I had first met Hilda Solis when she was a state legislator from the Los Angeles area. As that point I was the Regional Director of Amnesty International. It was exciting to see a good pro Labor Latina in the State Legislature…

Then she became a Congresswoman and I got to visit her several times in her office in our nation’s Capitol. And I would see her on television at the Democratic Conventions with UFW CO-FOUNDER Dolores Huerta.

And then finally I got to watch her be nominated and then finally confirmed as the Secretary of Labor. Now that was most exciting.

So there I am this past Friday arriving on a early morning flight from Seattle to Denver. I am in no hurry I have no one to meet and the family reunion does not begin until the early evening…

In Denver you have to take a train to the main terminal and baggage.. I am just starting for the escalator when I see someone who looks like Secretary Soliz.. Yep my minds computer confirms.. IT IS HER… I scoot around two men in dark suits.. And jump on to the escalator one step behind Hilda when I feel a strong hand on my left shoulder and a voice saying you can’t go there..

I AM JUST TRYING TO SAY HELLO TO HILDA SOLIS..

She turns and smiles at me .. Probably not recognizing me ..From so many other Latinos …

I thanked her for all the good work that the administration is doing especially the Labor Dept.

And she responded smiling… EVERYTIME WE TAKE A STEP FORWARD THE WACKOS COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK

OH BY THE WAY …I responded I APPRECIATE THE RECENT ACTION YOU TOOK ORDERING BUSINESSES TO GIVE GAY EMPLOYEES EQUAL TREATMENT UNDER A LAW  PERMITTING WORKERS UNPAID TIME OFF TO CARE FOR NEWBORNS OR LOVED ONES..

This law is the FMLA or Family Leave Act. And the expansion affects a partner or key friend or family who is not a spouse to qualify for this leave.(more on this act at the bottom of this AHORA)
YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT .. IT JUST CAME OUT .. She smiled

The announcement came out the 23 of June and today was the 24th

YES .. I replied.. IT WAS GREAT

ARE YOU HERE FOR THE NALEO CONFERENCE??

NALEO is the National Association for Latino Elected or Appointed Officials and I used to belong to it over 20 years ago..

NO … FAMILY REUNION… WOULD LIKE TO GO TO NALEO BUT GOTS TO DO THE FAMILY RENUION…

She turned to go in one direction once we got to the main landing and I waved and wished her well .. I hope to follow up with a card thanking her for all the work she is doing for the workers of this country.

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.    Lebron
b.    Spies
c.    Cuba
d.    And many other interesting items.

HERE’S SOME BRIEF ITEMS

LEBORN JAMES

He has said that he is going to Miami, Riley has another feather in his cap and if he is happy then I am happy…

SPIES WHO CAME OUT OF THE COLD..OR TO RUSSIA WITH OUT JALAPENOS

We discovered some 10 Russian spies… and before you know it we have a prisoner exchange..This was magician quick.. And there were no Mexicans involved.. And none of these spies came to the USA through the Arizona border..There must be more spies.. I am looking under my bed tonight.. On second thought I will ask my cat Estrella to look under the bed.

Oh yes did you notice that none of them were Muslims… looked like White Folks to me… seems the best way to infiltrate is to get folks who look like the door keepers.. What a novel idea?

CUBA RELEASING PRISONERS

Now Cuba is releasing a number of prisoners to Spain.. Thank goodness they got involved.. Now when is our country going to normalize relations with the Cuban Government..We do business with China and Saudi Arabia … why not Cuba?

AND BP KEEPS POLLUTING

We must come up with a new name for the GULF OF MEXICO.. Perhaps the DEAD SEA OF MEXICO IS MOST APPROPRIATE…oh by the way the Dead Sea in Israel is almost dead.. I am told it is shrinking every day…
And  more misery is being placed on the residents and wild life of the gulf and its neighbors.

ELENA KAGAN

She seems to be very smart and should be confirmed.. I will welcome another smart woman to the court,,,,god knows we have enough dumb men on the court and we could use some more people who understand the constitution and legal history.

I went looking for Jesus and instead found a defensive player for the University of Washington  Huskies football team.

It was getting late and I needed to go to some place of worship so I went to NewBethany which is 5 minutes from my house… I got there and the service was in process.. They had made the church into a theatre in round setting and I couldn’t fine my natural place in the back of the church.. Plus it was full this Sunday so I found a young couple I knew and sat down next to them.

There was a guest minister from South Africa and a large Samoan Choir that sang some good and lively songs. Their voices were great and I loved looking into their island faces.

On my way out after church an older Samoan stopped to shake my hand and ask if I was a lecturer at the University Washington. I said that I did that on occasion. By then a younger tall Samoan came up and said aren’t you the guy who lectured in my Chicano Studies class. I smiled and we began talking about this young man. He is a Nose Guard on the Football team and a starter. He is a junior and looks very strong .. We had a brief conversation about the  football and academic sides of his life.

I found it interesting that he had listened to me when I spoke to his class and would be willing to reach out to me after church..I gave him my email and I hope that he will soon write… his name is Alameda Ta’amu..So now I need to find some tickets for the home games.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYS WITH FIRE

Just finished this book… i found it most entertaining… i was in bed a lot with an owwieee or gash on my leg that i was nursing… so i found time to read a lot …

BUGLEME

Now some of you are receiving some of my bugles and I hope that you are enjoying them and that you will get others to sign up.

LATINOS/HISPANICS AND THE DEATH PENALTY

More Latinos are ending up in prison and our numbers are increasing.. So I will be asking for your help in the days to come to help me organize my educational and outreach efforts..

THE AVILA FAMILY REUNION

The Family Reunion brought family from different parts of the country from Mississippi, California, Oregon, Oklahoma, Washington and various parts of Colorado.
It was and always is a great gathering of family, friends.. many blendings of races and ethnic groups.. The faces and people are all beautiful..

At these reunions we have a talent show where people sing, act dance, read, oral interpretation and some speech making…I am given the role as Emcee …as the night wears on more and more people ask to be given the opportunity to perform…it is wonderful and most inspiring.. I only wish that I had some good entertainment skills to offer…

It is good to be reminded that you have family who loves you more than the moon and cherish you…

As always I bring gifts and this time I taken more immigration shirts and bags and aprons..

It was a great time.. Filled with much love..

My Jalapeno best
leno



WASHINGTON – The Labor Department intends to issue regulations this week ordering businesses to give gay employees equal treatment under a law permitting workers unpaid time off to care for newborns or loved ones.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis  planned to announce that the government would require employers to extend the option that has been available to heterosexual workers for almost two decades, two officials briefed on the plan said Monday. Neither was authorized to speak publicly ahead of the announcement

When the Family and Medical Leave Act was first passed in 1993, it was a huge step forward in establishing the flexibility and security that the American workforce needed to care for our future generations. It allowed employees to take unpaid leave to care for their kids without the fear of losing their jobs.

But while many are quick to point out that the workplace, workers, and indeed the concept of families have changed, the flexibility to apply FMLA to shifting conditions did not.

Well, the Administration took a major step in recognizing the need for such flexibility on Tuesday when the U.S. Department of Labor issued Administrator’s Interpretation No. 1010-3, which clarifies the definition of “son and daughter” under the FMLA. In doing, so we have expanded FMLA protections to cover loving caregivers that have traditionally been left out.

It’s called in loco parentis, a Latin phrase and legal doctrine that may require interpretation for those of us who are not lawyers: It means “in the place of a parent.” And when applied to the new realities of work and family, it means all employees who have assumed the responsibility for parenting a child, whether they have a biological or legal relationship with the child or not, may be entitled to FMLA leave.

What does that mean in the real world? It means that children can get the support and care they need from the people who love them and are responsible for them.

It means that we’re recognizing the importance of a partner who shares in the parenting of a child in a same sex relationship, and his or her right to FMLA leave. It means that we are recognizing the importance of “Tia” (Spanish for aunt) who steps in to care for her young nephew when his mother has been called to active military duty. And it means that a grandmother who takes responsibility for her grandchild can — when needed — take unpaid time off of work to do it.

It’s an important interpretation and it is a long time coming.

Perhaps shades of Larry Craig of Idaho…

This past Wednesday while attending a meeting of the MEDC/Minority Executive Directors meeting held at the library on Yesler that I had a most interesting experience. And it happened in the men’s room.
We were in a hot debate about the Police Chief selection process and I did not want to miss the debate.. and as I expected my bladder was calling out bilingually for relief. Finally I saw a break and ran out to the hall and asked the young man at the desk to buzz me ..

As I stepped in my right hand was already searching for the zipper.. it was then that I saw a young and small blond person standing there with a clip board and a plastic box.  This person just looked at me and as I got closer I noticed that it was a woman with her blond hair braided back.

I looked to my left to see if there were urinals and to ensure if I was in the right rest room.

We both just looked at each other for what seemed a long moment as it donned on me that she was wearing a police uniform

AM I BEING ARRESTED ?…I said as I smiled at

NO .. I AM JUST CHECKING ON SOME THINGS … and she returned my smile with her soft voice

GOOD.. NOW I FEEL BETTER … I said almost laughing

DO YOU WANT ME TO STEP OUT FOR A MOMENT.. she asked

YEP .. THAT WOULD BE GOOD..DO YOU MIND?… I responded with relief.. I was in fact having trouble holding back all the coffee that was trying to get out of my bladder.

OKAY… she said walking out the door. I could see a smile in her eyes

Later as I left the bathroom she was there outside about 10 feet from the door waiting with her box of materials.

THANK YOU… YOU KNOW YOU GAVE ME THE MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE ..I explained

YES I GUESS I DID ..smiling she went back into the bathroom as I held the door open.

Thank goodness that she did not arrest me … how would I be able to explain how I ended up in a public bathroom with a 115 lb 5 foot police woman who arrested this rather large Chicano and what did I do wrong?

I should have taken her photo with my i phone.. but me at the moment I was most worried about the potential headlines..

Just remember that no bathroom is safe..

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.    Profiting from lies
b.    Violence from Oil
c.    A Chorus of Bartons
d.    Gardening
e.    Bugleme
f.    Leno’s travels

Profiting on Immigration by Repeating Lies..

Arizona politicians continue to tell a lie about a farmer being killed by immigrants who might be part of the drug smuggling.  And then going on to say how unsafe it has become. And the politicos and the media have used the murder of Robert Krentz a rancher as the face behind the violence and call for the awful actions being taken in Arizona.

Both are lies but the media does not question the validity of these incorrect right wing talking points.. Nobody ..yes nobody knows why the rancher or by whom he was killed.  Police and politicians should not make up information that does not exist. And to tell the truth… one would have to say the Arizona is relatively safe next to other serious hot spots.. and then they should admit to all the weapons sales being done by arms dealers in Arizona to drug runners. And they should admit that no police investigation ties Krentz’s murder to immigrants or drug runners.

But the media keeps repeating the lies.. Even the New York Times is guilty of this. In a article on Sunday June 20th..Randal C. Archibald continued to push these lies in his Times article on page 16.

And now we have Fremont Nebraska passing a anti immigrant law  yhsy punishes immigrants but refuses to address the meat packing plants that employ immigrants to cut up the meats that feed mainstream America.

If we could just get Comprehensive Immigration Reform then we could make a difference for everyone and stop this growing flood of lies and fear.

THE VIOLENCE OF THE OIL IN THE GULF

This is a most serious issue… for us all.. if we didn’t understand before we must now all become advocates for our environment.  We all  will suffer from actions taken by profiteers.. And in the end it is the poor that get the brunt of all criminal actions taken as these companies take lives and destroy jobs….
To be an human rights activist is to be an environmentalist. If you read ..please take the time to inform yourself about this horrific event .. and take some action .

A GOP chorus of Joe Bartons on the BP oil spill

By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Joe Barton is not alone. The Texas congressman’s lavish sympathy for BP — which he sees not as perpetrator of a preventable disaster but as victim of a White House “shakedown” — is actually what passes for mainstream opinion among conservative Republicans today.

The GOP leadership came down hard on Barton after he apologized to the oil company for the beastly way it was being treated by the White House, saying he was “ashamed” that BP was being pressured to put $20 billion into a “slush fund” to compensate victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Barton was reportedly threatened with losing his powerful position as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee if he didn’t retract his words, and pronto.

But Barton was only echoing a statement that Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) had issued a day earlier in the name of the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of House conservatives whose Web site claims 115 members. The statement groused that there is “no legal authority for the president to compel a private company to set up or contribute to an escrow account” and accused the Obama administration of “Chicago-style shakedown politics.” Just to review: A group constituting roughly two-thirds of all Republicans in the House takes the position that President Obama was wrong to demand that BP set aside money to guarantee that those whose livelihoods are being ruined by the oil spill will be compensated. In other words, it’s more important to kneel at the altar of radical conservative ideology than to feel any sense of compassion for one’s fellow Americans. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how today’s GOP rolls.

To be sure, there are Republicans who realize that this is not the message the party should be sending as the midterm election nears. “I couldn’t disagree with Joe Barton more,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Party leaders insisted that there was nothing to see at the cliff where Barton went through the political guardrails and that everyone should just move along.
But no. Let’s slow down and crane our necks.

Barton’s remarks were no spontaneous gaffe. They came in a prepared statement and represent his genuine view of the situation: that the rights of a private company are absolute even when weighed against the clear interests of the public.

While the party leadership has managed to squelch members of Congress who might have been tempted to weigh in on Barton’s side, the conservative amen chorus can’t help itself. Rush Limbaugh called the agreement on the $20 billion escrow fund “unconstitutional” and accused the administration of acting like “a branch of organized crime.” Newt Gingrich said the White House was “extorting money from a company.” Stuart Varney of Fox News claimed — falsely — that Obama had moved to “seize a private company’s assets” and complained that the action was “Hugo Chavez-like.” Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol said that “I have no sympathy for BP,” but then proceeded to be sympathetic, offering that “it’s not helpful for the country, for the economy as a whole, for the president to bully different companies and different industries.” I’d advise these people to get a grip, but they’re just saying what they believe. It just happens that what they believe is absurd.

There is ample evidence that BP, one of the biggest and most profitable oil companies in the world, cut corners in operating the Deepwater Horizon rig that resulted in the worst spill ever to despoil U.S. waters. BP’s assertions about its ability to prevent, contain and clean up any oil leak turned out to be patently false. If we were not dealing with such a tragic situation, the company’s tin ear for public relations would be comic; the unforgettable line from BP’s chairman — “We care about the small people” — sounds like something Mel Brooks might dream up for a sequel to “The Producers.” Meanwhile, thousands of fishermen, shrimpers, oil-rig workers, restaurant owners and others along the Gulf Coast are suffering the economic effects of the spill. The environmental damage, still worsening, will be felt for decades. A mile beneath the surface, that noxious plume of gas and oil continues to billow.

Yes, President Obama used the power of his office to pressure BP to set money aside for compensation. If Republicans believe he shouldn’t have, then by all means they should speak up. Come November, the voters will be able to decide who’s right.

THE GARDEN PLANTS… moving slowly

As you might remember that I started my mini garden some weeks ago and have been very excited about being able to watch them grow. Except for the last couple of days the weather has been rather cool and rainy so we have not had much sun. At the same time some birds have gone after my pumpkin and squash plants.

In the near future I will plant some garlic .. Garlic does well and makes one a proud gardener. One of my chili plants has flowers as do two of my tomato plants.
I will be traveling for about 10 days so I have to ensure that the plants get watered while I am away.

Gardening is good for the soul .. so plant anything and care for it and it will help you to relax and heal.

BUGLEME

Some of you will begin receiving some calls and notices from a wonderful system called Bugleme.. you will get messages from me and my activities..it helps us to stay connected… I have signed some of you up for a 30 free test period.  If you are interested in getting my Bugles then please write to me.

Traveling with El Chicano .. leno

June 25-27 Colorado for Family Reunion
June 28th – July 2nd  Washington DC ..Vigil and Fast for Abolition
July 2-4th Washington DC family and friends

My best
leno

In the past months I had noticed that my clothes were shrinking and this has had me most worried. Is the shrinking of my clothes affected by a change in the climate.. Or is it the clothes dryer that is shrinking everything I own… Everything has gotten tighter. Nothing fits well..I have gone on the internet to see if others were suffering the same as me.

I know that those who make appliances plan for them to only last for a limited period of time.. Thus the machine will begin breaking down and soon you will have to purchase a new one. so I began to think that perhaps the Clothing Manufacturers were putting something in the clothes so that after a year that they might begin to shrink…I was and am worried .or could it be other circumstances that would make my clothes fit tighter .. Could somebody have exchanged my clothes for a size smaller..???

Thinking this was possible I quickly went to my closet to check out all of the sizes of my shirts and pants…

Then one day my friend Heri came to visit .. took one look at me and said LENO YOU ARE GETTING FATTER..

WHAT? I questioned.

SI, MAS GORDO.. MUCH FATTER! JUST LOOK AT YOUR FACE AND YOUR STOMACH… YOU LOOK AS IF YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE BIRTH

BUT I HAVENT HAD SEX I said and smiled at her

LOOK IN THE MIRROR she insisted

So I went to the Mirror and asked MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL WHOSE THE FATTEST OF THEM ALL

The mirror showed me the awful results.. A chubbier face and a very large stomach

I was in shock!!!! There in the mirror I saw my baked potatoes, salt, chips, steak, burritos and tamales.. They had slipped down my mouth and decided to take up residence in my body

What a shock!!!! I could not blame the clothes that were getting smaller… it was me that was getting larger…

I will be on a fast in DC for four days at the end of June to protest the Death Penalty. This will take place on the steps of the Supreme Court… But before then I must begin cutting out some items that are making me larger. I also decided to go swimming more often. Perhaps this will help..Oh yes I will also drink more water and eat more Jalapenos.

HOW ARE YOUR CLOTHES??? ARE THEY GETITNG SMALLER??

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

1. What to do
2. Bugleme
3. Initiative 1098
4. Planting for Peace
5. World coalition against the death penalty

What to do..WITH BP

This is the most horrific disaster of our time and we can’t figure out what to do .. For years we did not regulate the industry and now we are paying for years of neglect. The republicans have led the charge to give these polluters a free license to destroy our world…

Some of the most disturbing images is of birds suffering covered with oil.. what we don’t see is what gives me the biggest night mares is at the bottom of the gulf and in the various currents that will destroy ocean animals and plant life for years to come . Not to mention the marsh lands and poisoning the people who work and live near the gulf.

I wonder why we have not heard from the government of Mexico? Why are they silent when their beaches and fishing industry will also be damaged?

The effects of this Oil Tsunami will be felt for years both by the environment and the economy.

Some small businesses will receive some compensation for their losses but the workers of these businesses will probably not receive anything.. They will just have to sit and starve. When Crops have been devastated by a storm Farmers have crop insurance or get aid from the government but the farm workers get nothing… And the same will happen to the workers who will lose their place of employment due to the BP DISASTER.

The White House needs to do more and/or let us know what is being done. We don’t and shouldn’t trust BP.

Perhaps we should camp outside the homes of the officers of BP and outside their office building.. And perhaps we should follow their family members where ever they go and remind them that their parents are destroying an important part of our world.

Bugleme ..Its new and exciting way to communicate

I want to introduce you to a new and exciting program called Bugleme. By joining up on this system you can get my actual voice and get a backstage pass into my activities on a regular basis. I will be telling you what I am doing and in many cases asking you to help me to work on behalf of Human Rights. Please go to the Web page listed below and accept the one month free trial period. Once you have received some Bugles let me know what you think. Below is the link for you.

http://magdaleno.bugleme.com/celebrity/home

Why Faith Leaders Support Initiative 1098

sponsored by Washington Association of Churches and Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington

As people of faith we are called to protect the vulnerable, to change systems that are unjust, and to create a world in which everyone is treated fairly and equitably. Washington State’s tax system fails on all of these values. That is why the Religious Coalition for Tax Reform is organizing support for Initiative 1098.

We have a chance right now to put our faith values into practice. After decades of inaction — as our state falls further and further behind in our ability to fund core priorities — Bill Gates Sr. and many other faith and civic leaders are stepping forward to help lead a campaign to enact real tax reform in Washington State. This proposal will not just make our tax code fairer, empower small businesses, and create jobs; it will raise more than $1 billion per year to fund core education and health care priorities – priorities the faith community values.

Dedicated Funding for Quality Education and Health Care

Initiative 1098 will raise $1 billion per year to help us build a more vibrant economy and better opportunities for our children. That new revenue will go to a special trust fund dedicated to funding education and health care priorities like reducing class sizes, lowering tuition costs at our colleges and universities, and funding the voter-approved basic health plan and long-term care for vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities.

For more information please contact YES ON 1098 by calling 206-225-4610 or by email at infor@yeson1098.com. Petitions needed before July 2^nd.

World Coalition Against The Death Penalty

This important conference will be held this weekend at the Hastings Law School in San Francisco. For information contact http://deathpenatly.org/june12

Leno along with Michael Radelet, Mike Farrell and many others will be speaking.

PLANTING FOR PEACE

Yep, I got some plants into the ground… I almost had a heart attack digging and planting… I planted cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, bell pepper, squash and pumpkins. Now will see how they do.

Why is it called a Peace Garden?? One reason is because I am doing something good and it helps me come to peace with my world when I am out there digging and doing… better than going to a shrink… in about 2 weeks I should get some flowers and then by mid July I should have some production of something…

This is the first time in Seattle where my plants can get a lot of sunlight… and this is good. My roommate Maru and her daughter have their own plot going… and while we are not competing… I do want my plots to do well.. After all somewhere in my life I was a farm worker…

My best

leno

First of all there are a lot of things I want to correct and do before I get deported to the so called Promised Land.

• I want to be here for comprehensive immigration reform
• I want to see gay marriage accepted by all states
• I want to find the money for a hair transplant
• I want to win the lottery
• I want to change the laws in Arizona and some other places
• I want to finish writing my next three books
• I want to hear many more stories of the men and women who work hard to change this world
• I want to see the death penalty abolished
• I want to see violence diminished and healing increased
• I want to see a female president of this country…
• I want to do more for peace in the middle-east
• I want a cleaner and safer environment
• I want to regulate big business, and the military better
• I want to learn more from the Native people of our lands..

Thus you can see that I am not ready to be deported to the so called promise land.. And if they try to send me right now I will resist. LOL

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS.

a. Why we must help other
b. Elena kagan
c. BP is a terrorist
d. Governor of Arizona says no and yes
e. Rebranding Arizona

KING ON WHY WE MUST HELP OTHERS

MLK ..Dr. King said many things during his last speech in Memphis.. but one thought that stuck with me yesterday as I once again listened to this speech was the following … King said that many times we hesitate to help someone thinking about what the consequences might be on our own lives.. Instead of thinking of what would happen to the person that we might help if we did not help them.. in other words.. Be willing to walk off the ledge and help others and quit worrying about yourself. ..

ELENA KAGAN

Don’t know much about her but she seems to be heads above many of the boys on that court..and to tell the truth it just might be a beautiful thing to see all 9 members of the court being women.. okay .. okay .. I know .. There are plenty of good men who could also do good on the court.. Let’s just hope that some of these right wing judges leave before they do any more damage to the constitution.

BP IS A TERRORIST BUSINESS

This rogue company that cannot manage its oil well is a bigger danger to our ecology and the stability of our country than some on whom we focus as terrorists.. This oil spill will damage the livelihood of people, kill ocean animal and plant life and damage the economies of both the USA and Mexico.

Right now there are huge clumps of oil moving under water out of sight like a monster from the darkest regions of the earth (like the old time movie favorite the BLOB). This liquid oceanic dark cloud will be trouble for all sea and land that it touches.

The enemies today of the people are mega corporations that put profit over people. And they must be controlled and managed..

Today three corporations are playing the blame game regarding this oil volcano in the gulf and are not willing to tell the truth. I want them to put in writing that they will cover all the costs. At the same time these industry giants continue to make huge profits and lobby for even more deregulation.

All politicos should want to get control of these oil barons and Wall Street mega churches. They are the ones who can bring down a democracy faster than a small band of armed enemies.

The Governor of Arizona says …NO TO ETHNIC STUDIES ..AND YES TO RACIAL PROFILING..

Arizona is going backwards.. it seems like their politicos have gotten into TIME MACHINE and or have taken some strange desert peyote or perhaps even acid and have TAKEN A BAD TRIP… the only problem is that they are trying to take every one in Arizona with them …

There have always been some allowances in our country for Racism and Stupidity .. But right now the TEA BAGGERS, THE EX MINUTE MEN and RIGHT WING NUT JOBS …have joined together and are drinking the KOOL AID of fear and hatred and getting politicians to do their dirty work.

The governor will help to bankrupt state government by trying to defend against the many law suits coming their way . This will get even more complicated because there will be less revenue for the state due to the boycott..

Many small businesses cannot afford to lose one to five percent of their sales. This in these difficult times is their profit of margin.. You will begin seeing many businessmen and women going to the politicians complaining.. Although they may support these strange laws .. They are more interested in their own survival than in punishing the Mexicans.. It might take a month or two but they will feel the difference..

Farmers just might have problems getting workers to harvest their grapes, lettuce and other crops in the months ahead.. and who will cover their losses..

I suggest that someone start a business of creating signs for good businesses that might read something like WE SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE. Thus local folks and visitors can choose to patronize these businesses. Yes .. Although there are many boycotting the state there will still be plenty of us who will go to Arizona to protest and do voter registration.. And we need to know where to shop..

The Seattle City Council approved the Arizona-boycott resolution 7-0 Monday afternoon. It calls for comprehensive immigration reform, and denounces the Arizona law.

The resolution urges Seattle city government to refrain from sending employees to Arizona and from entering into new contracts with businesses headquartered there –when legal and practicable.

In Arizona you have a lot of snow birds that have retired there and many of them have brought their conservative politics with them … and they now want to rid their new home of the people who have lived there for the longest of time.

Recently La Sarah .. Palin was in Arizona and stood up with Gov. Jan Brewer vowing to get an ANTI-BOYCOTT movement going.. Hey LADIES the bottom line will be the dollars and centavos not the rhetoric for the business community..

This is a green (dollars/pesos) movement against a red (racist) movement.. So put your helmets on and get ready for the ARIZONA HUMANITY OLYMPICS..Join a team and GET READY TO RUMBLE

In this process you will get to hear women, men and students saying

NO SE PUEDE (oh no you can’t) to the governor of Arizona.

So please do your part and make history..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.
=================================================================

Rebranding Arizona

by Ginger Rough and Dawn Gilbertson- May. 14, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic..and edited by leno
The loss of business is critical in a recession-battered state vitally dependent on visitor spending.
“It’s up to us to get the truth out there. This is impacting Arizona’s face to the nation,” said Brewer, who blamed the controversy on misconceptions about the law.

A new task force is charged with rebranding and repositioning the state as a unique destination spot.
That is sure to be a tough task after weeks of talk-show comedians, celebrities, politicians and others making Arizona a punch line, calling the law racist and drawing comparisons to fascism and Nazi Germany.
Senate Bill 1070, which Brewer signed April 23 and which takes effect in late July, requires police to ask a person about his or her immigration status if there is “reasonable suspicion” the person is in the country illegally. Being in the country illegally will be a state crime under the law.

One of the task force’s first goals will be trying to stop the trend of boycotts, officials said.
An early plan for how to do that is due in about a month.

“The end goal is to reassert that we are a safe, inviting, diverse and culturally aware community,” said Steve Moore, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Brewer agreed to transfer $250,000 from the Arizona Department of Commerce to the Arizona Office of Tourism to support the effort.

Tactics will likely include not only a marketing campaign but direct contacts with the tourism industry elsewhere in the country.

The backlash against Arizona couldn’t come at a worse time, convention and business leaders say.
The state, which took in $18.5 billion in visitor spending in 2008, has seen its tourism industry struggle in the past couple of years as the U.S. economy sagged.

It took a bigger hit as a result of what is commonly called the AIG effect.

Officials were just starting to see signs of life when the backlash over the new immigration law began, said Debbie Johnson, CEO of the Arizona Tourism Alliance and the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association.

To date, dozens of cities and groups have announced boycotts. Arizona has lost at least 30 to 40 meetingsand conventions, she said.

“We were surprised by (the boycotts),” Johnson said. “We didn’t think it was going to be a tourism issue. This is a political issue.”

The new task force has about 15 members representing business throughout the state’s tourism industry.

They said stopping the boycotts is a top priority because they are worried about the approximately 200,000 hotelworkers, restaurant employees and others who could lose their jobs if the industry can’t find a way to lure new business here.

As part of their effort, officials plan to revive a past campaign that encourages Arizonans to take advantages of specials and deals and vacation within the state. How to rebrand the state to potential visitors has not yet been decided.

A big issue, Johnson said, is “tentative” bookings and new business, those groups that have indicated they were interested in coming here between 2011 and 2015 but are now refusing to sign contracts.

“We’re hearing from our sales people in the hotels and resorts, that people aren’t returning their calls anymore – that they don’t even want to talk to Arizonans,” she said.

Tourism officials huddled for nearly two hours in Brewer’s offices at the state Capitol on Thursday, discussing early strategies and devising ways to push the rebrand out to the public. They offered no time frame for fixing the problem but acknowledged this will have to be a long-term effort.

Acknowledging that Arizona has developed a serious image problem because of its tough new immigration law, Gov. Jan Brewer and tourism-industry leaders said Thursday that they will launch a new effort to stanch the flow of lost trade and convention business in the state.

The legislation and firestorm of negative publicity that followed brought calls for boycotts, moved groups to back out of local conventions and led several cities to cut business ties with Arizona companies.

TRAVEL WHILE YOU CAN

It is amazing how much you can learn by traveling… I have not done it recently but am getting ready to do some more. You just have to be willing to learn and experience the country you are visiting… Staying in a five star hotel does not give you a real look into the local culture.

So take time to travel and learn.. And if you cannot go to another country then go to another state or another end of your state and experience the world around you… sometimes you just need to go to another neighborhood in your own city to have a new experience.

Open up your eyes and your arms to the world in which you live
My best
leno