UT/TT Poll: An Anti-Immigrant, Anti-Government Mood
Nearly half of all Texans would repeal the constitutional promise of citizenship for anyone born on U.S. soil, and nearly two-thirds would favor Arizona-style state laws allowing the police to ask about the immigration status of anyone they stop for any reason, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants so-called birthright citizenship to babies born in this country regardless of the immigration status of their parents. Asked whether that provision should be repealed, 48 percent of respondents say yes, while 38 percent say no. The remaining 14 ...
Comments (26)
BurningFeet
One wonders how many of this 48% are of the "Keep the Government's hands off my Medicare." crowd?
Todd Dwyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
In other news: Nearly two-thirds of Texans have no idea where their food comes from and what they'd be paying for it if the people who harvested/cooked it were paid a "legal" wage.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It`s more than half that would change the birthright citizenship if you throw in those who want some changes made.
Next time ask how many would favor a peaceful separation from the rest of the union and going our own way. Now don`t get all worked up folks. We could come back in a generation or less and buy it all back at fire sale prices. We only get back 95 cents on every dollar we send to DC. Now that`s some "change" to believe in!
Sharon Cooper Morgan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
"Texans remain strongly in favor of the death penalty...." How archaic!
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Todd, so you are in favor of paying someone substandard wages, giving them unsafe working conditions, forcing them to live in unhealthful environments, leaving their children to go uneducated and treating them as sub human because they are illegally in the country? Just how could you be such a heartless racist person? Oh, I forgot liberals are only charitable with other people`s money and lives, never their own.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Sharon, can we send them to live with you?
Erika Holzinger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
joe your an idiot go ahead and leave the union and good luck coming back into it everybody hates texas oh and did i mention that all your guys pro teams havet won shit and you guys are supposed to be the "best" state haha right
Todd Dwyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Joe - Instead of attacking me personally, you failed to address any of the points I made. Forget what's right and wrong. I simply stated the facts of what would happen. Consider this: What you'd end up paying for your food would be far more than any new taxes you imagine the Obama administration would levy on you.
The "liberal-conservative" fantasy world you live in is so narrow, and it doesn't paint a picture of reality.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Todd, didn`t attack you, just stated the facts of the situation that you propose to allow to continue. If you forget what is right and wrong, then there is really no sense in being here, is there? If I mislabeled you, sorry. But I tire of hearing that hypocritical nonsense from the supporters of "immigrant rights" groups.
Larry, without doing a lot of digging to get the exact numbers, a large part of what is in the State budget is there because of Fed mandates, they go so do their costs. Doing away with that plus the 5% we keep of every dollar that would have been sent to DC should cover it. If not, we can live within our means. Besides, we nationalize all Federal property.*grin*
As far as protecting our borders, the National Guard and the Rangers should be able to cover both the north and the south just fine, or at the least a better job than the Feds are doing now.
NASA is dead anyway. Obama and the Dem Congress saw to that.
Besides, you folks really ought to get a sense of humor. I love the reactions to all of this. The Texas succession movement is a running joke among Texans for at least the 5 generations my family has been here. We wouldn`t leave you folks to have to fend for yourselves, you’d never make it alone and it would not be the charitable or the Texan thing to do to go off and leave you when you need us the most.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Erika, your written English is a good example of why education should be controlled at a local level. When you can write above a 1st grade level, not insult people and say something that is meaningful, come back. Meanwhile, why don`t you go out back and play with the dog?
Todd Dwyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm not what you'd call an "immigrant rights" person. I am a pragmatist, and I think the costs of enforcement, staffing, processing, and deportation, as well as the rising cost of goods once immigrant labor is removed from the marketplace, would far outweigh any benefits we'd see. We're strapped as it is right now. How would we pay for this? I also think police officers have better things to do than spend their time processing all the illegal immigrants that would come out of the woodwork. Last, and IMHO certainly not least - We don't need any more stinking laws on the books.
Okafor Jerry Nwaigbo via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Joe is another person with an opinion that is removed from reality. He likes the reactions that such opinions garner.
Andrew Smith via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I have understood what has been written here by everybody and don't think we need demagogic lectures about usage.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Juan, back up for your numbers? I doubt you can get any since common sense will tell you that unskilled labor costs are no where near that % of overhead in either industry. Have you looked at the costs to tax payers that “ illegals” bring and add that to the money sent out of the country by them?
Todd, easy way to solve the problem of enforcement costs. Fine them, take their possessions, and bank accounts that where acquired while here illegally to cover the fine & then send them home with what is left, if any. Re-write the laws to bring in legal labor if we need any at humane honest wages. The market will adjust as needed.
Andrew, are you refering to my comment to the poor illiterate Erika? When one starts off by calling someone else an idiot, they deserve to be back handed.
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I love it: capital can move freely across borders but people can't.
"Globalism."
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
connor, do you have a point? Capital has always been allowed to flow,people have long been regulated. Money coming in does no harm to the country, and going out not too much as long as there is more coming in. People, well that`s something else
Eddie Rodriguez
It's a good thing we don't put a lot of things like individual rights to a vote. The tyranny of the majority would rear its ugly head.
We need to do better job at educating people on their constitution, what it means and how we got here.
Jena Heath via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Corinne: You're just begining to start?! I'd say this is an ongoing dilemma for me.
Erika Holzinger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Joe your funny at least schools in california actually teach you about thomas jerfferson and evolution and you stupid asses took that shit out of your guys textbook really good move..future texan kids are going to be stupid oh wait they are already supid like yourself..joe why dont you play on a freeway haha
Linda Childs via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Seriously, Erika, have you EVER looked at a book about grammar? Regardless of your opinions on the matter of Texas education or of Texas herself, do everyone a favor and at least pretend that you know what punctuation and spelling are.
Shirley Sheffield via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Just a sad statement on everyone to read all the putdowns here. It is a real shame that this is the level of discourse we have fallen to.
Porsche Rae Harris via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I graduated from high school almost 10 years ago and I remember being taught Texas used to belong to Mexicans...........it wasn't until some Europeans folks took over. For almost the majority of Texans to say they feel as if the state is going in the right direction is backwards. The state needs to revamp every system in place; too many "scratch my back and I'll do yours" politicians and corrupt people in power.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Porsche, "used too"is correct. There were many of Spanish ancestry that took up the fight for what was at first for statehood within the Republic of Mexico,( and was part of a greater civil war to reinstate the constitution of 1824 throughout Mexico) but after the way Santana treated POW`s at Goliad and The Alamo, they decided to go for Independence. Our first Vice President of The Republic of Texas was Lorenzo de Zavala from Yucatan Mexico.
Texans are not racist; we know and are proud of those who made it what it is.
As to the kid`s comments, who cares? He seems to be his own worst enemy.
Erika Holzinger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes i have Linda something you texans dont do very often lmfao.And you guys are proud to live in a state like that wow.You guys are the only state that wakes up every morning say to yourselves we must brag about how cool the state is and what not just saying
BurningFeet
Old Joe, you are hilarious. "Texans are not racist; we know and are proud of those who made it what it is. " Yup. Just go through that list of Governors of Texas, and check out all those faces. What you'll see, with the notable exceptions of Ma Ferguson and Anne Richards, are white, male, Anglo faces. Now, why do you suppose that is?
Dave MacDonald via Texas Tribune on Facebook
As a direct descendant of the "Texas 300" Land grand holders who fought to prevent Mexico from revoking the grants due to regime change, I support revision of the "Natural citizen" and increased penalties and enforcement of employers who hire illegals. We are a country of laws, and they should be enforced uniformly across the land, and not just "here and there," God bless the Legal immigrants as they built our beloved country. If one or a family want to immigrate, ket them do so legally so they can be a proud part of society and not to hide like the illegals must do. No particular race or ethnic origin should be given any priority or better treatment. We in Texas have far more legal latinos than illegals who are targeted and extorted by the Mexican gangs and cartels. Despite the increased border fencing and cameras, there is still a flow of people, crime and drugs crossing our border.