LA Boycott may Warrant Arizona Response
By Joe Patterson
Published: May 20, 2010
The Washington Post reported that an Arizona regulator is considering a response to the Los Angeles city council’s vote to boycott Arizona businesses because of the new immigration law. Gary Pierce, an Arizona Corporation Commission Member, wrote the mayor of LA citing his support for the boycott as well as threatening to cut off electricity to Arizona supplied LA homes and businesses.
Pierce also said that the city should rethink the boycott if they are not prepared to also boycott Arizona power companies and turn off their lights. He wanted to stress not only the fact that a boycott of Arizona businesses is already unjust and wrong, but that it is OK to disagree over the law, but it should not be carried to something that may hurt the economies of local businesses.
Pierce, a Republican former legislator, concluded his letter by saying that people of goodwill can disagree over the Arizona law’s merits. But “a statewide economic boycott of Arizona is not a message sent in goodwill,” he said.
LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa responded by saying he is in full support of the city council’s decision and will refuse to respond to a retaliatory threat from a state that has isolated its values from the traditional ones of “American freedom, liberty, and basic civil rights.” The LA council said the immigration law encouraged racial profiling and also was unconstitutional. As opposition both nationally and locally begin to take issue with the new law, which will take effect July 29, these disputes will have to wait until a court agrees to decide whether or not the law can be administered. Until that time it appears a serious rift between Arizona and Southern California is beginning to occur due to this legislation.
Photo via Mayor Sam’s Sister City
Tagged with: Arizona Immigration Law, Boycott, Los Angeles
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