Boycott Wars, Update

Not to be outdone by Los Angeles, mental midget mayor of Columbus, Ohio, Michael B. Coleman has officially banned city workers from traveling to Arizona on government business, citing the Arizona's new immigration law as a good reason to boycott the State of Arizona (click here for the link to the Columbus Dispatch).  Of course, there are a few exceptions to the boycott.  From the Dispatch:

The ban on city-worker travel won't apply to police officers who might be dispatched to Arizona for criminal extraditions, Williamson said. And the review of Arizona contracts won't apply to the city's agreement with Phoenix-based Redflex Traffic Systems, which owns and operates 20 red-light cameras.

A new contract approved by council members this month will double the number of cameras posted at Columbus intersections to issue tickets to red-light-runners.

Rescinding that program "wouldn't make sense to the taxpayers," Williamson said.

I suppose that because we must maintain law and order, police officers would not be affected, even if they're picking someone up that has been subjected to the new immigration law that Williamson is protesting.  Maybe Williamson intends to offer these people political asylum or amnesty as a further means of protest.  Naturally Redflex is immune because it 'wouldn't make sense to the taxpayers'.  What utter bullshit.

I don't believe Williamson has actually read the new law he's protesting. In case anyone is interested, click here for the official text, and here for a site about the people of Arizona fighting back.  This legislation was written and passed because the State cannot compel the Federal Government to enforce immigration law.  Therefore, the State must protect itself, and the way the law is written echoes the Federal immigration law.  Of course, I could be wrong about Williamson. He might not have read the law for himself and just read about the protests against the law, and then figured that this was a good opportunity to show his constituents what a good and wise leader he truly is.  He has to be re-elected, you know.

One obvious question is: How many trips do Columbus city workers make to Arizona?  Click here for the Dispatch article, which says:

Since January 2009, according to the city auditor's office, only three Columbus city employees have had reason to travel to Arizona.

 Three.  Not one, not two, but three whole trips.  I wonder if Arizona will notice the boycott?