Column: License issue hotter than wildfires

"So, how do you think Susana Martinez is doing now?" Barney asked, his voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm. This was going to turn mean.

Barney is my friend from New Jersey who has nothing more to do than monitor New Mexico politics and taunt me with his right wing jabs. I made a valiant effort to steer the conversation onto safe ground.

"Well, Barney," I said, "our governor is making solid progress in her goal to reduce the New Mexico transportation fleet. She just sold a 1983 Gulfstream Turbo Commander for $575,000, leaving us with three planes instead of eight."

"So, progress there," I continued. "We've still got lots of cars and some boats patrolling places like Elephant Butte and Navajo lakes. Nothing much she can do about that. Then, of course, there's a really expensive choo-choo no one wants. All in all, pretty good record for Susana except we still have way too many people without jobs."

I knew what Barney really wanted to talk about is the New Mexico law allowing illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. Gov. Martinez has tried to reverse that law since day one.

The issue has become hotter than a New Mexico wildfire since law enforcement busted a sophisticated crime ring operating in the Clovis and Portales sector. The bad guys found a way to skirt state law, issuing licenses, maybe in the hundreds, to any illegal in the country who could come up with the $4,000 fee. And who is to say that some of these aren't really bad people who mean to do us harm?

"So the governor is right, isn't she?" Barney asked. "Isn't it clear the program to grant licenses to illegals just isn't working?"

"You are right," I admitted. "The governor is right. No more licenses for illegal immigrants. Even though the vast majority of the 90,000 immigrant drivers are using their cars to get to work, to get to church, to take care of their families, these people must suffer because the state of New Mexico cannot adequately enforce its own laws."

Silence on the line. Barney was dumfounded. Finally, "Do I actually hear you admit your were wrong, that you are now supporting the governor's attempt to repeal the law allowing illegal immigrants to get New Mexico driver's licenses?"

"You are hearing that," Barney. "I am now taking the position the State of New Mexico should stop issuing driver's licenses. All licenses. Period."

"WHAT?" he yelled. "You are saying no one in New Mexico should be able to drive?"

"Well, think about it Barney. We agree that because New Mexico cannot separate the good guys from the bad guys, cannot come up with a system that allows well-intentioned immigrants to drive while preventing those with evil intents from driving, then we have to penalize the good in order to get rid of the bad. Got it?"

He sensed a trap but forged ahead. "So?"

"So," I pressed on, "in a recent year there were 129 people killed by drunk drivers in New Mexico. Killed, Barney, just as surely as if someone held a gun to their head. Susana Martinez herself admits New Mexico is struggling with one of the nation's worst drunken driving problems. Not only that, every time we get behind the wheel we know there is a chance someone is going to run a stop sign and slam into us while texting a boyfriend or girlfriend.

"The state can't seem to keep driver's licenses out of the hands of drunks, nor crack down on other reckless drivers. Seems to me, then, the only answer is to do what the governor wants to do to the immigrants. Abolish driver licensing altogether, punishing the innocent majority for the sins of the minority."

My frustrated friend was almost sputtering now. "What part of 'illegal' don't you understand!" he yelled, abruptly ending the conversation.

Just what we need. Solving complex social issues with bumper sticker mentality.

Ned Cantwell welcomes response at: [email protected]