Arizona dares L.A. to carry out boycott

[ProgressiveProfessor]

The spat over Arizona's new immigration expanded Tuesday as a state official dared the city of Los Angeles to follow through on its new boycott by agreeing to give up the 25 percent of electricity that city gets from Arizona sources.

In a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce said a boycott war is bad for both sides, and said he would "be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements" to end the electricity flowing to Los Angeles.

"I am confident that Arizona's utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands," Mr. Pierce said. "If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona's economy."
================
This is not from a favored source, but its the only one I found. It should be available elsewhere as well

more at: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/18/arizona-dares-los-angeles-to-carry-out-boycott/

[RagAss]

1. Why do people feel the need to officially announce boycotts???

Just get the word on the street and do it.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Because its the LA City Council and they are grubbing for votes?

[blondeatlast]

8. In this case, it may be a good idea. I'm an AZonan who was here when the state refused

to recognize MLK day thanks to our truly demented guv, Ev Mecham. Keep in mind that tourism is far and away our #1 industry--those boycotts hurt tourism big-time, and in short-order, tourism made their feelings known and the law changed.

And the threat of boycotts as well as thoise already in progress are having an effect already.

[BolivarianHero]

58. Mecham was a Mormon...

Those kooks are KKK in all but name.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. Solidarity.

:shrug:

[TexasObserver]

47. Because that's how boycotts are done.

I don't know where you got your "just get the word on the street" idea, but that isn't a successful strategy. Public announcements, press releases, and media coverage is the way it is done.

[Raineyb]

49. You mean like by making an announcement? n/t

[tavalon]

56. The official announcements put pressure on right away

They give fair warning that the money is going away starting now. And it is. I'm so pleased that so many places, my city included, are boycotting Arizona.

[ejpoeta]

2. well this should show us all something important.... better to be self sufficient

that way assholes can't try to blackmail you or threaten you. i hope they still go through with the boycott.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. LA City and even LA County can never be self sufficent

- LADWP is still sucking every ounce of water they can out of the Owens Valley without regards for the local consequences
- LA trash is still going over to Kern County daily
- LA is still taking Colorado river water
- LA is still exporting is power production out of state with no attempt to address it within its boundaries or environs.

In all fairness that could be said of any major city in the US

[Mojeoux]

40. Pissed-off Arizona quote from MSM "Well Disneyland won't be getting our money this year."

Wah Wah!

Disney Land isn't even in LA
Ha Ha

[greencharlie]

4. lmF-Nao...

LA City Council just got bitch-slapped. Villaraigosa is the biggest tool ever born...

stupidity.

[marmar]

5. WTF?

:wtf:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Ridculed and embarrassed maybe, not bitch slapped

They will not forgo the power...that hits to close to home.

[David Zephyr]

16. Not hardly. The City of Los Angeles is a very big purchaser.

The boycott is already causing economic trouble there. This boycott is growing.

[Teka]

62. The Boycott is toothless - and Arizona residents boycott of California

Is hurting them far more.

[blondeatlast]

19. Yeah, that whole Arizona boycott in the 80s was such a fail.

Only wait--it wasn't. It affected the same #1 industry this one is--tourism.

Mark my words, you won't be seeing much more of Jan Brewer, regardless of what she thinks. she pissed off the Great God Tourism Industry.

And the GGTI don't take priosoners--just ask Evan Mecham.

[sabrina 1]

55. No, AZ just made another huge mistake. Rather than

understand that LA is not their worst problem. And they have no doubt made a whole lot more people angry by attempting blackmail as a means of dealing with a problem of their own making.

If that's what AZ has to do to get people to visit their bigoted state, it can't be a great place to visit.

I just left the state a few months ago and won't be returning even to visit friends. They understand and will come to visit us. More money for California and NY.

[Name removed]

66. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ed Barrow]

9. Yeah right, AZ utilities will REFUSE MONEY???

So Pierce is basically telling us he will encourage Arizona utilities to refuse to accept money from customers? Those utilities will laugh in his face. Does Pierce really think corporate officers will intentionally hurt their own bottom line and alienate their own customers just to play spiteful little political game? This guy is clueless.

[arcadian]

11. Wrong again Arizona!

Too bad the Federal government controls the Colorado river almost in it's entirety.

[David Zephyr]

12. This only confirms that boycotting already has begun to hurt the economy there.

Boycotts do work. This one is going to be punitive to Arizona's economy.

What will this jackass, Gary Pierce, mouth off about to St. Paul, Minnesota? To San Francisco? To San Jose?

What will Gary Pierce threaten International travelers who have begun to write Arizona out of their travel plans?

What will Mr. Pierce shoot his mouth off about to the students canceling their plans to attend the University of Arizona now?

As Ann Richards and Molly Ivens said, "The hit dog is barking."

That's the story here: The boycott has already began to cause pain.

Boycotts work. Arizona should have already learned this lesson.

[EFerrari]

15. Portland, Seattle, Boston, Milwaukee, let alone Tuscon and Flagstaff.

Yeah, I think you're right.

[David Zephyr]

18. Even the race-baiting GOP leadership chose Tampa Bay over Phoenix

to avoid the controversy. And that will cost Phoenix a lot. Hoisted on their own petard.

The dog is barking.

[blondeatlast]

17. You are quite right. I'm an Arizonan since the '70s with close ties in the tourism

community.

Ms. Brewer, who clearly has Palinesque aspirations, doesn't realize that she messed with our #1 (far and away) industry. Much as I loathe SB 1070, I am going to enjoy seeing the backroom machinations that force her and her enablers back into the tourism industry line. Is it wrong to appreciate tourism for acting on behalf of my side for all the wrong reasons?

I well remember the boycotts of the 80s over MLK Day. The Great God Tourism was NOT pleased.

[David Zephyr]

20. I live in California and my family is mixed: anglo and latino

This boycott is only just getting warmed up. It will be long and it will be severe. The horses are out of the barn already. It has a life of its own now.

[blondeatlast]

23. I'm hoping that it may shake up the machine here. Brewer is toast now.

Between dissing her party regarding the budget and Prop 100 (sales tax increase we are voting on today; she supports it) and pissiing off the hotel industry, the fork in her will come out clean in very short order.

I plan to dance...

[David Zephyr]

26. Brewer is toast indeed.

She's finished. She doesn't realize it yet. But she will become a poster child for racism for decades now. She's toast.

Arizona will eventually turn this around by kicking the jerks out because the pain is going to be awful. There will be no economic recovery in Arizona there and when homeowners watch residential real estate prices beginning to rebound all around the nation (and they are) and see that they are left behind, things will change.

This was a very racist move under the window dressing of controlling the border. John McCain's ad with the white border patrol agent who says, "I know you are ONE OF US" is just about as racist as it gets. John McCain is not a border agent. The border agent in the ad could have been a woman, a latino, an African-American, but no, it was a white man. So the message was: John McCain you are one of us white people." Clear and simple.

They think they are clever with all this shit, but they are fools.

This boycott is just beginning.

[blondeatlast]

27. The McCain/Hayworth ads are vile. It's all about racism and fear.

I shudder every time I see that one; lately, I just have to leave the room.

[David Zephyr]

30. The OP's title comes from the "Washington Times" and the article is a joke.

I hope Hayworth wins because he will certainly lose in November. And that will be a great day for America. Except, I think McCain is such a dweeb, he'll pull a Lieberman and run as an Independent.

[EFerrari]

28. Brewer's counter website is very funny.

It gives the message that Arizona is under siege AND invites tourists in at the same time. The problem will be finding people who want to vacation in a "war zone".

LOL

[David Zephyr]

31. That's a funny insight. And spot on.

Neat observation. She's killing tourism all on her own.

[fishwax]

29. yep

All signs are that Arizona's PTB are quite concerned about the impact such boycotts will have.

Easy solution, Arizona: get rid of the law.

[David Zephyr]

33. Exactly. Get rid of the law.

The little "re-write" that they did and that the Governor signed only made the entire thing look worse. It was and is race-baiting and no one was fooled.

This silly Governor has put Arizona on the map all over the world now...and in a very bad way.

[Saturday]

13. All of this boycott stuff reminds me of freedom fries. nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Reminds me of the Montgomery bus boycott.

And the people who dismissed it.

When you think about it, the stupid fucks who came up with "freedom fries" are the same stupid fucks who came up with this law.

[David Zephyr]

21. More analogous.

Boycotts work. This one has only begun. It will be long and severe.

[blueamy66]

35. Do you think that the Lakers' fans

are going to stay home?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

39. Which domestic boycotts have really been effective since the 60s?

Today way too many people will go for the lowest buck regardless of social impacts. There are lots of claims, but if they really worked, Wal-Mart and some other large companies would be in serious hurt.

I fully expect someone to sue the city for enforcement of the boycott which would mean giving up the power and water. Hopefully there are some exemption provisions in the boycott language. The city council could also be sued for failing to do it fiduciary duty if it buys things from a more expensive place than AZ, though there is probably some legal protections in there somewhere.

Overall I consider it a silly ass thing to do, but that's pols for you.

[David Zephyr]

41. The Coors Boycott is a very good example where boycotts can and did work.

Of course, Disney was to have been boycotted by evangelical Christians for their progressive, and early-on courageous stand on behalf of then gay Americans (now extended further to GLBT) and we all know how that turned out: the head of the Southern Baptist Church congregation announced the "boycott" was over.

Unlike you, I do not consider this boycott of Arizona 'silly ass' at all. It certainly isn't silly ass to anyone who has ever been racially profiled. Having someone with a gun harassing you because of the color of your skin -- sometimes humiliatingly so in front of your entire family and other times frightfully so where it's just you and the guy with a badge and a licensed gun -- is not silly.

Latinos represent a very large and growing populace within our great American community. And they are not alone in their disgust with what has happened in Arizona. There are millions of all colors, including white guys like me, who stand with them.

Now, what is 'silly ass' is the Washington Times article you posted here. The article made me laugh at how pathetic this little shit in Arizona is thinking he can one-up Los Angeles, my home. That was silly ass. This boycott will be long and severe.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

52. Which Coors boycott do you see as a win?

Clearly the majority of boycotts are a failures, especially the more recent ones.

Having been profiled by men with guns, I understand how it feels, but it does not mean boycotts address the real issues.

Latinos historically are far from monolithic, I doubt we will see uniformity on this issue either.

The article was not silly, the actions and school yard taunts on both sides are, presuming it was accurate.

Your jingoistic support of LA is noted. Have to wonder how you feel about LADWP destroying the Owens Valley and the court fight waged to export your garbage to Kern County against the express wishes of its residents. LA has little to be proud of in those areas. The mayor's green city dance is mostly NIMBYism and exporting impact into poorer and less politically powerful areas.

Clearly I do not think large/long term boycotts are a viable tool today. Have to see how it works out. I believe that there are other more effective means to stop the AZ madness, such as the courts.

[sabrina 1]

57. AZ was successfully boycotted in 1999 when they

refused to make MLK's birthday an official holiday. Two years later the law passed.

Boycotts work. We haven't had many, and we need to have more. I remember the blogs participating in a boycott to protest the airing of a lying smearing documentary about John Kerry. The arrogant producers laughed at the idea at first, but when the stocks in their company plummeted, they gave in.

This one is just beginning and apparently it is already working.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

64. One of the problems with boycotts is the score keeping

How do you judge results etc. Grapes is one I credit as successful, MLK in AZ I could go both ways on. Also "true believers" would not be impacted by them. Given the economy those counting coup on AZ are IMO a bit premature though they could well be right.

A colleague pointed out to me this AM that when it comes to things like boycotts, facts do not matter, perception does. She has a good point. If you believe its effective, it is. She teaches Marketing and Mass Comm, and I tend to believe her. I'm a skeptic about mass behaviors, believing that many individuals do what is best for them in most circumstances and will not incur additional personal cost or inconvenience in support of higher goals.

It is interesting to note that the Seattle resolution specifically excluded the AZ company that was providing red light camera services. The LA City resolution could be seen as requiring them to drop buying power from AZ, but there is a couple of escape clauses including "to the extent practicable, and in instances where there is no significant additional cost". Actual wording is here: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2010/10-0002-s36_rpt_cla_5-11-10.pdf

In summary I don't see boycotts as effective and such resolutions as grand standing by pols. Others clearly disagree. I believe the resolution will come in the courts in the Federal Courts near term and it will settle things. If it doesn't then we should look at other means

[sabrina 1]

67. You make some very good points even though I am one who

believes that boycotts, if they are properly organized, do work.

I especially agree with your second paragraph regarding people not doing anything that might interfere too much with their own lives.

However, sometimes an issue becomes so important to a majority of people, that it reaches a point of critical mass, and ordinary people will do extraordinary things. It's happened many times throughout history.

The bus boycott during the Civil Rights movement, worked, maybe not instantly, but it changed the course people were on to a great enough degree that it had a serious impact on what happened afterwards.

Boycotts do depend on real commitment by large enough numbers of people that those they are aimed at feel the effect.

For example, people complain about the media all the time. But most keep paying for it and watching it. If however, millions of people were to really commit to cancelling their cable subscriptions, we might get some results, in fact I know we would.

To change things, people don't have many options. There are protests, violence, calling Representatives and boycotts.

It doesn't take much sacrifice to participate in a boycott, in fact it's better than going to a protest where you can get arrested etc. All people have to do is NOT do something and then just wait for the results. But they DO need to be well organized.

Your last point, I agree with. These laws will be resolved in the courts, but without some public expression of outrage, they would probably never reach the courts. So, maybe we need both!

[blondeatlast]

65. 'Zactly--and these boycotts hit our #1 industry the hardest--tourism. I give this

stupid racist law maybe a year.

[fishwax]

32. that's a rather flaccid analogy

[Toucano]

22. Wouldn't the "power agreements" be contracts?

Are they up for renewal?

I think we need a better source, but it sounds like Pierce is bluffing.

[EFerrari]

24. These people are too stupid to make their own coffee.

If they're seen as retaliating, it will only fuel the boycott.

[blondeatlast]

25. Pierce, you stupid dumb fuck, AZ's power companies are making a MINT off of LA,.

But do keep spewing the contents of your stupid dumb fuck brain, please. The Corporation Commission is a joke.

[David Zephyr]

43. LOL.

Pierce is just that. This whole "story" from the Washington Times is a hoot.

[lonestarnot]

46. Isn't fucking ignorance a bitch! I swear they never cease to amaze me.

And who will make up the diff? Us of course. :crazy:

[blueamy66]

34. Sweet.

Thank you Pierce.

I am sick of these holier than thou people spouting their bullshit.

Take care of your own backyard before you start worrying about mine.

[blondeatlast]

36. There's no fucking way APS and Salt River Project will cut off LA. They want to make money.

But you keep enjoying disneyland. When did they co-op Fantasyland, exactly?

You are too, too precious. Really.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

38. What happens when someone sues LA to enforce the CIty Council boycot law?

Not sure what provisions there are exemptions. I fully expect something like that to happen.

The ground truth is the no large city can exist without using the resources outside of their environs. LA takes some of its water and power from out of state and dumps some of its trash in Kern County. Same could be said of any large city.

[David Zephyr]

42. Why are you so concerned about that.?

Maybe you can write a letter to the Washington Times about it.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

51. Just wondering how the political buffonery by the LA City Council will go

[depakid]

44. There's a difference between necessary and discretionary commerce

Things like power on the grid or water systems aren't amenable to these sorts of boycotts, though other contracts are -and quite frankly, should be.

[David Zephyr]

45. Thanks.

You made toast of that concern. Much appreciated.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

50. Thus my comments about exemptions etc. A scan of the orignal has shown up online

Did not find the actual language online, though I did not dig that hard. I expect this was just political puffery and will go away soon enough as a practical matter.

http://hotair.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/letter-azcc-villaraigosa.pdf.pdf

[blueamy66]

59. Thank you blondeatlast.

My fiance thinks that I am precious too!

Still wondering how many Lakers' fans are gonna boycott AZ and not show up here.....

[southernyankeebelle]

37. DON'T BOYCOTT LA. TELL THE WORLD YOU ARE BEING BLACKMAILED INTO SUBMITION

[tjwash]

48. LOL...I'd love to be a fly on the wall when the execs from APS and SRP pay him a visit this week.

When he offers a grovelling retraction a little later this week, you'll know they had a little chat with him about which side his bread is buttered on.

[blueamy66]

60. Noo....

you must live in a disneyland as well.

I'd love to hear it too.

[blondeatlast]

63. Me too. Except that I don't think they will think he's even worth their time.

Even as Corp Commissioner, what's he gonna do to our major power producers?

(Note to our bludreamer friend--the answer is... NOTHING. the thought of a visit from either one oughta make him wet his JC Penney Stratford pants).

[Ramulux]

53. Did I miss it when blackmail was made legal?

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blondeatlast]

61. HEADLINE CORRECTION: Dumbfuck Republican bureacrat dares LA

to accept power from two power companies (one a profit-making corporation) that are already supplying power to LA.

Mr. Pierce speaks for Mr. Pierce. Even our opportunistic governor is treading the boycott ground lightly.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

69. HEADLINE CORRECTION: Posturing pols snark at each other, not to be taken seriously

LA City Council is the one calling for reviewing contracts with an eye towards cancellation. However, their ban is totally porous and is in name only. In an effort to appeal to his base, Pierce snarkily dared the LA City Council to live up to their position and cancel the contract, claiming they had other customers.


The original source material is key here:

LA City Council Resolution
http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2010/10-0002-s36_rpt_cla_5-11-10.pdf

Snarky AZ Letter:
http://hotair.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/letter-azcc-villaraigosa.pdf.pdf

[bridgit]

68. "take those electrons off your hands"? What electrons? Aside from the fact that after ENRON...

CA is disinclined to be blackmailed by any RW/GOP assholes over energy...AZ has no energy to offer and can in no way hold a candle, either way, to the energy/BTU production levels of CA - AZ is likely receiving some of CA's in the course of keeping their serving trays warm at AZ Early Bird Specials full of creme corn statewide, but white AZ seems to stupid to know any better

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=AZ

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CA