Instead of bringing us real leadership on Arizona's border-security problems, Gov. Jan Brewer brought us Sarah Palin, a leader on ... um... seeing Russia's border from Alaska.
Crime and violence along Arizona's border and in our neighborhoods are real. But Brewer has already admitted that SB1070 "has nothing to do with securing the border." And her stunt last Saturday with Palin was just as phony. They co-starred in a dog-and-pony show where they talked tough but said nothing -- and unveiled a website to nowhere.
By enlisting Palin, Brewer proved she is focused more on her political future than on Arizona's real immigration-related problems - drug and weapons traffickers, human smuggling and kidnapping in our neighborhoods. These are the very problems Arizona's attorney general and Democrats in the state Legislature are working hard to combat. But Arizona will continue to suffer as its governor rolls out publicity stunts designed to help her win the GOP primary.
In just over a year, our unelected "accidental governor" has done more damage to Arizona than we can wrap our heads around. She and the Republicans in power continue to push Arizona down the wrong track by cutting jobs, ignoring our soaring foreclosure rate and driving the state economy into a deeper hole. Their values are not Arizona values. Consider:
- After promising not to "decimate" education and programs for the most vulnerable, Brewer made the largest cut to education in state history. We now rank last in the nation for education funding.
We need to get Arizona on the right track by implementing real immigration reform and cracking down on the criminal cartels. We need to attract businesses and jobs to our state. And we must strengthen our education system. But with Brewer as governor and her Republican cronies in the majority, Arizona will stay on the wrong track.
Republicans have been in office too long. Brewer has failed to lead. It's time for a change in Arizona. Please join us in this fight!