The vast shopping center that holds his small shop is almost empty. The Food City supermarket closed this spring. Then the furniture shop. Then the pizzeria.
Katchi's revenue was already sagging before April 23, when Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law. Since then, sales have plummeted.
When immigrants leave, Gans said, "stores experience dramatic drops in sales. Apartment owners who rent to immigrants have high vacancy rates and risk losing their buildings. Legal workers or renters or consumers don't generally step in quickly enough to prevent these businesses from experiencing real additional hardship."
But they are not just leaving. Those who stay aren't spending money. Because of fear.
"The economy's already bad, but on top of it [SB 1070] is like a bullet in the head to us," said Osameh Odeh, 35, whose Eden Wear clothing store was empty one recent afternoon. "People don't come out of their houses anymore."
I will enjoy watching the Arizona experiment play out.
1 comment:
I really tried not to spend any money in that state on my way through...but they have the Grand Canyon. Bastards. Believe it or not, a pint at the saloon at the Canyon is cheaper than anywhere in Vegas.
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