Joe Guzzardi
August 25, 2003

Suddenly, a bolt out of the blue may save Governor Gray Davis. 

California SB 60, the bill that would allow illegal aliens to get driver’s licenses, has been looming over Davis’ head like a huge black cloud.

Davis was in a no-win situation. As his poll numbers dropped into the low 20% range, Davis became desperate for support wherever he could find it. 

Two weeks ago Davis, anticipating a strong endorsement from the Latino Caucus, pledged to sign it. 

But I questioned Davis’ early commitment. To survive the recall portion of the ballot, Davis really needs the African American and white middle class voters. And those voters are on the verge of anarchy regarding the endless cave-ins to the Latino Caucus and its ethnic identity agenda.

Davis’ Senior Deputy Press Secretary Russell Lopez wrote in an August 1st letter to the Los Angeles Times, Davis’ Senior Deputy Press Secretary Russell Lopez wrote:

“As for criticism of Davis on SB 60, a bill to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, Davis is in the middle of months-long negotiations with state Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-L.A.) to hammer out a compromise. The goal is to ensure that undocumented immigrants can become safe, licensed drivers through a process that addresses public safety concerns.

Because this kind of pandering infuriates mainstream California, I predicted that Davis would be a net loser of votes if he signed SB 60. His signature would, in effect, dig his own grave.

Then, complicating Davis’ plight, Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante entered the race. With Bustamante drawing high polling numbers among Mexican voters, Davis’ was backed up against the wall. 

If Davis signs SB 60, he alienates the Black and white middle class voters. They end up voting “Yes” on the recall. A veto, on the other hand, makes Bustamante look like a champ to the Hispanic voters. They too vote  “Yes” on the recall.

Either way, Davis is cooked.

But suddenly, a miracle arrived from Washington, D.C. An Aug. 9 letter from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to the state Department of Motor Vehicles raises doubts about a provision of the bill, saying individual taxpayer identification numbers are "not valid for identification outside the tax system."

The letter, which was send to the motor vehicle departments of all 50 states continued "If your state is considering legislation to accept (individual taxpayer identification numbers) as proof of identity for driver's licenses, please alert your legislators to potential security risks." 

Using federal taxpayer identification numbers as valid identification for illegal alien drivers would, according to IRS spokesman Bill Steiner, represent a “potential security risk.” Steiner said that the IRS does not do background checks and that it accepts the information given by the applicant at “face value.”

"We don't verify the documentation. The IRS is in the business of administering the tax law," Steiner said. "If you are earning money in the U.S., we expect you to pay taxes on it."

An interesting side note is that taxpayer identification numbers are accepted in lieu of a social security card. This is absurd. Anyone who can pick up a telephone to dial an “800” number can get a T.I.N. A social security card is only available to individuals legally in the US.

Not surprisingly, Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles and the author of SB 60 sees no reason not to press ahead despite the IRS warning. Cedillo said he saw no risks and that anyone who had concerns “should talk to the Bush administration.”

 The IRS memo has given Republicans some backbone---finally. They indicated concerns about security, voter fraud and the wisdom of giving licenses to illegal aliens.

Assemblyman Tony Strickland, R-Moorpark, questioned whether illegal immigrants should be driving at all.

"(We are) creating a law so we can give a license to those who are breaking the law," he said.

And Republicans accused Democrats of rushing approval of the legislation in an effort to help Gov. Gray Davis stave off the recall attempt by currying favor with Latino voters.

"Blatant” is the word most often used to describe the Latino Caucus muscling.

In the end, Cedillo decided not to insist on a vote. He instead opted to answer questions on Monday.

And—for now at least Davis has some much-needed breathing room.