A California Dream: The California Golden Card

A California Dream: The California Golden Card

As part of its effort to foster economic growth and reestablish a more sustainable system of public services, the State of California should implement a set of policies that helps more thoroughly integrate all its contributing residents regardless of immigration status. With access, fairness, objective morality and a vision for a better future in mind, the State of California, as a governmental entity, should initially immediately abandon its stance of indifference toward our undocumented immigrant community and embrace policies that help end years of unfair treatment and enable better communities with a more consistent and defined revenue base.

The California Golden Card represents one such policy proposal. It would not only help socially, economically and politically better integrate undocumented residents but all community members. Understanding that the unwarranted limitations being imposed by the federal government on air travel and federal building entrance have pushed our state to develop an expensive single-use driverā€™s license card, it is time to find an alternative card for those that are either neglected/exploited by governmental entities, who because of privacy concerns wish to opt out of involvement in any federal database, or simply are interested in obtaining a multi-use state card.

The ability to seek a driverā€™s license should be a right, of which it is a privilege to maintain and not be connected with incoherent federal immigration law. California should help pave the way as it did in the past and permit all its residents regardless of immigration status to obtain a driverā€™s license. By doing this, our state would be advancing safety and fairness for all in our communities. Simply put, the California Golden Card would not in any way involve itself with federal immigration or citizenship/immigration status. Such would be constitutionally appropriate and well within the powers of our state.

However, the driving privilege feature would only be one of many that could be part of the California Golden Card. Once in place, and among other features, the card could be integrated into our high-speed rail and community college systems. Striving to provide access of public resources to all and ensuring that all fairly and equitably share in their costs, the California Golden Card can help lead California to a more successful future.

Locally, more individuals would be able to have identification cards that would help them establish bank accounts and be part of a state system that through its various entities can act as a clearinghouse for the different public services it offers to its residents. The DMV can continue granting the driverā€™s license privilege, whereas other state entities would process the other features that could be part of the Golden Card.

Currently, our state leadership is rightly focused on establishing a budget that maintains a basic safety net and provides for the education of our youth. We should all help in their effort to extend the revenue sources that are currently there. However, the budget measures relied on should not just be those that have been tried in the past. If Governor Jerry Brown really is interested in fixing systematic holes in our stateā€™s revenue base, he should seriously consider finding ways to integrate all contributing state residents, regardless of immigration status.

We cannot continue living as if millions of people are not here working and contributing, while their economic resources are depleted because local law enforcement agencies exploit the fact that they have to drive around, but are not granted a driving privilege. The City of Bell is not alone in exploiting some of our hardest-workingĀ yet poorest community members. This is happening here in Fresno and in other places in the Central Valley, the Los Angeles area, the Salinas Valley and the Bay Area.

Contrary to the government naysayers, we should strive to make our state government better and help instill a vision for our state that upholds fairness and access.

May Day March for Immigrant Rights and Workersā€™ Solidarity

Central Valley neighbors and friends, please join us for the 6th Annual May Day Immigrant Rights March. This year more than ever, we need to come together and join forces because of the increasing attacks on all working people regardless of immigration status. So please take a pause from the everyday grind and join us in the spirit of community for some music, live performances, marching and speakers on immigrant and worker rights.

  • When: Noonā€“4 p.m.
  • Where: Eaton Park Water Tower at O and Fresno streets in downtown Fresno
  • Information: May Day Committee for Immigration Reform

Virginia Velasquez, 559-499-1178
Leonel Flores, 559-776-6642
Ines Rojas, 559-273-6459
Stan Santos, 559-908-6701

El Sueno Californiano: La Tarjeta de Oro

Como parte del esfuerzo para el crecimiento econĆ³mico y para reestablecer un sistema sostenible de servicios pĆŗblicos, el Estado de California debe implementar polĆ­ticas que apoyen un integraciĆ³n completa de todos los residentes quienes contribuyen a esta comunidad, sin importar su estado legal. Con una vista objetiva de igualdad, justicia, y para un mayor futuro, el Estado, como entidad gubernamental debe abandonar inmediatamente su postura de indiferencia hacia la comunidad inmigrante indocumentada y implementar polĆ­ticas que pueden poner fin a anos de tratamiento injusto y sentar la base para el mejoramiento de la comunidad con fuente consistentes de sostenimiento de recursos.

La Tarjeta de Oro de California representa esta posibilidad. PodrĆ­a ayudar no solamente el mejoramiento social, econĆ³mico y polĆ­tico para la integraciĆ³n de residentes indocumentados sino a la comunidad en general. Las limitaciones sin razĆ³n impuestas por el Gobierno Federal en vĆ­as de transportaciĆ³n por aire, y ingreso a instalaciones Federales han llevado al Estado a implementar una costosa y singular Licencio de Manejar. Es hora de buscar una alternativa para los quienes son negados o explotados por entidades gubernamentales, quienes debido a necesidades de privacidad prefieren quedar fuera de algĆŗn archivo de datos, o simplemente tienen interĆ©s en obtener un tarjeta Estatal de mĆŗltiples usos.

La habilidad de conseguir una licencia de conducir debe ser un derecho, lo cual es privilegio mantener sin intervenciĆ³n departe de una ridĆ­cula ley Federal de InmigraciĆ³n. California debe hacer el camino como en el pasado y permitir a todos los residentes a obtener una licencia de manejar. Haciendo esto, nuestro estado podrĆ­a avanzar la seguridad e igualdad para todas nuestras comunidades. BĆ”sicamente, la Tarjeta de Oro de California no tendrĆ­a que involucrarse con leyes de inmigraciĆ³n Federal ni estado legal. Seria de acuerdo con la constituciĆ³n y dentro de los poderes del Estado.

Sin embargo, el privilegio de manejar podrĆ­a ser solamente uno de varias funciones que puede facilitar la Tarjeta de Oro de California. Un vez implementada, entre otras funciones por ejemplo, la tarjeta podrĆ­a ser vinculado con sistemas de transporte como el tren de alta velocidad y los colegios comunitarios. Como otro esfuerzo para proveer acceso a recursos pĆŗblicos a todos y para asegurar un justa y equitativa cuota compartida de costos, le Tarjeta de Oro de California guiar al estado por un camino hacia un futuro provechoso.

Localmente, se podrĆ­a proveer a mas consumidores con la facilidad para establecer cuentas bancarias y llegar a participar en un sistema a nivel estatal que por medio de varias entidades podrĆ­a actuar como punto de contacto entre diferentes servicios al publico. El Departamento de VehĆ­culos Motores (DMV) puede seguir dando el privilegio de licencias de manejar, mientras otras agencias estatales implementen otras funciones que forman parte del sistema de la Tarjeta de Oro.

Hoy dĆ­a nuestro liderazgo estatal se enfoca con mucha razĆ³n en el establecimiento de un presupuesto que mantiene una red de seguridad y provee la educaciĆ³n de nuestros jĆ³venes. Todos debemos apoyar sus esfuerzos por estirar los pocos recursos disponibles, pero las medidas presupuestarias del estado no deben excluir nuevas ideas y medios. Si el Gobernador Jerry Brown se interesa en reparar las debilidades en las fuentes de recursos estatales, debe buscar medios para integrar a la fuerza contribuyente de todos los residentes de este estado, sin importar su estado migratorio. No podemos seguir como si millones de personas no estuvieran aquĆ­ trabajando y contribuyendo, mientras en sus derechos de moverse libremente se encuentren discriminados y perseguidos por las autoridades. La Ciudad de Bell no es la Ćŗnica en explotar los mas trabajosos y pobres de nuestra comunidad. Lo mismo pasa aquĆ­ en Fresno, igual que en otros lugares en el Valle Central, Los Ɓngeles, el Valle de Salinas y el Ɓrea de la BahĆ­a.

Al contrario de comentaristas politicas, debemos hacer esfuerzos por crear gobierno estatal transparente y de acceso y trato justo a todos los quienes residen aquĆ­.

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  • Community Alliance

    The Community Alliance is a monthly newspaper that has been published in Fresno, California, since 1996. The purpose of the newspaper is to help build a progressive movement for social and economic justice.

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