By Staff Reporter |
Governor Katie Hobbs, or the staffers running her social media accounts, appear to lack mastery of the vocabulary known to native Arizonans.
The misspelling attributed to Hobbs occurred within a post announcing her support for Read Across America week.
“Reading opens doors, minds, and possibilities,” said Hobbs. “Thanks to the students at Chapparral [sic] Elementary for inviting me to be a part of your Read Across America Week.”
Hobbs visited Chaparral Elementary School and read aloud “A Walk in the Words” by Hudson Talbott to students.
Dan Coulson, former press secretary to Hobbs’ predecessor Doug Ducey, brought attention to the governor’s error.
“Please tell me Katie Hobbs isn’t teaching those kids spelling too!” posted Coulson. “Only one ‘P,’ Katie! It’s literally in the sign right behind you!”
Read Across America Week originated with the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998 through Read Across America Day to encourage childhood literacy. The celebration was originally scheduled to take place on and around the birthday of Theodore Seuss Geisel — more commonly known by his pen name, “Dr. Seuss.” However, the NEA moved away from Dr. Seuss associations with the uproar over a handful of his books deemed racist in recent years: “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.” These books are no longer published.
“Chaparral” defines lands predominantly consisting of dense shrubbery at high altitudes. Arizona contains approximately 3.5 million acres of chaparral habitat, or about four percent of the entire state’s nearly 73 million acres. Arizona’s chaparral species include those within the manzanita, acacia, juniper, and shrub live oak families, such as the birchleaf mountain-mahogany, skunkbush sumac, silktassels, hollyleaf buckhorn, cliffrose, desert olive, Palmer oak, Arizona white oak, Emory oak, pinyon pine, juniper, and desert ceanothus. Arizona chaparral also commonly contains succulents and wildlife found commonly within woodland or grassland habitats as well (certain night lizards and sparrows).
Monday’s post served as the latest public misstep by Hobbs.
Earlier this month, a clip of the governor venting her frustrations to the media over her inability to lead or control the state legislature went viral. Hobbs was unable to convince GOP lawmakers of her pick for the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH). Hobbs’ lamentations to the press were directed at one of the key lawmakers behind rejecting her nominations, State Senator Jake Hoffman. A significant reason for the rejection of Hobbs’ latest pick concerned an auditor general sunset review last fall which reported serious and expensive issues with the ADOH under Hobbs’ nominee. Hoffman criticized Hobbs’ behavior as a “full blown temper tantrum.”
Last month, state legislative leaders confronted Hobbs over the $122 million shortfall within the Arizona State Developmental Disabilities Program. GOP leaders and the state treasurer accused the governor of “gross financial mismanagement.”
In an effort to counteract the struggles of her administration and improve her public image ahead of her reelection bid next year, Hobbs has adopted GOP-leaning policies and stances as of late.
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