[ilbegone]

Mar 01 2011

Group seeks to limit legal immigration

Here's a doozy of a debate.

A group called Californians for Population Stabilization has launched a TV ad campaign arguing the government needs to stem the tide of temporary workers and immigrants -- not illegal immigrants, all immigrants -- until California's unemployment improves.

The argument goes that the more than 1 million immigrants and temporary workers that the feds admit each year take jobs away from Americans.

"With Bakersfield unemployment at 16 percent, it's time for Congressman Kevin McCarthy to stand up for Bakersfield workers," CAPS board Chairman Marilyn DeYoung said in a news release. "That means slowing the flow of legal immigration as well as illegal until Bakersfield and California are working again."

Here's the rest of the group's argument:

"More legal immigrants reside and settle in California permanently than in any other state. The flow of workers has not stopped since the recession hit. The policy is having a particularly insidious effect in states like California, with millions unable to find a job and unemployment rates topping 18 percent.

"As a result, California has been forced to borrow $40 million a day from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits. At the same time, the federal government continues to flood California with legal immigrants and temporary workers with no calls for an end to foreign workers in sight."

The group said it first launched its ads in the San Francisco area because it takes in a high number of legal immigrants on a permanent basis. CAPS said its campaign will continue for months throughout the state.

You can view the commercial at www.CAPSweb.org.

http://www.bakersfield.com/blogs/pol...gt-immigration