Posts Tagged ‘cash now’
Immigration Law Boycott – Will Arizona Cut Power To L.A.?
Across the nation, the Arizona immigration law is a personal insult to many people of Hispanic descent. The Los Angeles City Council, in order to make a political statement, voted to boycott the state of Arizona and Arizona-based business. In response to the Los Angeles boycott, the commissioner of Arizona’s electric and water utilities threatened to cut off the electricity supplied to the Los Angeles power grid by Arizona power plants.
Article Source: Will Arizona cut power to L.A. over immigration law boycott?
Boycott Arizona goes nationwide
The Arizona immigration law has encouraged other cities with large Hispanic populations to deprive the state of cash now, including San Francisco, San Diego and Oakland. In Seattle, not known as a center of Hispanic culture, the city council approved a similar boycott May 18. Across the nation, many organizations have also canceled conventions in Arizona. Just type in the words “boycott Arizona” in your Google search bar and you will get The National Council of La Raza homepage, inviting institutions across the nation to join the NCLR in their boycott of Arizona. But the Los Angeles boycott is the first so far to result in a game of tit for tat over a law many think encourages racial profiling and violates civil rights.
Depriving the Los Angeles power grid
The Arizona Corporation Commission, which administrates the state’s electric and water utilities, raised the idea of pulling the plug on Los Angeles, following the Los Angeles boycott. Arizona’s power plants supply electricity to 25 percent of the Los Angeles power grid, according to CNNMoney.com. In a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce wrote that “If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives power from Arizona-based generation. I am confident that Arizona’s utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands.”
Los Angeles boycott could add up to millions
In a vote of 13-1, the Los Angeles City Council chose to bar the city from conducting business with Arizona unless the Arizona immigration law, which goes into effect in July, is revoked. The vote was followed an emotional council, as reported by MSNBC, during which numerous members stressed how their ancestors were U.S. immigrants. The stake isn’t exactly among small potatoes. Totaling up to as much as $ 58 million, Los Angeles has investments and contracts in Arizona. Most of the dollars involve airport, port and energy service that can’t lawfully be affected by the boycott. About $ 7.7 million is left in city contracts that could possibly be put into play. Some of those contracts include helicopter services, Taser guns, waste management, engineering and surveillance equipment.
Will Arizona really cut power to Los Angeles?
Will the state of Arizona really cut power to Los Angeles completely? Coming in to downplay the threatening nature of the letter is John LeSueur, a spokesman for Pierce. He said the commission itself does not have the authority for Arizona to cut power to Los Angeles. “It’s not a threat,” he told CNNMoney.com. “It’s just pointing out the ramification of what L.A.’s threat would be on the boycott. If they carry out their threat to boycott Arizona, that includes 25 percent of their power.” LeSueur pointed out that Los Angeles has partial ownership in two of the Arizona power plants, including a 5.7 percent stake in the Palo Verde nuclear power plant, and a 21 percent stake in the Navajo Generation Station on a Navajo reservation.
Hispanics could get the whip’s tip with the Arizona boycott
The economic impact of the Arizona immigration law could be substantial. According to Fox News, officials in Phoenix say their city could lose as much as $ 90 million in the next five years over the protests. This estimate represents not just lost convention and hotel feels, but it also includes the money tourists would otherwise spend in the city. In a twist of irony, Hispanics make up a major portion of Arizona’s hospitality and service workforce. With that in mind and the fact city governments and organization are pulling the plug on travel and conventions in Arizona, Hispanic workers have the most to lose, as pointed out by state officials.