In retrospect, Jerry McNerney’s upset win over Richard Pombo in 2006 may have been an omen. A seven-term congressman with a high national profile and leadership credentials in the House of Representatives, Pombo’s loss to the low-key but high-integrity McNerney didn’t produce the Blue Wave Valley Democrats had hoped for, but it did show an increasing voter concern for rising corruption in government. Pombo had been tainted by a close […]
Politics
Trump Supporters in the Valley
The President of the United States has become a politically polarizing leader. Many people in the Valley either love him or hate him. Few are indifferent. President Trump’s supporters can’t be lumped into a “basket of deplorables,” as Hilary Clinton once asserted. Rather, his supporters are a diverse group who do not necessarily link their value systems with those of the president they support. The support of a president may […]
Josh Harder is Hard at Work
Almost a third of the way into his first term as the Congressman for California’s Congressional District 10, Josh Harder continues to set the same blistering pace he did during his campaign against heavily favored incumbent Jeff Denham. Whether he’s wading through wetlands in search of destructive rodents or visiting Valley classrooms to learn more about the current state of education, Harder has already set a very high bar for […]
“Toujours Babette”: An Open Letter to Ted Howze
Like many former Republicans, Babette “Toujours Babbette” Wagner couldn’t abide the party’s drift away from traditional conservative values toward and into the Trump abyss. Her recent encounter with Republican candidate for Congress Ted Howze prompted the following open letter. ed. Good day, Dr. Howze, As one of the people who helped with the event, I want to thank you for stopping by our neighborhood’s National Night Out (NNO) to introduce […]
Frohman to DeMartini: “Goodbye and Good Riddance”
Former Modesto City Councilman Bruce Frohman couldn’t suppress a parting shot at Supervisor Jim DeMartini, whose own parting comments about California seemed to many observers both ungrateful and churlish. ed. According to an article appearing in the July 26, 2019 Modesto Bee, Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini plans to move to Reno after his term expires in 2020. The reasons given for the move were his expectation of paying no […]
Searching for the truth about “water grabs”
While last year’s protests about state proposals for increased flows along our rivers rang out most everywhere in the Valley, few sounded as loud and often as those in the northern San Joaquin, where invoking “the water grab” became a sure way to encourage curses and shaking fists. A rally in Sacramento to protest the flow proposals turned out to be a litmus test for Valley virtue. Local leaders who […]
Sabatino: “Taxpayers’ Association files to recall Fladager.”
“This is about accountability,” said Sabatino of the recall. “If the people can’t have accountability from their elected officials, they can’t count on anything.” At 81 years old, former Modesto Mayor Carmen Sabatino still comes into his popular restaurant by its 6:00 am opening time almost every day. He usually spends the morning catching up on news, responding to messages, and chatting with customers. He also remains active in his […]
Josh Harder—Leading by Example
It’s only a few months into Josh Harder’s first term as California District 10’s Congressman, but he’s already more than delivered on his promise to be available for his constituents. Somebody, somewhere, is probably counting the town halls, office hours, ribbon cuttings and meetings Harder has attended so far, but the number is not as important as the quality. Congressman Harder has been on a district-wide listening tour that has […]
Read the Mueller Report, Part II. Read it Now
Every American citizen should read the Mueller Report, Part II. While Part I covers Russian interference into a presidential election, Part II centers on the behavior of the nation’s leaders subsequent to the interference, including the President of the United States. High school teachers, college professors, law enforcement officers, military personnel, attorneys, judges, elected local, state and federal officials, and business leaders throughout the nation in particular have a special […]
Edging toward homelessness: “A human catastrophe of historic dimensions…”
In a sweeping survey of housing needs in the San Joaquin Valley, the California Housing Partnership and the California Coalition for Rural Housing have concluded that the Valley needs 137,254 more affordable homes. Among the most troubling findings was that many hard-working Valley citizens live on the edge of homelessness because housing costs consume up to 70% of their incomes. Minimum wage earners are especially burdened. Of the eight Valley […]