Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > December > 31 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USEnglish-only workplace not so popular
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When Rep. Tom Price, a Roswell Republican, introduced legislation earlier this month that would allow employers to require their employees to speak English - and English only - on the job, our best guess was that it would be overwhelmingly popular in his conservative district.
But a voluntary poll on Price’s congressional web page offers a bit of a surprise.
Price’s “Poll of the Month” asks, “Should employers have the freedom to require employees to speak English on the job?” Some 47 percent of those who responded favored it. But 53 percent said no to the proposal.
Web polls that solicit responses are far from scientific. The identity and location of respondents are unknown, as is the margin of error. Furthermore, such polls often attract only those who feel most vehement about an issue, omitting a major cross-section of voters.
Still, in a state and congressional district that so heavily favor stricter immigration legislation and complain about bilingual ballots and such, an English-only workplace would have seemed a no-brainer.
So what makes Price’s proposal less attractive to Georgians? Give us a hint.
Comments
By Craig
December 31, 2007 6:33 PM | Link to this
Because most businesses are interested in making money - and we all know that Dr. Price’s proposal is just theater.
By Keith
January 1, 2008 4:02 AM | Link to this
Over the years we have become to soft and lowered our standards to the point that it seems we are the “Bad Guys” for wanting a base bar for our America. Perhaps folks from other countries needs reminded that they CHOOSE to come here, if they want to bring their country here maybe they shouldn’t have left it to begin with. This is America we speak English and I shouldn’t have to Press 1 to do so. Contrast that with other countries where if you are a guest in their country they make you leave right then, there is no law suit, or immigrants rights you are gone. Perhaps it would do for us to follow that lead.
By Evelyn Baker
January 1, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
Keith, if I were choosing a new neighbor, I would prefer the rear end of Juan Valdez’s mule to you. Why dont you find a new reich? The one thing I cant stand is mixing up verb tenses in a comment. You’re a real punctuation-punk. Why dont you go a split an infinitive somewhere else. You’re mother’s an umlaut.
By The Oddball
January 1, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
Keith: the last time I checked, this was a free country, and the Bill of Rights does not protect you from the indignity and inconvenience of having to “press 1” on telephone calls. The only “other countries” I know of where “there is no lawsuit or immigrants rights” are Iran and North Korea.
And Rep. Price: that’s some real clever wording there on your poll. The “freedom” to make your employees speak English? What’s next, the “freedom” to tap telephones and search homes?
By Political Foreskin
January 1, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this
Keith, why dont you go to Iran. You’ll love it. They dont allow no Fatwah chicks. and the skinny chicks dont get to speak nuthin, no english, no spanish, no farci.
By Dave H
January 1, 2008 2:00 PM | Link to this
It’s fun to see how Bush and his equally-dim Republican followers want to be “free” to violate the Bill of Rights.
Fortunately, Craig is correct in that capitalism is the great equalizer and successful businesses know better than to follow the knee-jerk lead of demagogues.
By ConcernedGeorgian
January 1, 2008 3:05 PM | Link to this
Maybe people do not support his radical ideas after all. How about dealing with issues like the War in Iraq, healthcare for children through SCHIP, and possibly working on our water problems?
By d.a. king
January 1, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this
My new year hope for the deep thinkers here is that they are soon denied a job in the US because they do not speak Spanish - as Americans are every day…and that the 10,000 illegal aliens who Amnesty-again John McCain says cross our borders each day go to their houses.
It seems that the “free country” ponted at so often by the “you are a nazi if you don’t agree with us” crowd does not have much room for those who try to preserve it and our common language.
The fact that English is an optional language in Georgia is not because of immigration - it is because odf defacto open borders and the mindless kneee jerks like the above who lack the courage to insist on equal application of the law.
Way too funny that these sky pilots cannot see the obvious connection to all “other issues” that intentionally unsecured borders and black market taxpayer subsideized labor has on the country.
I refuse to accept the government that these folks deserve. Dr. Price should consider the above an endorsment of his legislation - he has all the right mouth breathers against it.
It looks like the poll results are changing… are internet cafes closed?
By Jerry
January 2, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
Perhaps Price’s constituents are simply more sophisticated than one might think of voters who would elect the likes of him. I’ve traveled through Europe, and with only English and French I can usually find someone in most businesses with whom I can commmunicate. Of course, there are always stagnant backwaters - places much like Georgia.