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How Arizona's Law Hurts America
Topic Started: Apr 28 2010, 05:13 AM (481 Views)
Jeff
Senior Carp
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/04/28/2010-04-28_how_arizonas_law_will_hurt_america_mayor_michael_bloomberg_assails_the_new_immig.html

How Arizona's law will hurt America: Mayor Michael Bloomberg assails the new immigration statute

BY MICHAEL BLOOMBERG

Wednesday, April 28th 2010, 4:00 AM


A new Arizona law requiring local police officers to stop anyone they might reasonably suspect of being here illegally may produce unintended consequences that could hurt not only Arizona, but all of America.

The law is so vaguely written that it may force officers to stop people who look or dress differently - or who speak a foreign language, or English with an accent.

Already, stories are appearing about foreign travelers crossing Arizona off their vacation lists. Who wants to visit the Grand Canyon if you could end up getting hassled by the police - or arrested - if you leave your passport at the hotel? Foreign business leaders may also think twice about visiting or investing in Arizona.

While Arizona may suffer, as long as those visitors and investors still come to America, the country will be fine. In fact, we hope more of them come to New York, where we would welcome them with open arms.

But if some of them stop visiting and investing in America, and if other states follow Arizona's lead - as some are now discussing - the economic consequences will be felt in middle-class communities across the country.

American citizens would lose jobs as businesses downsize, and governments with lower tax revenues would lay off teachers, firefighters and police officers. As a result, our country would have a harder time climbing out of the national recession.

Requiring local police to stop anyone they suspect of being here illegally may also hurt public health and safety. In New York City, we protect the confidentiality of all residents when they interact with government, because whenever someone is afraid to report a crime, for any reason, it makes all of us less safe. Whenever someone is afraid to go to the hospital to get treated for sickness or disease, it puts all of us at risk. Whenever someone is afraid to report exploitation in the workforce, it hurts all of us.

Since our earliest Colonial days, people have come here from around the world - with few restrictions - to better their lives. Today, we continue to rely on people from every continent to lay the foundation for our future economic growth, both through their innovative new ideas and their manual labor. But the simple fact is that our policies are too restrictive given American companies' demand for workers and American consumers' demand for products and services.

Basic free market economics tells us we need more legal immigrants - immigrants who will start new businesses and help build the foundation for future economic growth. Laws that have the potential to hassle them could prove devastating to our economy.

From a practical point of view, police officers have no rational way of knowing in advance who is a citizen, or a tourist, or a business traveler, or a legal permanent resident, or a foreign student, or a temporary worker - and who is not. And this could lead immigrants who own businesses to pack up and leave and take their companies' jobs with them.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon understands the harmful impact that this law could have on his city, and he is weighing a legal challenge. Certainly, a very strong case could be made that the law is unconstitutional. But Gordon also understands that the real solution lies in Washington.

We need Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform - and fast. In the weeks and months ahead, I will do everything possible to join with Gordon and others to advance reform that strengthens our economy, secures our borders and honors our history.

What's at stake here is nothing less than America's international reputation as the most open and attractive marketplace in the world, and our standing as the world's strongest economic superpower. Immigrants have always been at the heart of American culture and capitalism, and casting suspicious eyes on legal immigrants will only harm both.

Bloomberg is mayor of New York City.
Edited by Jeff, Apr 28 2010, 05:14 AM.
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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
"A new Arizona law requiring local police officers to stop anyone they might reasonably suspect of being here illegally"

I stopped there. Bloomberg is an idiot. A smart billionaire idiot, I'll grant, but an idiot nonetheless.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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Improviso
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HOLY CARP!!!
Jeff
Apr 28 2010, 05:13 AM
While Arizona may suffer, as long as those visitors and investors still come to America, the country will be fine. In fact, we hope more of them come to New York, where we would welcome them with open arms.
I too hope more of them come to New York. In fact, maybe Arizona can line up a caravan of buses. As the illegals cross the border, pile them onto the buses and ship them to the open arms of New York city.

That will create tons of new jobs for bus drivers in Arizona, private industry jobs I might add. And give New Yorkers just what they crave.

Hell, maybe Jeffrey can get them all jobs in the financial industry. :lol2:
Identifying narcissists isn't difficult. Just look for the person who is constantly fishing for compliments
and admiration while breaking down over even the slightest bit of criticism.

We have the freedom to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences.
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Improviso
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HOLY CARP!!!
Oh... and while you're at it, maybe double New York state taxes so y'all can pay for the social services they'll suck up once they hit the state line.

Because as we all know, you don't have to be a citizen of this country to feed at the tit of the government. You just have to set foot on American soil for that privilege.
Identifying narcissists isn't difficult. Just look for the person who is constantly fishing for compliments
and admiration while breaking down over even the slightest bit of criticism.

We have the freedom to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences.
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John D'Oh
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MAMIL
Improviso
Apr 28 2010, 06:08 AM
Hell, maybe Jeffrey can get them all jobs in the financial industry. :lol2:
Those shiny marble floors and walls aren't going to clean themselves, you know.
What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket?
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JBryan
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I am the grey one
But there are few lawns to mow in NYC.
"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne


There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it".


Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody.

Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore.

From The Lion in Winter.
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1hp
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Fulla-Carp

Quote:
 
"A new Arizona law requiring local police officers to stop anyone they might reasonably suspect of being here illegally"

I stopped there. Bloomberg is an idiot. A smart billionaire idiot, I'll grant, but an idiot nonetheless.


I was about to write almost the same thing. That first line just jumps out - who wants to bother reading the rest? You'd think the NY Daily News would do some error checking.

Edited by 1hp, Apr 28 2010, 07:40 AM.
There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those that understand binary and................
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
ivorythumper
Apr 28 2010, 05:59 AM
"A new Arizona law requiring local police officers to stop anyone they might reasonably suspect of being here illegally"

I stopped there.
Your loss.
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
Do you mean, "you are lost" or "your loss"?
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Kincaid
Apr 28 2010, 09:31 AM
Do you mean, "you are lost" or "your loss"?
Thanks for catching the typo. I meant "your loss."
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
JBryan
Apr 28 2010, 06:53 AM
But there are few lawns to mow in NYC.
Here they work in kitchens and in the korean grocers.

In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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1hp
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Fulla-Carp

How can it be my loss? An argument that starts and builds on a false statement cannot prove anything.

If you disagree with this please point out where in the Arizona bill it says anything pertaining to: "requiring local police officers to stop anyone they might reasonably suspect of being here illegally".
There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those that understand binary and................
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
Don't confuse the left with facts 1hp.
___.___
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o 0
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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John D'Oh
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MAMIL
Mark
Apr 28 2010, 12:18 PM
Don't confuse the left with facts 1hp.
Michael Bloomberg and Jeff are 'The Left'? :lol:
What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket?
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