Here and Now: Governor Napolitano

My concern goes back to affordable healthcare.
I own a small business with three employees in AZ and 5 in other states. Healthcare Group of AZ is more affordable than most but they do not cover employees outside of the state. They are raising their rates too. Brokers for health insurance companies say that since I am based in AZ that the state allows quotes for policies to be increased up to 258% after they receive health histories. Can't we get this changed? If I'm based in AZ why can't I utilize Healthcare Group of AZ? As a small business I can't spend 45-50,000/year for 8 employees and myself.

An Arizona native wants to know what are the benefits of growth? From my perspective this is how growth has affected my life (45 years) here in the valley:

-Less desert to enjoy (The nearby desert has become subdivisions and OHV (off highway vehicle) playgrounds virtually destroying it.

-Traffic congestion everywhere, essentially all day long.

-Air pollution (Love that some school districts are now flying flags relative to air quality), purely embarrassing.

-Heat island effect and these continual heat advisories (absolutely nothing physically being done to alleviate this, only continued construction adding to it)

-Water (we have rivers running dry, cities having to truck water in, and development being allowed to continue in and around critical areas) while the bulk of Arizona’s population (the valley) are sometimes being asked to conserve so that we can literally pack more people into the state.

-Crime (My gosh, watch the evening news on any given evening, there has to be half a dozen killings, and dozens of other major crimes happening daily in our state)

-Escaping the valley has lost it's appeal because of the sheer numbers of people doing the same thing. When you do get to where you're going you have to deal with mobs of people in places that you used to be able to relax at.

-Housing prices that have become grossly ridicules allowing only newcomers from pricier areas of the country (especially California) to buy up our nicer areas making them and regular housing out of reach for real Arizonan’s.

-A place where history and people that have lived here for any length of time (at least 25 years) are neglected and forced to change continually to accommodate the construction industry.

I think I know the simple reply that will be given, growing pains.

Dear Governor Napolitano,
I applaud your tough sanctions against employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Anything less is making excuses for moneyed interests to continue to break the law. Yet some powerful business groups continue to lobby against this law. Why do you think they feel justified, even in this current political climate to do that? And what do you think they want as their endgame?

Honorable Governor: I am wondering if you are going to look into the ASU payroll problem and the expense ASU has spent on this new peoplesoft system? I would also like to know if there is any way that employees and student can determine where their personal information is going to and who handles it. I know Cedar Crestone handles the peoplesoft system and they outsource to India. Students and employees should have the right to know where their personal information is being sent to and how it is being processed and by whom.

Hi Janet:


When are you hosting your next capital execution?

Jay

Apparently the plan for a passenger commuter rail line between Phoenix and Tucson (through Queen Creek or Maricopa) is well underway. I applaud these efforts for the positive impact they will have on relieving traffic congestion in the East Valley for commuters traveling from the Queen Creek/San Tan area.
It is my understanding that in order to complete this project in the near future, the State will have to obtain leasing rights to use the tracks from Union Pacific. It is either that or we will have to build new tracks, which could take many years.
My question is: what do you think of the commuter rail plan, and what is your transportation office doing to help gain leasing rights from Union Pacific? Are you tying those efforts to the possible State Land auction that Union Pacific will need to build their switching station at Picacho?

Between 2002 and 2008 my property taxes have more then tripled. Although I'm happy to see my property value increase, I'm also a widowed parent who hasn't seen a comparable increase in earned income. I understand that property tax reform will be broached next time the legislature convenes. What type of property tax reform would you support?

NPR had a story about a solar powered electric generation facility in Spain. the report stated that california, new mexico and texas were in talks with the spanish utility company to build solar generating facilities in those states. are arizona utilities considering this technology? if not why?

I'm a State Employee and I'm NOT ASKING for money!!!

I don't believe most citizens are aware of this but State Employee's are not eligible to receive performance raises.

I would like you to look into having state employee's earn pay raises through MERIT PAY versus the current patronage system (occasional across the board salary increases based upon the good (?) graces of elected officials.

City's and most major corporations provide for increases based on MERIT with good employees earning decent and well earned raises while poor performing employees earn nothing).

The State used this type of system until it was changed under Governor Babbit.
Quit making employees beg for deserved rewards.
Thanks, Walt Askey an employee in DES/DDSA

What are you doing about the high cost of higher education in the state? I would like to see the community colleges giving 4 year degrees to set up some competition...what is your thoughts on the subject?

In light of the increased ID Theft here in Arizona, is there any movement toward legislation to "Authorize Credit Freezing" of individual credit accounts. Presently we can sign up for Credit Monitoring but that does not seem to meet the needs for securing one's credit.

That phone number is 602.542.1318

A comment and a question:

The comment: Automobile registration fees are outrageous in this state. They are nearly double what they are in California and Virginia. Why do these fees need to be so high?

My question (unrelated to comment above):
You seem to be a hard-liner against illegals working in this state. If you succeed in getting rid of all the illegals working here, how are all those jobs going to be filled? And, are you planning on sending immigration officers out to construction sites, or to parking lots in front of home improvement stores to round up illegals?

Arizona economy needs an educated workforce to compete globally. Arizona Republic editoral today, "Making of America" makes point we need to educated all children. How do we reconsider Propostion 300, that prevents undocument

Same point is made in book by Dowell Myers, on "Immigrants and Boomers". He is a professor at USC with many books on demograhics.

How do we reconsider Prop 300?

Congratulations on your courageous immigration legislation. However, how will you deal with the economic fall-out of labor shortage where legal employees aren't sufficient to replace the illegals that are let go. Won't we have a problem with illegals stranded here when they lose their jobs? Since most of the illegals are actually working isn't there an eventual criminal side-effect of illegal aliens without any means of subsistence? Do you plan to either help illegals move back across the border or possibly to regularize them in some sort of guest-worker programs?

I posted a question earlier regarding MERIT Pay.

The Governor is incorrect to say we currently have a combination of MERIT and across the board salary adjustment.
Yes there is a performance review...however, this is NOT tied to any monetary reward.
NOR is the current increases authorizied periodically by the legislature tied to Longevity, education or performance.
A 20 year veteran receives the same increase as a first year employee.
We do not have merit based plan.

will you provide the leadership required to get a comprehensive trust land reform package on the ballot in 2008?