wethepeopleofamerica.org

This is what the citizens of Tennessee are up against in the fight to protect our state from the invasion of illegal aliens into our cities, our neighborhoods, our businesses, our schools, our healthcare facilities, our jails etc. The pro open borders crowd operating in Nashville and having the ear of Governor Bredesen, Jimmy Naifeh, Gerald Nicely, Phillip Pinion, and others is fighting against American citizens who want their state and cities protected against illegal aliens and their bidders who are aiding and abetting illegal aliens.

The 2006 Legislative Season included many bills to protect Tennesseans and this TIRRC group stealthily attacked and defeated legislation to rid Tennessee of these invaders. The TIRRC is at it again and they need to be exposed for their desire to destroy our state through their pro amnesty, open borders agenda. Look around the website. Make the calls today and remind our representatives they are voted in and work for the American citizen, not the illegal alien and those that profit from them.

Thanks to illegal immigration Tennessee is now swarming with drugs, drug smugglers, gangs like MS 13, rapes, sex trafficking, the para military group Zetas, millions in healthcare costs, millions in ESL language assistance, millions in jail and incarceration costs, overcrowded schools, neighborhoods where English is not spoken or barely spoken, homes and apartments with 15-20 inhabitants, etc.
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The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition expresses its disappointment with legislative efforts to eliminate the Certificate for Driving (CFD) program (SB 1968/HB 1827), leaving tens of thousands of immigrants drivers without access to driving safety documents or accident insurance. Since the program was suspended last February, immigrant leaders have been in communication with the Governor’s office, determined to work together to fix any problems with the certificate program and reinstate it as soon as possible.
• Between July 2004 and February 2006, over 60,000 Tennessee drivers demonstrated the ability to drive safely, and qualified for driving certificates. These Tennessee drivers will now be permanently denied access to driving safety documents and accident insurance.
• According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, “an unlicensed driver is 4.9 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a driver with a valid license” (AAA Foundation). Tennessee traffic deaths increased 4.3% in 2006 (Tennessean), the same time period that the driving certificate program was suspended for undocumented immigrants.
• Uninsured drivers cause 14.5% of all accidents and more than $4.1 billion in insurance losses per year (Insurance Journal).
• Undocumented workers will continue to drive our economy, and studies show that states benefit greatly. A recent report issued by the Texas Comptroller concluded that absence of the undocumented workers in 2005 would have resulted in a loss of $17.7 billion to the gross state product. In addition, “undocumented immigrants produced $1.58 billion in state revenues, which exceeded the $1.16 billion in state services they received.”
• Instead of keeping our communities safe, law enforcement and court officials will continue to spend their resources apprehending and processing hardworking immigrants for the simple offense of driving to work, to English classes, or their children to school.
The Certificate for Driving program was suspended in February of 2006 in response to reports that out-of-state residents were visiting Tennessee to obtain these driving safety documents. We support the TN Department of Safety’s efforts to ensure that only Tennessee residents have access to the Certificate for Driving Program. However, elimination of the program altogether will have a detrimental effect on public safety for all Tennessee drivers.

TALKING POINTS BY THE OPPOSITION

Tennessee Certificate for Driving (CFD) Working Group
Recommendation: Fix the Program, Don’t Eliminate It

Objectives:
1) To ensure that all drivers on Tennessee roads understand the rules of safety, and have access to a driving safety document;
2) To ensure that all drivers on Tennessee roads have access to automobile insurance;
3) To ensure that all drivers on Tennessee roads are entered into a state database, creating a comprehensive record of all interactions with law enforcement; and
4) To streamline the licensing process for all TN driving safety documents.

Challenges with CFD program, and its current suspension
1) Many immigrants, currently working and contributing to the Tennessee economy, cannot drive to work.
2) Many immigrant drivers cannot obtain automobile insurance.
3) Many immigrant parents cannot drive their children to school.
4) Immigrants temporarily out of status cannot drive to the Memphis immigration office.
5) TN law enforcement has no effective way to enter immigrant residents into a law enforcement database.
6) TN state residency documents are challenging to verify, especially for applicants with foreign identification documents.
7) The federal government is attempting to use state-issued safety documents to burden state governments with the enforcement of a broken federal immigration system.
8) The public has the false impression that undocumented immigrants are drawn to Tennessee by the CFD program.

Recommendations for the TN Department of Safety
1) Reinstate the CFD program to ensure that all Tennessee drivers know the rules of safety and have access to automobile insurance.
2) Call the CFD what it really is—a “driving safety certificate”—in program materials. Road safety is the primary reason states issue and regulate driver’s licenses.
3) Create a two-step process for all applicants for a driving safety certificate. Step 1: Applicant submits all required paperwork to the Department of Safety and undergoes required testing. The Department of Safety issues provisional paperwork that the applicant can use to obtain automobile insurance. (Department of Safety personnel have the opportunity to verify identity and residency documents, as deemed appropriate.) Step 2: Applicant returns with proof of insurance, and receives driving safety certificate.
4) Limit the number of driver’s license stations that will issue driving safety certificates, to ensure that personnel receive adequate training on all document requirements.
5) Increase application fees for driving safety certificates to cover any additional administrative costs.
6) Add a statement on driving safety certificates that indicates they are “valid in TN only.”

Recommendations for immigrant community organizations and advocates
1) Conduct public outreach efforts to raise awareness of new program features, and emphasize the necessity of obtaining legal driving documents and insurance.
2) Coordinate cultural awareness seminars for drivers who may be unfamiliar with driving norms in this country, and work with insurance companies to reduce insurance rates for those who have successfully completed seminars.