The list of corporations and businesses was eye-opening:
U.S. Airways
Banner Health
Cox Communications
Intel
The Leona Group
Viad Corporation
Blue Cross Blue Shield of AZ
Sundt Construction
University of Arizona
St. Joseph's Hospital
Nestle-Purina
Wells Fargo Bank
Vanguard Health Systems
In all, 60 chief executives of major Arizona corporations signed a letter to Senate President Russell Pearce, urging him to back off on another round of legislation aimed at curbing illegal immigration because it would further hurt Arizona businesses and our struggling economy.
It was unprecedented.
It was risky (given that those businesses could suffer a backlash from Arizona's anti-immigration populous).
And, more than anything, it was effective.
In a rare move, Senate Republicans broke ranks with their embattled leader on Thursday night, rejecting a package of immigration measures that would have challenged birthright citizenship; prohibited illegal immigrants from driving a vehicle in Arizona or attending state universities and community colleges; and required school districts and hospitals to check the legal status of their students or patients.
In effect, state senators said enough is enough with Pearce's dogged attack on illegal immigration; the focus needs to remain on Arizona's economy.
"These immigration bills are a distraction," said Sen. John McComish of Ahwatukee Foothills, one of nine Republicans who broke ranks and sided with minority Democrats in their opposition of the five bills.
"They could be a detriment to the growth of our economy, and they are something people don't want us to be focused on," McComish added. "It's time for us to take a timeout on immigration."
For the record, the nine Republicans who, in our minds, showed a dash of common sense were McComish; Frank Antenori, Tucson; Nancy Barto, Phoenix; Adam Driggs, Phoenix; John Nelson, Litchfield Park; Steve Pierce, Prescott; Michele Reagan, Scottsdale; and two of our East Valley legislators - Rich Crandall, Mesa; and Steve Yarbrough, Chandler.
Opposing Pearce on this issue took guts - from those nine Republicans, from the 60 businessmen who endorsed the letter, and from 21 local chambers of commerce (including Tempe, Chandler, Ahwatukee, Queen Creek and Apache Junction) who also wrote a similar letter to legislators.
Yes, we need to do something about illegal immigration. It has become a drain on Arizona. But these bills were not the answer.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on Arizona's employer sanctions law in the next few months, and the constitutionality of SB 1070 will be decided by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Let's let those court battles play out before Arizona goes even further with immigration legislation that would bring more boycotts to our state.
Glenn Hamer, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, said studies on the economic effects of SB 1070 have ranged from $15 million to $150 million in losses for Arizona.
No matter how misguided those boycotts may be, they are real. Arizona companies that lose out on contracts to other states suffer and inevitably end up laying off workers and shrinking the taxpayer base in our state.
"If ever there was a good time for a timeout to get some guidance from federal courts, it's now," said Hamer, who has appeared before Senate committees stressing the economic hardships illegal immigration measures can bring. "The content of these proposals... there's a better chance of a blizzard in Mesa in May than the U.S. Supreme Court changing its interpretation of 14th Amendment. It's just not going to happen. ... It's a waste of time and effort."
Pearce won't likely back down - "I stand on the side of citizens, not a bunch of businessmen that write me a letter," he said after Thursday's defeat - so don't be surprised to see the bills resurface.
For now, however, chalk one up for the businesses.
"It was really extraordinary," Hamer said, "to see the entire mainstream business community come out and say ‘We recognize the need to secure the border, we recognize the need for immigration reform at the federal level, but we don't need to continue to go it alone with statewide measures that won't do anything for border security but will weaken our economic security.'"
VivaSB1070 posted at 4:50 am on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
BOYCOTT these businesses. Tell these traitors to America that you are no longer willing to support them due to their pro illegal alien criminal invader stance.
VOTE OUT all who voted against the wishes of the MAJORITY of Arizona citizens. We are fed up with you - you do not listen to us but rather cave in to the wishes of big business and the La Raza types. Start looking for another job.
joelwisch2 posted at 6:10 am on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
If there are any threats on the matter of re-election funds, what happened had NOTHING to do with bringing sense to the processes. A large majority of the people support controlling the border and deporting the illegal aliens. Business is providing massive re-election funds to the candidates, and the threat of withholding those funds amounts to buying those votes.
If it isn't criminal.. it should be criminal.
American citizen posted at 6:43 am on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
My clubs and groups will boycott these businesses and vote against those who were elected for saying one thing and then turning against the voters. Politicians are becoming illegal and should be dealt with for accepting funds, bribes, whatever to vote a certain way.......what has happened to America's pride?
k33j88 posted at 6:58 am on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
Just goes to show the power lobbyists have.
Dale Whiting posted at 8:07 am on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
Guys, Citizens United is a two way street. What is good for the Republican goose has to be good for the Democratic gander. And where big business has enough common sense to recognize bad collateral impacts on Pearce's dumb and short sighted ideas, ideas which pander to short sighted Neo-cons, more power to them.
Estoban posted at 8:42 am on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
Way too many businesses really don't care at all about this country, American workers or ethical conduct. They are greed driven and want slave labor. Most are smart enough to camouflage using illegals to avoid responsibility for breaking the law. I'll boycott every one of these smug greedy criminals. Woe to the elected leaders that betrayed us. Make these into ballot propositions and we'll rectify their error next election!
Cerulean posted at 10:13 am on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
What is comical to me is that all of the measures proposed skirt the business community entirely. Birthright citizenship, driving vehicles, attending classes and forcing hospitals to check legal status does everything BUT ask business to stop hiring. All of these punitive side steps when, really, all they have to do is enforce the Legal Arizona Workers Act.
What is sheriff Joe doing?
EmperorSmith posted at 12:17 pm on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
some of the bills I would liked to have passed like the driving and public housing but we do need to economy back on stable ground that should be first priority.
ZOO001 posted at 3:37 pm on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
OINK! OINK! OINK! Here's some COMMON SENSE for you!
To Arizona State Senators: Barto, Crandall, Driggs, McComish, Nelson, Pierce, Yarbrough
After yesterday's defeat of all illegal immigration bills by your siding with Democrats, I was wondering if any or all of you recall what happened in 2004 with Arizona Proposition 200? The Arizona Chamber of Commerce put up $2 million dollars to have convicted immigration law criminal Grant Wood head a TV campaign of the biggest lies ever perpetrated on the people of Arizona. Using actors dressed as police and firemen, they fronted a scare campaign of untruths to line their pockets from cheap illegal labor and retail sales to the illegal invaders. They managed to pull support for Prop 200 from about 85% to 57% on election day. And although they LOST, they bragged later that if they would have started earlier, they would have defeated 200.
This is the same group of pro-illegal filth that sent the now infamous "CEO letter" to Russell Pearce before all of you voted yesterday. By siding with the Democrats, you have demonstrated that business interests and illegal profits come before protecting the citizens of Arizona from crime, blight, and an unsustainable social services financial burden that is costing every Arizona household an extra $1,000 per year in taxes. DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE TACTICS OF THE ARIZONA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ITS MEMBERS ARE WHY WE HAVE THE PROBLEM TO BEGIN WITH??? THE MAGNET THAT DRAWS ILLEGALS HERE?
You have also demonstrated that Republicans turn on a dime AFTER they are elected to office and that their election campaign rhetoric is absolutely worthless. You KNOW that the Democrats, as insane as they are, do NOT have this reputation riding their coattails.
The concept that the state needs to take a "vacation" from illegal immigration is totally idiotic. You know **** well if we had not been saddled with six years of the joke - Janet Napolitano - we would not be in the mess we are right now - not only with illegal immigration but the crippling deficit mess as well. We are literally fighting the biggest powers in the U.S. to save our state from the fate of California, and you have just betrayed us worse than any Democrat that ever lived.
All of you will be targeted in your reelection bids. If we are repeatedly betrayed by the like of lying Republicans and are doomed to hand our state over to Mexico, we will vote for Democrats all day long. Shame on all of you. You have betrayed the citizens of Arizona, and you have betrayed the future of your children and grandchildren as well. I pray that each of you will be out of office after the next election.
Slabside posted at 5:22 pm on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
INS/FBI Statistical Report on Undocumented Immigrants
2006 (First Quarter) INS/FBI Statistical Report on Undocumented Immigrants
CRIME STATISTICS:
95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
83% of warrants for murder in Phoenix are for illegal aliens.
86% of warrants for murder in Albuquerque are for illegal aliens.
75% of those on the most wanted list in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Albuquerque are illegal aliens.
24.9% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
40.1% of all inmates in Arizona detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
48.2% of all inmates in New Mexico detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
29% (630,000) convicted illegal alien felons fill our state and federal prisons at a cost of $1.6 billion annually
53% plus of all investigated burglaries reported in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Texas are perpetrated by illegal aliens.
50% plus of all gang members in Los Angeles are illegal aliens from south of the border.
71% plus of all apprehended cars stolen in 2005 in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California were stolen by Illegal aliens or â??transport coyotes".
47% of cited/stopped drivers in California have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 47%, 92% are illegal aliens.
63% of cited/stopped drivers in Arizona have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 63%, 97% are illegal aliens
66% of cited/stopped drivers in New Mexico have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 66% 98% are illegal aliens.
BIRTH STATISTICS 380,000 plus â??(inappropriate term)â? were born in the U.S. in 2005 to illegal alien parents, making 380,000 babies automatically U.S.citizens.
97.2% of all costs incurred from those births were paid by the American taxpayers.
66% plus of all births in California are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal whose births were paid for by taxpayers
Dale Whiting posted at 6:22 pm on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
Broken record Slabside.
Again, do you have any statistics on what percentage of the total illegal alien population is not in any of the above statistics? Thought not!
Ironweed posted at 6:24 pm on Sun, Mar 20, 2011.
These businesses aren't bringing anything but greed and a willingness to scwer the country. They wouldn't let me use the word for a carpenter's tool.
CSalafia posted at 7:45 am on Mon, Mar 21, 2011.
Hey Slab...
....still rehashing that debunked 2002 "costs of illegal immigration" chain email?
I mean, at least you could change the title. INS didn't exist in 2006, didn't publish the alleged report quoted, and, actually, hasn't been around since 2003.
If you're going to post debunked spam emails, at least make an effort to hide the obvious signs that it's complete fiction.
Slabside posted at 11:27 am on Mon, Mar 21, 2011.
The liberal hack Chris Salafia makes yet another appearance. Of course he bears no facts to support his manure. Chris shows all of us what a horse's patoot he is yet again![beam]
CSalafia posted at 1:17 pm on Mon, Mar 21, 2011.
The INS ceased to exist in 2003.
But hey, Slab, don't let that big, enormous, red flag known as a "fact" stop you from spreading lies and posting SPAM.
Slabside posted at 2:28 pm on Mon, Mar 21, 2011.
Chris, you're right... the INS ceased to exist as the INS but continues today as 3 other agencies. I don't see your proof that these stats are wrong though.
samkat posted at 6:14 pm on Mon, Mar 21, 2011.
Dale, which one of these companies do you work for> Be aware, your job may eventually go to an illegal.
samkat posted at 6:17 pm on Mon, Mar 21, 2011.
By the way, the list of companies in this article is incomplete.
k33j88 posted at 7:14 am on Fri, Apr 1, 2011.
General notice to all of the "illegal protecting", anti-gun, socialist-driven liberals. Similar to trial lawers, you lot is necessary to achieve a "balance" on the scale of life. Like a flake of dandruff that gets you annoyed as you brush it off your shoulders, a fresh, life giving layer of new ideas springs forth. Nothing personal, just because liberalism is a mental disorder doesn't mean that there isn't a place in life for your kind. Corporate lobbist, pac monies, follow the money to your answer.