Arizona Image Problems & Boycott Could Cost the State $90 Million
As a result of Arizona's new, highly controversial immigration law, travellers are boycotting the state and conventions have been cancelled. According to estimates by city officials, metropolitan Phoenix itself stands to lose as much as $90 million in hotel and convention business over the next five years.
The state's new immigration law requires police to ask for proof of citizenship if they suspect someone is in the U.S. illegally. This law has attracted quite a bit of negative attention, both national and internationally, and has spurred calls for tourists and businesses to boycott Arizona. Critics say that it promotes racial profiling.
City and tourism officials in Phoenix have composed a watch list of approximately 20 events. The list is composed of four organizations who have cancelled events, and more than a dozen others that have scheduled events but have expressed concern over the new law. Events on the watchlist would affect city-run venues, including the Phoenix Convention Center and the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel.
David Krietor, a deputy city manager tracking the issue, said:
"We have an image and public relations problem of what might be unprecedented proportions."
Events that have thus far been cancelled include the oldest African-American Greek-lettered fraternity - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. - which was due to hold a July meeting at the Sheraton. The convention was expected to draw as many as 5,000 attendees and as many as 10,000 visitors. That event has now been moved to Las Vegas.
Cancellations for 2012 include the National Association of Black Accountants, the National Urban League, and the International Communications Association. While the city did not have available attendance estimates for all of the groups, they did say that they represent about 16,000 room nights in local hotels.
The $90 million that the city estimates they could lose in the next five years represents the estimated amount that the group's members would spend in the region. Some of the watchlist events are scheduled for this year, and others are booked as far out as 2015.
Phoenix's City Council is meeting this afternoon, and will be briefed on the situation at 2pm local time. They are likely to discuss strategies to help retain tourism.
Comments
And yet most people support what Arizona is doing. Maybe they got a better deal in Vegas? Or maybe the violent protests in the streets make them nervous, not the law itself?
This conclusion appears to be drawn to further harm the image of Arizona (intentionally). In fact there could be several different explanations for this data.
The Obama administration and other news outlets blatantly lying about this law and inciting racial violence is unconscionable. Now *there* is a story.
boycotting (embargo) of arizona by other cities and states is unconstituional as it violates
the inter state commerce clause
Now how come all the other states aren't rushing to also have a cool law like Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's SB1070 law is my only question? blow jobs | how to give a blowjob
Beatle John Lennon would be in trouble in Arizona if he were alive and trying to play a concert there. John Lennon was classified as an illegal alien and had immigration troubles in NY all the time where he lived. Well, Arizona is no New York, if you don't have a recognized ID acceptable to an interrogating low brow Arizona cop, he would arrest you now and then its deportation to England from there.
And all the British music groups would be checked in to, so Paul, George, and Ringo may have their paperwork right but is their ID correct? Maybe, maybe not let's check in to it though under the new SB1070 law giving police a must do immigration check because some Arizonians actually hate Beatles music and would make trouble for them on that issue alone and call a cop who must do an investigation on the Beatles whether the cops wants to or not because they talk with a funny accent would be the only suspicion needed to warrant their ID frisk.
And British singer Sting is on the frisk list if he's spotted because not everyone is a Sting fan in Arizona, although I think like the Beatles Sting is great. Then we wouldn't want Sir Elton John not to have his day with his hands up against the wall until he proves that he's in Arizona legally. Elton is more than likely to be detained by an Arizona cop because he's a frequent act in nearby Las Vegas and I imagine that he's wanted to see the Grand Canyon while in town but now Elton has to do any tourist visiting under cloak because if a non-Elton John music listener sees Elton visiting Arizona the more than likely this person will force Elton John to be frisked at the Grand Canyon by a cop who must do that or be sued by onlookers for not performing his civic duty according to SB1070.
The list is long how many music acts now will cancel performing in Arizona due to the possible annoyance of being frisked again and again because Governor Jan Brewer has said SB1070 is not about racial profiling so all British entertainers will automatically fall suspect to being illegal aliens along with all Japanese visitors, African visitors, etc. etc. everyone must be ready for a called cop to check them out in public because a concerned citizen has placed a call and now we must abide by that callers demand even the police or the city will be sued.
Now how come all the other states aren't rushing to also have a cool law like Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's SB1070 law is my only question?
It's clear fromy our comment that you haven't read the actual bill, SB 1070, or the execturive order on training police on enforcement of the law, of HB 2162 passed a week letter which changed the language of the original law.
The law states that police can only check immigrations/citizenship status of people suspected to be in the country illiegally during police contact such as traffic stop, or other law violations. They cannot radonmly approach people walking down the streets that aren't committing crimes.
The law also states that police cannot use race, color of skin, language when decing resonable suspicion. Please do your own reaserch and stop repeating the false claims made in liberal editorials before posting B.S comments!
yet all those who have read the law will know that it doesn't list a criteria for "reasonable suspicion".
There are MANY facets of law that are built around what is "reasonable." The word "reasonable" has never been specifically defined, so why should it in this case?
John Lennon did not enter the Country jammed in the back of U-Haul with 66 others. He also didn't get shoved with 20 others in a drophouse with out water or electricity when it was 110 degrees INSIDE. He also didn't see his child being held hostage while he worked as a day laborer to pay the "Coyote" that smuggled him into the country.
These are all RECENT stories of illegal immigration here in AZ that you have overlooked in your attempt to trivialize this issue. YOUR attitude is the EXACT reason why this problem has gotten worse. In your mind, the John Lennon's of the world may be inconveinced. In reality, people are dying and being victimized because people turn a blind eye to this.
Arizona is not re-writing Immigration law. We are asking for help. Unfortunately, People like yourself who need to simplify everything in order to understand it, PERPETUATE the indifference to this. The situation here is barely above the slave trade!
So this weekend try this:
Get your friends together,
Buy a space heater,
Rent a U-haul,
Pile in the back of the U-Haul turn on the heater, lock the door, and sit there for 8 hrs. You can sing Beatles songs or Elton John songs whatever you would like. Of course let yourselves out once in awhile to use the bathroom.
After the 8 hrs say to yourself... WELCOME TO AMERICA! Then go play beatles rock band and call it a day!
This post is silly. I hardly doubt high profile acts are avoiding Arizona due to fear of being frisked. It's obvious they're using their celebrity to all of a sudden have a political view. I mean, seriously, do I care that a band like Cypress Hill opposes the new bill? Really, now, Cypress Hill? Like they're such upstanding citizens themselves. It's laughable at best, much like your post.
^^ they ARE, get your head out of the sand!
I'm feeling lucky!
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/05/10/2010-05-10_politicians_move_to_adopt_tough_arizonalike_antiimmigration_laws.html
We need to enforce the law because the feds aren't getting the job done. Its putting us all at risk.
Remember, illegal immigration is HUMAN TRAFFICKING! Saying you do not stand with Arizona means, to me, you don't care about the rule of law, and you support human and drug trafficking across our borders.
Los Lobos and other big acts from Mexico have canceled. Not because they "got a better deal in Vegas" but because of the proposed new legislation. And they cannot use race or color, but come on if your'e caught driving while brown your'e going to get grilled. There have been reports of police officers stopping drivers and asking for documentation. The officers even speak perfect Spanish i'm told. Anyway, Arizona is not an important state.
This law is a step backwards, yes, but I honestly don't see any other way of getting illegals out of the country. Simply asking them won't work, so I don't see any other way of getting them to leave short of a holocaust style roundup. And no, I'm not racist, it's just that there's no other semi-civil way to do this. I honestly don't know why they're complaining so much... in WWII my grandpa who lived in Hawaii was thrown in an internment camp and all of his land was confiscated (which he never got back after the war) and he WAS legal. Yea he was bitter, but he didn't complain about it half as much as all these illegals are about the country enforcing a law. If you have so much anxiety about being pulled over and getting deported, you should at least try riding a bike or walking (since you don't even have a license to begin with if you're illegal). I realize that the economy is dependent upon the amazing savings that can be made by hiring illegal workers, but the problem I have with them being here is that they are confined to only the bottom tiers of America's society. And no, I'm not talking about Mexicans in general, because a lot of them are moving up in society - I'm referring to illegals, who will prob never get a soc sec #, and will thus be stuck in their existence of ridiculously underpaid manual labor. By having illegals in this country, we're essentially perpetuating a class of slavery, whereas in Mexico, they would have chances to progress since they are actual citizens there (considering that Mexico undergoes major changes in its, er, "management."