Arizona Boycott Actually Taking Shape

[we vs us]

I admit to being skeptical when I heard that businesses around the country were taking steps to boycott Arizona after the immigration bill passed.  Boycotts get threatened all the time but either they don't materialize or the economic impact is so small as to be invisible, and certainly not big enough to effect policy. 

Not so with the Arizona boycott:

"The Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association reported at least 23 meetings had been cancelled throughout the state, representing an estimated US$6 million to US$10 million in lost revenue.

[snip]

Meanwhile, Phoenix stands to lose US$90 million in hotel and convention business during the next five years, city officials estimate. Groups that already have cancelled include the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, which was slated to hold its July meeting at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. The meeting was projected to draw approximately 5,000 attendees and about 10,000 visitors, according to the fraternity.

Additionally, the Republican National Committee bypassed Phoenix for Tampa, Florida, as the site of the group's 2012 convention. The GOP's decision came as Hispanic groups and others urged organizations to boycott the state of Arizona, the Associated Press reported."

Of course, Arizona's GOP is doubling down.  They recently passed a law to ban ethnic studies in every Arizona school district.  It makes an excellent companion bill to the recent immigration law, and really illuminates the driving purpose behind both of them:  to git them Mixicans outta Arizona.

[Gaspar]

Help me understand Wevsus,


1. What can any Arizona law enforcement official do under the Arizona immigration law that a federal law enforcement official cannot already do?

2. What requirement does the Arizona law place on any non-citizen living in Arizona that federal law does already not place on any non-citizen living elsewhere in the United States?


Shouldn't California also boycott the federal government?

I think it would make more sense to just boycott California 

[Breadburner]

Wait until Arizona turns the faucet off.....

[Gaspar]

Wait until Arizona turns the faucet off.....

+1

. . .and the lights!

Soon California will be the most energy efficient state in the union. 

[Breadburner]

+1

. . .and the lights!

Soon California will be the most energy efficient state in the union. 

Lol...Nice...

[swake]

My wife is Native American, and often gets confused with Hispanics, especially when we travel. People in  certain areas will sometimes even speak to her in Spanish first, sadly she only speaks some French that she took in high school and college.

We are planning a Vacation style road trip ending in Vegas with the kids over the summer and are planning on driving out to the Grand Canyon as part of the trip. I drive pretty fast and will probably get pulled over at some point on the trip, I usually do. What papers should she carry to prove she is an American? She has no green card, no resident alien card. Despite her appearance she has no papers granting her citizenship because she was born at St John's, just like her mother was, I think her father was born there too. All she has is her DL. Does she need to be sure to carry her Passport also if we go Arizona this summer? It might be expired, will that be a problem? What about my daughter, she doesn't have a Passport, she looks a lot like her mom, do we need to make sure to get her Passport before we go into Arizona? Are they going to potentially lock up my 14 year old for not carrying papers?

The real result of this law is that illegals will be unwilling and unable to call police when they are the victims of crimes, it will be open season for criminals on illegals. It's going to make controlling crime and drugs more difficult instead of easier. Police contact is all that is required to start the questioning. And that law isn't even the most offensive one just passed in Arizona.

Teachers with accents are going to not be allowed to teach in Arizona anymore. The state is going to send auditors into schools testing the English skills of teachers:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/teachers/heavily-accented-teachers-remo.html

And Ethnic Studies classes are being restricted:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/teachers/in-arizona-bad-ethnic-studies.html

These two laws have nothing to do with illegals. It impacts Native American Studies, and Black Studies. And these teachers are not illegals aliens. A Japanese teacher can be removed for having an accent just like a Hispanic can. It's pointed at everyone who isn't white, and they are especially pointed at you if you are brown. Over 30% of Arizona is Hispanic (about 25% of those Hispanics are illegal) and another 5% are Native, so about 1/3 of Arizona's citizens (not counting the illegals) are now required to carry papers proving they are citizens, and if they have an accent, they need not apply to teach. And their unique history cannot be taught in schools. 

[guido911]

My wife is Native American, and often gets confused with Hispanics, especially when we travel. People in  certain areas will sometimes even speak to her in Spanish first, sadly she only speaks some French that she took in high school and college.

We are planning a Vacation style road trip ending in Vegas with the kids over the summer and are planning on driving out to the Grand Canyon as part of the trip. I drive pretty fast and will probably get pulled over at some point on the trip, I usually do. What papers should she carry to prove she is an American? She has no green card, no resident alien card. Despite her appearance she has no papers granting her citizenship because she was born at St John's, just like her mother was, I think her father was born there too. All she has is her DL. Does she need to be sure to carry her Passport also if we go Arizona this summer? It might be expired, will that be a problem? What about my daughter, she doesn't have a Passport, she looks a lot like her mom, do we need to make sure to get her Passport before we go into Arizona? Are they going to potentially lock up my 14 year old for not carrying papers?

Try not breaking the law by driving beyond the speed limit and avoid the whole mess.

[waterboy]

That's the best you can do? Your usually inflammatory Guido, but at least make some defensible arguments. That is just beneath you. Drive through any state with out of state tags and your chances of being stopped for some infraction multiply. Arizona will be avoided and it will be costly.

Arizona is doing much of the South a lovely favor. We can be assured that we're smarter than they are (for the moment anyway) and are likely to get some of their tourism dollars. Interesting 'ol Gas mentioned Cali. I like what their governor said. He was going to visit but figured his accent may get him sent back to Austria.

Honestly, I hope the poorly thought out efforts to get the Feds attention and rally the rabble is successful. The latest one, eliminating ethnic studies, even though they were voluntary, just tipped their hand.

[guido911]

That's the best you can do? Your usually inflammatory Guido, but at least make some defensible arguments. That is just beneath you. Drive through any state with out of state tags and your chances of being stopped for some infraction multiply. Arizona will be avoided and it will be costly.

Come on waterboy, the lines are already drawn on who supports or opposes AZ new law. There is a whole thread on the subject. My first reaction to swake's post was to take it as an attempt to use raw emotion as means to voice displeasure with the law. In other words, just another "papers please" rant.

Honestly, if he has a legitimate fear, freakin call someone in AZ law enforcement and find out what you will need to have. How hard is that? Better yet, read the law. It states exactly what is needed. Here, I'll make it easier:

http://azgovernor.gov/dms/upload/HB_2162Signed.pdf

Go to pages 3-4 for the pertinent language.

[waterboy]

Why should he have to? Why should she have to worry?

They should expect a tremendous backlash from everyday folks who don't want to have to worry about proving their legitimacy by calling ahead to check with authorities. This is going to cost the state plenty of money and thats where the backlash will be fueled.

[nathanm]

Honestly, if he has a legitimate fear, freakin call someone in AZ law enforcement and find out what you will need to have. How hard is that? Better yet, read the law. It states exactly what is needed.

Sort of. The language is vague on whether a driver's license is OK, since not all driver's licenses are allowed as proof of legal presence under the law.

You seem to forget that existing laws are sometimes abused and it's not unheard of for citizens to be detained for extended periods of time while their status is being verified.

[guido911]

Sort of. The language is vague on whether a driver's license is OK, since not all driver's licenses are allowed as proof of legal presence under the law.

You seem to forget that existing laws are sometimes abused and it's not unheard of for citizens to be detained for extended periods of time while their status is being verified.

He!! Nate, that happens with every law. I have written in the past about how I have been detained wrongfully several times. I got over it.

[guido911]

Why should he have to? Why should she have to worry?

They should expect a tremendous backlash from everyday folks who don't want to have to worry about proving their legitimacy by calling ahead to check with authorities. This is going to cost the state plenty of money and thats where the backlash will be fueled.

Listen to the AZ governor:

[nathanm]

He!! Nate, that happens with every law. I have written in the past about how I have been detained wrongfully several times. I got over it.

See, I don't think that's OK.

[we vs us]

The interesting thing will be to see if the boycott that's materializing actually has the intended effect.  Can enough voluntary (and admittedly scattershot) economic pressure be brought to bear to reverse the immigration bill?  Tourism is a huuuuge industry there in AZ, and even if a percentage of existing conventions decide to either cancel or not rebook, there's gonna be a big smoking hole where their sales tax revenue used to be.