Where's Janet? Updated

On August 28th, metro Phoenix was hit by a massive storm that destroyed ASU's new $8.5 million training facility, knocked out power to thousands of homes and caused extensive property damage. 

The Governor swung into action and issued this report detailing the implementation of the emergency management plans.  Of course, the report was from Dean Martin because the Governor was in Denver at the Democratic Convention.

Last week, Google announced that it's pulling out of Phoenix.  That's not a big deal, Google came with a lot of Gubernatorial fanfare, but ultimately it was meaningless to the Arizona economy.  Of course, the Governor couldn't have really commented anyway.  She was in Ohio interviewing for Attorney General campaigning for Barack Obama.

Today, the Senate and House Appropriations Committee chairmen announced that they are going to hold a  press conference on Tuesday morning to ask the governor to address the state’s growing budget crisis. 

Of course, she's not going to pay attention.  That's not just because the budget chairmen are Republicans who have been complaining about the budget for a year...it's because she's like, you know, in Florida campaigning for Barack Obama.

I don't expect the Governor to be in the office every day, but it would be nice if she were in the office on SOME days. 

The national economic situation seems to be worsening, the state budget is in complete meltdown and we don't know when the current financial crisis will end.  Is Arizona going to be able to rollover its massive debt?  Will we have enough cash to make it through the fiscal year?  Will it be possible to balance the current budget before we have to start working on the next budget?

These are critical questions and it would be nice if the Governor would come back to Arizona and answer some of them.

Update:  One of the commentors reminded me how critical the Democrats were of Tim Bee for going to Washington for three days during the legislative session.  Here's how the Citizen covered it.  I thought this was a key line.

The trip is proof that Bee won't be able to juggle the demands of running the state Senate while running for higher office at the same time, said Emily Bittner, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party.

Seriously, the Dems claimed that Bee couldn't run for Congress and run the Senate, but they seem to think it's fine for Napolitano to travel the country on behalf of Obama while the State finances melt down. 

Now Politicker AZ is reporting that the Governor is flying to Colorado to campaign for Obama.

Plans are being formulated that would send Gov. Janet Napolitano back out on the stump for Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, according to Napolitano's office.

The governor, who has already campaigned on behalf of the senator from Illinois in the swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida in the past few weeks, would be going to Colorado for Obama.

"There are tentative plans that would put [Gov. Napolitano] in Colorado next week," said Jeanine L'Ecuyer, the governor's spokeswoman.

Meanwhile, the Business Journal is reporting that next year's budget deficit is approaching $1 billion.

Comments

[Nick]

The front page of the Rag states that
many Valley hotels have very low
occupancy rates which means low tax
collections from visitors.

Good luck with the budget cuts janet.

[guy]

Fair questions about the Governor. Also a fair question: How much time has John McCain spent representing us in the Senate this year? Maybe he should a day or two "in the office."

[Brian]

It is a fair question, elected officials should be be performing duties they were elected for. A question that is good for McCain is also good for Obama and Biden. Lastly, who is paying for Janet's expenses while campaigning for Obama, to include her 24-hour security detail?

[Brian]

It is a fair question, elected officials should be be performing duties they were elected for. A question that is good for McCain is also good for Obama and Biden. Lastly, who is paying for Janet's expenses while campaigning for Obama, to include her 24-hour security detail?

[Travis]

There is no comparison to an executive who is responsible for the decline of her state's economy and one senator among fifty running for president.

I'm pretty sure I hear a fiddle on the 9th floor...

[ron]

I hear every state government department has been asked to make a 3.5 mil cut from their budgets. Even the 'sacred' cows of corrections (adult and youth) have been asked to make cuts. I understand that all departments are on a total hiring freeze - even for critical services.

Meanwhile, more of my friends have joined the world of the unemployed this past week.

Look at the Sunday job ads, even the ads on Craig's list are dropping.. it is slowing up folks....

ron

[Dave K.]

Interesting how the State Dems, Emily DeRose in particular, nearly threw a rod when Tim Bee went to DC to meet with national GOP leaders about his campaign during session, while budget "negotiations" were ongoing, yet nary a peep about JNo jetting about the US on behalf of OBama/Biden.

I guess it only matters when Republicans do it ...

[Tom in Mesa]

Good call on Janet . . . where is she indeed? Where has she been other than overseeing this fiscal nightmare we have?

[Kim]

A real shame in all of this is a reason given on the news by a Google spokesperson for their departure... they were unable to field a talent pool to fit their needs.

Where was the relationship between the guv and this prized catch? Where was a brokered connection between our state universities and high schools, designed to prepare and promote our students to fill the need? Where were the specific programs with outcomes proven to result in jobs and economic support to the state for the long haul? What damage was done to our reputation in regard to future possibilities of other business and industry leaders in consideration of our state?

This reveals a lack of leadership, with an eye on real economic growth, opportunity, and sustainability long before the recent events. I guess the key is where that eye is focused; the future welfare of the state versus her royal lowness.

[Nick S.]

If JNo were here, she'd have to take a stand on a difficuult issue and follow through. That's not going to happen.

The budget is not like CPS, where she can make grandiose pronouncements and the AZ Republic hides her lack of leadership.

When the state is out of money, the state is out of money...

[Dewey]

Goodby, Google guys. Hope you enjoy your new lives on the lawless offshore data barge. Good fishing out there, and you can ride out those tsunamis. And I'm sure you can find some Chinese or North Korean mercenaries to protect your fiefdom at sea, as long as you continue to hide all that democratizing info from their inferior countrymen.

As far as Janet goes, which is worse, having her here or having her not here? Has she renamed Seminole County in Florida yet? Do the Cleveland Indians have a new logo? Has she taken credit yet for keeping Castro at bay?

Hey, Greg: If BO makes JNo the new AG, who will B R new GUV?

[Sarah]

I'm usually kind of glad when Janet leaves town because she tends to garner less coverage from her adoring fan club at the Republic, but this is one instance when she needs to spend more time here.

But fat chance on that. Janet is going "all in" on Obama, praying that he wins and names her AG so she can skip town and leave the rest of us holding her fiscal bag. If she remains Governor, she's in trouble, but if she leaves, it's someone else's fault/problem.

[Commander In Chief, Department of the Treasury]

There's really a very simple solution to all of Arizona's financial problems. Change the name of the State of Arizona to the Arizona Insurance Group (AIG), file for bankruptcy, and the Federal Treasury will instantaneously come riding to our rescue.
Yet another blast at Janet, the source of all evil, and yet another day passes without any real comment on the appalling collapse of our nation's financial sector and the even more appalling response. King George appears to have abdicated his stolen throne completely and handed the keys to the safe to Henry Paulson as he flees from the scene of his latest disaster.
Where's Janet, you ask. Where's George Bush? Where's the conservatives, who should be howling in anger over a massive socialist bailout? Where's Senator McCain? Still washing up the blood after beheading the chairman of the SEC? And above all, where is our constitution? This isn't conservativism, it's not socialism, it's fascism.
Acting in his capacity as the new King, Henry Paulson is holding a gun to the taxpayer's heads. He's not only demanding that they write him a blank check to bail out anyone and everyone King Henry sees fit to bail out, he's demanding that the constitution be suspended to allow him full power to spend the taxpayers money at his own discretion.
The Treasury Department's plan includes the following statement: "Section 8. Review. Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency." Where, exactly, in the United States Constitution is it permitted for one branch of the government to declare its authority to spend massive sums of money however it pleases and permit that branch to slam the door on face of the judicial branch and declare that no court of law is permitted to interfere with this absolute power? Is this whole thing another pre-engineered power grab? Are we going to find weapons of mass financial destruction when we invade and occupy Wall Street?
Another colossal failure by the Bush regime. Another huge step forward in its plan to march our country down the dark road toward fascism. It's all Janet's fault. It always is. It's gonna be a Republican year, all right.

[JRM]

Have you ever traveled for work? It is possible for her to work and not be in an office, with those things called phones and the internet and the army of people she has working under her.

[Jim Torgeson]

While I agree that McCain has been absent waayy too much (nearly matching Obama's horrid attendance record), it's sad that this isn't even Janet running for President and missing days. I wish I could stump for my candidate and get paid!!!

I think the perfect solution would be for Brewer or Martin to rescing the budget and all the nasty little executive orders immediately. Let's get this back on the table and have a governor, any governor, answer for it.

Janet will be back in seconds flat defending this horrid budget, giving back benefits, etc... and we'll have her undivided attention until she gives us what we need.

She'll capitulate and go off kissing Barack's hinie again.

[Walter]

Greg, you should have known that the Google closing was not a big deal. It was in the press release:

The company's announcement that it would open an Arizona office and hire as many as 600 engineers was touted by Gov. Janet Napolitano in late 2005. At the time, Napolitano said Google represented the type of innovative advanced technology company the state wanted to attract. She called the firm's decision to open the office "a good marriage" with a growing state.

Napolitano's staff learned of the closure from the media on Friday, although Google had informed employees and ASU the day before.

"It appears to be an isolated reallocation of resources of one company and there is a lot going on in Arizona," said Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer told The Arizona Republic. "We have been building and growing on the tech front for some time. I don't see this as an enormous blow."

[Zoo2]

Maybe its better that she is gone.....

[Nick]

Senator janet in 2010.
I will watch her ride a Unicorn to her
corination!

[Timothy S. Carlson]

I've always said that if a current office holder runs for another office - like Senator McCain is running for President - they should resign their held office before they start campaigning.

It would show who has the real determination to fun for an office. Currently, they can run, lose, and return to their old position (a 'golden pillow' to fall back on, if you will). In the meantime, the people they represent get stuck with an absentee official.

McCain should be out as Senator - so should Kerry (that's an old bone with me) and Obama and Biden, and Palin as Governor of Alaska.

On a related point - and more relevant to the post - there should be guidelines on the amount of time elected officials actually spend doing their jobs. If they aren't doing their job duties for an expected percentage of the time (50%? 75%?), then they would have to resign, also.

People elect these politicians to do a specific job - if they aren't going to do it, they should be booted.

Of course, sometimes it is a blessing in disguise when politicians _aren't_ doing their jobs :P

[Timothy S. Carlson]

I have a dreadful follow-up to Nick's comment about a unicorn - but decorum prevents me :P

[Context]

Where was your beloved Sarah Palin? She was in Wasila charging the State of Alaska for being at home instead of Juno.
This is just the reality of the game. Do you really believe janet is the only Gov. who is out working for their respective party? Don't be so naive, Greg. I know you are smarter than that. Nothing is more off-puting that pretending you don't know something when you do.

[Reagan Republican]

My thesis has always been that Janet was never responsible for any of her good fortune from 2004-06. She simply benefited from the largest expansion in state economic history--the state more or less ran on autopilot and she didn't have to make any tough choices. Now the economic and fiscal chickens are coming home to roost, requiring some leadership, and she's completely disappeared.

And people need to quit making a big deal out of Google leaving. Short term, 50 jobs is meaningless in a city as large as Phoenix. We're heading into a recession--businesses close shop and cut back during downtimes. I don't see what profound insight it gives about our long-term ability to generate good jobs.

[Sam]

Juno = movie
Juneau = Capital of Alaska
Context = useless, non sequitur using, partisan hack

[Gayle]

Remember it's not that Gov. J is campaigning for B.O., it's that she's sucking up to be the next Janet Reno.

Alert the ATF, another Janet is gonna run the AT office!!

God help us all, we are the Branch Davidians and B.O is like that David Koresh dude.

[Gayle]

And in the words of the famed Valley Art, midnight showing of Rocky Horror Pic.--- of days gone by, " Dammit Janet, I love you!"

Don't ya just want to do the Time Warp again at the thought of another Janet in as AT for the ol' USA??

Gag me with a Meat Loaf