New Times is issuing a travel alert to take effect on all Arizona roadways for the duration of next week. The danger isn't weather related, it's more alleged-drunk-driving-governor, who just declared next week "Arizona Wine Week" related.
We couldn't help but laugh (and laugh, and laugh) and then shudder in fear this afternoon when it was brought to our attention that Governor Jan Brewer made the declaration on behalf of the Arizona Wine Growers Association.
This is funny (and terrifying) for several reasons, most notably the fact that it comes the day after Brewer tried to explain away a 1988 car wreck -- in which the arresting officer believed she was drunk -- by saying she was drinking wine, not scotch, before smashing into the back of a mini-van on Interstate 17.
As if drinking wine makes the incident -- and Jan's ensuing 20-year
crusade to throw the book at those convicted of DUI -- any less
hypocritical, Brewer told AZ Family yesterday "well ya know, I've never
drank scotch in my life. If I have a cocktail, it's usually merlot
wine."
However, in the police report filed by the Department of Public Safety
the night of the accident, the officer says Brewer admitted to having
one scotch before plowing into the mini-van. That was right before she
admitted to having two scotches.
Sadly, the admissions ended there because, despite failing four field
sobriety tests, Brewer was never given a breathalyzer test and
subsequently never charged with a crime because she was a state senator
at the time, making her immune from prosecution.
Read the police report -- and more about Jan's wild ride -- here.
Marina Renneke, spokeswoman for the AWGA, tells New Times the
governor will not be in attendance on Monday for the press conference
announcing Wine Week (Jan will be in San Francisco sucking all the possible political life out of SB 1070).
Renneke wouldn't say much else about Brewer's participation in the
event and told us any DUI-related questions should be directed to the
governor's office.
Per usual, Brewer's press secretary, Paul Sensman, did not immediately respond to an email.
Without the underlying concern that Brewer could slip past her security
detail and find herself behind the wheel of a car, the festival itself
sounds great. Check out the details here.
If you choose to drive anywhere next week, keep in mind that you've been warned:
the wine will be flowin' at the directive of Jan Brewer, which
makes being a driver on an Arizona roadway about as safe as being a mayor in Mexico.
