A Grim Anniversary

While much attention has been focussed on the one year anniversary of the oil spill in the Gulf, it is also the one year anniversary of Arizona's enactment of SB 1070, the restrictive, racist, anti-immigrant legislation. The National Council of La Raza has issued a report on the law and the copycat legislation that has followed in other states. Those who think Arizona's path is the path to follow should be forewarned: It only promises a lot of expensive litigation, a population outflow of both documented and undocumented workers, and a black eye in the image department as tourists choose friendlier locales.
"The evidence shows that the costs of political gambits and false solutions embodied by SB 1070 are too high, especially in times of economic crisis,” said NCLR President Janet Murgu'a. “We hope this report helps responsible state legislators realize how detrimental these laws can be to their states, and that we are better off as taxpayers and a nation if we focus on the real issues, come up with actual solutions, and work to finally fix the problem at the federal level.”