Connect

Contact:David Simcox
Phone:703-370-9510
Email:npg@npg.org

ELECTED OFFICIALS ACROSS U.S. SEE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AS "VERY SERIOUS" PROBLEM

NATIONAL SURVEY SAMPLES NON-FEDERAL ELECTED LEADERS

Alexandria, VA, (10/5/07): A nationwide survey of thousands of local and state leaders conducted by Negative Population Growth found that almost 90% of elected officials rated America's current illegal immigration problem as "Very Serious" or "Somewhat Serious." In addition, 54% of respondents reported that illegal immigration is "negatively impacting" or "somewhat impacting" the jurisdiction they represent. The survey was mailed this summer to 12,000 current state legislators, county officials, mayors and city council members.

In releasing the survey results NPG President Don Mann noted that while only Congress can set America's immigration policy, state, county and city leaders must deal directly with the costs of illegal immigrants who overburden local schools and social services.

Mann welcomed the survey findings by stating, "These survey results clearly show that all of us fighting today's tidal wave of illegal immigration and explosive population growth have a strong base of support among those in position to put pressure on Congress to tackle America's immigration crisis before it does even more economic, social and environmental damage."

Other survey findings on immigration and population questions include:
·More than 70% of those polled indicated they were "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" that current population growth is putting increased financial pressure on the cities and communities they represent.
·When asked what areas most concern them when it comes to the environmental impact of population growth in their jurisdiction, the three most common answers were: increased demands on limited water supplies, the loss of open space, and increased air and water pollution.
·Approximately half of the elected leaders - especially state legislators - reported they had sponsored legislation aimed at protecting threatened farms, wetlands and forests from encroaching development.

Mann concluded, "This survey is a prelude to NPG's efforts to get our nation's leaders to join us in lobbying Congress to create a new U.S. Commission on Population Growth that will help steer our nation toward a sensible, livable and sustainable future."

Negative Population Growth is a national nonprofit organization, founded in 1972 that has served as a network of tens of thousands of citizens who work together to educate the American public and political leaders about the catastrophic effects of overpopulation on our environment and quality of life.

# # #