Most public officials would probably rather step on a nail than see someone like rice farmer Bob Frobose show up at a public meeting. Depending on your point of view, Frobose can be seen as a crank, activist, watch dog, concerned citizen, public advocate, and most everything in between and beyond. With a persistence that rockets past intensity into obsession, Frobose differs from most civic critics in his ability to […]
Politics
Storm Clouds over the Irrigation District
Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Board members Larry Byrd and John Mensinger agree that flash points for their escalating war of words include terminating MID General Counsel Ronda Lewis and an investigation sponsored by Byrd and Nick Blom into supposed illegal activities by fellow board members Mensinger, Stu Gilman, and Paul Campbell. Mensinger, Gilman and Campbell formed a new board majority after Gilman upset incumbent Jake Wenger in 2017. January 24, […]
Josh Harder One-on-One
Continuing the blistering pace he set during his campaign for Congress, Josh Harder has been meeting one-on-one with constituents throughout his district since Saturday. He’s also holding town hall meetings while visiting locales from Turlock to Tracy and points between. Saturday, he hosted “office hours” at the Veterans’ Center in Modesto, participated in the Women’s March, and then held a town hall meeting in Ceres, where there was standing room […]
County and Workers Settle Strike—Maybe
After a late afternoon meeting, Stanislaus County Supervisors and representatives of the Service Employees International Union 521 (SEIU) reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday. Both sides appeared to give a little as the SEIU negotiating team accepted the county’s offer of a 3% raise on condition of retroactive pay. The union had asked for 5% and the county had rejected both the 5% terms and retroactive pay. Dozens of workers […]
Bumpy Start to New Year for Stanislaus Supervisors
Dozens of striking county workers attended the Stanislaus County Supervisors’ meeting on January 8 and spokespeople implored the supervisors to reach an agreement. To their credit, Stanislaus County Supervisors went back to the bargaining table directly after the meeting—though as of Tuesday night there was still no agreement. Most of the workers on strike are in social services and behavioral health, including child and senior support, disability, and mental health. […]
Valley Democrats: It’s About Winning
The midterm wave of Democratic wins in traditionally Republican California districts brought on a spate of conspiracy theories, none wackier than the one put forward by California District 1o (CA-10) loser Ted Howze. But it turns out District 10 was indeed illustrative of several factors that could well determine the future of the Democratic Party, not just in California, but across the nation. The Primary race began with a crowded […]
Ted Howze Careens Down the Trump Hole
In a bizarre excursion into Trumpworld, candidate for Congress Ted Howze has accused “Democrats” of, “a coordinated voter fraud scheme to steal a seat in U.S. House of Representatives from Republicans in the California 10th.” Let that sink in. Voter fraud is a felony, punishable by five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine, but Howze isn’t claiming an isolated instance here. He’s not only argued that Democrats […]
California Democratic Supermajority Might not Benefit Valley
Wins by Anna Caballero and Mellissa Hurtado assured a Democratic supermajority in all three branches of California government. Below, former Modesto City Councilman Bruce Frohman argues that the supermajority may not bring much relief to the manifold problems of the San Joaquin Valley. Local Democrats may feel overjoyed about their party’s supermajority in the California State Legislature, but euphoria may end up as disappointment. If legislators don’t deliver, Republicans will […]
Olsen and Denham: It’s My Party (and I’ll cry)
Now that it’s clear Republican dreams for holding the fort in California have been drowned in a Blue Wave that penetrated as far as Orange County, Stanislaus County Supervisor Kristen Olsen has already begun seeking higher ground. Like other California Republicans, Olsen is facing the prospect of a permanently stained brand, at least within her home state. And like recently defeated Congressman Jeff Denham, Olsen is blaming the Republican Party […]
Harder for the Win
Only days before the November 6 General Election, Jeff Denham was telling journalists he didn’t think his contest against challenger Josh Harder would be close. “They’ve brought in people before…,” said Denham, before trailing off. The implication was that Harder was just another outsider brought in by the Democratic Party to offer a token challenge for an incumbent most political insiders thought invincible—and for good reason. In 2016, when Hillary […]