Gov. Ducey’s bogus boast on broadband expansion

This is why people hate politics. Well, it is one of the many reasons people hate politics.

Gov. Doug Ducey’s office issued a gushy press release announcing what Ducey called a “$100 million commitment to expand high-speed broadband to unserved or underserved areas of the state, making it one of the single largest broadband investments in state history.”

The press release mentions that funding for what he called the Arizona Broadband Development Grant Program “comes from the American Rescue Plan Act.”

What Ducey doesn’t say, however, is that not a single Republican in the U.S. House or Senate voted for the act, including all of Arizona’s Republicans.

Instead, Ducey praises Arizona’s state lawmakers — who had nothing to do with getting the grant.

He said in the release, “I am grateful to our legislative leaders, especially President Karen Fann, Speaker Rusty Bowers and Representative Joanne Osborne, for making broadband a priority this past session. By investing in broadband access, we are investing in our future and making it possible for all Arizonans to thrive.”

That last part is true.

By investing in something like this we are investing in Arizona’s future.

The thing is, however, not one of the Republican members of Congress was interested in making that investment.

A fact that seems to have slipped Ducey’s mind.

Or ... not.

This little omission did not go unnoticed by others, however.

For example, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego tagged the governor’s press release and tweeted:

Money came from the American Rescue Plan … President Biden’s initiative and all Republicans voted against it.

Strange, isn’t it? Or perhaps not so strange these days. A politician seeming to take credit for the work done by a politician he perpetually criticizes. Even condemns. And acting as if no one will notice.

If Ducey is as pleased as he seems to be about receiving the broadband grant it is President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats he should be thanking. Perhaps even praising, since Ducey says that the grant is actually “making it possible for all Arizonans to thrive.”

But, no.

Thanking those responsible for the grant would be common decency. It would not be politics.

Indira Gandhi, the late prime minister of India, said something about that.

She said, “There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.”

Apparently.