Arizona's progressives: A Who's Who of the Opposition to SB1070

Who are the Progressives in Arizona who are fighting against SB1070? Let's start with three of the most influential:

Alfredo Gutierrez is probably the smartest political mind in the Arizona Progressive cadre. Gutierrez, a paid political consultant and former Arizona congressman, organizes for Somos America a radical immigration rights group. Guiterrez is a close associate of Grijalva and claims that groups have plans for civil disobedience and disruption of law enforcement when SB 1070 is implemented.

Sandra Castro, an transplanted college student from LA and regional leader of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), has an ongoing vendetta against Sheriff Joe Arpiao and his efforts to enforce Arizona laws in Maricopa County. Having lived in Arizona less than two years, she has organized some of the largest hate rallies in opposition to border and immigration enforcement and forced baseless lawsuits against Arpiao. Castro is organizing to bring thousands of protesters from across the country to boycott SB 1070 and she promises to lead larger and larger protests until SB1070 is repealed and Arpiao resigns.

Phil Reller, of the Center for Progressive Leaders, Arizona, characterizes the ignorance and folly of Liberation Theology and the Progressive movement. Another newcomer to Arizona, Reller, former pastor of Rincon United Church of Christ in Tucson, seeks to involve liberal and mainline churches in the fight against SB1070. It is no coincident that Reller is a big supporter and organizer in Grijalva's "grassroots" organization among liberals in Tucson and Phoenix.

"I believe that Arizona is currently moving into a unique opportunity to move from regressive and inhumane systems (where people earn profits) - from health care for the mentally ill to immigration needs, from corporate vs. workers' rights to water usage - and progressive organizing and action (protests and extortionist boycotts) can make ours a healthier state."

- Philip Reller, 2007 Arizona Political Leaders Fellow

These are the movers and shakers against SB1070. all are directly a part of Arizona's Progressive Movement. They are full time workers, highly trained, with almost limitless funding. But they do not represent a majority of Americans. That is their weakness. They want you to believe that their education and training is better than your common sense. They will try and make their numbers seem larger than they actually are and they will not stop until you stop their funding from federal grants and social programs and vote their patrons in Congress out of office. Start with Grijalva.