Thread: Congressional Hopefuls Talk Tough on Immigration

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006..._083_28_06.txt

50th Congressional District hopefuls talk tough on immigration issue

By: WILLIAM FINN BENNETT - Staff Writer

Illegal immigration ---- not the war in Iraq, not the mushrooming federal deficit, not freeway gridlock ---- appears to be the most compelling issue for many voters in the 50th Congressional District.

In the last several weeks, a San Diego pollster as well as several candidates for the congressional seat left open by former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham say they have conducted surveys that showed that more voters were concerned about illegal immigration than about any other issue.

Candidates in the Apr. 11 election for the seat appear, according to the polls, to be acutely aware of which direction the political winds are blowing on illegal immigration. On their Web sites, at candidate forums and in TV ads, the congressional hopefuls are busy staking out their tough-on-illegal-immigration stances.


At one recent candidate forum, Oceanside resident and Libertarian candidate Paul King went so far as to call for the Mexican people to "overthrow" their government over the issue. Democratic candidate Francine Busby has declared her support for more electronic surveillance along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Local concerns over illegal immigration mirror the nationwide battle over the issue. Since Saturday, hundreds of marches and rallies have been held across the country, including several cities in North San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties.

In North County alone, more than 1,200 Latino activists and students participated Monday in rallies and protests that resulted in more than two dozen arrests. The protests were held in part as an effort to influence the U.S. Senate as it debates immigration reform legislation that could profoundly affect the lives of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants estimated to be living in this country, and their families.

On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a form of one bill that would allow illegal immigrants to earn legal permanent residence and eventually obtain citizenship. Many social conservatives have vowed to oppose any bill that would grant amnesty to those who are illegally living in the country. It remains to be seen whether the bill will pass muster on the Senate floor this week, or with the House of Representatives.

Polls: immigration top concern


On March 14, San Diego-based Competitive Edge Research & Communication released the results of a poll paid for by the Sycuan tribe and conducted with a sample of 802 likely voters in the 50th District. The poll, according to the company, had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percent. It showed that when it comes to the issue on which voters wanted to see their congressional representative work hardest, illegal immigration topped the list. The breakdown of answers was reported as follows:

- Stemming illegal immigration ---- 21.8 percent.

- Restoring ethics and integrity to government ---- 21.6 percent.

- Improving health care and prescription drugs ---- 15.6 percent.

- Holding the line on federal spending ---- 15.2 percent.

- Fighting the war on terror ---- 14.8 percent.

- Improving local transportation and roads ---- 6.7 percent.

Polls conducted by several of the candidates in the 50th District race showed very similar results to the Competitive Edge survey, according to the campaign offices.

Campaign officials for Republican candidate Brian Bilbray said they recently conducted their own poll on the issues of greatest concern to voters in the district. The telephone survey, while not scientific, used an open-ended question format to get people's opinions, campaign spokesman Steve Danon said last week.

"What do you think is the most important problem or issue that you think your next member of Congress should focus on?" Danon said the pollsters asked.

That candidate poll, according to Danon, showed even more dramatic differences than the Competitive Research survey. According to the candidate's figures, 27 percent of respondents identified immigration as their chief concern, while 14 percent said they wanted their congressional representative to focus on economic issues.

For 9 percent, according to the poll, the major concerns were local issues, including highways, traffic, growth and homelessness. The rest broke down at 7 percent apiece for national security issues, government and political issues, and education and children's issues; 5 percent said health care and senior issues; and 4 percent said moral issues.

Why voters are concerned


The explanation for many voters' reported concerns over illegal immigration can be explained by a number of factors, UC San Diego political science professor Gary Jacobson said Friday.

"The symbolism is far more important than reality," Jacobson said. "They associate (illegal immigrants) with a loss of sovereignty and porous borders."

He said that one of former Gov. Pete Wilson's slogans was "They keep coming."

"That resonates with a certain portion of the white residents; the sentiments that he was tapping haven't gone away," Jacobson said.

He said that voters also listen to what candidates have to say.

"Voters often (echo) what candidates tell them is the most important issue," Jacobson said.

A local academic specializing in immigration issues said Friday that she too believes that many voters are simply echoing what politicians ---- at the local, state and national level ---- tell them is something they should be worried about.

"It's a scapegoat," said Associate Director Arcela Nunez-Alvarez of Cal State San Marcos' National Latino Research Center in a Friday phone interview.

"It's not surprising that these campaigns are going back to the illegal immigration issue and trying to get elected (this way)," she said. "Historically, it has been a very successful platform to get elected."

Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (760) 740-5426 or wbennett@nctimes.com.

"The symbolism is far more important than reality," Jacobson said. "They associate (illegal immigrants) with a loss of sovereignty and porous borders."

I see. So we just have a "symbolic" porous border and a "symbolic" loss of sovereignty.

Where would we be without college profs to explain it all to us?

When I see these articles, I usually try to write the authors when we have and email address for them hoping to elevate them to our cause. Here is the letter I just sent off to this journalist.

Dear Mr. Bennett:

In small ways, ones own prejudice and leanings can be seen, and such is the case with you when you wrote in your article, "The protests were held in part as an effort to influence the U.S. Senate as it debates immigration reform legislation that could profoundly affect the lives of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants estimated to be living in this country, and their families." This statement shows you leaning towards, or perhaps even supporting the cause of the illegal alien.

They are not illegal immigrants, they are illegal aliens, criminals who have broken our laws by coming here, by being here, by working illegally and avoiding the paying of their taxes. You speak of how this legislation could affect these 11 million people and their families. Curious, what about the negative effects this legislation could have on 70 or 80 million LEGAL AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS CITIZENS, what about the negative effects it has already had?

Are you aware, that illegal aliens depress our wages by over 200 Billion dollars a year? Are you aware that the hardest hit group of Americans are the African American/Black community who have seen their average wages negatively impacted by over 9 percent, with the story for young black men (20-24) far more dramatically impacted with and average wage loss of over 12 percent? Further, our children are being hurt, as jobs for teenagers getting their feet wet in the work force has dropped by 30 percent...remember the riots in France this week, and the fact that it all boils down to a staggering rate of unemployment among the young? Are we seriously willing to force our children down this same track?

I'd encourage you to write about the real issues here, rather than creating a puff piece about candidates staking out their strategies to get into politics.

Pinto Bean