The Save America Act


When should identification be required - when voting or when shoveling snow in NYC?

What is a more important and significant act of citizenship in the United States - shoveling snow or voting in elections?
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on New Yorkers to sign up to become emergency snow shovelers Saturday, telling them to show up to a local sanitation garage with the reams of required paperwork.

"For those who want to do more to help your neighbors and earn some extra cash, you too can become an emergency snow shoveler. Just show up at your local sanitation garage… with your paperwork which is accessible online," Hizzoner said at a presser Saturday.

Shovelers earn an hourly rate of $19.14 and the pay jumps to $28.71 an hour after the first 40 hours worked in a week, per the sanitation department's website.

The mayor is a member of the NY-chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which vehemently opposes Voter ID law The SAVE Act, deeming it racist.

"Our candidates for office stand firm against racist voter ID laws and secret poll taxes like the 'SAVE America Act,'" the DSA's website stated.

Democrats have strongly criticized the "Save America Act" (SAVE Act), arguing it is a voter suppression tactic disguised as security, which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters - particularly women, minorities, and young people - by requiring in-person proof of citizenship. They argue it places undue burdens on citizens, creates bureaucratic chaos, and targets demographics that often favor Democratic candidates.

Key Democratic arguments and remarks include:

Disenfranchisement Risks: Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) noted that the requirement could force voters, especially women with name changes, to travel long distances or spend significant time and money to prove their citizenship.

Unnecessary Barriers: The Campaign Legal Center and other Democrats argue that existing voter security laws are sufficient, and this act creates unnecessary, costly obstacles for voters.

Disproportionate Impact: Concerns were raised that the requirement for specific documents (passports, birth certificates) would disproportionately affect, or "disenfranchise," younger voters, voters of color, and those with limited access to such documents.

Operational Chaos: The Brennan Center for Justice noted that the act would create a "massive unfunded burden" on local election officials and create significant legal risks for them.

Joshua Goodman, DSNY deputy commissioner of public affairs, told Fox News Digital the emergency snow shoveler program is a "long-standing" initiative that gives New Yorkers the opportunity to earn money clearing critical infrastructure when major winter storms hit the city.

"Every year, hundreds of workers step up to keep their communities safe and moving," Goodman wrote in a statement. "As with any employer, the City of New York has a legal obligation under federal law to verify work authorization and maintain proper documentation before issuing payment. We are not legally permitted to hand out checks without completing that process."

"Ensuring compliance with employment law isn't red tape for its own sake — it's what allows the program to operate responsibly and sustainably, helping keep our city running through the toughest winter days," he continued.

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) announced Saturday it is recruiting temporary, per diem shovelers to remove snow and ice from public areas, including bus stops, crosswalks, fire hydrants and step streets.

Shovelers must be at least 18 years old, able to perform heavy physical labor and eligible to work in the U.S., according to the department.

They must also bring two small 1.5-inch square photos, two original forms of ID and copies, along with a Social Security card for registration, officials said.

Meanwhile, an estimated 500,000 - 600,000 illegal immigrants are being housed, fed, educated and subsidized by New York City.

Perplexity AI:

Because these are undocumented and asylum-seeking populations - many mobile, some moving in and out of shelters - any February 2026 figure is an estimate, not a precise headcount. A reasonable ballpark, using the city's own numbers and recent inflows, is something like 500,000 - 600,000 people living in NYC without permanent legal status.

NYC's costs for undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers (shelter, food, health care, education for their kids) are estimated at $4-5 billion annually based on recent Comptroller reports and city budget data through FY 2025-2026.

This would seem like a golden opportunity to give illegal immigrants an opportunity for gainful employment. After all:


The Department of Education alone is budgeted for $50.8 billion dollars. In the immigrant cost context, DOE spending includes educating U.S.-born children of undocumented parents (a legal mandate), estimated at ~$1 billion/year for NYC. The cost per pupil in New York City is $42,000 per student - in Minnesota the cost per student is closer to $12,093.

But let's circle back to the fundamental issue here:

Why is it "racist" to require identification at the voting booth, and yet NOT racist to require identification to shovel snow for New York City? Isn't this also:

"a suppression tactic disguised as security, which would disqualify millions of eligible workers - particularly women, minorities, and young people - by requiring in-person proof of citizenship? Doesn't it place undue burdens on citizens, create bureaucratic chaos, and target demographics that often favor Democratic candidates?"
You just cannot make this stuff up!