Now that’s a study in contrast.

And pat yourself on the back for surviving the longest election season in history, or at least it felt that way.  All the friends you have who don’t read or watch the news? Well, now you know why.

Internationally, the biggest surprise of 2024 was the fall of the Syrian regime. As aides waited in the Presidential Palace for dictator Bashar al-Assad to make a televised address to the Syrian people that he was ready to share power, they had no idea he had slipped out of the country to Russia hours before.

Gaza has been obliterated, Ukraine is still being invaded by Russia, and Iran is about to run out of natural gas. The country had to halt all major industry so their citizens didn’t freeze to death in their homes, all of this interestingly contributed to Bashar’s fall.

Back here in the ‘ol USA, I didn’t think I would be watching much college football after the disintegration of PAC 12. So, don’t tell anyone, but the realignment of the conferences made for a pretty exciting year.

The number one song of 2024 according to my daughter is Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso and the best grossing movie was Inside Out 2, but my vote for best movie of the year goes to The Substance – that by the way was never shown in Visalia.

Highlights of my 2024 were using my daughter’s flight benefits working for Alaska Airlines and flying to Philadelphia in September to crash the Presidential Debate. I was hedging my bets that they would open it up to an audience, (they didn’t) and if not I could talk my way into the Spin Room (I couldn’t.)

It was still the best debate I have ever seen (“They are eating the dogs”) and the best drink afterwards at the Four Seasons’ SkyHigh bar. To top it off, while sitting at the bar I ran into the architect for Porterville’s new court house — small world!

Locally, a wide range of issues made it into Valley Voice’s top stories from the usual — politics — to the unusual, a clandestine BMX track that had gone undetected for ten years in Visalia.

The following were the Valley Voice’s top fourteen stories of 2024:

1. System Error Leads to Double Debits for EECU Customers

A system used by Fresno-based Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) to negotiate checks malfunctioned overnight July 16-17, causing multiple instances of checks being debited twice against customers’ accounts.

2. Current, former officers’ lawsuits claim racism, abuse in Hanford PD

Among the HPD officers accused of targeting their fellow officers with race-based abuse is the department’s former chief Parker Sever, who left his position in October to move to Utah with his family, according to local press reports.

The plaintiff in the first suit was former officer Jason Stingley; the plaintiff in the second case was current officer Det. Patrick Jurdon.

Stingley is African American, and Jurdon is of European descent. Named defendants in Stingley’s suit are Sever, retired Cpl. Jeff Davis and Cpt. Stephanie Huddleston. Sever is also named as defendant in the case brought by Jurdon, along with Cpl. Gabriel Jimenez, Lt. James Lutz, Cpt. Karl Anderson and Lt. James Edlund.

While Huddleston, Lutz and Edlund are accused only of creating a hostile work environment when reacting to complaints from Stingley and Jurdon about racist and illegal conduct of their fellow officers, the other named defendants – including former HPD chief Sever – all allegedly participated in overt racism.

3. Nonpayment lawsuits piling up against Toor Farming

Five civil lawsuits from July to October of this year were filed against Toor Farming – and there may be more to come. Four are for breach of contract ranging from $145,000 to $460,000 and a fifth lawsuit alleges fraud claiming damages of $15 million.

After the Valley Voice published their article Toor Farming paid off their debt to three of the plaintiffs and their cases were closed. The fraud lawsuit and one breach of contract are still active.

4. Low-barrier homeless center weeks away from opening

The Visalia Navigation Center, the city’s first low-barrier homeless shelter and resource center, opened its doors at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 4. It’s a grand opening years in the making.

“TC Hope were the ones who got it started, and we couldn’t have gotten it started without the land Self Help donated. We wouldn’t have been able to build the building without them” said Mary-Alice Escarsega-Fechner, director of CSET.

5. Can letting Tulare Lake live make the Valley thrive?

The Tulare Lake has a national appeal as readers were intrigued by the mythical former lake that used to be the largest body of water west of the Mississippi.

Pa’ashi or “big water,” as Tulare Lake is still known by the Tachi Yokuts, has disappeared and returned many times in the 175 years since the Gold Rush drew thousands of Europeans to this side of the Sierra Nevada. For millennia, the lake had covered thousands of square miles of the Valley floor.

Then in 1898, it disappeared for the first time. It wasn’t prolonged drought that did in Tulare Lake; it was farming. The largely forgotten history of how waterways that filled Tulare Lake were diverted to convert the rich land beneath it into prime acreage for growing. Draining Pa’ashi, a University of Colorado-trained hydrologist said, is where the Valley’s water and poverty woes really began.

6. From heartbreak to hope – locally built BMX track bulldozed but may rise again

On March 25, the City of Visalia’s Code Enforcement department bulldozed the jumps and closed the BMX track that was called Little Forest Trails by the riders.

Leslie Caviglia, Visalia’s City Manager, told the Voice that a local group running a bike park on a piece of city land presented a liability. Once the city found out it was there, she said they had no other options but to level the jumps. The parcel was protected riparian land with mature oak trees, she added.

Given the outpouring of interest in BMX and the city’s willingness to “look at all options,” the Little Forest Trails closure could lead to a newer and better bike park – and a boost to Visalia. The day after leveling the jumps the city set up a webpage to get feedback from BMX riders on how to move forward. Caviglia said that 157 people had left comments.

“I was a little girl who really didn’t fit in and when I found BMX I fell in love. At 15 I turned professional and at 19 I made my first Olympic team,” said Olympian BMX racer Brooke Crain — but she had to drive to Hanford, Lemoore, or Fresno every night to practice.

“Having something in my home town during my professional career was never an option for me,” said Crain.

The next eight most widely read articles for 2024 were:

• Convicted murder accomplice has sentenced reduced, is released
• Visalia Council adds big fines for selfish parking, illegal dumping
• Former key officials sue City of Lindsay, claiming corruption
• Beloved landmark in downtown Visalia to be removed
• Traffic change coming to major Visalia thoroughfare
• Adventist Health Tulare to temporarily pause obstetrics services, according to internal memo
• Groundbreaking held for new Mearle’s Drive-In & Theater
• Mudslinging and dirty politics – including accusations of racial bias – descend on South Valley’s politics

As we make our New Year’s resolutions and dream about all the possibilities that 2025 holds, the Valley Voice would like to wish all our readers a Happy New Year, and fabulous 2025!

The post Political Fix: 2024, a wild ride – and kind of glad it’s over! appeared first on Valley Voice.

Watergate would not be part of our political landscape, and the American people would be none the wiser about what he did.

The United States President is now effectively immune from criminal prosecution for crimes committed while acting in their official capacity, which can be argued as 99% of what a president does.

In light of the changes in American democracy, voters should concentrate on their  locally elected officials, who thankfully do not have immunity from committing crimes while in office.

We may not be able to control our President, but we still have a say on who our local elected officials are, when they have to leave office, and throw them in jail if they break the law.

Let’s be thankful for that.

And on this day of our nation’s independence I encourage everyone to vote this November.

Kings and Tulare County Board of Supervisor Races

The Tulare County Board of Supervisor races concluded with the March Primary, but one supervisorial race in Kings County has lead to a run-off in the November General Election.

In the March Primary, Kings County District 5 Board of Supervisor candidate Adam Medeiros received the most votes. But he didn’t earn 50% to avoid a runoff against Kings County Undersheriff Robert Thayer, who was the runner up.

Only 88 votes separated the two after the primary.

The incumbent, Supervisor Richard Fagundes, came in last out of four candidates.

Larry Micari, the incumbent for the Tulare County Board of Supervisors’ District 1 seat, beat candidate Joe Soria by more than 50%.  Pete Vander Poel, the incumbent representing District 2, also won by a large margin over challenger Benny Corona, so both races have been decided.

Kudos needs to be given to Micari for participating in the League of Women Voters’ forums even though he was heavily favored to win. Micari participated not to get an edge in the election but because he believes in the democratic process.

Vander Poel refused to participate in any candidate forums with his opponent in the 2024 election.

District 4 incumbent Supervisor Eddie Valero also did not participate in the League of Women Voter November 3, 2022 forum against his opponent because he was “knocking on doors.”

What City Council seats are up for election?

Every city council in Tulare and Kings Counties has at least one seat up for election. The districts are staggered so not every voter will be selecting a city council member this round.

In Kings County, Hanford City Council District B — represented by Martin Devine — is up for election. Devine was recently appointed by the council when former Council member Kalish Morrow resigned.

Councilmember Diane Sharp from District C announced her resignation effective April 2. The Council moved to leave Sharp’s seat vacant until the General Election so voters have the opportunity to elect their candidate.

Visalia has two seats up for grabs: Vice Mayor Brett Taylor’s seat in District 2, and Liz Wynn’s District 1 seat. Both have expressed interest in defending their positions.

Tulare has three seats up for reelection: District 1 represented by Jose Sigala, District 3 represented by Steve Harrell, and District 5 represented by Patrick Isherwood.

Districts A, B and E are up for reelection in Exeter; those seats are currently held by Council members  Justin Mills, Barbara Sally and Jacob Johnson respectively. As of publication time, it is unknown if the three council members intend on running.

Lindsay still conducts at-large elections and two out of their five seats are up for reelection.

Mayor Ramona Caudillo recently resigned, adding one more seat to the ballot. The Lindsay City Council has been experiencing months of turmoil since before council members voted to remove Hipolito Cerros from his post as mayor.

In Porterville, three seats are up for reelection in November: District 3 represented by Mayor Martha Flores, District 4 represented by Council member Donald Weybrauch and District 5 represented by Vice Mayor Kellie Carrillo.

Weybrauch has only served two years on the council having been appointed in 2022 to replace Council Member A. Monte Reyes who resigned.

Farmersville holds at-large elections and two out of the five council seats are up for reelection: Council members Danny Valdovinos and Greg Gomez.

Woodlake also holds at-large elections and two of their five city council seats are up for election, Mayor Rudy Mendoza and Council member Jose Martinez.

The candidate nomination period is July 15 to August 9. During this time interested citizens can file their paperwork to run for office. The Tulare County Registrar’s office is requesting that potential candidates make an appointment to file.

If the incumbent decides not to run the nomination period is extended to August 14.

The post Political Fix (4 July, 2024) appeared first on Valley Voice.

We saw history being made when a United States President was indicted for the first time in March: news that was greeted with a collective yawn. By October, he was indicted on 91 felony counts – that was then greeted with a bump in the polls for his 2024 presidential campaign.

Then, Representative Kevin McCarthy became the first House Speaker to ever be voted out of the post. It resulted in his resignation.

But for me, the biggest story in 2023 was the dissolution of the PAC 12 Conference.

I grew up going to Cal Bear football games and following the Pac 8, that expanded to be the PAC 10, and finally the PAC 12.

I then married a man who had attended Cal Bear games since he was 5 years old and lamented every time the PAC conference expanded – complaining bitterly that the two Arizonas were not even on the Pacific Coast. When Colorado and Utah joined the Conference he about had a stroke.

But he would have never imagined the whole conference imploding as it did one day this year in August.

As my oldest son and I looked up from our beers in a bar in Eugene, the home of the Oregon Ducks, an announcement scrolled at the bottom of the screen saying that the PAC 12 had essentially dissolved with only two teams remaining, Washington and Oregon State.

The collapse snowballed when UCLA and USC abruptly left the conference when the PAC 12 commissioner had not nailed down media rights in a timely manner, deepening my long dislike for the two Southern California universities.

The last regular season PAC 12 game on November 25 was played ironically by my alma mater, Cal against rival UCLA. And after 50 years of disappointments, Cal played a stellar game upsetting UCLA 33-7.

Even the announcers regaled tearfully how they had built their entire careers announcing PAC 12 games and now it was all over.

I was right there crying with them.

Moving Forward

The demise of college football aside, it’s hard to take a trip down memory lane while a sizzling 2024 election cycle is brewing. The drama started during the Christmas holiday with the on-again-off-again Congressional District 20 candidacy of Vince Fong, and it likely won’t stop until the General Election in November.

Open seats are a rarity and this year we have three: Assembly District 33, Assembly District 32 and Congressional District 20, McCarthy’s seat.

To find out if your favorite local candidate is ready for prime time, don’t miss the Assembly District 33 forum on January 12 and the Tulare County Supervisor forum on January 25.

The AD33 forum will take place at the Tulare County Office of Education, 6200 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia and the Tulare County Supervisor forum will be in the Ponderosa Hall, College of the Sequoias, 915 S. Mooney Blvd. Visalia.

All candidates have agreed to participate except Tulare County Supervisor Pete Vander Poel.

A sad goodbye

In June of 2023, the Valley Voice celebrated its tenth anniversary of award winning journalism under new ownership. I used the opportunity to set the record straight on who actually started the paper 44 years ago.

Carmalita Jarvis came home one day from her job as an appraiser in Kings County in the summer of 1979 and announced to her passel of seven kids, “I’m going to put out a newspaper that tells the truth.”

After several frustrating attempts to write for the Visalia Times-Delta, Ms Jarvis published the Valley Voice, modeling it after the Village Voice in New York, which she had admired in her youth for its personal touches and independence.

Through the years many readers have forgotten that it was Ms. Jarvis who brought in John Lindt to work at the Valley Voice and not the other way around. Mr. Lindt worked at the paper another 20 years after she left to start a new paper and then retired from journalism.

Sadly, Ms. Jarvis-Conn passed away at 91 years old on Christmas. Mary Jarvis, her youngest daughter and a lawyer, had this to say about her mother.

“We are fortunate to have a mother who was always ahead of her time in so many areas. We were encouraged to secure our education at any cost, to appreciate the arts and learn an instrument and above all to be kind. Loyalty to Country and honesty were stressed, but the courage to question authority was a given. An expectation we all fulfilled at different challenges in our lives, lives we owe to her without question!!”

Valley Voice’s top ten stories of 2023

1. Ag giant, neighbors and authorities clash as Tulare Lake refills

The re-emergence of Tulare Lake made national news and no one in Kings County knew exactly what to do with it. As the crisis loomed, the fighting and finger-pointing were turning ugly. Boswell Company was accused of cutting a hole in a levee that Boswell’s neighbors said was done intentionally to protect the farming giant’s cropland and business offices at the expense of others.

2. The Pump House, Visalia’s legendary dive bar, faces peril as owners fight in court

Owners Nate Cary and Jacob Gayer filed lawsuits against each other, accusing the other of breaches of fiduciary duties and negligence. The case was mediated, then dismissed on November 2.

Cary said he just “wanted it all over with and out of there.”

In the terms of the mediation according to Cary, Gayer owns Cary’s house that was used to buy the bar in the first place. Cary owns half the land under the bar.

According to the terms, Gayer is supposed to pay off the house in five years, then Cary will surrender his half ownership in the land and get the deed to his house.

“It’s going in the other direction though,” said Carey.

3. Hanford man leaves employees, vendors hungry for pay

George Sousa, owned four locations that all opened and closed in 2022 and 2023 Junior’s Sports Bar and Parrilla and Adobowl in Visalia; Junior’s Express Grill and K&J FroYo and Kafe in the Hanford Mall. What he left behind was hundred of thousands of unpaid bills and a lot of short changed employees and vendors.

In an interview with the Voice, Sousa denied the claims made by employees and vendors as either false or resolved.

He said that none of his employees have gone unpaid.

“No one works for free,” Sousa said.

4. Lindsay High basketball volunteer charged with sex offenses against student, parents sue district

Krizlynn Balboa, a volunteer working with the Lindsay High School basketball program allegedly engaged in a relationship with a minor student at Lindsay High over a four month period. She was arrested in May and charged with six felony counts of sexual penetration of a minor and a misdemeanor count of child molestation.

Separately, the student’s parents filed a civil lawsuit against the Lindsay Unified School District and school officials. The suit claims Lindsay Unified officials were negligent in allowing Balboa to interact with students, and failed to report the relationship to authorities when they reasonably should have known one had been established.

The suit also claims the district did not notify the student body or community once criminal charges were filed. The Valley Voice discovered the criminal case and lawsuit after a regular search of court dockets.

5. Hostile workplace complaints filed against Kings County District Attorney Sarah Hacker

Multiple complaints of employment discrimination agains Kings County District Attorney Sarah Hacker were filed with California’s Civil Rights Department by aggrieved employees, the first step required before lawsuits can be filed. Hacker is staring down multiple potential lawsuits for creating a hostile work environment and allegedly using homophobic slurs during a meeting with two Kings County peace officers.

6. Groundbreaking held for new Mearle’s Drive-In & Theater
7. Embezzlement “occurring for a number of years” at Tulare Healthcare District’s Evolutions Gym
8. Gen Z taking a pass on having kids
9. FBI allegedly investigating Chavez family over suspected fraud
10. Kaweah Health named in employment discrimination case

The post Political Fix: 2023, a year in review appeared first on Valley Voice.

It’s the anniversary of the January 6 riots on our capitol, but the number I can’t get out of my head is 21.4 million. That’s how many people have quit their jobs since July, the highest number since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started keeping track.

There are now 1.2 jobs for every unemployed person.

What spurred the Great Resignation? Economist have their theories, but the one I’m leaning towards is the fact that the pandemic changed many people’s lives and made them reevaluate what’s important.

Workers, especially those in the service and health industry, needed a break from their low paying, thankless jobs and just decided to take a permanent one.

Why not be broke and in debt while living in a family member’s basement? Same difference if you rent and work fulltime.

Some years I look back and think, yeah, I could have predicted that – but, if 2020 was the year of shutdowns, 2021 was the year of reverberations.

Who would have predicted used cars for sale would become scarce or the homeless would take over entire parks and beaches? While walking down the street in Portland a few months ago to the train station, I was the only person on the sidewalk not homeless.

I am still trying to figure out how the real estate market went crazy while everyone lost their job during the economic shutdown. The United States has a problem with income inequality, but I never expected there to be such a stark manifestation of the problem.

Besides millions of people giving the middle finger to The Man, the stock market skyrocketed but the supply of computer chips got dangerously low, impacting the supply of new cars.

In other 2021 news: there was the miracle of the COVID vaccine, the collapse of the Champlain Towers in Florida, a heat dome over Portland where it reached 116 degrees, and the end of our 19 year involvement in Afghanistan.

And I heard about a supply chain backlog – but I got all my Christmas presents on time.

2021 ended with 30 tornados ripping through Arkansas and Kentucky, and a firestorm in Boulder Colorado on December 30. The day after? It snowed. In California, we had the recall. Remember that?

We celebrated December 31, 2020 as the end of a dumpster fire year, only to discover, within the week, that 2021 was going to be just as bad.

And for all those people who quit their job? There is a severe labor shortage and employers are offering signing bonuses and competitive salaries.

It looks like for 2022, workers might actually get paid what they are worth.

Now who would have predicted that?

Here is the Valley Voice’s 2021 wrap up of our top ten stories of the year.

1. Area restaurants reopening indoors; county and cities leaving enforcement to state by Martin Velasco Ramos
2. Double disinterment at Tulare Cemetery brings grief and loss of employment for groundskeeper by Catherine Doe
3. Lawsuit alleges Hanford credit card abuse, sexual harassment and wrongful termination by Mark Pratter
4. Tulare County medical providers prescribing controversial ivermectin treatment by Alexandra Feller
5. Hanford mayor, ex-councilman deny allegedly accepting cash bribes by Mark Pratter
6. Kaweah Health under regulators’ microscope after drug control negligence, deaths by Dave Adalian
7. Kings County DA facing sexual harassment allegations by Catherine Doe
8. Letter of Complaint Filed in Hanford against Brieno for Inappropriate Comments by Mark Pratter
9. Tulare and Kings Counties Grapple with Permanent Solutions for Homeless after Project Roomkey Ends by Martin Velasco Ramos
10. Bribery Case Involving Hanford City Council Deepens by Mark Pratter

The top 10 posts on Valley Voice’s Facebook provide their own mini wrap-up of 2021. The Voice doesn’t just post its own articles but national and state issues that could be of interest or affect Tulare and Kings County residents. The following are a mix of local, state, and national news.

1. Fire Crews in the Sequoia National Park continue to apply protection wrapping (foil) to iconic sequoia trees and historic structures. A community meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2021, at 7 p.m. at the Three Rivers Veterans Memorial Building.
2. “It’s the best-kept secret in the nation — little Visalia building the largest parish church in modern U.S. history,” Chavez said. Once St. Charles Borromeo is completed, all Sunday Masses in Visalia and major diocesan celebrations, such as priest ordinations, will be held there. https://religionnews.com/2021/09/14/the-largest-catholic-parish-in-the-united-states-is-being-built-in-the-heart-of-californias-dairy-industry/
3. A notice from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Boudreaux has issued an evacuation WARNING for a portion of Three Rivers. The Evacuation Warning covers all points on both sides of Highway 198, east of the intersection of North Fork Drive, and includes all side roads that connect to Highway 198 east of North Fork Drive.  This does not include points along North Fork or South Fork Drive.  Sheriff Boudreaux has issued a MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS for the Silver City and Cabin Cove area on Mineral King Road
4. Dr. Yorai ‘Benny’ Benzeevi’s assets will stay frozen after Tulare County Judge Michael Sheltzer denied a motion that would have allowed Benzeevi to access money in his bank accounts or keep any future income. Benzeevi’s bank accounts were ordered frozen in August 2020 when a laundry list of charges were filed alleging he committed embezzlement, grand theft, and other crimes managing the Tulare Regional Medical Center and the Southern Inyo Hospital through the company he headed, Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA.).
5. Statement by President George W Bush on Insurrection at the Capitol Laura and I are watching the scenes of mayhem unfolding at the seat of our Nation’s government in disbelief and dismay. It is a sickening and heartbreaking sight. This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic – not our democratic republic. I am appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement. The violent assault on the Capitol – and disruption of a Constitutionally-mandated meeting of Congress – was undertaken by people whose passions have been inflamed by falsehoods and false hopes. Insurrection could do grave damage to our Nation and reputation. In the United States of America, it is the fundamental responsibility of every patriotic citizen to support the rule of law. To those who are disappointed in the results of the election: Our country is more important than the politics of the moment. Let the officials elected by the people fulfill their duties and represent our voices in peace and safety. May God continue to bless the United States.
6. Lawyers for Dr. Yorai ‘Benny’ Benzeevi appeared in court Wednesday, asking Judge Michael B. Sheltzer to lift a temporary restraining order freezing the former Tulare hospital CEO’s money, bank accounts, and future earnings. The judge declined to make an immediate decision, stating that he would deliberate on the arguments and filings from each side and issue a written ruling in the days to come.
7. Representative Liz Cheney, the third-highest ranking leader in the House GOP conference and one of the most conservative members of the Republican Party, issued a statement that she will be voting to impeach Trump. “On January 6, 2021 a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol to obstruct the process of our democracy and stop the counting of presidential electoral votes. This insurrection caused injury, death and destruction in the most sacred space in our Republic. “Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough. The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.  “I will vote to impeach the President.”
8. The incident was recorded on a form that has not previously been seen. The “Application for Disinterment for Human Remains and Authorization and Release Agreement” required the family to “release, indemnify and hold harmless” the cemetery, funeral home, and vault company from “any liability” from any distress, illness, psychological injury or damages that resulted from viewing the disinterment. https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2021/12/16/discovery-of-new-disinterment-leads-to-more-questions-at-tulare-cemetery/
9. Got cabin fever? Visalia restaurants and bars are open for indoor dining.
10. This opinion submission was taken from a comment left on our most recent article, “Kaweah Health CEO defends hospital amidst open state investigation,” by the parents of Victor Krumdick, Victor Robert and Gillian Mary Krumdick. Krumdick was the contracted employee — identified in a hospital inspection report as “Scribe 1” — who died of a propofol overdose at the hospital. “Prompted by months of deep soul searching, the ensuing pain and devastation, waiting months for the final autopsy report, the most hurtful utter silence of the hospital administration, and the chance look at two newspaper articles in July, I have chosen to tell you Victor’s story from our perspective. As in the telling of any story, ours is a biased view, that of a grieving mother and father. Victor’s sister, coworkers, and dear friends from other seasons of his life would perhaps tell a different tale, but this is our story to tell…”

The post Political Fix (7 January, 2022) appeared first on Valley Voice.

Our family created a time capsule on New Year’s Eve 1999 and we plan on opening it on New Year’s Eve 2049.

But, I bet the conversation that night will keep going back to 2020. The turn of the century can’t hold a candle to this year, despite the drastic Y2K predictions. (Remember how all the computers were supposed to crash?)

Presidential historians will be studying Trump’s impeachment and Mercedes’ future grandchildren will be asking her what it was like to live through a pandemic, just like Joseph’s grandmother told me about living through the Spanish Flu.

There were the Black Lives Matter protests and riots, wildfires that darkened the sky so much it looked like a nuclear winter in the middle of summer, and historic voter turnout for the presidential election that has been the impetus of an insurrection on the nation’s capitol.

We had some strange doings locally, too, during the Shelter in Place order. Remember the drag racing in the middle of Highway 99? Or, what about Soft Rock 98.9 playing Christmas Music and encouraging people to decorate their houses with Christmas lights in March?

A line of cars curled around the building and out the parking lot at Token Farms in Farmersville, filled with stressed out first time pot buyers waiting for hours for their online orders.

The real estate market exploded, and is still hot, and in a strange twist the market for used cars went bonkers and there was actually a shortage.

There were the “quaranteams” for housemates and “coronadivorces” for couples who realized they couldn’t stand each other.

Maybe local media didn’t want to grapple with the complexity or beat a dead horse, but neither the Visalia Times Delta nor Fresno Bee wrote their usual end of the year wrap up. But while the biggest stories for the year in the Valley Voice were affected by the pandemic, they were also unique to our area and will give insight to those dinner table conversations in 2049.

Our number one story of the year, or in fact ever for the Valley Voice, was “Visalia teacher takes advantage of state eviction moratorium.” This was an entertaining story with a happy ending that challenged the typical Facebook user accustomed to only reading 50 words or less. One commenter said, “it was so long but I couldn’t stop reading.”

The article documented how Ricardo Rasner rented a home in southwest Visalia then stopped paying rent by taking advantage of the moratorium on evictions. The landlord then discovered that Rasner was renting his home several weeks a month for $229 a night on Airbnb. The landlord regained possession of his house soon after and is in the process of suing for Rasner for damages. The case is still pending.

Number two was Martin Velasquez-Ramos’ story, “What happened at Lindsay Gardens” about how COVID spread in nursing homes through infected employees that were not allowed to go home sick.

The rest of the top ten are as follows:

3. Tulare civil leader arrested in sex sting
4. Farmersville couple suing Tulare County over drug raid based on false allegations
5. Abundant Life Church Leader Succumbs to COVID – 19
6. Visalia’s historic Odell-Mor building slated to be demolished
7. Contentious Election Erupts at Sierra View Hospital
8. Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Ruiz Foods in Dinuba
9. Visalia installs dangerous stop sign
10. UPDATED: Visalians join nationwide police protests

Another interesting story of 2020 was Tulare and Kings County supervisors declaring the shelter in place order canceled because COVID wasn’t that serious. And the VUSD firing Dr. Todd Oto because, well I can’t exactly remember.

But of all the top stories the one that hit me hardest was the passing of Pastor Ron Abbot, the head of Abundant Life Church. The story didn’t make it into the top ten because of his church, which is rather small, but because Mr. Abbott ran a huge puppy mill at his mansion in Tulare.

With taxidermied wildlife decorating the inside of his two million dollar mansion, and multiple litters of puppies born every month, Mr. Abbott declared he was living his childhood dream running Top Dog Kennel.

I’m sure the $300,000 a year the puppies brought didn’t dampen the “love” for his dogs.

“Shut it Down” tried to close Top Dog Kennel, Tulare County changed its codes to curb his activities, and I pleaded with the Visalia Times Delta and Fresno Bee to write an article about Top Dog Kennel and to please take his classified ads out of their papers.

Nothing worked – and it’s ridiculous that Mr. Abbot had to die to finally get the puppy mill closed.

An organizer of “Shut it Down” said after he died, “They sold what dogs they could and gave the rest to the secret ‘rescue’ that was working with him.”

There is no such thing as goodbyes

The biggest story for me in 2020 didn’t hinge on a major event or garner thousands of hits, but it was the passing of my husband. In the end, 2020 wasn’t about the real estate market, protests, or the elections – it was about death, deaths from the pandemic and deaths of despair.

Joseph didn’t die of COVID, but like his 2020 brethren he died alone, with a half glass of wine next to his keyboard and a couple of cigarette butts in the ashtray.

He died doing what he loved best, complaining about some local politician on Facebook with a Valley Voice reader. My youngest son found him slumped over his chair at his desk around 2:40 a.m., having passed by what appeared to be an aneurysm.

Mercedes and I had left home that afternoon to help a friend in the Bay Area. Because I kept forgetting this or that, I actually kissed him goodbye three times, the last time of which he called me to come back home because I had left my credit card. Joseph was waiting for me in the driveway and I got out of the car to give him one last hug and kiss, and I am so glad I did.

His passing clarified a couple of issues for me.

First, there are no goodbyes. So many people grieve about the fact that they didn’t have the chance to tell their loved ones goodbye, but how could they have? Unless the person is in hospice you don’t know when someone is going to die.

One day, they are just gone.

My greatest fear used to be dying alone and I couldn’t understand why single family member estranged themselves from their only living relatives. Who was going to be there to hold their hand when the time came?

After seeing all the COVID patients with big loving families die in nursing homes and hospitals, I realized that almost everyone I knew died alone. And I don’t think it was a coincidence that I was out of town the night Joseph died.

When my son Alex died in 2017, it was so painful that I couldn’t really recommend having children, but Joseph’s passing resolved that issue for me also. The evening of his death my adult kids had all made it home for dinner. As we sat around the table, I realized that this was his legacy. We chatted, reminisced and recounted his quirks, sayings, and funny anecdotes that were all vintage Joseph.

This reminiscing was so much more of a legacy than a plaque on a wall or a wing of a building named after someone no one knows

Just think of your ancestors. They live in you. And Joseph lives in the hearts and minds of his kids, and even his readers.

Joseph’s legacy includes not only his quest for justice, but sharing his sense of right and wrong, the truth, and maybe a few Beetles and Bob Dylan Songs.

It doesn’t mean you have to have your own children. Not everyone wants to or can. If you don’t have a family of your own, pay for a niece’s college or graduate school tuition. Take your nephew under your wing and be his mentor. Take over the care, financial and physical, of your parents. Don’t come to the end of your life having spent every dime and every minute just on yourself.

He taught me that having a family was not only worth it, but was my life’s journey. Every crumpled bumper, stained rug, and sleepless night were all worth it, and Joseph and I did it together. We were a team. And I now would recommend it to everyone.

Egyptians believe that every time you say a person’s name they live, and Joseph will live forever.

The post Political Fix (8 January, 2021) appeared first on Valley Voice.

We are Month One into what could be a two- or three-month shutdown of our normal lives.

Publishing the Valley Voice makes my life run in two-week cycles. But about four times a year, the dates hit just right and we get a three-week break between issues. That’s when I get super excited and jot down all the things I want to do.

Because I have a WHOLE week to get them done!

Now that we have been in shutdown for FOUR weeks, I’ve written my memoir, started learning a new language, and put the final touches on my she-shed.

OK, not really, but I did make a list.

We still publish the Valley Voice twice a month online, but without layout and distribution my workload has been cut in half. So now that I’m starring at eight to 10 unstructured weeks straight in the face, I’m finding it difficult to do much more than the Daily Jumble.

I did relearn a lesson from my youth, though.

Remember back in high school/college and playing  Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon or Led Zeppelin’s In Through the Out Door on the record player (Millennials and Gen Z can stop reading now) and donning those oversized headphones that are now back in fashion?

I have most of my old CDs stacked in my closet, some of which I haven’t listened to in decades. So I thought one night, I have time, I’ll put on some music like I did in college!

But then I wondered what I would do while the CD was playing.

Should I just lay there and do nothing?

Is that even legal?

After processing through my mom guilt, wife guilt, daughter guilt, and work guilt, I put on 1980’s English band, Boney M, and plopped a fluffy pillow under my head. I was immediately transported to my college days when two girlfriends and I traveled by bus through Morocco. On one of our night treks over the Atlas Mountains, this was the cassette playing on my Walkman.

I got a little teary eyed over the distance between my structured adult life and the freedom of my youth. But how do you make the transition as an adult from having one free day every few months to several months of free time?

Step one: Get over the guilt.

I assume everyone is watching the news of nurses and doctors working 12-hour shifts then falling asleep on the bottom tray of a beverage cart? How can I square their working so hard while my biggest decision is which CD to play?

Then I read an article about Yosemite workers sheltering in place. On March 20, all parks were closed and a skeleton crew of around 200 stayed in Yosemite Valley along with some residents and vacation homeowners, complete with the quaint Village Market to buy groceries.

The residents and employees talk of the silence, the crystal-clear air, empty trails, running river, and how they get to witness the wildlife reclaim the park. “You couldn’t ask for a better place to be isolated,” said a saucier at the Ahwahnee Hotel.

My guilt subsided.

In sum, we need to accept the fact that some people have it worse during the COVID crisis, and some people have it better, and that you are probably somewhere in the middle. And because the pace of life has tangibly slowed, all those working from home also have a reduced workload.

If you feel like you have more than your fair share of free time, well, most likely so do your neighbors and friends.

Step two: Quit watching the news.

It is a strange thing for a newspaper to recommend stop watching the news, but according to some of our angry Facebook followers (i.e. Carlton Jones) we are not really a newspaper but an Op. Ed. So, knock yourself out reading the Valley Voice.

But do limit watching cable and network news to twice a week. It’s depressing, repetitive and sensationalist.

Step three: Write down a list of goals and keep a schedule.

To get started, just go crazy and write down every single goal you’d like to accomplish over the next four to eight weeks.

OK, now take your list of goals and a sharpie and cross off anything not fun. We are only four months into 2020 and it’s already the worst decade of most people’s life. Cut yourself some slack.

That means catching up on reading the classics, repainting the guest room, or cleaning out the garage are to be blacked out immediately.

You can keep on your list: Binge watching Super Soul Sunday and 90 Day Fiancé, using your stockpile of bath bombs you intended to re-gift, and getting that online astrological reading. For women, a lifetime of being ignored and the feelings of guilt are not just going to disappear with the foam of one lavender bubble bath, so you better get started right now.

While my husband’s list of goals I so graciously wrote for him (clean the garage, paint the guest room) looks good just the way it is, I have trimmed my list down to making blood orange jam, looking at family photos, and writing. I may not get my memoir of the last six unbelievable years written by the end of this pandemic, but it will definitely make it to print by the time a certain wayward someone celebrates their 80th birthday.

And what’s at the top of my list during these exceptional times?

Getting through my pile of CDs.

See you in a few months.

The post Political Fix (16 April, 2020) appeared first on Valley Voice.

Our household has received letters and postcards concerning the census with a stern message, “Your response is required by law.”

The first envelop that landed in our mail box was the actual survey with reminder and information notices following. Needing no outside motivation, I eagerly tore open my thickish envelope hoping to find the long form–only to discover the long form has not been used by the census since 2000.

A lot has changed since the 2000 census in which I was a crew leader: there is no regional office in Hanford, it’s in Fresno, there was no fight over a “citizen question” and people can fill their out their survey online.

In 2000, for those who had internet, it was mostly dial-up and no laptops were issued enumerators. I remember our boss had to beg us just to buy a cell phone, which I did, then canceled it right after my tenure with the census was over.

Being a crew leader in a rural region, where there actually was no signal, versus an urban zone meant a lot more than counting its inhabitants.

Unlike in urban areas where residents received their form in the mail, enumerating rural households such as in Three Rivers, Badger, or Posey, meant sitting down with the respondents, filling out their form, and delivering them back to the regional office.  Besides enumerating, we were also tasked with mapping any new, diverted, or abandoned roads and documenting any missing or new domiciles, whether it be a house or camper shell on a truck with an inhabitant.

It took two weeks to train rural crew leaders and it took a week for crew leaders to train their enumerators. Except for my passive/aggressive boss, who demanded we lie about our car mileage so she could lie about hers, I loved every minute of it.

My first career in the Bay Area in the 1990’s was in survey research methodology. Living in Tulare County in 2000 with five school-aged kids, I knew the 2000 census was the last time I would ever do survey research professionally.

Fast forward 20 years, and even though I’m dying to whip out my blue or black pen and check the boxes and fill in the blanks on the form, I also am curious to see how well the online version works.

So I logged into my2020census.gov.

April 1 was Census Day, which doesn’t mean that’s the day you fill out the census. It means tell the government the number of people living in your house on April 1 except for temporary house guests.

Before the Corona Virus that meant don’t count college kids home for spring break. College kids would normally be counted by a census worker in late spring in their apartments or college dorm.

Now? I don’t know, but I have a suggestion.

Being a disadvantaged, often ignored, poor rural county, let’s give Tulare County a fighting chance this time by providing an accurate count.

When in doubt count anyone under your roof as a household member.

The number of Californians counted by the census determines the number of seats in the House of Representatives and apportions billions of dollars in federal money.

Everyone who does not fill out their form now will get a follow-up visit from a census worker. So let’s not short change Tulare County.

Get on line and fill out your census or someone like me will be knocking on your door.

OK, Back to Corona

Joseph and I were empty-nesters for about two minutes before the Corona Virus returned our two youngest chicks back to the nest. During those two minutes, I somehow managed to visit Mercedes twice in Portland. My two older kids live in Oregon also, so I had a good excuse to hover.

She actually had a tumultuous first trimester away from home, but got her college life straightened out and was really looking forward to spring term at Portland State University – without mom.

Now she is in disbelief that it’s not going to happen.

I am in disbelief that, with our large active family flung up and down the West Coast, it’s the only thing not going to happen.

Our family has only been lightly impacted by COVID – 19, but it’s hard to fathom the number of milestones Generation Z will miss. Seniors won’t be going to prom, putting on their high school play, going to Disneyland for grad night, or attending graduation. College juniors had to come home early from studying abroad and seniors involved in sports will miss their last season, and they will be entering the job market with our economy in a shambles.

Even harder to wrap my head around is that couples have to cancel their weddings, some new moms are delivering their babies alone, and loved ones receive no funerals because of social distancing. I have a close relative who has had her funeral mapped out for decades, not imagining no services will be allowed.

Even worse, for those infected with Corona Virus, they have to die alone. Family members are not allowed to be with their husbands, children, or parents because they might spread the virus.

Quite honestly, that blows me away. I think that many people’s greatest fear is dying alone. Yet here we are.

One more reason to call the Corona Virus the great equalizer.

Mark Pratter, a Hanford rabble-rouser, said that this will be the most important event of our lifetime. Just trying to get through the day lately the importance of the moment can sometimes be missed.

But I guess he is right.

Our great grandchildren will be talking about COVID-19 100 years from now, even more than people mention the Spanish Flu.

Joseph and I speak of the Spanish flu once in a while because we have survivors on both sides of the family. I even have about a dozen of Aunt Helen’s get well cards from October, 1918. But for people who didn’t have relatives affected by the Spanish flu, most have never heard of it.

I think this COVID – 19 will spread its tentacles far into our future and that each country will be judged by history on how well it responded.

Mr. Pratter chuckled, the way people do when the only other alternative is to cry, that the United States is the most technologically advanced it ever has been in the history of mankind.

“And our best answer to the crisis is social distancing?” asked Mr. Pratter.

Neanderthals could have done that.

Why couldn’t the United States have used its economic and technological resources to do what Singapore did?

Singapore made use of the lead time in January and February when China first reported cases of COVID-19. It went straight to work testing, quarantining cases, contact tracing and then quarantining those people. Singapore has not gone into a total lockdown and schools and businesses remain open though they are encouraged to work from home when possible.

As of March 31, Singapore recorded a total of 879 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths.

All the countries suffering high infection rates now really had this lead time to ramp up their testing, reinforce their resources, and formulate a national strategy. Those countries that did not take that opportunity are now suffering the consequences.

Going under lockdown like the United States is doing in a haphazard manner is really any country’s second chance. It’s not an answer. It’s just buying us time.

And some people don’t even believe in the lockdown.

According to an editorial by Robert Reich, “Tom Galisano, founder of Paychex, whose net worth is $2.8 billion, believes ‘the damages of keeping the economy closed as it is could be worse than losing a few more people.’”

As recently as March 23, Fresno City Council member Garry Bredefeld disagreed with the shutdown and several residents of Tulare County have also expressed their objections on facebook.

It’s strange to hear common folk defending the views of billionaires–whose pockets the middle class lines with its hard work. People who work for a living will be the ones dropping like flies from the Corona Virus if we  open up the country too early, while billionaires will wait out the virus safely in one of their many vacation homes.

But there is a silver lining.

Maybe Americans will discover there are other ways to spend their free time than shopping or hanging out in bars. They might realize coffee made at home is as good, or better, than Starbucks. American families might return to the dinner table and eat a home-cooked meal instead of a frozen burrito in front of their laptop.

Because of the school closures Americans have had to face the digital divide and are now trying to bridge it. They now have a deeper understanding of what Bernie Sanders meant when he said work-based healthcare insurance doesn’t work if people aren’t working.

And as we suffer through our interrupted lives, missed milestones, illness, and even death, the Earth on the other hand is healing with less man-made pollution in the sea, land and air.

Our numbers will be depleted and harsh lessons will be learned.

The Earth?

She will be just fine.

The post Political Fix (2 April, 2020) appeared first on Valley Voice.

The only person surprised by March 3rd’s Primary was candidate for State Assembly District 32 Todd Cotta. By election night he had only been campaigning for 60 days and said that anything he got would be gravy.

Well, he got more than gravy.

He ended up with almost 60% of the vote in Kings County, which is a reassuring sign considering Hanford is his hometown. Mr. Cotta, a Republican, had a worse showing in Kern County as that portion of the 32nd district is predominately Democrat, and so is the incumbent.

The final numbers were 56.3% of the vote for incumbent Rudy Salas and 43.5% for Mr. Cotta.

For the rest of the races, they unfolded pretty much as predicted.

Tulare County Board of Supervisor’s District 3

This race left one unanswered question. Candidate for District 3 Brad Maaske might still believe there is a silent majority.

And his loss did not prove that there isn’t.

In a facebook post he stated his loss was due to the fact that Republican voters did not show up.

“It turns out Catherine Doe was correct. My opponent got approximately 60% of the vote. Less than 30% of the registered Republicans in my district voted. If you like the status quo don’t participate. I am still here and fighting! This is just one battle. (For the record. If 50% voted and 70% chose me over a liberal decline to state… I win).”

The problem with Mr. Maaske’s logic is that Democrats have a much worse voter turnout than Republicans.

Second, just because someone is not a registered Republican does not make them a liberal. Just ask a Libertarian or the American Independent Party. Ms. Shuklian is registered an Independent and garnered support from many registered Republicans, as was evident with her endorsements.

Third, there is a limit to what even the religious right is going to put up with. The bottom line is that someone can’t get off of probation in September, file their paperwork in October, and expect to win – no matter how conservative.

Mr. Maaske might have been a bridge too far, even for the silent majority.

Since the election Mr. Maske has been critical of how California has handled the corona virus crisis and has disagreed with advice to close bars and restaurants.

“Destroy the economy for this but not the flu? (Alarmist say it will kill 600,000 plus in US if not controlled).”

A handful of people agree with Mr. Maaske, but with the possibility of Mr. Maaske as a potential leader, I think we dodged a bullet with the re-election of Ms. Shukian.

Tulare County Board of Supervisor District 1

The only remaining question left for District 1 is who will get candidate Robyn Stearns’ votes. Of the three people running for District 1, challenger Larry Micari and Incumbent Kuyler Crocker will proceed to a runoff in the November General Election.

Mr. Micari ended up with 46% of the vote to Mr. Crocker’s 37%.

By the next day Mr. Micari was already courting Ms. Stearns supporters.

Mr. Micari wrote,

“I hope to talk to Robyn very soon and I look forward to connecting with her supporters because when they voted for her yesterday, they joined my voters in sending a message that they wanted a change on the Board of Supervisors. As the two “change” candidates in this race, Robyn and I so far have combined to earn 63% of the vote, which is incredible. Voters on Tuesday sent a crystal clear message and I look forward to continuing on and bringing the change that residents are calling for. I look forward to getting to meet with Robyn and her supporters and I am excited about working with them over the coming months.”

Whether one agrees with Mr. Micari or not no one can argue with his work ethic.

Ms. Stearns has not announced publicly who she will endorse, if anyone, but she and her camp did express their extreme displeasure with Political Fix’ predictions and what they called a “biased” article.

Because her campaign was the least visible of the three candidates’, I predicted that Ms. Stearns would come in third with only 20% of the vote.

I was in fact wrong. Ms. Stearns only received 16% of the vote. So I will leave the post mortem of her campaign in her team’s capable hands.

Maybe my hypothesis was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t her campaign.

Democrats Tank in Assembly District 26, Congressional Districts 22 & 21

Even though challenger Drew Phelps announced his campaign for the Assembly seat held by Incumbent Devon Mathis a year ago at the Fred Davis Dinner, he only garnered 38.5% of the vote. His best showing was in Inyo County, where he received 47.7% of the vote.

His strong showing in Inyo was most likely a result of their anger at Mr. Mathis’ close relationship with the owner of Health Care Conglomerate Associates, Dr. Benny Benzeevi, who engaged in allegedly fraudulent financial activity with their hospital.

Mr. Phelps has made the focal point of his campaign Mr. Mathis’ complicity in the bankruptcy of Tulare’s Hospital.

Incumbent TJ Cox, Congressional District 21, also did surprisingly poorly in the primary against former Congress Member David Valadao.

Mr. Cox only garnered 38.5% of the vote even though he has been very active in Congress, passing bills, and has held many town halls in the 21st District. Both candidates have financial blemishes that cancel each other out, but Mr. Valadao is still very well liked and is a local.

If the Democratic Party wants to hold on to this long-time Republican seat, it is going to have to pull off the same successful ground game as in 2018.

In the 22nd Congressional District, even though Incumbent Devin Nunes has been roundly roasted for not meeting with his constituents and filing a billion dollars worth of personal damages suits, Tuesday was a good night for him.

The front runner amongst the Democrats, Phil Arballo, only garnered in an anemic 25% of the vote. The combined vote for the three Democrat candidates was 41% to Mr. Nunes’ 56%, showing once again the district is staunchly Republican and will be very hard for the Democrats to flip.

Triskaidekaphobia

Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13.

That is the reason why some high-rise buildings do not have a 13th floor, or why 13 dinner guests is an undesirable number–considering Judas was the 13th to arrive for the Last Supper,

But is Triskaidekaphobia the reason why Proposition 13, the $15 billion school bond, suffered a resounding loss on Primary night?

No. It’s because Californians are sick of increasing taxes hidden in bond measures.

A “yes” vote would have authorized $15 billion in general obligation bonds for school and college facilities, including $9 billion for preschool and K-12 schools, $4 billion for universities, and $2 billion for community colleges.

Even though $12 million was raised by Prop. 13 proponents and was met with virtually no opposition, it didn’t even come close. The ballot measure lost 46.5% to 53.5%. The measure only needed a simple majority to win.

This was the first statewide education-related bond issue that voters rejected since 1994. Between 1994 and 2020, voters approved six bond measures for school facilities—Proposition 203 (1996), Proposition 1A (1998), Proposition 47 (2002), Proposition 55 (2004), Proposition 1D (2006), and Proposition 51 (2016).

Columnist Dan Waters wrote, “Advocates of more spending, borrowing and taxes may be learning that even in blue California, there are limits.”

What’s Next?

What’s coming up on the 2020 November ballot? City council races–and Tulare will see some doozies.

Tulare Mayor Jose Sigala of District 1, Carlton Jones of District 3, and Greg Nunley of District 5 are all up for re-election, so fasten your seat belts.

Mr. Nunley already has a challenger, Patrick Isherwood, who got quite a reception when we posted his press release on Facebook. I am sure there will be many more challengers to follow.

Visalia City Council has enjoyed a generally peaceful few years, so fewer fireworks are anticipated for its races. Mayor Bob Link’s District 1 seat is up for grabs as he has said he plans on stepping down at the end of his term. Brett Taylor has announced his candidacy for the seat.

Council Member Phil Cox in District 2 is up for re-election but as yet no one has announced they will run in opposition.

I did get calls from two constituents who said they are mighty tired of seeing old White men on the dais and would like to see some diversity.

In reality, old White men are in the minority. So it’s the electorate’s fault that there is no diversity. People need to step up to the plate and run for office if they are dissatisfied.

Porterville is actually having its first by-district elections for Districts 3, 4, and 5 after recently switching from at-large elections.

Members of the Porterville City Council were elected in Districts 1 and 2 in November 2018. Members of the city council will be elected in Districts 3, 4, and 5 beginning in November 2020.

Pulling back the curtain

Soon after the Primary, two people called and asked if I was going to investigate them if they ran for office.

I asked, “Do you have a record?”

I won’t say how they responded because they might be on the ballot. But neither of them had anything in their past that was out of the ordinary.

If a candidate has one or two of the following–a bankruptcy, DUI, evictions, divorce, a lawsuit, a 5150, kids with criminal records–that’s just called life. If you have all or most of the above in your past, that’s called not qualified to run for office.

If someone cannot make appropriate decisions about their own life then they are not qualified to make decisions about other people’s lives, no matter how repentant.

The post Political Fix (19 March, 2020) appeared first on Valley Voice.

It’s Super Tuesday and everyone is anxiously awaiting election watch parties and all the election returns.

Then I land back to earth finding that both Fresno and Tulare Counties are experiencing problems at their polling places.

It’s going to be a long night.

The Tulare County Registrar of Voters reported that some voting machines were down due to software error messaging and not in operation. “Officials are aware and working diligently with the machine manufacturer to target the error and resolve the problem,” said the press release.

The Fresno Bee reported, “Frustration, delays and questions plagued Fresno County voters early Tuesday when the county’s election computer system crashed, causing issues for voters on and off for almost three hours.”

The Secretary of State’s office informed the Bee that Fresno County is having the worst problems in the state and Andrew Janz is asking that the polls stay open an extra hour.

But Secretary of State Alex Padilla warned voters a week ago, “Our election process does not end on election night. Due to state law and frankly the sheer size of California, the vote count will continue well beyond election night.”

He pointed out that there are more than 20.6 million registered voters in California, a total up from 17.9 million in the state’s last presidential primary in 2016.

And remember 2016 I do.

Visions of Nunes’ staff member Anthony Ratekin clicking the “refresh” button every five minutes on Tulare County Registrar of Voters’ website only to see an error message are still fresh in my mind.

In the 2016 general election some polling places ran out of ballots and voters were forced to vote electronically. Other sites around the Tulare County were copying ballots for the unexpected huge numbers that showed up.

At around 10:15pm voters in parts of Visalia and Lindsay were still waiting at their polling place to cast their ballots and the registrar of voters had to delay posting results until 11:15pm.

Former Congress member David Valadao ended 2018’s election night with a 5000 vote lead over Congress member TJ Cox and gave a victory speech. Three weeks later he was making a concession speech.

The same thing happened in the Tulare County Board of Supervisor District 1 race. Supervisor Kuyler Crocker was losing on election night, but ended up winning the seat a month later.

Coincidently these three candidates are on the ballot tonight and embroiled in tight races. So get ready to “hurry up and wait.”

The silver lining is, even though we may not get returns by the time the Valley Voice goes to print or I succumb to sleep, I ultimately have faith that the registrar of voters will count every vote and get it right.

In the mean time it’s never too early to talk about the next election.

Is the Cash Bail System immoral? Voters will decide in November

On any given day there are 2.3 million people incarcerated in facilities ranging from immigration detention centers to federal prisons. The United States incarcerates the most people in the world and almost more than in China and Russia combined.

But we already know the United States has a system of mass incarceration.

What most people do not know is that nearly 70% of those in jail on any given day have not been convicted or sentenced. And that is mostly because they are poor.

The average amount of bail set in the United States for felonies is $10,000, which is eight months of working full time at the federal minimum wage. Every year, thousands of innocent people sit in jail only because they can’t pay bail. As a result they lose their jobs, their homes, custody of their children and go into debt.

The U.S. is one of only two countries in the world that allows a for-profit bail bond industry to exist. The other is the Philippines.

Here are a few humbling stories.

In New York, a 19-year-old man had been charged with possession of stolen property after he and his friend were caught with stolen electronic equipment. He was released when his co-defendant admitted to stealing the property and confirmed that his friend was unaware. But that was after he sat in jail for six months because he couldn’t afford to pay the $2000 bail. He actually ended up spending more time in jail than if he had been convicted of the crime for which he was arrested.

Jessica Preston was eight months pregnant when she was arrested in Macomb County, Michigan for driving with a suspended license in 2016. She had a prior offense so was given a choice: Spend 14 days in jail while waiting for a hearing date or come up with $10,000. She could not make bail and five days into her incarceration went into labor. Ignoring her repeated pleas for help, jail personnel refused to call an ambulance and she was forced to give birth on the jail house floor.

In Kent County Michigan a 16-year-old was arrested for allegedly smashing a car window and breaking a bottle of pricey wine he’d found inside. Unable to afford the $200 bail required for his release, he sat behind bars for three days before committing suicide, hanging himself in his jail cell.

Kalief Browder, a 16-year-old from the Bronx, who was imprisoned in Rikers Island for three years, two of them in solitary confinement, because he couldn’t afford his $3,000 bail. His alleged crime: stealing a backpack in 2010. He killed himself not long after he was released not able to cope with his time in prison.

The cash bail system also raises the number of false convictions.

Sitting in jail for a minor offense forces people into false plea deals. Detainees are told that all they have to do is plead guilty, get time served, and they can go home. After sitting in a jail cell for many months without the ability to pay bail, they give in. The problem now is that the person, who may have been innocent, is free but can’t get a job because they have a criminal record.

In 2018, California decided enough is enough and banned cash bail altogether.

Senate Bill 10 changed California from a money-based system to a risk-based release and detention system. People arrested for minor offenses would be able to go free until their hearing. A judge would decide the flight or public safety risk for those arrested for more serious crimes.

Within two months after California’s bill became law the bail industry had overturned it. A day after former Governor Brown signed the law, the bail industry collected enough signatures to qualify a measure for the November 2020 ballot. The law was then put on hold until voters could decide in the general election.

Since that time bail bondsmen have been back in business.

The bail industry’s measure on the November ballot will amend the California Constitution to require that arrested persons be given the option to post cash bail for pre-trial release. The term “bail” would be defined as cash, state or federal bonds, real property, or bond posted by a licensed bail agent on behalf of a licensed surety company.

The industry defends its ballot measure by claiming that bail guarantees people show up for trial. If they didn’t, they’d forfeit their bail money.

The industry also claims that SB10 compromises public safety. Those who should be jailed would be released en masse, with no guarantee they’d return to court for their hearings and may commit other crimes.

But these threats to public safety already existed with the bail system: If a person was wealthy enough, no matter how serious their crime, they could be released if the judge set bail, which they usually do.

New Jersey, Colorado, New Mexico and Alaska have gotten rid of their bail systems, and there is already data in New Jersey on the public safety effects of abolishing the bail system.

The New Jersey Criminal Justice Reform Act took effect January 1, 2017, and eliminated money bail in the state. The law states that innocent people should not sit in jail. People can be held in New Jersey only if their release poses an unacceptable flight risk or poses a danger.

The data showed that defendants released under the new system were no more likely to be charged with a new crime or fail to appear in court than defendants released on bail under the old system. The study also showed a smaller jail population.

A former New Jersey prosecutor said, “It is absolutely worth it and absolutely the right thing to do. It’s really just a question of if there is political will to do it and whether people are willing to put aside their sort of traditional party line or ideological views and look at the greater good.”

Come November, California will be asked the same question. Will we want to side with the $2billion bail industry or vote for the “greater good?”

Was Prop 13 on the March 3 ballot?

We only had one measure on the ballot this election and we still managed to mess it up.

Yes, there was a Prop 13 on the ballot and yes, the funding would go to schools, but it didn’t have anything to do with the property tax measure by the same name passed in 1978.

Every couple of years proposition numbers are reused and it was an unfortunate decision by the California Secretary of State to repeat the number 13. Especially given the fact there will be an amendment to the 1978 Prop 13 on the November ballot.

The measure we voted on today was called “Proposition 13, the School and College Facilities Bond.”

A “yes” vote authorizes $15 billion in general obligation bonds for school and college facilities, including $9 billion for preschool and K-12 schools, $4 billion for universities, and $2 billion for community colleges. According to the California Legislative Analyst, the state would make payments totaling an estimated $26 billion, including $15 billion in principal and $11 billion in interest, over 35 years from the General Fund.

A “no” vote opposes this measure to authorize $15 billion in general bonds.

By the end of election night 70% had voted no on Prop 13.

The measure is in contrast to the proposition coming up this November.

The proposition on the November ballot is called “California Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Education and Local Government Funding Initiative.”

This new law will amend the original Proposition 13 and remove caps for commercial and industrial properties.

In 1978 Howard Jarvis proposed a 1% cap on all property tax and based the tax on the home’s value. The proposal also said that there should never be more than a 2% increase in any given year. It passed with more than two-thirds of the vote.

The amendment, if passed, will increase commercial property taxes by requiring commercial and industrial properties to be taxed based on their market value, rather than their purchase price.

A “no” vote would keep commercial property taxes as they are now.

The purpose of amending the original Prop. 13 is to increase funding to California’s education system, such as teacher salaries. Forty percent of the increase in property taxes would be distributed to school districts and community colleges.

Doubtless, the November ballot will have many propositions that ask us to increase taxes.

But with California now the third most expensive state in which to live behind Hawaii and the District of Columbia, I don’t know how receptive voters will be to amend the real Proposition 13.

The post Political Fix (5 March, 2020) appeared first on Valley Voice.

It’s Super Tuesday March 3 and the local races have turned out to be as exciting as the Primary.

As of February 18 only 5.7% of Californians had returned their mail-in ballot and most of those are Republicans. That’s because Democrats are watching the debates and primary returns before voting to see if their preferred candidate is still viable.

California takes its time counting each vote so I anticipate a long election night. Here are my predictions for the local races.

Tulare County Supervisor District 3

Incumbent Tulare County Supervisor Amy Shuklian is being challenged by Brad Maaske.

Tulare County Board of Supervisors (TCBOS) District 3 will be decided March 3. The candidate who receives the most votes will win outright.

Though this was the most interesting race on which to report, it was not the hardest to predict.

A dispassionate look at the numbers shows Mr. Maaske has a very slim chance of becoming supervisor. Ms. Shuklian is the incumbent, has raised three times as much money, handily beat an incumbent four years ago, and has received all the endorsements except for one elected official, and I’ll get to that later.

Another factor that limits Mr. Maaske’s chances is that he declared himself “The Conservative Choice.” Add this to his checkered past and the pool of possible voters has narrowed indeed.

But Mr. Maaske has made the case to mollify wary voters, stating that his history is irrelevant for three reasons. First, God has forgiven him. Second, everyone has a past, and, third, it’s in his past.

Like much of what Mr. Maaske says there are elements of truth and falsehoods in his statement.

I’m sure it’s true God has forgiven Mr. Maaske for his past, but that doesn’t make him qualified, or not, to hold public office.

Second, this is not his past. He still drinks, he has a restricted real estate license, he is currently being investigated by the Fair Political Practices Committee, and got off probation just a few weeks before filing to run for office.

Third, I call baloney on “everyone has a past.”

In the six years of doing research on dozens of politicians I have only found three who have a “past.”One of them is Mr. Maaske’s only relevant endorser, Assemblymember Devon Mathis. The other two are Tulare City Council members Carlton Jones and Greg Nunley.

Anyone surprised?

Lastly, I have a huge bone to pick with this race.

A self-appointed political vigilante, who I will not name, sent me via a friend a picture of Ms. Shuklian posing with one of her supporters. Along with the picture he included a report of a blood alcohol test proving that this supporter was caught driving drunk.

The picture of Ms. Shuklian with a supporter convicted of a DUI was clearly meant to discredit her and is only one example of the smear campaign conducted against Ms. Shuklian during this election.

Unlike Warren Gubler, a State Assembly candidate in 2018, who rarely associated with people who smoked, drank, got stoned, or had been arrested, these people are our neighbors, friends and family. But that doesn’t mean it’s our life. Nor is it Ms. Shuklian’s.

And let’s all remember the impeccable Mr. Gubler lost, took his ball, and moved to New Zealand.

My prediction: Amy Shuklian will win 60% of the vote at the absolute least.

Tulare County Board of Supervisors District 1

Tulare County Supervisor Kuyler Crocker is being challenged by Larry Micari and Robyn Stearns. The top two will most likely go on to the November 3 General Election unless one of the candidates receives over 50% of the vote.

Because there isn’t much political light between the three candidates, this has not been the most riveting of elections to cover. But it has been the most difficult to predict.

Looking strictly at the numbers, Ms. Stearns will most likely not be one of the top two to proceed to the General Election. She has raised the least amount of money, did the least campaigning, and has the fewest endorsements.

It also doesn’t help her fiscally conservative message that she handed over a quarter of her funds to campaign manager Phil Cox. With her political experience she could have easily run her own campaign as did Dennis Smith in 2016. And Mr. Smith had never run for office.

So far as Mr. Micari and Mr. Crocker, they are neck and neck.

Mr. Crocker will be tough to beat as the incumbent, but both candidates have raised about the same amount of money and both have a long list of endorsements.

But those criteria all come with an asterisk.

Yes, Mr. Crocker is the incumbent–but he narrowly beat Mr. Smith four years ago when Mr. Smith had few endorsements, no money, and hadn’t been anointed by former Supervisor Allen Ishida as was Mr. Crocker. In fact, the election was so close the registrar’s office didn’t call it for a month.

Also, the fact that Mr. Crocker has two challengers gives me pause. Supervisor Pete Vander Poel hasn’t had a challenger for several elections because presumably his constituents are happy with his job performance.

Lastly, Mr. Micari’s has more endorsements, including some defectors from Mr. Crocker’s 2016 camp such as from law enforcement, public safety and former supervisors. Even more surprising is Mr. Vander Poel’s endorsement of Mr. Micari. It is common practice for fellow supervisors to endorse each other, but Mr. Vander Poel let it be known publicly he did not support the candidacy of Mr. Crocker.

All these factors combined make Mr. Crocker vulnerable but not necessarily beatable.

So I took a look at some intangibles.

Mr. Crocker makes a point of repeating when addressing the public that he is a fifth generation Tulare County farmer, which no doubt tipped the scales in the 2016 election. But in 2015 he worked in the private sector with PG&E and lived in Fresno – that is until he pulled papers to run for supervisor.

Was that change of heart coincidence or opportunism?

Whichever it is, his career change brought into question his integrity, and the question of integrity has dogged Mr. Crocker throughout his political career.

It does not help that Mr. Crocker’s mom, Patricia Crocker, who has held elected office and knows better, voted twice for her son in 2016. No apology has been forthcoming.

Then there is the force of nature called Ms. Micari. She started 2019 not knowing much about running a campaign to managing the best campaign this elections cycle. She is a bad ass bitch and you can bet your sweet bippy Mr. Micari isn’t going to do anything stupid while on the dais if elected, because he has Ms. Micari to come home to.

And Mr. Crocker doesn’t.

Prediction: Ms. Stearns 20%, Mr. Crocker 40%, and Mr. Micari 40% with the edge going to Mr. Micari.

Congressional District 22

Congress member Devin Nunes is being challenged by Phil Arballo (D,) Dary Rezvani (D,) Bobby Bliatout (D,) Eric Garcia (NPP.) The top two proceed to the General Election.

During the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum on January 30 Mr. Rezvani was most impressive. It was standing-room only in COS’ Ponderosa Hall and Mr. Rezvani was articulate, funny, comfortable in front of a crowd, and super cute.

But this column is predictions, not endorsements. Given that, Mr. Arballo has raised the most money and was endorsed by Mr. Nunes’ 2018 challenger, Andrew Janz, he will most likely proceed to the general election coming in second to Mr. Nunes.

Mr. Janz, an unknown and political neophyte in 2018, came within five percentage points of Mr. Nunes. He is currently neck and neck with former Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer in his race for Fresno Mayor.

But Mr. Arballo is no Janz. He doesn’t return calls, hasn’t campaigned as hard, and isn’t what you would call an inspiring speaker.

Mr. Nunes garnered almost 58% of the vote in the 2018 June primary against his five challengers, who split the remainder. But unlike 2018, when many Democrats stayed home, this year they will be turning out in droves to vote for their Democratic presidential nominee. Add that to the fact that constituents are increasingly angry that Mr. Nunes won’t talk to them, and all of his lawsuits claiming $450 million in damages, and he may no longer win by double digits.

Prediction: Mr. Nunes will take 55% of the vote with the challengers splitting the remaining 45%. Mr. Arballo will come in second and proceed to the General Election.

Congressional District 21

Congress member TJ Cox is being challenged by former Congress member David Valadao. Both will proceed to the November General Election.

Both candidates have (had) held this seat and both have their own baggage so this will be a close race. Mr. Valadao’s jointly owned dairy has gone bankrupt and has defaulted on paying over a million dollars in debts. Mr. Cox has around $150,000 in unpaid taxes and has liens on his properties.

So pick your poison.

But Mr. Cox hasn’t done anything stupid to anger his constituents, like vote to eliminate the Affordable Health Care Act. Also, the district is 43% Democrat versus 26% Republican, so it was always kind of a mystery why Mr. Valadao kept winning.

Mr. Valadao is very well liked in Hanford and will win Kings County, but Kings County is only 23% of the 21st District. The rest is in Kern, Fresno and Tulare Counties.

The most interesting aspect about this election is what happened in 2018. Mr. Cox came in second in the June Primary with only 37.2% of the vote to Mr. Valadao’s 62.8%.

A shoe-in right?

Mr. Cox then turned that around and pulled off a surprise victory in November. Out of the 113,616 votes cast he won by a mere 862 votes. It took a month before the winner was officially declared by the state.

Prediction: I predict Mr. Cox will come out on top by five percentage points.

California Assembly District 26

Incumbent Devon Mathis is being challenged by Drew Phelps.

Tularean Drew Phelps has been full-speed-ahead in his campaign while Mr. Mathis has been fairly quiet over the last year. Even so, the results of the primary might not have a huge impact on the outcome of the General Election. Both candidates will be proceeding to the General Election.

The post Political Fix (20 February, 2020) appeared first on Valley Voice.