Considering Governor Napolitano's abysmal record on illegal immigration in her own state, she is a rotten choice to head up Homeland Security. However, leaving the state with a $2 billion deficit and a police state of speed cameras on every highway throughout the state, Arizonans are glad to see her go.
It's amazing that with Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano's stunning mismanagement of the state's finances, president-elect Barack Obama would even consider her for a job pushing a broom. It's even more incredible that Obama has apparently settled on Napolitano to head his Homeland Security Department when one considers her abysmal record on illegal immigration in her own state.
Consider the following. Under Napolitano, Arizona has become the illegal immigration capitol of the United States. Arizona has the highest number of illegal immigrants as a proportion of the general population out of any state, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
This is no coincidence–when it comes to choosing between protecting the law abiding citizens of the state of Arizona and illegal aliens, Napolitano has routinely sided with illegal immigrants. She vetoed a bill to make it clear that illegal immigrants are trespassers (SB 1157, 2006), and a bill to crack down on day laborers who harass local businesses and motorists (HB 2589, 2007). Napolitano also vetoed a bill to make English Arizona's official language (SB 1167, 2005), a bill to allow local police to enforce immigration laws (SB 1306, 2005), and a bill to deny welfare to illegal aliens (HB 2030, 2005), even after the voters of Arizona had passed a law making clear they didn't want welfare going to illegal immigrants!
Napolitano even vetoed a bill to outlaw sanctuary cities that have policies prohibiting their employees from reporting illegal immigrants (HB 2807, 2008), and a bill to prohibit the state from accepting the notorious "matricula consular," a card issued by the Mexican government for the sole reason of making it easier for illegal immigrants to live in the U.S (SB 1236, 2007).
This is only the tip of the iceberg of Napolitano's embarrassing record on illegal immigration. She supports driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. She abused her gubernatorial powers to try to shut down someone in the state who is actually doing something about illegal immigration, Sheriff Arpaio, by taking away his funding.
And Napolitano opposes a border fence, laughably arguing "you show me a 50 foot fence, I'll show you a 51 foot ladder." Arizona may be better off as a state, but clearly recent border control gains are at risk should Napolitano be confirmed. And her open borders advocacy puts this country at risk of a catastrophic terrorist attack. Napolitano leaving the Governor's office to become Secretary of Homeland Security would clearly be Arizona's gain, but it would also be the country's loss.
A 51 foot ladder would be OK with me. Terminal velocity on the north side would be somewhere near 60 MPH. That's pretty terminal.
Maybe her track record mirror's Obama's views on the subject. We may be in for a flood at the southern border.
What amazes me is the media praising her selection. Why? Because she is the governor of a State that borders Mexico. This administration is shaping up to be a disaster. Can you see the first time Obama barks out an order to Hillary Clinton?
[...] number of illegal immigrants proportionate to the general population of any state, Napolitano vetoed seven bills as governor that would have cracked down on illegal immigration. She supported drivers' [...]
[...] number of illegal immigrants proportionate to the general population of any state, Napolitano vetoed seven bills as governor that would have cracked down on illegal immigration. She supported drivers' [...]