Thread: N.Y. Times unlikely to change Utah immigration discussion

N.Y. Times unlikely to change Utah immigration discussion

By Elizabeth Stuart

Deseret News

Published: Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 11:16 p.m. MST
SALT LAKE CITY — The New York Times' gushing support of the Utah Compact on Sunday may win the state public relations points with the nation, but most agree it's unlikely to affect the state's immigration discussion.

In its editorial (read it on page B6), the New York Times pointed to Utah as a place where "people of good sense and good will" have banded together to call for an end to "government by rage." It goes on to praise the Utah Compact, a policy document designed to guide the state's immigration debate toward civility, as a "clear expression of good sense and sanity." It condemns Arizona-style immigration law enforcement as "xenophobic" and radical.

Such a pat on the back from one of the "most influential papers in the world" may help Utah's image, said Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley institute of Politics at the University of Utah.

"Utah rightly or wrongly is maligned and misunderstood nationally and internationally," said Jowers. "The positive impact of this editorial on Utah business, tourism and education cannot be underestimated. It is very important and very positive."

States have a certain "caricature" that impacts their ability to attract tourists and businesses, Jowers said. Arizona, which has garnered a lot of national scrutiny for its tough stance on immigration enforcement, has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in business because of too much negative attention, according to a recent study by the Center for American Progress.

"Reading an editorial like this one will make people reexamine their views of Utah," Jowers said.

Within the state, however, Jowers said he doubts the editorial will have much impact on how the immigration debate plays out.

"It will be used for and against legislation but probably ultimately will not change any votes," he said.

Those who support Orem Republican Rep. Stephen Sandstrom's proposed immigration legislation, which closely mirrors Arizona's controversial law, agreed.

"I don't think the New York Times has any influence over the people of Utah," said Sandstrom. Rep. Curtis Oda, R-Clearfield, added that the "extreme" liberal newspaper "doesn't represent a lot of the same values we do in Utah."

Sandstrom said he had "no problem" with the Times endorsing the Utah Compact, which champions keeping families intact and recognizing immigrant contributions to the economy, because he personally supports the principles outlined in the document — at least when it comes to dealing with legal immigrants. When people come to the country illegally, they should be prepared to pay the consequences, he said.

Sandstrom took offense at the New York Times description of immigration law enforcement as a means to "uproot and terrorize unwanted immigrants."

"To say that simply enforcing the law is radical and terrorizes people, boy, I think that's totally repugnant," he said. "What are we supposed to do, throw our hands in the air and let people make a mockery of our laws?"

Supporters of the Utah Compact agreed that the New York Times endorsement will likely have little political influence in Utah.

"The average person might say, 'wow,' but Utah's legislators aren't making their decisions based on the opinions of liberal East coast papers," said Paul Mero, president of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative think tank that helped to draft the Utah Compact.

Nonetheless, supporters were thrilled by the editorial.

"Any day you get a glowing review from one of the most influential publications in the world, is a good day," said Marty Carpenter, spokesman for the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce, which also helped to draft the compact.

Dee Rowland, government liaison for the Catholic Diocese, which supports the Compact, called the editorial a "great tribute to the state of Utah."

"Our state was held up as a model for a civil attitude on immigration issues," she said. "We couldn't possibly be presented in a more positive light. The tourist bureau and chamber of commerce couldn't buy such good publicity."

The Utah Compact deserves the nation's attention, said Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake City, because "It's feasible. It makes sense."

Though he acknowledged that the New York Times stamp of approval was unlikely to "give us a lot of help here in Utah," Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said he hoped it would inspire others in the nation to take a more compassionate approach to immigration reform. More than 20 states have filed law-enforcement focused immigration bills since Arizona passed its law.

"If Utah can be a model for other states who want to do something different than what Arizona is doing, then I'm very pleased," Shurtleff said. "I really believe we have a better way of approaching this problem than just rounding them up and shipping them out. There's a comprehensive, reasoned, compassionate way we can deal with this issue."

The Utah Compact was authored by a group of political, business, religious and law-enforcement leaders to guide the state's immigration discussion. So far it has gathered about 2,500 signatures. Among the signers are the mayors of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, former Governor Olene Walker and former U.S. Senator Jake Garn. To get more information about the compact, visit utahcompact.com.

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States have a certain "caricature" that impacts their ability to attract tourists and businesses, Jowers said. Arizona, which has garnered a lot of national scrutiny for its tough stance on immigration enforcement, has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in business because of too much negative attention, according to a recent study by the Center for American Progress.

Well, I suppose it's who your audience is and what your objectives are when you evaluate publicity.

Arizona is America's Sweetheart. A small state by population with less than 5 million legal residents, a fragile David of the Desert, more or less sandwiched between the Goliaths of Texas and California, fighting the largest gateway for illegal aliens in the country, all day, every day, and doing it alone with the Mammoth Goliath in DC trying to take her down for it.

Yet Arizonans fight on, and because she never quits, Arizona is the epitome of the American Spirit of what is right, what is fair, what is just, what is courage, loyalty, truth, reality and legal. Without question Arizona has defined the Ideal of the American State of American Citizens.

And anyone who has ever been to Arizona and met an Arizonan already knows that. I've never been more proud of fellow citizens than I am of the people of Arizona from Russell Pearce to Jan Brewer from Joe Arpaio to Paul Babeau, from the Arizona General Assembly that passed SB 1070 to the Arizona citizens who passed Proposition 200.

That doesn't sound like negative publicity to me. That sounds like music to my ears. Sure, if tourists want to traipse to states where they can break the law, drop an anchor baby, overstay their visa, sneak their illegal family and friends in to steal jobs from Americans, push up our unemployment rate and rob public services at taxpayers expense, then sure go see Utah like the New York Times suggests.

But if you want to bring your money and a drivers license or passport, visit a beautiful state, eat great food, stay in some of the most fantastic hotels in the land, and get to know some the best people in our country, free of illegal aliens jumping in front of your car at a stop-light, hounding you for day work as you try to enter or exit a store, or running you down with a van or an F-150, then you'll love Arizona, because Arizona will make sure none of that or worse happens to you when you visit their precious state.

Bad publicity? Oh no, nothing about what Arizona is doing is bad publicity for Arizona. In fact, it's the best publicity doing the right things could ever buy which makes Utah the caricature and Arizona the priceless treasure.

All The News That's Fit To Stint

The New York Times is a raggish piece of garbage not even worth the paper it is printed on. The world would be a much better place if all that paper were transformed back into living trees.