• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

Modesto Voters Will Have a Mail Order Mayor

November 12, 2011 By Eric Caine 1 Comment

Like planets following orbits ordained by gravity, Modesto elections followed the path of conventional wisdom as the November 8 turnout was a typically low twenty-two percent, incumbents won, another family dynasty was born, and mayoral candidates faced a runoff.

Despite running in the newly-drawn District 3 for the first time, incumbent Dave Lopez prevailed over Todd Aaronson. Stephanie Burnside easily defeated scrappy challenger Jenny Kennoyer. Dave Cogdill Jr. brought yet another family tie into the political arena, joining local dynasties peopled by Berryhills, Canellas, and Bloms. And despite an impressive lead in total votes, Garrad Marsh must start all over again and try to defeat Brad Hawn not just once but twice.

Hawn is smiling like the cat that ate the canary because he figures to get the vast majority of Bill Zoslocki’s votes. Zoslocki, running hard, garnered an impressive total of over forty six-hundred ballots. Following the developer-inspired strategy of forcing a runoff, Hawn will now receive fresh infusions of money. He will also profit from the remarkable similarity between his and Zoslocki’s constituencies: “Bill and I are pretty close ideologically,” said Hawn after the election, perhaps suggesting that Zoslocki’s “no boundaries” attitude toward growth isn’t too far from Hawn’s own position.

Ideology aside, Hawn will ride the wave of voter discontent with public pensions. His advisory measures regarding pensions of public employees were wildly popular, even though it was apparent to many the measures were an unnecessary expense. Even the Modesto Bee noted that Hawn appeared to be pandering as he took advantage of an issue everyone has recognized needs attention. Even though most public employee unions are willing to compromise in the face of budget crises, politicians are all too willing to make them scapegoats for revenue problems brought on by a multitude of factors, many of them related to abuses in the marketplace.

Garrad Marsh will have to draw attention to the dire economic consequences of sprawl and to the failure of the Ridenour administration to come up with anything resembling a plan for growth. Ridenour has endorsed Hawn, as has just about every sitting member of the current city and county regime. The endorsements should be a clue that Hawn is seen as most likely to continue business as usual.

Marsh is the first candidate in decades who actually has a plan to revitalize Modesto’s downtown, protect farmland, and establish reasonable urban boundaries. He’s done the math and realized that replacing productive farmland with housing doesn’t pencil out. The houses require services and infrastructure we can’t pay for. Growing from within, on the other hand, takes advantage of extant services and infrastructure and injects dollars into downtown businesses while adding to the value of housing rather than depressing prices.

Marsh will also have to think hard about the other seventy-eight percent, those registered voters who almost never turn out for local elections. The runoff will be decided entirely by mail. Whoever can motivate people enough to drop their votes into the box may prevail, but motivating Modesto voters hasn’t proven easy in the past. Reasons for voter apathy are difficult to diagnose, but it’s hard to believe most citizens are content with Modesto’s declining quality of life. They need to be reminded that the ballot box has always been America’s ultimate weapon against the tyranny of the status quo.

 

Filed Under: Politics

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. My Homepage says:
    July 3, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    … [Trackback]…

    […] Read More: thevalleycitizen.com/?p=619 […]…

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

A South Texan?s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
A South Texan’s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
When she began her year-long bird-spotting adventure, Tiffany Kersten was lost and lonely. She ended up achieving a major milestone and finding her way.
www.texasmonthly.com
Ron Johnson tried to hand fake elector info to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, panel reveals
Ron Johnson tried to hand fake elector info to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, panel reveals
A top aide said the Wisconsin Republican senator wanted to give Pence the list of pro-Trump electors as he prepared to certify the 2020 election.
www.politico.com
Raffensperger says he wishes Fox News carried every Jan. 6 hearing
Raffensperger says he wishes Fox News carried every Jan. 6 hearing
“I think it would have helped our party heal, given [people] more facts.”
www.axios.com
'Not safe anymore': Portland confronts the limits of its support for homeless services
‘Not safe anymore’: Portland confronts the limits of its support for homeless services
Homeless encampments now spill well beyond Portland’s downtown core, dividing a city that has invested liberally in support services.
www.latimes.com
Republicans Will Do It Again
Republicans Will Do It Again
They have not been chastened by the revelations of the January 6 committee.
nymag.com
Birdman
Birdman
Bird Brother: A Falconer’s Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife
www.earthisland.org
The Potato Roll Empire Bankrolling Christian Nationalist Doug Mastriano
The Potato Roll Empire Bankrolling Christian Nationalist Doug Mastriano
The Martins were bit players in politics, until they put Doug Mastriano one step away from becoming Pennsylvania’s next governor.
nymag.com
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn under fire over rallies ‘distorting Christianity’
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn under fire over rallies ‘distorting Christianity’
Prominent Christian leaders accuse Trump allies of spreading misinformation about election and Covid, while distorting Christian teachings at ReAwaken America events
www.theguardian.com
Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears 'moment of reckoning'
Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears ‘moment of reckoning’
As the Colorado River water shortage worsens, major cutbacks are needed to reduce most perilous risks, a federal official tells senators.
www.latimes.com
Trump Scammed Supporters Out of $250 Million for Nonexistent Fraud Fund
Trump Scammed Supporters Out of $250 Million for Nonexistent Fraud Fund
Supporters who thought they were donating to “election integrity” instead saw some of their money funneled to Trump hotels
www.rollingstone.com
Police Arrested 31 White Supremacists Crammed Into a U-Haul With a Detailed Riot Plan
Police Arrested 31 White Supremacists Crammed Into a U-Haul With a Detailed Riot Plan
Members of the Patriot Front were allegedly planning to disrupt a pride parade in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
www.vice.com
Dishonor, Trump’s and His Party’s, Is the Real January 6th Takeaway
Dishonor, Trump’s and His Party’s, Is the Real January 6th Takeaway
Liz Cheney, defying the G.O.P., offered a searing indictment of the former President at Thursday’s hearing.
www.newyorker.com
Trumpworld Lied To Your Face About The Election
Trumpworld Lied To Your Face About The Election
In the fall and winter of 2020, former President Trump’s top lieutenants…
talkingpointsmemo.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design