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Most favor path to citizenship, equal rights, poll says Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007 By Doug Thompson Arkansas News Bureau FAYETTEVILLE - Illegal immigrants should be allowed to become U.S. citizens if they "meet certain criteria like learning English and paying back taxes," a majority of respondents to a poll released Tuesday said. The University of Arkansas' annual Arkansas Poll showed 55 percent favored some path to citizenship for illegals, while 27 percent favored immediate deportation of all undocumented immigrants and 2 percent favored letting them stay with no requirements. Also, 73 percent of respondents favored passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Eighteen percent opposed the measure and the remainder were undecided. The university's Survey Research Center surveyed 754 adult Arkansans by telephone Oct. 7-18. The poll, conducted annually since 1999, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The immigration results show Arkansans remember their roots, the Rev. Steve Copley of North Little Rock said. "I think that shows that people really haven't forgotten where they come from, that we are a nation of immigrants," said Copley, chairman of the newly formed Arkansas Friendship Coalition, an association of business, community and church leaders opposed to state and local immigration laws. Announcing its formation Monday, coalition leaders said immigration is a federal matter that needed a federal solution. Rep. John Woods, R-Springdale, said he was not surprised by the findings "because the willingness to learn English means a lot to people." As far as illegal immigrants repaying back taxes, "I don't think it will ever happen," he said. "We're doing everyone a disservice by continuing to discuss an amnesty for illegal immigrants," Woods said. "Everybody, including the immigrants, are sitting around and letting the years go by while they could be taking steps to become legal, all because they think there's going to be some big government Band-Aid some day." This summer, Woods and Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren, supported hearings by the House and Senate Interim Committees on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on the costs of illegal immigration to the state. The poll also showed 39 percent of respondents hold private employers responsible for immigration issues more than any other entity. Another 32 percent blame the federal government, while 19 percent said they blame undocumented immigrants themselves. "Food is food," Woods said. "You don't blame immigrants who are trying to put food on the table. It all starts with the employers." Copley said the nation's political system is at odds with its economic system, and that federal immigration reform should try to make those two consistent. Jerry Cox, executive director of the Family Council, which opposes ratification of the ERA, said most supporters do not understand the unintended consequences of the amendment. "I think if you ask those same people if they want the Boy Scouts destroyed, if they want women in combat and if they want college sororities and fraternities mixed, they'd all say no," he said. The Family Council opposed a bill that failed in the Legislature this year to ratify the amendment. The measure's sponsor, Rep. Lindsley Smith, D-Fayetteville, had a different interpretation of the poll results. "The majority of Arkansans are for equality," she said. The Arkansas poll results on the ERA are in line with the 80 percent support for the measure across the country, Smith said. She said she would refile her bill in 2009, if re-elected, and said the poll results would buoy her efforts. Also in the poll, 69 percent of respondents said "Arkansas is generally headed in the right direction." The percentage was lower than in most previous Arkansas polls. Two years ago, 73 percent approved of the quality of life in the state and 18 percent said the state was headed in the wrong direction. This year, 21 percent said the state was headed astray. Thirty percent of respondents said they are better off financially than a year ago, while 20 percent said they are worse off and 48 percent said they are about the same. As for the future, 38 percent said they expect to be better off, 45 percent expected to be about the same and 12 percent said they expect to be worse off. |
