Now that he’s been outed as pro-labor by the Bee’s Judy Sly, Anthony Canella may have to start wearing a disguise and hide out in his own district. Canella is the Republican State Senator from Ceres. He recently co-sponsored Senate Bill 7 (SB7), which puts pressure on cities to pay prevailing wages for locally-funded projects or lose state construction funding. Needless to say, this isn’t the kind of politics that […]
What’s that Bird in My Yard?
[meteor_slideshow slideshow=”harris-yard-1″] In 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated there were over 46 million birdwatchers in the United States—almost one in every five persons. A very large percentage of these people put out bird feeders and watch birds in their yards. Many delight in keeping a yard list that registers the different species that visit over the years. That’s certainly the case with John and Lisa Harris. The […]
Jeff Denham Denies Man’s Role in Climate Change
At last count, there were 135 climate change deniers in congress. Jeff Denham is one of them. In fact since becoming California’s tenth congressional district representative, Denham has compiled a nearly perfect anti-environment, anti-science record. One of his first acts upon taking office was to try to eliminate Wild and Scenic status for the Merced River. Overall, the League of Conservation Voters gives him an 11% rating on conservation issues. […]
City Council: Cogdill Shines, Lopez Stumbles
Denny Jackman likes to say his Residential Urban Limit (RUL) proposal eliminates bait and switch tactics, which occur when developers propose commercial and industrial projects and then switch to housing. Another thing the plan does is force players in the land-use game to show their cards. This was apparent when Jackman first put the proposal before the Modesto City Council. At that time, Village I developer and current City Council […]
Arsenic in the Water? Very Likely
Recent research by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in the foothills east of Stockton should raise red flags for anyone concerned about the exponential expansion of orchards in eastern Stanislaus and Merced Counties. The research was conducted in San Joaquin and Calaveras counties as recently as 2011. By far the most alarming discovery was high levels of arsenic in some of the test wells. Most people know of […]
Facts? “Not my job,” says the Bee
Some call it, “he said, she said,” journalism. Others call it “fair and balanced.” Whatever the name, the journalistic practice of giving equal weight to “both sides” of an issue has become a pernicious enemy of truth. Just consider the Modesto Bee’s July 28 interview with Sean Roddy of Henning Bros. Drilling Company. Roddy has drilled many of the new wells on Stanislaus County’s east side. Nonetheless, in response to […]
Farmland and Growth in Stanislaus County
In 1995, Beyond Sprawl sent shock waves through planners and developers throughout the entire state. The Bank of America sponsored study of the costs of sprawl immediately became a primary reference for those who favor smart growth. Almost twenty years later, sprawl remains a major detriment to quality of life, especially in the San Joaquin Valley. Nonetheless, just as the foreclosure crisis is easing, Valley movers and shakers are ramping […]
Where’s All the Water Now?
When the Columbia Journalism Review noted Modesto’s dire need for news, most Valley citizens weren’t even aware of the report. Shortly thereafter, the Modesto Bee joined Modesto Irrigation District (MID) General Manager Allen Short and MID Board member Tom Van Groningen in touting a sale of Tuolumne River water to the City of San Francisco. At the time, the Bee and many of our civic leaders were promoting the notion […]
Asphalt Empire: Ramped Up and Ready to Roll
The surest signs of another growth boom binge are recent maneuvers by the Asphalt Empire. All the evidence suggests we’re in for another round of runaway growth followed by all the ugly consequences. First, there was the announcement that Bill Zoslocki was running for the Modesto City Council. Zoslocki, a prime mover in the Village I debacle, is also a former president of the Building Industry Association. As a candidate […]
Denny Jackman Blindsided at Committee Meeting
Central Valley Farmland Trust President Denny Jackman was mugged, mauled, and kicked in the teeth at Wednesday night’s Economic Development Committee meeting in Modesto. The issue was Jackman’s Residential Urban Limit (RUL) proposal. Word was even the Chamber of Commerce was going to endorse it. Those who thought such a notion too good to be true were soon confirmed in their skepticism. When Committee Chair Dave Cogdill called for comment […]