Thread: 2/3 OF CA Supports Guest-Worker Plan(Who did they ask?)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... HL04P1.DTL

FIELD POLL
Two-thirds of Californians support guest-worker plan
Jobs diminishing issue in illegal immigration

Tyche Hendricks, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, March 9, 2006

Californians continue to be concerned about illegal immigration, but few are worried that illegal immigrants are taking jobs away, and a broad majority supports a temporary-guest-worker program -- akin to proposals currently being debated in the U.S. Senate -- that could bring many of the state's 2.5 million unauthorized residents out of the shadows, according to a new Field Poll.

Though nearly 3 out of 4 Californians said they are concerned about illegal immigration, the percentage of those expressing concern has declined over the past 10 years, said Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo.

At the same time, 7 in 10 Californians think illegal immigrants are doing jobs that other residents don't want, while 22 percent see them as taking jobs away from citizens and legal residents, the survey found.

DiCamillo noted that the findings come at a time when the state's unemployment rate is less than 5 percent. In 1982, by contrast, when the state was struggling with a recession, more than half of Californians thought illegal immigrants were taking away jobs. In 1994, 34 percent thought so.

"The level of concern has declined, especially compared to a decade ago," said DiCamillo. "And the concern about the loss of jobs, we are definitely correlating to the unemployment rate."

Two-thirds of Californians support a guest-worker plan, the poll found. Among registered voters, the majority was slightly smaller, at 60 percent, while among those not registered to vote -- half of whom are noncitizens -- support for the plan was higher, at 73 percent.

"Support of a guest-worker program is a significant finding," said DiCamillo. "Republicans and Democrats, voters and nonvoters are all in favor of a guest-worker program."

Though President Bush advanced the notion of a temporary-worker program more than two years ago, the idea is only now getting a hearing in the Senate. A competing immigration-reform bill that would criminalize illegal immigrants passed the House in December with no guest-worker provision.

"Californians recognize that undocumented immigrants -- while a very small proportion of the workforce -- are doing very important jobs," said Reshma Shamasunder, director of the California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative, a statewide immigrant rights group. "We need to be knocking on Congress' door and saying, 'You need to address this.' "

Jim Gilchrist, a founder of the Minuteman border militia, said that in contrast to the survey findings, public concern about illegal immigration is getting stronger and that voters actually oppose a guest-worker program.

"They are not given the facts," he said of the 500 respondents to the Field telephone survey conducted in English and Spanish Feb. 12-26.

"If you rephrase the question, such as, 'Do you promote a system that will systematically destroy and pulverize our middle class, that will eliminate every labor "union" and will increase the amount of tax burden that you and your posterity will have to pay in future generations?' you will get an astounding and a staggering 'No.' "

The poll also found that a majority of Californians continue to oppose giving driver's licenses to undocumented workers, although nonvoters now favor the idea. DiCamillo noted that that represents just one example of an increasing divide in public opinion in the state between registered voters and nonvoters (including noncitizens) on illegal immigration.

"How much weight should you attach to the opinions of those who are not part of the (electoral) process is a question for opinion makers?" he asked. "But (noncitizens) are certainly residing here, they're on the roads, they're in the hospitals and schools -- they're part of the state."


E-mail Tyche Hendricks at thendricks@sfchronicle.com.

The survey was conducted in Spanish, who the heck do you think they were asking!

The poll also found that a majority of Californians continue to oppose giving driver's licenses to undocumented workers, although nonvoters now favor the idea. DiCamillo noted that that represents just one example of an increasing divide in public opinion in the state between registered voters and nonvoters (including noncitizens) on illegal immigration.

"Nonvoter" is apparently yet another euphemism for illegal alien. Or, at least it would be safe to say that illegal aliens likely comprise a majority of the nonvoter group. Legal lawful residents, i.e. citizens, likely make up the majority of the "voters" group -- it should be the totality, but we all know some illegals vote. As the nonvoter (illegal alien) group always favored driver's licenses and other benefits for themselves (duh!), then the "increasing divide" between the voter and nonvoter groups would be due to citizens becoming less tolerant of the massive number of illegal aliens living in CA. That would seem to contradict the message the writer is attempting to deliver.

Concerning the guest-worker plans, I think the majority of people still think "guest" means just that, i.e. guest. While I may not mind my neighbor coming as a guest for dinner, I don't want him bringing his 10 kids, dozens of extended family members, and then moving in forever taking up my space and expecting me to support the health, education, and welfare of the entire bunch. Most of the guest-worker proposals go far beyond coming for dinner (or picking a few strawberries and going home).