Do these persons being surveyed have any idea how many million [...]]]> Rasmussen published an immigration poll last Thursday that had an interesting detail that may indicate a dangerous ignorance in the public: more than a third of US likely voters thought open borders would be fine as long as terrorists and criminals were kept out.

Do these persons being surveyed have any idea how many million that might be? There are billions of poor people on earth who would like a shot at “a better life” that the US might provide to them. But excessive immigration causes all sorts of problems in American society, like skyrocketing costs for education, falling wages and pressures on insufficient water supply, to name a few.

Interestingly, a 2012 Gallup poll found that 150 Million Adults Worldwide Would Migrate to the U.S., and those persons would come from cultures very different from our own:

Potential migrants who say they would like to move to the U.S. are most likely to come from populous countries such as China (22 million), Nigeria (15 million), India (10 million), Bangladesh (8 million), or Brazil (7 million).

In 2012, the world population was around 7.1 billion, and today there are more than 7.7 billion humans on earth. Transportation and communication have gotten easier in the intervening eight years, so that number was likely to increase.

In fact, a 2018 Gallup survey found that More Than 750 Million Worldwide Would Migrate If They Could, and the top choice for 158 million was the United States:

Anyway, the point overall is that the ignorance of the public concerning world population growth gives rise to some very unwise opinions about immigration. You can’t blame the average voter that much because the word “billion” — as in referring to the number of planetary residents — has disappeared from the immigration discussion. World population growth is a major factor in the immigration equation, but it is overlooked for some reason.

Here are details of the Rasmussen poll:

Most Still Want Tight Border Control, Not Open Borders, Rasmussen Reports, Thursday, January 30, 2020

Voters still favor tough border control and say it’s too easy to get in and stay in the United States illegally. But they also think illegal immigration is getting a little harder these days.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey shows that 52% of Likely U.S. Voters think it is better for the United States to tightly control who comes into the country. Thirty-six percent (36%) disagree and say it’s better for us to open our borders to anyone who wants to come here as long as they are not a terrorist or criminal. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.

The Daily Caller reported on Wednesday that a GoFundMe website had collected over a million dollars for the cause:

Over 15,000 People Have Raised over a $1 Million on GoFundMe for Trump’s [...]]]> Some of the citizens of this country are committed enough to achieving genuine border security to pay for it themselves. Two examples follow.

The Daily Caller reported on Wednesday that a GoFundMe website had collected over a million dollars for the cause:

Over 15,000 People Have Raised over a $1 Million on GoFundMe for Trump’s Border Wall, Daily Caller, December 19, 2018

A GoFundMe page started by a Purple Heart Recipient has raised over $1 million in an effort to fund President Donald Trump’s border wall.

Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee who served in Iraq, created the fundraising page on Sunday. As of Wednesday afternoon, the fundraiser has received $1,003,544 from 16,333 donors.

One anonymous donor parted with $5,000, and over 30 people have donated $1,000 or more.

Kolfage wrote in the description of the page, “Like a majority of those American citizens who voted to elect President Donald J. Trump, we voted for him to Make America Great Again. President Trump’s main campaign promise was to BUILD THE WALL. And as he’s followed through on just about every promise so far, this wall project needs to be completed still.” (Continues)

Americans believe that the wall should be built where it’s needed.

Another sign of dedication (or desperation) is shown by a Rasmussen poll earlier this week where 21 percent of respondents said they would donate funds to build the wall. That may seem a small percentage, but any number is impressive when you consider that our existing taxes are supposed to cover the #1 job of government, i.e. defending the nation from foreign harm. And many Americans feel their taxes are already too high.

If the effort were to receive some publicity, enthusiasm to participate would probably increase. The citizen funding idea was discussed on the Rush Limbaugh show on Wednesday with positive reaction.

21% Are Willing to Privately Contribute to Build Border Wall, Rasmussen Reports, December 18, 2018

Congress appears likely to refuse funding again for President Trump’s border wall, but one-in-five voters are willing to dig into their own pockets to privately fund the barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 21% of Likely U.S. Voters say they would contribute money to a private fund set up to build the wall if Congress refuses to fund it. A sizable majority (69%) would not privately contribute, but 10% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

One-in-three Republicans (34%) would contribute to a private fund to build the wall, compared to 10% of Democrats and 21% of voters not affiliated with either major political party.

Voters continue to believe illegal immigration is a major problem, and few feel the government is doing enough to handle it.

But most voters (56%) are not willing to pay anything more in taxes each year to fight illegal immigration. Nineteen percent (19%) are willing to pay an extra $100 each year. Another 19% are willing to pay an extra $300 a year or more, with two percent (2%) who say they would pay more than $1,000 more in taxes each year to fight illegal immigration.

Voters are even less willing to pay to fight illegal immigration than they are to pay higher taxes and utility costs to fight global warming. They’re about equally as likely to pay higher taxes to fight illegal immigration as they are to pay for Obamacare, although voters are slightly more willing to pay an extra $100 a year for the wall than they are for Obamacare.

The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on December 12-13, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

The president has warned that a partial government shutdown is looming following a heated meeting with Democratic leaders in which the two sides failed to come to an agreement over the border wall. Voters are getting more enthusiastic about building the wall, but they’re still not willing to risk a shutdown over it.

Among those who want the United States to build a wall along the Mexican border, 43% would contribute their own money to build it. Thirty-nine percent (39%) would not, but 18% are undecided.

Men are more willing than women to privately contribute and pay more in taxes to build the wall and fight illegal immigration. Blacks are stronger opponents of both ideas than whites and other minority voters.

Even among Republicans, 47% are not willing to pay anything extra in taxes to help fight illegal immigration, while 26% are willing to pay an extra $100 a year only. Most Democrats (66%) and unaffiliateds (55%) aren’t willing to pay any extra taxes to fight illegal immigration.

Half (49%) of voters who Strongly Approve of the job Trump is doing would contribute their own money to build the wall if Congress refuses to fund it. Just 35% of these voters are unwilling to pay any more in taxes to fight illegal immigration. Among voters who Strongly Disapprove of the president’s job performance,  97% are unwilling to privately contribute to building the wall, and 79% aren’t willing to pay any more in taxes.

Illegal immigration and health care are the top voter priorities for the new Congress, but voters aren’t very hopeful that the president and Democrats in Congress can work together.

Most voters (52%) think illegal immigrants are a significant strain on the U.S. budget, and 45% believe illegal immigration increases the level of serious crime in America.

Voters agree the migrant caravans approaching the U.S. southern border through Mexico are a danger to the country and should be stopped at least temporarily.

Fifty percent (50%) think the U.S. military should be used along the border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigration. (Continues)

Poll: Oprah Beats Trump 48-38 with Likely Voters in 2020 Election, Breitbart.com, January 10, 2018

President Trump said that he liked Oprah Winfrey and didn’t [...]]]> In a story made for the internet, a recent survey following an upwelling of liberal hopes for a President Oprah indeed showed her defeating Trump in 2020 by 10 points.

Poll: Oprah Beats Trump 48-38 with Likely Voters in 2020 Election, Breitbart.com, January 10, 2018

President Trump said that he liked Oprah Winfrey and didn’t believe she would run for president in 2020, when he spoke with reporters on Tuesday. Though he did express confidence if Winfrey did run, saying: “Yeah I’ll beat Oprah. Oprah would be a lot of fun.”

On the heels of that presidential optimism, comes a Rasmussen poll which suggests that the president’s air of confidence might be misplaced.

According to a Rasmussen Reports survey released on Wednesday, 48 percent of likely U.S. voters would choose entertainment mogul Oprah Winfrey in 2020, while 38 percent would choose Trump. . . .

Perhaps when voters see Oprah’s “Die Whitey” video from the BBC in 2013, those positive thoughts will fade away. It’s a political ad producer’s dream, footage that stands alone as a statement of racism:

Plus, there are other imperfections in The Great Oprah. I reported in 2013 that she attacked a Swiss sales clerk for being rude to her because of alleged racism, which was convenient timing because Winfrey had a new movie opening and likely wanted publicity: Oprah Declares Swiss to Be Racists; Time Magazine Obediently Piles On.

The Daily Wire compiled a nice list a couple days back, TOP 5 OPRAH FAILS: Calling For People To Die, Racism Hoaxes, Allowed Praise Of Jihad On Show — And More that includes her friendships with Hollywood monsters like accused mass rapist Harvey Weinstein (shown below). So Oprah may not be the idealized diversity goddess of liberal dreams. Oh, well!

Nearly two-thirds of likely voters believe they need to be careful when speaking about “controversial” issues.

Just 28% Think Americans Have True Freedom of Speech [...]]]> The American people are not asleep regarding the newly discovered “sensitivity” in the nation regarding subjects that may be influenced by politically correct ideology as defined by the liberal media.

Nearly two-thirds of likely voters believe they need to be careful when speaking about “controversial” issues.

Just 28% Think Americans Have True Freedom of Speech Today, Rasmussen Reports, August 22, 2017

Few Americans think they have true freedom of speech today and think the country is too politically correct.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 28% of American Adults think Americans have true freedom of speech today. Most (66%) think, rather, they have to be careful not to say something politically incorrect to avoid getting in trouble. (To see survey question wording, click here.) . . .

The national survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on August 17 & 20, 2017 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

In addition, a Rasmussen survey from last spring shows the erosion of freedom on campus, where debating challenging ideas was once an accepted part of the educational process. But as I wrote two years ago, Universities Enforce Liberal Censorship in Classrooms, the culture war for America’s founding principles is being lost on campus.

Americans See Free Speech on Campuses as a Thing of the Past, Rasmussen Reports, May 3, 2017

Conservative pundit Ann Coulter recently cancelled a planned speech at University of California, Berkeley, following protests and threats of violence by the students. Americans are now left wondering whether free speech on college campuses is simply a relic of a bygone era.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 44% of American Adults think there is less freedom of speech on U.S. college campuses today than there has been in the past. Twenty-three percent (23%) think there’s more freedom than in the past, while 27% think the level of freedom of speech is about the same. (To see survey question wording, click here.) . . .

The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 27 & 30, 2017 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Self-checkout — [...]]]> Tech experts all say that simple jobs are the easiest to automate. Therefore we can expect to see a lot more self-checkout when shopping. How hard is it to scan bar codes and calculate the total cost? My local Safeway added several DIY checkout stations a couple years ago in a major remodel.

Self-checkout — get used to it, shoppers.

As a result of advancing technology, cashier jobs are starting to disappear now, and a recent study forecasts that six million or more could go in the next decade.

Seriously, does America really need to continue importing immigrant workers when automation is forecast to shrink the number of US jobs dramatically? There is a bill in Congress to reduce immigration by half, but that’s hardly enough given the automated future.

A recent Rasmussen poll found that “63% of American Adults believe it’s at least somewhat likely that most jobs in America will be done by robots or computers 25 years from now.”

So if nearly two-thirds the American people are aware of the automation threat to employment, why is Washington entirely asleep on the subject?

Robots could wipe out another 6 million retail jobs, CNN Money, May 19, 2017

Robots have already cost millions of factory jobs across the nation.

Next up could be jobs at your local stores.

Between 6 million to 7.5 million existing jobs are at risk of being replaced over the course of the next 10 years by some form of automation, according to a new study this week from by financial services firm Cornerstone Capital Group.

That represents at least 38% of the current retail work force, which consists of 16 million workers. Retail could actually lose a greater proportion of jobs to automation than manufacturing has, according to the study.

That doesn’t mean that robots will be roving the aisles of your local department store chatting with customers. Instead, expect to see more automated checkout lines instead of cashiers. This shift alone will likely eliminate millions of jobs.

“Cashiers are considered one of the most easily automatable jobs in the economy,” said the report. And these job losses will hit women particularly hard, since about 73% of cashiers are women.

There will also be fewer sales jobs, as more and more consumers use in-store smartphones and touchscreen computers to find what they need, said John Wilson, head of research at Cornerstone. There will still be some sales people on the floor, but just not as many of them.

Stocking shelves and inventory control, a labor intensive job function today, will also be made far more efficient with automation, he said.

“You’re not going to see a robot stocking shelves, at least in the near term,” Wilson said. “But technology would reduce the need for as many people to do so. More efficiency means fewer things for people to do.”

The retail industry is already undergoing cataclysmic changes, with about 3,300 store closings announced so far this year, according to Fung Global Retail & Technology, a retail think tank.

But automation will drive more job losses than store closings in the next decade, Wilson said. “Store closings have to do with overbuilding and e-commerce,” Wilson said. “But going forward, job losses will really be about automation.”

Rising wages are also helping to drive automation, as state and city governments hike their minimum wages. Additionally, several major retailers including Walmart (WMT), the nation’s largest employer, have increased wages in order to find and retain the workers they need.

The increased competition from e-commerce is also a factor, since it requires retailers to be as efficient as possible in order to compete. Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) already uses tons of robotics in its fulfillment centers so that its workers spend very little time on each order.

Voters Measure Illegal Immigration in Major Crime, More Tax Dollars, Rasmussen Reports, March [...]]]> A recent survey highlighted the differing views of members of the two parties regarding unlawful immigration. Unsurprisingly, the Democrats are rather unconcerned, while Republicans believe the systemic invasion of foreign job thieves and criminals is causing serious harm to the nation.

Voters Measure Illegal Immigration in Major Crime, More Tax Dollars, Rasmussen Reports, March 29, 2017

Voters tend to view illegal immigrants as the source of more major crime and a big drain on taxpayers’ wallets.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters think illegal immigration increases the level of serious crime in America. Nearly as many (41%) say it has no impact. Just seven percent (7%) feel illegal immigrants actually decrease the amount of serious crime. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Forty-nine percent (49%) still believe illegal immigrants are a significant strain on the U.S. budget, although that is down from 67% when Rasmussen Reports first asked this question in March 2010. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say illegals are not a big strain on the budget, up from 23% seven years ago, while 14% are undecided.

As on nearly all issues related to illegal immigration, there is a sizable difference of opinion between Republicans and Democrats. Seventy-four percent (74%) of GOP voters and a plurality (44%) of voters not affiliated with either major political party say illegal immigration increases the level of serious crime, but only 16% of Democrats agree. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Democrats think it has no impact.

Similarly, while 78% of Republicans and 51% of unaffiliated voters believe illegal immigrants are a significant strain on the U.S. budget, just 21% of Democrats share that view. Most Democrats (62%) disagree. Interestingly, a plurality (48%) of Democrats considered illegal immigrants a major budget strain in 2010, along with 73% of unaffiliateds.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 26-27, 2017 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

While support for deportation of illegal immigrants in general is down, 81% of voters favor a plan that calls for mandatory deportation of illegal immigrants who have been convicted of a felony in this country. Sixty-five percent (65%) support a five-year mandatory prison sentence for illegal immigrants convicted of major felonies who return to America after being deported.

Forty-six percent (46%) of whites think illegal immigrants add to the level of major crime in America, a view shared by 32% of blacks and 39% of other minority voters. Only 28% of black voters feel that illegals are a significant strain on the U.S. budget, compared to 52% of whites and 48% of other minorities.

Those under 40 are less likely than older voters to see illegal immigrants as a source of more serious crime or as a major strain on the budget.

Seventy-nine percent (79%) of voters who view illegal immigrants as a major budget drain also believe they increase the level of serious crime. Seventy-five percent (75%) of those who don’t see illegals as a budget problem say they have no impact on the level of major crime.

Among voters who Strongly Approve of the job President Trump is doing, 91% say illegal immigration increases the level of serious crime, and 92% say it is a significant strain on the budget. Among those who Strongly Disapprove of the president’s job performance, 72% say illegal immigrants have no impact on the level of serious crime, and 69% feel they are not a major drain on the budget.

Voters are closely divided over whether the United States should build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, but most think it’s likely that Trump will dramatically cut the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States.

Stopping illegal immigration has long been voters’ number one immigration priority.

Fifty percent (50%) of voters said in November that the U.S. Justice Department should take legal action against cities that provide sanctuary for illegal immigrants. That was down from 62% in July 2015 just after the highly-publicized murder of a young woman in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant from Mexico. Fifty-two percent (52%) still want to cut off federal funding to sanctuary cities.

The Justice Department has officially announced that sanctuary cities are violating federal laws and could lose billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded grants if they continue to thwart efforts to deport illegal immigrants. Most voters have favored punishing sanctuary cities in surveys since 2007.

Most don’t want to live in a sanctuary community, and many question the safety of such communities.

A February Rasmussen poll headline read, Support for Deportations [...]]]> Since Donald Trump was elected president, does immigration enforcement now seem too mean-spirited when cute anchor kids might be separated from deportable parents? (Funny how Mexican family values don’t include keeping parents and kids together when there is free stuff to be gleaned from generous-stupid America.)

A February Rasmussen poll headline read, Support for Deportations Plummets, although no further details were given in the brief report. Are some supposed conservatives getting cold feet about law and borders when the real thing actually happens occasionally?

During Thursday’s Outnumbered program on Fox News, Eric Bolling, who generally talks up the conservative position on issues, spouted off with his simple rubber-stamp amnesty solution for the illegal alien problem. In a segment where the group’s discussion was focused on sanctuary cities, Bolling just had to share:

ERIC BOLLING: I have honestly a common-sense solution to the immigration issue, and I’ve said this before. The DMVs — there’s probably 50 or 60 of them in each state, maybe 10 or 15 in each state. Create little harbors, make those embassies where, if you’re an illegal, you can walk into this area, the DMV or whatever you call it, and you’re not going to get arrested or deported, but you’re going to get documentation of who you are. It’s not a path to citizenship: it’s a path to legality. You’ll pay your taxes, you’ll be able to stay here, and eventually you can go back to the end of the line to become a citizen.

That program would be very attractive to Mexican axe murderers and cartel criminals: just get a little paper in the DMV and voila — you’re legalized and documented! Sketchy foreigners could essentially get a new identity under the Bolling Plan. Dangerous or useless aliens get to stay and earn American dollars, which is what they came for, not to participate in the political process. The ability to work legally is the real amnesty.

Gang background? No problema in Eric Bolling’s DMV Amnesty Plan.