Governor Napolitano
Governor Napolitano spent the past week leading her party's efforts to craft a national platform for Barack Obama and his vice presidential nominee. Health Care emerged as a major issue. The Platform Committee vowed to guarantee affordable and comprehensive health care for every American. The 51-page platform draft included language to improve the North American Free Trade Agreement, encourage alternative energy use and close the Guantanamo Detention Center. What do you think about the platform? Your thoughts are welcome.
Campaign finance information shows those industries affected by Arizona's employer sanctions law are helping bankroll the opponent of Rep. Russell Pearce in his bid to win the district 18 senate seat (Pearce is term-limited in the house). Pearce is also the target of some pretty negative campaign mailings by a third party group also funded by those who opposed the law requiring employers verify the legal working status of new employees.
It's your chance to talk to the governor. Jot your comment or question below. If you don't see it posted right away, don't worry, we have to monitor postings to prevent SPAM from cluttering our pages. Thanks!
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Paul Atkinson - Here and Now Producer at
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Comments (7)
Governor,
The TIME initiative increases the state sales tax by 1%. This tax will only incease the tax burden of the poor who already pay a higher proportion of their earnings than anyone else. Monseignor Ryle will be displeased. Will you drop the idea of appealing the ruling of the Secretary of State that there were insufficient signatures on the petition?
With big developers backing the so called "Time Tax", why are you so worried about it. They always manage to plow over anything that stands in the way of unfetterd growth, along with the assistance of our so called local leaders. This is just another example of the people paying for the developers to expand the sprawl along of these new roads. Isn't anybody noticing a deterioration of the quality of life in Arizona from the increase in population?
We chuckle about all of the complaints and concerns about light rail. We heard all of these same things when we lived in Oregon, and now people love it and couldn't live without it there.
This week schools are in session with the new ELD laws. In a school district where I am teaching 2nd grade my 2nd graders have 36 kids in my non ELD room while the 2nd grade ELD classroom next door has 20 students. Is this fair? Is this what Arizona Education should look like?
The Governor talks about transportation plans like Phoenix grew up over night. It's not a small city with potential like Buckeye. Where is the foresight of a responsible government to plan infrastructure?
Comment: You have had a great staff. We applaud, especially, the work of Southern Arizonans George Cunningham and Jan Lesher. I hope your new staff assignments will continue the excellent work in the governor's cabinet.
Question: It appears that the GOP legislators are attempting to find a back door to fund vouchers. Is there a way to keep that from happening. Vouchers are consistently viewed by the public as a problem, taking money away from public schools.
Comment: We will miss you if you go into the Obama Cabinet!
Governor:
You've mentioned making Arizona the "Saudi Arabia of Solar", but the sad truth is that Arizona falls far behind other states that don't have the quantity of potential solar energy that we do. I've seen it reported a number of times that if we were to dedicate 8,650 square miles of Arizona or California desert to solarthermal production, we could produce 100% of the nation's electrical energy needs.
What could we do politically to make... say... 1/10th of that goal a reality in this decade?
