New Year’s Resolutions

Once a year, the editors of PHOENIX magazine anoint me the Queen of Arizona. Well, not really. I reign only in the pages of the magazine. Nonetheless, it’s my chance to make New Year’s resolutions for the Grand Canyon State. I wasn’t born and raised in Arizona, but it’s where I’ve chosen to live for most of my adult life, and I’ve come to love it strange quirks and all. OK, I could do without a few of the quirks, but then it wouldn’t be Arizona, would it? At any rate, here are my thoughts for 2007, a year that promises to be very, very interesting.

• Governor Janet Napolitano wasn’t just re-elected, she was ushered into office for another four years by the voters of each of Arizona’s 15 counties. She got more votes than anyone else on the ballot, including Republican Senator Jon Kyl. Voters of all hues obviously like her leadership and her vision. If I were the Queen of Arizona, I’d insist that the Republican-controlled Legislature recognize her popularity and actually work with the governor to solve the state’s problems. Last year, the Legislature basically sent her bills it thought would harm her in the election, trying to force her into positions the legislators thought voters would dislike. Obviously, that didn’t work. When people say this governor has a “mandate” from the voters, they aren’t kidding.

 

• The only items on the ballot that got more votes than the governor were the anti-immigration propositions. There were four of them, one more punitive than the next, including the one I thought was absolutely draconian a proposition that denies in-state tuition to children of immigrants (many of whom have gone to school in Arizona their entire lives) and bans illegal aliens from state-sponsored English language classes. But voters overwhelmingly approved that notion, as well as others, some of which Governor Napolitano had previously vetoed. The message is very clear here, too: Arizonans want the immigration mess cleaned up. But the polls show that they don’t want the deport-them-and-forget-about-it approach of Russell Pearce. Instead, every poll says voters want a comprehensive plan that includes a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship. It is important to note that that’s exactly what President George W. Bush wants, as well as the Democrats, who have taken over both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Voters do not want taxpayers paying for any services for those who are in the country illegally, so, if I were the Queen, I’d honor that loud demand and ask the state’s churches and community groups to step in and fill the void.

 

• Arizona is facing an explosion of growth, even more frantic than the growth we’ve seen over the past three decades. If I were Queen, Arizona would demand that any new housing project prove it has enough water to sustain the community for the next 100 years. That would help keep the growth where it makes the most sense. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Right now, mega housing projects are springing up in Mohave County without any proof there’s enough water to serve them. In the 1970s, Arizona passed the Groundwater Management Act, which requires proof that there’s enough water to sustain a new development for 100 years. The act was considered wise and innovative, but it deals primarily with urban areas. We need the same kind of requirements in rural Arizona. And we need it immediately. I hope everyone at the state Capitol understands this.

 

• My friends around the country had a good laugh at Arizona being named the “dumbest” state in the union, but it’s no laughing matter that we come out at the bottom, or next to it, in almost every measurement of our commitment to education. Too many kids aren’t learning all they should, and too many kids are dropping out. If I were Queen, we’d fix that. We also need better pay for our teachers and a Legislature that’s in step with the governor’s office and Arizona’s business community, both of which are committed to beefing up our public education system. We didn’t like the “dumbest” label, but we deserved it.

 

• If I were Queen, I’d make ASU’s Downtown campus a rousing success, including the creation of a fabulous building for the journalism school and KAET-TV. I’m pleased that ASU has partnered with the renovated Downtown YMCA for its physical fitness needs, and that so many ASU folks are already getting involved in community projects.

 

• Every Arizonan should visit the new Phoenix Art Museum, and as Queen, I’d make that happen. Its $41.2 million addition is imaginative, impressive and downright wonderful. It makes you feel like you are in a “big city museum.” This is truly another jewel in the Phoenix crown. Museum Director Jim Ballinger and his board of trustees deserve to prance around like proud peacocks. The trustees raised millions to make this happen. But they also got significant help from Phoenix taxpayers, who, in 2001, approved $18.2 million in bonds for the expansion.

 

• As Queen, I’d totally redo the Fiesta Bowl Parade. I’m sorry, but this yearly event is a sorry excuse for a “parade.” Where are the floats? Last year, there was only a handful. It was pitiful. And why are the giant balloons so lame? And where was the governor last year? In 2006, the highest-ranking official present was Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who rode by in his tank. (Yes, he has a tank.) There wasn’t even a float for the city of Phoenix. Instead, Mayor Phil Gordon and his family rode by in an open convertible. The one thing I wouldn’t change is the lineup of high school and college bands. They’re great. But there were only a few from Arizona last year I’d like to see more from the host state. Mainly, we need a gimmick. The Rose Bowl Parade has floats covered with roses. That’s their gimmick. We can’t copy that, obviously, but how about floats decorated with desert plants? It could be amazing. I hope the Fiesta Bowl Committee will think about it.

 

• If I were Queen, thousands and thousands of Phoenicians would be at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market on Saturday mornings it’s located on Central Avenue, across the street from the Westward Ho. You can get fresh-from-the-field greens and vegetables, flowers from a garden, homemade jams and jellies, pottery, jewelry, herbs for your garden, homemade pasta, great pastries… just about anything you need. There’s also music and places to sit with a cup of good, strong coffee. Folks are now under tents, but organizers are hoping for a permanent building and a market like Pike Street Market in Seattle. (OK, that might be more ambitious than we’ll ever get, but why not shoot for the best?) This market is fun, it showcases Arizona farms and small businesses, and it will help keep you healthy.

 

• As Queen, I’d require The Arizona Republic to be more generous in listing community events. Sometimes, it seems the state’s largest paper forgets that part of its job is to keep Arizonans informed about what people are doing. I’ve heard so many complaints from groups that say they can’t get their events listed, and therefore, suffer from a lack of participation. I don’t know why this is so hard for them, but I’d make them fix it if I were in charge.

 

• If I were Queen, I’d never give away our name. Remember the Phoenix Open? It started out at the Phoenix Country Club, but kept the name even when it moved to Scottsdale. Well, the name is long gone. Now it’s called the FBR Open, after a company that paid the Thunderbirds a chunk of money to buy the name. It was a sad day when they chose the loot rather than the pride of our name.
  As Queen, I’d take everyone to see Ballet Arizona, the dance company that performs all year and also brings us The Nutcracker every holiday season. The group just celebrated its 20th year, and along the way has stayed true to its original intent: “Teach, create and perform outstanding classical and contemporary ballet and serve the community through meaningful educational and community programs.”

 

• I’d give a special Queen’s award to Karen Williams, who has led the restoration of the Rio Salado Project for more than a decade. She’s helped Phoenix jump through many hoops to turn the dry bed of the Salt River into a nature park, a park that stretches from 19th Avenue to 28th Street. That’s 595 acres, including a nature center that’s operated by the National Audubon Society. She is the kind of tireless, creative leader who turns dreams into reality, and we all benefit from her dedication.

 

• If I were Queen, I’d save Arizona’s farms. We’ve already lost more than a third of the farmland that once grew cotton, citrus and greens. That land now grows houses, shopping centers and parking lots. Many farms in the Valley find it impossible to hold out against the encroachment. Some creative farmers, however, have turned to agritourism, combining agriculture and tourism in order to survive. Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek is one of them. The farm offers tours and special festivals throughout the year. At nearby Queen Creek Olive Mill, you can see how olive oil is made, while Tolmachoff Farms in Glendale is best known for its October corn maze and pumpkin patch. I’m glad these folks are keeping their lifestyle and sharing it with us.

 

• Finally, as Queen, I’d clean up our air so that people could breathe. How many times have children and elderly people been told to “stay indoors” because the air’s too dirty? Too many times, that’s how many. And it’s only going to get worse as we grow. Someday, none of us will be able to go outside. Queen Jana, however, would never let it get that bad.