Essay 1499

Poll dancing in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• AOL presented AP poll results showing Americans are optimistic about 2007, with 72 percent of folks feeling good about prospects for the nation and 89 percent believing positive things will happen for themselves and their families. The New York Times presented AP poll results showing Americans are pessimistic, with 60 percent predicting a new terrorist attack and 70 percent anticipating global warming problems leading to another natural disaster. Looks like bipolar pollsters will continue to increase in 2007.

• AP poll results showed more illegal immigrants are seeking the assistance of smugglers to help them cross the border. About 50 percent of folks surveyed admitted using smuggler services in 2005, versus 1 in 3 in 2004 and 1 in 6 in 2000. The Border Patrol’s enhanced efforts have led to increased smuggler activity, as immigrants demand better traveling tactics. “[A more aggressive Border Patrol] has turned a modestly lucrative business into a fantastically profitable industry,” said an immigration expert at the University of California, San Diego. AP poll results will probably show smugglers are optimistic about 2007.