Governor out to rebrand Arizona over immigration law criticism

[pampango]

Source: AZCentral.com

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.

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. To date, dozens of cities and groups have announced boycotts. Arizona has lost at least 30 to 40 meetings and 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."

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.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/05/13/20100513governor-rebrand-arizona-over-immigration-law-criticism13-ON.html

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. Rebrand it as Germany 1933 but with a shitter climate

I love Lewis Black

[depakid]

2. "We were surprised by (the boycotts),"

Racists are always surprised when others not only express their disapproval, but actively avoid dealing with them.

[Angry Dragon]

3. Maybe people just do not like you any more

[pinboy3niner]

4. They're going to put lipstick on a pig? nt

[icnorth]

5. A multi-million dollar paint job just ain't

going going to cut it Gov.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Keep the pressure on. Boycott the state entirely. Shunning does work.

[Oceansaway]

7. K&R...n/t

[Saturday]

8. A poll out yesterday showed 60% supported the law so....

I'm a little surprised at this.

[Jennicut]

14. 40% don't though and that can still have an impact on something like tourism.

I wanted to take a trip the Grand Canyon soon with my family but we won't be going now, no way will I give my money to the state now.

[SargeUNN]

21. Polls can be slanted

I live in arizona and I honestly don't think more than 55% if that much approve of this law. If you remember even some polls had McCain neck and neck to Obama and guess what Obama won by a very large margin. Plus do you think all of us Democrats in Arizona support this hideous piece of crap? Of course not and just on that fact alone the large percentage suppose to be for this crap in AZ doesn't wash. Take that on a national level and the 60% really doesn't either.

[foxfeet]

9. Do they make branding irons with the word "Assholes?"

Must be special order.

[tom_paine]

10. NEW and IMPROVED fascism: Now with TWICE the Plausible Deniability!

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. What Arizona doesn't seem to understand is that it doesn't

matter how the law is written, we know how it will be applied. We know because this has been building since 2001. Underneath all the rhetoric is the fact that these laws are cropping up to give policemen a free reign to continue targeting dark skinned people, and leaving the lily white population untouched.

It has got to stop because these imbalances are only drawing resources and money to one side of the equation. As the police statistics continue to put dark skinned people into jail, it will continue to reinforce prejudices that there is something criminally wrong with non-white races.

[EFerrari]

20. Yesterday Amy reported a study that said black and brown people

are stopped 9X more often than white people in NYC.

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. Exactly. And what is that going to do to the statistics?

Obviously, you're going to have more hispanics, blacks and other ethnic groups of color ending up in jail. Not just because they're being stopped more often, but because the policies of the criminal justice departments (FBI for example) are directed to this purpose, and they don't have the time to investigate valid complaints that usually affect white communities.

It will continue to feed prejudices that dark skinned people are more prone to crime.

The thing that will happen in the long run is that as their opportunities dry up because the system continues to shut them out, they really won't have any other options left open to them for upward mobility. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Egnever]

30. Well said

[Bitwit1234]

12. What can she re brand it to.

With the fact that the MSM constantly interviewed and show nothing about protests except the tea bags did AZ think this was what 95% of this country wanted. She sure as hell was mistaken the 4 to 5% that represents the tea bags and radical hate filled republicans got wall to wall 24 hour coverage while real America was left out in the cold by the media. You know that liberal media they only want to show tea bags.

[Divine Discontent]

27. the only thing she can rebrand it too - "if you're white come enjoy AZ!" Horrendous law, and,

shocking they didn't see this coming... duh.

[Evasporque]

13. New tag line...!!

"Arizona. Great places for white faces!"

[struggle4progress]

15. "People are upset by our racist crap -- so we're getting a new logo"

[annabanana]

17. It's their "go to" solution for everything.."We can fix it in Marketing"..

That's what happens when you see everything through a corporate lens

[CatWoman]

18. exactly

and you know what? when this issue (of the bill they passed) first came to light I immediately knew that she was going to pass that bill. Just a feeling.

[hvn_nbr_2]

16. Gov. Brewer's new tourism booster slogan: Arizona is for white people.

Doesn't quite have the feel-good ring of "Virgina is for lovers," except for the target audience. They'll think it sounds great.

[EFerrari]

19. Lol.

[TommyO]

22. It's easy, rescind the laws

and then have every single person who voted for them resign their office in disgrace.

[fascisthunter]

23. branding bigotry... hey, the GOP does it all the time

good luck with that one.

[sendero]

25. "Image problem"....

.... no asshole, you have a reality problem. You passed a repugnant bit of legislation and people are VOTING WITH THEIR FEET.

You can spend all you want trying to reform your "image". It's not going to work.

[Thor_MN]

26. I believe the "Arizona is for Haters" ad campaign is free....

Virgina might not like the play on their campaign, but might welcome the tourists.

[Q3JR4]

28. Well duh...

What did they think would happen? That we would let them pass their racist law and it would be business as usual?

I think not.

Q3JR4.

[NuttyFluffers]

29. ... and some say boycotts don't do anything.

whether it's a productive learning lesson to the governor or at least the voters in general is debatable. i fully support gay groups boycotting California for prop H8, so i am consistent with my view that boycotts are worth engaging.

[Bonobo]

31. +478 nt

[CanonRay]

32. I think she already HAS rebranded Arizona

Racist, would be the brand.

[ellie]

33. I can see it now

Come to Arizona! We're all white!


WTF?

[newspeak]

34. also, the ban on ethnic studies

I took african american studies, women's studies, native american studies in school. The standard history book usually doesn't fully cover the accomplishments and the influence groups of people have had on this country. The immigration law and the ban on ethnic studies looks like to me blatant bigotry. A mindset of only white people do important things.

[calimary]

35. Shows you how shortsighted these republi-CON assholes are.

They already had a template for this - when they turned their noses up at MLK Day. Guess they forgot the national outrage and horribly costly boycotts they suffered as a result of that.

These assholes have shortsightedness in their DNA. Everything is penny-wise and pound-foolish. Everything is cutting corners here and weaseling around something there - only to wind up paying through the nose to fix whatever problem they cheated to try to avoid. I frickin' HATE these people. Everything is wink-and-nod and don't-bother-me-with-regulations-'cause-we-gotta-drill-baby-drill, and the results are what you see in the Gulf of Mexico. Everything is we-have-to-cut-domestic-programs-'cause-we-hate-all-those-lazy-moochers and then you get homeless stacked up all over city streets and public parks. Free Market!!!! Free Market!!!! Well, BP, how's that free market crap and all that corporate lobbying and schmoozing and fast-talking serving you (not to mention our precious ecosystem, jobs and the fishing and tourist industry along the gulf) now?

It's gonna take a LOT more than a frickin' PR campaign to wipe that racist intolerant teabagger filth off your soul, brewer. Hell, even BP's corporate robber barons figured that one out.

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[lunatica]

36. Maybe they should hire Karen Hughes for her famous charm offensive