Thread: Hispanic workforce is fleeing Arizona

Hispanic workforce is fleeing Arizona
February 22, 2008
By Ken Johnston
Hispanic Trending - A Latino Marketing and Advertising Blog by Juan Guillermo Tornoe

While nearly every region of the country is in an economic slump, Arizonans have yet one more reason to worry more than others - a significant portion of the workforce is fleeing the state.

Hispanics, including both legal and illegal immigrants, are leaving, apparently in reaction to the state’s new employer sanctions law.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Neil V. Wake refused to put an injunction into effect that would stop enforcement of the law while it goes through the appeal process. Wake had earlier ruled the law to be legal but had asked law enforcement and the state’s county attorneys not to prosecute any cases until after March 1.

Indicators that Hispanics are leaving come from renting agencies and school districts.

Tucson Unified School District reports numbers of Hispanic students are falling faster than all other ethnicities combined.

Terry Feinberg, president of the Arizona Multihousing Alliance, a trade group for the apartment and rental housing industry told The New York Times, "A lot of people moving are citizens, or legal, but because someone in their family or social network is not, and they are having a hard time keeping or finding a job, they all move."

The loss of the immigrant workforce, both legal and illegal, will leave Arizona hurting, according to studies done by the University of Arizona and the Pew Foundation.

Estimates from the two studies found that immigrants make up about 14 percent of the state’s workforce, according to the UA study. The Pew study, based on 2006 statistics, says 11 percent of the state’s workforce is illegal.

In her UA study done last year, Judith Gans found that according to 2004 data, immeigrants generate about $2.4 billion in tax revenues, $860 million from naturalized citizens and $1.5 billion from non-citizens. The tax costs for things such as health care, education and law enforcement adds up to $1.4 billion, according to Gans, leaving a positive fiscal impact of about $1 billion annually.

It’s unclear where Hispanics may be headed - whether it’s to other states or returning to other countries.

At the State Capitol, lawmakers have introduced a bill to seek Congressional approval to create a state-run temporary program. Gov. Janet Napolitano is looking to the U.S. Department of Labor to rewrite regulations to streamline visas for workers in agriculture, which is particularly hard-hit by the lack of Hispanic workers.

In the meantime, business and civil-rights groups are appealing the decision on the employer sanctions law to the 9th Circuit Court. The law, which takes away the business license after a firm is twice found to have knowingly hired illegals, is not being uniformly enforced across the state. Maricopa County’s attorney and sheriff have vowed to agressively enforce the law saying they will investigate anonymous claims.
http://juantornoe.blogs.com/hispanictre ... orkfo.html

Somehow I doubt that very much. Once empoyers start paying a living, legal wage and pay the proper taxes to the state, the Federal government and the entire STATE OF ARIZONA WILL BENEFIT.

Imagine, businesses paying the proper taxes and NOT putting the social costs of having an underground, ILLEGAL WORKFORCE on the law abiding citizens of the state.

The people of arizona will have their taxes lowered and hospitals open and not closed down. I think this is the best thing that could happen for the U.S. law-abiding citizens of Arizona. I hope it happens in every state now.

It’s unclear where Hispanics may be headed - whether it’s to other states or returning to other countries.[/b]


Well...judging from the looks of things in L.A....they are coming here! I have noticed a huge increase in the numbers of loitering day laborers, migrant women with a boatload of kids, increased Spanish-only speakers, broken down old cars, traffic, and apartment bldgs bursting at the seams. They come to where the money is...the Westside. Crime is also increasing at an alarming rate! If they can't buy it, they steal it! Also, there has been a huge increase of traffic accidents...many with multiple fatalities. When a name is mentioned, it is invariably hispanic. I subscribe to a Police Dept monthly report, and 95% of the names reported for burglaries, robberies, thefts, and homicides are HISPANIC! Doesn't tell you if they are illegal or not...but one can draw a conclusion.

The best way to judge how bad illegal immigration is in your city or town is to keep track of the Police crime logs...they always include the last name of the perps!

These business people continue to argue that the economy suffers because law abiding citizens insist that the laws of the USA be upheld. I suggest that they do not deserve to be in business if they do not know how to compete without violating American laws. Many companies hire legal residents only. They work under a disadvantage when compared to these other alleged "businessmen" because their labor charges are higher. yet many of these American employers adhere to the rule of law. They are patriots.

The employment of illegal aliens has created a false economy. While these IA people help their employers to win business by lowball bids due to labor charges, they take the money earned and send it home. Home is largely Mexico.

Then the rest of us are supposed to support this crime via our taxes for our schools, hospitals and the like. What a farce and what a crime. I for one call every person who supports illegal immigration a traitor. You have no right to give away what is OUR birthright. This decision should be based on the will of the majority.

While nearly every region of the country is in an economic slump, Arizonans have yet one more reason to worry more than others - a significant portion of the workforce is fleeing the state.

This is an idiotic statement - if there is an economic slump, more jobs are lost. If illegals leave, the available work force gets smaller, to match the lower demand. 'Arizonans' don't have to worry, as long as a reporter doesn't get sloppy with the facts and includes illegals in with 'Arizonans.'

This is exactly what we want - to save the available jobs for CITIZENS! Duh!

The only people who have to worry are unscrupulous employers, who have been depressing wages by hiring underpaid serfs.

Not to mention there will be less pressure on the public schools, hospitals, emergency rooms, prisons etc. if there are fewer numbers of illegal aliens.