The fight over Arizona's illegal immigrant law escalates to the power grid

According to late-night comedian Jay Leno, the escalating war of boycotts and buycotts over Arizona's strict new illegal immigrant law has gotten so serious that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has even sworn off romantic affairs with Arizona TV news anchors.

Polls show a substantial majority of Arizonans and Americans are good with at least a trial effort of the measure, known as S.B. 1070, that allows police to check for immigration status, seeking to nab thousands of illegals crossing into the state because the federal government has not secured the border with Mexico. (See Related Items below for other recent stories, including the actual law's full text.)

But President Obama, his Cabinet and other nongovernmental groups have strongly criticized the law, which takes effect in midsummer.They've threatened economic boycotts and canceled trips and ...

... conventions while the law's supporters are vowing to boycott the boycotters and buy even more Arizona products and travel there.

The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-2 to boycott Arizona, although what exactly L.A. council members would be doing at a Diamondbacks game might require explanation to Dodger fans back home -- or spouses.

Now comes some hardball from a statewide elected Arizonan named Gary Pierce. He's a commissioner of the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities there.

So what? you say.

Well, as our beloved buddy Ed Morrissey points out over at HotAir, it seems that Arizona's power plants generate about 25% of the electricity that runs what Briton Eddie Izzard calls the City of Angles.

In a delightfully stern letter written for the desert home front, possibly indicating Mr. Pierce's higher political ambitions, the commissioner warns Villaraigosa of the retaliation consequences of an LA city boycott.

Pierce writes:

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 any power from Arizona-based generation.

I am confident that Arizona’s utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands. 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.

People of goodwill can disagree over the merits of SB 1070. A statewide economic boycott of Arizona is not a message sent in goodwill.

So, the choice is clear. If L.A.'s Democrat pols follow through and stop buying turquoise jewelry and bolo ties from Arizona, the next-door Republican neighbors will arrange some uncomfortable brownouts during the coming warm days.

Somehow that seems just about right.

Related items:

Obama folks having real t-r-o-u-b-l-e reading Ariona's new i-l-l-e-g-a-l immigrant l-a-w

A California mayor wants to hang out the illegal immigrants Unwelcome sign

Support broadens among Americans for Arizona's illegal immigrant law

See for yourself: Complete text of the Arizona law and Executive Order

Forget Obama, Arizonans like their new law

Arizona Gov. Brewer explains signing nation's toughest immigration bill

So what does the new Arizona law actually do?

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[Stanley]

Good for Arizona! Nobody asked the LA City Council to start boycotting neighboor states. The council is comprised of incompentent people who don't represent the citizens of Los Angeles.

I hope Az cuts the lights in LA, hilarious.

[Joe]

Ha ha.

[Dan]

Put up or Shut Up.

You've been called out!

It's rich that you're whining about fair.

There are consequences for your actions.

You've made your bed, now lay in it!

Idiots.

[Jason]

That's funny you don't think it's fair for them to turn off your power. But somehow it's okay for you to stick your nose in another state's affairs. You are not the federal gov, so mind your business L.A. no one cares what you think.

[Rich]

You gotta' love it! Let's see how tough LA truly is when faced with the prospect of retaliation from Arizona!

[Tea Party expresser]

Goes to show, Progressives engage mouth before brain, Elections have consecuences, Go Arizona Go, show the hipocrates how it's done.

[Gregory Nelson]

My family has canceled our planned summer trips to SeaWorld and Disneyland. I will also contact our Corporate Commission and encourage them to turn off the power to L.A. I do not understand why "open-minded" libs cannot seem to allow anyone else to think differently than them. This is our state, it is our problem, it is our law. You may not like it, that is your right, but if you want to boycott us than you boycott our tourism dollars, power, and water. Sleep well in your lovely polluted city L.A.

[John]

True. Cutting 25% of L.A.'s power and its supply of illegal labor doesn't seem quite fair. Oh, to add insult to injury Arizona just passed a law NOT requiring Arizona business owners to provide foreign language translators.

[jnsesq]

YES! I'd be inclined to shut 'em off anyway. The clowns in LA need a little tough love before they start pontificating through those collagen-filled lips.

[Tom]

You reap what you sow. If you want to boycott Arizona for doing nothing more than enforcing Federal law (by the way, did you know California passed basically the exact same measure as the AZ law several years ago?) then expect consequences.

How can you expect to tell someone you're going to impose a sanction on them and not expect retaliation? If you have the courage of your convictions, then proceed with your boycott, accept the loss of power, and stop crying that it's "not fair".

[Gadsen Lives]

Nothing is even or fair in life. Arizona is enforcing federal law. If L.A. would have planned better, they woudn't have to buy power from Arizona. Stop protecting criminals and start protecting the border. Our wealth is leaving our nation and terrorists are getting in.

[tommyd]

haha Now seeing Californians screw themselves big time all for knee jerk PC reaction is pricless...

Kalifornians have screwed themselves for decades , hope they enjoy the feeling....

Throw the switch AZ, do it....

[T Moore]

AWESOME!!

[Kelvin]

Liberals are the only ones that think they can hit below the belt and get away with it. The country is nauseated by Left-wing miscreants. I say throw the power switch. It will delay the U-Hauls leaving southern California for Texas and darken Hollywood's cheesy movie-making operation.

Better yet, it's exactly what the Liberals in Hollywood wish upon the rest of us: cities without fossil-burning energy generation. Let's see how committed they are.

[graham]

1) Boycotts can cut both ways.
2) What does "even" or fair have to do with it? When someone threatens you, you threaten back.

Sounds to me like your whining because you and the city counsel of LA forgot that fact and you don't like being reminded of it.

[Michelle]

AWESOME! Start using their own tactics against them. See how they like it.

[Anana Mous]

Energy isn't even the trump card. CA needs to boycott water from AZ as well.

Then we will take your women.

[toray99]

I've been to kalifornia and I didn't leave anything there.
Kalifornians can keep kalifornia.

[LivingInExile]

"Somehow that doesn't seem quite even."

Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

LA should be glad that Arizona doesn't supply them with silicone. Now THAT would trigger a crisis..

[Jason]

"L.A.'s Democrat pols follow through and stop buying Arizona turquoise jewelry and bolo ties...Somehow that doesn't seem quite even."

Actually it's not a matter of being "even" although democrats seem to be awfully into tit for tat for a supposed party of "yes". If LA is going to boycott Arizona, they have to boycott Arizona power. The commissioner is only helping them achieve their stated goal with greater exoediency...the uncomfortable brownouts during the coming warm days being that stated goal.

Furthermore, LA will have to boycott California utilities as well, given that the California Penal Code models the Arizona SB.

[Jim in San Diego]

Dear Gary Pierce:

I wanted to write you a quick note of thanks for your bold and courageous stance in resisting the attempted extortion of the Los Angeles Mayor and City Council.
Please, cut off the power to Los Angeles now!

Do it with no further fanfare or any warnings and just throw the switch and force reason upon L.A. .
If that is not possible, then take Los Angeles’ cheap electrical power (that I’m sure is somehow, even indirectly, subsidized by the citizens of Arizona) and substitute power from elsewhere at whatever spot-market or brokered rates there are, and pass along the difference.

They will complain, but this is something you must do.
They have the money to pay for that, even if they lie and say they do not, and trust me they will lie; you must not accept any feigned capitulation on their part.

As recently as a few weeks ago, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa proposed an almost 30% increase in Los Angeles DWP rates for the sole purpose of paying for “green” or “greener” sources of energy. So obviously he feels that an increase of that magnitude would be feasible. I say you need to force that increase now, and instead of allowing Mayor Villaraigosa the luxury of using that windfall to pay off his political allies with “green” subsidies, you must instead use that money for the benefit of all Arizona's citizens.
Even if you cannot directly use or keep that additional money, you will foreclose on Mayor Villaraigosa’s ability to raise future DWP rates and you will severely weaken his political base, and ultimately help many millions of Californians were you to do such a courageous act.

Please, make your words mean something and see to it that this boycott is reciprocated (out of fairness) and most important of all, DO NOT BACK DOWN.
Your principled and bold response will make you the most effective Arizona Corporation Commission leader the State of Arizona has ever known, just remember that time works against you and allows your opponents to mount a political counter attack.
Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero!*

[Wallace_Cleaver]

Let's be clear where the power is coming from in Arizona. The green windmills in California can't keep up with the influx of its' southern migration, so they built a 350 mile power line from Los Angeles and plugged it into the Palo Verde Nuclear power plant in Phoenix Arizona.

[Peter Stone]

...and how much Colorado River water do the fruits and nuts in LaLa land get from Arizona.

Turn off the tap Gov Brewer and let LA beg for forgiveness.

[Ghostsouls]

Also, they should include in that letter, to come get their convicts, that Arizona is taking care of for them. Come with buses and take them all back to California. Let California house them and pay for their incarceration and upkeep!! You can't just pick and choose what YOU want to boycott, if you want to really boycott, do it TOTAL! While you are at it California.... drive AROUND Arizona.

[JB McMunn]

GO FOR IT! They can use use all their hot air for power.

[DJSINPA]

Great Job to Gary Pierce. It would seem that California is OK with the $10 Mil plus dollars that Arizona has already lost due to these boycots, but as San Diego complained and now Los Angles, they don't seem to think it's fair for Californians to have to equally pay the price for boycots. If Mr. Malcolm was a responsible reporter, rather than an activist, he would have reported that the Boycots have impacted Arizona at far greater levels than turquoise jewelry and bolos. This has impacted conventions, major league sports and tourism.

All I have to say is have some California! You asked for boycots, now you have to live with it.

[George McGinnis]

I say bring it! Our state has made it through more severe power shortages than just 25% of the energy used by LA. Also, even if there is no federal law against withholding power which I doubt given they they are so heavily regulated, and he does cut it, that would only damage his own state far worse than any boycott by Los Angeleno's depriving them of the funds generated by the sale of their energy. This may also trigger a decline in energy prices from Arizona as there will be less demand for it. They also make a lot of money from the film industry from production in that state. Cut off LA and the movie industry just may move all production out of Arizona. Feels like a lot of hot air blowing over from that state. Like I said, Bring It!

[Tim]

I love it! I live in LA and I say do it AZ! The issue isn't against immigration - it's against ILLEGAL immigration. The law is the law. We can't selectively apply it.

[Old dog]

Go, Arizona, go! Shut off CA's electricity. I hope the political will is there. You'll only have to endure the loss of $ for about a day, and those witless, liberal CA-ians will shut up, or go to He*l, either of which works for me.

[Sam]

LA should boycott Mexico instead Arizona.. Mexico's Immigration laws are against humanity, and people put in jails for being in Mexico illegally.
Arizona is just doing JOB Federals won't to do.. Who has a right to sue and boycott is a Krantz Family, and they need to sue Home Land Security (?) for refusing to protect boarder which conflicting with constitution. All responsible government officials who blocked US Federal Immigration laws and security of the boarder enforcement should be fired.

[Bubba]

Wonderful.

How about starting a "Week without Hollywood" movement?

Let's get everyone who supports Arizona's right to make their own state laws pledge to boycott all Hollywood movies for the first week of every month until the federal government starts enforcing our immigration laws!

[Steve]

This is pretty hilarious. Arizona should also cut off the water as well. Then there will really be crying in the LA streets as people will be dying in a few days from thirst. Maybe the LA city council would learn a valuable lesson....probably not.

[Sir Gareth]

Fantastic,

Arizona - "Go Green" and reduce your "carbon footprint" by generating only the power YOU Need; screw California and its Marxist Hollywood.

For phase two I suggest that Arizona line their border with fine looking air conditioned buses. They can immediately bus all the illegals as they cross their border over to San Fransisco after providing them with a booklet in Spanish with instructions on how to access all of the free stuff that California taxpayers are eager to lay on for them

[GibsonicallyGuitarded]

Hahalifornia! HOPE for cool weather, and CHANGE your thermostat settings! Morons.

[TexasProud]

I say if you in California want to stick your nose in the affairs of another sovereign state, you should be prepared to accept the consequences. Arizona has every right to fight illegal immigration into their state as it affects it's citizens along both financial and safety lines. I have personally stopped buying anything that comes out of a city that has passed such resolutions. This includes my state capital of Austin.

[Jason]

I wouldn't have told them anything I would have installed a dimmer switch in my house that sends power down that circuit LA and played with it every time I walked buy it when it is August. Ooops...oh gosh...what happened? Did I do that?

[Kevin]

Looks like more and more Americans are starting to dislike and distrust each other, which is good. The fun times are upon us....

[Evan]

Awesome! Only California, a state so incompetent that it is continually on the verge of bankruptcy, would be dumb enough to boycott one of it's main sources of electricity. Note to the idiots in charge: When you rely on other states to get your water and power, you'd better play nice.

[gregd01]

God I hope this happens! Can the Lakers play in the dark?

[Joep]

I Cant get to AZ to buy anything, will you take a check/donation?

[gp40]

Wow go for it Arizona cut off power, water and send convicts back.

[Sharon Doudt]

Way to go Arizona. They are already in the dark, make it darker. It is so sad that people want to play games. It is obvious to most clear thinking individuals what is going on here. The liberals want the illegals for voting purposes only. The next step on their agenda would be amnesty. Mark my word!

[Vince]

EXCELLENT!

[DLewis]

I'm in San Diego and I'm laughing over here - good for Arizona!!! About time a state stood up for itself! I hope they do turn off the power to L.A. - it will serve them right. I STAND FOR ARIZONA!!!

[Captron]

What a joke. I am surprised liberal San Francisco Board of Stupervisors didn’t do it first……LOL what a bunch of PC morons. That simply validates why I and my business left CA, to get the liberal loons out of our back pockets.

[DLewis]

To Living in Exile - the cutting off of silicone to L.A. was absolutely the BEST post of them all!!!

[Ratt]

By George, this has made my day. God Bless Arizona. I have an Aunt and Uncle living out there and last visit they said Illegal Mexicans are all over the place and you did not leave anything outside unless it was tied down. Uncle also said there is no curfew in Arizona, but if you are from Arizona you know where you could go and when you could go.

[hooptie]

That would be freaking awesome. Blackouts in LA during the heat of summer.

[Russ]

That is freaking awesome. Arizona - cut their power if they try to punish you for doing the right thing.

[Dave]

Hahaha, boycotting Arizona is all fine and well for political posturing but when it comes down to it costing anything who thinks the LA city council will actually perform a full boycott?