Citizen participation seems to be declining in Valley elections. While some states are passing laws to make it more difficult to vote, California’s effort to encourage voting through more liberal laws hasn’t worked; fewer voters are voting in almost every election. Voter registration in conjunction with automobile registration has made it easier to register. Voting by mail has made voting more convenient. But neither initiative has increased turnout percentages. Of Stanislaus County’s 521,000 residents, […]
Politics
Committees, Water, and Wood Colony
Over the years, local government s within Stanislaus County have formed countless committees. A committee or a study can be a great smokescreen to hide decision making in government. What a committee accomplishes will depend on what politicians want the outcome to be. Sometimes when Valley politicians want to avoid public input, they form a committee. The committee report may be predetermined when committee members are told what the […]
Political Shorts: Denham vs Eggman and Carson vs Fladager
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 […]
Bruce Frohman Interviews Michael Eggman
Today at 3:30pm: Mr. Michael Eggman is running for the Congressional seat presently held by Jeff Denham. Mr. Eggman has worked in farming all of his life, specializing in beekeeping and growing almonds. He was raised locally and knows extremely well the district he seeks to represent. Farming Background and Climate Change Michael Eggman runs a thriving beekeeping business. His business has taken him all over California with bee hives for crop pollination. He […]
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 […]
Supervisor’s Race: Frohman Interviews Calkins
Mr. Scott Calkins is running for Supervisor of District 3 in Stanislaus County, serving the northwest part of the county, including Salida, West Modesto, and the Wood Colony community. He is an instructor in Economics, Government, and United States History at Modesto High School. During an afternoon interview, Mr. Calkins gave a detailed outline of policies and improvements he will pursue upon assuming office. Regardless of who wins the District 3 seat, the […]
Supervisor’s Race: Frohman Interviews Withrow
Stanislaus County Supervisor Terry Withrow, a Certified Public Accountant, is running for reelection. His challenger is Scott Calkins, a high school teacher in Modesto. This article is a summary of an hour long conversation with Mr. Withrow. The viewpoints of Mr. Calkins will be the subject of another article. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Supervisor Withrow was asked to summarize his proudest accomplishments of the past four years. He mentioned the […]
Denham: “All Form and No Substance,” says Frohman
Ever since Congressman Jeff Denham helped to shut down the government last year, he has campaigned hard for reelection. Apparently, he received a low approval rating from the voters in his district. With Congress showing single digit approval ratings in poll after poll, Mr. Denham may have realized that his constituents might be unhappy with him, too. Given the pattern of his activities, he appears to be using professional political advisors. Advisors are great […]
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. […]
Is Reelection of Sheriff Adam Christiansen a Cakewalk?
This writer does not normally pay attention to elections for Stanislaus County Sheriff, but this year’s race between incumbent Adam Christiansen versus one of his deputies, Tom Letras, could be interesting. The incumbent has a bona fide challenger and issues appear to exist. Analysis by a Local Businessman A longtime local business owner talked to this writer about the race. He was quite animated about the performance of the incumbent Sheriff, citing a litany […]