Over the last few years, the Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) has conducted a secret water sale, failed to re-district according to state law, sold water by abandoning its water rights, annexed out-of-the-region buyers into the district at bargain rates while rejecting offers from local farmers to pay more for OID water, lost a water sale because it failed to observe requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, barred newly elected […]
Politics
More Claims of Lies on OID Recall
To hear Deanne Dalrymple tell it, Oakdale farmers Louis Brichetto and Bob Frobose are a couple of bullying “frauds” who are opposed to the attempted recall of Linda Santos from the Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) Board of Directors for purely personal reasons—Frobose because he’s Santos’ business partner and friend and Brichetto because he hopes Santos will help him obtain OID surface water for his out-of-district almond orchards. Dalrymple, an Oakdale […]
Jeff Denham’s Voter Avoidance Handbook
Since the November election, Congressman Jeff Denham’s indifference to voters in his own district has become increasingly evident. When his political party was out of power and all that could be done was obstruct, Denham quietly served as a dead weight anchor, accomplishing nothing and stopping others from moving forward to solve problems. Now that Congressman Denham has his preferred president, he’s ducked any leadership role on the issues and […]
Are the Arguments for Valley Water Full of Holes?
Though there’s no truth to the rumor people have been painting it brown, the water drop on the “Worth your Fight” sign produced by the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts could just as easily be an almond. And if it were so portrayed, it would certainly present a more accurate picture as leaders throughout the San Joaquin Valley protest state proposals to increase flows along valley rivers. Water, of course, […]
Modesto March: What Hath Trump Wrought?
New York, Washington D.C., Sacramento—we might have expected large crowds in those cities when women across the nation decided to march against the ugliness called forth by Donald Trump in his hate-filled campaign to the White House. But Boise, Idaho? Columbia, South Carolina? Nashville, Tennessee? Modesto, California? Yes, even Modesto marched, and hundreds of people showed up. Leng Nou, of the Modesto Peace and Life Center, says it started with […]
Jeff Denham Weasels on Ethics
Stanislaus County Congressman Jeff Denham is the consummate politician; he keeps his constituents informed only about what he wants them to know. When telling folks only what they want to hear, he conceals his support for decisions that hurt his constituents. One important but little-known fact about Congressman Denham is his obstruction of economic development within his district. It’s a subject he dodges, just as he dodges other issues that might undermine […]
Measure L: Is Taxpayer Money Funding a Tax Increase?
The Stanislaus Council of Governments (STANCOG), a taxpayer funded organization, has sent out three campaign flyers in favor of Measure L, a county-wide ballot proposal that will increase the sales tax by one-half percent for 25 years. While use of taxpayer funds in a campaign is illegal, the council thinks it’s getting around the law by portraying the flyers as “fact sheets.” In reality, they include misleading statements that belong […]
Eggman for Congress
Jeff Denham was right when he said that he should be judged for his record rather than on his support for Donald Trump. That’s why we’ve consistently supported Denham’s opponents, Trump or no Trump. Denham’s willingness to harm his constituents by twice voting to shut down government alone should disqualify him from office. But he’s also anti-science, anti-equal pay, anti-environment, and pro a Republican Party line that has over the […]
Measure L: Borrow Now, Pay Later
The voter handbook has arrived. Now voters can see what Measure L really is about. In the first paragraph of the handbook’s explanation of Measure L, the text says that local government may issue bonds using anticipated revenue from the one half percent sales tax to build and repair roads. Historically, roads have been funded by a pay-as-you-go system. Under the present system, local government had cash to build or […]
“Let homeless people camp,” says Councilmember Ah You
Most everyone was encouraged when the Modesto City Council approved $250,000 toward establishing a services and shelter center for our growing population of homeless people. The first stage will include temporary winter shelters (in the form of modified garden sheds) for forty people as part of Stanislaus County’s Focus on Prevention project to end homelessness. Ultimately, city and county officials intend to establish a one-stop service center where people experiencing […]