Resto!in" Ari#ona’s Hea!$

Dear Friends:

The Real Arizona Coalition is a group of business, multi-cultural and inter-faith leadership organiza-tions and individual community members that advocate for solutions to Arizona's current economic and social challenges.

The Real Arizona Coalition provides another voice to Arizona and the world about who we are (our history, opportunity and culture) and brings fact-based reasoned dialogue to controversial issues related to state immigration policy. Together, we will reposition Arizona as a place of strong leader-ship, unparalleled opportunity, valued diversity and as a great place for doing business.

The Real Arizona Coalition seeks to retake control of the state's destiny and reputation by shi!ing the tenor of the state's debate over immigration and focusing our leaders' energy and attention on the issues that matter most to Arizonans, such as job creation, Arizona's fiscal crisis, education and honing our competitive advantage. Won’t you join us?

Sincerely,

!e Rea" Ari#ona Coa$iti%& Lea'e(hip

Resto)in* Ari#ona’s Hea)+

The Real Arizona Coalition is comprised of individuals and businesses, community and faith-based organizations, proud of our past and committed to our economic future. Working together, the Coalition highlights the Arizona we know and love, and the economic benefits associated with

sensible immigration reform.

Our Purpose

The Real Arizona Coalition engages and encourages Arizona leaders to focus on the most pressing problems facing our state including job creation, addressing the state’s budget crisis, preserving and improving our schools and reinvigorating our economy. We actively stand against all forms of racial and ethnic intolerance and are working vigorously to support immigration reform at the federal level to help grow our economy at every level.

Arizona has always been a diverse state. Yet the state is wrongly perceived today as rejecting its cultural diversity. The Real Arizona Coalition is proud of our rich cultural and historical heritage and encourages policies needed to ensure our short- and long-term economic prosperity, including an understanding that immigrants are not the cause of Arizona’s economic di!culties.

Resto!in" Ari#ona’s Hea!$

Resto!in" Ari#ona’s Hea!$

Let’s Talk About the Real Solution

The failure of the federal government to fix our broken immigration system has led to recent actions on immigration by Arizona’s policy makers. What we have now is a divisive, emotionally charged envi-ronment that is tearing at the fabric of Arizona’s sense of community and threatening the essence of our historically diverse culture.

Regardless of how individuals feel about Arizona’s immigration laws, the negative unintended conse-quences such as damaging our relationship with Mexico, our largest trading partner, creating tension in our communities and generating calls for boycotts are significant.

The people of Arizona, like all Americans, have every reason to be frustrated that our elected o!cials in Washington have not fixed our broken immigration system. It is a federal responsibility. The states, Arizona included, cannot solve the labyrinth of issues that make up the immigration debate.

The federal government must deal with border security, immigrants who are in the United States illegally, and the economic realities that drive immigration. We need federal immigration reform for a 21st century economy.

The Real Solution is Federal Immigration Reform

The Coalition understands that the time is now for a real solution – and supports four specific reform components: 1. Strengthen border security. 2. Create a secure system for all employers nationwide to verify the legal work-eligibility for employees. 3. Require immigrants already in the United States illegally – and with no criminal record – to: - Pay penalties and taxes - Learn English - Register for a federally established form of legal status 4. Grow the economy by establishing a market-based immigration process that supports a range of workforce needs from seasonal to highly skilled workers and entrepreneurs.

We are a nation of immigrants that needs a working immigration system. We are a state of immigrants that deserves to enjoy the rich diversity that is our heritage. These are not new ideas, but we need to act now. Please join us in asking the President and Congress to act quickly to create a viable national immigration system.

Who is Real The Real Arizona Coalition is inclusive, broad-based and represented by a respected and multicultural

array of the state’s community, faith and business leadership organizations, which represent thousands of individuals in Arizona.

The Real Arizona Coalition is focused on regaining control of the state’s destiny by shi!ing the conversation to issues such as job creation, education, a quality environment and honing our state’s competitive economic advantage, while encouraging civil, fact-based discussions that support immigration reform at the federal level.

The coalition is committed to o"ering a unified voice for Arizonans.

Those include:

Anti-Defamation LeagueArizona Employers for Immigration ReformArizona Latino Research EnterpriseArizona Hispanic Chamber of CommerceThe Board of Rabbis of Greater PhoenixCatholic Healthcare WestCesar Chavez InstituteChicanos Por La CausaElatina VoicesExito, Inc.Friendly HouseGreater Phoenix Convention & Visitor’s BureauGreater Phoenix Economic CouncilGreater Phoenix LeadershipGreater Phoenix Urban LeagueIO.INCIronco EnterprisesLos AbogadosNative American ConnectionsNew Carpa Theater Co.One Arizona/Interfaith LeadersSchaller Anderson, an AETNA CompanySt. Luke’s Health InitiativesSouthwest Policy AdvisorsSundt Companies, Inc.Valle del SolWestcor

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Commitment Letter

How You Can Engage in Changing the Conversation About Arizona:

1. Help gain support of other state organizations and the public at large to reach the full potential impact of The Real Arizona Coalition. (more than 30 member leadership organizations and more than 10,000 individual members as Friends on Facebook, e-newsletter rosters and comparable social media).

2. Be the source of factual, accurate information distributed through email, letters to the editor, columns, presentations, and within your communities.

3. Encourage Arizona residents to tell their story about The Real Arizona they know and love through the coalition website, e-letter and blog and communicate concerns and interests directly to their public o!cials and local community leaders.

4. Promote respectful, civil dialogue in the community by providing unbiased, factual messaging.

5. Support federal immigration reform and encourage Arizona state leadership to focus on growing Arizona's economy.

Please choose one of the support categories and sign below, or sign up via the RAC website at www.therealarizona.org:

________ The Real Arizona Coalition represents an important position in the current discussion regarding our state's present and future security as the voice of reason, truth and Arizona. I fully support and agree to financially commit $_______________to the advancement of the coalition's e"orts.

_________I cannot commit financially at this time, but pledge to provide in-kind or volunteer support to the organization to advance the coalition's e"orts.

_________I want real solutions to the real issues facing Arizona. As a member of The Real Arizona Coali-tion, I will be a part of developing and implementing these solutions.

__________________________________________________ (signature)

__________________________________________________ (print name)

Resto!in" Ari#ona’s Hea!$