Lots of professional politicians get more mileage than they should out of the “I am not a politician” game, but Jeff Denham has refined the act to a science. His most recent incarnation is as a “local farmer.” He acquired the local farmer tag when he reinvented his political career after being termed out of his previous office as a state senator. He’s also been able to fashion himself as […]
Political Shorts: Lopez vs Monteith, Calkins vs Withrow
Lopez vs Monteith We wouldn’t sink to the Bee tactic of holding the current administration responsible for the sins of its predecessors, but it is amusing to see the Bee endorse City Councilman Dave Lopez for Stanislaus County Supervisor. During the campaign for the one cent sales tax, the Bee argued we couldn’t trust Modesto City Government, mostly because of scandals that happened during the Ridenour administration, which the Bee […]
Water Shortage? Dams Are Not the Answer
As the drought worsens, it’s only inevitable that cries for more dams become louder and more frequent. One of the latest came from the Modesto Bee’s Mike Dunbar in a May 3 editorial when he wrote, Our best-case scenario? The tunnel plan collapses and new dams provide more water for everyone to share, even in the driest droughts. But if dams were the solution to our water problems, we wouldn’t […]
Why California Groundwater Policy Must Change
It’s often said that California is the only state that doesn’t regulate groundwater, but that’s not exactly true. In California, one rule always applies. Though unwritten, it exists in the form of dogma more powerful than words graven in stone: Any official, at any level, whenever speaking of groundwater, must assert emphatically that local control is the best of all possible alternatives. No matter that history, science, and current realities […]
Loss of Monopoly on News Leaves Bee Writer Livid
Modesto Bee columnist Jeff Jardine took on City Hall last Saturday. Unfortunately, he did little to improve our local political climate and a lot to harm it. Jardine was agitated about a City of Modesto policy for dealing with media inquiries. The policy requires city employees to notify superiors when they’ve been interviewed by members of the media. Then the interview has to be vetted by higher ups in the […]
Target Bird: Red-shouldered Hawk
In “How to Really Learn the Birds,” we suggested using the “target method” as a quick way of learning the common birds around you. To use the target method, simply study a bird before going out and searching for it. The key is to study birds you can expect to find in a given season. We’ve got more about common local birds in “How to Really Learn the Birds.” […]
What’s Happened to Garrad Marsh and Jenny Kenoyer?
The Valley Citizen enthusiastically supported Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh and Councilperson Jenny Kennoyer. Mostly because they favor inclusion of Wood Colony in the City’s General Plan, both have left supporters wondering whether they’ve abandoned the principle planks of their pre-election platforms, which included smart growth and farmland preservation. The wide consensus is both have sold out; we don’t think so, but we do think both are in dire political straits. […]
“What water crisis?” says OID
There’s nothing like a job as general manager of one our local water districts to give a person a rosy outlook. Seems like only yesterday Allen Short, then riding high as General Manager of the Modesto Irrigation District (MID), was touting a sale of “excess water” to the City of San Francisco. This was just prior to his exit from the MID, a departure expedited by public outcry against […]
Elected Officials Need to Speak Out on 132 Expansion, by Rhett Calkins
In “How Would the New 132 Freeway Affect Wood Colony,” Bruce Frohman wrote that plans to change the route of 132 are “gaining momentum.” People need to ask, “Gaining momentum to do what? Introduce sprawl out to Dakota? Introduce another major intersection to reduce momentum on an already jammed-up Carpenter Rd? Is this something we can be proud of?” Look at where they plan to take the 132 west project: […]
Jackman, Wenger, and Kennedy Propose Urban Boundaries
Wood Colony’s Jake Wenger has joined Denny Jackman and Vance Kennedy in proposing an initiative that would establish firm growth boundaries around the city of Modesto. The proposal may be a sign that Jackman and others have given up on trying to work with the Modesto City Council and Chamber of Commerce on plans to direct growth away from prime farmland. This won’t be the first time Jackman has put […]