How prevalent is this thinking in AZ? (Phoenix, Buckeye: tax rates, to live)

[DCTalk]

As is my wont, I peruse various forums (fora?) and blogs on the Phoenix area and other locations I am interested in possibly retiring to. I have run across what I consider some disturbing elements in some of the AZ blogs. I realize border security issues are important in the Southwest, but there are some of the most virulent, hate-filled anti-immigrant rants I have ever seen on various Arizona blogs, including a few individuals on this site. It’s not that these individuals consider the influx of illegals a problem. They are literally seething with unreasoning hatred.

Now we all know there are ignorant, bigoted racists in every state, but one gets the impression from the blog sites that Arizona has a disproportionate number of them. Some of the ravings and droolings of these slack-jawed mouth-breathers make the Klan look like flaming liberals. Yes, I know that Arizona is a conservative state and that there still is some of that Old West 19th century mentality out there, but to what degree? How prevalent is this type of thinking among the general population? What proportion of the population is intolerant of anyone different than they are? Is it just the natives or is it the influx of new residents from out-of-state that also possess this type of thinking?

Let the fun begin.

[Howard Roark]

You make the wrong assumption about race being the issue. The issue is that the illegal aliens are driving up the health care costs and giving the gulfstream socialists the excuse that we have to socialize health care to put a cap on costs. Taxpayers are also paying for the education (in Spanish of course) of children of illegals, again driving up costs.

Note I am for open immigration from India as long as we get the educated ones. Indians are darker skinned than most illegals. So how do you reconcile that?

[DCTalk]

"Gulfstream socialists"? Every time I hear someone spewing such nonsense I know I'm not going to get anything intelligent from that corner.

Put a cap on costs? Explain why we in the US pay twice as much as other western countries for a poorer quality of health care? Our infant mortality rate is worse than Cuba's!! Any time someone starts screaming about socialized medicine (not that they could define it) they never seem to understand that the so-called free market has utterly failed to provide adequate health care for millions in this country.

But health care is totally off topic. Back to the harangues.

[YAZ]

Well, I'l put my two cents in, for what it's worth.

The southwest has an Hispanic element to it, whether one likes it or not. From Texas westward to California, the influence is prevalent. Always has been, always will be.

From the OP's view, it seems that there's a "racial" context to it all, and that's understandable....some folks get pissed off that "we" have to foot the bill for education & social welfare programs that cater to the Hispanic population.

Well, that's the point. Did the USA have programs for the many Irish, Scot, Dutch, etc. to acclimate to our great country? Nope.

Se habla espanol? I didn't think so....


Drive safely...

[Finger Laker]

Health care is completely on topic.

Yes - many people here are tired of people coming into this country by breaking the law, continuing to stay here by breaking the law, working for employers breaking the law while the state goes in debt in part to catering to these law breakers.

No action is done against this drain on resources. With the economy going sour the backlash will only get worse.

Illegal immigration is a huge issue down here that many people are fed up with, quite frankly.

Don't confuse it with racism though. You'll find legal citizens of mexican descent who also carry the same attitude towards illegals.

If you have no issue with illegal immigration I'd rather not have you here. Or perhaps after a year or two of witnessing it first hand maybe you're mind would change.

[buckeyenative01]

Stay off of AZCentral.com/The Arizona Republic and any stories related to immigration. The comments on most stories will make you wonder about the kind of people who live in this state and the state of humanity in general.

Actually, if there's a way to turn off the comments section on AZ Central (obviously if there is, I don't know how to do it), my blood pressure would be a helluva lot lower than it is right now.

[AzDreamer]

DCtalk, sounds like a perfect handle for you.

[DCTalk]

"If you have no issue with illegal immigration I'd rather not have you here." Curious statement. So the only people who should live in AZ are those who have issues with immigrants? Sorry. If I choose to live there, I don't care whether you like it or not. And tell me how you've been taxed to death there in AZ due to all the illegals. Oh wait, AZ really doesn't have the highest tax rates in the land, does it?

So far we have one who likes Asian Indians, but not Mexicans, so therefore he's not racist, and two who dislike illegals, but they can't really tell legal from illegal Latinos, so likely they consider all Mexican-looking types illegals till proven otherwise. So far it's looking like the narrow-minded hostility is more prevalent than I thought, or maybe only the blogosphere is full of those types.

[DCTalk]

You're probably right BuckeyeNative. It does seem that the blogs draw out the extremists. You have to question the mental state of some of the posters on the Republic and New Times sites. I'm sure AZ has it's small enclaves of white power types like every other state and immigrants make easy targets as the cause of society's ills. Hitler used the same arguments about the Jews. Same mentality.

[BillyBaroo]

Most people don't hate Mexicans, they just get angry about the illegal ones because of the problems they cause.