Should Arizona now boycott Los Angeles over immigration law protest? [Updated]

Is Arizona going to boycott L.A.?

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday voted to ban most city travel to Arizona and future contracts with companies in that state. It was a protest over the state's crackdown on illegal immigrants. 

During a morning-long debate on the resolution, council members compared Arizona’s action to Nazi Germany and the beginning of the Holocaust, as well as the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. An Arizona law, which will take effect July 23, will require police to determine whether people they stop are in the country illegally, which critics say will lead to racial profiling.

But there are some grumblings on the Web about a backlash from Arizona over Los Angeles' stance.

"Speaking from Arizona, I wonder if my state should boycott California since you all are so discriminatory against gay folks. I also wonder whether we Arizonans should counter-boycott by cutting off the electricity and water that flow from us to you," one reader, Gary, posted on L.A. Now.

"Perhaps the many of us who head to San Diego, Disneyland and such places during the summer and throughout the year should take our money and spend it elsewhere. Or, perhaps the L.A. City Council should focus on their own problems and keep their nose out of Arizona's business," he added.

[Updated at 6:41 p.m.: Arizona's governor, Jan Brewer, said in a statement that L.A.'s action was "thoughtless and harmful."

At the Gateway Pundit blog, it was noted how much electricity L.A. gets from Arizona. "Maybe the LA council members forgot who supplies the city with electricity. 44% to 50% of the city’s electricity comes from neighboring states including Arizona. The Hoover Dam in Arizona has been providing electricity for Los Angeles since 1936"]

What do you think? Share your views below.

Comments

[S Reno]

People are already avoiding California like the plague.

[Ted B]

Hell yes we are going to boycott LA. Stick your nose in our business? I don't think so.

[Chris]

Yes. Singling out Latinos to be questioned on their citizenship is extremely offensive -- it will mean the loss of business and reputation for AZ for years.

We should divest ourselves of AZ-based companies too. CALPERS are you listening?

[Randy L AZ Resident]

Thought we might go back to Disneyland this year or next for our 5 year old.

We'll go to Texas or Colorado, now.

It's amazing how our new law, which is a mirror of federal law, has, supposedly, created all this backlash.

I don't think it's the law.

I think it's the required ENFORCEMENT of the law. The law has been on federal books for years, yet, not enforced to hard. We are doing it and people got mad. Like we're supposed to lie down like beaten cur dogs and let illegal aliens walk all over us like they do in California.

Stop it before it ends up like your state.

And the LA city council can't even do right for their own city, yet, they scream the loudest for people who don't even belong here. Go figure.

Read the law people, it's only 16 pages. An easy read. The truth is there, care to see it?

[howardx]

please do, we have enough regressives here as it is.

[Steve Anderson]

LA is WRONG to boycott Arizona. I say that as a lifelong Southern California resident. LA Mayor & Council that voted to boycott have politically sown the wind, and will reap the whirlwind... i.e. voter backlash. What happened to PROTECTING AMERICA'S INTERESTS!

[Gordon Wilson]

Maybe if the City Council would have read the US Constitution and law first, and then the Arizona law next, they would see that they are the same, so maybe they should have voted to boycott travel to all the other states too.

[marix]

So, let's boycott Arizona. Let's take away our business from one of the 50 states in our union because we disagree with their politics. Let's take away millions of the income that they receive. Yeah, let's make a stand. So what if a few hundred people lose their jobs in Arizona because of lack of business. I'ts what they deserve! How dare they think that they can make their own state laws! WE must make a stand to let the world know that we are for the downtrodden immigrants. Let's empower these law-breakers even further. Let's give them amnesty. A full pardon. Yeah Mexico. Send us your poor, hungry etc. And if a few thousand siqueiros (narco hit men) get mixed in the crowd. So what? We're used to crime here. We''ll accept anything. But please don't ask anyone for their ID card. That's racial. And by the way I'm a U.S. citizen of Mexican ancestry.

[D Stangl]

La City Council should mind its own back yard. How is our budget looking? Clowns.

[JHeaston]

I am eliminating all future business with Los Angeles - and I live here in CA !! City of angles my butt.

[BoycottJanice]

Boycotts start with letter B like Boomerang, they usually strike back the originator. AZ can start pulling the plug on LA's power (since 21 percent comes from a plant in AZ), many other repercussions may happen, also many Angelinos will boycott LA if you will, finally a lof of Americans, including many MEXifornians, will start taking nice vacations in Arizona....

Alltogether LA CC is out of touch with the people who largely support SB1070 and childish boycotts will harm LA much more than AZ. It is self suicide for a city that's already crumbling

[Keith Schoose]

I live in Long Beach and I am going to start boycotting LA!

I intend to vacation in AZ in the fall.

[Michael]

The videos at the top of most stories nowadays in the LATimes are completely useless and do not provide insight. The only reason I come here is to read the "LA Now" section and occasionally an article here and there. I think that those of us who come here come to read the material, not have it read by people who are not professional or camera-friendly, who also decide to give us their opinion on the matter. Please, stop it with those videos at the top. They are just annoying and will drive readers away from your website.

[vrytix]

This is nothing but a blatant political move to appease Hispanic voters before the Nov. elections. L.A. should NOT boycott Arizona, and Arizona shouldn't boycott L.A.

What L.A. should do is enforce the laws against ILLEGAL immigrants.

If L.A. really thinks Arizona is like Nazi Germany, then most if not all of W. Europe is still under Nazi control. Police in France can stop anybody and ask for their papers for any reason.

Would any L.A. City Council member not carry a passport or valid travel papers when abroad?

If L.A. really thinks it's fine to have an open door policy for ILLEGAL immigrants, let the L.A. Mayor say so.

[i<3LA]

At least in Cali, we still teach ethnic studies... Arizona has forgotten that other than Native Americans, they ARE also illegal immigrants. Aside from what's being discussed, Arizona is having an identity crisis. to deny children American studies that include contributions from all people, including all immigrants that made this country what it is, is the travesty.

[john]

California is an joke. The whole state is over run with illegals. Duh?

I doubt Arizona would take their IOU's anyway.

[sindg]

Taxpayers of LA and CA in general should be happy to see that their goverment will be reviewing all existing contracts with AZ to see if there are ways to get out of them.

Hummm; Lawers reviewing contracts looking for loopholes - that won't cost much money - but when you have so much extra money like LA does I guess this is the best way to spend it. Wonder if any "journalists" will keep track of how many tax dollars are wasted in this exercise.

BTW - Don't live in CA or AZ but do live in the USA and most of us support AZ -- so when we figure out how to boycott CA -- You're Welcome!

[Maria]

I live here and I'm going to boycott L.A. also. Yay Arizona! The majority of people who live here are behind you! Keep it up!

[LA Native]

This is what I've been posting on other local LA newsblogs on this topic.

"This is absurd and ridiculous. LA needs to leave AZ alone and focus all this hubris into tackling its own multitude of problems; not the least of which is illegal immigration. LA will only suffer (even more than it already has) for blindly allying with the wrong cause. The only reason LA should be complaining about AZ's policies is that it will drive more illegals here to usurp more of our dwindling resources. Then LA will have no choice but to get up off its pretentiously righteous butt to do something about it."

Yes, I (an LA native) think AZ should defend its actions and fight back with boycotts if necessary. There are a lot of LA residents opposed to the AZ bans by LA City Council; I believe more opposed than support it. Unfortunately, we will all suffer for their haste and immaturity.

[TheMadKing]

This is SUCH a bad move by the L.A. City Council. They are in a distinct political minority. Huge majorities of Americans and an even bigger majority of Arizonans support the new laws. I've already seen dozens of comments from many people around the Internet planning to boycott California in response by skipping trips to Disneyland and elsewhere. Is this really the kind of financial and public relations nightmare California, which is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, really needs? If it all goes south financially for L.A. in this affair, they have no one to blame but themselves.

[pmg]

AZ should boycott anyone who is boycotting them. What AZ does within AZ's borders is AZ's business and AZ's business alone.

[Pizzedoff]

Question (If you have the brain ability to logically explore the problem):
What are all you idiot, liberal, bleeding heart, emo 20 something’s going to do in the near future when the tax man takes 50-75% of your earnings to feed, house, educate, medicate, propagate, provide welfare funds and food stamps for the existing 11 to 16 MILLION illegal aliens who are certain to multiply?
Don’t even think of raising a family. You won’t be able to afford it… and besides, the illegals will be doing that by proxy for you. Think of illegal immigration as your personal forced adoption program.
Now, you still think that Arizona’s law is a Nazi law?
If you types weren’t so intellectually tasked, you’d understand clearly that demographics is simply another form of warfare, conquest and culture destruction.
It's a very obvious "No"

[Hussain]

Interesting responses.....it is always good to get both sides of any issue.

Wasn't Arizona the same state that refused to honor Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday as a National Holiday?

That is until the N.F.L. moved the Super Bowl to another location as a reaction and groups started canceling conventions and contracts in wonderful Arizona. Things changed rather quickly in Arizona.

[Irieiz]

I'm buying everything I can in arizona and boycotting Los Angeles... the idiots on the IGNORANT L.A. City council obviously have not read the Arizona's law that was voted on... It says exactly what the Federal Government law enacted as far as Illegal immigration... I hope Arizona cuts off the water and electric going to L.A...
No wonder Los Angeles is going Bankrupt... It's Legalized Mafia at its finest...

[Joe]

I believe as a government LA and anyone else should keep their dirty noses out of Arizona's business! Did you see Arizona boycott California for passing a law that bans gay marrage? Dose California have the money to support ILLEGAL INVADERS in Arizona? California can't even support its own American born citizens, much less the millions that snuck into the country already! As a California citizen I'm sick and tired of paying the bill for illegals out of our taxes. We do not get a free ride in any shape of form. The IRS won't wait, State of CA, CA DMV won't wait. They want the money now to pay for the ILLEGALS! Enough already! Mexico need to have responsibility for their own people!