Brewer in SF seeks headlines, not security for AZ

Goddard works for Arizona

PHOENIX -- Attorney General Terry Goddard today pointed out the Governor's trip to San Francisco is a headline grab, a waste of time and a disservice to Arizonans. The Governor is already in California, waiting to sit in the audience for a hearing before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"The court will make its decision based on the law, not on who is in the courtroom," said Goddard during a news conference today at the Arizona State Capitol. "The governor has no role whatsoever in this hearing. She is trying to convince people that she is protecting the border; but SB 1070 has no impact on border crime. I will put my record of fighting border crime up against anyone's, especially Jan Brewer's."

"She clearly has learned to love the attention she gets from the national media whenever she mentions 1070, and it is equally clear that she intends to milk this hearing for all she can get from it."

"The most important point is this: tomorrow is the day before a critical election. She will be in California. I will be here, talking to the people of Arizona about the damage that has been done to this state during her watch - lost jobs, lost business, the massively unbalanced budget - and how, under my leadership, we will repair that damage." said Goddard.

The Court will not delve into whether SB 1070, the immigration bill passed by the state legislature this year, is right or wrong. It will only decide whether federal District Court Judge Susan Bolton abused her judicial discretion when she issued an injunction stopping parts of the law from taking effect.

Legal observers say it is highly unlikely the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will make any decision tomorrow. They will accept briefs, hear arguments from attorneys, and most likely will confer again before any decision is issued.

Goddard, meantime, spent the day on the road today, with visits to Window Rock and Kingman. In Kingman, he heard first-hand from Arizonans who live in the area near the prison from which three inmates escaped this summer. After their escape, two were allegedly involved in the murder of a couple in New Mexico. Residents talked about their continuing concerns about lack of security measures at the privately-run prison.

"We have learned even more, in the last few days, about how closely tied the Governor is to the private prison lobby - her closest advisor, who instructs her on her every move, is a contract lobbyist for private prisons. It's no wonder that, since Brewer has been in charge, private prisons have gotten just about everything they asked for, but have done little to make the prisons they run any safer," said Goddard.

The Goddard campaign will continue on the road on Monday, with stops in Flagstaff, Yuma and Tucson.

- from TG campaign