Sun, Jul 05 2009
|
|
Published November 22, 2007 12:44 am - DODGE CITY, Kan. — Dodge City commissioners are facing increased pressure from constituents to keep up with the Joneses. In this case, it’s Garden City. Kansas: Dodge City eyes ordinance targeting unlicensed drivers The Associated Press
DODGE CITY, Kan. — Dodge City commissioners are facing increased pressure from constituents to keep up with the Joneses. In this case, it’s Garden City. Under a new ordinance in Garden City, those convicted of driving without a valid driver’s license could be fined up to $1,000 and imprisoned for up to six months. Repeat offenders would face mandatory jail time, specifically five days in jail for a second offense. The jail time steadily increases with each conviction, up to 270 days by the sixth conviction. Shortly after the ordinance passed and began to receive press, Dodge City commissioners said they began receiving phone calls demanding to know why Dodge couldn’t approve a similar statute. City officials have said they will consider it, but there are several concerns. Much to Garden City Mayor Reynaldo Mesa’s surprise, he said, he faced a huge division between those on both sides who made it an ethnic issue. “That wasn’t the point of it at all,” Mesa said. “We simply noticed a problem with uninsured and unlicensed drivers and wanted to combat it.” Armando Minjarez, the southwest Kansas organizer for Sunflower Community Action, a low-income advocacy group, said his organization understood Garden City’s ordinance wasn’t targeted specifically at immigrants. “Our concern is that not only is the immigrant community hardest hit,” He said, “It will have larger effects on the community as a whole.” According to Kansas law, even those with green cards or visas who are in the country legally cannot get driver’s licenses if they do not have Social Security cards. These risks haven’t escaped Dodge City Mayor Kent Smoll, who said the commission was reluctant to jump on Garden City’s bandwagon. “My concern is this is going to affect the blue-collar workers of Dodge City,” he said. “I’m not talking about immigrants, illegal or legal. Just workers who will be affected.” Smoll said his concern is that after five days in jail, these people would no longer be able to return to their jobs. Manuel Gomez, a student at Kansas State University, said he was concerned about the law because he is not a citizen and has no license. 
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the State News section
Missouri: Nixon vetoes motorcycle helmet repeal Kansas: Governor cuts school aid amid budget changes Oklahoma: Rep. Kern heckled at morality proclamation rally Missouri: State renames road, adopted by neo-Nazis, after rabbi |
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
Discuss this story
 |
 |
    : Special Offer For New Subscribers :   
|
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
|
|
Published by Newspaper Holding, Inc. 117 East Fourth Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Using our site is your agreement to the terms and conditions. News: news@joplinglobe.com • (417)623-3480 Advertise with the Joplin Globe Copyright © 2006 The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO All rights reserved. 
|
Popular Business directory links - Joplin Apartments | Joplin Attorneys | Joplin Auto Dealers | Joplin Auto Parts | Joplin Auto Repair | Joplin Beauty Salons | Joplin Car Rental | Joplin Dentists | Joplin Doctors | Joplin Flowers | Joplin Hotels | Joplin Insurance | Joplin Loans | Joplin Mortgages | Joplin Movers | Joplin Pizza | Joplin Realtors | Joplin Restaurants | Joplin Storage | Joplin Tax Preparation | Joplin Travel | Joplin Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |
