Fresno businessman Tal Cloud, who also works as a political consultant, sent us this picture of his handiwork on a local freeway overpass. The banner has been up for a week before city crews took it down Friday morning. Cloud had the banner made and then took the photo, which he has been sending to folks on his email list. He says the photo is his commentary on how the city is being run.
This is part of his motivation: Cloud is angry over a lawsuit filed by the city against a group he is a part of.
The bankrupt Running Horse project was supposed to be a golf course and residential community. City of Fresno officials are trying to get the property out of bankruptcy and turn it over to billionaire developer Donald Trump to complete.
This is from Cloud's email describing the photo: "I took it on Old 99 North of Church bellow the 41 overpass where the city has shut down the transition road to downtown for old 99."
I feel like I'm missing something here. Is he angry about the Running Horse project, or the City closing the transition road? And why is that road closed - is it permanent or for construction purposes?
(One of my pet peeves is that it seems like everytime something gets built downtown, another road is closed. It's getting ridiculous.)
The only housing development that Mayor Autry and the city can take credit during their term in office is this one under the Bridge. I drive by this location every day and it makes me sick.
If the city can not solve this problem how in the world do they think they can build Running Horse with Donald Trump. Mayor Autry as spent nearly 7 years working on issue he has not control over i.e. education, border control et.al, while ignoring issue's like this one. I think our elected officials should focus on the current problems the city is facing before they try to get involved with a Trump Golf Course
I think you're conflating several issues here. Homelessness is a problem that I think every city of any size wrestles with. I don't think any city has found a good answer -- unless you count Clovis' (presumably discontinued) practice of putting them on a bus to Fresno.
Running Horse is another matter. I agree that the City should not be partnering in the development with Trump. I don't mind if they facilitate the assembling of the property, as long as Trump (or whoever) pays the tab (including the legal fees). But the City should not be sharing the financial risk, no matter what Trump's attorney says.
Assembling property is not really that complicated, and could easily be done by City staff. There's no reason they couldn't do that while the Mayor works on his hobby-horse projects, as long as the City's interests are protected in advance.
Would this be called socialized privatization?
Using the money of the masses to privatize.
Just wanted to through that out for us mull over.
I frequently drive buy the huge homeless camp and I am so disgusted. Get some of the jailbirds out there to clean up some of that mess then they can see how they could end up if they don't change their ways. The people living there need to be made to clean up the place too. The city wants to do the Running Horse project even exercising eminent domain if need be. If they are going to use eminent domain it should be to make a facility for all those homeless people. Why would anyone want to live here or bring businesses here when they see this horrible blight upon entry into our city. Running Horse or Trump International will go to crap to because of the location. All the drive bys and crime to the West wont make people want to go there. The project might help bring in tourism money to the Trump but not the city cause people that go to Trump Internationals hotel not anywhere in Fresno. Serious golfers with lots of money will be the only ones to utilize this place.
First of all I would like to propose a deal with Donald on this and another project for Donald and the city of Fresno I have a backer that has 23 million to invest in such real estate. please don't think this is a prank. tel 559 733 5010, 972 5915