4/17/2009 10:11:00 PM Kirkpatrick visits Prescott to tout new legislation
Matt Hinshaw/The Daily Courier
Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick meets with members of the media in front of the City of Prescott�s Police Department Friday morning during her �Get Arizona Back on Track� tour.
PRESCOTT - U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick visited with police and business leaders Friday in Prescott to talk about her law enforcement legislation and federal government efforts to help stimulate the economy.
She's on a district-wide nine-day tour during a two-week break in Congressional action in D.C. Her 1st Congressional District includes most of rural Arizona.
The freshman congresswoman recently introduced her first two major pieces of legislation.
Kirkpatrick's Southwest Border Narcotics Reduction Act would expand the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program to all of Arizona, including Yavapai County. Right now, the Southwest Border HIDTA includes only eight of the state's 15 counties.
Yavapai and the other six new counties would gain a voice on the HIDTA regional councils, more federal money, and the chance to share data.
Two major drug trafficking routes, interstates 17 and 40, run through Yavapai County, Kirkpatrick and Yavapai County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn agreed.
"Yavapai County is in the heart of trafficking, so it's critical to be part of this (HIDTA) program," D'Evelyn said. "To be able to network with other agencies is critical."
Yavapai County officers could share information with other regional agencies that they gather from people they catch on these drug trafficking routes, and vice versa, D'Evelyn said.
The county is seeing an increase in marijuana trafficking along I-40 eastbound lanes emanating from California pot farms, D'Evelyn said, especially since California somewhat legalized these farms for medical marijuana users. In other words, the farms are selling illegally on the side.
Deputies are finding the methamphetamine and heroine traffic mostly on the I-17 northbound routes out of Mexico and Phoenix, D'Evelyn said.
He agreed with Kirkpatrick's statement that efforts to stop meth production in Arizona have been successful, so more is coming out of Mexico now.
Meth use in this county has driven increases in property crimes, he added.
Kirkpatrick's other bill, the Border Violence Protection Act, seeks to enact most of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's plan to add new resources to border security efforts.
Kirkpatrick is Arizona's only U.S. House member on the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security.
Under the act, the Border Patrol would be able to use special mobile x-ray units and high-tech screening devices to reinforce their capability to scan cross-border traffic, making it easier for them to detect hidden weapons and currency.
The plan also allows DHS to double the number of Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) teams, and mobilizes eight new Law Enforcement Tactical Centers to help various agencies work together on the border. Also, it would bring three new mobile response teams to the Southwest.
Reader Comments
Posted: Thursday, May 27, 2010
Article comment by:
Suzi Q
I agree with "Too Much For Me"! This state better wake up and put early education first. The young "gifted kids" are dying on the vine, while the Republicans are cutting back the funds drastically. I also wish our schools would have taught us Spanish in grade school. People always fear what they don't understand. Ann Kirpatrick- Please explain to me the validity of assault rifles in Az. ( Jan Brewer also approved hand guns in bars) Can we please have an educated Governor that has roots in Arizona ?
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Article comment by:
J. Adams
A significant part of the problem here is that many are assuming that Ms. K got into public service for altruistic reasons. The fact that she can return to Prescott and not even hold a townhall meeting with her constituents is very telling as to her real motivation for seeking public office. After a single term she will be financially set for life based on the benefits that insure to single term representatives and senators. There should be legislation passed requiring all in the federal government to enjoy/suffer the same "benefits" we citizens have. I'm thinking that would remove the attraction of public office for the egomaniacs in our midst. Term limits for all by way of the ballot box!
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Article comment by:
Too Much For You
Again you offer no detail as to the content of the report, i.e. Percent of taxes spent on education, Drop out rates, do they include illegals? The transient nature of the population, etc.. You would rather attack on a personal level. You obviously come from a far superior place, care to tell us where? I as one of the uneducated masses have been able to acquire two homes and some land upon which I pay plenty of property taxes that go to support education. Besides a Prius what do you own? Here is the really funny part. I voted for Kirkpatrick because I didn’t like what Sydney Hay stood for. Kirkpatrick is delusional if she thinks I would vote for her again as long as she continues to tow the party line. Apparently I’m the delusional one for expecting independent thinking and smaller gov’t. Per Jeanine Garafalaugh and Keith Obnoxious on MSNBC I’m a racist terrorist because I support tax cuts and own guns so why would I want to watch that channel? I too read The Wall Street on a regular basis. What do they think of the Stimulus Package? Is it being spent well? Tracked properly? Actually freeing up credit? The Feds main roles should be (In No Particular Order) National Defense, Infrastructure, and Yes Education. Can you believe that I do believe in education but before I can agree to spend more money on education I need to see a big reduction in spending in other areas. For your sake I would think you would be glad not to have more spending on education that way you can continue to bottom feed and play big fish in a small pond.
Posted: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Tax and Spend, William?
That's the label of the democrats. Funny thing is, not 1 house Republican and only 3 Senate Republicans voted for a tax cut. Years of Republicans saying lower taxes, and all we got was a loud NO. Why don't you find a candidate that will actually lower your taxes instead of spouting off about it. (Not that that was MY issue. I am a Patriot that is proud to pay taxes --nope never been on welfare either.) Don't even get me started on Palin, who was mouthing off this week about no taxes in Alaska. Yeah, that's socialism, Sarah --spreading the big oil wealth.
Posted: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Article comment by:
William Wallace
I did not vote for Ann Kirkpatrick. I have not voted for a democrat in 20 years. In my opinion she is a tax and spend liberal. The area that I have agreed with democrats on and disagreed with republicans on is to de-criminalize marijuana, and to see that the drug war is hopeless and destructive. From Ann Kirkpatrick we get tax and spend, along with law and order totalitarian. Gee thanks for nothing.
Posted: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Too Much For Me
Don't need your truck, sorry not going any place, Why should I leave, with an education I'm in the top 10% income level in AZ, The ones of us with an education excel, no competition from locals. And to answer your question to be Number One AZ just needs to increase it's knowledge Base by Forty Nine places. So Simple that is call Math.
I read, so I obtain my knowledge from Books and News Papers such as The Wall Street Journal. Try It. I bet you could do well to start watching MSNBC. The intellectually challenged are out in force, as usual, and are just too much for me.
Posted: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Where's McCain and Kyl in this mess?
Why are you blaming her? I don't see McCain or Kyl catching any flack for not caring about AZ! Heck they have been in office far longer than she. But what the hay it must be all her fault! I don't hear them commenting on any thing for AZ! Maybe they need to live here in the real world and not in office to care!
Posted: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Too Much For You.
So when are you leaving? I own a nice big truck and would gladly help you load your junk in it and drop you at the state line. Any time you have a ranking someone is going to be first and someone is going to be 50th. It is the gap between 1st and 50th that matters. Since you are sooo well educated please pontificate to us all what separates AZ from #1. What goes into the rankings please provide some detail other then the fact that you saw a report on MSNBC.
Posted: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Patrick
Hold her to the Constitution! Nothing should be passed that doesn't fall under the authority of the federal government as defined by the Constitution. We must demand that this standard be returned to or our republic is lost.
Posted: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Article comment by:
had it with business as usual
Just another party-line voting, self-interested politician representing every interest except those of her constituents. A pox on all their houses.
Posted: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Too Much For Me
I love the Loser Republicans bad mouthing a winner. You will not have to worry AZ is under the heel of the the Republicans for now. The Schools are being killed by the Legislators Drastic Budget Cuts. Why don't the Republicans just close all the schools in AZ. AZ is already rated the 50th dumbest State in the US. Why have an education, the Governor doesn't have a degree, maybe a high school diploma? The 21 to 34 age group is 47th in the US in having a high school diploma. You can't have much with the uneducated mass that are in AZ. This spells it out, Arizona, the Mississippi of the West, where mediocrity and dead-enders wind up to barley survive. As usual the intellectually challenged are too much for me.
Posted: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Article comment by:
Prescott voter
Her votes indicate that she represents Nancy Pelosi much more than the Arizona First District. So much for her "conservative rural values" that she campaigned on. I wouldn't sign any long term leases in DC if I were her.
That honor belongs to the bunch in Phoenix and the old guard in D.C. She, like President Obama inherited this mess. At least give them a chance before you revert back to the tried and failed policies of old.
Posted: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Article comment by:
Judy
Good people to represent us - oh please. I guess Rep. Kirkpatrick was too busy posing for pictures, getting her hair and makeup done etc. to find any time to host a Town Hall to see what issues her constituents are concerned with. Oh no - it's all about her and the proverbial "see what I'm doing for you". I'm not surprised at all. I wrote to her with some concerns 2 1/2 months ago and her staff has not even had to courtesy to respond. I know that my letter was received as I called and had an acknowledgement that they did have it. November 2010 is coming so I hope she doesn't unpack too much as she'll be relocating out of DC shortly after. You should have joined us on the 15th Ms. Kirkpatrick. You just might have learned what is really on our minds - that is if you even care. Your actions so far indicate that you don't.
Posted: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Article comment by:
What, no other problems in Arizona?
"At last we have somone that is trying to help all our people." You're joking, right? It's not that I dislike U.S. Rep. Kirkpatrick's stand on this topic (I agree with her), but with all the problems plaguing this state right now, I'm appalled only two appear to have been addressed. What, no unemployment? No foreclosures? No problems with education spending? If this is the best she can do since being elected, I'll be taking a very close look at the other candidates come election time.
Posted: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Article comment by:
Al Adab
Many thanks to Rep. Kirkpatrick for visiting the district. Of course it might have been appropriate to visit with some of the voters who elected her, but I suppose we shouldn't ask too much.
However, it might be nice to hear what she thinks of, 1: last weeks several Tea parties around the district she represents; 2:the latest homeland security report which indicates that many in this district i.e. gun owners, churchgoers, USO contributors and the like are suspected by their own government of being a terrorist danger. Does she think we are? She campaigned as "one of us".3: What does she see as justifying the, was it $46 million, in earmarks for the district? 4: Why it is that calls to her local office to get her voting record report are met with "we don't have that information here"?
In any event it is comforting to learn that we aren't completely forgotten in AZ, yet.
Posted: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Article comment by:
Think About It.
At last we have somone that is trying to help all our people. Not like Tricky Ricky, that only wanted to help himself. We made the correct choice and elected a real person, not a trickey Rickey clone from Scottsdale. Let's keep getting good people to take care of Dist 1, and AZ.
Let's all think about it.
