http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/EJMontini/15460

Mr. Gordon goes to Washington -- for nothing
Mayor Phil Gordon is in Washington D.C. for a conference of mayors and to urge Congress to act on immigration reform. In other words, it's a complete waste of time. However, since wasting time (and money) is what Washington does best, the mayor will fit right in.

He is writing a blog for azcentral describing his East Coast adventure. In one recent entry he described his frustration with elected officials and his hope for reform this way:

"Candidly, they don’t understand the intensity and emotion that their lack of action is having on Phoenix and cities throughout the United States. They really don’t get it. My message to them was that we need immediate action from Congress. Use technology to match jobs that aren’t being filled with qualified workers no matter where they live or were born. Do credit checks, background checks, criminal history checks and issue trackable work visas to people who qualify and who will contribute to our nation and economy. The usual response was that Congress was gridlocked on immigration and nothing would happen until after a new president is in office. I told them that was not acceptable and that they should not wait another day."

The mayor doesn't see a practical way to deport 12- to 20-million people, and figures that we have to come up with a plan to allow most of them to live and work here that involves the kind of background checks, etc., that he spoke about.

But that won't happen on a national level until Congress agrees on how to secure the border.

Which won't happen until after a new president is elected this year.

Of course, there is a congressional election in 2010 that will probably prevent any useful immigration legislation from being passed until then.

Only by then the presidential election of 2012 will inhibit action, and so on.

What this means, essentially, that we're on our own.

Arizona politicians need to accept this. Congress is perfectly happy border states like Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California serve as guinea pigs in the matter of immigration law. The employer sanctions law is a good example. The folks in Washington can sit back and watch what happens here. If the law works, they can use it as an example. If it's a disaster, well, it's OUR problem.

Immigration is our Alamo. The reinforcements aren't coming. Deal with it.