Turnabout?

Headline from front page story in San Diego's Union-Tribune on Friday:

Some in Arizona Canceling Trips to S.D.
Outrage over local censure votes may be a misunderstanding

Opening paragraphs:

San Diego tourism leaders and hoteliers fear they could lose a sizable chunk of business this summer from valued “Zonies” who are so angered by elected leaders’ recent censure of Arizona for its illegal-immigration law that they’re mounting an informal boycott of their own.

The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau and several hotels report receiving e-mails and letters from Arizona visitors saying they intend to change their plans to travel here in light of local outcry over their home state’s anti-illegal-immigration stance.

Tourism officials are striking back. In an open letter, they urge Arizona residents to overlook local politics and come to San Diego just as they always have for its mild climate, beaches and attractions. The visitors bureau, in conjunction with the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association, plans to circulate the letter to media outlets and in advertising this weekend in The Arizona Republic.

Well, well, well...

While it's true that the city council and the city school board did not vote to boycott Arizona, this only proves that words do indeed have meaning and these resolutions, though symbolic only, carry import with the people being censured.

The citizens and businesses of Arizona have every right to feel like they're being ganged up on from around the nation for a law they may not even agree with.

And here's a couple of the nitwits at the center of San Diego's resolutions:

San Diego Councilwoman Donna Frye said she believes some Arizona residents are acting out of a misunderstanding.

“The City Council did not pass a resolution boycotting Arizona, and I would hope that the good citizens of Arizona understand that and will continue to visit San Diego,” Frye said.

School board President Shelia Jackson said that while she was disappointed to hear of people opting to stay away from San Diego, she doesn’t regret her vote.

“It’s sad that people would cancel their plans to come here in reaction to that, but I still think we did the right thing,” Jackson said. “Certainly, we know how important tourism is to San Diego, and it wasn’t my intent to impact the tourism trade.”

Jackson, a union tool, is especially pathetic in this regard. What great sacrifice did she make in casting her vote? How is a resolution, boycott and counter-boycott going to adversely affect her? Her and Frye's and every other yea vote was pure grandstanding and it's completely disgusting.

And though we do feel a degree of sympathy towards the business community here in San Diego, they should've anticipated this in the wake of the council and school board's resolutions and actively campaigned against the resolutions.



We've have some biker buddies that do an annual Yuma Territorial Prison run. Temple of Mut is planning a similar event in making a run for the border to shower some cash on Yuma and possibly parts deeper in to show support for the businesses and citizens of Arizona who are being hurt by the Arizona boycott.

We'll keep you posted.



http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/14/some-in-arizona-canceling-trips-to-sd/