Dear Editor:I recently saw on Channel 7 news that the LAPD has changed its policy in regards from impounding vehicles from those who come through a DUI checkpoint and are determined to be unlicensed drivers. Now, instead of having their car being towed and the driver given a citation, each driver will have the opportunity to call a licensed driver to come get their car and the driver originally stopped will only be given a citation. LAPD states in substance, the prior policy of the LAPD was changed because: "Latino groups have protested that legal and illegal immigrants are particularly hard-hit by such policies, because they cannot afford to reclaim their transport." So that I completely understand, if an unlicensed driver happens to be caught up in a DUI checkpoint, they are given the opportunity to call a licensed friend to come get their car so the unlicensed driver doesn't have to pay for a storage bill, however, the unlicensed driver is given a citation for being unlicensed? What this means to me is if a driver is unlicensed, it means the driver cannot obtain vehicle insurance. So if this driver hits your car, your insurance company is going to have to go it alone which eventually results in higher premiums to all licensed drivers? Right? Or worse yet, the unlicensed driver that was allowed to have a friend drive the vehicle away (I'm sure this will stop the unlicensed driver from continuing to drive - yeah right) and this same unlicensed driver hits your vehicle and kills a family member, the LAPD had the driver and the car and let the driver go because of the change. That will bring real solace to the family whose family member was killed by the unlicensed driver. Since the liberalization of immigration policy in 1965, the number of first- generation immigrants living in the United States has quadrupled, from 9.6 million in 1970 to about 38 million in 2007; 1,046,539 persons were naturalized as U.S. citizens in 2008. The leading emigrating countries to the United States were Mexico, India, and the Philippines, and China. It makes no difference to me what county a person comes from but it does concern me some of these people come here illegally and expect the same services and benefits as U.S. citizens. The only rights an illegal alien should be afforded is human rights, period. Anything beyond that is reserved for legal citizens. I have never understood why these illegal aliens are entitled to the same benefits as the American citizen and the 1,046,539 persons that came to this county and were later naturalized. Expense? According to what I hear and read, many illegals pay thousands of dollars to mules to get them here but these same people can't afford to become naturalized citizens? Yeah right. I have heard more time than I care to count the statement to the effect, these illegals come here for a better life. Great! Why don't they stay where they are at and help create a government that caters to the needs of its citizens? Another great statement I have heard for years, is the illegals don't cost the taxpayers. They pay their own way. Really? Look around at your local hospitals, schools, police departments and other services and you'll soon learn, a great majority of them don't pay their own way. The tax payer foots the bill. The FAA requires all pilots flying into and from the US to speak English, the basic language of this county at one time was English. Why does it have to change? To accommodate whom? I don't care if a person is bilingual, trilingual or even quadlingual, English is this county's language. Learn it. Become a citizen or go home to your country of origin. -- David Abney, Downey

********** Published: March 17, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 48