Wins by Anna Caballero and Mellissa Hurtado assured a Democratic supermajority in all three branches of California government. Below, former Modesto City Councilman Bruce Frohman argues that the supermajority may not bring much relief to the manifold problems of the San Joaquin Valley. Local Democrats may feel overjoyed about their party’s supermajority in the California […]
Is Modesto Vulnerable to Destruction by Fire?
Just outside the northern edge of the Central Valley, the Town of Paradise has been destroyed by fire. The destruction should be called a holocaust as over 6500 structures were damaged, including the town’s central core. In light of last year’s Santa Rosa holocaust and this year’s Redding and Paradise disasters, how vulnerable is Modesto […]
Contamination of Valley Groundwater a Hidden Threat
The City of Modesto has a large plume of toxic chemicals below ground. As time goes by, the plume is spreading via groundwater migration. Multiple sources of contamination are making wells around the community unusable. Though serious, groundwater depletion is only one of our problems. Every year, more wells are taken out of service. In […]
Jeff Denham’s Supporters: Analysis by Bruce Frohman
No matter what Congressman Jeff Denham says or does, the politician has a dedicated cadre of supporters who cannot and will not be swayed to vote for anyone else. They are proud of their loyalty and may defend their opinion to the point of incivility. Mr. Denham’s supporters are not deplorable. They are not evil […]
Caltrans Touts Plan for Second Phase of Freeway Project
Caltrans has rolled out a plan to extend the 132 Freeway project from Dakota to Gates Roads with an advertisement in the Modesto Bee. Caltrans will hold an event before the November election to get public comments on the new phase. In order for the new phase to proceed, voters must reject Proposition 6 in November. […]
Bruce Frohman on Jeff Denham: Propaganda over Service
Former Modesto City Councilman Bruce Frohman followed Jeff Denham’s long political career well before he won at the federal level and ever since. Although Jeff Denham has not been a good Congressman, he’s a masterful propagandist. He’s even got a billboard praising his failed effort to help promote DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals); that’s […]
Not Easy to Dump Denham
Last Friday, at the Gallo Center in Modesto, six Democrats participated in a debate to help voters decide who will be the best candidate to run against Jeff Denham next November. The crowd was enthusiastic about the prospects of unseating Mr. Denham. Whether anyone in the room was aware of how difficult the task will be, at […]
132: How Not to Build a Freeway
In the mid-1990’s, I served on the Citizens’ Transportation Advisory Committee for the Stanislaus Area Association of Governments, currently called the Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG). After each meeting, I would corner Dana Cowell, the Caltrans representative appointed to attend our monthly meetings. I always had questions for Mr. Cowell. Very knowledgeable, he patiently answered each one. After […]
What “Business Friendly” Means in Modesto
The Modesto Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Realtors are powerful interest groups in Modesto. They fiercely represent a privileged group of members of their organizations. For the average citizen, quality of life in Modesto is adversely affected because of their requirement that all elected officials be “business friendly.” As they tried to steer Modesto […]
Pay for 132 and Almonds Too
During the first week of March this year, laborers planted almond trees in the right of way of the future 132 Freeway/Expressway near Morse and Kansas Avenues. The new trees are almost completely hidden by tall weeds. Caltrans announced in January 2017 that the new road would be completed by 2020. The almond trees will have to […]