Guest Editorial

Vince Ansel, Riders USA   |  DECEMBER 2, 2015

Municipal ID’s for illegal aliens gaining steam in Phoenix

Yes folks, it’s happening right under our very noses. While hard working Arizonans go about the duties of raising families, heading off to work and being diverted by Christmas preparations, leftist community organizing groups in cahoots with local politicians are hard at it in attempting to breathe new life into a city of Phoenix issued municipal ID card. This form of ID card was originally promoted as a “City Services Card” by Councilman Bill Gates and designed as a way to condense various city of Phoenix services into one card and intended to be distributed only to the “legal residents” of this city. Phoenix, at this time, issues separate cards for library privileges, parks, senior citizen and community centers, etc. Gates’ idea to combine these cards into a single card appeared to be fiscally sound and logical.

Where this train goes off the track is when the devout followers of an open borders/no borders/amnesty agenda hijacked Bill Gates’ concept and collaborated with four Phoenix City Council members as well as the mayor to morph this into a municipal ID card that would somehow lend a form of legitimacy to those residing in Phoenix illegally. This is “Sanctuary City” mentality, big time! The concept and motivation for municipal ID cards designed to legitimize those residing in this nation illegally was born from progressive/liberal enclaves that already have functioning working models. Cities such as New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Oakland, etc. have already issued this form of municipal ID to both legal and non-legal residents of their repective cities.

Promoters of this form of municipal ID in Phoenix cite this card as, a “multifunction identification card which will provide valid proof of identity and Phoenix residency, incorporate access to bus and light rail, streamline use of city services including libraries and community centers, as well as provide discounts at participating shops and restaurants.” They conveniently leave out the part that says: “Primarily designed to aid and abet the illegal residents of this municipality.” Now emboldened, New York City is taking this issue one step further. There is presently a push by left-leaning local politicians in allowing the New York City ID card to be used as an acceptable form of identification for the bearer to vote in local municipal elections! I never thought I’d see the day when politicians in a major U.S. city would be promoting voting rights for non-citizens!

At the invitation of local “community organizers,” a founder of the NYC municipal ID concept and leftist New York City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito met with those “organizers” as well as Phoenix City Councilwoman Laura Pastor and Mayor Greg Stanton in April of 2015 to discuss how to implement a municipal ID program here in Phoenix. It would be relevant to note that Councilwoman Viverito is a known “terrorist advocate” http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/233479/new-york-city-council-speaker-dedicates-puerto-daniel-greenfield. It is disturbing to discover that “prominent” Phoenix City Officials are collaborating with an individual who holds convicted terrorists in such high regard. What in the heck is going on in this City?

Part of my digressing into these unpleasant revelations is to highlight the nature of those personalities who are the driving forces behind this movement. It is expected, given the nature of this motley crew that deceit and diversion are necessary elements in this promotion in order to influence the uniformed, misinformed, the naïve and gullible into gaining their support. The proposed Phoenix-issued municipal ID is primarily designed to legitimize illegal aliens within the city of Phoenix. It is camouflaged as a vehicle in providing a valid form of ID for the homeless, the LGBT community, senior citizens, minorities, etc. It is claimed that these “forgotten and ignored” residents are either unable to or have difficulty in obtaining adequate forms of identification through normal channels.

The point in my writing this is that you the reader, will note the urgency of the matter, get involved, attend hearings and say “no” to a cancer that if left unchecked will certainly spread to other municipalities within our fair state and lead to unimaginable unintended consequences. There will be further subcommittee hearings and city council meetings addressing this issue. Please check this link weekly as to when this matter will be entertained as an agenda item: https://www.phoenix.gov/cityclerk/publicmeetings/city-council-meetings. Hopefully this issue will ultimately be buried in the graveyard of failed leftist/progressive schemes that threaten our American way of life. For more information and articles dedicated to exposing this municipal ID scam please click onto the following link: www.NoOnePHXID.org