In late 1975, while at UC Berkeley, I was guided into the path of a prophet, Paul Schuster Taylor. Retired Professor of Economics at UC, […]
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Stanislaus Sheriff’s Office Sued on Shooting of Teenager
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office has been sued in federal court because one of its deputies shot and killed someone. Again. This action, filed Monday, July 19, in US Court in Fresno, stems from the shooting of 16-year-old Xander Mann. That lawsuit follows by eight days the filing of a similar action based upon the fatal shooting of Eloy Gonzalez, 41, last September. The teenager and the homeless man were […]
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Valley Water Belongs to the People
Much of the history recounted below is from David Igler’s Industrial Cowboys and Mark Arax’s The Dreamt Land. Much appreciation to both. Also, kudos to Lois Henry for journalism in the great tradition. From the very beginning, water in the San Joaquin Valley has been manipulated, controlled and adjudicated by the wealthy and powerful. Its history is a story of exploitation, mostly through the use of serf labor, the courts, […]
Reconnecting the Formerly Incarcerated: We Already Have a Viable Model
Michael Baldwin Senior is a Modesto Community Advocate and Paralegal. This is the final installment in a three-part series on the challenges faced by current and former incarcerated individuals in their quest to successfully reenter society. It was written in collaboration with Tom Portwood. Just over a year ago, I had the honor of speaking at a candlelight vigil for George Floyd at the 10th Street Plaza in downtown Modesto. […]
How Many Free Shovels on Turlock’s Amazon Gift Card?
While Turlock officials and Amazon flacks were still unwilling to confirm that a huge warehouse was going to be a fulfillment center for the internet giant, a burning question remained unanswered: Just how many shiny, commemorative shovels was Amazon going to provide for the groundbreaking ceremony? Several examples of those shovels were presented to City of Turlock managers so elected council members could be photographed “digging” into the earth at […]
Reconnecting: First Steps for Released Prisoners
Michael Baldwin Senior is a Modesto Community Advocate and Paralegal. This article is the second in a series on the challenges faced by current and former convicts in their quest to successfully reenter society. It was written in collaboration with Tom Portwood. April 7, 2021 is a day I’ll never forget, because just as I was getting out of bed, one of my former parole agents called me and gave […]