Lawmaker plans to resubmit same bill Napolitano vetoed

PHOENIX – During the last legislative session, Rep. Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, sponsored a bill that among other things would have increased penalties for those who perform a type of late-term abortion sometimes characterized as “partial birth.”

HB 2769 passed both houses of the Legislature, drawing opposition from most Democrats. Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, vetoed it, as she has other legislation that would impose abortion restrictions.

Tobin said he’s planning to introduce the same bill during the upcoming session. And he expects sponsors of some other abortion-related legislation vetoed by Napolitano to do the same.

“I believe the people of Arizona were for some of the bills she vetoed,” Tobin said. “And I do not see a problem in resubmitting the same bill without any change if it is something I think the people want.”

A reason for Tobin’s persistence: Napolitano’s appointment to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for incoming President Barack Obama. Napolitano’s confirmation, which can’t happen before late January, would pass the governorship to Secretary of State Jan Brewer, a Republican.

A Cronkite News Service review of Napolitano’s vetoes found eight for legislation involving abortion. The bills included one to require written parental consent for a minor seeking an abortion, another to prohibit public funding of insurance coverage for abortions and another to require doctors to tell women more than 20 weeks pregnant that a fetus experiences pain during an abortion.

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, said laws restricting abortion could cause women to not get proper medical attention.

“I think it will decrease the ability of women to decide what they feel is best for their bodies,” Sinema said. “It could have a chilling effect on rural women and younger women who may have no other place to go and who need this medical care.”

Sinema said she also worries about legislation that could restrict organizations that promote sex education.

“Their job is to educate women on various methods and the passage of some of these bills could hinder that,” Sinema said.

Brewer served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1983 to 1986 and in the State Senate from 1987 to 1996. She is planning for the transition but has yet to outline an agenda should she become governor.

J. Charles “Chuck” Coughlin, a political consultant who ran legislative campaigns for Brewer and was named to her transition team, told The Arizona Republic that Brewer believes that government should protect those who can’t protect themselves, including the unborn. Coughlin didn’t return a telephone message left by Cronkite News Service.

Michelle Steinberg, director of public policy for Planned Parenthood of Arizona, said members of her organization are sad about Napolitano’s expected departure..

“Governor Napolitano was a tremendous supporter, and it is hard to say what will happen when she leaves,” Steinberg said. “We hope Brewer comes in with an open mind and we can find common ground.”

With Arizona having one of the nation’s highest rates of teen pregnancy, Steinberg said the new administration should work with groups such as Planned Parenthood because of their common goals.

“We all want the same by seeing the number of abortions and unplanned pregnancies to go down,” Steinberg said. “And the way we think to do that is to provide information so people are armed to make the decision that best fits them.”

Tobin said he’s optimistic that Brewer would sign his bill and listen more than Napolitano when it comes to issues important to conservatives.

“I think Brewer will be a positive change for Arizona,” Tobin said. “She is very responsive to the state’s needs, and I believe the public will respond well.”

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VETOED BILLS

Here are abortion-related bills vetoed by Gov. Janet Napolitano:

2004

• SB 1077: Would have required a 24-hour waiting period prior to an abortion and required doctors, among other things, to inform women of alternatives to abortion, the risks of abortions and to tell women seeking abortions the age of the fetus.

2006

• HB 2254: Would have required physicians to tell women seeking to terminate pregnancies likely to have reached 20 weeks, among other things, that a fetus has the physical structures to experience pain.

• HB 2666: Would have required that parental consent for a minor to receive an abortion be notarized.

• HB 2776: Would have established a burden of proof for a minor seeking a judicial bypass order to receive an abortion rather than obtaining parental consent.

• SB 1325: Would have prohibited the use of public funds for costs associated with health insurance plans to cover abortion-related services.

2008

• HB 2263: Would have required a minor seeking an abortion without parental consent to provide clear and convincing evidence to a Superior Court judge that she is mature enough to give consent.

• HB 2769: Among other things, would have increased penalties for physicians who knowingly perform a type of late-term abortion sometimes characterized as “partial birth.”

• SB 1048: Similar to HB 2769, it would have allowed physicians accused of violating the statute a hearing before boards governing doctors and osteopaths to determine whether the patient was in physical danger and would have made that determination admissible at trial.

PHOENIX – Nearly 8 out of 10 registered voters in Arizona cast ballots in the general election, the second-highest turnout in the state’s history, Secretary of State Jan Brewer said Monday.

Gov. Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Terry Goddard and Ruth V. McGregor, chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, joined Brewer to approve the official canvass of results from the Nov. 4 election.

The state had an all-time high of nearly 3 million registered voters for the election. Of those registered voters, 77.7 percent – about 2.3 million – cast ballots.

Brewer called it the most successful election Arizona has seen in years, in part because the state added about 300,000 registered voters and because of a program by her office to attract volunteers to staff polling places.

Brewer’s office had predicted a turnout topping 80 percent, which would have challenged the record 80.1 percent in 1980, when Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter. The turnout was slightly higher than the 77.1 percent in the 2004 election.

This year’s canvass fell on the same day that Obama announced Napolitano, a Democrat, as his choice to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Napolitano gave a high five to Brewer, a Republican in line to become governor if Napolitano is confirmed, when the governor-to-be pledged to work with the Legislature to provide action on the state budget.

Yavapai County had the state’s highest turnout percentage, at 84.9 percent. Apache County had the lowest, at 60.1 percent.

Maricopa County, which is home to about 1.7 million of the state’s registered voters, had a turnout of 79.8 percent. Pima County, which has the state’s second-highest number of registered voters at nearly 500,000, had a turnout of 80 percent.

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ON THE WEB

Secretary of State’s Office:

www.azsos.gov

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TURNOUT

Here are official voter-turnout figures for each Arizona county during the Nov. 4 general election, according to the official canvass released Monday by the Secretary of State’s Office:

• Statewide: 77.69 percent

• Apache: 60.13 percent

• Cochise: 69.84 percent

• Coconino: 78.54 percent

• Gila: 72.97 percent

• Graham: 70.42 percent

• Greenlee: 68.43 percent

• La Paz: 69.2 percent

• Maricopa: 79.76 percent

• Mohave: 65.52 percent

• Navajo: 62.13 percent

• Pima: 80.03 percent

• Pinal: 72.82 percent

• Santa Cruz: 63.62 percent

• Yavapai: 84.85 percent

• Yuma: 65.74 percent

ELOY – Leonor Burruel enrolled two of her three sons elsewhere when the Toltec Elementary School District shifted to a four-day school week.

It was three years ago, and Burruel worried the boys would be stressed out from more homework over the weekends. Even more worrying was what Burruel and her husband, who both work, would do with their children on Fridays.

“I was concerned with the added expense of having someone be able to watch them, but I couldn’t leave them alone either,” she said in a telephone interview.

A year later, however, all of Burruel’s sons were back at Toltec Elementary School. It turned out that the youngest, a kindergartner who stayed, got better grades and was more engaged in his work than his brothers. And he enjoyed Friday programs offered at the school by the Boys & Girls Club of Casa Grande.

“All the things we were concerned about did the opposite of what we originally thought,” Burruel said.

Facing the tough economy, some Arizona school districts are looking into the possibility of switching to a four-day week to save on transportation, food and utilities. More than 100 schools already use the schedule.

That’s drawn concerns from Tom Horne, Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction, who worries that the schedule makes it more difficult for students.

“I think that students learn more when they are in school five days a week as opposed to four because they are able to better retain the information instead of having to review and relearn it on Monday,” Horne said.

Marc Egan, director of federal affairs for the National School Boards Association, said a shorter week is becoming more attractive as districts face tight budgets. He said the potential savings are in the range of 2 percent to 3 percent, though he added that there needs to be more research on the subject.

“There are pros and cons to cutting out that extra day for many schools, whether it be to save on transportation, utilities or other costs,” said Egan, whose organization has no official stand on the issue. “However, there are many questions left to be answered to see if cutting a day off works for that particular district.”

Sylvia Mejia, who is in her first year as superintendent of the Toltec Elementary School District, said shortening the week saves the district about $600,000 a year, a little less than 10 percent of its budget.

But Mejia said the greatest benefits have nothing to do with saving money: The schedule has helped the district recruit highly qualified teachers even though it has difficulty competing on salaries. A four-day week makes it easier for teachers to commute from Phoenix and Tucson, she said.

“Our former superintendent felt if we couldn’t offer our teachers more money that perhaps we could offer them time off,” Mejia said.

The schedule also has reduced student absences, she said.

Mejia’s district made elementary school days 45 minutes longer and middle school days an hour longer. The Boys & Girls Club offers art, sports and tutoring programs at the elementary school all day Fridays, and those are open to students at the middle school.

The idea of a four-day week wasn’t as popular with the Casa Grande Union High School District, where many of Mejia’s students will go. A committee recently recommended against the change, saying it wouldn’t save enough money to be worthwhile.

Nicholas DePadre, principal of Sacaton Middle School and chair the committee, also pointed to significant community opposition.

“By changing, you’re asking a lot of the community to adjust to something they are not fans of,” he said.

Jessica Vasquez, who has a daughter attending Casa Grande High School and another starting at the high school next year, said her biggest worry was what to do with her kids when they aren’t in school.

“At the high school level, kids are not going to want to go to day cares or after-school programs,” Vasquez said. “My only option is to leave them home alone, and you never know what could happen to them if I am not home.”

At the Toltec Elementary School District, Mejia said the schedule is in the best interests of students.

“Students here are No. 1, so whatever we can do to best prepare our students for the next step is what the goal is,” she said.

Taylor Prock, a fifth-grader at Toltec Middle School, said the schedule offers more than just educational benefits.

“I like the four-day-a-week because on Friday you can have fun and you can plan sleepovers and stuff,” she said.

Natalie McGee, owner of the Arizona Cactus Ranch near Green Valley, talks about making products from prickly pear cactuses. Prickly pear is used to make candy and food products, and researchers are discovering more health benefits from the cactus.

GREEN VALLEY – The acres of prickly pear at the Arizona Cactus Ranch produce nectar and fruit spreads that owner Natalie McGee sells over the Internet and through markets around Arizona.

Those products offer only a narrow look at the prickly pear’s potential, she said.

Consumers are drawn increasingly to the promise of the prickly pear’s health and medicinal benefits, and McGee said more Arizonans will discover that prickly pears gracing countless landscapes around Arizona are more than just pretty.

“We often take for granted that we have this plant in our own yard that is not only decorative but could improve the quality of life in medicine and even food,” McGee said.

The deep red, pear-shaped fruit, which usually is harvested in August and September, also lends its sweetness to candy, syrup, health drinks and even exotic margaritas.

Its pads, removed of their spines, provide meat that goes in burritos, soups and other recipes.

McGee, a former social worker, started harvesting prickly pear on her ranch in 1991.

She said that she has learned over the years that the prickly pear is more than just a dramatic plant.

“It is not an accident that it is growing everywhere from someone’s front yard to the middle of nowhere desert,” she said. “It’s unique and a part of Arizona. It belongs here.”

The prickly pear can reach 6 to 8 feet tall and thrives in warm, dry climates.

Its many varieties are found predominantly in the Southwest, but it also grows in Mexico, parts of South America and even in southern Europe.

Scott McMahon, curator of cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, said the prickly pear could have greater potential as a niche crop for Arizona.

The idea, he said hasn’t received much consideration.

“There haven’t been a lot of studies done because research tends to only be done on plants that have some economic value,” McMahon said. “Although the prickly pear might to some degree, it has not been investigated enough; not enough is known.”

Prickly pear have traditionally been harvested as part of Hispanic and American Indian diets.

The plant is promoted in those cultures as offering health benefits, including helping those with diabetes and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

A University of Arizona study suggested that prickly pear pectin could help with one type of cholesterol.

Fred Wolf, a UA professor emeritus of nutritional science, said there hasn’t been enough research to prove such health benefits.

“There have been many testimonials that have said it has helped them or someone they know, and I do not want to take away from that,” Wolf said. “But without some more research, the claims may be premature and could be a disservice to the public.”

Jesus Garcia, an educational specialist in evolutionary biology at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson, said that research could follow as consumers become more aware of the stated health benefits of the prickly pear.

“Little by little, the movement of people wanting to change their health is becoming louder,” Garcia said.

“When they hear maybe a plant they have in their backyard could help them, the demand for the product and more research will go up.”

Meanwhile, companies such as Amelio Casciado’s Phoenix-based Cactus Candy Co., which also makes cactus jelly, are capitalizing on the prickly pear’s niche appeal.

“It is a specialty of the Southwest for tourists, even residents, who buy the candy, jelly and leaves to use,” Casciado said. “It helps not only our company but companies in Arizona to have a novelty item you can only get here.”

McGee said Arizona Cactus Ranch’s experience shows that the prickly pear has even more potential. The plant “doesn’t ask for much, but what it can give in return, the nectar and pads, could be the savior for us in either health or with the production of products,” she said.

Juice from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus is stored at the Arizona Cactus Ranch.

Arizona Cactus Ranch near Green Valley makes a variety of products from the prickly pear cactus, including these spreads and sauces from its fruit.

Prickly pear in bloom

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On the Web

Arizona Cactus Ranch:

www.arizonacactusranch.com

Cactus Candy Co.:

www.cactuscandy.com

PHOENIX — The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office predicted a turnout topping 80 percent for the general election. The actual figure wasn’t certain Wednesday afternoon, but it appeared that it could be lower.

Based on the ballots counted so far, at least 63 percent of the state’s 3 million registered voters participated. However, many counties were still counting early and provisional ballots.

Maricopa County alone had about 230,000 ballots yet to count, according to a news release. Arizona’s largest county by far, Maricopa has traditionally needed days to count the thousands upon thousands of votes left over from election night.

Based on checks with other counties, there were approximately 260,000 to 270,000 total ballots outstanding around the state.

Those ballots would push Arizona’s turnout beyond 70 percent. The 2004 presidential election had 77.1 percent, and the state’s highest turnout in recent memory was 80.1 percent in 1980, when Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter.

Deputy Secretary of State Kevin Tyne, who fields media inquiries for the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, didn’t return three phone messages Wednesday.

Bruce Merrill, a retired Arizona State University professor who directs the Cronkite/Eight Poll, said efforts to get the vote out, especially among younger voters, would be responsible for any gains in Arizona’s turnout.

“If what they are saying does happen, it would be because of a combination of both parties heavily going out to support their candidates and the enthusiasm of Obama that boosted voter turnout,” Merrill said.

Barbara Norrander, a political science professor at the University of Arizona, said voters had more personal investment in this election because of the economy, among other factors.

“I think with this election people had stronger emotion, but we also saw a rise in voter turnout in the 2004 election,” Norrander said. “People were becoming more interested in politics because many did not like the direction their country was going.”

Besides going to polling places, voters were allowed to drop off early ballots on election day if they hadn’t mailed them. Those ballots must be verified before they are counted.

Counties also must deal with provisional ballots, which have addresses or other information needing verification.

Brad Busse, student body president at Northern Arizona University, urges young people to vote during a news conference Monday at the state Capitol. Behind him are Elma Delic, a University of Arizona student who serves as co-chair of the Arizona Student Vote Coalition, and Andrew Rigazio, a board member of the Arizona Student Association at Arizona State University.

PHOENIX — Young people represent a quarter of Arizona’s voting-age population, but their voices won’t be heard Nov. 4 unless they cast ballots, student leaders and a bipartisan group of lawmakers warned Monday.

“Over the years, we’ve shown our age range hasn’t been voting,” said Brad Busse, student body president at Northern Arizona University. “We have a responsibility to be educated and vote for the candidate we best believe fits for ourselves.”

Busse and other representatives of the Arizona Student Vote Coalition and the Student Public Interest Research Group’s New Voter Project joined lawmakers at a news conference on the Arizona State Capitol lawn.

National turnout among voters ages 18 to 29 has consistently lagged behind voters ages 30 and older, with 49 percent of the younger group voting in 2004 against 68 percent in the older group, according to the Pew Research Center.

“Sacrifices have been made through the years for us to be able to have that right, and to ignore that is, I think, very shameful,” said House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix.

However, young-voter turnout in 2004 increased 9 percentage points from 2000. And Busse said turnout will continue rising this year because the presidential candidates and state-level candidates are reaching out in ways that young people use to communicate, such as social networking sites, e-mail and text-messaging.

“I think back to 2004, when I was voting for the first time, there wasn’t anything on my level really that helped me to educate myself,” Busse said.

The Arizona Student Vote Coalition is a collaboration of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG), public university student governments and the Arizona Students’ Association (ASA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that advocates for public university students.

“There is strength in speaking with one voice in order to make a difference on the issues students care about,” said Arizona State University student Andrew Rigazio, an ASA board member.

Rep. Lucy Mason, R-Prescott, said young voters are educated and care about their communities but often mistakenly assume that their votes don’t matter. Mason noted that she lost her first run at elected office by just six votes.

“We just need to spread the word and get more of you and more of our young people, our young citizens, engaged in the system,” Mason said.

Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, said better communication from candidates and more attention to issues affecting young people help, but he said more needs to be done to increase turnout.

“I think it is very important for us to start focusing on these young folks,” Gallardo said. “These are the next generation of not only leaders but our taxpayers, and what we do not only nationally but here at the State Capitol affects them every day.”

Bisbee resident also on Cochise County Board of Supervisors

PHOENIX – Paul Newman says the lessons of growing up on a dairy farm have come in handy during 30 years of service as a lawyer and public servant.

“We knew the value of hard work and needing to get a job done,” said Newman, a Democrat seeking one of the three open seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission. “Being a child of the ’60s, we also had the influence of Kennedy’s call that we have a duty to work for our country, which inspired me.”

In addition to working as a lawyer and management consultant, Newman served for six years in the Arizona State House of Representatives. A Bisbee resident, he has served on the Cochise County Board of Supervisors since 2000.

Newman said having someone from outside of Maricopa County would help the Corporation Commission better reflect the state.

“For the last almost 30 years, there has not been someone on the board who has represented the people of southern Arizona,” Newman said. “As a result, their voices have not been heard or addressed as much as Maricopa’s.”

Newman grew up on the East Coast and attended college at the University of Maryland. He then earned master’s and law degrees in California before moving to Arizona in 1987.

Newman is running with Democrats Sandra Kennedy and Sam George, forming what they call the “solar team.” The candidates say Arizona is too reliant on coal-fired power plants and should do more to harness its abundant sunshine.

Newman said utilities haven’t done enough to harness solar, thinking it too expensive. He said solar will become more and more affordable in the coming years.

“Arizona right now is performing at a moderate standard when it comes with producing new energy sources, but in a state where it is sunny almost 300 days out of the year, we should be able to explore more alternatives like solar,” Newman said.

Another key issue for Newman is one that is becoming increasingly important outside of metropolitan areas: ensuring an adequate supply of clean water.

Newman said that oftentimes water suppliers in rural areas can’t afford to keep up with new technologies and equipment for purification and supply.

“Arizona’s growth has not kept up with creating a better water supply,” Newman said. “We need to take the lead in fixing the problem now because it is only going to get worse.”

Newman said he understands that he and fellow Democratic candidates wouldn’t be able to achieve all of their goals right away, but he said he’s willing to put in the work necessary.

“I know this is considered an unglamorous job, but here I am wanting to do the work, get my hands dirty,” Newman said. “I am just wanting to be heard.”

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PAUL NEWMAN

Party: Democrat

Residence: Bisbee

Professional Experience: Lawyer, management consultant

Public Service: Cochise County Board of Supervisors, 2001 to present; Arizona House of Representatives, 1993-99

Education: B.A. in Behavioral and Social Science, University of Maryland; MPA and Master in Judicial Administration, University of Southern California; J.D., Case Western School of Law

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On the Web

Campaign Web site:

www.paulnewmanaz.com

GOODYEAR – Mary and Terry Landa said they have spent about $20,000 fixing a leaky roof, covering live wiring and sealing vents to keep bugs out of the home they bought 2 1/2 years ago in this fast-growing Phoenix suburb.

They say that’s because their builder didn’t follow through with the repairs. The Landas want their money back, but they aren’t optimistic.

“We want what we paid for,” Mary Landa said. “We want to be safer. We just want to live peacefully in our home.”

Arizona voters will decide this November whether to require builders to provide a 10-year warranty on each new home. Proposition 201, dubbed the Homeowners’ Bill of Rights by proponents, would allow homeowners to choose who repairs defects on their homes and guarantee fair compensation for repairs not completed.

The proposition also would prohibit sales contracts from requiring alternate means of resolving disputes, such as mediation and arbitration. Prospective homebuyers would be also allowed to sue over repairs. The measure would reduce the notice period for buyers to request repairs from 90 days to 60 days.

The measure has pitted labor unions, which are pushing for the proposition, against homebuilders, which contend there are already adequate laws in place. According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, much of the money for and against Proposition 201 has come from those groups.

The measure was put forward by the Homeowners’ Bill of Rights Committee, consisting primarily of members of Sheet Metal Workers Local 359. A call to the local was returned by Rebekah Friend, executive director of the Arizona AFL-CIO, who said the proposition’s provisions should already be standard practice in the industry.

Friend said union and non-union workers have complained about being pressured to build homes quickly rather than focus on quality.

The opposition campaign is led by a group calling itself Arizonans Against Lawsuit Abuse. Its chairman, Spencer Kamps, is the vice president for legislative affairs for the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona.

Kamps said claims of rushed work and a lack of focus on quality are untrue because builders who did that wouldn’t stay in business. He said the proposition is being pushed by union interests and trial lawyers and would drive up home prices and would unnecessarily prohibit mediation and arbitration to resolve disputes.

“Instead, it will only encourage and promote frivolous lawsuits by lawyers trying to make a buck when homeowners just want to fix a problem,” Kamps said.

Ann Seiden, vice president of Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the proposition wouldn’t help homeowners.

“Instead it is going to harm them in a way that they are not going to have the choices like arbitration and trying to solve the problem without having to go to court to find a solution,” Seiden said.

The proposition wouldn’t help the Landas, the Goodyear homeowners, because it would apply to homes purchased after the change takes effect.

5 states had higher overall rates in ’05

PHOENIX – About 1 in 5 Arizonans overall and 1 in 3 Hispanic residents lacked health insurance in 2005, according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Only five states had higher overall rates for uninsured residents.

The report, which categorized data by age, race, income and gender, determined that 12.7 percent of white residents of Arizona were uninsured, while 34.6 percent of Hispanics lacked insurance. Overall, 20.7 percent of Arizonans didn’t have health insurance, according to the estimates.

Jill Rissi, associate director for research and policy at St. Luke’s Health Initiatives, said circumstances have more to do with health insurance coverage than ethnicity.

“The rates of the Hispanic population that are not insured parallel with things like their education, income and culture,” Rissi said.

Residents of Hispanic origin made up 28.6 percent of Arizona’s population in 2005, according to Census Bureau figures.

Alberto Esparza, president and CEO of the Si Se Puede Foundation, a group that advocates for youth in Arizona, said a lack of health insurance isn’t just a Hispanic issue.

“What the study is showing is not a true picture of what is going on,” Esparza said. “Our economy is suffering, and everyone seems to be looking for a reason of why it is that way. Both Hispanics and non-Hispanics are feeling its effects.”

Esparza said many Hispanics simply can’t afford coverage.

“They want the health insurance, but they are in survival mode,” Esparza said. “People are having to choose between putting food on the table and health insurance.”

Rissi said Arizona’s ranking also has to do with its proportionately larger share of small businesses, which often can’t afford to provide health coverage for employees. And some businesses are cutting employees’ hours to the point that they don’t qualify for health insurance, she said.

“Now they are working five hours a day trying to make a living, and sometimes health insurance is no longer a priority for them,” Rissi said. Rissi said she isn’t optimistic about things improving without changes in the way Americans are insured.

“You could blame it on the economy, high cost or any other factor, but if nothing is done, the numbers and percentage will only get worse,” Rissi said.

States with higher overall percentages of uninsured than Arizona were: Texas, 26.3 percent; New Mexico, 24.2 percent; Florida, 24 percent; Oklahoma, 21.4 percent and Nevada, 20.8 percent.

Minnesota had the lowest rate, at 9.5 percent, followed by Hawaii at 9.7 percent, Wisconsin at 10.3 percent, Iowa at 10.4 percent and Maine at 11.1 percent.

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On the Web

U.S. Census Bureau:

www.census.gov

St. Luke’s Health Initiatives:

www.slhi.org

Si Se Puede Foundation:

www.sisepuede.cc

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UNINSURED RESIDENTS FOR 2005

The U.S. Census Bureau’s county-by-county estimates of uninsured residents in Arizona for 2005. County-level data weren’t categorized by ethnicity:

• Apache County: 9.1 percent.

• Cochise County: 17.9 percent.

• Coconino County: 18.3 percent.

• Gila County: 15.9 percent.

• Graham County: 15.8 percent.

• Greenlee County: 14.1 percent.

• La Paz County: 21.8 percent.

• Maricopa County: 21.3 percent.

• Mohave County: 21.8 percent.

• Navajo County: 13.8 percent.

• Pima County: 19.4 percent.

• Pinal County: 21.5 percent.

• Santa Cruz County: 24 percent.

• Yavapai County: 26.4 percent.

• Yuma County: 19.7 percent.

Icon now home to about 300 low-income residents

The Westward Ho in downtown Phoenix once was among the most elegant hotels in the West, drawing movie stars and national politicians. Closed in 1979, it now serves as low-income housing.

PHOENIX – The Westward Ho’s pool, shimmering outside Reynaldo Torres’ door, once was a place where Marilyn Monroe swam, Elizabeth Taylor sunbathed and Paul Newman filmed a scene heaving a television from a balcony.

The lobby of the former hotel still has grand touches, including tiled pillars supporting a soaring ceiling, from the days when Torres would see then-U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater and area socialites heading to events, dinners or drinks.

“The hotel was always really busy with people coming in and out,” Torres said. “You never knew who was staying here; that was the exciting part.”

Torres saw the Westward Ho’s former glory from his position as a janitor here during the 1960s.

The rich and famous have long since left, and now Torres is one of about 300 low-income older people who call the building home.

The Westward Ho, with its 268-foot television tower, which no longer is used, is an iconic part of the downtown skyline.

It remains a place of memories for many Arizonans who came here for wedding receptions, fine meals and entertainment before the hotel closed in 1979.

“It was full of character, rich in history and rife with personality,” said Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s state historian. “It is where the rich and the famous came to play.”

At 16 stories, the Westward Ho was the tallest hotel in Phoenix when it opened in 1928. At the time, it boasted a room rate of $2; most of its competitors charged 25 cents a night.

The hotel’s stature and star-studded clientele have led to legends and ghost stories. Trimble said he doubts a claim made by some that Al Capone’s car was buried by a cave-in in the Westward Ho’s now-closed underground parking garage and is still down there. Another legend, Trimble said, has Monroe taking late-night swims without a bathing suit.

Like other establishments downtown, the Westward Ho suffered as residents and visitors were attracted to other places in the area.

“People didn’t want to be downtown so much anymore; the action wasn’t downtown,” Trimble said. “You had golf courses and all of these things on these resorts. There was just more to do.”

In 1981, the Westward Ho reopened as federal government housing.

Gone are the gold lining to the pillars and ceiling in the lobby and the imported tile in the common areas. The Normandy Room, a meeting space once graced with shields bearing inlaid designs, is now a computer room. The Turquoise Room, a popular location for wedding receptions, is now a recreation room with a ping-pong table.

But the building retains many of its finer touches, including a lobby drinking fountain covered with multi-colored tile and stained glass in the lobby depicting the legend of the Lost Dutchman and other Old West scenes.

Other reminders of the hotel’s heyday are found in an office operated by Erling Eaton, a resident who serves as the Westward Ho’s historian. He said he started collecting artifacts due to his curiosity about whether Monroe had once stayed in his room.

Some of the memories include photographs of John F. Kennedy giving a speech outside the hotel and Margaret Truman, the president’s daughter, sitting in the Kida Club. Among many other items, Eaton has preserved an embroidered bedspread, an original wood-frame bedroom mirror, schedules of events, an elevator control board and a dress worn by an employee who worked in the Concho Room.

“It started as just a hobby, but now I want to share it and make it known to people,” Eaton said.

Today, the halls still echo with the Westward Ho’s history, of a guest register that once included Clark Gable and Lady Bird Johnson and that now includes Torres, the former janitor. “I couldn’t have imagined one day living at this place,” he said.

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HOTEL FACTS

Here are quick facts about the Westward Ho, an iconic part of the downtown Phoenix skyline.

• Opened in 1928; closed in 1979.

• Now used by the government for low-income housing.

• At 16 stories, it was the tallest hotel in Phoenix until 1960.

• Approximate nightly rate for a room in the hotel’s early years: $2.

• Amenities included convention halls, swimming pool and penthouse suites.

• Notable guests included Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy.

• The 268-foot television tower, which is no longer used, brings the total height to nearly 500 feet.

• Many people mistakenly assume the Westward Ho is shown at the beginning of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” because a shot shows a broadcast antenna. A remake of “Psycho” made in 1998 does show it.

• A remodeling project in 2004 cost $8 million.

PHOENIX – A 62 percent failure rate among high school students on the science portion of the AIMS test shows the need for Arizona schools to improve their teaching of the subject, Gov. Janet Napolitano said Wednesday.

“I think the scores validate what we’ve been saying, which is our kids need more science. And now it’s our responsibility to help them get it,” Napolitano said during her weekly media availability.

Last spring was the first time that science was a part of Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards. High school students must pass the reading, writing and math portions of AIMS to graduate, but the science portion isn’t required for graduation.

Napolitano said Arizona students must have a strong understanding of science to succeed.

“That is what they are going to need; that’s why we need more science teachers,” Napolitano said.

The governor pointed to a new state-level education center that focuses on helping students get the science, technology, engineering and math skills they need to compete in the global economy.

The science portion of AIMS includes questions on life sciences and the nature of science. The results from all sections of the test are used by the federal government to measure if schools are meeting the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Tom Horne, Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction, said he agrees with the governor that there needs to be more focus on science education and on attracting science teachers.

Horne said he expects scores to improve as younger students are taught the standards of the science portion of AIMS, which is administered in grades four, eight and 10.

“You can’t have instant results,” he said.

“The teachers know they are supposed to teach the standards and what students are supposed to rise up to,” Horne said.

On another matter, Napolitano said a study earlier this year that ranked Arizona last in per-person federal earmarks illustrates that the state doesn’t get a fair share back for the tax dollars it sends to Washington. She said not everything commonly referred to as an earmark represents pork-barrel spending.

“We have not gotten out of Washington what a young, growing state needs,” Napolitano said.

“There is a real difference between a bridge to nowhere and a bridge over the highway for kids so they can get to a school,” Napolitano said. “There is a real difference between a bridge to nowhere and more roads in Maricopa County. There is a real difference between a bridge to nowhere and funding health services for children in Arizona.”