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The organizers of Invest Southwest, one of the premier annual events for start-up companies seeking capital, are holding two preparation seminars this week to educate entrepreneurs about how to get selected for the conference.

Each year a selection committee chooses about a dozen companies to give an elevator pitch about why they deserve funding to a room of accredited investors.

There are no gaurantees that the presenting companies will receive investments, but the intent is to link interested investors with businesses that show promise of future success in the marketplace. Venture capital is important because the companies can use the money to conduct research, hire additional employees and fine-tune their products.

While most of the presenting firms are from Arizona, the conference is open to companies around the Southwest.

The "Get Ready Seminars" scheduled for this week will focus on what information investors want to see in company presentations and how to give an application the extra umph to stand out to the selection committee.

The times and locations for the free seminars are:

' July 8, 8:30 to 10 a.m., Pima Community Colleges Small Business Development Center, 401 N. Bonita Ave., Room A109, Tucson.

' July 10, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., ASU SkySong, 1475 N. Scottsdale Road, 2nd floor, Scottsdale.

Invest Southwest is scheduled for Dec. 10-11 at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North in Scottsdale. Applications are due by Sept. 19.

Click here for a list of firms that presented at last year's event.

I certainly don't support Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration sweeps -- on the principle that he's not getting much "sweep" for the manpower he's putting into it and in any event, he's not sweeping up the ones people want most off the streets -- dangerous criminals.

But illegal immigration sympathizers do little for their cause by running around tagging buildings in Mesa with signs that call Arpaio a Nazi.  In fact, it's a lot like the big immigration march of 2006. It hurts their cause.

I've said time and again that I don't believe that the major thrust behind the anti-illegal-immigration movement is racism but frustration. Are there racists among us? Sure. But most people I talk to aren't racists. They're just sick about what is happening in their neighborhoods and spraying painting Mesa isn't likely to make them more sympathetic to the plight of illegal immigrants. Consider this e-mail from Tom, a Korean War veteran who lives in northwest Phoenix:

"Laurie, the Phoenix City Council years ago decreed that my neighborhood
should be designated a diverse neighborhood. What was once a nice, quiet,
middle class neighborhood is now filling up with Mexicans pushing their
culture onto us. By that I mean loud Mexican music, loud parties, beer cans
and cigarette butts tossed over fences, beautiful lawns are now dirt and
weeds, many people living in single family dwellings, cars with flat tires
in driveways and streets and parked on lawns, deteriorating roofs and
peeling paint, houses resold in deteriorated condition and never being
repaired by uncaring realtors or new or previous owners, Spanish spoken
everywhere with Spanish signs on businesses. We are not diverse, we are
Mexican. The Mexican family on my right is Americanized altho the mother
speaks no English and their home is well maintained. We get along just great
and help each other when necessary. The Mexicans on my left have multiple
persons living there with a junker in the driveway and the number of cars
parked in front varying from time to time. The beautiful St. Augustine lawn
nurtured by a retired Republic employee, now dead, is all dirt. Spanish is
spoken here exclusively, but we are friendly to each other. Directly across
the street they won't speak English and he came home drunk one nite crashing
into my son's pickup. The still drunk person next morning denied doing it
when the damage and debris led to his vehicle in his driveway. When the
apartments in the 35th Ave and Dunlap area and those on the south side of
Dunlap towards 43rd Ave became subsidized the burglaries and thefts
increased. Flower pots were stolen out of my front yard and prowlers have
searched my shop taking tools I left out.

"Spanish signs, speaking Spanish and Mexican culture is divisive and not
healthy for the country. I have no quarrel with those who would blend in
with our culture and be Americans. I'm not prejudiced, but I am a realist. I
went to Phoenix Technical High School across the street from Phoenix Union
High. My school was completely integrated in 1946 with all races represented
long before Prez Ike sent the 101st Airborne into Little Rock. We did
everything together. I never saw color, only people, and still do unless
they interfere with my life. Barb and I have raised our kids here and glad
they all live in a better neighborhood.

"Sorry for the diatribe, but I'm deeply disappointed in my home town of
Phoenix, which once was a very nice place to live..."

... A woman traveling with her four kids is demanding an apology from Southwest Airlines, according to a story out this afternoon.

It seems the family had a layover in Phoenix Friday and wasn't allowed to continue on to their final destination, Seattle. This because her kids were out of control on the flight.

A Southwest spokeswoman defended the move.  "They were being disruptive and unruly on the plane," she said.

The mother, who apparently admits that her kids weren't behaving, now wants Southwest Airlines to compensate her and give a public apology.

Sooo.... her kids were out of control and it's the airline's fault?

I say Southwest owes them nothing other than a refund for the Phoenix-to-Seattle leg of their trip. You?

Well, I endured the latest flaming for advocating a compromise on illegal immigration in my Saturday column and what do I find in the ashes of my e-mail, but a few letters that made a lot of sense -- to me, at least. 

From Mark:

"My perspective is a little different than most, I think. I grew up farming in Southern Arizona and went to a school where, as an Anglo, I was in the vast minority. So my view is somewhat less defined and may seem apparently wishy-washy.
 
"Are illegal aliens taking American jobs? No. In fact, American jobs are more in jeapordy by the factories being built in Mexico, China, India, etc., and employing local workers. Unless your friends are restaurant workers, farm workers, or landscapers, your friends' jobs are not being taken by illegal workers.
 
"Should police be arresting illegal aliens? In a somewhat opposing view of the question above, yes. It is illegal. What is wrong with enforcing the law?

"You article comes a day after thousand of people nationwide shed tears of joy on proudly becoming an American citizen. Most people who come here -- legally or otherwise -- are good people who are leaving some economic sinkhole in hopes of making a better life and providing for their families.
 
"I am so tired of the anti-Sheriff Joe protesters who are contesting the enforcement of laws. And, I'm tired of the American flag bandana wearing who are protesting the protesters and think they are speaking for me."

From Rick in Phoenix:

"It seems that "liberals" are interested only in the humanitarian aspects of the debate, but couldn't care less about the rule of law; conservatives care only about the rule of law, but must think humanity is for "sissies".

"Liberals can't give up any ground on "the hungry must be fed"; conservatives can't let go of "the law is the law, illegal is illegal".

"No wonder nothing gets done...."

And from Eric in Scottsdale:

"There are solutions, but the solutions require compromise and common sense – two traits missing in the immigration debate."