Is Tulare County Part of Trump’s Base? On January 11, President Trump met with Democratic and Republican Senators about Immigration Reform. During the meeting he said, “Haiti? Why do we want people from Haiti here?” Then they got Africa. ‘Why do we want these people from all these shithole countries here? “We should have more people from places like Norway.” Most people, including […]
The Year’s Top Stories Some might say 2017 was the Year of the Woman, but so far as local politics is concerned, it was the Year of Tulare. Looking back on 2017, the Valley Voice’s top 10 stores didn’t so much document the major events in Tulare and Kings County, but told the story of […]
Why Are The Republicans Trying to Convince Us That Upside Down is Right Side up – And Will They Succeed? I am not one to hold a grudge, but in 1952 Republican women fought to get the issue of equal pay on the California Republican platform. In correspondence between my grandmother, Florence Doe, and other […]
One Hundred Years and Counting For a state that has only been around since 1850, and a county since 1852, it’s pretty impressive that the Tulare County Farm Bureau (TCFB) has been going strong for 100 of those years. So the organization threw a party on November 30 for all those families who had been […]
The Doublemint Twins Did you hear that Tulare Regional Medical Center just picked up two new allies? They’re Assemblyman Devon Mathis and Tulare Mayor Carlton Jones. When Joseph Oldenbourg, editor of the Valley Voice, heard the news he said, “If I had a gun I don’t know if I’d shoot myself or someone else.” Do […]
#WeSaidEnough California is experiencing a watershed moment. Women all over the state are standing up to sexual harassment that plagues the work place. It started with women publicly speaking about the sexual misconduct of producer Harvey Weinstein. As Hollywood took a hard look at their treatment of women over the last 75 years, women in […]
Carlton Jones is a Bully The first time I met Tulare Mayor Carlton Jones it was February 23, 2014 at a meet and greet organized by Ruben Macareno, former chair of the Tulare County Democratic Central Committee. The event was to introduce the newly appointed Tulare County Superior Court Judge Michael Sheltzer and bring together […]
Carole Firstman Speaks at Networking for Women Luncheon I met Carole Firstman around 2002 at the Three Rivers Holiday Bazaar. The bazaar marks the beginning of the holiday craft fair season and is usually a glorious fall day in the foothills. I was selling my beaded ornaments and peach jam and she was scurrying to […]
The Tulare Way Part II A lot has happened since my last Political Fix. Lawyers representing the hospital board argued for a temporary restraining order to prevent HCCA from taking out any more loans, power has been shut off in the unfinished hospital tower, and HCCA claims that the Tulare Local Healthcare District owes them more […]
“It’s the Tulare Way” Recently, an informant called saying that Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC) allegedly hadn’t paid its utility bills since April. Then I interviewed a grieving daughter whose mother had been buried in the wrong plot at the Tulare Public Cemetery, and later a prominent Tulare businessman called with some outrageous, but consistent, […]