When we heard Fresno City Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria was running for Assembly in the Valley’s District 27, we wanted to know more about her. We were even more intrigued when we looked at her impressive list of endorsements, including those from State Controller Betty Yee, State Senate Member Anna Caballero, and former Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante. With a population of over 500,000 residents, Fresno is the largest city in the […]
Politics
Nick Bavaro: An American Story
Nick Bavaro’s father was already a veteran of the Italian Air Force when he decided he didn’t want to fight for Benito Mussolini’s fascist government. Discharged in 1933, Paul Bavaro was a working farmer who early on had the foresight to anticipate the awful consequences of Italy’s descent into fascism. After Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, Mr. Bavaro feared he’d be called back into military service. He loathed the idea […]
Phil Arballo Has Serious Questions for Adam Gray
Josh Harder did more than upset incumbent Republican Congressman Jeff Denham in 2018, he also upset the conventional wisdom. Prior to Harder’s win, Valley Democrats were barely distinguishable from Republicans. The conventional wisdom said that in one of the reddest regions in the state, Democrats could win only by fending off competition from the right, hence the cloning of the “Blue Dog” Democrat, a political species so adept at mimicry […]
Flash! Harder to Run in 9, Adam Gray in 13
In a stunning move brought about by the tumult resulting from redistricting in California, Josh Harder just announced he will now be running for Congress in California District 9, a slot previously designated for Representative Jerry McNerney, who is stepping down. Harder had only recently announced for District 13, which includes a large swath of Adam Gray’s current Assembly District. Persistent rumors have circulated that Gray was also thought well-suited […]
City Needs Money? Tax the Poor!
According the United Way’s Real Cost Measure, 31% of Stanislaus County families struggle to meet costs for food, rent, and clothing. Like most households throughout the state, the cost of housing is the primary factor in their inability to make ends meet. Research by the United Way reveals that, “Struggling households in California use over half of their income on housing, more than twice as high a share as households […]
Was the (not) Adam Gray Tweet a Trial Balloon?
It’s no secret that Josh Harder’s successful campaign against Republican Congressman Jeff Denham in 2018 was a blow to Adam Gray’s political hopes. Insiders agree that Gray had planned to run against Denham in 2020, before he was termed out by the “lifetime” California term limits rule of 12 years total in office of any kind. Gray was elected to the 21st Assembly District in 2012, winning office with 58.2% […]
Democracy Threatened in California Congressional District 10
All across this nation, GOP-led states are carving up and contorting congressional districts to dilute and suppress the votes of “socialist” Democrats, and, more specifically, people of color. Officially known as “redistricting,” their aim is clear — to take back control of the House of Representatives in 2022 by any means possible, even if illegal, immoral, or unethical. That’s no surprise to those following politics; the surprise is that our […]
Valley Politics: (Mis)Reading the Recall
There has never been a way Gavin Newsom could win over voters in the bright red San Joaquin Valley. That’s why post-recall commentary from Valley leaders and pundits has thus far missed the mark. In assuming Newsom ever had a chance with highly partisan Valley voters, most everyone has focused on Newsom’s position on water. Water, however, is exactly the issue Newsom has no chance for winning on in the […]
On the Bus with Sue Zwahlen, Vito Chiesa, and Josh Harder
Just after noon on April 6, Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen, Stanislaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa, and Congressman Josh Harder boarded one of Modesto’s zero emission buses at 1010 10th Street for a ride out to one of the city’s unincorporated “islands” near Hanshaw Middle School, just west of Crows Landing Road in Stanislaus County. They were joined by Modesto City Manager Joe Lopez and several Modesto City and Stanislaus County […]
Rainbow over Modesto Greets New Mayor Zwahlen
Some said the rainbow that arced over Modesto early Tuesday morning touched down at Sue Zwahlen’s residence in the city’s college district, but they must have been looking from an odd perspective. To most observers, the rainbow looked like it had one end just outside the city to the southwest, with the other end touching down in the northeast. February 2 — Tuesday — was the official Election Day for […]