If I hadn't been living in the Central Valley of California for the past 21 years I would have thought that the recent National Public Radio's Morning Edition piece, "Central Valley Disconnect: Rich Land, Poor Nutrition," was about Dafur, Iraq or some terrible place full of poor, obese people fearful of dangerous dogs, gangs, and graffiti. The piece even included comments from a former Los Angeles Times reporter, now living in Fresno, that he could vouch for the horrid conditions in which he (unfortunately, I assume) must live. NPR listeners all over the country were even informed-incorrectly-that Fresno did not have (until the Kitchen Sisters from the Central California Regional Obesity Program rode to the rescue) farmers markets. The most stunning comment was that, "we don't have access to stores, to healthy produce." News to me.
After having lived in many areas of this country, I can attest to the fact that no community is a Garden of Eden, free from the travails of daily life. But to picture the Central Valley as the closest Americans could get to a living hell is wrong and a disservice to the people who live and work here.
Who are these "Kitchen Sisters" and what is the Central California Regional Obesity Program? Where do they get their funding? On what factual basis can they tell millions of NPR listeners that the people of the Central Valley "won't come outdoors because of their fear?" What does fear have to do with obesity?
No one will every voluntarily move to the Central Valley after listening to this one-sided story. As a long-time listener and supporter of NPR I have to say that this was one time that I was very disappointed with their programming.
Coming Soon. . .
1). Obama Needs to "Reset" his presidency.
2). Why doesn't Fresno have an "adopt-a-median" landscaping program?
Your comments are always welcome. Just click on "Comments" below.
Frustration is having to stop to wait for one of the numerous freight trains or Amtrak passenger trains blocking an intersection in Fresno. The misery index is compounded for those unfortunate souls that have to live, work or attend school near the BNSF tracks and have to hear the incessant train horns.
As a former City of Fresno council member, I contacted the California Public Utilities Commission to see what could be done about the train horns that seriously impact the quality of life in Fresno. The PUC, a powerful regulatory commission with, among other responsibilities, authority over public safety vis a vis trains, was very interested in our problem and supportive of finding an answer. The PUC chair at that time even made a special trip to Fresno to meet with the City Council to discuss the issue.
Since then, various options have been under consideration by Public Works staff. One option, referred to as the Wayside Horn, uses a much quieter horn mounted at rail crossings instead of on the train engine. The second, and preferred option, is for the City to document the current safety of the rail/street intersections (or upgrade them to meet PUC/BNSF safety standards) so that the trains would not have to use the horn well before and into the intersection.
Community Hospitals, located in the heart of downtown, has been very interested in establishing a Quiet Zone so as to not have the train horns disturb patients. To help move the process along, Community has made a substantial financial contribution to assist the City in conducting the necessary studies required to qualify for a train horn Quiet Zone.
The City is now very close to implementing the first leg of the BNSF Quiet Zone, from Ventura Avenue on the south to approximately Belmont on the north. If everything goes according to plan (which, understandably, is a big IF since budget woes are no stranger to Fresno), the first leg will be implemented in the spring and work will continue on additional legs further north to the Figarden Loop area.
While I love Amtrak and ride it all the time, I hate the horns, and I will be among the first Fresnan's to salute the engineer of the first train (whether Amtrak or a freight) that chugs through Fresno with only the sound of wheels on rail.
Coming Soon. . .
1). The Kitchen Sisters and National Public Radio's recent negative take on the Valley.
2). Why doesn't Fresno have an "adopt-a-median" landscaping program?
Your comments are always welcome. Just click on "Comments" below.
As a registered independent (officially "Decline to State"), I am not wed to any particular political party. I try my best to look at the issues facing the nation or the State of California and vote for the individual that I believe will best address and help to solve those challenges. Selecting good elected leaders for California over the past few years has, to put it mildly, been a challenge.
I would strongly recommend, dear reader, Mr. (officially Dr. and Congressman) Tom Campbell, Republican, for our next governor. Mr. Campbell, far more than Republicans Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman, would be an excellent opponent for Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom or whomever the Democrats support as their choice as governor.
A brief biography may be helpful.
Tom has his B.A. and M.A. degrees in economics from the University of Chicago. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law in 1976. After law school, Tom served as law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White. He then returned to the University of Chicago for his economics Ph.D. in 1980. He has been married to Susanne for 31 years.
Tom was a White House Fellow in the Office of the Chief of Staff. He then served in the Reagan Administration as Director of the Bureau of Competition, at the Federal Trade Commission.
In 1983, Tom was offered a professorship at Stanford Law School. Susanne continued her interest in Russia, becoming fluent in the language, and managing tours to the then Soviet Union. In 1992, Berkeley's Center for Research in Management hired her to help establish a business school in St. Petersburg. She was the Executive Director of that program for 16 years.
Tom served as a United States Congressman for five terms representing districts in the Silicon Valley. He was also a California State Senator and the Director of Finance for the State of California. During his tenure as California State Finance Director, California's budget was balanced with no tax increases, no new borrowing, and no accounting gimmicks.
Recognition during this period included the National Taxpayers Union Foundation naming him the most frugal member of the 102nd Congress, based on net annualized spending reductions in legislation he proposed. The California Journal named Tom the number 1 overall State Senator, the State Senate's Best Problem-Solver, and the Most Ethical State Senator.
In 2002, Tom was appointed Dean of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Under Tom's Deanship, the newly formed Center for Responsible Business took firm root, as well as the Center for Non Profit Management. The Haas School's rankings shot up in every category and every survey during Tom's tenure as Dean; most dramatically, reaching the rank of number 2 in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal.
In 2009, Tom and Susanne took a leave of absence to move to Southern California where he joined the Chapman University School of Law in Orange County as the inaugural Presidential Fellow and Visiting Professor of Law. He also serves as an economic advisor to the international law firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.
Tom Campbell is, I strongly believe, the only candidate for Governor that has an honest, straight-forward plan for solving the serious problems facing the Golden State. The San Jose Mercury News recently asked all the candidates for Governor to outline their plans. Here is how the paper summed up the responses:
"Most of the comments are simplistic, one-line campaign themes," said Larry Gerston, a political science professor at San Jose State University. The exception, all the pundits agreed, was the response of GOP candidate Tom Campbell...
I encourage you, the readers of this posting, to visit campbell.org to learn more about Tom Campbell and, particularly, to read his detailed response to the request by the San Jose Mercury News to state his plans for California.
Coming Soon. . .
1). The Kitchen Sisters and National Public Radio's recent negative take on the Valley.
2). Yay! We will soon be hearing fewer train horns in Fresno.
Your comments are always welcome. Just click on "Comments" below.
As a professional educator in Fresno (teacher education instructor at Fresno City College for students planning to be certified K-12 teachers), Chicago and Milwaukee, I have always emphasized the need to have a strong command of English and, if possible, fluency in a second or third language. English is essential to success in school, employment and life in general. A second language, Spanish in particular, can only increase one's employment opportunity in our global economy and ability to better understand other cultures. Travel, of which I am a great proponent, is far more enjoyable when one is able to speak a second language.
In Fresno--as in California and the Nation--the fastest growing ethnic group are Hispanics, primarily with their first language being Spanish. It is essential that Spanish-speaking children entering school learn English as rapidly as possible. All children should be fully proficient in English no later than the third grade. My advice to my students preparing for a K-12 teaching career is to insist on English proficiency for all children as soon as possible after entering school while retaining their native language (whether Spanish, Hmong, Russian or any of the other 50 more more languages spoken in the greater Fresno area.
My concern, therefore, is the increase in the number of billboards in Fresno using Spanish (and sometimes other languages) advertising products or public services. What message does this say to parents of Spanish-speaking school-age students? Does it provide an excuse to not encourage children to learn English in school or to not hear English being spoken at home?
The point can be legitimately made that Spanish language radio and television have been available in the United States for decades. How are these forms of entertainment, advertising and information different from publicly-displayed billboards?
While it may not be the clearest demarcation, I would suggest that listening to or watching Spanish language radio and television are the personal, conscious choice of individuals. It is really not any different from my choosing to listen to opera in Italian or Celtic music from National Public Radio. Billboard advertising in a foreign language just might be sending the subtle but unmistakable message that it is alright not to speak English, that the reader can get by in the United States without the critical benefit of a sound education rooted in the English language. If true, those advertising in other than English, whether the private sector selling goods and services or the public sector promoting public services, are short-sighted in their objectives.
For the benefit of all children (and adults) that require the best possible education to succeed in this increasing challenging global economy, I would encourage all of us --businesses and not-for-profit public agencies to do everything possible to provide all Americans with a fundamental knowledge of English while encouraging the retention and use of the native language. The schools can't do it by themselves.
Coming Soon. . .
1). The Kitchen Sisters and National Public Radio's recent negative take on the Valley.
Your comments are always welcome. Just click on "Comments" below.
The multi-year saga of Genesis, a group agency for adoptive children, is one more example of the pressing need for an elected county executive for Fresno County. The current system of five elected county supervisors appointing a county administrator is no longer effective in meeting the needs of Fresno County.
For years, Genesis, a private, not-for-profit social service agency has received little if no oversight from Fresno County staff or the Board of Supervisors. A cozy relationship between the Board with senior administrators at Genesis failed to stem a series of illegal and embarrassing practices at Genesis. If not for the excellent investigative reporting and editorials of the Fresno Bee, business as usual would still be the case at Genesis, with the resultant misuse of tax dollars and suspect services to dependent children.
The reality is that no appointed county administrator is going to question the actions of the Board of Supervisors. To do so quickly risks losing the political support of the supervisors and eventually dismissal from the job. Just ask the previous County Administrator, Bart Bohn.
What is needed for proper governance of Fresno County is an elected county executive, answerable to the voters of Fresno County, not to the Board of Supervisors. In the Genesis case, for example, an elected county executive would have been able to review the flawed Genesis administration practices and require immediate changes before being re-funded. The Board of Supervisors, while still charged with the ultimate responsibility of approving or disapproving Genesis contracts, would be hard pressed to ignore the recommendation of the county executive. Supervisors could not, as they have done in the past, fire the messenger that brings the bad news.
Genesis is but one example of the need for an elected county executive. Equally important is the checks and balances that would be derived from having the county executive develop the annual county budget and be able to defend it without the current practice of special interest groups having undue influence with the board of supervisors.
The introduction of the "strong mayor" system to the City of Fresno two decades ago has been widely praised. The previous system of the "weak mayor" sitting as one member of the City Council was not effective. It is time that the same governance process be instituted at Fresno County.
One last thought. An elected Fresno County Executive would, I believe, be much more willing to work with the mayors of Fresno and the other Fresno County mayors to advance the interests of the region, a necessity for a region that so desperately needs effective and efficient leadership for the 21st Century.
If the Genesis mess helps us to better understand the need for an elected county executive, then there may be at least one unanticipated improvement that may prevent such an event from happening again.
Coming Soon. . .
1). Billboards in Spanish?
2). The Kitchen Sisters and National Public Radio's recent negative take on the Valley.
Your comments are always welcome. Just click on "Comments" below.
My wife, Yorkie (Jazz) and I enjoyed a wonderful 4,700 mile drive to Chicago and back. On the way we visited relatives in Kansas City and St. Louis. Our wonderful grandson, Andrew, (the cutest kid in all the world, of course) and his parents were the main reason for our trip. It was also great to visit Chicago again (we left Chicago in 1988 to come to Fresno).
So what does this "Cabela" thing have to do with our trip? Well, returning from Chicago to Fresno on Interstate 80 just outside the dinky town in Western Nebraska of Sydney, we couldn't help but notice a very large building with a huge sign proudly announcing the "World Headquarters of Cabela's." Cabela's? My wife and I had never heard of it. Could it be a large farm implement manufacturing center to meet the Midwest's (world's?) agriculture needs? With all the windmills popping up all over the Nation's wind-swept high plains, could Sydney's Cabela's be ground zero for manufacturing or assembling the 200 plus feet high silent spinning sentinels? Curiosity got the better of us (even Jazz was staring out the window at the large building surrounded by cars in the middle of almost nowhere). The questions had to be answered!
Cabela's, as we soon learned, claims to the be world's foremost outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear. Cabela's has a unique blend of shopping and the outdoors. From life-size wildlife dioramas to huge aquariums swimming with freshwater fish, Cabela's both entertains and educates the customer about the great outdoors. Laser shooting galleries entertain young and young-at-heart, while their gun libraries fuel dreams with an array of fine, collectible and historical firearms. While I am not a hunter of fisherman (SCUBA diving is my sin), I can see where they can claim to have it all with general stores, full-service fly shops and more.
With 28 stores in 20 states, I had to ask myself why is California, a state with more than 30 million souls, not one of them. Could it be that Californians like to drive to Reno to shop at the nearest Cabela's? I should certainly hope not.
My suggestion is this: Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin and the City's Economic Development Director, Craig Scharton, need to catch the first plane (oops, check that) mule train, Greyhound or automobile to Sydney, Nebraska (Jazz can be their guide) to make the case for building the first California Cabela's in Fresno (better yet, call us Fresyes).
I will forward this posting to Ms. Swearengin, Mr. Scharton and the City council members. You, my dear readers, particularly those of you who are crazy about the Great Outdoors, should also contact City Hall (fresno.gov) or Cabela's (cabelas.com).
Our forebears used to say, "California or Bust!" Let's change that to "Cabela's or Bust!"
Coming Soon. . .
1). Billboards in Spanish?
2). The Genesis mess further shows the need for an elected county executive.
Your comments are always welcome. Just click on "Comments" below.
In a recent posting, I strongly criticized the $200,000 dollar reduction in the Central California SPCA budget proposed by Mayor Ashley Swearengin for 2009-2010. Yes, it is a challenging fiscal year faced by the City, but a decrease of this magnitude would devastate the SPCA. (Please see my May 30th posting.) As it turned out, the City Council, with the Mayor's approval, reduced the SPCA budget by $100,000 dollars with the hope that by mid-year $30,000 additional dollars could be restored to their budget.
While I appreciate the restoration of part of their budget, I do not believe that any of the SPCA budget should have been reduced. The SPCA is very careful with the contributions it receives from the City, County and individual donors . The SPCA is overwhelmed with calls for service from residents concerned about animals and must care for stray, unwanted or dangerous animals. And all to often, it is the sad responsibility of the SPCA to euthanize animals that are dangerous or cannot find a home.
No one likes to pay taxes. The use of our City and County taxes to take care of our animal friends is, I believe, one of the most generous and important tax offerings we make as a civilized society. I would encourage you to contact Mayor Swearengin and the council members to urge them to restore the remaining $100,000 dollars to the SPCA. And if that is not possible, please urge them to come up with the $30,000 they hoped to find.
Finally, be a special animal friend and write the Central California SPCA a tax deductible check and/or visit their fine facility to consider adopting a loving animal friend.
Coming Soon. . .
1). Billboards in Spanish?
2). The Genesis mess further shows the need for an elected county executive.
Your comments are always welcome. Just click on "Comments" below.
The recent decision by Juan Arambula to change his voting registration to independent (officially "Decline to State") is a clear indication of what is happening in California (and, to a large extent, across the country). The polarization of politics, particularly in California, has led to the Democrats standing for spending as dictated by special interests (primarily unions) and Republicans always pressing for tax cuts, often manifested by pledges to national conservative groups. It isn't working.
I felt like a lonely Don Quixote with his friend Sancho Panza tilting at the proverbial windmills when I changed my voting registration years ago to independent. I felt sad leaving the party which I had supported for three decades while living in three different states. The final straw was when I returned to California after an absence of twenty years and found that the two major parties were locked into their separate ideological corners with no quarter being given. The combination of the parties' lockstep mindset with the constitutional requirement that a two thirds super-majority is needed to pass a budget and the barrage of special interest ballot measures is rapidly making the Legislature almost irrelevant.
The problem with being an independent is that there is currently no way to organize this rapidly growing voting bloc into a coherent voice for change (moderation?) in California politics. Independents tend to be galvanized by the person and/or the issue. They tend to be moderate in their opinions, if not somewhat conservative on the fiscal side. I believe that the next California governor (Tom Campbell would be an excellent choice, but more on him later) will be determined by California's independents.
So, Juan, welcome to the large group of disaffected Republicans and Democrats that will have more and more of an impact on the future of California and the nation.
Coming Soon. . .
1). How the City of Fresno treated the SPCA in this year's budget.
2). The Genesis mess further shows the need for an elected county executive.
Your comments are always welcome. Just click on "Comments" below.
