Posted on 11/16/2002 5:27:16 AM PST by madfly
PHOENIX - How to help rural Arizona counties, especially those along the U.S.-Mexico border, is one of the priorities Governor-elect Janet Napolitano said she will work on during her administration.
While the problems of border counties are not on the back burner, Napolitano said she will first take care of the state's budget crisis and clean up Arizona's educational woes.
Part of the state's economic well-being is tied to the border and the nations south of the United States, she said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
"Arizona is the gate to the south, and I don't just mean Mexico," Napolitano said. Mexico is the main trade partner for Arizona, but the governor-elect said Arizona has to look beyond its immediate neighbor to the south at markets in Central and South America.
Next week, Napolitano will travel with Gov. Jane Hull to Mexico to meet with Mexico's border governors and Mexican President Vicente Fox. "I'm going as an observer," Napolitano said.
A big believer in technology, she said she wants the federal government to do more at the ports of entry in Arizona to make it easier for traffic bringing the flow of goods north. With technology, the federal government can create cyberports instead of using a large numbers of people, who can be better used for other border functions, Napolitano said.
The whole border issue has to be addressed by the federal government, and that includes establishing a new guest-worker program, which she supports, she said.
Napolitano said she will not militarize the border by using armed Arizona National Guard forces. "The border has to be taken care of by the feds."
She also said that when illegal immigrants or drug smugglers come across the border, the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are the only ones who should handle the situation.
The governor-elect said she opposes any group of civilians acting, in her words, as vigilantes. "Law enforcement should be done by law enforcement."
Rural counties also are facing other problems, such as a lack of medical care as insurers flee the less populated areas of the state, she said.
Many doctors do not want to work in rural areas where the pay is less than in the more urban areas of Arizona, she added. "It's not going to be easy to fix the problem."
Napolitano also is looking for ways to help senior citizens on fixed incomes purchase less expensive prescription drugs. She said she is looking at successful state plans to adapt for Arizona's needs.
Her transition is well under way, and Napolitano said she is reaching out to Republicans to be part of her administration. "There are a lot of good people in the other party," the Democrat said.
For her to succeed as governor, Napolitano said she needs bipartisan support and has a history of working with people of different political persuasions. "We've had too much partisanship in Arizona. It's time for bipartisanship."
Once she takes her oath as governor on Jan. 6 and she makes her first state-of-the-state address to the Legislature on Jan. 7, Napolitano said she will go around the state and listen to the people.
"I don't intend to stay in Phoenix all the time," she said.
How did I come to this conclusion? I happened to watch a speech of hers at a "Civil Rights" symposium in the summer of 2000. Her hard line, dogmatic rant made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. When I saw that she was the U.S. Attorney for Arizona, I was in shock. All I could think of was, no one in Arizona would elect this Nazi to anything.
But Mr. Salmon ran a pathetic campaign. Even his website was stupid. And Mrs. Jihad played the subtle discrimination card of whispering about his religion. Guess if you're a Mormon, you can be insulted. Try that with a Jewish candidate.
Janet Napolitano will not only not do anything about the border, she will prosecute anyone who does. Or try. She was elected with the help of Mexican sympathizers - her campaign manager was good 'ol Judge Raul Castro, previously the only Mexican governor of Arizona - and she will not let them down. Nope. She believes that citizens of Mexico have a civil right to cross the border at will, and that immigration laws, even having a border - is racist. They will be protected while Americans who try to do something will be prosecuted.
While Hanni Hanjour was getting flight training in Phoenix, Janet was busy arresting and prosecuting the members of the Viper Militia, and the SHF. Whatever you think of those guys, they weren't nothin' compared to Hanjour. But that is where her sympathies lie: against Americans, and for foreigners who have a grudge against us. That's why I call her Jihad Janet. She's on a Jihad against the U.S.
You need to go ballistic on this psychopath. Demonstrations, rallys, whatever. It should be four years of endless confrontation with her, forcing her to show her real self. At the end of that, you might get rid of her. Maybe.
p.s. When I was a kid in Tucson, we routinely carried pistols in holsters, rifles on our shoulders to go hunting or plinking. No one ever thought anything about it. This woman will make it her business to do everything she can to prevent anyone in Arizona who is not under her control from ever owning or carrying a gun. You should be ready for a big push from her on this. I guarantee you.
I'd like to know: did Salmon or any of the other Republican losers remind anyone of this charming little aspect of Jihad Janet's past?
They could have done it in an intelligent way to play up her extreme liberalism.
Clint Bolick of the Institute for Justice in Phoenix wrote an article just before the election in the Arizona Republic, pointing out that Napolitano is an extremeist. Even he didn't bring up the "I won't prosecute perverts" gig. That one is unbelievable.
You're right. She is Butch. I never thought of that before. One more appropriate name for her.
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