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Today's story about a surprise inspection of catering trucks in Fresno was an eye opener. Many of the trucks inspected were found to have some pretty serious food safety and sanitation violations, and many others flunked inspections for emissions and other vehicular safety problems.
One catering operator said, apparently with some surprise, that this is the first time in his 24 years in the business that he's seen such a large-scale inspection. Perhaps we shouldn't wait so long for the next one.
I've never been a frequent patron of catering trucks -- I recall in my youth they were known as "roach coaches," and that's a little off-putting. But I have had some pretty tasty tacos from several of them over the years. Now I wonder.
As is usually the case in such events, some operators who set high standards for themselves and their employees will get tarred by the same brush that paints the bad ones. That may suggest the need for a little self-policing in the industry. And caution on the part of customers.
Democrats again have blocked progress on legislative redistricting, raising questions about whether they are serious about fixing a process that has essentially rigged elections in California by manipulating district boundaries. E.J. Schultz of The Bee's Capitol Bureau reports that the state Senate delayed a vote today on redistricting reform because Democrats wanted more time to review the plan. The bill could come up again in August. This looks a lot like a stalling tactic from lawmakers who really don't want redistricting reform.
The legislation, which also would have to be approved by voters, would give redistricting authority to an 11-member commission. It would take the process from legislators who have a built-in conflict of interest on the issue. Commissioners would be appointed by retired appellate court justices, although the Legislature would have some say in their selection.
Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, and Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, co-authored the state constitutional amendment.
But Senate Democrats got cold feet and delayed a vote on the much-needed reform.
Like my colleague, Russ, I found a lot to like about the results of a Public Policy Institute survey this week that showed people are becoming increasingly aware of air pollution in the Valley. We get it. That's half the battle.
Valley residents are connecting the dots -- that brown gunk they see in the air has something to do with the asthma treatments their children are experiencing and that constant coughing that Grandma complains of. All of us are being asked to change our habits and the way we do business. That's much more likely to happen if people are educated about the problem and understand why it must be done.
Threats of huge fines from the government got our attention, sure, but education is key. The Bee has been committed for years to giving its readers the very best information possible on air pollution and on the Opinion pages, we have aggressively advocated for action to reverse the trend. Those efforts are starting to pay off in rewarding ways and seeing the level of awareness go up is a sign that we're on the right track.
I see a corollary to the information coming out on global warming. It's going to take a lot of education for people to understand something they cannot easily see every day. The increased awareness of air pollution comes after, literally, hundreds of stories, editorials, charts and graphics in The Bee. But educational efforts like "An Inconvenient Truth" will play a part in getting people's attention and helping them connect the dots between their everyday habits and gradual, but certain, environmental changes.
Part of the problem with global environmental issues is that there is only one Earth. We cannot look at another planet, for example, and look for a model of how "not" to do things. It would be a lot easier if we could just observe the Planet Ninny, for example, and see what mistakes they made there and avoid them. As far as we know, we just get one chance with this planet, so we'd better get it right. If it starts sending out distress signals, we'd better pay attention.
With the Fourth of July upon us, it's a good time to visit the Web site of the National Archives in Washington, D.C. It's a treasure trove of information on the founding of the nation, and the Declaration of Independence in particular.
There's even a link to a page that let's you "sign" the Declaration. Choose a "quill" to select a style, type in your name and print it out. You'll be able to see your John Hancock alongside John Hancock's, right there on the page. Make copies using the names of family and friends and pass them out on Tuesday.
And read the Declaration again. It's one of the most stirring documents ever written, and still speaks its strong voice to "ourselves and our posterity," as the Founders so devoutly hoped and so brilliantly designed.
Mark Grossi's story today on a new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California focused on the perception of air quality and related health problems of people here in the Valley. Air quality has become the No. 1 concern, surpassing even crime, for those who live in the Central valley, stretching from Mt. Shasta to the Tehachapis.
But there's much more in the survey, which can be found at PPIC's Web site. One interesting tidbit was this: "Most residents believe misguided government spending (64%), too much growth in the wrong places (54%), and lack of regional planning (50%) are key sources of trouble. When asked specifically about planning for growth, two-thirds (66%) agree that new housing should be built in developed areas to preserve open space, and a strong majority (57%) say it should be built near existing jobs to reduce traffic and congestion."
That ought to be an ears up to local elected leaders who still insist on making land use and planning decisions as if their communities were surrounded by vacuum. The people get it. We're all in this bowl-shaped boat of a Valley together, and we ought to start acting like it.
We had an interesting little office discussion on the story about Rush Limbaugh getting detained by customs for three hours for carrying Viagra pills in a prescription bottle with someone else's name on it. There's nothing wrong with that under Florida law, the story says, so long as everyone involved is OK with the deception. But if you get caught by customs, they can stop your trip until they make sure all is well. That's still being checked out today.
It's also likely that things were touchier for Rush and the authorities because of his past drug-abuse issues. Rush shouldn't be embarrassed about his prescription to the point of having someone else's name put on it. My gosh, Viagra's sponsoring race cars and it's America's best-selling impotence drug for men. Pfizer makes $1 billion a year off that stuff. But, of course, since he makes his living making fun of other people, he probably rightfully thought that it would make him the joke of the day. He managed the topic well on his radio show yesterday, getting out in front of it all by making jokes himself. It is pretty funny.
What is not so funny to those of us who travel a lot, however, is what is the legal way to transport prescription drugs? For example, if Rush took the pills out of the pill bottle and put them in a little plastic case with seven pockets that said MTWTFSS, would that be OK? Apparently not.
Here's what I found on the Web site of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security:
Their traveler's checklist says to take only the medications you need and keep them in their original containers.
In more detail, in the section on prohibited items, there is this:
Rule of thumb: When you go abroad, take the medicines you will need, no more, no less.
Narcotics and certain other drugs with a high potential for abuse - Rohypnol, GHB, and Fen-Phen, to name a few - may not be brought into the United States, and there are severe penalties for trying to do so. If you need medicines that contain potentially addictive drugs or narcotics (e.g., some cough medicines, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antidepressants, or stimulants), do the following:
* Declare all drugs, medicinals, and similar products to the appropriate CBP official.
* Carry such substances in their original containers.
* Carry only the quantity of such substances that a person with that condition (e.g., chronic pain) would normally carry for his/her personal use.
* Carry a prescription or written statement from your physician that the substances are being used under a doctor's supervision and that they are necessary for your physical well being while traveling.
I caught a matinee of "An Inconvenient Truth" Saturday and found it to be an excellent primer on global warming well explained by the most earnest professor Al Gore. If you've seen it, what did you think?
My younger brother, Tom, a Ph.D. in chemistry, got all of the science genes in the family, but even I could understand that we need to watch what's going on with our planet at least as carefully as we monitor Rush Limbaugh's Viagra dependency.
I was the first one in the theater, followed by two other women, who were disappointed to see only me. "Well," one said, "I guess there aren't too many concerned citizens in this town." I didn't really expect too big a group, allowing as how it was early, hotter than heck and any sane person was floating in a swimming pool someplace. By the time the film rolled, there was a decent crowd of, I'd say, about 150 folks of all ages in there. There was enthusiastic applause at the end, and people were caught up in little knots of conversation as they exited the theater. That's good.
The film is clearly a well-told lesson, not a movie in the traditional sense. I like to learn things, so that was fine by me. But, as Bee reviewer Donald Munro pointed out in his review, it's hard to get people to sit down and listen to a presentation about something as unsexy as global warming. Gore deserves credit for giving the information to people in a way they're willing to take it in: full color, lots of visuals, clear writing. Delivered well, science really is, of course, fascinating. If nothing else, it helps to put the environmental news into perspective. For example, on Sunday morning the New York Times story about the vanishing Greenland glaciers came out and it was much easier to capture the significance of the melting ice sheets if you've seen the film. If you're looking for a big political back-and-forth, you'll have to go to the Web for that. But whatever your politics, the lifestyle changes suggested by www.climatecrisis.org shouldn't scare anyone. Even if the oceans don't rise a single inch, the worst that could happen from making the lifestyle suggestions is that I'll have a lower gasoline bill, the country will be less dependent on Bin Laden land, I'll save money on my electricity bill, we'll have more trees, I'll be healthier, my car will last longer.
There will be some habit changes needed, and that's always an inconvenient truth, but sometimes change is good. It's easier to make changes if you truly understand why you're doing it. "An Inconvenient Truth" is a good way to get out of the heat and actually learn something. I wouldn't hesitate to take intelligent teens in the family to the film. It'll make for a good family discussion.
My husband and I live in the county and we have this good-natured, but ongoing debate over what does and does not go in the recycling bin. Ha! Ha! I now have in my hand a DOCUMENT from Allied Waste that arrived over the weekend. So, I can tape this baby to the actual can and point to the list as if it were the civil code.
I think he puts way too many things in there, and he thinks I don't put enough in. Now we'll know for sure. After all, we wouldn't want to contaminate our bins. In this newsletter, there is a warning that anyone caught with trash in the recycling or green waste bin will be fined $10. I say it's better to be safe than risk contaminating an entire truckload of recyclables. This recycling business is not as easy as it looks. We debated last night over the chicken. For example, we bought a rotisserie chicken at the store. I said no because it's a glorified disposable plate. He said yes because it's plastic. Actually, we were both right. The top is clear plastic marked No. 6 so it can go in with the recyclables, and the bottom is black plastic marked No. 13, so it cannot. (How dopey is that? Packagers, are you listening?)
Here's the list of unacceptables: candy wrappers/bags; paper towels; tissues; toilet paper; foil wrap with food inside; cartons/bottles with liquid; formed Styrofoam; plastic bubble wrap; plastic wraps; disposable plates, cups, utensils; disposable diapers and wipes; plastic hampers, baskets and crates; plastic or rubber hoses; medical waste; motor oil, antifreeze or liquid filled containers; foul materials of any sort; kitchen dishes, glasses or flatware; mirrors; ribbons, bows, tape; rubber bands, plastic or rubber toys; cat litter; and textiles.
Acceptables: paper, including mixed, office, computer, colored, poster, construction, kraft; envelopes, brown bags. Chipboard boxes like cereal, cake mixes, rice, shoe, egg cartons of chipboard; paperboard, writing pad backings; paper towel and toilet paper cores. Magazines and junk mail are fine; catalogs and phone books; aseptic packaging like milk, soy and juice cartons; frozen food boxes and fabric softener boxes; corrgated cardboard up to 3 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. Plastics numbered 1-7 with jars, bottles and plastic bags; glass jars and bottles; cans of aluminum, tin and steel.
It doesn't say if you have to rinse out all your cans and bottles, but most places on the Web say yes. It's also necessary to empty out all the liquid from the bottles.
The newsletter also gave us the good news that an annual cleanup day in the area. That's cool, we haven't had that before and we always envied our city neighbors who did. The letter also put the holiday schedule in writing. Been waiting for that for awhile. It's a good system -- when the holiday falls on a weekday, our service day gets pushed back a day. People in our neighborhod always seem confused on holidays. And you know how that goes. If you're not sure, you look out to see what everyone else is doing. Usually, we're all wrong and the trash sits outside for two days.
The members of the House of Representatives -- "the people's house" -- have soiled themselves. Again.
Recently, and with no fanfare, they voted to give themselves another pay raise, something they do just about every year. They now make nearly $170,000 a year, in addition to endless perks at taxpayer expense.
They gave themselves this good news at about the same time they were refusing to raise the federal minimum wage, which has been stuck at $5.15 an hour since 1997. Because of inflation, the minimum wage is now $2 an hour lower in real dollars than it was four decades ago. At the current level, a family of three with one minimum wage income falls about $6,000 short of the official federal poverty threshold.
Of course, our representatives have been very busy lately, addressing same-sex marriages and flag burning, among other issues vital to the nation's survival. They are like hypocritical swine, slopping themselves at the national trough. Sooo-ey!
I saw reports yesterday on the 6 p.m. news that author J.K. Rowling said two characters will die in the next and last installment of her boy wizard series, and she hinted that Harry Potter might not survive either. Here's the story on Fresnobee.com.
I find this possibility so distressing that I can't even put it into words. These books are the best new books written in the past I-don't-know-how-many years, whether you're a child reader or just young at heart. To have them end with the death of such a beloved hero would be just unspeakable.
My daughter Katie was just two months old when we took her to the midnight launch of "Order of the Phoenix," waiting until 2 a.m. in Borders bookstore to get our new copy. These books, especially the audiobooks read by Jim Dale, have become an integral part of our family literary experience. My oldest daughter, Alyssa, is one of those girls who stays up all night reading through a new one, and I have to threaten her not to give away the ending before I can get through it. Recently my 9-year-old Shayna seems to have discovered the joy of reading the well-worn tomes.
Don't do it, J.K.!
Fresno Mayor Alan Autry says he will sue the state Legislature if it gives Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa power over L.A. schools after he was denied similar power over Fresno schools. There are so many holes in Autry's position, it's difficult to figure which part of his reasoning should be attacked first.
Let's start with suing the Legislature. Go ahead, but you better not be using taxpayer money. That would be a colossal waste -- intended to serve the mayor's ego and not the citizens of Fresno.
Fix Fresno's problems first before you take on school district issues. Besides, a reform-minded school board is on the right track with the help of a new superintendent in Fresno. Stop pulling the rug out from under them and give them a chance to succeed.
If the mayor should control the Fresno school district, what about Clovis Unified? Much of it is in the city of Fresno. But Clovis parents have too much clout and the mayor apparently is afraid of taking them on. But where's your consistency, mayor? While you're at it, you should be screaming to take over Central Unified, too, because part of that district is in Fresno.
Sure, the public schools have problems, but those are not going to be solved by putting a politician in charge of the school system.
If the mayor wants to help the schools, he should create jobs so children aren't growing up in poverty. He should improve their neighborhoods so they are safe. He should control the drug problem that's hurting so many of our children.
Villaraigosa should take the same advice: fix Los Angeles before taking on the L.A. schools. Your city is a mess, Mayor Villaraigosa. Why are you ignoring it?
There is a lot both mayors could do for the schools in their cities. But please stop pandering to those who believe that there are easy answers to solving the problems of our schools.
An article in Saturday's Bee reports that 2006 may be the last year that the California Interscholastic Federation holds the state cross country championships at Fresno's Woodward Park, where it has been held since its inception in 1987.
As the parent of a runner who will be a senior this year (Mikel Thomas, Clovis High), I'm selfishly glad that they'll be held there one more year. But if it comes to pass after this year, it will be a great loss to the area.
The CIF, the state's governing body of high school sports, has balked at Fresno's latest proposal to keep the meet. City officials say they are looking to restructure the deal to avoid an $11,000 annual loss on the event.
The event brings nearly 2,000 athletes and 7,000-10,000 fans to Woodward Park annually the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The majority of those in attendance come from outside the central San Joaquin Valley, which brings in money to area hotels, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses. But apparently not enough money.
Two things make Fresno an ideal choice for the state meet. First of all is the course, a 3.1-mile route that features hard-packed dirt trails with some grass and asphalt, mild rolling hills and one steep short hill. I got to run the route last Thanksgiving, in the Turkey Trot, just two days before Mikel was runner-up in the Division II boys race (it took me about 20 minutes longer to finish than it took Mikel!).
The second draw is Fresno's central location between northern and southern parts of the state.
Maybe in restructuring its proposal (the CIF will accept new bids from interested cities through Sept. 29), Fresno leaders could look to partner with other area cities that benefit from the meet's being held here? Clovis, Madera, want to step up to the plate to help keep this major high school sporting event local?
California expects to add as many as many as 20 million new residents in the next couple of decades. Our state's infrastructure is already strained nearly to breaking, and it will collapse under the weight of all those new people if we don't take steps right now to fix it.
That's why the bipartisan package of infrastructure bonds crafted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democrats in the state Legislature is so promising and so important. But there's one thing missing from the package: money to continue the process of building a high-speed rail system for the state.
The Legislature added $13 million to the governor's budget for that purpose, but the signs out of Sacramento suggest the governor will veto that appropriation. That could mean the death of the high-speed rail proposal, and that would be tragic. We'd lose a generation of good-paying jobs, and a chance to help clean up the Valley's foul air. A high-speed rail line would also connect the Valley to the rest of the state in both physical and psychological ways, something we desperately need.
The governor is closely focused on building highways and expanding airports, but making them adequate to meet the growing transportation demands would cost three time as much as the high-speed rail line. Those with the governor's ear are telling him the trains would be too expensive, but the greater cost to California would be not building the system.
We need highway improvements, especially on Highway 99 that serves the Valley. But highways and airports are the vision of the 1950s, not the 21st century. E-mail the governor and let him know that -- and right away.
A surprising name on State Sen. Chuck Poochigian's fund-raising list for attorney general is tennis star Andre Agassi. Poochigian was given a $10,000 contribution by Agassi for his campaign against Democrat Jerry Brown. Agassi, by the way, announced this weekend at Wimbledon that he is retiring after this year's U.S. Open.
So how did Poochigian connect with Agassi? After all, Poochigian doesn't have a lot of celebrities hanging around him like Brown, the former California governor and onetime darling of Hollywood. The Fresno Republican said a common friend hooked him up with Agassi.
Here's what Poochigian told me in an email to me after I asked why Agassi was giving him 10 grand:
"A friend of mine (and his) told him about me and my campaign and urged him to be supportive."
Cal Minor, a retired California Highway Patrol captain, who finished first in the primary election for Fresno County sheriff, has been endorsed by one of his opponents. That should be helpful in his runoff campaign. Sheiriff's Capt. Colleen Mestas, who finished fourth in the five-person race, has announced she is backing Minor. Here's the story.
Assistant Sheriff Margaret Mims, who finished second and is in the runoff with Minor, earlier was endorsed by sheriff's deputy Chris Curtice, who ran last. Only third-place finisher Jose Flores, a sheriff's captain, has not backed a candidate in the runoff election. "I'm weighing my options," Flores said in a story in today's Bee.
In the primary, Minor led the pack with 37.4% of the vote and Mims got into the runoff by polling 28%
This race is going to heat up now that it's a one-on-one contest between Minor and Mims. Both are law enforcement veterans and the two campaigns undoubtedly will be scouring their opponents' backgrounds looking for anything they can use in the general election campaign.
This is an open seat. Sheriff Richard Pierce announced in January that he wasn't going to seek a third term. But this race will be all about Pierce. The sheriff's political problems, including conflict-of-interest allegations, will continue to be key issues in the campaign.
Once a month,The Bee turns its Op-Ed page over to its young readers. This week we have commentaries from Candice Moreno of Stanford University on air quality; Anthony Chuka Ugwu-Oju of Harvard University on the pros and cons of coming back to your hometown after college; and Brenda Rankin of Fresno State, who's written what she calls "confessions of a major jumper." She's changed her major several times, but has now settled on English. The editorial page Saturday has tips for surviving our heat wave and we rant and rave in our weekly Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down commentary.
In Vision Sunday, award-winning writer David Mas Masumoto writes his monthly open letter to Mr. Johnson of Johnson grass fame -- nemesis of all farmers. On the Opinion page, we encourage all 15 cities in Fresno County and the Board of Supervisors to approve the extension Measure C, the half-cent sales tax earmarked for transportation. On the Op-Ed page, we also have question and answer interviews with the two candidates vying for the Mexican presidency, Andres Mauel Lopez Obrador and Felipe Calderon. Jim Boren analyzes the recent attacks on Fresno's strong-mayor form of government and says that fine tuning the system is fine, but it's way too soon to talk about returning to the days of political chaos at City Hall. Victor Davis Hanson gives his opinion on why the Democrats just cannot win and Maureen Dowd speculates on why big ideas can get you in trouble in Washington. The Valley's Top 10 list gives you the best ways to escape the heat. The No. 1 tip is "Freeze your underwear." The letter writer of the week is Dixie Lea Holland, a retired government worker and a Republican. On Monday, the editorials cover Clovis' approval of zoning for a domestic violence shelter.
The political sucking-up has already started in the governor's race. The latest is Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic challenger Phil Angelides showing up at the American Legion convention in Fresno to tell veterans how much they'll do for them if they get their support in November. The candidates do this at every group they appear before -- real estate agents, mortgage brokers, teachers, farmers -- you name the special-interest group and they'll have a giveaway program for them.
Angelides seemed to offer the most goodies Thursday, including waiving fees at public colleges for National Guard members; ensuring that all National Guard families have health insurance; provide family leave for spouses of activated National Guard members, and increase access to the California Military Family Relief Fund.
Schwarzenegger said veterans homes are a top priority for him, and the state will open five new homes in the next seven years.
(Read this story about the candidates' Fresno visit.)
No wonder California can't live within its means. The politicians promise that the taxpayers will fund everyone's needs. These are mostly good causes, but doesn't someone have to say, "How much is all this going to cost the taxpayers and can we afford it?"
There has to be more to the spat between Mayor Alan Autry and City Council President Jerry Duncan than what we've been told. Nothing else explains Duncan breaking down on the council dais on Thursday after complaining that Autry said "vicious and cruel" things about him.
This is what we know so far from today's Bee story:
Autry said Duncan was using "distortion" and "deception" in lobbying against the mayor's proposal to attack gang problems in Fresno with intervention and prevention programs and aggressive police action. The mayor was responding to Duncan's comments in a budget hearing that Autry was trying to turn the Police Department into a "social services agency."
Okay, call me naive, but where's the vicious and cruel part?
The Miami Herald reports that University of Miami accounting professor Tom Robinson turns out not to be a distant relative of the 13th-century Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan. A British DNA lab had told him he was, then backed off the claim. Robinson, who has been having some fun with the story, said "I have a pretty good idea of my deep ancestral roots as it is. I just can't put a name to it like I did before."
Got me thinking about all the famous people from the past I'm not related to: Moses, Buddha, Plato, Cleopatra, Confucius, Galileo, George Washington, Simon Bolivar, Abraham Lincoln, Crazy Horse, Thomas Edison -- it's a long list.
I am, I'm proud to say, a direct descendant of a German mercenary soldier who was hired by Britain's King George III to come over to the New World and help put down those pesky colonists and their foolish Revolution. This fellow had the presence of mind, as soon as the troopship docked in New York Harbor, to desert and flee to Virginia. Grand heritage, if I do say so myself -- even if that ancestor was an illegal immigrant.
Well, the down side of blogging on bathrooms is that suddenly, everyone's got a potty story. The stories I've heard. Yuck. Well, it does go the other way, as well. I've learned, for example, that there is an annual award for the best public restrooms -- and there is even a Hall of Fame. Included in the top five of the all stars is none other than the amazing Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. On the Cintas Web site, a company that makes bathroom supplies, you can even see pictures of the best ones.
No place in Fresno made the list but it was pretty funny the other night when one of the dinner conversations was actually the bathroom. This is no reflection on the company or the food. We were eating dinner at Edo-Ya -- a delicious teppanyaki splurge with some visiting teenagers. The ladies room suddenly became the conversation piece. It seems they've invested in a heated toilet seat with push-button spray and bidet options on the side panel. All the girls had to try it even if it wasn't -- um -- necessary. I looked on the Internet and found an amazing array of these things, which are essentially $500 toilet seats.
The top public restroom for the year is a sports-themed restroom in a restaurant called Wendell's in Westerville, Ohio. But the top public restroom in the Hall of Fame is the Ft. Smith Regional Airport in Fort Smith Ark.
One thing I've noticed in traveling is that the airport restrooms are very well kept, despite hordes of people from around the world and who-knows-what kind of bathroom customs. Fresno Yosemite International's are generally very nice when we've been there. The restrooms at Chicago O'Hare were so clean the day I was there that I hunted down the woman keeping them and tipped her.
The Poynter Institute's Morning Meeting blog had a long item citing a recent USA Today story explaining that airports around the country are investing in improving their restrooms. In Charlotte, N.C., for example, they hand out towels, mints, mouthwash and feminine products. Technology is helping, too. Touchless sinks and toilets are becoming quite common. If you're in charge of maintenance for any building, the story also includes a chart on how often the best restrooms are maintained.
In today's front-page story by Tim Sheehan on the dramatic population growth taking place in the Valley, Richard Cummings, director of research and communication for the Great Valley Center, asks the $64 question:
"Will this increased population translate into increased political participation statewide, or better-paying jobs?" Cummings asked. "How do we make sure the education system prepares the young people here in the Valley to be entrepreneurs, taxpayers and productive members of society?"
"If we're successful," he added, "we'll be able to create a region that attracts and retains highly educated people, and that's critical to quality of life."
We can use the growth to leverage a better life for Valley residents, but it will take political will and economic commitment on a regional basis. Is it there?
Driving down Clovis Avenue today on my way in to work, I noticed a few campaign signs (Dr. David Hadden, who won in the race for coroner) still hanging around between Clinton and Olive avenues. Winners and losers, get rid of the signs!
Before an election, campaign signs posted in a legal manner are a protected part of our First Amendment freedom of expression. Once the election has passed, however, they become graffiti, an unsightly blemish in our community. And some, mounted on road medians or on power and light poles, are illegal from the outset.
In the city of Fresno, candidates have until 15 days after the election to remove their signs (and that doesn't just mean laying them flat on the ground next to where they were displayed -- get them all the way gone). That deadline is tomorrow.
After tomorrow, citizens are encouraged to call the city's code enforcement staff if they see signs still posted after the deadline. We can also start a discussion here, and in the print version of the paper, if problems aren't resolved.
Where around our community are you still seeing election signs? And for which candidates?
Arnold Schwarzenegger may get political sand kicked in his face by the Legislature or the labor unions, but when it comes to manliness, he's still "Mr. Big." In honor of Father's Day, the staff members of the Minneapolis Star Tribune rated a bunch of Daddy diaper bags for manliness (1 for "hand it over to Mom" and 10 for "just call me Schwarzenegger.")
If you saw Guy Keeler's Sunday Page 1 story on full-time fathers, you get it. Even in 2006 some people don't understand men who are willing to take a leave of office from the workplace to raise their kids. Well, who cares? I bet most of the mouthiest ones are just jealous and would like to be able to do it themselves. In Norway, for example, they consider it so important that parents take off time with their children that they pay most of their salaries for the first year so they'll stay home and bond with the new baby. But hey, probably even in Norway a guy carrying around a pursey-looking bag with bunnies and teddy bears on it is either completely secure or just asking for it.
So, it's America's entrepreneurs to the rescue. The Strib layout featured camouflage diaper bags and sporty-looking vests with that store diapers in the inside pockets. There's one that looks for the world like a a shoulder holster -- how cool that it that holds baby powder instead of a pistol. The writers describe these bags as functional and "humiliation free." The top-rated Schwarzenegger special is all black with a dragon on the front. It even has a place for his cell phone. a cell-phone. One reviewer said it went just a little too far and looked like gang daddy. Other bags sported camo patterns perfect for Marine Daddy. One had the Grateful Dead on the front. I'm amused by the names of the sources of these things: www.psychobabyonline.com; www.diaperdude. I'm definitely putting these on my list for every baby shower coming up.
I blogged yesterday on the ranking of cities by "sustainability" from the group called SustainLink, and got a nice comment posted from Ben Reebs of that organization. He suggested checking out a blog by Warren Karlenzig, who managed the study for the group. I did. It's interesting. Here's the link. Thanks, Ben.
Mr. Reebs also asked what I liked about living in Fresno. We've all been through this exercise, but I've never done it in this interactive venue. So why not?
This is hardly my exhaustive list, but two things have always been at the top. I like the people here. There is less affectation than I've found in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, the other two places in California I've lived.
I like the weather. I've only ever spent two winters in places -- Missouri and Japan -- that can be said to have real winters. You can have it. The thing I like best about the snow up in the Sierra Nevada -- after the water it provides us -- is the fact that it's two hours away.
What's on your list? Share it with us.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is going online this morning and wants you to connect with him. You can ask the governor questions beginning at 10:30 a.m. by going to this link. The online video question-and-answer session will be conducted from the governor's press briefing room in the Capitol. After it's over, you can watch the vide of him answering the emails from Californians.
Margita Thompson, the governor's press secretary, told the Associated Press that the Web cast is intended to allow constituents who normally would not have an opportunity to question the governor to connect with him online.
It's a great idea. Blog on, governor.
Chris Curtice, a sheriff's deputy who finished fifth in the five-person race for Fresno County sheriff on June 6 with just under 6% of the vote, has endorsed Assistant Sheriff Margaret Mims in her runoff with Cal Minor, a retired California Highway Patrol captain. Minor finished first with 37.4% of the vote, followed by Mims with 28%.
The question now is who will Sheriff's Captain Jose Flores, who received 15.1% of the vote, and Sheriff's Captain Colleen Mestas, who received 13.4% of the vote, support in the runoff?
Here's part of Curtice's statement that was issued today:
"Assistant Sheriff Mims is the best choice for the department and for Fresno County voters," Curtice said.
"The campaign process, getting to know the candidates, and debating with them proved to me that Margaret has a real grasp of the issues facing the department and offers the best choice to solve problems and address the issues that face the department," Curtice said.
"It is clear to me that the department requires the experience that Assistant Sheriff Mims has to offer," Curtice added. "She has worked for over two decades in the Fresno County Sheriff's Department and has worked under three different sheriffs."
Father's Day was bittersweet this year. My husband lost his Dad a few months ago, so it was his first holiday without his father. I came across a nice little pin to give him on this occasion. I found it at Berean Christian store. It's a little lapel pin in the shape of a teardrop, with a rose engraved in the bottom of the teardrop. There's a note that goes with it, explaining the significance of the teardrop, meaning a loss, and the rose, everlasting love. They also have necklaces. They're really quite nice remembrances for a difficult "first" day like this for the grieving.
It was also tough on my husband and me because we spent Sunday morning sending this year's exchange student, Merete, back to her parents in Norway. It just happened to fall on Father's Day. Unfortunate timing. We caught a few breaks at the departure this year. Her luggage was really full but the nice people at the airport let it go through -- bless them, we so appreciated that. While we were waiting to say goodbye, some of her friends who travel to India every year say that traveling out of Fresno is vastly superior to leaving from LA or SF. The lines are shorter; the people much nicer.
I took a call from from Merete just a few minutes ago. She's safely back with her Norwegian friends and family, already partying with her homies. But she knows she'll always be a part of Fresno. She was traveling in a T-shirt that says Bullard Volleyball on it, a gift from her friend Avreeta, last year's team captain. When she stopped to change planes in Amsterdam, a girl came up to her and asked if that was Bullard High School in Fresno. Turns out she was from Visalia.
Though we had a great year with Merete, things are pretty sad and quiet in our house while we readjust to our empty nest. She did leave us with these two little kittens, Mettie and Andy, who manage to make us laugh every day with their antics.
Farewell, sweet Merete, until we meet again -- in Oslo about this time next year!
It appears that California legislators may finally be ready to give up control of drawing the boundaries of their own districts. Assembly and Senate leaders are ready to put a constitutional measure on the ballot in November that would give redistricting power to an independent 11-member commission.
The Associated Press reported today that an amendment to the California Constitution has enough votes to pass the Senate. It also should pass the Assembly and then go on the November ballot. The voters would have to approve the change.
“I don’t see a whole lot of opposition to this at this point,” Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez told the AP. “It’s a clear effort to try and do the right thing by way of allowing for broader citizenship participation in the political process.”
Last November, California voters rejected a redistricting reform plan that got overshadowed by a power struggle between Democrats and Republicans. But this measure seems to have bi-partisan support, which increases its chances of passing this November.
Gerrymandered district's aren't new, of course. But the California Legislature turned the process into a fixed system in 2001 when both major parties cut a deal to not compete for the seats each already held. This is how well it worked: There were 153 legislative and congressional seats on the ballot in California in 2004 and not one changed parties.
Unfortunately, Proposition 77, which was on last November's ballot, got caught up in a partisan battle between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supported it, and Democratic leaders, who lumped it in with a reform package they called a "power grab" by the governor. Confused voters killed it.
But now the same commission-type reform could be on the ballot, and both sides are saying it's a good idea.
Let's hope legislative leaders follow through on their promise, and then voters support the change.
* Your warranty has expired.
* You've just received a tax refund that you planned to use for something fun.
* You've just gotten your other family car running good.
* Summer heat in Fresno has arrived.
It never fails. Cars have an uncanny sense of timing - last Friday, just ahead of what was expected to be the hottest weekend of the year so far, my AC went out.
I noticed it on my way in to work. And right after that, I noticed that my odometer and my speedometer had also ceased to function.
My husband tried replacing the fuse that controls all three of those things, and they came back to life briefly. Then the new fuse blew too, and they died again.
I think I can live without the odometer - it just stresses me out to know how much mileage is on my 7-year-old Ford minivan. The speedometer is occasionally necessary, like when I'm flying down the freeway on my way to work.
But I cannot live without my air conditioning. Not in Fresno. So after a weekend of greatly curtailed errands so I wouldn't have to drive in the heat, my van is in the shop. Let's hope the news isn't too bad.
SustainLane, a nonpartisdan online site promoting healthy and sustainable living, reported earlier this month on a survey of America's 50 most populous cities. The group measures the self-sufficiency of cities' economies, as well as their quality of life and their ability to create livable conditions in a fashion that can be maintained from generation to generation.
Fresno came in at No. 33, as The Bee reported June 1. We lost big points for bad air quality and poor public transit. The study also wondered aloud why there are so few farmers' markets in an area dominated by the nation's most productive agriculture. And it noted the irony of a city so close to majestic natural wonders that has so little park space of its own. See the full report here.
On Saturdays, The Bee turns its Op-Ed page over to local readers. This week we have three nice tributes to fathers. Katherine Andes of Hanford tells a poignant story of her imperfect, yet perfectly loveable father. Laura Pando tells about her dad's outstanding career in education and Jeff Hollis praises his father's professional and personal accomplishments.
The editorial page Saturday addresses the air-quality measures taken -- or not taken -- by the dairy industry; we praise President Bush for preserving Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument and rant and rave in the weekly Thumbs up, thumbs down commentary.
In Vision Sunday, Bee Executive Editor Betsy Lumbye explains The Bee's process for selecting front page stories and extends an invitation to readers to be guest editors at the daily news meetings. In our cover story, Nell Bernstein reports that one in 10 American children has a parent under criminal justice supervision -- many for non-violent drug offenses. As incarceration touches the lives of more and more Americans, a backlash against the drug war may be brewing. Bernstein is the author of “All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated” (The New Press, 2005).
On the Opinion page, we talk about the importance of physical education classes; press the point that we must learn lessons from the ongoing government disaster called Katrina relief and discuss the importance of dads in the home.
Our columnists add wide array of topics to the mix. Maureen Dowd finds that Old Media and New Media aren't so far apart after all during a conference in Las Vegas. Victor Davis Hanson, a classicist and historian, applies the lessons of Socrates to illegal immigration. Hint: Soc would say you can't have it both ways. Ruben Navarrette, a sophomore father, discovers that the job's getting harder all the time.
The Valley's Top 10 list gives reasons people supersize their meals.
The letter writer of the week is Bryan Galt, who holds one of the Valley's more enviable titles -- beverage manager at Chukchansi Gold Casino.
On Monday, the editorials cover downtown Wi-Fi and nutrition for the poor, along with brief hits on Juneteenth and new tourism classes. Don't miss a column by Leonard Pitts Jr. titled "Ann Coulter: She's tall, blonde and nasty." If you prefer Mona Charen, she criticizes the media's reporting on Gaza and Haditha.
Just in time for the return of 100-degree temperatures on Saturday: Old Spice, the deodorant maker, has determined that Fresno ranks 25th on the list of the nation's sweatiest cities. Phoenix proudly holds down the top spot. Its citizens produced 26 ounces of sweat per hour during a typical summer day in 2005.
From the company's press release: "[Phoenix's] average high temperature last year was 93.3 degrees -- compared to a cool 63.2 degrees for San Francisco, the nation's least sweaty city." Texas, with six of its cities in the Top 10, is the sweatiest state.
The list changes when humidity is factored in, though. High humidity means the sweat doesn't evaporate. By that measure, the 10 most uncomfortable cities in the country are Miami; Corpus Christi, Texas; Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix; West Palm Beach, Fla.; Houston; San Antonio; New Orleans; Tampa, Fla. and Fort Myers, Fla.
I think I'll head for the coast this weekend.
Read about the Downtown Fresno Photo Project on Fresno Famous. It's an exciting sounding project to document what downtown looks like now, before the changes that will happen over the next few years. Anyone with a digital camera is invited to be a part of it. The project will continue through Sept. 30.
Putting free wireless Internet service in downtown Fresno -- on the Fulton Mall, parts of Kern Street and at Grizzlies Stadium -- is a sign that Fresno is starting to realize the importance of getting the city connected. A story in today's Bee announces the service.
Mayor Alan Autry pushed the wireless service after the Creative Economy Council listed it as one of the group's many recommendations for improving downtown Fresno. I have also written many times in my columns about the need for free wireless Internet access in downtown Fresno. I'd like to see downtown, especially the Fulton Mall, become a technology hub. This is a good beginning.
All right, I know I've spent an inordinate amount of time traveling lately with teenage girls. That means a lot of time spent in public rest rooms. Chambers of commerce members and city planners take note -- nothing turns people off of your city or your business, especially the women, like disgusting, inadequate or nonexistent public bathrooms.
It's not just women who are sensitive to the topic. I was discussing the pros and cons of camping with a male colleague yesterday and he said the communal campground restrooms are one big barrier to folks enjoying the camping experience. He said most of them are so nasty that his family members have to wear flip-flops into the shower.
Nobody seems to talk about this topic until it's time to bulldoze them, but it's basic common sense. If you want to make a good impression, make sure the restrooms are clean and smell good. We were at Huntington Beach a few weeks ago and they've got an immense redevelopment project going on across from the beach. They're planning parking (finally) and restaurants, offices and hotels at this development called The Strand. It looks like a really exciting and ambitious plan from what's posted on the fence. Maybe we were just unlucky, but the beach and pier potties, where virtually everyone has to go sometime during the day to change clothes or whatever -- bleahhhh. Surf City's got a great thing going there -- that weekend we watched Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh sweep the women's final of the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown Huntington Beach Open, in addition to enjoying their wonderful beach. But would HB officials really want Misty or Kerri to gag after every break? Probably not.
After reading that some people paid as much as $350 to see Madonna recently at the Save Mart Center, I found myself scratching my head over the high cost. There are an awful lot of performers I'd love to see, but that just sounds a little steep.
I am becoming my parents, I guess. My mother and father were raised during the Depression, and my siblings and I have chuckled over the years that sometimes they think bread should still be a dime a loaf. Now I'm doing it.
But then I look at a small poster hanging on my office wall, advertising an appearance by the Grateful Dead -- yeah, I'm one of those -- back in 1974 at Selland Arena. (It was, by the way, a legendary show among many Deadheads.) Down at the bottom is the ticket price: $3.50. I'm sure I grumbled at paying so much back then.
Today on Internet Movie DataBase, there is a story about Britney Spears and her "diaper drama." According to the story, Britney "stunned shoppers and staff at a Victoria Secret's lingerie shop last week, when she changed her son's diaper on the store's dirty floor."
The singer was shopping at the shop in Mission Viejo, California, with 8-month-old son Sean Preston, when the infant needed to have his diaper changed. The 24-year-old mother, whose parenting skills have been questioned several times this year, plopped him down on the floor next to the cash register and did what needed to be done.
I am certain that if she had ignored the dirty diaper the outcry would have been just as loud. Give this young woman a break.
Parenthood doesn't come with a manual. Most of us are just lucky enough not to have the critical and watchful eye of every cameraperson and store clerk upon us as we make the mistakes that all of us have surely made at one time or another.
I'm no fan of Britney's and I certainly don't consider her a role model. But give her a chance.
Rituals are wonderful. But I also really like new traditions -- especially those that involve kissing. We got to experience one this weekend at a family wedding. Our niece, Elizabeth Eden, and her fiance, Mike Sitrick, got married. The bride and groom both are accomplished musicians and most of their buddies likewise. (A 16-voice choir sang at the wedding -- gorgeous!) They graduated from a college known for its music program, so the wedding party and the guest tables were filled with extroverts with great voices.
At this wedding reception, they put notes on all the tables inviting the guests to stand up and sing songs with the words "kiss" or "love" in the lyrics. As a reward, the bride and groom would kiss every time someone sang one of these songs. Well, the tables organized and spontaneously popped up with their songs, everything from "Love Shack" from the college buddies to "Jesus Loves Me" from the Sunday School table to "I love You, You love Me" from the table with the little kids. The only thing I might add to that is putting a little songbook at each table, cause we were really mangling the words to some of those songs.
We haven't been to a wedding in a couple of years, but there are several more brewing in the family and at our office. Any other cool wedding traditions popping up out there?
Joan Obra, who writes delightfully about food in The Bee's Life section, has a nice piece today about the demise of dinner at Upstairs, Downtown, the fine restaurant at P and Inyo downtown. The paucity of customers willing to make the trek downtown for dinner -- and the absence of a population base in downtown after the end of the work day -- have caused the restaurant to shift to a lunch-only schedule.
That's too bad. As Joan writes, Upstairs, Downtown is one of the few local restaurants committed to using the freshest food available from local growers. Owner Sharon Alexander has also made a commitment to downtown Fresno, which is still a dicey proposition for any business, even though downtown has made and is making such great strides toward renewed vitality.
It's another reminder of the importance of creating new housing downtown. The pent-up demand for a chance to live a more urban lifestyle is there, especially among the area's young professionals. That means the market is there. But there is still no rush to build housing downtown outside of a handful of visionary developers. Some day...
E.J. Schultz, The Bee's Capitol Bureau reporter, offers this assessment of the funding battle for the governor's Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley:
Valley leaders are feeling pretty good about their chances of getting a $5 million earmark for the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, an economic task force Schwarzenegger appointed. The governor had the amount in his budget, but the budget conference committee stripped it out because the proposal lacked details. Valley leaders visited the Capitol Tuesday to lobby for the money. They got good feedback, according to Ashley Swearengin of the Fresno-area Regional Jobs Initiative.
"We know for sure that this is on their [the governor's] list of must-haves in the Big Five discussion," she said.
The "Big Five" includes Gov. Schwarzenegger and the Republican and Democratic leaders of both houses. The group met Tuesday to iron out budget differences.
Looks like Fresno's Pete Mehas won't be stepping away from politics, even though he is retiring as Fresno County schools superintendent. He's already working for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign. Today the Schwarzenegger campaign pushed Mehas into a public fight with Treasurer Phil Angelides, who is the Democratic nominee for governor. Here's a press release the governor's folks just issued after Angelides came to town for a campaign appearance:
Sacramento, CA - Today, Fresno schools Superintendent Dr. Peter Mehas issued the following statement in response to Phil Angelides' education event:
"As an educator of 44 years, I am disappointed that Phil Angelides continues to bring his negativity and pessimism to one of the most important issues to Californians -- education funding.
"Like a typical politician, he is distorting the facts by using data from 2003 to talk about our schools. Angelides ignores that Governor Schwarzenegger has put unprecedented amounts of funding towards educating our students. Two years in a row he raised per-pupil funding, bringing it to over $11,000, which is more than $1,400 higher than just two years ago. Governor Schwarzenegger is fully funding our schools, while Phil Angelides offers no real plan - just his promises for higher taxes."
The Angelides campaign issued a response to Mehas' statement. It came from Bob Mulholland, senior adviser to the Angelides campaign. Here it is:
"Note to Pete Mehas (Schwarzenegger supporter and brainchild behind the unsuccessful No on Prop 98 campaign): Pete, did you flunk the High School Exit Exam for English? Read the reports. Your political buddy Schwarzenegger now admits he broke his promise to schools and that's why he is being forced to pay back billions to schools over the next several years. It was wrong for Schwarzenegger to break his promises to California's kids. Phil Angelides is the only candidate with an honest plan to fully fund schools. That's why Angelides is supported by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and hundreds of thousands of teachers across California."
Interesting story today about many Valley diners continuing to choose big portions despite all the stern warnings lately about rising levels of obesity and associated health problems.
We want to be healthy, but many -- perhaps most -- of us aren't willing to do anything to get there. Or maybe we're just in deep denial -- "It won't happen to me," and the like.
It reminds me of government services and taxes: We want every service imaginable, but we don't think we ought to have to pay for any of them.
I gotta admit, though, that half-pound burger Colorado Grill owner Ali Nekumanesh is holding in the picture looks awfully tasty. Can I get that with cheese and bacon?
The last week of school, my oldest daughter, Alyssa, received an unexpected honor at her school, Reyburn Intermediate in Clovis. Already an award-winning straight-A student, she got the highest honor in her elective, journalism. This makes her a third-generation journalist in our family.
Her mother and father, Yolanda and Denny Boyles, were both journalists in the U.S. Navy, and her father and I both work here at the paper. One of her grandfathers -- my father, James Dorman -- was also a Navy journalist, the editor-in-chief of the Bremerhaven Windjammer.
Journalism isn’t necessarily something you think of as a family business. But it made us proud, nonetheless. We didn’t push Alyssa to pursue that direction, but she has, for now, and seems to be enjoying it. She’s young and it’s possible that she’ll end up going 15 other directions before she settles on a career path. And that’s OK too. For whatever she ends up doing – all of our children – we just want her (them) to be happy with the path they’ve chosen.
Here's Gail's list of travel lessons learned the hard way from a perfectly hideous plane trip to Chicago and back:
1. Double check everything that any travel agent or ticket agent tells you. They can tell you one thing and something else can be printed on the ticket or e-mail. For example, they might tell you that your flight is booked for 9:45 a.m. when it is really booked for, say, 9:45 P.M.!!! It's really not funny when you wake up at 6 a.m. and show up at 8 a.m. for a 9:45 p.m. flight.
2. Eat well before you get on your flight because most times these days, you're getting nothing more than a cup of soda and a little bag of crackers on board the plane. That's usually fine -- UNLESS stuff happens.
3. Take some snacks in your carry-on bag in addition to eating well. That's just in case you fly into a lightning storm. Could be you'll be like me -- stuck on the runway at Colorado Springs, along with 30 other planes that have been diverted due to a storm. Fortunately, I had a little bag of hard candies, which looked like filet mignon to the ravenous travelers seated near me.
4. For some reason, the counter they call "customer service" has the slowest customer service of all the counters. Not sure why that's true, but it is.
5. Wear really comfortable walking shoes and use reliable luggage with straps that don't break, just in case you have to walk the half-mile length of the Denver airport several times. It's really not fun when the shoulder strap of your carry-on bag breaks twice and everything falls out of it. Picture you on your hands and knees trying to gracefully recover your money, ID and various personal effects, which have spilled all over the floor. It does amuse your fellow travelers.
6. By all means, talk to strangers. You meet some very nice people in those long lines. Sometimes you even band together and make buddies out of the diverse bunch of folks from Toronto and Miami and Los Angeles, all stranded together trying to find their way home too. Denver airport is a very pretty place to be lost, however, and the nice people they have giving out information are just great. A stack of paper maps to the place would also be really helpful.
OK, all you experienced travelers. Share your wisdom, too. We gotta stick together.
We had a family wedding in Chicago over the weekend so I was reading the Tribune over breakfast Sunday morning. And what did I find featured on the front cover of the Trib's Sunday Books section with an exclamation mark, but -- Fresno. The two top lit-related events in town were highlighted on the cover and one of the big events was an appearance by Angelica Carpenter, curator of the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature at California State University, Fresno. Here's part of what they wrote: "Don your shiniest shoes and tuck your little dog into a picnic basket: The president of the International Wizard of Oz Club is blowing into town!"
In political campaigns, candidates usually tout the endorsement of the Fresno Police Officers Association as proof that they have strong crime-fighting credentials. But that’s political spin and the FPOA proved it on Wednesday. This is a union, pure and simple, and union issues are much more important to members than which candidate is toughest on crime.
That’s why the FPOA endorsed Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown for attorney general over state Sen. Chuck Poochigian of Fresno.
When Brown was governor, California cops hated him for his soft-on-crime positions that included appointing death penalty opponent Rose Bird to the state Supreme Court. Poochigian has one of the best records in the Legislature on crime.
Brown was endorsed because he is part of the Democratic giveaway of public funds to public employee unions. That includes pensions programs that will one day bankrupt cities and counties unless they are reeled in. Poochigian has been a good watchdog for the public, and that includes reforming the workers compensation system. Protecting taxpayers doesn't play well with the public employee unions.
When candidates say they have the FPOA endorsement it means they are friendly to the unions, not that they are tough on crime.
Saturday features Valley Voices, where our readers offer their opinions on various topics. Armen Bacon writes about the way she and her sisters celebrated their mother's 80th birthday. Major Rogers discusses the treatment of Chinese immigrants long ago in Visalia. And Sergio Ortiz offers his thoughts on how old children should be when they are allowed to have a cell phone.
Our editorials this weekend deal with a broad range of subjects, from the Armenian Genocide and the failure of Proposition 82, the preschool initiative, to the issue of gay marriage and politics.
State Sen. Dean Florez is trying to keep the proposed high speed rail line on life support. Good for him, but I'm growing increasingly pessimistic that this wonderful idea will ever actually happen in California.
Years ago I had a chance to do a lot of traveling on Japan's high-speed "bullet trains," and I fell in love with them. What a way to go. Eat, sleep, read, play cards, gaze out the window at the passing scenery, engage fellow passengers in conversation -- everything but the weary and draining exercise of driving. It's a truly civilized way to travel.
High-speed rail would be an enormous economic boost for the state and the Valley. It would mean a generation of good-paying construction jobs, and ancillary businesses to supply the tools and equipment for the system. It would have a profound impact on air quality. It would take pressure off highways and airports, and cost less than expanding those modes of transportation.
So why don't we already have such trains in this country and this state? Beats me. Our infatuation with the automobile, our alienation from one another, the "convenience" of the private vehicle -- none of the reasons commonly given for our indifference to train travel really add up. I once thought that high-speed rail was one of those ideas so good that we couldn't possibly screw it up. Now I don't know.
Voter turnout -- or non-turnout, to be more precise -- is much in the news this week. The response to Tuesday's primary election was dismal, up and down the state and here in the Valley.
The reasons are many: apathy, sloth, the absence of "sexy" issues -- another word, perhaps, for divisive ones -- and the paucity of exciting candidates and races. On Tuesday, many candidates ran unopposed. All true, but that still doesn't add up to a full explanation.
For instance, in the Fresno City Council race for the District 1 seat, there was a field of five strong candidates seeking to replace incumbent Tom Boyajian, who is termed out. Each was qualified for the job on many counts. The district is usually very active politically, and widely diverse in demographics and economic measures. The City Council controls a budget of nearly $1 billion and makes decisions that keenly affect the quality of our lives in Fresno. The campaign in District 1 was carried out at a high level, with utter civility. Yet the turnout in this important race was an appalling 23.5%.
Top vote getter Scott Miller and runner-up Blong Xiong will face each other in a November runoff. Let's hope interest runs a little higher then. The result matters.
Ann Coulter, the conservative -- celebrity? pundit? pit bull?-- has made a lucrative cottage industry out of slamming liberals, but her latest effort sets new standards for trash-talking: In her new book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism." she calls a group of surviving wives of 9/11 victims "witches," adding that she's "never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much."
Coulter's remarks drew a quick response from several quarters, as told in this New York Daily News story.
One of the wives, known as the "Jersey Girls" since they bonded to urge the formation of the 9/11 Commission, said "Having my husband burn alive in a building brought me no joy. Watching it unfold on national TV and seeing it repeated endlessly was beyond what I could describe. Telling my children they would never see their father again was not fun."
Kinder, gentler, compassionate conservatism, indeed.
Madonna -- that concert was 6/6/06 all the way -- whips, beer barf, tarp people, she-devils -- and that was just the audience. Toss in the Enron system of ticket sales, seating that had to be devised by the comedians on "Saturday Night Live" and you've got all the elements of a summer blockbuster. But in the end, hey, it was all good. I'm anxious to hear if everyone else had as much drama -- and fun -- as we did. Tell your story!
I was building up a nasty temper tantrum all day after getting Bee music guru Mike Osegueda's explanations of the ticket tricks surrounding these huge concerts. Tickets to "sold out" seating areas then suddenly being offered within a week of the show or tickets showing up on the Web at a fraction of their value really gave me an education. Isn't scalping illegal? was my naive question of the day. Apparently, there were unprecedented entanglements in Fresno because of the back-to-back concerts at Save Mart. I was really feeling burned and it had nothing to do with the air conditioning. If I'd wanted to gamble, I'd go to Vegas.
Well, we really thought we'd stepped into the showing of "The Omen" instead of a concert night. When we arrived, we discovered our $96 seats -- unprecedented at our house -- were at the very top row at the farthest end of the arena -- and there were people already sitting in them. When we looked closer, we could see the top level of seats had a black tarp stretched over them, preventing people from sitting in them. The people sitting in our seats were the "tarp people," who had nowhere to sit.
I was not happy about the location of the seats, especially when we could see row upon row of open red seats all over the lower levels of the arena. We sat there, arms folded in a frump, when our daughter and her friends decided to get busy. They went to inquire about exchanging their seats for a better location. They were successful, but when they arrived at the new assignment -- there were people in them! They're peaceful kids, they didn't want to fight with anyone about it, so they came back to their original seats -- and they were full of people again! Back they went to get binding arbitration.
Meanwhile, someone threw up her beer and splattered my husband and that, complicated by an aisle seat in the vertigo section, nearly sent him to the restroom. The smartest move I made all night was 20 minutes into the concert, when I decided to get binoculars. We were so far back, even the big video screens couldn't help us. As I walked up to the table, a woman asked if I'd like seats closer to the stage. Are you kidding? Well, yeah. She handed two tickets that placed us within maybe a dozen rows of the stage. Gorgeous seats.
Unfortunately, people were sitting in them! So the attendant had to shake them all down for their tickets and move them out to their own seats, which by then were filled with other people. When we finally settled in, we quickly discovered that some kind of devil woman and her companion were in front of us. We knew that because, when everyone else in the section was sitting down during Madonna's set of ballads, they were still standing up and dancing around -- and not very well -- right in front of us. If we managed to get a view up the aisle, well they decided to jump out and dance in the aisle. My husband suggested they look around and see that everyone else was sitting down, and one of the demons made it clear that for $350, she didn't care about anybody else. A very nice peacemaker found an empty seat in the row and encouraged my husband to sit in it, so the seat behind the she-devil was left empty the rest of the night.
It was a very Madonna-like night with lots of drama -- do you think she plans it this way? I say yes. It takes quite a woman to stand with a whip and tall black boots and scream at a crowd that had paid up to $350 for their seats: "No sitting down!" Now that takes, um, guts.
The November runoff election for Fresno County sheriff will pit two veteran law enforcement officers against each other. Cal Minor, a retired California Highway Patrol captain, led a five-candidate field Tuesday, but was not close to getting enough votes to avoid a runoff. As of 11:55 p.m., Minor had 37.4% to 28.1% for Margaret Mims, an assistant sheriff.
For most of the night, the vote count showed Minor and Mims separating themselves from the rest of the field. Tuesday's results set up an interesting runoff election. Minor, 57, worked for the CHP for 33 years before retiring in 2003. Mims, 51, is a 23-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department.
Both have long records in law enforcement and you can bet that the opposing campaigns will be digging into the candidates' backgrounds looking for something to exploit in the fall campaign. We saw some of that in the primary, but not nearly as much as is likely in the runoff.
Here's how the other candidates in the race fared: Sheriff's Capt. Jose "Joe" Flores was third with 15.2% of the vote, followed by Capt. Colleen Mestas with 13.3%. Deputy Chris Curtice was fifth with 5.9%.
With Judy Case's easy re-election victory in the race for the District 4 seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, the lineup of the county board will not change for the next two years. But we do hope we see a more aggressive approach to finding regional solutions to many of our local problems.
Too often turf battles and parochialism have kept the region from dealing with critical issues in an effective way. Such matters as public safety, transportation, air quality and the everlasting problems of water quality and supplies are often handled piecemeal, even though they affect us all without respect to arbitrary lines on the map.
This isn't to single out the county supervisors. City councils, other county boards and various districts have all contributed to this problem of the pinched perspective. We need better from all of them in an era that is sure to be characterized by increasing growth, with all its attendant problems, and an ever screwier system of financing local government in this state.
Turns out there wasn't much drama to that vote down in Santa Barbara County on splitting the county into two pieces. With more than half the votes in, the measure is going down in flames.
Countywide, the vote is 82% against to 18% for the split. What surprises me a little is that even in the northern half, where all the agitation for the split has been, it's getting whomped by about 80% to 20%.
Maybe the fact that the state report said the break-up wouldn't pencil out very well for the northerners turned the tide. After all, if the southern part of the county is subsidizing the north, as is clearly the case, why shouldn't the northerners continue the free ride, however it grates on them to have to deal with all those elitist environmentalists in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpenteria and the like?
State Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno, issued this statement just after 9 p.m. saying he will face Jerry Brown in November for attorney general:
"I thank the voters of the Republican Party for honoring me with our party's nomination for Attorney General of California. I will not let them down.
"I congratulate Mayor Jerry Brown for his victory in the Democratic Party. I also congratulate Rocky Delgadillo for the spirited race that he ran and for his contribution to an essential public debate on protecting the safety of families in California.
"Tomorrow I will continue that debate so that by Nov. 7, the citizens of California will fully understand the clearly defined choice they have over the direction of law enforcement in our state."
"That choice will between my strongly held concern for the victims of crime and the Mayor's emphasis on his political pedigree.
"It will between a past of failed governance and a fresh, new common sense look at administering the job of California's chief law enforcement officer.
"The choice will be between my years of proven, steadfast and focused leadership on criminal justice and family safety concerns versus my opponent's pattern of unpredictable and erratic approaches to serious public policy issues.
"The choice will also contrast my views that the civil laws of our state must be evenly and fairly exercised as required - to protect the consumer, our environment and the economic system which benefits us all - versus the mayor's premature, heavy-handed and irresponsible threats to bring the force of law to bear based on what clearly appears to be prejudgment and conjecture.
"I look forward to sharing my views, challenging those of my opponent and, finally, faithfully serving the state, its communities and the families who will look to my leadership for safety on their streets and in their homes."
Another vote I'm curious about tonight is far from our region. Voters in Santa Barbara County are being asked whether the northern part of their county should be split off to form a new county, something that hasn't happened in California in about a century.
I'm interested in this one in part because my sister and her family live down there. We've had several conversations about the issue, which is an old one. The more conservative folks in the northern part of the county -- which would be called Mission County if it successfully secedes -- think the more liberal majority in the Santa Barbara area don't give them enough resources, and don't let them develop the way they want. It's a classic California battle between pro-development conservatives and environmentalist liberals.
They have an uphill fight. Not only does the measure have to win a majority of voters in what would be the new county, it has to be approved by a majority of the whole county. And a state report said the new county would start out about $30 million in debt, which took some wind out of the sails of Mission County proponents.
Cal Minor, who had most of the traditional endorsements for Fresno County sheriff, was hardly a surprise in taking an early lead after the absentee ballots were counted shortly after 8 p.m. Assistant Sheriff Margaret Mims was running a strong second and could be headed to a November runoff with Minor if the vote totals hold throughout the night. Minor, a retired California Highway Patrol captain, had 36.6% to 31% for Mims.
But Mims' early showing is somewhat of a surprise. The political experts thought that Sheriff's Capt. Colleen Mestas would be Minor's main rival. Mestas was running fourth.
Sheriff's Capt. Jose "Joe" Flores was third with 14% of the vote, followed by Mestas with 12%. Deputy Chris Curtice was fifth with 6.6%.
This is based on absentee votes and there are still many votes to be counted. But the returns give us a good taste of what we can expect the rest of the evening.
One of the races we're paying closest attention to tonight is the Fresno City Council District 1 affair. It's a rare treat. There are five candidates to succeed the termed-out Tom Boyajian, and all five are well-qualified to represent the district.
That made choosing a candidate in the race difficult for our editorial board (we went with Blong Xiong), but it's a difficulty we'd like to face more often. Sort of like the baseball manager who has five fine outfielders but can only play three of them at a time. That's not a bad kind of problem to have -- especially in an election.
The crowded field, the high quality of the candidates and the absence of an incumbent make it almost certain that we'll see a close race, with the two top vote-getters advancing to a runoff in November. It could be a long night in District 1.
State Sen. Chuck Poochigian of Fresno, who is running for attorney general, should have a rather relaxing election night. He is unopposed for the Republican nomination. His Democratic opponent in November will either be former governor Jerry Brown or Rocky Delgadillo, the Los Angeles city attorney.
If Brown wins the Democratic nomination, as most experts expect, it will set up an interesting race in which Poochigian will resurrect all the old baggage from Brown's gubernatorial days and many ill-fated runs for president. But if Delgadillo wins, would be an an entirely different race for Poochigian in the general election. Some think Delgadillo would be a tougher opponent because he comes from Los Angeles and doesn't have Brown's negatives.
If the Democratic race for governor is as close as expected, Alameda County could delay the public from knowing who will face Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November. State elections officials say Alameda County is not using electronic voting machines, and has returned to paper ballots that will be read by optical scanners. Unfortunately, the county does not have enough scanners so the count is expected to go very slowly.
Alameda County has nearly 6% of the state's registered Democrats, most of whom reside in Oakland and Berkeley, according to election officials. So if the vote count shows Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly in a tight battle for the Democratic nomination for governor, we may not know the outcome right away because of the Alameda County ballots.
I voted at noon today and there weren't many people voting at the Peace Lutheran Church at Cedar and Gettysburg. Poll workers out-numbered voters 3-1 when I cast my ballot.
But look at it this way: If we're the only ones voting, we have much more of a say in public policy than those who take a pass. So with our new-found power, let's tax all non-voters just to see if they pay attention to anything.
I like this idea. Non-voters should also have to do all the things that voters don't want to do. . . Take out the garbage, clean toilets, weed the flower beds. They could even serve on jury duty. This could be an endless list. Care to make some suggestions for non-voters?
One of the most important lessons young people can take away from high school is to be involved in the democratic process, which means voting in every election. Yet between Fresno County and Tulare County schools, there are no fewer than nine graduation ceremonies scheduled for today, which is also a statewide primary election day.
I will be attending Clovis West’s graduation tonight at Buchanan’s stadium. I voted by absentee ballot, so my votes went out in the mail last week. But how much will poor planning impact what is already expected to be a dismally low voter turnout?
Editor's note: Because of the intense interest in the Fresno County sheriff's race, we have reposted this blog item so that it is at the top of the blog listing. The item was first published on May 14.
The next Fresno County sheriff must turn around a department that has been damaged by the questionable activities of the current sheriff. This isn't the time for someone who will offer tentative leadership. Fresno County's next sheriff must be committed to bold action and a willingness to make big changes.
It was not an easy decision for us. But after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the five candidates in the race, The Bee's Editorial Board has decided to support retired California Highway Patrol Capt. Cal Minor for sheriff in the June 6 primary election. Here's our editorial explaining our reasoning.
I have four words for you: You should be ashamed!
People have been fighting and dying for this democracy for generations. The least you could do is participate when elections come around. The experts say there's "voter fatigue" from all the previous elections we've had in California. Oh, please. You voted seven months ago and that made you so tired that you can't vote on Tuesday?
I have a suggestion. If you don't vote in a regularly scheduled election, you can't vote again for 10 years. We don't need your apathy anyway. The rest of us can make decisions affecting you, and you can just watch and complain.
Secretary of State Bruce McPherson predicts that only 38% of registered voters will cast ballots in California Tuesday. Compare that with this stat from CNN: There was a 58% turnout by Iraq’s registered voters for elections in January 2005. The Iraqis voted despite violence that killed more than 40 people.
So what's your excuse?
We had an interesting little debate at this morning's editorial board meeting over the question of whether the kids have just gotten too carried away with the costs of prom. The limos and the after-parties particularly seem to set people off.
My husband and I have had kids participating in prom at every level, from those who spent more than $1,500 to those who spent less than $50. We've helped both boys and girls prepare for the big night. Everyone has had a great time and a lifetime memory no matter how big or small the expense. I think kids learn a lot of lessons from prom -- everything from how to pin on a boutonniere (what is a boutonniere?) and organize your friends into a dinner party to how to get your buddies to pay their share of the group expenses without making enemies in the process. I really don't like the pressure to go as couples. I think it would be a lot more fun if girls and guys felt more comfortable going in big groups of friends. Fortunately, the kids already seem to be moving the tradition in that direction, and that's a good thing.
What do you think? Is prom just getting way overdone or is it just another rite of passage?
Personally, I'm a dress-up girl so I think prom is well worth investing the cash from a few babysitting jobs or pizza deliveries. For girly-girl princesses like me who love to wear party clothes, it's a dream day unlike any other. You get to play ultimate dress-up. I ran with a very casual crowd, so there was no chance I was going to get many other opportunities to attend formal occasions like this.
I went to two proms when I was a senior because my boyfriend went to Bullard and I went to Clovis High. We had two awesome weekends enjoying with our separate sets of friends. It was an expensive prom season for both of us -- and our parents -- but I wouldn't trade those memories for three Rolling Stones concerts. I still remember shopping with my mom for the pale green raw silk dress with a matching coat -- we went to little boutiques in Hanford so I wouldn't be looking at the same dresses as everyone else here. I did my own hair and makeup and we were perfectly happy to go in his car. My late father took the pictures -- he was a superb photographer and those portraits are on display in our house to this day.
I think the limo idea is big fun if the kids are into it. The exchange students we host still turn their heads and point anytime they see a limo. For them, it's something only celebrities experience, so it's a huge fantasy to ride in a limo. Americans use limos for all sorts of occasions from funerals and weddings to big parties and concerts so it's common to see them all over town. It's not like that in other countries. We always have to explain to foreigners that it's not necessarily a celebrity riding inside. The car is an added expense for prom night, sure, but from the kids' stories at the end, it's often well worth it. Some say that riding around in the limo was the best part of the whole night. It does take some planning and organizing, but when would most kids ever have such an experience again? Probably not until their weddings.
On the subject of the after-parties, I'd actually like to see a bigger deal made of the after-parties so there are fewer private parties where kids can so easily get into trouble. In other areas I've read about, there are huge all-night sober parties after prom similar to gradnight and that sounds like a really good idea to me. It is hard to understand for some people why kids need another party after prom, but my experience is there is such a build-up to prom that they still have lots of energy after the dance. Better to channel that into something positive.
General Motors lost $10.6 billion last year. It isn't all about selling cars in an increasingly competitve marketplace. The company spends $5.3 billion a year -- by far the most of any American company -- on health care for its employees, retirees and their dependents, a group that numbers about 1.1 million Americans, according to GM's chairman, Rick Wagoner.
One way for GM and other American corporations to reduce their health care costs would be to spread them more evenly in a national system. So why aren't American corporations clamoring for such a system to relieve them of some of these staggering costs?
Saturday is Valley Voices day on the Opinion pages, a day reserved for commentaries by local writers. This week we have Jeffery S. Williams, an English teacher at Clovis West High School, writing a satirical piece about all the wild-and-crazy Jesus theories he's found. These ideas make the "Da Vinci Code" look like a Boy Scout prank. Shirley Melikian Armbruster, a former reporter at The Bee who's now director of news services at Fresno State, writes a poignant piece about motherhood. Her youngest child just graduated from high school and Shirley experienced the momentous occasion of packing the very last school lunch. Sarah Horton of Berkeley and Miguel Arias, a school board member for the Mendota Unified School District, wrote a very interesting piece about mixed-status children. These are kids who are American citizens, but they were born to undocumented parents. There are severe ramifications to their health care based on the family's legal status.
On Sunday, Editorial Pages Editor Jim Boren writes about voter fatigue in California. He sees many indications that there is little interest in Tuesday's election. This is a time when people need to be speaking to our lawmakers how to handle the important issues before us. Blowing off the election sends a bad message that we don't care. Don't miss Thomas L. Friedman's column about GM's fuel price protection program, which he says just feeds our addiction to oil rather than curing it. More Hummers on the road just means we are going to need more Humvees in the Middle East.
Victor Davis Hanson, who recently visited Europe, sees that continent experiencing a splash of cold water in the face. Europeans have been enjoying a generous welfare state with luxurious benefits that they now realize has a dark side. They're beginning to see the wisdom in working harder and longer, defending themselves and starting up families.
On the Opinion pages, we warn Fresno Mayor Alan Autry that he needs to focus on a few good ideas and actually accomplish them, rather than running from one good cause to the next with nothing to show for it. We also say in another editorial that Mexicana Airlines' success should be an indicator to other carriers that Fresno Yosemite International is a happening place.
Curious about our letter writers? This week we profile Lisa K. Prigmore, 33, a conservative Republican and mother of two.
The Op-Ed page has a pro-con debate on this question: Can the U.S. end its oil addiction in 20 years?
Columnist Maureen Dowd discusses the alleged Haditha massacre and talks about her experiences as a cop's daughter. Look for the Word for Word column with the best local quotes of the week and the Valley's Top 10 list. This week it's the best gifts for graduates. We start with a "Cookbook for "1,001 Ways to Prepare Top Ramen."
In the past few weeks, I have spent more hours than I care to think about at school awards ceremonies.
Don't get me wrong - I go because I am proud of my children's accomplishments, proud collectively of what our young people are doing. I just wish that when school administrators and teachers plan these events they would be a little more respectful of all the demands on parents' and families' time.
The average running time for these things seems to be about 90 minutes. And since they are always clumped together at the end of the semester or school year, with three school-aged children who are all high achievers in one area or another, these 90-minute chunks add up.
Even when students are urged to give just one enthusiastic clap as each name is called (to prevent the clap-fest from turning into a popularity contest), the hundreds of honors awarded add up.
These are hours I spent shushing my wriggly, restless 3-year-old instead of reading her stories to enrich her mind. These are days when I spent rushing from work to school, eating later than planned, dining on leftovers or fast-food instead of healthy, home-cooked meals. These are hours the siblings who attend with us could be doing their homework or studying for important final exams. Or, when these are held during the school day, these are hours the students could be in the classrooms, learning even more.
Then there are the teachers who feel they must go on for five or 10 minutes about the accomplishments of a single student (again, I'm certain the students are deserving of this). But all of the parents who are missing work or skipping dinner don't really need to know that little Johnny met with this club every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
To put it in perspective, some of these teachers' laudatory speeches go on longer than valedictory students' speeches are allowed to be, after 12 outstanding years of student achievement.
Or to look at it another way, I recently attended a dinner for this year's Dean's Medallion winners from Fresno State's graduating class. The dean with whom we dined at our table told us that they had been given strict orders to keep their comments to two or three sentences per recipient.
Honor our students. Recognize their achievements. But remember also that we need time to celebrate as a family, to get to our jobs done, to spend time around the dinner table with our busy overachievers.
Keep it simple. Keep it short. Maybe put all of your kind words into a nice letter or certificate suitable for framing, which can be savored by the student and family members for years to come. I don't think I'm the only parent who would appreciate the thoughtfulness.
In an editorial today, we confess to feeling a little bruised about the latest dissing of the Valley by the state Legislature, which has cut all the funds for the San Joaquin Valley Partnership from the budget submitted by the governor. This kind of shabby treatment is an old story, but it hasn't lost its ability to infuriate.
I wondered: Do the legislators from other parts of the state know that we here in the San Joaquin Valley are the proud custodians of the official state soil -- San Joaquin Soil, to be precise? (In the interests of full disclosure, I didn't know it either until this morning. The Bee had a very brief item -- which I must have missed -- about the designation of the soil back in 1997. The effort began as a project by a teacher and class from Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Madera.)
But maybe that explains why the representatives from the rest of the state have such an easy time treating us like dirt. They're just jealous of ours.
That's one way to keep a meeting short.
An article in today's Bee talks about a Fresno City Council budget hearing, the first in a series of meetings to be held in each of the council districts, that had to wrap up when a Woodward Park librarian announced that the library was closing.
Leave it to the County to cut short City business. Seems like that could have been planned better.
Maybe we can really keep the next meeting short - plan to hold it at a B.J.'s Kountry Kitchen. They close at 2 p.m.
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