It's Time to Boycott Arizona

[Toughy]

I think we also need to remember there are some good cops in AZ.............the Sheriff of Pima County (Tuscon). He is a shining light in all this.

[SuperFemme]

Originally Posted by Toughy

I think we also need to remember there are some good cops in AZ.............the Sheriff of Pima County (Tuscon). He is a shining light in all this.

agreed. that one sheriff is such a nightmare that he overshadows all the good guys who do not want to have their officers involved in this crap.

[apretty]

Originally Posted by Toughy

I think we also need to remember there are some good cops in AZ.............the Sheriff of Pima County (Tuscon). He is a shining light in all this.

the city of phoenix (the capital) is also against enforcing these new 'laws' as well.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by apretty

sounds like the success of NAFTA, to me.

So true..............!

[SuperFemme]

Lawmakers in 28 states, including Utah, fight spread of Arizona immigration law

June 30th, 2010 @ 8:44am

By Lee Davidson, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY -- State legislators from around the nation — including Utah Sen. Luz Robles — have formed a group seeking to stop the spread of the new Arizona immigration law by offering alternatives that they say would reward and integrate newcomers who play by the rules.

Robles, D-Salt Lake, spoke during a national conference call to reporters announcing the formation of "State Legislators for Progressive Immigration Policy," which claims as initial members 53 legislators in 28 states.

She said that copying the Arizona law — which the Utah Legislature is expected to consider next year — would be expensive because of likely legal challenges. Such a law would not by itself stop illegal immigration and would cause "a lot of dissonance and divisiveness among communities," she said.

The Arizona law requires local police to question a person's immigration status if they have reason to suspect the person is in the country illegally.
As an alternative, the new group hopes to offer government health insurance to poor legal immigrants, pass tougher laws against employers who steal wages from workers, and to strengthen laws against racial profiling.

"We will be rewarding people who play by the rules," Robles said.
For example, she said she will again push a bill that would remove a five-year waiting period before children of legal immigrants or pregnant women who are legal immigrants can qualify for Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) coverage.

Besides rewarding legal immigrants, she said, "it's always more cost effective to provide adequate, affordable health care for the children" than to try later after years without care "to deal with more complicated medical conditions."

Iowa Sen. Joe Bolkcom said he wants to make it tougher for employers to exploit workers there. While recent immigrants may benefit the most from such a measure, he said, it would help all workers in his state protect themselves against employers who face only light fines if they fail to pay their workers.

Pennsylvania Sen. Daylin Leach said he is pushing to beef up laws there to ban any racial profiling — which he said would help Hispanics be more cooperative with police in solving street crime and would calm fears arising from the new Arizona law.

Robles said states are sending messages with bills — from the tough Arizona law to friendlier alternatives her group is pushing — that the federal government really needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
"There is no way we can fix our immigration system in a Band-Aid, statewide solution," she said.

But Jonathan Blazer with the National Immigration Law Center said on the conference call that is what will happen in the short term until Congress acts.

"The Arizona model is really a 'race to the bottom' model to see just how onerous life can be made for immigrants," he said. The new group's alternatives are instead "a rising tide that's intended to lift all boats and make sure no one group of workers is pitted against another group," he said.



http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11380224

[SuperFemme]

Arizona immigration law backer politician Barry Wong wants to cut power from illegal immigrant homes

One Arizona politician has made a vow to make illegal immigrants powerless -- literally.

Republican Barry Wong, a candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission, an elected body that decides public utility issues, says he would require the utilities to check the immigration status of customers, he told the Arizona Republic.

"I'm sure there will be criticism about human-rights violations," said Wong, who held a temporary spot on the five-person Commission in 2006. "Is power or natural gas or any type of utility we regulate, is that a right that people have? It is not a right. It is a service."

Cutting electricity, water, natural gas, even telephone lines at the homes of illegal immigrants, he said, would lower costs for the rest of the state's customers. He believes the population spike caused by illegal immigrants forces the state to build new power plants and then raise rates for customers.

Since 2000, Arizona's population has jumped nearly 29% to almost 6.6 million people. In roughly that same time, the number of the state's Hispanic residents increased and now composes more than 30% of Arizona's population, according to the U.S. Census.

This isn't the first time electricity surged into the immigration debate.
In May, after Los Angeles' City Council voted to boycott Arizona over its controversial anti-illegal immigration law, SB 1070, Gary Pierce, who sits on the Commission, suggested L.A. stop using his state's power.
Pierce, also a Republican, dismissed Wong's idea.

"That's not an argument I think we'll involve ourselves in," he said.
Critics, however, charge Wong with simply using a hot-button issue to gain notoriety and votes.

"Everyone is seeing the polls that are so anti-immigrant, and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to target immigrants," said Julie Pace, a lawyer currently suing the state over a law punishing businesses that hire illegal immigrant help.

"They all are coming up with novel ideas how they can get elected. They say, 'Target immigrants, and it helps me win an election.'"
Wong believes his idea deserves further study.

"The question is: Is it the right thing to do in terms of rates?" Wong, a former four-term member of the state's House of Representatives, told the paper.

Arizona has come under fire for months for its efforts to battle illegal immigration, which was put under the national spotlight with the passage of SB 1070, which would allow law enforcement to ask suspects about their immigration status. However, the law which goes into effect July 29, has its supporters.

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 71% of Arizona backs it, an increase from when Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill in April.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati..._from_ill.html

[Dylan]

WTF is up with people over there?


Jesus H Christ,
Dylan

And where's the feds? What the fuck is Obama doing between this and the oil spill?

[SuperFemme]

Originally Posted by Dylan

WTF is up with people over there?


Jesus H Christ,
Dylan

And where's the feds? What the fuck is Obama doing between this and the oil spill?

here is the latest: http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/Ob...-97400129.html

eta: CA, AZ, TX and NM are all getting National Guard Troops. Oh goody. I can't wait to see how this pans out.

[Linus]

SF, thanks for the articles. It does make me wonder how long, given the increased support/drive towards anti-immigration stance, before we see mob mentality and rule happening. As the frothing continues to increase to demonize the undocumented worker it won't be long until we see the worst results on the front page. Some may say this is defense and just action for the US and other nations to discourage others from coming into a nation illegally but it's the ripple effect that can happen as society sees this.

Politicians often forget the power and impact of their words -- what is said, what is not said but heard, how it's said, when it's said -- has on society and those listening in. We don't speak in a vacuum nor do we live in one. Removing simple and basic human rights -- and finding it acceptable to do so -- is not, IMO, the sign of a nation that has evolved.

This whole exercise strikes me not as solving the true issue but just attempting to win brownie points in a time when one cannot provide real answers to economic challenges (i.e., don't spend money we don't have but don't find ways to create jobs either). As I read a variety of news sources about this issue I cannot help but wonder if this is a class sleight of hand (e.g., Ignore the man in the background and just watch the shiny balls in the front) to focus us away from problems that we really need to face and address with harsh reality.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Linus

SF, thanks for the articles. It does make me wonder how long, given the increased support/drive towards anti-immigration stance, before we see mob mentality and rule happening. As the frothing continues to increase to demonize the undocumented worker it won't be long until we see the worst results on the front page. Some may say this is defense and just action for the US and other nations to discourage others from coming into a nation illegally but it's the ripple effect that can happen as society sees this.

Politicians often forget the power and impact of their words -- what is said, what is not said but heard, how it's said, when it's said -- has on society and those listening in. We don't speak in a vacuum nor do we live in one. Removing simple and basic human rights -- and finding it acceptable to do so -- is not, IMO, the sign of a nation that has evolved.

This whole exercise strikes me not as solving the true issue but just attempting to win brownie points in a time when one cannot provide real answers to economic challenges (i.e., don't spend money we don't have but don't find ways to create jobs either). As I read a variety of news sources about this issue I cannot help but wonder if this is a class sleight of hand (e.g., Ignore the man in the background and just watch the shiny balls in the front) to focus us away from problems that we really need to face and address with harsh reality.

I would so love to see politicians do the right thing, not the politically expedient for themselves thing. Sigh.

[The_Lady_Snow]

If we honestly think that gang mentality is not going to happen we are all wrong. Allow me to share some information that happened to migrant worker Luis Ramirez in Pennsylvania

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/02/...grant.beating/

How the parents reacted

The whole story:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/22/lia...ref=newssearch

Kobi's reactions aren't surprising to me, they kicked me in the gut as always when it comes from one of my queer peers. So Linus the mob mentality you speak of is out there, it will, it is happening NOW.

It breaks my heart.

[Corkey]

Ignorance is everywhere.

[SuperFemme]

oh my god that scares me.
because they are right, the message they are sending is clear:
there are no consequences for killing those of us on the fringe of society.

a fact already evident by the killings/beatings of trans people and gays all over the country.

[The_Lady_Snow]

[Apocalipstic]

I don't understand why US citizens want the US to be a Fascist country where our papers (papeles) have to be shown.

I grew up like that, in Argentina and it makes me crazy to think that anyone would want another human being to have to live like that.

[The_Lady_Snow]

[The_Lady_Snow]

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

I don't understand why US citizens want the US to be a Fascist country where our papers (papeles) have to be shown.

I grew up like that, in Argentina and it makes me crazy to think that anyone would want another human being to have to live like that.

I'll take a stab at that.
Primarily it has to do with control. Those who have it and those who don't.
It is fascist and that is how Hitler gained so much of it. When free thinking people give up their freedoms and follow instead of lead, this is what happens, invariably.

[Liam]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

I don't understand why US citizens want the US to be a Fascist country where our papers (papeles) have to be shown.

I grew up like that, in Argentina and it makes me crazy to think that anyone would want another human being to have to live like that.

Fear makes people do ugly things.

[The_Lady_Snow]