant for every ten of you who post this junk on this blog—that’s about the fair value!

By AH

March 17, 2008 8:41 AM | Link to this

The only people to ever drive my car are me and my mechanic. I’m sorry I don’t just loan my car out to anybody on the street. If I were to loan my keys to somebody I will know if they are legal or not and it would be my fault if I lost the car.

By Uncle

March 17, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this

I noticed that the ONLY place “illegale” and Mexicans are equated is in the mind of Sowega . Who’s the bigot ? You mean Us not Them when refering to those who responded to this blog. Yoy just aren’t very clever are you ?

By BurningAtlanta

March 17, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this

Don’t fall for the fear-mongering nonsense. Read the bill yourself. Link

If an interest holder or owner of a motor vehicle presents a sworn affidavit to the fact that he or she did not have actual knowledge the operator of the seized motor vehicle was not legally in this country to the law enforcement agency or officer that has custody of the motor vehicle, unless the law enforcement agency has sufficient evidence to prove the interest holder or owner did have actual knowledge that the operator of the motor vehicle was not legally in this country, such motor vehicle shall be returned to the interest holder or owner of such motor vehicle promptly and without penalty.

By Ozzy

March 17, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this

Let’s take this one step further and make it the responsibility of every citizen to make sure anyone who they ever meet is a legal alien or penalize them for even talking to an illegal alien. If you let a felon borrow your car, they won’t seize it, but it if it is an illegal alien, they will. People need to understand that there are over 12 million illelgal aliens in US and they are not criminals by any means.

By Craig

March 17, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this

It always amazes me how easily people are willing to give up their rights. Tell me, burningAtlanta, why I should have to go swear out an affidavit to get my car back? The standard used to be that we were innocent until proven guilty. This thing is wrong.

By Carroll

March 17, 2008 9:10 AM | Link to this

Ozzy—Ozzy—Ozzy If they are here ILLEGALLY, they ARE criminals by any means you can measure and the number is closer to 20 million and growing every second.

By Parker

March 17, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this

If a person lends their car to another, they should know who they lend their vehicle too. I don’t like even family members to borrow my vehicle, but I do cause I know them. The “law abbiding” citizens who you are afraid would get hurt, deserve it if they allow “non law abbinding” person’s drive without proper license and papers. The State is doing right by limiting the number of un-licnesed persons on the road and the vehicles that they drive. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard of someone being in an accident and the other person did not possess and license and insurance did not pay. GOOD JOB Gov. Purdue, keep it up.

By BurningAtlanta

March 17, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this

If I’m pulled over sans license my car can be impounded and I might go to jail if the officer can’t verify I am who I claim AND that there’s not a currently licensed driver in the car. As to whomever was claiming illegals aren’t criminals, check your facts. The pro-illegal crowd ALWAYS tries to claim that illegals are only committing a minor civil infraction. In FACT about 60% crossed the border without permission, that’s a federal misdemeanor. Reentry after being deported is a felony. As is carrying and using false federal documents including a bogus Social Security card or “Green” card.

By Paco

March 17, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this

I think after the law is passed the police should just roll up next to a car wash. They could probably seize every car in the parking lot.

By Doesn't really matter

March 17, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this

This issue doesn’t really matter … b/c in 21+ years there will be millions of adults who are the (LEGAL US CITIZEN) sons and daughters of illegal aliens AND as long as we continue to do nothing to stop the influx of illegals into our country or change pertinent laws we may as well just accept what is happening. This half hearted car seizure attempt in no way addresses the real problems … do not allow the children of illegal aliens born in this country to automatically become citizens! The first thing illegals do when they arrive in the US is to have children … Three simple actions will really help: 1-no automatic citizenship when born here if the parents are here illegally, 2-Punish those who knowingly hire and employ illegals, and 3-absolutely no medical or social program benefits to illegal aliens!!!

By Charles

March 17, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this

“…The Georgia House recently passed by a wide margin legislation that would empower the government to seize and forfeit any motor vehicle being driven by a person not lawfully in the country. The Senate is poised now to take it up…”

The legislation recently passed by the Georgia House should be rewritten. The legislation should allow the government to seize and forfeit any motor vehicle owned by businesses/corporations that’s operated by a person not lawfully in the country.

If the law stands as recently passed by the Georgia House, it could serve to punish law-abiding citizens who support existing legislation that criminalize/fine owners of businesses and corporations that employ illegal immigrants.

By Sowega

March 17, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this

The reason I’m equating illegal and Mexican here is to match your way of thinking—to all y’all posting here Mexican =illegal. You can code it however you want to, but I know racism when I hear it.

By jabster

March 17, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this

Read the quote that BurningAtlanta posted—sounds like it gives a pass to the lenders and title hock shops (this bill would be DOA without that exclusion).

The only people who will get nailed by this are those who own their cars free and clear. If you’re upside down on your car, you can laugh all the way to the bank (literally). Nice…

By raspurt

March 17, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this

Great, this means the guys who come to cut my grass are going to take even longer!

By Fredrick

March 17, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this

Does this mean i can’t get my Chimicganga delivered anymore? I love Chimichanga’s! If not for Chimichanga’s and Blow I would consider Mexico a waste.

By Ted P

March 17, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this

I am beginning to wonder who politicians work for; it is obvious it is not us. Please stop making laws if you can’t enforce the ones on the books. And any law officer that chooses not to enforce laws on the books should be fired. They all took an oath to uphold ALL of our laws, not just the ones they agree with. This law would not even be considered if the fence was built and all of the other laws were being enforced.

By john

March 17, 2008 11:28 AM | Link to this

What this means is contractors that hire illegals will not be able to have Mexicans drive their cheap foreign CabOverEngine flatbed lawn trucks for $8 an hour cash, without a risk of a hefty penalty. They might have to hire a legal citizen for $10 an hour and actually pay workmen’s comp too! BOO-HOO!

By Juice

March 17, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this

Actually, being here “illegally” isn’t a violation of law necessarily.

Specifically, “entering without inspection” is not a federal crime. That’s why these “illegal” immigrants are being processed under civil codes when they are being removed. This is significant in that the “illegals” do not enjoy the same protections that they would (and ANYONE would) under criminal law system while they are being processed under the civil code.

To me, government is trying to have it both ways. If they are “illegal” then proceed under the criminal law and afford them the same rights the Constitution grants for anyone (citizen or not) in the US, or continue to treat them under the civil codes and drop the inflammatory and misleading “illegal” rhetorics.

Now, violating the removal or exclusion order, that’s criminal. But either entering without inspection or remaining past visa terms, no. And if it truly is the violation of LAW that got your panties in a bunch, you should do well to distinguish between the two.

By Karl

March 17, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this

“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; And then … they came for me … And by that time there was no one left to speak up.”

Martin Niemöller.

By Intelligent and Open-minded

March 17, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this

What losers?

How many of you losers have ever gotten a speeding ticket? Better yet, how many of you have ever exceeded the speed limit? If you’ve exceeded the speed limit, ever in life, you’ve broken the law. Let’s ship you out of the country.

Grow up and stop hating on people that want to make a better life for themselves and their families. Let’s tax the hell out of them like every other American citizen and call it a day…

The audacity of people who’s ancestors came to America and stole this country from the natives to turn around and tell people they can’t come here. How ironic?

By Blind Homer

March 17, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

Laws that allow government seizure of private property are generally bad, and this is no exception. Why can’t we get a law that says seize private property and auction it off for charity? The only solution is to secure the border first, then round up and deport all the illegal aliens that are already here, and that’s just not going to happen despite the will of the people. Bush is soft on the illegals and so are McCain, Clinton, and Obama.

By Craig

March 17, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this

What happens if I loan my car to my neighbor who (unknown by me) has just recently lost his license? What about if he has an outstanding warrant? Or parking tickets? Let’s make this fair if we are going to do it.

By Melinda

March 17, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this

Let’s all face it…The US Government is not securing the borders. They make a feeble at best attempt in keeping the illegals out. Therefore after years of this nonsense, we have 12 million plus illegals in the US. Ultimately all that are here are going to be given amnesty…which is what needs to be done. The US cannot function without the illegals providing the services they provide. We need them as much as they need us. All future immigrants coming into the US should be screened and deemed worthy of being a citizen or temporary laborer. Until this process is in place, the problem continues on. If you have ever witnessed how the “Illegals” work, you would be amazed at the work ethics and quality. It puts many Americans to shame…..If you want to be angry with someone - be angry with our government and not the innocent laborer that seeks refuge in a country that provides the very basic necessities that his own government cannot or will not.

By Brian Neumann

March 17, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this

Bob Barr, the “Real Victims” of illegal immigration are US citizens who pay taxes to state and local governments to compensate for illegals not paying property or income taxes. Our under-achieving school children would have more education dollars per capita if our schools weren’t flooded with the children of illegal aliens (such as in Gwinnett County.) Any measure to discourage illegal immigrants from coming to Georgia should be applauded. So Bob, are you telling us that you sympathize more with people who loan their vehicles to illegal immigrants than the future of our school-aged children? Get your priorities straight !!

By dave

March 17, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this

amazing the racism still alive and well down in GA. African Americans stood up to you bullies and since they don’t take your BS any longer, now you pick on Mexicans. Funny how I thought this bill was about “Illegal Immigrants” and not just Mexicans. How about a Canadian getting pulled over and losing their car while they are on the way to their Winter home in Florida?

Your racists through and through…the ONLY thing that will save GA is the amount of Yankees moving there. One day they will take over the population and you all will just be the New York of the south.. liberals will run that state through and through…mark my words. It’s already going on…love it! hate you racists! ;-)

By dave

March 17, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this

Brian Newman, You are SO very wrong. Let’s get this straight they DO pay taxes!!!

IF they buy and goods and services that are taxable in the state, they pay sales tax. If they pay rent, the owner of the rental pays property taxes that pay for the schools (most property taxes go to schools in the county)… If the “illegals” did not rent and the landlord could not afford to pay the taxes…everyone loses. To say that they take services by not paying taxes is the BIGGEST of all lies you people spin. But I guess you just could not figure that out and do the math for yourself. Also…they illegals that work in factories (using others Social Security numbers or fake ones) STILL have SS taken from their paychecks every week. That actually HELPS SS, because they pay into it and will never be able to recieve a SS check. They also get State and Federal income taxes withheld from their checks.

But to say they don’t pay taxes is CRAZY!!! I guess you would then agree that every single “renter” in the state of GA is getting a free ride by not paying school taxes?! Their landlord HAS to pay it!!!

Wise up! Read! Learn! Stop the HATE!!! -dave

By renap

March 17, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this

Want to hear something really funny? The boarders they talk about (the lines on a map) are fake. God never put them there! When men made maps they drew all these boarders (line) in there. All land is Gods land so who are we to tell anybody they can’t come and thrive in this country? Shame on us!

By Mark

March 17, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this

dave

There is no such thing as an African American, unless you were born in Africa. How many blacks do you think has even been to Africa. Hell, I’d wager that 3/4 of blacks couldn’t even find Africa on a map! Wetbacks are becoming the new flotsam in this country.

By Foobs

March 17, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this

All this legislation does nothing. First of all, most illegals have fake ID’s including driver’s license and fake Social Security numbers. As long as there are jobs waiting for immigrants and businesses don’t get fined or shut down for hiring them, they will keep coming. Sonny knows this, but politicians love to make it look like they’re trying to fight this by making completely STUPID and FUTILE laws like this. People like him are all for illegals because they get all the dirty work done for little, so the profits soar, and the economy stays stronger that it would be if they weren’t here. I just wish our government would do its job and give these hard workers a chance to come here legally so they can be regulated, which would make it more of a pain for businesses to hire them cheaply and therefore less likely to hire them. Then our economy will sag as it is, and eventually natives will lose their sense of entitlement and laziness that gives all these immigrants a chance to undercut them by working hard for less money and no benefits.

By Dale

March 17, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this

Good! It’s time we start somewhere. If we pick apart every effort to curtail illegal immigrants, the problem will only get worse. I say, more power to you Sonny.

By yankee

March 17, 2008 2:05 PM | Link to this

Why do so many of you hate this country so much that you want to give it away?

By JJ

March 17, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this

DAVE

We hate Canadians too! AND smartass liberals who think the’re always right! Go plant a tree and quit ranting on the limited knowledge you have from listening to CNN.

By JJ

March 17, 2008 2:13 PM | Link to this

DAVE

We hate Canadians too! AND smartass liberals who think the’re always right! Go plant a tree and quit ranting on the limited knowledge you have from listening to CNN.

By Blind Homer

March 17, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this

Melinda - I am angry with our government for not enforcing our immigration laws. But that doesn’t mean the Mexicans, or other illegal aliens (spare me the ‘racist’ nonsense, while Mexicans are almost all racially mixed, on average they’re 68% white and European, which makes them a lot like me!), have some god-given right to enter this country illegally. And I believe when you say “The US cannot function without the illegals providing the services they provide” you’re just repeating a common myth. Grapes might sell for $5 a pound, but the American way of life would not cease to exist if all the illegals were deported. Quite the opposite, the historical American way of life would be preserved. I believe those cultural differences, not technically racism, is the root of the issue.

By Mark

March 17, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this

JJ

You don’t see terrorists flying planes into any canadian buildings, do you?

By dave

March 17, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this

JJ, tell me again how the illegals don’t pay taxes…. that’s right…they are JUST like the churches in this country..tax exempt. Like when a pastor buys a new Tahoe with the “collection plate” money from all you fools buying your ticket to heaven.

Illegals pay taxes. Sales tax, property tax through rent, state and federal taxes along with SS from their paychecks. it actually works to the our ADVANTAGE. Actually I don’t watch CNN or FAUX (which you must LOVE)…i READ!!! Try it some time. You might LEARN something… (if you have time before your KKK meeting that is)…

By Grace

March 17, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this

BOB, YOU ARE NOT FOOLING BLACKS. YOU MAY BE PASSING AS WHITE BUT WE KNOW THE TRUTH.

By Blind Homer

March 17, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this

dave - Another myth, “it actually works to the our ADVANTAGE”. They pay less taxes on average, because of lower wages and cash payments ‘under the table’ to day laborers and 20 illegals in a rented 3 bedroom house doesn’t generate a lot of property tax either. But they are high consumers of certain social services, particularly hospitals and schools. Oh and a lot of that hospital is covered under Medicaid because they don’t have insurance and can’t/won’t pay the bill (hard to put a lien on someone that doesn’t own property or garnishee cash wages). Basically your insurance premiums are higher, assuming you pay health insurance premiums, as is the Medicare portion of your social securiy deduction, because the hospital has to make up for the ‘free’ services it provides to illegals.

By Lee

March 17, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this

Yah. What we need are more unlicensed, unregistered drivers on the road. It is by passing little laws like this that make people more conscious of the immigration problem, and that those who support illegal immigration may lose when they cheat. If they have a particular problem, they can explain it to the judge. Otherwise, if you support illegal behavior, you lose your car. Or truck. Sounds good to me.

By Richard

March 17, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this

If its illegal to loan them a car, then it is just as illegal to give them social security when they have not paid into it at all, plus receive more benefits than we as tax payers have paid into all our lives and they get more than we do. How legal is this?

By dave

March 17, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this

Blind Homer…and ALL that pay in Social Security to never see a penny in return? Explain how that does not benefit the economy. AS we all know, the money taken in right now gets paid out to the current recipients…take that away (right now)…and SS goes immed. bankrupt… in fact…that is a well known FACT by our government. They actually COUNT on the money they take in by many illegals right now… for they themselves NEED it to keep the system afloat…

put THAT in your hat and smoke it!!

and as far as them using more services…bullturd!!! (won’t let me write what i wanted to here)…

I live in No. GA…you should see how the trailer trash lives around the mountains…talk about taking advantage of the system? They are ALL on welfare, don’t work, don’t have insurance…drink all day…don’t have licenses (from having 10 DUI’s)… it is THEY the local born and bred that are a TRUE drain on the economy…they don’t even WORK!!!

By jj

March 17, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this

Bob, you might take a look at todays paper and see where the illegal was going the wrong way in Marietta and killed 2 people and himself and know they can’t drive anyway. In Gwinnett they arrest about 15 a day for no driver license, I think anyway we can get them and their cars off the street the better.

By Brent Burk

March 17, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this

Um… what if you are a natural citizen, but you don’t have proof that you are? At least on you. “Papers, please!”

By helloooo

March 17, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this

Why is anyone paying attention to Bob Barr, the idiot…

By FX

March 17, 2008 5:06 PM | Link to this

To Ozzy who wrote, “People need to understand that there are over 12 million illegal aliens in US and they are not criminals by any means.” Ummm, what portion of the word illegal do you fail to understand? By failing to obey immigration laws and being in this country illegally, they are all by definition criminals.

By Warbler

March 17, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this

Talking about loaning your car to anyone is clearly racist - so is saying the word “illegal”.

By Dunwoody Dick

March 17, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this

If open borders Bob Barr is agin it… I am fur it.

By lucky

March 17, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this

It is a felony to aid and abet an illegal alien. If you loan an illegal your vehicle, which can and frequently does become a weapon in the hands of an inexperienced, unlicensed, and frequently drunken illegal, you not only deserve to lose your car but your freedom as well. Too many innocent citizens have been killed and injured by illegals who kill and run.

By dave

March 17, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this

lucky, have any statistics? there are WAY more accidents caused by we “Americanos” than there are by illegals…

you use “fear” exactly like the bush administration did to get people on board to support a war, and better yet..to think that if 2 gays could marry that the end of the world was upon us…

“fear” only works on the stupid…

get it? ;-)

By Charlie

March 18, 2008 7:24 AM | Link to this

Am I reading the Bill incorrectly? The most verbiage in the thing addresses inadvertency and allows the owner specific process to have the vehicle returned to him or her. So that issue becomes moot. I believe the underlying intent is to keep uninsured motorists off the road and this is another tool to do so.

By Sooper Jani Man

March 18, 2008 7:56 AM | Link to this

Illegals have killed more Americans by drinking and driving and breaking laws in our country every year than what have been killed in combat In Afghanistan and Iraq!Time to get rid of these people.NOW!!!!!!!!

By Claire

March 18, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this

Great idea Mr. Barr, lets focus on the business owner, the guy who is already taxed to death by payroll taxes and sales tax and ridiculous rates for worker’s comp and general liability insurance. 20 million plus illegals in the country and taking the vehicles of a few small business owners will solve this! Lets completely ignore corporations like utility companies, cell phone providers, and our own government for providing services to illegal immigrants. Our country is set up now to accomodate the illegal population. Why not start with confiscating the rental properties of the millions who rent to the illegal population? I would like for one politician to actually talk to a person who is here illegally, to hear how they know how to work the government systems, and have no intention, nor desire to become legal. Why should they? What benefit could they possibly gain that they don’t already have? How about someone coming up with a viable plan that would actually produce results? The Fair Tax would assure every individual pays tax. If you are a citizen, you’d receive a rebate check, if not, you don’t. Mike Huckabee may not have been presidential material, but at least he had ideas that actually make sense. Yeah, take a vehicle…lets see how many illegals that affects.

By Stick em up, in the name of the law

March 18, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this

When did it become acceptable to seize peoples property and money to satisfy some “wrong” and to the benefit of those doing the seizing, giving them a clear incentive to do so at every opportunity? We are fined for not wearing seatbelts (for our safety of course), fined for using the wrong highway ramp (because it has a HOV diamond on it), have our vehicles seized because the driver picks up a prostitute or has a pot seed in the ashtray, red light cameras are cash cows (again for our safety) even though stats actually sometimes show an increase in accidents after they are installed. The cops seem to spend an inordinate amount of time staking out times and places to perform their extortion at the most efficiency with their performance measured by the quantity of extortions performed. Where is this trend going to end? When are they going to start seizing peoples homes because some “law” has been violated? We have already shown that as a country, we are more than willing to trade our constitutional liberties and rights for the semblance of “security” that will be provided. What happened to the fourth ammendment of the Constitution saying that we are “to be secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures”?

By GaLiberal

March 18, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this

Looks like Bob ‘Impeachment’ Barr is on the wrong side of this issue. His faithful Rethuglicon-bootlickers have turned on him and are eating him alive. How does it feel, Bobby? Talking a liberal is not going to endear him to the racist scum he so clearly relied on to get elected. It’s so sweet.

When you vote Rethuglicon, you vote against your own best interests. And the racist hate-filled vitriolic posts here are living proof.

By Our community

March 18, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this

While I am confident that this legislation is flawed, it does reflect the sentiments of our community; which is, we want to police and control who comes into our neighborhoods. Unidentified drivers, in our neighborhoods, should lose their vehicles until they can be properly identified. Bob Barr has got it wrong again!

By mike

March 18, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this

Come on Bob, I have grown to really respect your opinion on a lot of matters but with this argument you really go over the line. You demonstrate exactly what is wrong with the laws in this country.

You take one very small and insignificant exception and use that as evidence why we should do nothing at all.

Your argument would tell people who lost their family member to illegal aliens driving (we just had two people killed this weekend by an illegal in GA) “tough luck we couldn’t help you or protect you”. You tell others whose insurance rates adjusted up after an illegal alien damages their vehicle, “Tough luck, pay your deductible and the increased insurance rates” while the illegal walks away with no responsibility never to be seen or found again.

Come on Bob, you sound like a stereotypical lawyer here. You are making a weak argument and a shameful one in my opinion.

It is your responsibility to make sure the person you lend your car to has a license, is legal, and is a generally trustworthy person. In my opinon, if you lend your car to an illegal then you are probably attempting to profit from their labor and giving them a reason to overrun our State. I say you get what you deserve and I hope you never get your car back.

I hope the law passes and I hope that all the illegals that is turning our Cities and Counties into drug, crime, and poverty infested cess pools decide that Flordia is an attractive place to live.

Maybe if our good friend Bob had a group of illegals move in next door to him and start slaughtering goats in the front yard and slaughtering his property values, he wouldn’t be so keen on preventing laws that prevent the illegals.

New

By Do Something for Americans

March 18, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this

I encountered Hispanics driving the WRONG WAY into our local park one day. If they cannot speak English, how can they read our signs? Their Mexican drivers licenses is a legal document as long as they have not extended their temporary stay here. They need to go back and Americans need to take back over this country, get off welfare, the streets and quit being lazy.

By beckster

March 18, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this

What a wonderful law this will be. I usually agree with Mr. Barr but in this case, I don’t. The litmus test for me is to put myself in the shoes of someone who could possibly be wronged. Would I loan my car to an illegal immigrant? Hell no! Would I loan my car to someone who didn’t have a driver’s license? Hell no! So I have absolutely no reason to fear this law. Keep the damn drunk illegal immigrants off the road and keep them from killing innocent people.

By Kevin

March 18, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this

If someone is an illegal alien, then they’ve already broken the law. By saying that illegal aliens aren’t criminals is just incorrect. If they are here illegally, then they are criminals. The harder we make it for criminals to live in our communities, the less of them there will be!

By matt

March 18, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this

Come on Bob! I dont see you lending out the benz anytime soon! What are you worried about?

By Justin

March 18, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this

Im all for it. What part is illegal is hard to understand?

2 more Americans killed in Cobb County by an illegal mexican:

We had a little accident in the Atlanta area Sunday night. Rodney Godfrey and his son Eric are dead. Godfrey’s wife was injured along with his 12-year-old daughter. So here we have a wife and daughter who must go on without a husband, father and brother. They were killed when a minivan driving on the wrong side of the road ran into them head on. The minivan was driven by one Nicasio Rodrigo Vicente-Hernandez. He was killed also. The newspaper doesn’t seem to want to tell if this man was an illegal alien. Anyone want to place some bets? My guess is that our lax immigration policies and the Mexican invasion have claimed a few more American lives.

By GunnyG

March 18, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this

Bob,

It’s a good thing you’ve never been the victim of an illegal alien since, according to the Feds, they kill 25 Americans day, 12 murders, 13 road kills, or you’d be AGAINST them like the rest of us.

BTW, being a world traveler for business, gues what driving illegally in foreign lands gets you?

JAIL!

By Conan in Iraq

March 18, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

Time to play

COWBOYS AND MEXICANS!

Round em up! Git along little non-dryback!

By Steve

March 18, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this

The owner has an out no matter what. If the law comes knocking on his door and says he has to forfeit his car because he loaned it to an illegal, he can claim tha the illegal stole his car. Then he gets his car back and the illegal gets charged with grand theft auto. Would this be an unintended consequence, or was this law passed with just such a scenario in mind? How much more reasonable would it be to deport an illegal if he had a felony charge dangling over his head? Or since the guvmint (sic) doesn’t deport felons now, maybe they are just looking for extraneous means to jail illegals since enforcing immigration laws isn’t working out too well at the federal level.

By Jeffrey

March 18, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this

I like this law.

It doesn’t seem unreasonable for me to know if the person I’m loaning a car to is legally here. If you don’t know a person well enough to know that, then why are you loaning them your car?

This is the same argument being used against red light cameras.

If you get stuck paying a ticket or (in this case) loosing your car because of bad judgement you can still opt to get the person you loaned the car to, to shell out the money to pay you back for your loss.

By Jim Johnson

March 18, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this

First I would be careful using the analogy of “running to the drug store.” Second - anyone loaning their car to someone else should have the brains to know exactly to WHOM they are loaning their car. I don’t know about you but I am not in the habit of handing over the keys to my car to anyone outside of my immediate family, let alone someone who has questionable status or whose license and/or identity I have to check. I hope this law is passed and I hope it is enforced. I can’t believe that someone with enough intelligence to at least have a career would write an article like this, Unbelievable!

By How ya going to tell an illegal

March 18, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this

When was the last time any of you bigots ever saw any person’s proof of citenship for any reason? The few times that I’ve loaned my vehicle to someone it was based on my association with that person and the reasonable expectation that they would take care of my property and not expose me to a lawsuit by running someone over with my car. Never did I inquire to see their drivers license or birth certificate. It sounds like all you hooded robe wearing bigots are planning on using skin color or accent as a criteria for who is going to be harassed by this law. Wake up and smell the coffee, as soon as you give cops the right to shake someone down for citizenship papers, it will have to be applied to everyone or there will be lawsuits for harassment and profiling, and rightly so.

By Mike

March 18, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this

How you tell an illegal is when they get into a traffic accident and they can’t produce and license, insurance, or other documentation and the cop looks them up in the computer and finds out they are illegal….a*******hat!

Have you even read the law genius? I doubt it because if you had read the law and still made your argument, that would make you stupid. Go read the law and get educated one what you are talking about. Then join the party.

By Mike

March 18, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this

I wonder when it is that our legislators are going to stop worrying about the rights of people who shouldn’t be here in the first place over the rights of the people who put them in office?

As Mr. Barr found out…those who will not do the will of the people will be replaced by John Linder! :D

Look for a bloodbath at the polls this year as people vote for anyone except for the incumbent. That means Congress rolls and McCain inherits the next Republican ‘revolution’…whatever that means. The last one didn’t mean much as they were trounced by the Dems in 2006 after abandoning the President on Iraq because they thought that it would buy them votes. They failed to see that it was actually their failure to pass immigration reform and their participation in the immigration bill that lost them the election above all else.

I can’t wait to vote against that son of a $itch arrogant saxby chambliss. Isakson will lose my vote as well for lacking the thought processes to try to pen part of that immigration bill-although with less venom on my part. These people will find out the hard way.

By Billy

March 18, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this

Drop by your local emergency room and see how many Hispanics are there. Guess what percent are insured. How many births are there that are uninsured. Now tell me illegals are not a drain on our system.

By Derek

March 18, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this

I have zero problems with this. You have absolutely no constitutional right to drive a vehicle on the highway.

Most people simply do not loan their car out but to family members or very close friends. If they do, they’re idiots anyways, as they don’t know what the person to whom they are loaning their car will do to it!

To the people who say we shouldn’t be “hating” immigrants: news flash, we don’t hate anyone and we are only speaking about illegal immigrants who are in fact breaking criminal code if they have employment in this country - it’s called fraud. And if their employers know, then they are a party to the fraud. Legal immigrants are welcome: they can get a driver’s license, usually are well educated and speak english. Illegal immigrants siphon off our emergency medical system, costing our economy billions of dollars a year and forcing increased medical costs over all. Further more, illegal immigrants are more likely than legal immigrants to commit a felonious act. A congressional report also clims they are responsible for 25 deaths a day in this country.

Yes our ancestors were immigrants. Though that can be said for the vast majority of people across the world, it does not change that our ancestors generally did not come here in violation of any laws.

By Derek

March 18, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this

I have zero problems with this. You have absolutely no constitutional right to drive a vehicle on the highway.

Most people simply do not loan their car out but to family members or very close friends. If they do, they’re idiots anyways, as they don’t know what the person to whom they are loaning their car will do to it!

To the people who say we shouldn’t be “hating” immigrants: news flash, we don’t hate anyone and we are only speaking about illegal immigrants who are in fact breaking criminal code if they have employment in this country - it’s called fraud. And if their employers know, then they are a party to the fraud. Legal immigrants are welcome: they can get a driver’s license, usually are well educated and speak english. Illegal immigrants siphon off our emergency medical system, costing our economy billions of dollars a year and forcing increased medical costs over all. Further more, illegal immigrants are more likely than legal immigrants to commit a felonious act. A congressional report also clims they are responsible for 25 deaths a day in this country.

Yes our ancestors were immigrants. Though that can be said for the vast majority of people across the world, it does not change that our ancestors generally did not come here in violation of any laws.

By Corey

March 18, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this

This editor is the most ignorant, politically correct idiot I’ve ever read, I’m now dumber for having read this article. Freaking moron, maybe you should just by all the illegal immigrant cars with you salary, insure them, teach them driving school and issue them licenses, then you can open your naive mouth.

By sanbg

March 18, 2008 10:59 AM | Link to this

DAVE:

Sure, money comes out of an illegal’s paycheck who uses someone else’s SSN and goes into Social Security… unless their employer doesn’t withhold. And then the guy who stole my SSN so he could work here gets his entire paycheck, meanwhile the income gets reported as mine, and I get major fines for not paying enough taxes.

OR he does pay, and even files a tax return under my SSN. Then I try to file, and I am told I can’t file twice. He just stole my money. And that isn’t a crime? It’s called identity theft and comes with swift punishment to a US citizen… why not a non-citizen?

I’m sorry, but there are many other countries (some even more liberal in general) who are much stricter about this than we are. Take Germany, for instance- even if you are born in the country, you can’t become a citizen unless one of your parents is a citizen. You can’t stay longer than your visa paperwork says you can, and you absolutely cannot get a job without a tax card which you only get after your employer applies for your work visa AND you register with the government. As an American living and working in Germany, I personally don’t mind it at all, and I wish America had the guts to be just as protective and as good a steward of their tax payers’ money.

I’m really tired of people getting a pass just because the country they come from is perceived to have less economic opportunity. They can come here to live and work and get health benefits and drive on the road and it’s fine with me, as long as they do it LEGALLY.

By Ron

March 18, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this

As a police officer there is no state law that allows me to arrest someone just for being an illegal alien. An illegal can walk up to me while i’m on duty and tell me they came here illegally and there is nothing in the world I can do about it. This is a federal problem and the feds arent dealing with it. Furthermore there is no “computer check” local police can run to determine if someone is illegal or not. The Sheriff’s Office at the jail has to fingerprint the suspected person and then send those prints to ICE. ICE then tells the Sheriff’s Office (after a day or two) if the person is legal or not, then the Sheriff’s Office tells the police department who arrested the person in the first place for the traffic charges. This is all a ton of paper work, wasted time, etc. If the feds were doing their job by deporting these people, this wouldn’t be a problem.

By anna

March 18, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

Oh, I speak Yuppy, so I hope people like Dave will understand what the posters are trying to tell him since he is just WAY too intelligent to understand!

I’m sorry, but I NEVER lend my car out to anyone outside of the family and haven’t done that since I was a careless teenager. I have since grown up. The only person who is allowed to drive my car outside my immediate family is my mother.

The reason the word “Mexican” is used is because most of those who crossed the border and stayed passed the limit and worked WITHOUT a work permit crossed the border from Mexico. We may be Southern, but we are aware of Guatemalans and Nicaraguans who are also here illegally. I know “rednecks” who can even tell you about the details of the Guatemalan gangs and which parts of the county to avoid because you might get shot in the face by those gangs.

Dave needs to stop going to Starbucks and leave the Organic Farmer’s Market to visit with the lowly Southerners he so despises. He will quickly see that we are not racist, that we are simply scared. When you live in a place without almost any crime all of your life and suddenly have to worry about Guatemalan gangs, how would you feel?

Southerners are leaving the cities to not just avoid gangs and crime, but to also avoid uppity yuppy trash like yourself. Why don’t YOU study a book and learn more about the Southern people. (you will then understand that the Southerners writing you back are MAKING FUN OF YOU!!) (KKK ha! Who is now being prejudiced!)

By BTempleman

March 18, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

Propery belongs to those that purchase it.

If an illegal immigrant is picked up, he/she should be deported. The process of claiming property is the same for all of us. Pay the fine, pay the storage fee, and pick it up… Well, perhaps they should have a relative or friend pick it up.

By BurningAtlanta

March 18, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this

Folks. Don’t fall for the myths. You can look up the information yourselves, that’s what computers are for. Example: As I said and someone disagreed: Illegal entry into this country IS a federal CRIME. You can also look up Operation Streamline where illegals are being prosecuted with a Zero Tolerance policy.

I don’t see much difference in this and loaning your car to someone that uses it to haul drugs or whatever. If caught, that vehicle is confiscated. If you knew it was going to be used in a crime you are an accessory. If you loan your car to someone unlicensed, and they’re involved in an accident, then you may face criminal and civil prosecution. Having your car confiscated could be the least of your problems, you could lose everything you own.

This proposed law is already having an affect. They’re sending their cars out of the state. Among the proposed measures making the most waves in Mexico is the proposal to allow police to seize cars driven by illegal immigrants who violate traffic laws. That measure, sitting before a Georgia House subcommittee, has scared migrants in Atlanta, causing many to send their vehicles back home to avoid losing their cars, residents in Mexico say.

By Dennis W. Welch

March 18, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this

Congressman Barr, First of all, it is a physical impossibility to “over-react to illegal immigration”. Illegal aliens and American citizens who either support them or provide them with aid and comfort have NO rights. Employers who hire illegals should be fined $10,000 per illegal, first offence. Second offence, the owner forfeits his business! Anyone loaning a car to an illegal should lose it considering that 12-13 American citizens are killed daily by illegals operating cars in this country. The burden SHOULD be on the American to positively identify anyone of obvious foreign heritage of their citizenship status. If he can’t, then he should tell the illegal to take a hike.

By Roger

March 18, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this

I think Bob Barr total idiot, and so is anyone that loans their car to a person they haven’t known long enough to know if they are here in this country legally or illegally. I think if Mr. Barr were to READ the proposed legislation he would understand what this legislation is all about. But like most liberal minded people he wants to base his attitude and decisions on only what he has heard and not what the facts are.

By Ted P

March 18, 2008 11:39 AM | Link to this

Anybody that thinks we can’t function with out the illegal aliens is dead wrong, what did we do before 1986, when this became a problem. That’s right we were just fine. If you think we can’t send them home, think again, it would be cheaper to send them home than to pay for their education and medical bills. Oh by the try to give them amnesty, they don’t want to be American. They want to come here make money and go home.

By Ozzy is crazy

March 18, 2008 11:44 AM | Link to this

Ozzy You said “People need to understand that there are over 12 million illelgal aliens in US and they are not criminals by any means.”

What part of illegal did you not understand? Illegal: 1. forbidden by law or statute. 2. contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.

Criminal: 1. of the nature of or involving crime. 2. guilty of crime.

So how are illegals not criminals?

By Chuck

March 18, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this

All illegals should be rounded up and sent home. If they are caught a second time, death sentence (like taken out back and immediately shot, no living the high life on death row for years) for invading our country as an aggressor. Problem solved.

By Melvin

March 18, 2008 12:08 PM | Link to this

Why is this Idiot still around.

By B. Behnke

March 18, 2008 12:09 PM | Link to this

According to a recent article I read, 25 people in the US are killed by illegal aliens everyday. 12 are in auto accidents. If this drops the rate of citizen deaths then good for Georgia!

By charlie

March 18, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this

CRY ME A RIVER BOB

By Concerned in Covington

March 18, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this

Being a “victim” of a hit, run and bail out into the woods by an “undocumented citizen”, I applaud this bill. The person to who the vehicle belonged first claimed one of his “employees” was using the vehicle but did not know his name, then changed it to oh yeah it was stolen yesterday from my worksite when he became liable for our $8000.00 repair on his insurance. I say, round em up, and ship em back home if they do not care to follow the rules all the ellis island immigrants were subjected to. If they did it, then it should continue on being a requirement to stay here and work, along with paying taxes and paying their way in the healthcare system.

By Mike

March 18, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this

I suggest…as part of Bob’s reporting for the AJC…that he spend the day strapped to the front bumper of an illegal alien’s borrowed vehicle. Perhaps then he might have some appreciation for what Georgians are facing with respect to this societal menace!

By Fred M

March 18, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this

While I disagree with seizing the car, arresting the illegal and handing him over to ICE for deportation sounds like a good plan.

In Virgina, a county has six police officers trained to recognize when a suspect is an illegal alien. Illegals are self-deporting en-masse. Can we do the same thing here?!?!

By dave

March 18, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this

Racists…. Brian Newman, You are SO very wrong. Let’s get this straight they DO pay taxes!!!

IF they buy and goods and services that are taxable in the state, they pay sales tax. If they pay rent, the owner of the rental pays property taxes that pay for the schools (most property taxes go to schools in the county)… If the “illegals” did not rent and the landlord could not afford to pay the taxes…everyone loses. To say that they take services by not paying taxes is the BIGGEST of all lies you people spin. But I guess you just could not figure that out and do the math for yourself. Also…they illegals that work in factories (using others Social Security numbers or fake ones) STILL have SS taken from their paychecks every week. That actually HELPS SS, because they pay into it and will never be able to recieve a SS check. They also get State and Federal income taxes withheld from their checks.

But to say they don’t pay taxes is CRAZY!!! I guess you would then agree that every single “renter” in the state of GA is getting a free ride by not paying school taxes?! Their landlord HAS to pay it!!!

Wise up! Read! Learn! Stop the HATE!!! -dave

(see my comments above…)..funny how they probably pay MORE taxes than many of you…they actually HELP the econmy more than hinder it…BIG TIME…

it ALL comes down to being KKK like down in GA… the Klan still lives…

you don’t need to be a member…you ARE one…born and raised…sad…and worse…SICK!!!

Baptists are THE WORST RACISTS ever to walk the planet…

Guess what? It’s over…you lose…we win… GA is going to be “taken over” by more liberals than you know what to do with…

You’re sad…

so very sad…

True HATE runs through your veins…

But’s it’s over…

Welcome: Obama… don’t like it? move.. b/c he’s your next President!

By You asked for the way things are becoming

March 18, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this

Knee jerk legislative actions are causing more problems than we originally had. Everyone is in favor of keeping the illegal aliens from getting drivers licenses and being able to register their vehicles. Well guess what, that also translates into being unable to get insurance on their vehicles. Do you really think that they all quit driving, park their cars and throw away the keys? Stolen license plates and counterfeit registration plate stickers work just fine until there is an accident and then they are going to just abandon their untracable vehicle and run. What do you expect? If I had to choose who was going to hit my vehicle it would be a licensed, registered and insured driver and not someone who has nothing to lose by bailing out and running away because the system made it impossible to be a responsible driver. I could care less about their immigration status.

By Ron Y

March 18, 2008 1:39 PM |