Thread: WESTERN VOTERS SHOW MIXED FEELINGS ON IMMIGRATION

Aug 25, 1:20 PM EDT

Western voters show mixed feelings on immigration

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Nevadans and voters in five other Western states support efforts to curb illegal Mexico-U.S. immigration, but also say they prefer that illegal immigrants already in the country have a chance to apply for legal status rather than be deported, a new regional poll said.

In Nevada, 76 percent of those polled said they support efforts including completing a border fence and penalizing employers who hire illegal immigrants, the newspaper poll said. Regionally, 71 percent of voters said they supported such efforts.

The telephone poll of 400 likely voters each in the states of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming aimed to gauge Westerners' feelings about issues including immigration, climate change and gun control.

The survey was commissioned jointly by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Denver Post and the Salt Lake Tribune, and was conducted Aug. 13-15 by Washington, D.C.-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc.

Regionally, 53 percent favored the legal status approach, compared with 38 percent who favored deportation. In Nevada, 48 percent said illegal immigrants should have a shot at legalization, while 42 percent said they should be deported.

The regional results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Individual state results have a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

"It's a mixed bag with immigration," said pollster Brad Coker, Mason-Dixon managing partner. "People want border security and to have laws enforced, but they also understand there are people here working who are probably good for the economy."

Pollsters also asked whether respondents felt that immigrants from Mexico and other Latin America countries had a positive or negative effect on life in the Western U.S. Results were mixed regionally. In Nevada, 31 percent chose "positive," and 47 percent said "negative."

Andres Ramirez, vice president of Hispanic programs at NDN, a Washington, D.C.-based Democratic think tank and advocacy organization, said such sentiments point to a "misunderstanding about the role that immigrants play in America."

"In a moment where the average American is suffering in this economic downturn, people are always looking for a cause to point to," he said.

Nevada Assemblyman Ty Cobb, R-Reno, called the question unfair because it lumped together all immigrants from the region, instead of singling out illegal immigrants.

"I have a feeling people were confused by that," he said. "We're all immigrants. No one's saying we don't appreciate people who take time to do it the right way."

Cobb is pursuing a bill for the 2009 Nevada Legislature that would ban illegal immigrants from receiving state assistance or getting Nevada driver's licenses.

Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/ ... TE=DEFAULT

Nothing like a good biased poll to get the blood boiling.

What is in the water out there in LV? And also, how many illegals responded to the poll, or is that just another question it is not polite to ask.

So which are the other four states? The ones that usually vote in the blue category? Then, the quotes are from Hispanic activists in NV. Gimme a break!

What illegal immigrants do Nevadans support? The ones that came here last year or the ones that are still coming? A few questions on illegal immigration mixed in with climate change and gun control? What kind of crap survey is that? This is all hogwash!

The survey was commissioned jointly by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Denver Post and the Salt Lake Tribune

all newspapers who have a strong hand in biased MSM reporting.

Andres Ramirez, vice president of Hispanic programs at NDN, a Washington, D.C.-based Democratic think tank and advocacy organization, said such sentiments point to a "misunderstanding about the role that immigrants play in America."

What ROLE? Anyone care to explain that to me?

Obviously there were a lot of ILLEGALS called for the poll!!!!

That's the problem with polls in states with large numbers of ILLEGAL ALIENS.

Originally Posted by crazybird

Andres Ramirez, vice president of Hispanic programs at NDN, a Washington, D.C.-based Democratic think tank and advocacy organization, said such sentiments point to a "misunderstanding about the role that immigrants play in America."

What ROLE? Anyone care to explain that to me?

You know the very important role of the modern slave and lowering the overhead of want to be slave masters. Not to mention the important role of overpopulating our cities and country. They're devotion to the use of welfare programs is highly prized too. The way they keep our school full of non-English speaking students is a real delight as well. What would the prison system be like without them? Just think of all the jobs they create in the state and federal governments.

The telephone poll of 400 likely voters

What does likely voter mean? Illegals that would like to vote?

Dixie

You know the very important role of the modern slave and lowering the overhead of want to be slave masters. Not to mention the important role of overpopulating our cities and country. They're devotion to the use of welfare programs is highly prized too. The way they keep our school full of non-English speaking students is a real delight as well. What would the prison system be like without them? Just think of all the jobs they create in the state and federal governments.

LOL.......I know what it's become.....just wondering what part I misunderstood......so if that's the designated "role" of an immigrant....no matter where they come from.....then what are they whining about? No other immigrant group waltzed in and got everything handed to them on a silver platter. No other immigrant group tried to change the nations language and rule of law to cater to them. If that is the "role" of immigrants, then they have nothing to complain about....they have it better than any other group ever has.

Now if he was discussing "migrants".....legal or illegal who came here during agriculture seasons and did temporary positions and WENT HOME right after.....then we might have something to discuss.