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Volume 40, Issue 14
May 6, 2003
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May 6, 2003
Napolitano’s competency questioned
By Racheal
Brown
Opinions Editor
A few recent actions of our newly elected governor have brought up some
viable questions of her character and competency.
Specifically, the handling of the name change of Squaw Peak and the “mistaken”
tax cuts that have contribuited in sending our state into billions of
dollars of deficit.
Oops, would be a gross understatement.
Republican lawmakers criticized Napolitano for her lobbying efforts for
the name change of the 2,608 foot peak.
Then board chairman Tim J. Norton was opposed to the name change and cited
a condition that one must be dead five years before their name can be
used on a geographic feature.
The proposed name of Piestewa Peak is to commemorate the first Native
American service woman to die in battle.
Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa, Hopi Tribe member from Tuba City, passed away
in March.
Napolitano sought resignation of Norton.
Though Norton’s action may seem cold, he was merely doing his job,
it may be in this case that condition could have been over looked.
Mario Diaz, a deputy chief of staff for Napolitano acknowledged calling
Norton’s boss at the Phoenix Police Department.
Then remarked that detective Norton failed to uphold his duty because
he refused to consider the name change.
Napolitano denied instructing Diaz to make the call and says she was out
of town when the call was made.
Unfortunately her honesty is suspect.
She continued by saying, “It’s not the way to deal with people
that I sanction.”
She has been quoted several times saying, “This will not happen again.”
Maybe she should have said we will not get caught again.
With Norton absent the board voted 5–1 to rename the park.
Norton plans to voice a complaint to the board on how the vote was taken.
Many apologies were made but in the end our governor said she was glad
she used her influence to change the controversial name of the peak.
In Napolitano’s state of the state address balancing the budget without
raising taxes is first on her budget plan.Though the financial status
of our state was in shambles before she got a hold of it she did not help.
Currently, Arizonans are up to their eyeballs in a $400 million deficit
due to our governor’s mistakes in budget reform.
Within the last six years, state spending has jumped 75 percent.
This can not be explained by inflation or population growth.
We, who voted for her, should take a moment to hang our heads low.
Napolitano has stated that she wants to help our budget deficit and our
people, but so far all she has done is help increase our budget deficit
and alienate our people.
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