Posted by JM Ashby
Many people predicted that Arizona's "papers please" law, SB1070, would cost the state income due to less tourism. Not many though would have predicted that it may even cost the state federal dollars following the 2010 census. It now looks as though that may be what has happened.
So, the Census Bureau demographers projected Arizona's population to be 6,668,079 but the actual number was 6,392,017 or 276,062 fewer people than what the Census Bureau expected to find. This was the largest shortfall of any state in absolute numbers. Since Arizona is a mid-sized state, as a percentage of the population this shortfall was nearly twice that of the next nearest state, Georgia.
Arizona is facing a budget shortfall of approximately $2.6 Billion and following the census is now missing out on $775 Million in federal dollars which comes out to $2,708 per missing person. Did immigrants feel reluctant to stick around inside Arizona, or did they simply feel uncomfortable filling out government forms? Either way, it seems clear that the political climate inside Arizona has cost the state a great deal of money beyond the weakened tourism industry.
Perhaps Jan Brewer can simply instruct her citizens to go fishing for more Big Government bucks? Oh wait, she already has.