Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton on SB 1070 and Arizona's economy

June 27, 2012

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton talks about the image overhaul Arizona needs in order to attract new businesses in the wake of the SB 1070 controversy.

Stanton said he doesn’t think SB 1070 is good legislation, but Phoenix will follow the law as it should and is obligated to. He believes having legislation that tells law enforcement what to do is overstepping. Stanton said the state shouldn’t micromanage cities, especially since the legislature doesn’t like it when the federal government tries to mandate things that belong at the state level. He says they should leave local government to local government.

Stanton said in order to repair the economic damage SB 1070 has done to Phoenix, the city needs to redouble its efforts. He says diversity, arts and culture, and sustainability will go a long way into creating an environment businesses want to operate in. Stanton says Arizona needs to stop concentrating on divisive laws and start representing the values of the community.