Cook County Commissioners To Debate Arizona Boycott
Produced by Tony Arnold on Monday, May 31, 2010


Cook County commissioners this week are scheduled to debate a boycott of all Arizona businesses.

Commissioners have proposed two competing resolutions. One reprimanding Arizona for its policy on illegal immigration. One complementing it.

At risk, are several contracts with an Arizona business that runs the red light cameras in unincorporated Cook County. Democratic Commissioner Edwin Reyes says the law is racist.

REYES: That's draconian. It's absurd. It's unlawful.

He says the county has about six million dollars worth of contracts with Arizona.

Meantime, Republican Commissioner Liz Doody Gorman says the county should not ban doing business with the state during a recession.

GORMAN: I just don't think we should be apologizing for upholding the rule of the law in our country.

Gorman says commissioners previously failed to pass a law giving Cook County sheriff's officers the ability to arrest people in the country illegally.

http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=42303