California finds it’s not easy to boycott Arizona

June 20, 2010

Many California cities–including Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, and Berkeley–were quick to jump on the Boycott Arizona movement after the Grand Canyon State cracked down on illegal immigration recently.

However, many of these these same cities are now discovering how tough it actually is to follow through on the heated rhetoric. [Bay Citizen]

Last Tuesday, Oakland city council members voted to approve a $1 million contract with a multinational corporation based in Phoenix. Why? Perhaps it has something to do with the $31.5 million deficit the city current faces.

San Francisco, with a projected deficit of $483 million, and Berkeley also continue to do business with Arizona.

San Jose stopped short of a full boycott, citing potential economic harm, and instead issued an official denunciation of Arizona’s decision. The city has contracts with several Arizona-based companies, including U.S. Airways.

Meanwhile, calls continue from various organizations for Major League Baseball to pull the 2011 All Star baseball game out of Phoenix, but so far, Commissioner Bud Selig has rejected those calls.