Donald Trump spent the last days of his campaign thrashing and flailing like a feral hog trapped in a rising mire of its own turpitude. He went out in an orgy of scapegoating, blame shifting and self-pity. His post-election threats to sue and invalidate the votes of millions of the American people have been met with defiance and derision by governors and attorney generals throughout a nation that waited four […]
Now is the Time to Come to the Aid of Your Country
Susan Eggman and Josh Harder were in downtown Modesto Saturday morning, urging volunteers and their fellow citizens to exercise their most fundamental right under the Constitution of the United States — the vote. When the Founding Fathers debated about what kind of government should shape the new nation they envisioned as an “experiment,” they rejected many alternatives. Learned men, they had recent history as a lesson against monarchs and, “divine […]
Still in Doubt? Vote ‘em Out!
For most of the duration of the pandemic, Stanislaus County has been among the top five worst counties in the state for controlling Covid-19. As of October 25, it was 12th in infection rates at 77 per 100,000 residents. On the same day, the nearest county to the north, San Joaquin, registered 58 positive tests per 100,000; to the south, Merced County had 54. Nearby Alameda County had 40 cases […]
Josh Harder: The Paperboy Who Went to Congress
You know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break. Harry S. Truman Though he may soon become yet another casualty of new technology, the paperboy is one of our most revered icons. At least two presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, are among […]
Harder vs Howze? Howze Knocks Himself Out
It wouldn’t be accurate to write Josh Harder scored a TKO over Ted Howze during their debate in Turlock Wednesday night. It was more a case of Howze running head-first into Harder’s record of accomplishments, then bouncing off solid objects and into his own logical cul-de-sacs. Howze came into the debate with a surprise attack. The endorsements that had been removed from his campaign’s website were back! He must have […]
Reviewing the Candidates’ Forum for Modesto City Council District 6
Four candidates participated in the Modesto Bee’s Candidates’ Forum for Modesto City Council’s District 6 on September 16. Two of the candidates, David Wright and Kelsten Obert, said they would be voting for Ted Howze for congress. Given Howze’s contempt for science and medicine, his documented lies, and his failure to explain racist and xenophobic posts on social media, we believe this endorsement alone disqualifies them for local leadership. The […]
Reviewing the Candidates’ Forum for Mayor of Modesto
Among the more puzzling aspects of Ted Brandvold’s term as Mayor of Modesto is his desire to run again. He’s never seemed to like the job, and has even less aptitude for it than enthusiasm, yet there he was at the September 23 Modesto Bee Mayors’ Forum, seeking another term. The mayor was subjected to some withering criticism, with the cruelest blow coming from current City Councilmember and former ally […]
Reviewing Stanislaus County Supervisors Races: Districts 1 and 5
Upcoming elections in Stanislaus County Districts 1 and 5 could result in a change of direction for a board that has lost its way since the onset of Covid-19. In District 1, Modesto City Councilmember Bill Zoslocki is running against Buck Condit, a Captain in the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District. Both candidates participated in the Modesto Bee’s taped candidate’s forum on August 31. Zoslocki distinguished himself on the issue […]
Byrd Still Best for MID Board
Suzy Powell-Roos, a three-time Olympian and perhaps the most globally successful local athlete in recent memory, gives the Modesto Irrigation District (MID) a “B” or “B+” for its performance over the last two years. It’s the same grade assigned by incumbent board member Larry Byrd, whom Powell-Roos is challenging. With an overall good grade for the board, Powell-Roos would ordinarily need a galvanizing issue or issues to unseat an incumbent, […]
Reviewing the Races for Modesto City Council, Districts 1 and 3
We’ll be providing recaps and review on the Modesto Bee local political forums, beginning here with reviews of the taped interviews for Modesto City Council Districts 1 and 3. Though city and county elected offices are theoretically non-partisan, nothing has made the contrary more evident than the Covid pandemic, when wearing or rejecting a facemask has become a political statement. And so it is that recent Modesto Bee candidates’ forums […]