PHOENIX - The nation faces tough questions in tough times, and there are people on both sides of every issue.
Arizona is no different. But who’s saying what about the issues important to Arizonans?
Each Sunday, ABC15.com debuts an Arizona issue - along with two opposing sides on the topic.
Don’t worry, you always have the opportunity to make comments at the bottom of the page. Yeah, your opinion matters too.
This week we're tackling the debate over the effect of Arizona's new immigration law on the state's reputation.
Some argue Arizona is feeling the economic sting of losing conventions and visitors opposed to the controversial legislation. They say SB1070 is an impractical solution that has also led to Latinos fleeing the state and taking much-needed business with them.
Others contend that even after all the rhetoric, lawsuits and talk show host jokes, Phoenix is still a key place to invest, a thriving place to do business and a great place to live.
So, is Arizona's reputation in trouble?
Click "next" to read the first of two positions, "SB1070 has caused serious damage"
SB1070 HAS CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE: By Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director, ACLU of Arizona
When my family and I decided to pack up our things and move across the country for my job with the ACLU in Arizona, it was the weather and people that sealed the deal for me.
With a Latino population of nearly 30 percent and Spanish-speaking neighborhoods where you can pick up everything from Argentine choripán to Mexican tortas to Salvadorean pupusas, Arizona reminded me in a lot of ways of Miami, where I grew up.
That was before April 23, when Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law SB 1070, one of the most reactionary, anti-immigrant measures America has ever seen.
That was before we became nationally known as the "show me your papers" state, where presumed immigrants, like my parents and grandparents, with dark hair and thick accents, became criminal suspects in the eyes of the law.
Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton temporarily blocked some of the most dangerous provisions of the law, acknowledging that it would lead to the “intrusion of police presence into the lives of legally-present aliens (and even United States citizens).”
But the damage has been done.
Arizona’s official policy of “attrition through enforcement” – which intends to make life so intolerable for hundreds of thousands of people who live here that they just leave – is working, at least according to local news reports.
For example:
--The state has already lost about 40 conventions and $15 million;
--Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of families abandoned their homes and left the state, possibly increasing foreclosure rates;
--Revenues for small retailers that cater to Latinos fell by more than 50 percent; and
--School districts with large Latino populations saw a decrease in student enrollment.
Clearly, as both a legal and policy matter, SB 1070 is wrong.
It’s an impractical, unconstitutional response to a complex problem.
So, now it’s time to decide what Arizona we want to live in.
Because the vast majority of Latinos living, working and raising their children in this state are like me - U.S.-born children of immigrants who believe Arizona’s political leaders need to stop focusing blame onto immigrants and start working toward practical solutions that uphold our values and move us forward.
Do you agree with this opinion? Add a comment below to sound off.
Click "next" to read the second position, "Arizona is a key place to invest"
ARIZONA IS A KEY PLACE TO INVEST: By Todd Sanders, President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
Let’s face it: our state’s image has taken a hit in recent months. Yet, after all the rhetoric, lawsuits and talk show host jokes, one simple fact remains: Phoenix is still a key place to invest, a thriving place to do business and a great place to live.
We live in the nation’s fifth-largest city, one with a young, vibrant workforce drawn and they are kept here by Phoenix’s reputation as “the opportunity oasis,” where one can start from scratch and write your own success story. Phoenix is one of the best places in the country to be “new,” and is considered one of our country’s last great meritocracies. If you can dream it, you can do it in Phoenix.
With inexpensive commercial space, low-cost utilities, favorable salaries and an ever improving tax and regulatory environment, Phoenix is a great place to launch a business. In fact, many entrepreneurs are continuing to do just that, even as we continue to climb out of a recession. New companies continue to spring up, and we at the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce do our best to help those companies build a solid foundation for growth and success.
Educational opportunities abound, with a myriad of public and private universities, schools and specialized institutions. They run the gamut from Arizona State University – one of the nation’s largest, with more than 50,000 students - to one of the top community college systems in the nation. These schools will help create continuing generations of highly-skilled, capable workers. Many will study and work in growing, state-of-the-art industries like biotechnology and solar energy that will key our economic resurgence and keep us competitive with neighboring states.
Our lawmakers are approachable, accessible and available, from our open Council-Manager form of city government to the state legislators at the Capitol downtown.
Speaking of our downtown, it’s growing and vibrant. The METRO light rail system has exceeded all ridership projections, and now links both sides of the Valley to downtown and to each other. Our public transit system, expanding road infrastructure and world-class airport give us a transportation system second to none and make Phoenix a regional hub for business and travel.
Visitors and residents alike can benefit from our growing arts and cultural community (have you seen the new Musical Instruments Museum?), world class sports and breathtaking mountain and desert vistas. And, oh, yes, the weather’s still pretty good here most of the year.
Those are facts that anyone could learn in a simple Google search. But let me tell you my own story: I came to this country from Colombia when I was just a boy. I earned a degree from Northern Arizona University and have been blessed to work in our state legislature and now to oversee the state’s largest and best-established chamber of commerce. I will raise my family here and continue to work to make Greater Phoenix a great place to live and work.
This is my home. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Do you agree with this opinion? Add a comment below to sound off.
Copyright 2010 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
PRINT
