City Council Approves Arizona Business Ban

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 9, 2010 9:30PM

While they didn't approve food trucks, the City Council did approve a moratorium on business with Arizona-based companies as a way to protest that state's recently-enacted immigration law that's been causing controversy. Ald. Danny Solis (25th) compared it to Nazi Germany, saying and Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th) voted in favor of the resolution but urged caution, citing the council's own previous missteps: “Clearly, we’ve all done some stupid things. Even us. Fois gras. How long ago was that?” The move doesn't affect four contracts already made with Arizona companies.

That's not to say there wasn't disagreement over the proposal.

Ald. Brian Doherty (41st), argued that Chicago has no business telling another “sovereign state” how to attack an immigration problem that’s a whole lot bigger than ours. And Doherty argued that the Arizona law is not the discriminatory legislation it’s been cracked up to be.

“Even though the Arizona legislation specifically prohibits racial profiling — and it does — people keep on repeating the big lie. They keep saying they can stop anyone, anywhere any time. That is simply not the case … Do not keep on repeating the big lie because it’s just not true,” Doherty said.

That wasn't the only symbolic move made by the City Council today as they passed a resolution calling for the Great Lake states to forbid BP from drilling for oil in any of the lakes. Which is already against the law anyway and the resolution has no authority over what any other state does..

And, finally, the City Council also approved the erection of that Toyota sign at Wrigley Field which could be up "within days," so look for it this weekend when the Cubs return home.