CA Teachers Take Kids on a Protest Trip to Arizona

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FOXNews.com - June 10, 2010
- by Jana Winter

With Revolutionaries 'Looking On,' Teachers Take Kids on a Protest Trip to Arizona

Standing in front of a wall-to-wall mural featuring a who's who of revolutionaries, including Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, and boldly displaying the motto Patria o Muerte, Venceremos!!! (Fatherland or Death, We Shall Overcome!!!), a group of teachers, students, parents and community activists in the Los Angeles Unified School District gathered last month for an unusual field trip — to Arizona, to protest that state's controversial immigration law.

A video posted on YouTube shows LA social studies teacher Jose Lara interviewing teachers and students on May 28 at the headquarters of an organization calling for a Mexican revolution on U.S. soil. Soon after he shot the video, many in the group left for an overnight "freedom ride" to Phoenix to protest what Lara tells the camera is a "racist and outrageous" law.

Four days later, the school board president implored the superintendent of schools to ensure that students in the district be taught that Arizona's law is "un-American" and Jim Crow-like. The law, passed in April, empowers law enforcement officials to question the immigration status of people they think may be in the country illegally.

Lara, who made the video, teaches at the Unified School District's Santee Education Complex with Ron Gochez, another social studies teacher who came under fire last month after he was identified making incendiary remarks in a widely circulated YouTube video that shows him speaking at a 2007 rally for La Raza, a revolutionary group calling for Mexican revolt inside the United States.

In that video, Gochez referred to Americans as "frail, racist, white people, and to California as "stolen, occupied Mexico." The video's posting led to a groundswell of anger and a flood of calls for Gochez's firing, but a school district investigation found him fit to continue teaching history to public school students.

Both Lara and Gochez are active in numerous revolutionary groups, including Union Del Barrio, a La Raza organization that Gochez helped establish across the street from Santee High School.

In the video shot before the trip to Arizona, students, teachers and others are seen gathered at the Union Del Barrio meeting hall and cultural center in Los Angeles, called Centro Cultural Francisco Villa — a nod to one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution — where wall murals picture revolutionary leaders — including Ho Chi Minh — holding machine guns.

Beside portraits of the revolutionaries is a hand-painted rendering of the famous and long-living revolutionary motto: Patrio o Muerte, Venceremos!!! Popularized by Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution, it’s been used by Latin American leaders including Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia, who declared it the official motto of his nation's army three months ago.

Gochez confirmed to FoxNews.com that he participated in the caravan to Arizona, though he does not appear in Lara’s video blog entry. Gochez did, however, give numerous on-camera interviews to local news outlets from Centro Cultural Francisco Villa that same night.

In his video, Lara asks a North Hollywood High School student named Susana why she's heading to Arizona.

"Even though we're — I don’t even know how miles away — we're there, we're there for la gente, we're there to help every Latino who's being accused for being immigrants," Susana says. "We have the power to make a lot of change."

Toward the end of the video, Lara introduces another LAUSD teacher, Clare Martinet of Garfield High School.

"I'm getting on the bus because, I think, that the laws are such a threat to all of us," she says. "I'm getting on the bus for all the people that can't get on the bus — for my students and parents of my students ... I'm here with them in solidarity."

School district spokesman Robert Alaniz declined to comment.

The teachers who accompanied students to Phoenix are no strangers to political activism and controversial speech. Gochez has organized against immigration law enforcement raids and held anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement meetings at his public high school. Lara has worked to secure scholarships and student loans for high school students who are in the U.S. illegally.

Lara and Martinet did not respond to e-mail requests for comment.

FoxNews.com has also uncovered e-mails sent by Martinet to a Progressive Educators discussion group that reveal her involvement in a May 16 march to protest Arizona's immigration law and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who gave a commencement speech that day at Pomona College.

In an e-mail to the group on March 15, Martinet listed the demands of the next day's "March and Rally to DHS Secretary Napolitano's Speech at the Pomona College."

She wrote:

"Demands:
1. To Stop the Criminalization of Immigrant Families!
2. No More Deportations and Raids!
3. Stop Using Police to Enforce Immigration Laws!
4. Stop Arizona Now!
5. Pass a Just/Humane Immigration Reform Now!"

The day after the march, Martinet wrote an e-mail directing the group to "a nationwide call for people to converge on Phoenix, Arizona, on May 29 for a National Day of Action."

Three days after the teachers and students caravanned to Phoenix to protest the immigration law, the Los Angeles school district board passed a resolution opposing it. The board said the district would look into curtailing district travel to the district and business with any Arizona-based companies. The school board president called on the superintendent to ensure that students throughout the district are taught that the immigration law is "un-American."

Hours after that June 1 school board meeting, Lara posted on his Facebook wall a link to an article titled,

"LAUSD board condemns Arizona Immigration law," along with the comment, "I know what I am teaching tomorrow in class!!!!"

Others weren't so sure. A Facebook user named Anne responded, "LAUSD CLEAN UP YOUR OWN HOUSE FIRST!" and another, Lou De Pace, a longtime LAUSD educator who's now retired, wrote, "amazing CA is going to hell in a handbag that is empty and we worry about AZ."

De Pace still sits on a teachers' union committee and is involved in national education and student activist causes. He said the student-teacher field trip was another example of the district focusing on other people’s issues while avoiding their own.

"I think it's ridiculous. There's so many more important things — like oversized classrooms, that's one of the biggest problems in the district," De Pace said. "I don't understand what their priorities are.... What message are we sending our kids, help everyone else other than yourself?"

"Clean your house up so you don't live in glass house that people can throw stones at it."
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Mayor Villaraigosa; Who are the Racists?

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Dear Sir;
While I respect the concern you have regarding racial profiling, I believe that the Law Enforcement Officers of Arizona are professionals.

Many of us in the north are appalled that our southern neighbors have been forced by the federal government to live with violent drug runners racing through their property. I can't imagine how frightening that must be. The fact that a rancher was murdered last month while minding his business, driving on his own land, doesn't seem to bother the White House at all.

What is our federal government there for, if not to organize and protect our borders?

Sir, the only ones that I see making this a racial issue are the ones that are calling Arizonans racist. Yes, the law was written because Latinos from Mexico - impoverished families as well as gang members and drug runners - have been illegally crossing the border in greater and greater numbers and with that, much hurt has come to Arizona.

But Arizona law enforcement personnel are not idiots. They aren't the racist rednecks various mayors and pandering politicians from the left have accused them of being. They are, believe it or not, trained professionals. I suspect that most have arrested criminals of every persuasion in the past and they expect to do so in the future. While jerks exist in any and every group, (including among White House Staffers) I doubt Arizona policemen intend to eyeball only Latinos for suspicious activity and arrest, and let everyone else go on about their crimes.

The first job of the Police officer, according to SB 1070, is to be about fighting crime and catching law breakers. That is the number one thing that the Police are supposed to be looking for. Illegal presence in the United States is a secondary factor, and deporting law breakers because they are here illegally is simply common sense.

If a neighbor kid comes into my house and steals something off my dresser...no matter what his heritage is, I'm gonna kick him out and tell him not to come back. (I've done the "forgive - let's talk about this" route before. Forget it.)

Further, it is extremely short sighted to act as if the need for a secure border and strict laws is only about Latinos.

An alert went out this week for someone from Somalia - not a Latino - that is/was attempting to cross the southern Border to commit terrorism. It has also been known for quite awhile that Al-Qaeda has been recruiting caucasians in Britain to commit terrorist acts. In 2008, a Scotland paper wrote,

"As many as 1,500 white Britons are believed to have converted to Islam for the purpose of funding, planning and carrying out surprise terror attacks inside the UK."

In Israel, terrorists are now coming in every shape, size, gender, and color.

So let's get real. The War on Drugs isn't our only border concern; there is also a War on Terror. We can't play games with our border, no matter who feels offended and pouts. This is about crime, not race. Any time anyone crosses the border to stay in the United States without permission, it is a crime.

Every state needs to adopt an Arizona type law. Why should I be afraid of it? The police already always ask for my ID every time they stop me for speeding. I also already carry the kids' birth certificates in a binder because we go to Canada frequently. I even keep their shot records, our car's registration, and other documents in it because it's so convenient. When we were students there, I kept the visas in the same binder. And I have NEVER been offended when a Canadian officer has asked to see my documents at the border - it's their right.

The only ones that should be upset by it are those that are here illegally. (So, Obama, why are you upset?)

Arizona has every right to protect its citizens. Everyone that has seriously read SB 1070 has been forced to realize that it is definitely constitutional. Even Eric Holder and his crew have been unable to justify a reason to fight it. That's why they are sitting on it, claiming that they are going to go slowly in order to mull it over. As near as many of us can tell, they are sitting on it until the law takes effect in the hopes of catching an Arizona police officer attempting to use it to commit a crime.

I don't understand how they think that will help their argument against the SB 1070, though. People commit crimes. That's why we have laws. Laws that are thought out and well written don't cause crime, they address them. And SB 1070 is a law written - apparently very well - to address and deal with crime being committed by people of every heritage, size, and contortion, even if the impetus was about Mexican citizens.

I certainly pray that the federal government, in their present silliness, doesn't attempt to set up an entrapment, and that Arizona is left alone to work out the law as they need to.

Now, Honorable Mayor Villaraigosa, as far as your boycott is concerned, according to the CATO institute,

"Preventing such interstate discrimination was, of course, one of the original purposes of the Constitution and, specifically, its Commerce Clause (which grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce)."

It's one thing for an entity to suggest individual citizens boycott an offending entity. It's another thing when a government passes a law forcing a Boycott of interstate commerce. Your boycott, sir, is what is unconstitutional.

So - as much as I love driving Highway 1, visiting the Pier, Universal Studios, relatives in Santa Monica, the Sequoia forest to the north, and much more...I will NOT visit LA or California at all until California officials grow up and cease their foolish attack on Arizona.

By the way - at one point, the Canadian government turned down out request to extend our visas. We had apparently filled out our paperwork wrong. Although we disagreed with that assertion, We did not protest or demand an imagined right to stay. We left, as we were told. We camped in Glacier Park and returned to the border to do the paperwork again. This time the visas were granted. Yes, it cost me another $1200, but we did it and it was legal. Although we are a multi-racial family, we never accused Canadian officials of racism. Canada has the right to govern its borders, and so do "we" in the US.

Please remember, Mayor Villaraigosa, as well as President Obama; it's "We the People" that run this country. Not a political party, and not a self-important person.

Lisa blogs at the Independent Indian Press
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A Nation Divided?? - Boycott Hollywood..

From the Sacramento Patriot Movement:

"The polls from Arizona on the SB1070, Immigration Law passed last month report that 70% of Arizona agrees with that law. Other polls report that over 60% of the remainder of America agrees with SB1070.

"Now we hear we are “A Nation Divided“?? This comes from NBC whose parent company is GE. The favorites of Obama.

"...We have GE running a full day of propaganda, we have Los Angeles and San Francisco and San Diego threatening boycotts of laws the majority of Americans want and agree with. Laws that all other countries are very strict about.

"It is time for us to stand up. We have to draw a line somewhere. Please let it be here. I am asking every American to consider a boycott against GE and all its affiliates. I am asking all Americans to boycott anything Hollywood. Imagine if all of quit going to the movies for one month. Perhaps they would learn who really is in control here. Please, help me, to show these people this is our country and we still can make the decisions of who is successful and who is not. That dirty ol’ capitalism. Lets show them how undivided we are."

Read More: A Nation Divided???
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Arizona Official Threatens to Cut Off Los Angeles Power as Payback for Boycott

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Judson Berger - - FOXNews.com
- May 19, 2010


A member of Arizona's top government utilities agency threw down the gauntlet in a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, threatening to cut off the city's power supply as retribution for the city's boycott of Arizona.

If Los Angeles wants to boycott Arizona, it had better get used to reading by candlelight.

That's the message from a member of Arizona's top government utilities agency, who threw down the gauntlet Tuesday in a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa by threatening to cut off the city's power supply as retribution.

Gary Pierce, a commissioner on the five-member Arizona Corporation Commission, wrote the letter in response to the Los Angeles City Council's decision last week to boycott the Grand Canyon State -- in protest of its immigration law -- by suspending official travel there and ending future contracts with state businesses.

Noting that a quarter of Los Angeles' electricity comes from Arizona power plants, Pierce threatened to pull the plug if the City Council does not reconsider.

"Doggone it -- if you're going to boycott this candy store ... then don't come in for any of it," Pierce told FoxNews.com.

In the letter, he ridiculed Villaraigosa for saying that the point of the boycott was to "send a message" by severing the "resources and ties" they share.

"I received your message; please receive mine. As a statewide elected member of the Arizona Corporation Commission overseeing Arizona's electric and water utilities, I too am keenly aware of the 'resources and ties' we share with the city of Los Angeles," Pierce wrote.

"If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation."

Appearing to tap into local frustration in Arizona over the raft of boycotts and threatened boycotts from cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Pierce warned that Arizona companies are willing and ready to fight boycott with boycott.

"I am confident that Arizona's utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands," Pierce wrote. "If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona's economy."

Pierce told FoxNews.com that he was speaking for himself, not the entire commission, though he has the support of at least one other member. But Arizona has some serious leverage over Los Angeles, as well as the rest of California. The state and city get electricity from a nuclear power plant outside Phoenix, as well as from coal-fired power plants in northern Arizona and two giant hydroelectric power generators along the Colorado River.

Despite that, the Los Angeles City Council voted overwhelmingly last week to ban future business with Arizona -- a decision that could cost Arizona millions of dollars in lost contracts.

Los Angeles officials were furious with the Arizona immigration law passed last month and joined local officials in cities across the country in pushing boycotts to register their dismay. Critics say the law will lead to racial profiling and civil rights abuses.

Arizona officials have defended the law, saying the state needed to take its illegal immigration problem into its own hands. Pierce said he's "supportive" of the state's efforts to control the border.

The law requires local law enforcement to try to verify the immigration status of anyone they have contact with whom they suspect of being an illegal immigrant. It empowers them to turn over verified illegal immigrants to federal custody. The legislation explicitly prohibits screening people based solely on race or national origin.
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L.A. Mayor Dismisses Warning That Arizona Could Cut Off Power Over Boycott

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Judson Berger - FOXNews.com
- May 19, 2010

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Wednesday defiantly rejected a warning by a top Arizona utilities official that the state could cut off power to Los Angeles should the city proceed with its boycott of all things Arizona.

Spokesman David Beltran told Fox News that the message didn't even warrant a response.

"We're not going to respond to threats from a state which has isolated itself from the America that values freedom, liberty and basic human rights," Beltran said.

That was after Gary Pierce, a commissioner on the five-member Arizona Corporation Commission, wrote a letter to Villaraigosa slamming his City Council's decision to boycott the Grand Canyon State -- in protest of its immigration law -- by suspending official travel there and ending future contracts with state businesses.

Noting that a quarter of Los Angeles' electricity comes from Arizona power plants, Pierce threatened to pull the plug if the City Council does not reconsider.

"Doggone it -- if you're going to boycott this candy store ... then don't come in for any of it," Pierce told FoxNews.com.

In the letter, he ridiculed Villaraigosa for saying that the point of the boycott was to "send a message" by severing the "resources and ties" they share.

"I received your message; please receive mine. As a statewide elected member of the Arizona Corporation Commission overseeing Arizona's electric and water utilities, I too am keenly aware of the 'resources and ties' we share with the city of Los Angeles," Pierce wrote.

"If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation."

Appearing to tap into local frustration in Arizona over the raft of boycotts and threatened boycotts from cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Pierce warned that Arizona companies are willing and ready to fight boycott with boycott.

"I am confident that Arizona's utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands," Pierce wrote. "If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona's economy."

Pierce told FoxNews.com that he was speaking for himself, not the entire commission, though he has the support of at least one other member. But Arizona has some serious leverage over Los Angeles, as well as the rest of California. The state and city get electricity from a nuclear power plant outside Phoenix, as well as from coal-fired power plants in northern Arizona and two giant hydroelectric power generators along the Colorado River.

Despite that, the Los Angeles City Council voted overwhelmingly last week to ban future business with Arizona -- a decision that could cost Arizona millions of dollars in lost contracts.

Los Angeles officials were furious with the Arizona immigration law passed last month and joined local officials in cities across the country in pushing boycotts to register their dismay. Critics say the law will lead to racial profiling and civil rights abuses.

Arizona officials have defended the law, saying the state needed to take its illegal immigration problem into its own hands. Pierce said he's "supportive" of the state's efforts to control the border.

The law requires local law enforcement to try to verify the immigration status of anyone they have contact with whom they suspect of being an illegal immigrant. It empowers them to turn over verified illegal immigrants to federal custody. The legislation explicitly prohibits screening people based solely on race or national origin.

Fox News' Ron Ralston contributed to this report.
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Boycotting Cities

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We started out this site concerned with the number of California cities that had threatened to boycott Arizona.  However, there are several other cities that need to be addressed as well.

Alphabetically by State:



Los Angeles, CA
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
(213) 978 - 0721
mayor@lacity.org

Oakland, CA
Mayor Ronald V. Dellums
(510) 238-3141

Sacramento, CA
Mayor Kevin Johnson
(916) 808-5300
Contact Mayor Johnson

San Diego, CA
Mayor Jerry Sanders
(619) 236-6330
JerrySanders@sandiego.gov

San Francisco, CA
Mayor Gavin Newsom
(415) 554-6141
gavin.newsom@sfgov.org



Boulder, CO
Mayor Susan Osborne
(303) 447-3280
osbornes@bouldercolorado.gov

Denver Public Schools
(720) 423-3414
communications_office@dpsk12.org

Boston, MA
Mayor Thomas M. Menino
(617) 635-4500
mayor@cityofboston.gov


St. Paul, MN
Mayor Christopher B. Coleman
(651) 266-8510
Contact the Mayor



City of Austin
Mayor Lee Leffingwell
(512) 974-2250
lee.leffingwell@ci.austin.tx.us

El Paso, TX
Mayor John F. Cook
(915)541-4145
mayor@elpasotexas.gov
.oycott

List of Politicians & Orgs to Boycott

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On Saturday, May 15, 2010, Sarah Palin and AZ Governor Jan Brewer launched the website  SecuretheBorder.org 

The site includes a list of politicians and organizations calling for a boycott of Arizona and asking visitors to call or e-mail these people to "let them know that you support Arizona."

We go a step further, and ask you to please Boycott the cities and entities that can be Boycotted until a time when they have ceased harrassing and attacking the citizens of Arizona.  For the Politicians and community agencies that can't be Boycotted, please contact them and let them know how you feel. 
Please continue to check back on this list in case there has been a need to enlarge it.


The list of politicians and organizations currently calling for boycotts of Arizona include:


Major League Baseball Players Association
Michael Weiner, Executive Director
(212) 826-0808
feedback@mlbpa.org

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D- AZ)
(520) 622-6788

Congressman Jose Serrano (D-NY)
(718) 620-0084
Contact Form

San Francisco, CA
Mayor Gavin Newsom
(415) 554-6141
gavin.newsom@sfgov.org

St. Paul, MN
Mayor Christopher B. Coleman
(651) 266-8510
Contact the Mayor

Oakland, CA
Mayor Ronald V. Dellums
(510) 238-3141

Los Angeles, CA
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
(213) 978 - 0721
mayor@lacity.org

Sacramento, CA
Mayor Kevin Johnson
(916) 808-5300
Contact Mayor Johnson

San Diego, CA
Mayor Jerry Sanders
(619) 236-6330
JerrySanders@sandiego.gov

Boulder, CO
Mayor Susan Osborne
(303) 447-3280
osbornes@bouldercolorado.gov

City of Austin
Mayor Lee Leffingwell
(512) 974-2250
lee.leffingwell@ci.austin.tx.us

Boston, MA
Mayor Thomas M. Menino
(617) 635-4500
mayor@cityofboston.gov

El Paso, TX
Mayor John F. Cook
(915)541-4145
mayor@elpasotexas.gov

Denver Public Schools
(720) 423-3414
communications_office@dpsk12.org

The National Council of La Raza
(202) 785-1670
comments@nclr.org

Service Employees International Union
(800) 424-8592

National Urban League
Marc H. Morial, President and CEO
(212) 558-5300
Contact Us

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Crystal L. Williams, Esq., Executive Director
(202) 507-7600
executive@aila.org

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
(410) 554.0040
admin@apa1906.net

American Educational Research Association
(202) 238-3200
flevine@aera.net

Sociologists Without Borders
(919) 962-5603
jrblau@email.unc.edu

Asian American Justice Center
(202) 296-2300
knarasaki@advancingequality.org

Center for Community Change
(202) 339-9300
DBhargava@communitychange.org

United Food and Commercial Workers
(602) 254-0099

National Black Caucus of State Legislators
(202) 624-5457

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
(202) 434-8070

Palin Says 'We're All Arizonans Now'

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May 15, 2010

Arizona State Governor Jan Brewer and Sarah Palin got together at a brief news conference today to defend the new Arizona law cracking down on illegal immigration. The law takes effect July 29 and requires police, when stopping someone from breaking another law, to enforcing federal law by asking a person about his or her immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion" they are in the country illegally. Being in the country illegally would also become a state crime. 

Many liberals across the country have been verbally attacking Brewer and the law and calling for a boycott of all things Arizona. In fact, our incredibely mature and presidential President Obama made jokes about Arizona and the law. Apparently unaware of the federal law in which the Arizona law was built, he condemned it, thinking that it encouraged racial profiling.

Brewer says that profiling is illegal and won't be tolerated. "Our president apparently considers it a wonderful opportunity to divide people along racial lines for his personal political convenience," she said.

Brewer and Palin had other interesting things to say.  For one, they said that if President Obama had properly done his job and secured the border, there wouldn't be a need for this law, as the measure is Arizona's attempt to enforce immigration laws because the federal government won't.  
 
I don't really like the way that the defense was worded though. The point is that Federal law concerning illegal immigration exists, and it exists for good reason.  It exists because Congress, after discussion and hearings, decided that such a law was necessary. The problem is that it hasn't been enforced very well.  So, wouldn't the correct admonition to the Obama administration, as well as previous administrations, be that they didn't ensure their agencies enforced federal law?

At any rate, there were other good quotes from the event.  Palin said, "It's time for Americans across this great country to stand up and say, 'We're all Arizonans now' and in clear unison we say, 'Mr. President: Do your job. Secure our border.'"

She also said, concerning police checking identification and citizenship, "I think for most American people the reaction to this would be, 'Why haven't the police already been doing that?"'

Brewer said, "Our purpose today is to help the rest of the nation understand the crisis which confronts our state," and she cited the presence of human and drug smugglers.

The event launched a website - SecuretheBorder.org - that Brewer said was an effort to educate America about border security and discourage an economic boycott of the state.

The site, funded by Brewer's re-election campaign, shows pictures of Brewer and Palin and invites visitors to sign a petition opposing boycotts. It includes a list of politicians and organizations calling for the boycotts and asks visitors to call or e-mail to "let them know that you support Arizona."

The list of politicians and organizations calling for boycotts includes:

Major League Baseball Players Association
Michael Weiner, Executive Director
(212) 826-0808
feedback@mlbpa.org

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D- AZ)
(520) 622-6788

Congressman Jose Serrano (D-NY)
(718) 620-0084
Contact Form

San Francisco, CA
Mayor Gavin Newsom
(415) 554-6141
gavin.newsom@sfgov.org

St. Paul, MN
Mayor Christopher B. Coleman
(651) 266-8510
Contact the Mayor

Oakland, CA
Mayor Ronald V. Dellums
(510) 238-3141

Los Angeles, CA
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
(213) 978 - 0721
mayor@lacity.org

Sacramento, CA
Mayor Kevin Johnson
(916) 808-5300
Contact Mayor Johnson

San Diego, CA
Mayor Jerry Sanders
(619) 236-6330
JerrySanders@sandiego.gov

Boulder, CO
Mayor Susan Osborne
(303) 447-3280
osbornes@bouldercolorado.gov

City of Austin
Mayor Lee Leffingwell
(512) 974-2250
lee.leffingwell@ci.austin.tx.us

Boston, MA
Mayor Thomas M. Menino
(617) 635-4500
mayor@cityofboston.gov

El Paso, TX
Mayor John F. Cook
(915)541-4145
mayor@elpasotexas.gov

Denver Public Schools
(720) 423-3414
communications_office@dpsk12.org

The National Council of La Raza
(202) 785-1670
comments@nclr.org

Service Employees International Union
(800) 424-8592

National Urban League
Marc H. Morial, President and CEO
(212) 558-5300
Contact Us

American Immigration Lawyers Association
Crystal L. Williams, Esq., Executive Director
(202) 507-7600
executive@aila.org

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
(410) 554.0040
admin@apa1906.net

American Educational Research Association
(202) 238-3200
flevine@aera.net

Sociologists Without Borders
(919) 962-5603
jrblau@email.unc.edu

Asian American Justice Center
(202) 296-2300
knarasaki@advancingequality.org

Center for Community Change
(202) 339-9300
DBhargava@communitychange.org

United Food and Commercial Workers
(602) 254-0099

National Black Caucus of State Legislators
(202) 624-5457

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
(202) 434-8070



See Full Story at foxnews.com
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Los Angeles City Council Votes to Boycott Arizona

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According to Fox news;

"The City Council voted Wednesday to boycott Arizona businesses, making Los Angeles the largest city to take such action to protest the state's tough new law targeting illegal immigration."

"...The resolution is expected to be signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. It bars the nation's second-largest city from conducting business or reaching new contracts with Arizona businesses unless the immigration law is repealed, and also prohibits most city business trips to the state."

The resolution claims that Arizona's new law encourages racial profiling and is unconstitutional.
Polls have shown strong grass root citizen support for the Arizona law. However, several persons elected by those very same citizens seem to think that they are smarter and have a duty to teach and lead the unwashed masses.  Several other cities have already passed resolutions or urged boycotts to protest the law, including Oakland, San Francisco and San Diego, California.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said the new law simply upholds federal law reqiring legal immigrants carry immigration papers and that charges that the law mandates racial profiling are "just pure rhetoric

"... I have a responsibility to stand up and protect the people of Arizona and we will do that...I find it really interesting that we have people out there that are attempting a boycott in favor of illegal actions in Arizona. That to me is just unbelievable."

Niether hearing nor caring, Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who co-authored the nasty LA action, implied it was a simply a statement, and said, "We want to stand back and say that we're against it. We're hoping that Arizona will be the last state to do this instead of just the first state to do it."

But no, this is not just a simple resolution making an informational statement.  This resolution is being used as full force of law. It is an action, taken for the purpose of incurring as much financial pain on Arizona as possilbe.

Los Angeles' chief legislative analyst, Gerry Miller, issued a report recommending the council "suspend travel, cut contracts and refrain from making any new ones with Arizona-based firms."  The council then asked lawyers to report back in a week on which Arizona contracts could be terminated without incurring lawsuits. 
Hahn also called for a review of the city's investments and a removal of anything invested in Arizona.

Members of the Council, truly believing that eveyone thinks the same as they do, suggested the city lure potential conventions out of Arizona and into LA, and offer Arizona businesses incentives as well to relocate to Los Angeles. (Hey. is it possible that the LA council is using this Arizona law as a convenient excuse - when in fact, what LA is really trying to do is bring money back into its bankrupt coffers?)

The lone dissenter, Councilman Greig Smith, said he opposed the boycott because he did not believe taking action on another state's laws was within the council's jurisdiction, and that the action didn't serve the city's economic interests.

"I have always opposed using the Los Angeles City Council to weigh in on non-related social issues that are not within the purview of Los Angeles," Smith said

Oakland, San Francisco, and San Diego are also taking similar ridiculous action against their neighboring state, Arizona. Those of us who Support Arizona and her decision to protect lawful citizens will now refuse to do any business or vacationing in California until they grow up and stop their nonsense.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/12/los-angeles-city-council-votes-boycott-arizona-immigration-law/
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