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

The Valley Citizen

Pursuing truth toward justice

The Valley Citizen

Pursuing truth toward justice
  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About

Sue Zwahlen Will Put Modesto Back in Business

January 7, 2021 By Eric Caine 6 Comments

Sue Zwhalen
Sue Zwahlen

There was little to learn from Wednesday’s debate between Sue Zwahlen and Modesto City Councilmember Doug Ridenour. Sponsored by the Modesto Bee, the debate stumbled through technical problems and distraction from the tumult in Washington DC.

Neither Ridenour nor Zwahlen could muster much passion; they clearly like and respect one another. Ridenour was most animated when questioned about his failures to wear a mask during the earlier stages of the pandemic; clearly irritated, he admitted he’d made mistakes and said that he had corrected them.

Ridenour’s response to the Coronavirus, however, has been much like that of other supporters of Donald Trump, including Stanislaus County Supervisors Terry Withrow and Jim DeMartini, both of whom have endorsed and supported Ridenour.  A major reason Stanislaus County has remained among the worst regions in the state for Covid infections and deaths has been the desultory and even defiant responses to science by local leaders. As of January 7, Stanislaus County ranked third in the state in deaths from the Coronavirus per 100,000 residents, at 120.3.

Though we respect Doug Ridenour’s long community service as Modesto Police Officer, his term on the Modesto City Council has been marked by rancor and dysfunction, and he’s been at the center of much of it, including a costly investigation that could carry over into the new term. Ridenour’s troubles have been with city staff; for comparison, consider Jim Gain’s comments about Sue Zwahlen’s relationship with Modesto City School’s staff members:

I have known Sue since the late 70s, but I really got to know her on a deeper level when she joined the Modesto City School Board of Education. As I ran the video stream for the Board meetings, we were able to have many relaxed, off-the-record conversations about the challenges and benefits of technology in education. She was intrigued about the possibilities of technology and always wanted to learn more.

What inspired me the most about Sue was the way she interacted with all MCS staff, no matter their position or title. As a member of the District’s Technology Committee, she made an effort to get to know each of the other members and to understand how their job position in the district influenced their perspectives. She provided keen insight while always approaching conversations from the perspective of the learner.

Now retired, Jim Gain was formerly Modesto City School’s Supervisor of Instructional Technology.

Sue Zwahlen and Josh Harder
Sue Zwahlen endorsed by Josh Harder

Under current leadership, Modesto has stumbled through the Covid pandemic. Its leaders have complained about closures, frequently appeared in public without masks, and questioned the recommendations of qualified experts. It’s critical we subdue the virus so we can reopen. A retired Emergency Room nurse, Sue Zwahlen is exceptionally qualified to assess and respond to the biggest crisis in our city’s recent history.

Doug Ridenour’s experience as a Modesto City Police Officer is valuable and much appreciated, but overall crime is down in Modesto, and especially if interim Chief Brandon Gillespie is appointed to replace Galen Carroll, we can expect a seamless continuity of outstanding law enforcement. The problems of today demand comprehension of the severity of the pandemic, the ability to work with others, and a firm understanding of what it will take to get us back in business.

Two of Modesto’s finest mayors were Peggy Mensinger and Carol Whiteside, women who knew leadership begins with respect for others. Since their terms, the city has too often lacked direction and focus.

Sue Zwahlen’s term on the Modesto City School Board was marked by comity and success; graduation rates increased by almost 13%. She’s been endorsed by virtually everyone she worked with. During this time of critical emergency, we need someone for whom emergencies were a career and public service a duty. We need Sue Zwahlen.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Sue Zwahlen, Sue Zwahlen for Mayor, Sue Zwahlen for Mayor of Modesto

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. al Lucchesi says

    January 8, 2021 at 9:50 am

    I saw the video and the technical problem. I agree with this article and it’s a good assessments Sue should be our next mayor

    Reply
  2. Tom Myers says

    January 8, 2021 at 9:56 am

    Excellent article in support of Sue. Jim Gain’s testimonial was very relevant. We need a leader who will listen and is open to new ideas.

    Reply
  3. Rachel says

    January 11, 2021 at 7:50 pm

    The hypocrisy…. when you have Sue taking pictures posing with a mask on and then posing with the mask off in the same photo??? Posted on her Facebook. Seems like trump supporter behavior to me. What example does that set?

    Reply
    • Eric Caine says

      January 12, 2021 at 8:48 am

      Rachel: I don’t have Sue “posing” anywhere. The photos in the story are from 2018. Do you think it inconceivable there would be pictures of someone, anyone, available with or without a mask? As for Trump supporters, we know who they are. Sue is NOT a Trump supporter. By the way, who are you supporting for mayor?

      Reply
      • Rachel Fredrick says

        January 12, 2021 at 10:30 am

        The carpenters 151 photo on her page… go look. I voted for naramsen and am not voting in the run off. Sue is backed by big money dems look at her funding. I’m tired of these fake politicians trying to buy elections

        Reply
        • Eric Caine says

          January 12, 2021 at 2:46 pm

          Rachel: Naramsen went into the General Election with far more money than Sue; he was a good candidate. if you wish to support Republicans by refusing to vote for Democrats, it’s your call.

          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

California faces catastrophic flood dangers ? and a need to invest billions in protection
California faces catastrophic flood dangers and a need to invest billions in protection
A new state plan for the Central Valley calls for spending as much as $30 billion over 30 years to prepare for the dangers.
www.latimes.com
Oakland will get millions for the ?inhumane? crisis at one huge homeless encampment. Officials say it?s not enough
Oakland will get millions for the “inhumane” crisis at one huge homeless encampment. Officials say it’s not enough
Gavin Newsom’s administration has awarded Oakland a $4.7 million grant to come up with…
www.sfchronicle.com
Alaska?s Fisheries Are Collapsing. This Congresswoman Is Taking on the Industry She Says Is to Blame.
Alaska’s Fisheries Are Collapsing. This Congresswoman Is Taking on the Industry She Says Is to Blame.
Mary Peltola won her election by campaigning on a platform to save the state’s prized fisheries. A powerful fishing lobby is standing in her way.
www.politico.com
Jimmy Carter's final foe: A parasitic worm that preyed on millions in Africa and Asia
Jimmy Carter’s final foe: A parasitic worm that preyed on millions in Africa and Asia
One of former President Carter’s biggest hopes is wiping out an infectious parasitic disease that’s plagued humans for millennia. How close is he?
www.latimes.com
Climate Extremes Threaten California?s Central Valley Songbirds - Eos
Climate Extremes Threaten California’s Central Valley Songbirds – Eos
A “nestbox highway” in California’s Central Valley is guiding songbirds to safe nesting sites and giving scientists a peek at fledgling success in a changing climate.
eos.org
Alaska Republican touts benefits of children being abused to death
Alaska Republican touts benefits of children being abused to death
Republican David Eastman suggested the death of child abuse victims could be a “cost savings” to wider society.
www.newsweek.com
Editorial: Newsom's drought order amid wet winter threatens iconic California species
Editorial: Newsom’s drought order amid wet winter threatens iconic California species
Gov. Gavin Newsom has effectively ended environmental regulations protecting California rivers and migratory fish by extending drought-year waivers.
www.latimes.com
Two-thirds of McPherson Square homeless remain on street, D.C. says
Two-thirds of McPherson Square homeless remain on street, D.C. says
As of Thursday, just two of the more than 70 residents of McPherson Square had been placed in permanent D.C. housing.
www.washingtonpost.com
More Building Won?t Make Housing Affordable
More Building Won’t Make Housing Affordable
America’s housing crisis has reached unfathomable proportions. But new construction isn’t enough to solve it.
newrepublic.com
Why YIMBYs are about to sue the daylights out of cities across the Bay Area
Why YIMBYs are about to sue the daylights out of cities across the Bay Area
Housing advocates are about to deliver a message to the Bay Area: Comply with state…
www.sfchronicle.com
At the heart of Colorado River crisis, the mighty 'Law of the River' holds sway
At the heart of Colorado River crisis, the mighty ‘Law of the River’ holds sway
At the heart of tensions over water allotments from the Colorado River is a complex set of agreements and decrees known as the ‘Law of the River.’
www.latimes.com
Biden restores roadless protection to the Tongass, North America's largest rainforest
Biden restores roadless protection to the Tongass, North America’s largest rainforest
The Tongass National Forest in Alaska, a focus of political battles over old-growth logging and road-building in forests for decades, has received new protection from the Biden administration.
theconversation.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 © 2023 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