When I heard that Dean Florez, the Valley's peripatetic state Senator, has been named majority leader for the next session of the Legislature, I imagined I could hear cheering in offices from the Farm Bureau to Fresno State.
It's not because Florez is such a hero to the bureaucracies of the private and public sectors. It's because, as majority leader, Florez will have no committee chairmanships, and is thus unable to convene hearings.
Florez never met an issue he didn't think needed a hearing. He's hammered ag groups on air quality, and needled Fresno State President John Welty and California State University chancellor Charles Reed to irritation over gender equity -- among many others.
But in his new leadership role, Florez will have to hang up the gavel. Pity -- he sure did make things interesting for a lot of people over the past several years.
Hi Russ: I've always thought Dean was for Dean period. In most of the issues he got publicity for he did or accomplished nothing. Typical was his criticism of Welty. Nothing happened. John is still going on his merry way. Budgetwise (and I like John personally) has been a disaster in the sports field. He has been unwilling to come down on the pathetic (All Ohio) athletic director Thomas Boeh and his eqwually pathetic (and entremly dangerous) sidekick Betsy Mosher. They have chased away more boosters and angered others than anyone we've ever had during my life time. Building that soccer-lacrosse stadium was the biggest waste of money possible. Twenty two major colleges and universities use their football stadium for both soccer and lacrosse. It cost 131 parkiing places on the red lot which means another $100,000 down the drain. Where are they going to replace that amount? Neither Baeh or Mosher have any feeling for tradition and worse yet they care less. I am always amazed at the athletic success the coaches have with that miserable administration. Welty's last three AD selections have been a disaster. We have it on good authority that both Al Bohl and Baeh were due to be fired at Toledo and Ohio U. and Johnson was totally over his head. Neith Baeh or Betsy no a Bulldog from a Terrier and same for most of the people they brought from Ohio. I hear the fallout at every tailgate and board meeting I go to. Just thought you might like to know.
Glad you still are hanging on, God bless
Bruce
Glad you aren't the venerable Bruce Farris we all know and love from his sterling Bee sports reporting days. You couldn't be, with all the typos.
That said, you are so far off base with your Boeh/Moser evaluation. This Athletic Department is the best at Fresno State in 25 years.
The 'boosters' who have been 'chased away' were only involved for selfish reasons. Good riddance.
Now, run along.
I don't know anything about sports other than enjoying my children's involvement; however, I do agree with Farris' take on Dean Florez. I also agree that Florez' need to call a hearing on everything including the kitchen sink was to keep himself in the limelight. Now that he won't be able to convene hearings, the State will be able to save a big chunk of money financing his publicity stunts. I have no idea if he will be a good majority leader or not but if he messes up... maybe we can hold a hearing and call him on it.