Ratcheting up the debate over immigration in his state, a candidate for the Arizona utilities commission is threatening to cut off power and gas to illegal immigrants if he's elected.

"It is not a right. It is a service," Barry Wong, candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission, told The Arizona Republic.

The Republican candidate argues that the policy would be a cost-saving measure for consumers.

Though it would cost money for power companies to check immigration status, he said it would ultimately save money because power companies would not have to build new plants to serve the illegal immigrant community, presumably passing on that savings to consumers. His plan, if elected to the five-person commission, would be to require utilities to check immigration status.

"There is a cost ratepayers shouldn't have to bear because of the illegal immigrant population," he said, while acknowledging the idea would probably attract "criticism about human-rights violations."

Though Arizona has drawn praise and criticism alike from all corners of the country for its new law making illegal immigration a state crime, support was hard to come by for Wong's proposal.
None of the other candidates for the commission would endorse his idea. The CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry also blasted Wong in a column in the Republic, accusing him of trying to "score cheap political points" while marking a "new low" in the state's immigration debate.

"To deny someone access to electricity based on his or her immigration status is not only a wrongheaded policy proposal, it's just cruel," Glenn Hamer wrote, calling the candidate's economic argument "absurd."

Wong, who was born in the United States, is the son of Chinese immigrants. He previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives.

It's not the first time the issue of Arizona's power supply has come up in the immigration debate.

After the Los Angeles government decided to boycott Arizona in May over its law, Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce wrote a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa threatening to cut off power to the city. Los Angeles and Arizona officials later acknowledged that the state could not unilaterally sever those power contracts.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/05/arizona-candidate-cut-power-illegal-immigrants/?test=latestnews

This will most certainly garner him votes but there is no way he can accomplish this. How is he going to know what house, apt or trailer has criminal entrants living it.

HA HA HA HA HA

Jeebus.

That is NOT what the letter said.

Pierce did not " threaten " to turn off the power.

What he DID was tell the Mayor and City Council that if they wanted to boycott Arizona based on " principals " then they should stand by those principals by boycotting the power ( 25% of the power used by Los Angeles comes from Arizona ) provided by the state of Arizona.

Of course, the Council and Mayor then backtracked and acknowledged that they couldn't actually boycott EVERYTHING.

You folks REALLY need to get accurate information before you start posting.

You aren't helping your cause at all.

PHOENIX - An Arizona utility regulator has suggested there could be payback for the Los Angeles city council's vote to boycott Arizona businesses because of the state's new law targeting illegal immigration.

Arizona Corporation Commission member Gary Pierce responded to the Los Angeles council's vote on May 12 by sending a letter Tuesday to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The letter cited the mayor's support for the boycott, which doesn't cover airport, port and energy services.

"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," Pierce wrote.

Los Angeles should reconsider its boycott decision if the city "lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power," Pierce added.

This is actually what he told them.

" Renegotiate " is NOT a threat to turn off the power.

It was basically nothing more than calling the Los Angeles City Council and the Mayor a bunch of cowards who's principles are only strong when it's convenient for them.

I appreciate the article bored.

A 'warm fuzzy feel-good' that is unenforceable is one of the 'golden oldies' of American politics - on BOTH sides. IF this is directed at individuals and dwellings, it's just idiotic and unenforceable. This completely bypasses the 'critical thought' process and goes straight to the 'Right ON!' part of the brain (say 'reptilian') that just responds to 'magpie' stimuli. I'm sure it'll attract a certain fringe percentage of the electorate who couldn't think their way out of a wet sack of flour, but it's just a 'straw man' ... and unenforceable. In other words, it's BS ...

A little advice.

Obummah sold a bunch-o-crap and got voted in.

Instead of just voting in someone who mouths the phrases of enforcing Immigration Laws, check their prior stances and voting practices to make sure they have been consistent.

Remember, Insane Hussein and MSM taught other Politicians how to play the folks.

been there, done that, thanx for the advice

agreed... total BS