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  1. #1
    Senior Member FedUpinFarmersBranch's Avatar
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    Crime sweep hurts Hispanic businesses

    Crime sweep hurts Hispanic businesses
    33 commentsby Angelique Soenarie - Jul. 1, 2008 11:15 AM
    The Arizona Republic
    Business was especially slow this week at Moreno's Mexican Grill.

    That's because businesses that largely cater to Hispanics in Mesa are still feeling the sting from a two-day crime sweep last week by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office aimed at undocumented immigrants and criminals. Many are hoping business will pick up again business during the Fourth of July weekend.The sheriff's 100 deputies made 72 arrests, including 28 suspected undocumented immigrants in two days. Mesa police had more than 100 officers on the streets, largely to keep the peace among protesters.

    "This week was the slowest for the whole year," said Angel Moreno, owner of the restaurant on Broadway Road and Horne. "It hurt."
    Moreno estimates he has lost about 40 percent of his business since Thursday's patrol.

    "You saw no cars on the street at 3 p.m.," Moreno said, adding that he does most of his business Friday through Sunday.

    Farther east on Broadway Road, Veronica Ortiz said sales were down 45 to 50 percent at Carniceria y Panaderia."Saturday, we could see it still because it was really slow," Ortiz said. "Those are our best days."

    Business had already been down because of the state's employer sanction law that took effect Jan. 1, Ortiz said.

    But, "it wasn't bad until last Thursday and Friday," she said. "It was terrible."

    She said customers called saying they wanted to buy bread, but said "'we're scared because we don't want to be stopped.' "

    "You can't blame them," she said.

    Aisles were empty Friday at Carniceria Rancho Grande, on Main Street and Horne, a popular supermarket known for its Sunday festivities. Manager Frank Moreno said business dropped 70 percent during the two-day sweep.

    He said Friday was the slowest day he's seen in the year and a half he has managed the store. At 5 p.m., only three out of seven cash register lanes were open.

    "I have sympathy for those businesses impacted," said Councilman Kyle Jones, who represents District 4. He said he is concerned with the adverse affects Arpaio's roundups can have on a community.

    There is no data from the city that says how many Hispanic businesses there are in Mesa, but Latinos make up about 25 percent of the city's population.

    "All we're doing is fanning the flames with these kinds of situations instead of addressing it where it needs to be," Jones said. "And it needs to be in Congress."

    But last week's sweep wasn't the first time for Mesa. Sheriff Joe Arpaio sent crews in twice in November.

    Arpaio announced he would be coming into Mesa again this spring, but delayed for several weeks.

    Two clerks at Flowerama at Eighth Avenue and Country Club Drive said the threat of an impending sweep kept customers away on Mother's and Father's Day.

    "We expected a large crowd because that is a very special day among Hispanics," said Yuridia Gastelum.

    The storeowner had stocked up on flowers and balloons, but the crowds didn't come. They were afraid, said Dotty Robinson, another clerk.

    Robinson said she would support Arpaio's crackdowns if he focused on known drug dealers or coyotes.

    "But he shouldn't take in people sitting in parks or pulling over cars," she said. "Those are just hard-working people taking care of their kids."

    Arian Williams, who lives a few blocks from the flower shop, said she "loves Joe Arpaio" and supports sweeps to expel undocumented immigrants.

    "I think they are a grand idea," said Williams, who drives an SUV with a "God Bless America" sticker on the back. "I think immigrants should come over like my family did years ago, legally."
    Carol Sowers contributed to this report.

    http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa ... s0702.html
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  2. #2
    Senior Member tinybobidaho's Avatar
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    Aisles were empty Friday at Carniceria Rancho Grande, on Main Street and Horne, a popular supermarket known for its Sunday festivities. Manager Frank Moreno said business dropped 70 percent during the two-day sweep.
    70%? It's not hard to see that these people are in business to cater to illegal aliens, who shouldn't even be in this country in the first place.
    RIP TinybobIdaho -- May God smile upon you in his domain forevermore.

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  3. #3

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    Well, the cause and effect they draw isn't exactly scientific. All of their conclusions are based on assumptions! Is there any scientific or survey evidence presented that patrols CAUSED their drop in business? Unless their willing to support such a biased claim with evidence, they're making some far-fetched conclusions.

    Even IF the patrols caused a decrease in business, what are they suggesting? Are they suggesting that we should abandon enforcing our laws because a few immigrant businesses have a poor business model designed to satisfy a particularly unstable customer niche?

    Besides spreading the "fear" rhetoric, this article does very little in the way of presenting a valid claim.

  4. #4
    Senior Member realbsball's Avatar
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    "Those are just hard-working people taking care of their kids."
    Pretty soon this standard cliche has to stop meaning anything. We've heard it so, so much in almost every protest, debate, and pro-illegal media article.

    Americans have kids too, and it's getting tougher by the day to support them partially due to this invasion. Enough is enough.

  5. #5
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    Were they 'scared' enough to return to their own country??? Doubtfully!

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