By Sen. John McCain | The Arizona Republic
(Editor’s note: Opinion pieces are posted only for discussion purposes.)
Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Resolution Copper)
Driving through Superior last week, I saw the boarded-up shops that line its Main Street. I spoke with residents of this small community, many of whom are struggling to find opportunities to better their lives and those of their families.
Just a few decades ago, this area, an hour east of Phoenix, was a busy mining community. But its economy bottomed out after the old Magma Copper Mine closed in 1995. Today, a quarter of its residents live below the poverty line. Their neighbors on the San Carlos Reservation are in worse shape, reportedly suffering from a 70 percent unemployment rate and a rampant drug-abuse problem.
