Okay, since Arizona wants to take over the "illegal immigration issue" from the Federal,

[zbdent]

feeling that they would be doing a much better job of it ...

then ...

how about Arizona residents foot the bill for building that wall on the Arizona/Mexico border? I mean, since they think the Federal Government does such a lousy job, maybe they should pay for it themselves ...

[Saturday]

1. Using the words " AZ wants to take over" when our Federal

government won't do their job is a little spinning, don't you think?

[zbdent]

2. Under Bush, do you really believe that they wanted to hurt

the Bush "Guest Worker" program?

and the Arizona economy relied heavily on the "illegal immigrants" doing a lot of work on building houses (of course, to keep costs low, and houses "affordable" ... a.k.a. "maximize profits") ... http://www.ohio.com/news/nation/99188394.html

[JonLP24]

3. They are doing the job

Hundreds of thousands are being deported every year with deportations up under this administration. It is AZ RW spin that the Feds aren't doing their job.

[Saturday]

8. Deporting is up? Too little too late.

What about entry? Isn't that their job too? The Feds aren't doing their jobs or we wouldn't have 7000 illegals working in the US.

[JonLP24]

10. Entry is down too

You can still do your job but still unable to control all of it. The US has thrown a lot of money into the drug war but it only takes knowing someone to get whatever is that you want. Still deporting over 300,000 a year is doing their jobs. Sorry they can't stop or deport everyone. It would be better to look into the root causes of this and try to solve the problem there. Also making the pathway to citizenship a better process will help with that and other reforms are needed. However deporting and trying to find border crosses won't eliminate 100% of illegal immigration.

[pinboy3niner]

5. Federal border agents have doubled in the last 5 years...

...to more than 20,000. Feds "doing nothing" is a wingnut talking point that's refuted by the facts.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. The real question is not numbers but effectiveness in an evolving situation

No one can claim that the Feds are being particularly effective against smuggling or illegal immigration on the Mexican border.

[Hello_Kitty]

7. I live here in AZ. It's exactly the rhetoric they're using.

Our Accidental Governor has billboards all over the state featuring herself as Rosie the Riveter flexing her muscle with the caption "doing the job the Feds won't do".

[Catshrink]

4. It's election year posturing in an economic downturn

They need someone to blame so they blame the immigrants (it's a cycle - Germans, Irish, Italian, Chinese all had the same prejudices but Mexico is closer so it's easier to just "send 'em back".

They need to talk tough because Sheriff Joe talks tough and no one wants Sheriff Joe to label him or her a wimp. In fact, in Arizona, RW candidates are sucking up to Sheriff Joe big time to get his endorsement. Why the candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction needs the endorsement of the tuffest shuriff in Amurika is beyond me but there it is.

Oh, and not Arizonans are racists. There are a good number of progressives here.

[jody]

9. You are misinformed, AZ does not want to take over the illegal immigration issue