Thread: AZ: Border is topic No. 1 at House Dist. 27 debate

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Border is topic No. 1 at House Dist. 27 debate
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Will Ferguson For The Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Saturday, September 11, 2010 12:00 am

Given its southwest side location, it shouldn't be a surprise border issues generated the most heat at a sparsely attended debate for the two House seats in Legislative District 27 Thursday night.

Democrat Sally Ann Gonzales is the only candidate with previous experience in the Legislature. Gonzales served two terms in the House previously, but has been out of office for 10 years.

Gonzales said SB 1070 already has led to racial profiling.

But SB 1070 wasn't the only focus.

Republican candidate Robert Compton, a service technician, said he is for building a wall and punishing employers hiring illegal immigrants.

Independent candidate Gene Chewning, a church pastor, said the private business sector and the federal government could set up an office in Nogales where Mexican workers could seek employment in the U.S.

The 90-minute debate was hosted by Pima Community College on behalf of the state's Clean Elections Commission.

Three of the five contenders said the federal government is responsible for finding a solution to illegal immigration.

"SB 1070 does nothing to secure the border," Gonzales said. "What it does is give state and local police the authority to harass people that look and speak like me."

Fellow Democrat Macario Saldate, a former professor at the UA, said the federal government needs to take decisive action.

Green party candidate Kent Solberg, a small-business owner, said SB 1070 is being used as a wedge issue by the governor and Legislature to obscure the real issues of jobs, the economy and education. "SB 1070 is an immoral, unconstitutional and racist act," he said, adding he wants to examine U.S. policies, such as farm subsidies, prompting illegal immigration in the first place.

http://azstarnet.com

Gonzales said SB 1070 already has led to racial profiling.
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SHOW ME THE PROOF or shut up

Wow, this is my state district and I'm not happy with anybody.