Arizona's legal setback over the new immigration law has resulted in a bit of a financial outpouring of sympathy for the state.
Figures obtained Friday show that 1,755 people made donations online on Wednesday to the fund set up by Gov. Jan Brewer to help pay the state's cost of defending SB 1070 against seven separate legal challenges. That was the day U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton enjoined the state from implementing key provisions of the law.
All totaled, they gave more than $75,000 that day.
By contrast, only 69 donations were made online the prior day totaling only $3,350.
The burst of support continued Thursday, with the governor's office reporting 1,129 online donations by 5:30 p.m. that day for a total of $48,180. And that was hours before the governor, in a live interview on the Greta Van Sustern show on Fox, mentioned the website and asked viewers to send money.
Donations now top $1.6 million, with all but about $250,000 of that from the website.
That includes one donation of $10,000. The governor's office did not immediately provide an identity of the contributor.
There also was a single $5,000 donation, one of $3,000, two of $2,000 and 40 people each gave $1,000.
The last time there was such a big outpouring came in the days after the U.S. Department of Justice decided to file its own lawsuit against the state. It was that lawsuit that resulted in Bolton's ruling on Thursday.
Brewer's next step is to try to get the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to dissolve the injunction which keeps the state from implementing several provisions. These include requiring police to check the immigration status of those they have stopped if there is "reasonable suspicion" the person is an illegal immigrant, and mandating immigration checks on all those who have been arrested before they can be released.
The governor said Arizona needs to start enforcing the entire law to cut down on the number of illegal immigrants in the state. She said Arizona lawmakers had no choice but to approve SB 1070 because of the failure of the federal government to secure the border.
How much the legal battle has cost so far is not known.
The governor's office has released the details of only the first bill it got from the private law firm Brewer hired using the authority given to her by state lawmakers to direct the defense of the controversial law. That bill for $77,136,58, however, represents only the work done by Snell & Wilmer during the last 11 days in May.
No invoices have been released for subsequent work leading up to the three separate hearings on the requests for injunctions.
What is known is that John Bouma, the lead attorney, is billing the state $450 an hour, with lesser amounts for other attorneys at the firm.
Top locations for donors
State / total donors / total amount
Arizona / 5,087 / $269,287
California / 4,410 / $201,484
Texas / 2,670 / $133,724
Florida / 1,677 / $77,687
New York / 962 / $37,336
Washington / 741 / $35,315
Colorado / 761 / $33,831
Virginia / 716 / $33,566
Georgia / 712 / $32,546
Illinois / 743 / $31,895
Source: Governor’s Office
Figures represent donations made through Internet site as of 5:30 p.m. Thursday
forkedlift1 posted at 3:09 pm on Sun, Aug 1, 2010.
IzzyAz, I recall reading this article about Missouri's law, and the differences between it and SB 1070 and between Arizona are Missouri are many, just some of which are noted in the article.
A column in today's Republic -- "Arizona's migrant law: Smoke to hide a wretched economy" -- makes some good points. It reminds us that the U.S. and Arizona are in a recession, unemployment is at a record high, and the prospect of growth looks dim.
Our political leadership has identified two enemies: the federal government and immigrant labor. "Meantime we mortgage government buildings to pay current operating expenses. We are 50th in the nation in education funding. Parks and senior centers are closing. We violate EPA air standards year after year."
If 1070 were in effect today as written (and if the federal government hadn't intervened) would any of the problems identified above be resolved? "Can we honestly say immigrant laborers are the source of these problems? Gov. Jan Brewer, Sen. Russell Pearce and Rep. John Kavanaugh would like us to believe that story."
"To suggest that immigrants are the reason for all our woes is a classic case of political three-card monte, an unprincipled trick to take our eye off the ball. It is also no coincidence that it takes pressure off our leadership to find solutions to the real problems we all face here."
"What if state and municipal debts continue to grow and tax receipts continue to fall or remain stagnant?
How do you expect existing Arizona leadership to respond? I venture the following: 'Round up the usual suspects.' "
IzzyAz posted at 11:05 am on Sun, Aug 1, 2010.
This article was in the EV Trib June 2010.... It should be National news! All states need to stand together and move forward to force the Feds to accept the state law or take care of business at the Fed level.
East Valley Tribune
The first measure from the State Legislature came in 2007, when a constitutional amendment was proposed to make English the official language of the state. It was passed by voters by an overwhelming margin.
A year later, the General Assembly passed a law that required law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of any person arrested, and inform federal authorities if the person is found to be there illegally. Further, it stipulated that any city or town acting as a sanctuary city to illegal immigrants would be ineligible for grant money coming from the state. And it required the commercial driver’s license written test to be given only in English.
In the words of one state legislator: “With the passage of this legislation (we) sent a clear message that illegal immigrants are not welcome in our state, and that they are certainly not welcome to receive public benefits at the cost of (our) taxpayers.”
In 2009, those state regulations went even further. A new law ensured that public institutions of higher learning would not award financial aid to individuals who are there illegally.
Said the legislator: “The bill represents another common sense approach to the issue as it ensures taxpayer dollars are not used to subsidize the education of someone who is in our country illegally.”
The legislator is not Russell Pearce.
And the state is not Arizona.
Perhaps you weren’t aware of this state’s stance on immigration because there was no national outrage, no boycotts from cities across the country, no jokes on late-night talk shows, and no president publicly calling the legislation “misguided.”
But what the state of Missouri has done is to quietly and effectively pass immigration laws in its state that the federal government has refused to address.
“I don’t understand why they’re boycotting Arizona,” said Missouri State Rep. Nita Jane Ayres, a Republican who is also the author of the above-mentioned quotes. “The first thing I would sense coming from the folks in Arizona is that they’re frustrated the federal government is not doing anything to protect us from the effects of illegal immigration. Arizona said enough is enough, we have to take some of this into our own hands. In my mind, that’s the way it has to be sometimes.”
Arizona’s controversial new immigration law, which takes effect July 29, is really not that much different than what Missouri has had on the books for a couple years. Where Missouri requires police officers to determine the immigration status of anyone “who is arrested,” Arizona’s goes one step further, requiring police to question anyone during a “lawful stop” if there is “reasonable suspicion” to think they are in this country illegally.
But the “Show Me State” hasn’t suffered anywhere near the backlash that Arizona has endured.
Granted, Missouri doesn’t have near the Hispanic population of Arizona or our proximity to the border. It also doesn’t have politicians as galvanizing as Pearce or Joe Arpaio or any number of our past governors. And, more importantly, Missouri had its ducks in a row when the new laws were passed.
Arizona was in such a rush to do something about illegal immigration, it passed a bill that — in its original form — was vague and poorly worded. As the furor mounted across the country, those questionable phrases were amended or omitted. But, by then, the damage had already been done.
So while Arizona remains the boycott capitol of the United States, Missouri quietly carries on as the best example of a “Show Me Your Are Legal State.”
forkedlift1 posted at 9:08 pm on Sat, Jul 31, 2010.
oldtexgal,
"'Antiquated law?" Is Russell Pearce going that far, calling the U.S. Constitution an "antiquated law"?
Do some research on the 14th Amendment.. All the misdirected fear and hate mongering by those who are looking for scapegoats to cover up their own irresponsibility and negligence are never going to get rid of the 14th Amendment....but the white-supremacists will really pour it on to the ignorant ones.
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:00 pm on Sat, Jul 31, 2010.
hillstreet: And I suppose the Pro ILLEGAL ALIEN supporters are (no pun intended) "pure as the driven snow"? Let's see, La RAZA translated means "The RACE. And I'm called the racist? How about the teacher in LA that openly wants to retake what was "stolen" from Mexico from the "whites". There are racists in each camp. However, in our camp, we don't have the problem admitting it. Not all those oppose to ILLEGAL ALIENS are racists. You would just like to believe that it's so....
oldtexgal posted at 1:17 pm on Sat, Jul 31, 2010.
Arizona has much support from ordinary citizens all around the country. I saw media coverage of the demonstrations at the capitol. Couldn't help but notice the ACORN shirts. Subsequently read that loads of protesters were bussed in from LA. Odd. Thought LA was boycotting AZ. This is all craziness! A sovereign nation can not survive without borders, any more than a human being can survive without skin. Borders need to be secured, then the immigration policy overhauled top to bottom. Unions are the biggest opponents of a sane guest worker program. "Immigration attorneys" need to be lined out of the process. The antiquated law conferring automatic US citizenship on babies of foreign nationals needs to be stopped. Order can be brought both to the border and our immigration process. SEQUENTIALLY!
forkedlift1 posted at 9:10 am on Sat, Jul 31, 2010.
Well, well. looked what I flushed out. Ateam1, I do hope you have emptied your bank account -- or maybe all you can afford is an emptying of your pockets -- to make a sizable contribution to the governor's legal defense fund. Ateam1 has no appreciation whatever for the third branch of government.
Whoever can scream and shout the loudest with the biggest lies and greatest diversions wins.
Indicative of Ateam1's sheepie mentality and that of Russell Pearce and a snake-oil salesman Senator from Tennessee is Ateam1's post of yesterday.
"Judge Bolton should be thrown out for ignoring the fact that the majority want this law! Throw her out and get someone who is FOR THE PEOPLE not FOR THEIRSELF!"
I take it Ateam1 must be proud to be a member of Pearce's shouting and screaming team.
Sure enough, there was that Tennessee man with Russell Pearce on last night's 9:00 pm news, both assertively and angrily telling viewers that the federal judge was wrong, that SB 1070 is right and correct, and Pearce confidently telling viewers that SB 1070 will be approved by the U.S. Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote.
Is self-annointed guru Pearce putting his money where his mouth is?
Pearce's horse with the broken leg is barely out of the starting gate, but have faith people. Yep, listen to your guru Ateam1.
Just like you listened to him and Gov. Brewer before -- that in every which way, SB 1070 is constitutional and will fly through the courts with no problem.
BTW, have YOU and Pearce contributed to the Governor's defense fund yet?
hillstreet posted at 10:54 pm on Fri, Jul 30, 2010.
Sure would love to see a list of donors, you know, KKK, National Socialist Movement, Aryan Brotherhood and such. Just curious.
Ateam1 posted at 5:51 pm on Fri, Jul 30, 2010.
forkedlift1: TN. is sending at least two politicians to back AZ'S law! We will be relentless in the passing of this law! PROMISED! Law enforcement will not tolerate you here! GUARANTEED!!!
Masterrogue666 posted at 5:33 pm on Fri, Jul 30, 2010.
Funny how Dataman mentioned "uninformed". How many people, including "King" Obama made a decision on SB 1070 without even reading it first?
That's what I call uninformed....
forkedlift1 posted at 4:50 pm on Fri, Jul 30, 2010.
I agree, DataMan. I'd sure like to learn about a big fat donation check from the concoction's author, Kris Kobach, and from the well-funded F.A.I.R. organization (an anti-immigration outfit) under whose legal arm Kobach works.
rocket6 posted at 4:05 pm on Fri, Jul 30, 2010.
time to pony up 100$ each and every one, you will pay a lot more than that in tax if we don't get this law on the books.
DataMan posted at 3:59 pm on Fri, Jul 30, 2010.
I glad that Brewer isn't flushing state funds down the tube on this one, but flushing funds from out of state pawns and local uninformed people.
msk8te posted at 3:31 pm on Fri, Jul 30, 2010.
You too can make donations to keep az safe at:
keepazsafe dot com
msk8te posted at 3:29 pm on Fri, Jul 30, 2010.
Here's the URL if you want to donate to the fund to fight illegal immigration, since the EV Trib wont post it:
http://www.keepazsafe.com/