John Johnson Photo/Guila Gerardo: Rep. Juan Siskomani (R, LD-06) and Sen. Kirsten Cinema (me) held a roundtable discussion with local leaders at the EAC on Thursday.

by John Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

Thatcher – For the second year in a row, Senator Kristen Cinema (me) held a roundtable discussion with local leaders. This time, Senator Cinema was joined by freshman Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-LD-06), and the event was hosted by Eastern Arizona University and its president, Todd Haney.

The meeting was held in the EAC Boardroom and was attended by city, town and county government and community officials from both Graham and Greenlee counties. Arriving at Thursday’s event, one of Cinema’s longest hugs was to Richard Lunt, chairman of the Greenlee County Board of Supervisors, who has known her since her days as a state legislator.

One of the things that has changed for cinema since last year’s meeting is that the party affiliation has changed from the Democratic Party to an independent party. At first glance, it might seem a little daring and unusual to run as an independent, but that seems to be the case for Cinema and Arizona.

Cinema, like staunch Republican maverick John McCain before her, has shown an ability to stick to her convictions regardless of party pressure and to work with Republicans across the aisles. rice field. And she may not be in a bad position to be an independent when it comes to the three-way race for the coveted Arizona Senate seat.

According to the Arizona Secretary of State website, as of July 2023, Arizona will have the largest number of voters registered as “Other” at 1.45 million (34.55%), followed by Republicans at 1.44 million (34.42%). , with 1.26 of the Democrats. 1 million voters (30.02%).

So, Ms. Cinema returned to Graham County on Thursday, where Rep. Juan Ciscomani met her at the university.

“I am also very excited to be here today with my friend and partner Juan Ciscomani,” Cinema said. “As you all know, he was a great partner in getting results for Arizona in his first term in Congress.”

“From border security to the economy, energy and the environment, these are all important to both of us, especially in this very unique district,” said Ciscomani.

Deputies and special guests were warmly welcomed by President Haney, who gave them a brief overview of the university before taking time for the Senators.

“One of my guiding principles for the university is community engagement, and that’s what this roundtable discussion represents as an opportunity for us to engage with the community,” Haney said. “Well then, I would like to welcome you all to campus.”

Mr. Cinema thanked everyone who came to Mr. Thatcher for the talks, and then spoke about the formation of the Rural Development Working Group, a bipartisan infrastructure law, and how it will affect rural Arizona. She outlined some of the projects she’s been working on, including how impactful they are. Broadband high-speed internet and border security statewide.

“We hear about this concern in every community that travels through Arizona,” Cinema said. “Every community in Arizona is a border community.”

In other words, Cinema said the Senate version of the defense bill that passed the Senate last week definitely included the Border Security Enhancement Act, which would increase overtime pay for border agents, as well as securing U.S. ports. The immigration law will increase the number of border patrol officers across the country by 600 per year over the next five years, for a total of 3,000 new police officers.

“This will mean stronger border security, better salaries, recruiting and retaining better police officers, ensuring we get paid for overtime, and of course, more police officers to help us throughout southern Arizona. It will make a big difference in hiring,” Cinema said.

Cinema also spoke of two acts targeting Mexican cartels. She co-sponsored the Fentanyl Repulsion Act, which is included in the National Defense Bill and is aimed at cartel funding, and she is the lead proponent in the Senate, and Siskomani is the lead proponent in the House. It also includes the Anti-Social Media Cartels Act. . He said the bill would allow law enforcement to work with social media companies to crack down on those who recruit young people as getaway drivers for human and drug smuggling and remove such ads. . With young people being lured as drivers by social media sites, police chases and crashes are inevitable throughout Graham County on numerous occasions as they transport large numbers of people from the Douglas area to the Phoenix area.

“This is happening every day in rural areas across Arizona,” Cinema said. “It’s incredibly dangerous. So I’m really proud that the bill I put forward in the Senate and Juan put forward in the House has been successfully incorporated into the National Defense Bill that passed last week.”

“At this time, the government does not have the power or authority to do anything to eliminate recruitment from cartels like Sinaloa. The goal is to get it to the president’s desk so he can crack down on these cartels and save the lives of not only these teens, but the locals who are in danger in high speed chases. Please make it

“The average age of the teenagers we see in this article is 14, 15 and 16,” Ciscomani added. “I am a father of six children. With guidance, inexperienced drivers are driving at high speed.It’s dangerous all the way.That’s why this bill addresses it.To ensure communication with social media companies.They (social media companies) have all the information. They need to communicate that to law enforcement so we can disrupt that nasty system they’re in.(sic)

The fight against fentanyl has touched the heart of Safford Mayor Jason Koutts, who lost his son Josiah Koutts to a fentanyl-enhanced heroin overdose on January 23, 2018. Koutu expressed his gratitude by presenting the congressmen with a book and documentary film about Josiah as a gift. We thank them for their work in the field of fentanyl eradication.

Ciscomani, like Cinema, has an advisory board of local legislators to keep him abreast of local issues, and has seats on the House Appropriations Committee and the Veterans Affairs Committee. He, along with Cinema and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D, LD-3), jointly issued a joint statement on the recent selection of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base as the base for the new 492nd Special Forces Powered Projection Wing, which includes light strikes. announced. and a carrier.

Locally, Ciscomani “secured” $2 million for the new Pima Fire Station. $1.8 million for wells and pipes in the Western Rural Water and Central Arizona Irrigation Districts. $1.3 million for the Gila River Linear Park. $859,000 for the renovation of Northern Cochise Community Hospital in Wilcox and $274,000 for the town of Duncan to alleviate flooding problems in the Hunter Estate development.

After the introductions, Cinema and Ciscomani listened to community leaders talk about the problems they face and how they can help solve them. Various examples were discussed, including infrastructure and transport issues, internet connectivity, lack of affordable housing, and educational programs, but the most common theme was the availability of water.

Safford Mayor Jason Koutts said: “I want people to fight hard for water.” “Water is the lineage of the entire (Gila) valley.”

Kutu was referring to long-standing water problems between the Gila Valley and the San Carlos Apaches. He said he felt community leaders could make great strides in the water debate if tribal lawyers allowed the two groups to talk alone.

“I would love you to death if you put us in a room without lawyers on water matters,” Koutu said.

Mr. Cinema is integral to the formation of seven state water caucuses that will work together on the resources of the Colorado River to harness the waters of the Colorado River and bring opposing sides together for the betterment of all. said he was personally committed to

“Water is our future,” Cinema said. “We must work together… A short-term victory over each other is a long-term loss for all of us. We must work together.”