Carrboro Wants To Let Illegals Vote!?!

I meant to post about this days ago and it slipped my mind. NBC 17 Immigration is arguably the most controversial topic in American today. Thousands of immigrants come to this country every year illegally. But some Carrboro town officials want to give those immigrants the right to vote. "Immigration is a really positive thing," Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton told NBC17. "Lots of immigrants make a really positive impact on our community." But, some say Chilton and Town Alderman John Herrera are going too far by proposing that non-citizens of the U.S. and the state be allowed to vote in local elections. "We have tons of people who live in Carrboro from all over the world," Chilton said. "India, China, Mexico, Europe, Russia and they do a lot of work at all different kinds of levels." However, the state constitution distinctly outlines the factors, which determine eligibility for voting: citizenship, age, residence and criminal record. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird represents the voters of Orange and Person counties. She said the proposal is a non-issue because of how difficult it is to amend the state constitution and the controversial atmosphere surrounding immigration in the U.S. today. Gayle Murrell, a Carrboro resident, doesn't see what all the fuss is about. "If they are working and abiding by the law and they are paying taxes -- they are whether they want to or not -- so they should have some say." Triangle resident Timothy Crowley isn't optimistic about the proposal. "I think John (Herrera) has quite a challenge in front of him," Crowley said. "Why? Because most people don't believe that somebody who isn’t' a citizen should be allowed to vote. Carrboro also passed a resolution last night banning local police officers from arresting illegal immigrants solely on the basis of their citizenship. Last month, an officer pulled a man over for a traffic violation and arrested him when he found out he wasn't in the country legally. Town leaders have said they believe such actions should be left up to immigration and customs enforcement. Some people in Carrboro are really mixed up. Citizens vote. That's the way it is and that's how it should be. Of course it doesn't surprise me that this is coming from Carrboro neighbor to Chapel Hill. This is one of the state's most "progressive" areas.