Thread: Mayor Michael Bloomberg assails the new immigration statute

How Arizona's law will hurt America: Mayor Michael Bloomberg assails the new immigration statute

By Michael Bloomberg

Wednesday, April 28th 2010, 4:00 AM
Clary/Getty

A new Arizona law requiring local police officers to stop anyone they might reasonably suspect of being here illegally may produce unintended consequences that could hurt not only Arizona, but all of America.

The law is so vaguely written that it may force officers to stop people who look or dress differently - or who speak a foreign language, or English with an accent.

Already, stories are appearing about foreign travelers crossing Arizona off their vacation lists. Who wants to visit the Grand Canyon if you could end up getting hassled by the police - or arrested - if you leave your passport at the hotel? Foreign business leaders may also think twice about visiting or investing in Arizona.

While Arizona may suffer, as long as those visitors and investors still come to America, the country will be fine. In fact, we hope more of them come to New York, where we would welcome them with open arms.

But if some of them stop visiting and investing in America, and if other states follow Arizona's lead - as some are now discussing - the economic consequences will be felt in middle-class communities across the country.

American citizens would lose jobs as businesses downsize, and governments with lower tax revenues would lay off teachers, firefighters and police officers. As a result, our country would have a harder time climbing out of the national recession.

Requiring local police to stop anyone they suspect of being here illegally may also hurt public health and safety. In New York City, we protect the confidentiality of all residents when they interact with government, because whenever someone is afraid to report a crime, for any reason, it makes all of us less safe. Whenever someone is afraid to go to the hospital to get treated for sickness or disease, it puts all of us at risk. Whenever someone is afraid to report exploitation in the workforce, it hurts all of us.

Since our earliest Colonial days, people have come here from around the world - with few restrictions - to better their lives. Today, we continue to rely on people from every continent to lay the foundation for our future economic growth, both through their innovative new ideas and their manual labor. But the simple fact is that our policies are too restrictive given American companies' demand for workers and American consumers' demand for products and services.

Basic free market economics tells us we need more legal immigrants - immigrants who will start new businesses and help build the foundation for future economic growth. Laws that have the potential to hassle them could prove devastating to our economy.

From a practical point of view, police officers have no rational way of knowing in advance who is a citizen, or a tourist, or a business traveler, or a legal permanent resident, or a foreign student, or a temporary worker - and who is not. And this could lead immigrants who own businesses to pack up and leave and take their companies' jobs with them.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon understands the harmful impact that this law could have on his city, and he is weighing a legal challenge. Certainly, a very strong case could be made that the law is unconstitutional. But Gordon also understands that the real solution lies in Washington.

We need Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform - and fast. In the weeks and months ahead, I will do everything possible to join with Gordon and others to advance reform that strengthens our economy, secures our borders and honors our history.

What's at stake here is nothing less than America's international reputation as the most open and attractive marketplace in the world, and our standing as the world's strongest economic superpower. Immigrants have always been at the heart of American culture and capitalism, and casting suspicious eyes on legal immigrants will only harm both.

Bloomberg is mayor of New York City.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/201 ... z0mOtuqlqW

Bloomshmuck is a greedy Capitalist pig who bought a third term as mayor and bribed the city council into changing the election laws in NYC. This elitist screws over his cops every chance he gets and runs a Sanctuary city for illegals.

Bloomberg is an idiot. Maybe instead of shooting his mouth off, he should read the bill first. Apparently, he's another one who puts cheap, illegal, foreign labor ahead of the safety of Americans. New York, vote that idiot out!

Bloomberg is another Mexico lackey and apologist!

OK I just read all the comments there and added this:

ratbstard

Posts: 95
Registered: 11/16/07

Re: Bloomberg: How Arizona's law will hurt America
Posted: Apr 28, 2010 9:50 AM in response to: Guest

Hey Mayor Bloomingidiot all this law actually does is make it ILLEGAL for any government agency in AZ to practice "Sanctuary Policies". Imagine that, having to actually enforcing the LAW! The only change this law needs is to make it mandatory for all media to include the immigration status of every perp who commits a crime. If the media here in NYC were required to do so the Mayors Mansion would be surrounded by citizens demanding an end to the "Sanctuary Policies" first instituted by Mayor Koch in 1988 and carried over by every Mayor of NYC since then. Strangely I can not remember when the citizens of NYC were ever asked if this is what THEY wanted.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/forums/messa ... z0mP1uIg1x

I am willing to bet that there are just as many illegals in NYC if not more than in the entire state of Arizona. In NYC, though, it is not just illegal Mexicans. There are illegal Dominicans all over the Bronx and Washington Heights uptown Manhattan. There are Chinese with final orders of Deportation in the thousands walking around Chinatown openly. In Brooklyn, you have illegal Russian and Albanian visa overstays and illegal Middle Eastern people who are all driving taxis. Queens looks like South America, and in most parts, you will not find a single person on the streets who speaks English. Arizona may be the crossing point for the illegals, but then they are en route to NYC, since that is where all the jobs are for them.

Most of NYC looks like an overcrowded third world country now thanks to Bloomturd!!

If the states had enforced US immigration law, New York City would still have two twin towers called the World Trade Center.

Makes you wonder whose side Bloomberg is on, doesn't it?

Already, stories are appearing about foreign travelers crossing Arizona off their vacation lists. Who wants to visit the Grand Canyon if you could end up getting hassled by the police - or arrested - if you leave your passport at the hotel? Foreign business leaders may also think twice about visiting or investing in Arizona

Wow, that's some pretty loaded kool-aid he's drinking.

EVERY country in the world requires that you carry your ID with you, so why the whining? If you "forget" your passport in your hotel room, you shouldn't be let out of the house.

Bloomberg is a classic example of the liberal Jewish far-left that perpetuates open borders mentality. I am not prejudiced against Jews but as a group their political attitudes are too anarchical for me to stomach.

boycott bloomberg and what he owns, and
boycott the big apple, too