More Texans think unauthorized immigrants should be allowed to stay in U.S.

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6867471.html

AUSTIN — More Texas voters think unauthorized immigrants should be allowed to stay in the United States — through either a path to citizenship or work visas — than favor deporting them, according to a new Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express-News poll.

The poll showed that 38 percent of respondents favoring deportation — drawing the most support of the three options offered. Twenty-nine percent favored a way for unauthorized immigrants to attain citizenship, while 23 percent supported work visas.

snip-

In the new poll, Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said, the results seem a bit high on deportation. He said, however, there's more support for deportation in Texas than in the country as a whole.

Nationally, he said, 67 percent generally support a path to citizenship, depending on how the question is posed and whether qualifiers are put on the idea, such as granting such status to those who don't have criminal records and who pay a fine.

I thought these stats were interesting too:

Results show a strong partisan split, with 45 percent of Republicans and 28.4 percent of Democrats supporting deportation. Age and race also seemed to factor into participants' responses.

“The young seem to see this as kind of, ‘Yes, just let them have the path to citizenship,' ” Blum said. About 42 percent of those under 30 supported that option, compared to 27 percent of those over 30.

Blacks gave the most support to a pathway to citizenship — 39.6 percent compared to 32.1 percent of Latinos and 26.7 percent of whites, she noted.

snip-

Could Texas be turning a bit more blue? :)

[PDittie]

1. Yeah but there's also this

Texas Republican voters will have a chance to give their opinions on such issues as voter identification and federal stimulus spending through five nonbinding resolutions that will appear on the GOP primary ballot.

The resolutions, which include perennial Republican priorities that have failed in the Legislature, were chosen by the State Republican Executive Committee and are designed to send a message to elected leaders in Austin and Washington, D.C.

...

The top resolution would encourage the Legislature to “make it a priority to protect the integrity of our election process by enacting legislation that requires voters to provide valid photo identification in order to cast a ballot in any and all elections” in Texas.

...

The second proposition would require government bodies in Texas to limit annual budget increases to “the combined increase of population and inflation unless it first gets voter approval to exceed the allowed annual growth or in the case of an official emergency.”

...

• • Ballot Proposition No. 3: “In addition to aggressively eliminating irresponsible federal spending, Congress should empower American citizens to stimulate the economy by Congress cutting federal income taxes for all federal taxpayers, rather than spending hundreds of billions of dollars on so-called federal economic stimulus.”

• • Ballot Proposition No. 4: “The use of the word ‘God,' prayers and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings and property.”

• • Ballot Proposition No. 5: “The Texas Legislature should enact legislation requiring a sonogram to be performed and shown to each mother about to undergo a medically unnecessary, elective abortion.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6867618.html

:rofl:

Seriously and sadly, though...

Top issues among Texas Republicans (in order of importance, from your link):

jobs/economy 38%

state budget/taxes 21

immigration 13

education 12

health care 7

insurance rates 4

transportation 2

These resolutions serve the same purpose as giving a squalling child in a restaurant crayons and paper.

[sonias]

3. Don't demean squalling children

Most squalling children are bored. Maybe they need attention, if they are really spoiled. Discipline usually works to correct their behavior in the long run.

Voting age republicans are more like serial killers, they can't not stop themselves from doing evil. Their minds are broken and they love to taunt authority. The only thing that satiates them is more of the same ugliness in their heart. And that only pacifies them for a little while. They need more and more ugliness every time.

The only solution is to remove them from civilized society. Most of them can not be "fixed".

Just saying. I'd take a crying young child over a voting age republican any day! :shrug:

Sonia

[onestepforward]

5. It is a sad reflection

of what repubs. will do to motivate their base, that's for sure. I do have some hope with our younger generation. :)

[sonias]

2. Blacks gave the most support to a pathway to citizenship

I love this!

:grouphug:

What we need in this state is for more young people to start thinking, and of course the crazy, mean old republicans to die off; :evilgrin:

Yes Texas will turn blue one day!



Sonia

[sonias]

4. Here is my prime example of a hater

From the OP article link:

"Why would Democrats not want to give 20 million illegal aliens amnesty with a pathway to citizenship? Because if they do ... they will create 20 million instant voters with a tendency to vote for Democrats, because they will continue to need health care and free education in the United States, and the Democrats are more than willing to give it to them," said Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, who has pushed bills targeting unauthorized immigrants.

Let's go over Leo's ugly history for those not familiar with this hater.

Texas Liberal blog 2/24/2009
From CensureLeo.com—
"On Thursday, February 18, 2009, State Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) committed an act which we believe constitutes conduct unbecoming a member of the Texas Legislature—for which he should be censured by members of the Texas House of Representatives… After a panel discussion sponsored by Texas Employers for Immigration Reform, Rep. Berman was engaged in a heated verbal conflict with Harry Joe, a Chinese American immigration lawyer from Dallas…. Berman, who was invited to participate in a panel discussion to speak about a bill he authored requiring illegal immigrants to relocate to "sanctuary cities," was approached by Mr. Joe after the session…. Following their exchange, Berman told Harry Joe to "go home" (as in "back to China") and "kiss my ass."…

(Ok this one is in jest but not that far fetched)

Letters from Texas blog 6/12/2009
Rick Perry and Leo Berman go on a lunch date

Representative Leo Berman (R-Wackoville) has been a very unhappy boy. This is mainly because the legislature has been reluctant to follow his advice and outlaw all people everywhere who don't look exactly like Leo Berman, sound like Leo Berman, think like Leo Berman, and whose names are not Leo Berman.

A few months ago, Berman threatened to run against Governor Perry in the Republican primary, unless the legislature passes anti-immigration measures designed to completely de-populate the state of Texas. Under Berman's proposed legislation, the only people left here would be a few Native Americans and Leo Berman. Seeing as how Leo would have the only remaining ammunition supply, he would own the entire state. Ingenious plan really.

See he revels in his divisiveness!

DMN 3/28/2007
Panel chair to kill immigration bills
(snip)
The decision comes as a long list of witnesses prepares to testify today on immigration before a joint meeting of Mr. Swinford's committee and the House Border and International Affairs Committee.

Rep. Leo Berman, a main sponsor of bills to restrict the rights of illegal immigrants in Texas, said he was disappointed and surprised that the campaign-season rhetoric about cracking down on illegal immigration was abandoned after lawmakers won re-election.

"I'm the only one who's not pulling back," said Mr. Berman, R-Tyler. "It's ridiculous that we can't talk about this in committee or on the floor of the House. ... Divisive bills are what Legislatures do."

AAS 3/27/2007
State lawmaker: Leave most immigration issues to the feds
Most bills might not pass constitutional muster.
(snip)
One of the most prominent, House Bill 28, would deny state services to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. Its author, Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, hopes it becomes a test for the U.S. Supreme Court to interpret the 14th Amendment, which provides birthright citizenship.

Another Berman bill would tax money transfers to Mexico and Latin America, and other measures, including Swinford's, would enable local law officers to enforce federal immigration laws.

Boston Globe 3/4/2007
Texas bill targets benefits of immigrants' children
Leo Berman, the Republican legislator who wrote the bill to deny benefits to the children of undocumented immigrants, admits that his goal is to ignite a fight in the federal courts. His legislation has been compared to California's Proposition 187, which would have denied such immigrants social services, healthcare, and public education, but was ruled unconstitutional in 1994.

The Texas bill goes further: It would deny citizens born to undocumented immigrants numerous state services, including unemployment benefits and the ability to obtain professional licenses.

"A pregnant illegal alien can wait at the border, check into a hospital in Texas, give birth without paying a penny, and be rewarded for her illegal behavior," Berman said. "That's outrageous."

Leo Berman is the worst kind of Texas wretched, republican racist. He would have been deliriously happy as a Nazi. :puke::puke::puke:

Sonia

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7. It is people like Berman

who will be turning off younger voters against the repubs. The usefulness of these hateful tactics are not working as well as they once did. What a POS he is. :puke:

[onestepforward]

6. This was heart-warming for me too!

I'm forever encouraging young and/or minority people to vote! :patriot: