Driven to action

Deirdre Newman

When Mesa Verde resident Dan Worthington feels passionate about

something, he doesn’t sit and stew.

He takes action.

Worthington has embarked on a one-man mission to gather signatures

for a ballot initiative to rescind legislation giving driver’s

licenses to illegal immigrants.

For him, it’s a matter of national safety.

“If the law is implemented on Jan. 1, our national security is

compromised,” Worthington said.

And Worthington’s efforts may be striking a raw nerve, to judge by

the people clamoring to sign his petitions.

“I don’t really feel if someone’s here illegally that they should

be able to drive on our highways and get an official identification,”

said Matt Lamar, 30, of Costa Mesa. “They’re already breaking our

laws.”

Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill into law on Sept. 5 granting illegal

immigrants the right to obtain California driver’s licenses, after

vetoing a similar bill less than a year earlier. While supporters

said the legislation would make the state’s roads safer by

encouraging people who already drive to get insurance and pass tests,

critics called it a blatant attempt by Davis to pander to Latino

voters during the recall campaign.

The law is set to take effect Jan. 1. But that won’t happen if

Worthington and others around the state get 374,000 signatures

certified by Dec. 7. In that case, the law would be frozen and the

initiative would be placed on the March ballot, Worthington said.

The petition drive was started by the California Republican

Assembly, a conservative Republican group. The group has a Web site,

https://saveourlicenses.com, where would-be petitioners can sign up

and start collecting signatures.

When Worthington, 68, started his own petition drive, he planned

to do it until he got 1,000 signatures, figuring he would bank about

100 a day for 10 days. But the response has been so overwhelming --

he usually logs about 350 signatures a day -- and he said he is

having so much fun, that he will petition on until the target number

is reached or until it gets too hot.

Case in point: Wednesday afternoon, when Worthington snagged 98

signatures in just about an hour outside the Target store on Harbor

Boulevard. A multicolor umbrella protected him from the sweltering

heat. A huge sign shouting “ Stop illegals from driving in

California” was usually enough to get shoppers’ attention.

“At least 50% of the people walking up understand and are angry

and unbelieving that it ever got signed into law,” Worthington said.

Some are so passionate about rescinding the legislation that they

offer to take petitions and circulate them in their neighborhoods,

such as Fran Smith of Corona del Mar.

“I think we have too many illegal Mexicans here in town and we’re

catering to them like they’re God almighty,” said Smith. “In fact,

I’m writing President Bush and I’m going to tell him there’s too many

of these people standing around doing nothing.”

While the majority of people entering Target on Wednesday

supported Worthington’s effort, a scant few opposed it.

Vanessa Delahay of Costa Mesa said the legislation will make it

easier to track down illegal immigrants if they are involved in auto

accidents.

“With all the problems with uninsured motorists, if they don’t

have a license, there’s no way to track them down,” Delahay said. “So

if they have a license, but don’t have insurance, you can take them

to civil court.”

Some have expressed their opposition to Worthington’s endeavor

more vehemently. He has received three death threats, he said. So

far, he is unfazed.

“People say a lot of things,” Worthington said. “I hope just a lot

of it is hot air. I don’t intend to be out in the evening hours to

make myself a target. It all comes under the heading of democracy.”

While Worthington expressed confidence that 374,000 signatures

would be obtained by Dec. 7, he emphasized the urgency of the matter.

“It’s really incumbent upon the registered voters to find places

to sign and fast,” Worthington said.

As of the past weekend, petitioner organizers said they had

gathered more than 40,000 signatures.

In the next few weeks, Worthington intends to solicit signatures

outside Target, Costco and Stater Brothers.

Worthington has at least one supporter in slightly higher office.

At Monday’s Costa Mesa City Council meeting, Councilman Chris Steel

said he would like to see the council consider a resolution in

support of rescinding the legislation.