So it begins: Razing Arizona
The “papers please” law isn’t even in force yet, but it’s already being used against U.S. citizens (and, in this case, citizens by birth!):
I certainly hope that this law is tossed out by the Federal courts (which it probably will within a week) for the sake of people who live or travel to that state regularly, or those of us in Mexico that do a small, but necessary, bit of business with Arizona companies (like Editorial Mazatlán: our book designer is in Phoenix. The contract for design work — and all but the final indexing — on our latest book, Revolutionary Days, was done before this law was signed). It’d be a hassle, but small Mexican companies can find other suppliers.
Image shamelessly stolen from Laura Martinez: Mi blog es tu blog
But if push comes to shove, Arizona is going to lose, and it may in some ways provide some benefits to Mexico. Trade between Mexico and Arizona brings 8 billion U.S. dollars a year to Arizona, and five billion to Mexico (that includes remittances by north of the border workers and Mexican tourism, as well as some agricultural products, none that Mexicans can’t buy from Mexicans). In other words, much of the Mexican spending is optional — adios Nogales Walmart and Frontier Airlines.
Based on U.S. Census Bureau data, the largest Arizona exports to Mexico are:
Aircraft engines and parts (already down 15 percent between 2008 and 2009), computer equipment (broken out between processors, down 62 percent and other equipment, down 25 percent). How much the drop in these figures between 2008 and 2009 is due to the general economic downturn and how much to shifting purchase patterns I can’t say, but Mexican suppliers can acquire most of items from other suppliers. Honeywell is the third largest employer in Arizona, but they are not the only manufacturer of process controllers. And the Mexican computer industry could use a lift.
The Arizona export that has shot up (pun intended) has been what the Census data labels as “Bombs, mines, other ammunition projections, etc. and parts” — which, er… rocketed up… 76 percent between 2008 and 2009. I’m assuming that is legitimate purchases… mostly “Merida Initiative” funding.
Patricia Espinoza, the Mexican foreign secretary, said that while
… the [Mexican] government recognizes the sovereign right of every country to decide public policy to be applied within its own territory… it cannot remain indifferent if a measure potentially affects the human rights of thousands of Mexicans.
She added that the Mexican government will used all resources available to defend the rights and dignity of Mexicans in Arizona. That includes, presumably, not buying those “bombs, mines…” from Arizona suppliers (adios Plan Merida — which may not be a bad thing) and moving Mexican federal and state funds that are now in Arizona banks out of the state, or even — if they really want to play hardball — out of Arizona’s fourth largest employer, Wells-Fargo.
Those who want to “thank” the Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, for her fine work in promoting Mexican independence from U.S. markets can phone, email or fax her at the following:
http://www.azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp
Telephone (602) 542-4331
Toll Free (U.S.) 1-(800) 253-0883
Fax (602) 542-1381
(And, yes — I know I said I wasn’t going to post on weekends, but thought some might want a head’s up for making their calls Monday morning).
The Mex Files 
Boycott this bullshit state
Arizona can pass race base laws, pass birthers laws and the state can continue to boycott Martin Luther King Day, well the rest of the Country can boycott the state of Arizona and spank them where it hurts them the most their pocket book. Their phony patriotism is sickening, they are just racists going by another name. We all know you are just itching to put a sheet on their head? Let’s face it the Republicans had eight years to deal with health care, immigration, climate change and financial oversight and governance and they failed. It appears that the Republican Party is only good at starting wars (two in eight years, with fat contracts to friends of Cheney/Bush) but not at winning wars as seen by the continuing line of body bags that keep coming home. The Republicans party will continue turned inward to their old fashion obstructionist party (and their Confederacy appreciation roots) because they continue to allow a small portions (but very loud portion) of their party of “birthers, baggers and blowhards” to rule their party. I will admit that this fringe is very good at playing “Follow the Leader” by listening to their dullard leaders, Beck, Hedgecock, Hannity, O’Reilly, Rush, Savage, Sarah Bailin, Orly Taitz, Victoria Jackson, Michele Bachmann and the rest of the Blowhards and acting as ill programmed robots (they have already acted against doctors that perform abortions). The Birthers and the Tea party crowd think they can scare, intimidate and force others to go along with them by comments like “This time we came unarmed”, let me tell you something not all ex-military join the fringe militia crazies who don’t pay taxes and run around with face paint in the parks playing commando, the majority are mature and understand that the world is more complicated and grey than the black and white that these simpleton make it out to be and that my friend is the point. The world is complicated and people like Hamilton, Lincoln, and Roosevelt believed that we should use government a little to increase social mobility, now it’s about dancing around the claim of government is the problem. The sainted Reagan passed the biggest tax increase in American history and as a result federal employment increased, but facts are lost when mired in mysticism and superstition. For a party that gave us Abraham Lincoln, it is tragic that the ranks are filled with too many empty suits and the crazy Birthers who have not learned that the way our courts work is that you get a competent lawyer, verifiable facts and present them to a judge, if the facts are real and not half baked internet lies, then, and only then, do you proceed to trial. The Birthers seem to be having a problem with their so called “facts”. Let’s face it no one will take the Birthers seriously until they win a case, but until then, you will continue to appear dumb, crazy or racist, or maybe all three. I heard that Orly Taitz now wants to investigate the “Republican 2009 Summer of Love” list: Assemblyman, Michael D. Duvall (CA), Senator John Ensign (NV), Senator Paul Stanley (TN), Governor Mark Stanford (SC), Board of Ed Chair, and Kristin Maguire AKA Bridget Keeney (SC), she wants to re-establish a family values party, that’s like saying that the Catholic Church cares about the welling being of children in their care, too late for that .
Thanks for this Richard, if I may would like to link it. I don’t think the law will be banned within a few weeks, as I understand it, the law doesn’t take effect until this summer?
But it will be banned, it IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Not only that, I read it will bankrupt the state of Arizona.
Fuck the zonies, they have always been and will always be just plain weird – we knew that as kids fifty years ago when they would flock to the beaches in San Diego – oh brother what a bunch of whackos, dorks and tourists.
Well, I’m sure there are some good people in Arizona.
Maggie
XXX
Hahahaha Mike just saw the video and he said”….first lawsuit.”
Razing Arizona.
One of your better titles, RG 🙂
well, Richard, here’s hoping your readers tell us what they REALLY think. ; )
There is plenty of blame to go around for this mess. And since I have lived my entire life in the Southwest and never want to leave I am hoping for some constructive solutions. Boycotting the state of Arizona will hurt many of us who are here fighting the good fight. And yes, the W. Administration could have passed comprehensive reform legislation, but here we are and Obama and Napolitano have not done much better.
1. The current administration is deporting folks at a faster rate than the previous administration.
2. Napolitano should have never left to become the head of DHS-if she was still governor she would have vetoed this bill
3. Latinos continue to be dependent on the sympathy of white liberals. When is this damn sleeping giant going to wake up?
4. Brewer signed the bill not because she believes in its merits, but because the bigger issue for the entire state is Proposition 100 which is a temporary sales tax. She could not afford to lose any support for her move as a Republican to push for a tax increase.
Cut the bullshit “Jaime”, your the one going around it circles. Arizona has been a rogue racist State for quite a while now, it wasn’t so long ago that another right wing stooge who became Chief Justice, William Renquist ,(a real idiot by the way), made his bones by dressing up like a cop and mau mau-ing Mexican Americans at the polling places before they got a chance to vote.
Yeah, flashing around his bogus badge and threating Brown people, telling them that they would be arrested if they didn’t have all the right paperwork and ID.
Then you had that Mormon elder ,Screeching Meacham , who was a racist to his core, so bad that the whole country boycotted Arizona and brought it to it’s knees then, and we’re gonna do it again over this outrageous, Hitlerian nightmare that is #1070, that gives the Arizona authorities the rights of SS storm troopers to profile, target, threaten, and harrass every Mexican, Mexican American, and anyone who might look like one.
The real motivation behind #1070 is not some bullshit sales tax that might or might not be involved, that you so ignorantly put forward (like anyone would believe your ignorant ass), as smokescreen to cloud the real issue of racism, xenophobia, nativism, scapegoating, and fear on the part of the Arizona White Peoples Party, aka The Republican Party of Arizona.
And speaking of fear, fear is the real reason behind #1040, the fear that Mexican Americans, whose numbers and votes are increasing at a rapid rate in all of the Southwest, will soon have enough voters and power in Arizona to usurp the old white man’s right wing power block and to bring some sanity to Arizona.
The ridiculous argument you put forth that boycotting Arizona hurts “all of us” (GTFOOH!) is very reminiscent of that old Nazi plaintive wail heard not so many years ago in South Africa, that stupid whine by the right wing that boycotting South Africa just hurt the Blacks who were already poor.
Sheeeeeeit!
Boycott Arizona!! And Boycott it hard, the eyes of the whole world are on us!
Boycott Arizona
don quixote, a real Mexican American.
don quixote, great another beaner claiming his bogus European heritage. Did you even read it in Spanish or did you read the comic book? Pendejo, why don’t you google some other personality you know nothing about; how about Artemio Cruz or Moctezuma II. You are just as ignorant as the Gilchrist crowd. The point of my post was to demonstrate the complexity of the issues for those of us who have to watch our backs every time we leave home. There is much work to be done in order to overcome this new law so why don’t you shut up and let the adults get to work.
What is a real Mexican American anyway? You and George Lopez maybe maybe.
“Another beaner “, ? ?? wow, this statement says volumes about you “Jaime”, and what European heritage am I supposed to be claiming according to you? Oh don quixote, oh yeah Don Quixote, one of the absolutely authentic characters popular in all of Latin America, along with Sancho Panza of course. Ok, guilty. And in fact I have read to Cervantes novel, in both Spanish and English, I prefer the English translation by Edith Grossman by the way.
As far as you trying to demonstrate any complexity about the anti Mexican, ethnocentric, draconian, and anti democratic Arizona #1070, well you failed miserably.
There is nothing complex about that racist law, it’s a slap in the face of all democratic, Constitutional, fair minded, thinking peoples of all nationalities and ethnicities. You got it? There is nothing complex about racism, or xenophobic, Republican white peoples party politics in Arizona, it’s very simple, it’s racism pure and simple, and it very well may be, and most probably is, besides being a nazi tactic and racism, a strategy by the right wing powers that be in Arizona, to intimidate and scare away Mexicans and Mexican Americans, to have them relocate to other places. The Mexican American population of Arizona will soon overtake the “white” population” if present birth and immigration patterns continue, and the Mexican American vote is usually pro labor, pro immigrant, pro Democratic Party, except for renegado’s, falso’s, and the few Latino Republican/fascist apologists that always seem to think they have something pertinent to say for thier puppetmasters, and who make insipid yet revealing statements like
” Boycotting the state of Arizona will hurt many of us who are here fighting the good fight.”, Huh? what kind of pendejada is this? Boycott Arizona!!
Or the one’s who mouth inane comments like,
” Latinos continue to be dependent on the sympathy of white liberals. When is this damn sleeping giant going to wake up?”
Whaaaa? What the hell is this? How lame can it get, I don’t know any Mexicans who are looking for sympathy from “white liberals”, whatever that means, looking for love in all the wrong places are you “Jaime”? Maybe you should check yourself before you wreck yourself , you sound like that Republican in sheeps clothing Ruben Navarette, the darling of the right wing and it’s lackeys .
And finally “Jaime”, what the hell is this supposed to mean to anyone with some brain cells,
“4. Brewer signed the bill not because she believes in its merits, but because the bigger issue for the entire state is Proposition 100 which is a temporary sales tax. She could not afford to lose any support for her move as a Republican to push for a tax increase”
Are you seriously suggesting that some temporary sales tax could be a “bigger issue”?
Are you on medication or something or are you strictly an apologist for Gov Brewer and the Republican Party?
There is no bigger issue in Arizona than #1070 and at the moment there probably is no bigger issue for the country which is being looked at throughout the world.
Jaime, once again, there is no bigger issue in Arizona, and it’s not complex at all, it’s racism, xenophobia, and nativism at it’s worst.
Get your shit together
BOYCOTT ARIZONA!!
You could be next!
You are the problem.
Problem to who apologist?
Boycott Arizona!!!
Madam Minister Espinoza must choose her words very carefully lest she be confronted with Mexico’s defacto and hypocritical policy regarding undocumented central americans in Mexico
What “hypocritical” policy is that, praytell, Texican? It’s only a fine, and not necessarily deportation, as per the 2008 immigration law. Those detained are turned over to social service agencies, and very few are kept in state facilities. Admitted, those facilities could be better, but they aren’t the prisons (like the one in Raymondville, TX) used to hold women and children.
As to “defacto” treatment, I think you’re talking about the acts of criminals, not anything state action. And, a good number of the criminal “people smugglers” are from the United States, or involved with the Cuban rightist organizations.
“Madam Minister Espinoza must choose her words very carefully lest she be confronted with Mexico’s defacto and hypocritical policy regarding undocumented central americans in Mexico”
Hmmm, interesting topic, not that it has anything to do with the racist Arizona law #1070 which btw will discriminate and profile Central Americans for rousting and deportation in Arizona too.
don quixote // 26 April 2010 at 9:00 pm
…. Arizona law #1070 which btw will discriminate and profile Central Americans for rousting and deportation in Arizona too.
Only if they are in the country illegally…. In which case the law is doing exactly what it was intended to do…..
I don’t see a problem here. Unless of course, you’re in the country illegally….
don quixote // 26 April 2010 at 9:00 pm | Reply
…..not that it has anything to do with the racist Arizona law #1070 …..
————————————————————-
So I see you have read the law… Please direct me to which page of the document that states which races will be targeted. I would like to read that…
It’s pretty simple really…
The illegal immigrant population of the United States in 2008 was estimated by the Center for Immigration Studies to be about 12 million people. According to a Pew Hispanic Center report, in 2005, 57% of illegal immigrants were from Mexico; 24% were from other Latin American countries, primarily Central America. That only leaves 19% to spread about the rest of the planet.
So that means the new law will affect a lot more latinos (hispanics, mechica, what ever they are calling themselves this week….) than any other nationality.
The people of the United States are fed up having to feed the stray dogs at the door. We can no longer afford to be the teat that every other third world country would love to suckle from.
Arizona is trying to lead the way…. what’s racist about that.
PS. Did you know that out of the 237 recognized countries in the world, only 70 of them have a greater population than we have illegal aliens….
“I don’t see a problem here. Unless of course, you’re in the country illegally…”
Or unless your in Arizona DWB (driving while brown), and the cop is a racist prick who likes nothing better than to hassle and fuck with brown people, and who thinks all brown people fit his profile of “Illegal Aliens”, he pulls you over on the interstate, he, who just wants to check your papers, and who just might want to search your vehicle, and who really gets pissed off at the attitude of the brown person who asserts his constitutional right against unlawful unwarranted search and seizure of his property, “the nerve of this fucking Mexican, I’ll put his ass in check”, and who then claims he thought he saw something shinny under the seat, and who then orders the brown people out of the car and to sit in the cactus on the side of the road, with thier hands on thier heads, and shut up, no talking, and who then opens the trunk of the vehicle, and a little bundle of rock cocaine wrapped in aluminum falls out of the cops hand into the trunk, and then these brown people are really in trouble, and how come the baby doesn’t have documentation that she is a citizen, well you Mexicans are fucked now, could be your transporting an illegal alien, and drugs in the trunk too, call the towtruck, ICE, and backup, we have some smart ass Mexicans on our hands here in Arizona.
It’s called racial profiling stupid, and the scenario above already happens in Arizona, wait until there is a legal mandated bounty on the heads of Brown people and then it’ll be something to see.
Boycott Arizona!
“So I see you have read the law… Please direct me to which page of the document that states which races will be targeted. I would like to read that…”
Gosh my bad! There is no description of any target ethnic group in #1070, that certainly must mean the Arizona SS will hunt down and harass all the poor Lithuanians in Arizona!
LOL!!!
I think your handlers need to spend a little more time on you….. You are confusing me…
First you say the law is racist, now you say the law is not racist:
“….There is no description of any target ethnic group in #1070,….”
Now you say the cops are racist. Yeah I’m sure every cop in AZ is walking around with a baggy of coke in their pocket.
So if it’s the cops who are racist, and not the law, then let the law stand, and go after the cops….. Again, I don’t see a problem here.
2 more points:
1 the race card has been played out… Nope not gonna work for ya anymore…. At least not since we elected a black(1/2) president….
2 Thanks for once again proving to me that there can never be a civilized, half way intellegent discussion from people on your side of the debate. Because I can always count on two things from the likes of you…..
A The race card will come out quickly and often.
B When confronted with the truth, your best defense is to resort to name calling….
RE: “It’s called racial profiling stupid…..”
Well you win. Your right I’m wrong. With your debating skills and knowledge of the law, I have obviously bitten off more than I can chew.
I will now quietly slink away and go cower in the corner to rethink my position on this situation.
That undocumented central americans in Mexico are brutalized and robbed, I think is well known. First hand accounts of brutality at the hands of the Mexican military are recounted daily. It is routine, particularly along Mexico’s southern borders. I have witnessed it myself at traffic stops of both private and public
transport. It is criminal.
Some say it is racial profiling when those who are not native Spanish speakers are inordinately designated for arbitrary and exorbitant fines and fees in Mexico.
Espinoza and other officials, not being unaware of these, when obliged to comment, ought to be very careful.
Now Utah wants to get a handle on it’s illegal immigration problem.
Go Utah!!!
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700027727/Utah-lawmaker-Stephen-Sandstrom-to-draft-immigration-bill-similar-to-Arizonas.html
Now Tejas…
http://www.thegrio.com/politics/texas-lawmaker-to-introduce-anti-immigration-bill.php
INteresting read….
I love this part:
“Mexico is doing the job Arizona is now doing — a job the U.S. government has failed miserably to do: putting its own people first.”
Here:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36735&s=rcme
“Hipócritas.”