Los Angeles City Council's proposed AZ boycott could kill "at least" $7.2 million in contracts

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Calls to boycott Arizona grow over new immigration law
White House considers a legal challenge, and some political leaders call for an economic boycott to protest the law that makes it a crime to be in Arizona illegally.



A demonstrator is taken into custody for blocking a street at a federal detention center in Broadview, Ill., to stop deportations from being carried out. Some protesters chanted “Illinois is not Arizona.” (Getty Images, Scott Olson / April 26, 2010)


By Anna Gorman and Nicholas Riccardi

April 28, 2010

Calls for boycotts spread throughout California this week after the bill was signed by Brewer on Friday. The law is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the legislative session ends this week.

On Tuesday, seven members of the Los Angeles City Council signed a proposal for a boycott, calling for the city to "refrain from conducting business" or participating in conventions in Arizona. Councilman Ed Reyes, who coauthored the proposal with Councilwoman Janice Hahn, said he wants city officials to spend the next 90 days assessing the financial relationships that exist between various city departments and businesses based in Arizona.

"If Arizona companies are taking our money, I want to sever that," he said.

Hahn acknowledged that a boycott would be logistically complicated but said the city should not remain silent. "When people are asked to show their papers, it brings back memories of Nazi Germany," she said.

A spokesman for City Controller Wendy Greuel identified at least 12 city contracts with Arizona companies that are worth an estimated $7.2 million.

San Francisco supervisors introduced a similar resolution Tuesday, and Mayor Gavin Newsom imposed an immediate moratorium on city-related travel to Arizona, with limited exceptions. Newsom also announced the convening of a group to analyze how a boycott would affect city contracts and purchasing.

City Atty. Dennis Herrera said he hoped the city's resolution would "be an impetus to others taking an aggressive stand in terms of scrutinizing the services they have with Arizona companies."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/crime/la-me-0428-arizona-boycott-20100428,0,3583777.story

[struggle4progress]

1. This might get real nasty real fast

L.A. City Has Deep Ties To Ariz., Making Proposed Boycott Complicated
http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/city-news/la-boycott-arizona-hard/

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Not to mention CA takes lots of water from the Colorado River ...

what if AZ decides not to be nice about sharing?

[Romulox]

3. They can choose not to hold their convention in Az, but they can't discriminate against Az companies

it's that pesky Constitution again...