Arizona sheriff Arpaio forges ahead with aggressive immigration sweeps even after court ruling

PHOENIX Lost in the hoopla over Arizona’s immigration law is the fact that state and local authorities for years have been doing their own aggressive crackdowns in the busiest illegal gateway into the country.Nowhere in the U.S. is local enforcement more present than in metropolitan Phoenix, where Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio routinely carries out sweeps, some in Hispanic neighborhoods, to arrest illegal immigrants. The tactics have made him the undisputed poster boy for local immigration enforcement and the anger that so many authorities feel about the issue.

“It’s my job,” said Arpaio, standing beside a sheriff’s truck that has a number for an immigration hot line written on its side. “I have two state (immigration) laws that I am enforcing. It’s not federal, it’s state.”A ruling Wednesday by a federal judge put on hold parts of the new law that would have required officers to dig deeper into the fight against illegal immigration. Arizona says it was forced to act because the federal government isn’t doing its job to fight immigration.

The issue led to demonstrations across the country Thursday, including one directed at Arpaio in Phoenix in which protesters beat on the metal door of a jail and chanted, “Sheriff Joe, we are here. We will not live in fear.”Meanwhile, Gov. Jan Brewer’s lawyers went to court to overturn the judge’s ruling so they can fight back against what the Republican calls an “invasion” of illegal immigrants.

Ever since the main flow of illegal immigrants into the country shifted to Arizona a decade ago, state politicians and local police have been feeling pressure to confront the state’s border woes.In addition to Arpaio’s crackdowns, other efforts include a steady stream of busts by the state and local police of stash houses where smugglers hide illegal immigrants. The state attorney general has taken a money-wiring company to civil court on allegations that smugglers used their service to move money to Mexico. And a county south of Phoenix has its sheriff’s deputies patrol dangerous smuggling corridors.The Arizona Legislature have enacted a series of tough-on-immigration measures in recent years that culminated with the law signed by Brewer in April, catapulting the Republican to the national political stage.

But the king of local immigration enforcement is still Arpaio.Arpaio, a 78-year-old ex-federal drug agent who fashions himself as a modern-day John Wayne, launched his latest sweep Thursday afternoon, sending about 200 sheriff’s deputies and trained volunteers out across metro Phoenix to look for traffic violators who may be here illegally.

Deputy Bob Dalton and volunteer Heath Kowacz spotted a driver with a cracked windshield in a poor Phoenix neighborhood near a busy freeway. Dalton triggered the red and blue police lights and pulled over 28-year-old Alfredo Salas, who was born in Mexico but has lived in Phoenix with a resident alien card since 1993.

Dalton gave him a warning after Salas produced his license and registration and told him to get the windshield fixed.Salas, a married father of two who installs granite, told The Associated Press that he was treated well but he wondered whether he was pulled over because his truck is a Ford Lobo.

“It’s a Mexican truck so I don’t know if they saw that and said, ‘I wonder if he has papers or not,'” Salas said. “If that’s the case, it kind of gets me upset.”Sixty percent of the nearly 1,000 people arrested in the sweeps since early 2008 have been illegal immigrants. Thursday’s dragnet led to four arrests, but it wasn’t clear if any of them were illegal immigrants.Critics say deputies racially profile Hispanics. Arpaio says deputies approach people only when they have probable cause.

“Sheriff Joe Arpaio and some other folks there decided they can make a name for themselves in terms of the intensity of the efforts they’re using,” said Benjamin Johnson, executive director of the pro-immigrant Immigration Policy Center. “There’s no way to deny that. There are a lot of people getting caught up in these efforts.”The Justice Department launched an investigation of his office nearly 17 months ago over allegations of discrimination and unconstitutional searches and seizures. Although the department has declined to detail its investigation, Arpaio believes it centers on his sweeps.

Arpaio feels no reservations about continuing to push the sweeps, even after the federal government stripped his power to let 100 deputies make federal immigration arrests.Unable to make arrests under a federal statute, the sheriff instead relied on a nearly 5-year-old state law that prohibits immigrant smuggling. He has also raided 37 businesses in enforcing a state law that prohibits employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.”I’m not going to brag,” Arpaio said. “Just look at the record. I’m doing what I feel is right for the people of Maricopa County.” (AP)

Lincoln Mercury dealers Sunday that they will be getting a new small car, an offshoot of the next Ford Focus

Ford executives told Lincoln Mercury dealers Sunday that they will be getting a new small car, an offshoot of the next Ford Focus.
Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, and other executives met with dealers behind closed doors at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Orlando. At present, the Mercury lineup lacks a compact car. Ford officials say they’ve talked about bringing a small car to the Mercury lineup more than  year ago, but it was new to Drive On.The next Focus, shown above, could be a breakthrough small car for Ford. It’s far more stylish than the current one — and the Mercury version would be even more upscale. Fields told Drive On that he talked to dealers about changes afoot. For instance, when Ford dealers get the new Fiesta subcompact, a car even smaller than Focus, they may have to adjust to new hip, young new customers who might have not have wandered into a Ford showroom before. Just what changes they’ll have to make, he didn’t say.

the Navigator SUV 2010 Lincoln MKT

2010 lincoln MTK

It might seem strange that Lincoln added a vehicle with three-row seating to its line-up when it already offers the Navigator SUV, but Lincoln is undergoing many changes, revamping its cars and image for the 21st century. Thus, the 2010 Lincoln MKT joins the line-up, and would probably completely replace the Navigator if that older SUV didn’t still have significant sales.As a next generation vehicle for Lincoln, the MKT is a crossover with ample interior space for passengers and cargo. Unlike the Navigator, which has body-on-frame construction, the MKT has a fully independent suspension, giving it a more carlike ride. And though some might mistake it for a minivan, it fights off that classification by using hinged, rather than sliding, side doors, following in the footsteps of the Mercedes-Benz R-class.

Like the Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln aims for luxury with the MKT, fitting the cabin with comfortable and attractive materials while making available a variety of tech features. Rear seat refrigerator? Check. Head rest-mounted rear seat DVD monitors? Check. Panoramic sunroof? Check. Heated and cooled seats? Check.

Striking features
This next generation Lincoln certainly makes its mark in style. The wing-shaped grilles, first seen on the MKS sedan, take on ridiculous proportions on the front of the MKT. These large grills thoroughly ventilate the engine while sucking in sparrows and other small birds. But the rear of the MKT is even more striking, a big slab of back-end cut across by the tail light jewelry, with a minimal rear window evocative of 1940s touring cars. The rear visibility is limited, although a rearview camera prevents it from being unsafe. We just wish the style of the rear went with the rest of the vehicle.

2010 Lincoln MKT

As the newest vehicle in Lincoln’s line-up, the MKT gets Lincoln’s latest engine, the Ecoboost twin turbo direct injected 3.5-liter V-6. We saw this engine in the Ford Taurus SHO and Ford Flex, demonstrating its versatility.

With an output of 355 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, the Ecoboost engine gets the MKT moving remarkably fast, despite the vehicle’s near 5,000 pounds of mass. Stepping on the gas, we reveled in the acceleration. It’s the kind of engine that gives you plenty of confidence to make passing maneuvers on two lane highways, or show off to your friends that this big vehicle is much more than a luxury wagon, especially when the engine is making its sonorous growl above 3,000rpm.

The Ecoboost MKT, the top-of-the-model-line, only comes in all-wheel-drive format. Lesser models are available with Lincoln’s 3.7-liter Duratec V-6 and can be had in front- or all-wheel-drive. Although we had quite a bit of fun with the Ecoboost engine, the MKT’s mileage was a sobering reminder of what happens when you combine big power and mass. The EPA puts the MKT’s fuel economy at 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. We never saw the trip computer rise above 20 mpg, and turned in a final average of 17.3 mpg. As testament to the Ecoboost engine’s technology, the Duratec front-wheel-drive MKT only gets 1 mpg better, and significantly less power.
Unlike the lesser models, the Ecoboost model also gets an electric power steering unit, helping the fuel economy a bit. And the six-speed automatic transmission doesn’t hurt, either, providing a tall gear to keep the engine rotations low at freeway speeds. Somewhat inappropriate for the big MKT, paddle shifters were mounted to the steering wheel. But then again, those paddles are the only way to select gears when using the transmission’s manual mode.

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Jet-powered Ford guns for 300 mph

Joe Wilkins knew there was only one way to give his supercharged, alcohol-injected Hemi-engined hot rod more power: Put a jet engine in the trunk.”It started as a hobby and turned into a monster,” said Joe Wilkins, the motor madman behind what might be the wildest 1939 Ford ever built. He’s an inventor and defense department contractor, and the idea of goosing the Ford’s ability to turn heads and shred tires came when he bought a used gas turbine engine.”I got hooked on the simplicity and power that this thing produced, and I decided one day I want to put it in a car.”

Luckily for us, he did. The Hemi Jet — Wilkins has copyrighted the name — fires up this weekend at the Houston AutoRama, and Wilkins plans to attempt a land speed record in the near future.In the meantime, he’s tooling around Navasota, Texas, in what he says is the ultimate sleeper when the jet engine’s tucked away in the trunk.Most people say “Nice car” and assume he’s got the obligatory small-block Chevrolet engine under the hood. Little do they know.”I can drive it up to the store and get a gallon of milk if I want to,” he told Autopia.The car is an amalgamation of the Big Three, with a Chrysler engine, Chevrolet drivetrain and Ford body. Wilkins says the jet engine was probably used as an APU and weighs 110 pounds.

He claims the car is street legal so long as the jet stays stowed. He fires it up from time to time to show off, and he plans to run it flat-out at the Bonneville Salt Flats.”We want to be the fastest street legal car in the world,” he said.He’s got some intense competition. The Bugatti Veyron tops out at 253 mph and the Shelby Supercars Ultimate Aero TT does 255. And then there’s Red Vector One, that crazy Vauxhall that does zero to 60 in under a second. Record, schmecord — we just want to see the video.”I’m more than certain the car will go over 300,” Wilkins said. “We’ve still got a ways to go [before Bonneville], but not a long way. We’ll have to experiment in some wind tunnels and end up with a spoiler on the back to keep the front end on the ground.”

Sadly, Wilkins won’t be behind the wheel during the car’s test run.”I turned 61 last Sunday. I just don’t think I’m going to be able to handle it [without] the reflexes I had 20 or 30 years ago,” he said. “I know several people who would be more than interested.”So do we, and we even suggested Wilkins give the job to fellow jet-junkie Bob Maddox. After jumping from a plane with a pulse jet strapped to his chest, we suspect Maddox would welcome the opportunity to stay on the ground.

Toyota Will Fix or Replace 4 Million Gas Pedals

DETROIT — Toyota said Wednesday it would have to fix the gas pedals of about four million vehicles, including the Camry, to resolve a widespread problem with unintended acceleration.The announcement was another setback for Toyota, which until last year appeared all but unstoppable. Its disciplined business approach, surging profits and reputation for quality helped it take market share from troubled competitors, and win from General Motors the title of world’s largest automaker.But the global downturn has battered Toyota, along with most car companies. And Toyota, which has issued other recalls in recent years, risks losing its standing in the eyes of many consumers as the benchmark for reliability.Three weeks ago, the company said it would recall only driver-side floor mats, which it said could get stuck on the accelerator and cause an accident.Since then, federal regulators have pressured Toyota to do more to insure the safety of several models, including the Camry, three Lexus sedans and its Prius hybrid.

Safety experts said the huge recall could do more damage to Toyota’s reputation, much as Ford and Firestone suffered from rollover problems earlier this decade with the Ford Explorer.“Clearly Toyota has its back up against the wall like it never has before,” said Sean Kane of Safety Research and Strategies, a consulting firm in Rehoboth, Mass.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started scrutinizing the issue of jammed gas pedals after a high-speed crash in August near San Diego. A Lexus ES350 hit another vehicle at more than 120 miles per hour, killing four people.

Moments before the crash, a passenger called 911 and said the gas pedal was stuck and the driver could not stop.On Nov. 2, Toyota said it would voluntarily recall floor mats that could interfere with the operation of the gas pedals if they became unmoored.

It also said that federal safety administration officials had found no other defect — a statement that the agency quickly noted was “inaccurate and misleading.”Under the new recall, Toyota will shorten gas pedals by three-quarters of an inch, starting in January, and in some cases remove padding from the floor to prevent the pedals from getting stuck on floor mats.The models covered include the 2007-10 Camry sedan and Tundra pickup trucks, 2005-10 Avalon sedan and Tacoma pickup, 2004-9 Prius hybrid, and three models from its Lexus division: the 2007-10 ES350 and 2006-10 IS250 and IS350.

The affected models compose nearly half of all the Toyotas sold in the United States over the last several years.The company also said it would develop replacement pedals that would be available by April, and provide modified floor mats. In addition, Toyota said it would start installing “brake override” systems — which can slow a vehicle down even if its gas pedal is stuck — as standard equipment on many of its new 2010 models.In a statement, the company vowed to continue to investigate the acceleration issues.“The safety of our owners and the public is our utmost concern and Toyota has and will continue to thoroughly investigate and take appropriate measures to address any defect trends that are identified,” the company said.While federal regulators have attributed only a few accidents to unintended acceleration from floor mats, there have been hundreds of reports of incidents linked to problems with Toyota’s gas pedals.Independent vehicle-testing firms have found that acceleration problems can occur in Toyotas even when floor mats were not present.When a car is speeding out of control, some drivers can panic and not know how to react, said Jake Fisher, a senior engineer with Consumer Reports magazine. Part of the problem, he said, is Toyota’s use of a push-button ignition system in many models.“It’s pretty frightening,” said Mr. Fisher. “It’s not easy to control that situation.”A spokesman for Toyota, Irv Miller, said the company had “no indication” that acceleration problems were caused by anything other than floor mats jamming gas pedals.“We are very, very confident that we have addressed this issue,” Mr. Miller told reporters in a conference call on Wednesday. He said the addition of brake override systems would “add that extra level of confidence.”Some consumers question the floor-mat explanation.Sandra Reech, owner of a 2008 Tacoma, said she was driving on an expressway near Pittsburgh in March when her accelerator got stuck.

“I was careening down the highway at well over 100 miles per hour,” she said. “I was standing on the brake and it wouldn’t slow down.”She eventually got the car into neutral and pulled off the road. She then checked the floor mat, and it “wasn’t in the way of the gas pedal,” she said.Mrs. Reech has since removed her floor mats, but still worries. “Every time I get in this vehicle I am afraid of it,” she said.Several lawsuits have been filed against Toyota, including a class-action suit in California. “We feel that Toyota has known about this problem for a long time,” said David Wright, whose firm filed the class-action case on Nov. 5 in Los Angeles.Toyota’s United States sales have dropped 25 percent so far this year, the same as the overall market. But the latest recall could hurt it at a time when it is trying to come back.“Often when people buy a Toyota, they are buying it because it’s trouble- free,” said Mr. Fisher. “If all of a sudden there’s this perception that Toyota isn’t flawless, you may see people think twice.”

G.M. to Decide Saab’s Fate Next Week

DETROIT  General Motors said it could decide next week to close its Saab Automobile unit after the Swedish company that planned to buy the brand backed out.It was the third time in less than two months that a sale of a G.M. brand has been called off, reflecting the difficulty of selling underperforming divisions in the midst of a global sales slump.G.M. said on Tuesday that its board planned to determine next week what to do with Saab. Closing the brand, as G.M. initially planned to do if it could not find a buyer, is a strong possibility, two people with direct knowledge of the company’s plans said. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the board had not made its decision.

The other options for G.M. are to seek another buyer or keep Saab, though both those steps are considered less likely.

When Penske Automotive terminated its deal to buy Saturn in September, G.M. immediately announced that the brand and its dealerships would close.Koenigsegg, which agreed to buy Saab in June, issued a statement attributing its decision to G.M.’s moving too slowly.“The time factor has always been critical for our strategy to breathe new life into the company,” Koenigsegg said. “Unfortunately, delays in closing this acquisition have resulted in risks and uncertainties that prevent us from successfully implementing the new Saab business plan.”Officials at G.M, who were caught off-guard by the deal’s collapse, denied responsibility. “We negotiated in good faith and we met all our timing obligations under the agreement,” a G.M. spokeswoman, Renee Rashid-Merem, said.

“We’re obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase,” G.M.’s chief executive, Fritz Henderson, said in a statement.Three weeks ago, G.M. backed out of a deal to sell its European operations, Adam Opel, to a Canadian parts supplier and Russian bank.It has a tentative deal to sell Hummer to a Chinese industrial machinery manufacturer, but the Chinese government has not given its approval.Meanwhile, the Ford Motor Company spent nearly a year shopping around its Swedish brand, Volvo, before entering into exclusive talks with the Chinese carmaker Geely last month.

John Casesa, an auto analyst with the firm Casesa Shapiro Group, said the collapse of the Saab and Saturn deals was more a symptom of the state of the automobile industry than of any missteps by G.M.“Saab is a weak brand in a market where there are no buyers,” Mr. Casesa said. “Car companies are in no mood to buy anything and financial sponsors aren’t able to buy anything. Saab wouldn’t be an easy sale in a good market.”Saab, which filed for bankruptcy protection in Sweden in February, has been a perennial money-loser and is among G.M.’s smallest brands, with sales of 93,000 vehicles worldwide last year.

It is on pace to sell fewer than 10,000 vehicles in the United States this year.Closing Saab would cost G.M. considerably less than it is spending to shut down Saturn, analysts said, and failing to sell Saab is not expected to affect G.M.’s post-bankruptcy recovery.G.M. paid $600 million for half of Saab in 1990 and $125 million for the rest in 2000. Terms of the deal with Koenigsegg have not been revealed, but it was contingent on $600 million of financing from the European Investment Bank and Swedish government guarantees.Joran Hagglund, the Swedish secretary of state for industry, said on Tuesday that it was too early to know if it was the end of the line for Saab, but he said that there was no chance of the government stepping in.David Jolly contributed reporting from Paris.