Candidates seeking to succeed outgoing Fresno Mayor Alan Autry were put on notice today: Airy generalizations and demagoguery won't be enough in this year's election. Here's our editorial.
We specifically mentioned crime, which is now at a 43-year low in Fresno, thanks to previous efforts to boost the number of officers and some innovative deployment decisions. So it won't work for candidates to wander the local landscape shrieking about out-of-control crime.
That applies to other issues as well. Fresno has serious problems: terrible air quality, looming water shortages, a severe lack of park space, a downtown that's struggling mightily for new life, unemployment and poverty, and a brain drain that sees the best and brightest of our young people spending most of their time trying to choose a path out of town for better prospects.
Candidates must have specific plans and visions to address those issues. Fair warning: We're going to hold them to that.
"I agree with the Bee's call for specifics from local political candidates on critical issues like public safety, economic development, concentrated poverty, air quality, and downtown revitalization. Frankly, I would expect nothing less from a candidate for public office myself; nor should Fresno residents.
Yesterday, I released a five-point plan for job creation and economic development. You can read it at www.ashley4mayor.com/EconDev.pdf . I will soon be releasing my public safety blueprint as well. Additional action plans are being developed and will be coming out in the next several months. I welcome input from the Bee's readers on these critical issues. You can contact me at ashley@ashley4mayor.com .
The time is now for Fresno to deal with the issues that have challenged us for too long. As I said yesterday at the Great Mayoral Debate hosted by the Central California Hispanic Chamber, Fresno is a "city with potential". But I'm not satisfied with that role for Fresno. "Potential" without results is like fruit on a vine that spoils if not harvested. We can't afford to let that happen here."
I have already released eleven specific platform papers on a variety of significant issues facing our community. They provide very detailed goals and objectives that were developed with significant community input, my 25 years of real business experience and my productive time serving the City on the City Council. They are the basis for what we can actually do to move our city forward if I am elected Mayor. The topics range from keeping your families safe to neighborhood improvement to cleaning our environment.
Keeping elected officials true to their word is important. That is why when elected Mayor, these goals and objectives will be put on the web for all to see and updates will be made on a regular basis.
I'm glad other candidates are starting to see the need for having specific goals and objectives for their campaign so the voters can compare and contrast each candidate. Mine can be downloaded at http://www.jerryduncan.org/
It seems clear from reading Jerry's web site that he has done his home work.
More-so these are issues that he has literally worked on in real life rather then lofty ideas written from a distance.
Some of the other candidates have little to read about on the issues, or are in the works with a plan for Fresno, for me thats alarming.
The aggregate numbers may show a decrease in violent crime, but this is misleading. Fresno had its highest rate of homicide in 10 years, in 2007. This fact can hardly be dismissed, as suggested above. Murder is probably the single most important dimension of violent crime. Second, crime is still concentrated in high rates in the poor parts of Fresno, such as West and Southeast Fresno. Overall crime maybe down, but people don’t feel any safer now then they did before.
Before the Fresno City Council and the Police Department pat themselves on the back they should keep these things in mind. The Fresno PD has been waging a public relations campaign to show what a good job they are doing to justify all the money they receive. They release statistics not to inform people, but to create a perception that they are effective. The fact is they are receiving more money and resources yet more people are dying in the City of Fresno than in the past ten years.
Many of the problems that need to be addressed such as a revitalized downtown, unemployment and poverty could all have been addressed if the City Council would have listened to former City Council member and mayoral candidate Tom Boyajian. He consistently voiced his displeasure with Republican Mayor Autry using 70% of Federal CDBG monies to fund the police.
Think about this: We are ranked number one in the nation in concentrated poverty. Instead of using the Federal funds to deal with poverty we give it to the police. Many sociological studies show crime is caused by poverty.
Under Tom Boyajian’s plan these federal funds would be used to create jobs and affordable housing. Political insiders such as RJI and those associated with the City Council have been ineffective in dealing with unemployment, which according to 2006 Census figures is currently 11%. We need Tom Boyajian to lead Fresno to prosperity with his political experience and vision, something lacking in the other candidates. Go to www.votetom08.com for more information.
It still amazes me how the media still caters to the wealthy who are running for office and consistantly leave out the regular guy who is actually one of the people.
I released my plans and benefits package months ago and despite my best efforts, the wealthy candidates are the only people who have the power to get their plans, if you can call them that, on Ray Appleton, KMJ and in the news. Thus far, every person who has seen my specific plans that address every issue that has been discussed in these types of articles, have stated how they have changed their decision on who they would vote for and are now giving Jim Boswell the opportunity to serve the people of Fresno. If you look at the dates of release, you will find that I listened to the people and I have come up with the most comprehensive plans that will make positive changes in Fresno now, and well into the future. If the people of our great city will give the little guy the opportunity to serve the people of Fresno and stop this cycle of only voting for the wealthy or worse yet, the politician's who always make the same false promises and who have got us into this mess in the first place, we could all actually have a Mayor that is one of the people and who will not forget that he works for the people. Jim Boswell is this person.
Russ- Great blog. I think its very important that each candidate provide details on their platform. Over the course of the campaign, I will release position papers on the issues impacting Fresno. The first of which, air quality, can be read on my website at www.perea2008.com.
I would also invite your readers to send me emails on their policy ideas. After all, I see this campaign as the perfect opportunity to create a community conversation on how we turn our challenges into opportunities.
Hi Russ,
Sorry for the delay in my response. I’ve been out of state doing a speech and just returned. I saw your blog yesterday, but couldn’t respond till today.. I appreciated your take and am happy to offer my perspective. First, though, let me say that my cornerstone positions are posted on my website at ebenformayor.com. Public safety is definitely a major issue in any campaign, and I’m sure this is just the beginning of a long debate.
To start, it is important to remember that when one takes the oath of Mayor, you pledge to protect the citizens of this city. It is the Mayor’s responsibility to provide peace of mind to every resident, and my administration will take that very seriously. It needs to be very clear that if you break the law, you will be held accountable. If you decide to commit a crime against the people of Fresno, we will ruin your day. It will be our policy to arrest, prosecute, and make sure the consequences of illegal actions are paid in full. I will not support the early release of criminals in this city.
We are blessed to have two of the finest chiefs in the country leading our police and fire. I will provide them the tools they need in the general fund and grant opportunities to continue programs that have made a huge difference in this community. Certainly, the Gang Initiative, Graffiti Abatement program, and Traffic initiatives have been wildly successful and must continue to grow and expand. I will lead the further development of an educational component for young gang members and former inmates who have chosen to seek help. I will provide an opportunity through our Parks department to develop skills that will help them acquire a high school diploma and learn other vocational skills to help them become employable. Mayor Autry says we need the hammer AND the hope and my administration will continue down that road.
Consolidation is important in maximizing our efficiency. With impact fees coming in less than expected, the Joint Public Safety Building is a way off. We will continue to move forward and acquire affordable facilities to expand and consolidate. It would be my expectation that in year one, we would be in new buildings in and around Fresno that offer us opportunities to begin our joint ventures. Certainly, by starting with areas like property and evidence or prisoner processing, we can effectively continue to move forward. We will also continue to pursue technology grants that will provide the tools for interoperability between the agencies.
Finally, the future of public safety is at risk throughout the San Joaquin Valley, and we will not be able to work in isolation to meet the needs of our growing population. My plan is to call for a San Joaquin Valley Caucus in year one of my tenure. This meeting will gather lawmakers from cities across the valley to create an agenda for Central California. The goal would be to take a regional approach to public safety, air quality, and water storage to gain the necessary funds to provide for our people. With a new funding source from the state (like a local allocation of a percentage of our income tax that goes directly to Sacramento), we can create a long term plan to hire appropriate personnel in police and fire and protect the future of our children.
I don't know who I will vote for in the Mayoral election, but I do know who I won't vote for. Someone who pulls his vision for Fresno right out of a Golden Book fairy tale and then whines about no one listening to the little guy running for office is hardly a step in the right direction. I read Boswell's "plan", I also read his request for campaign donations in the very same packet....if he's so brain dead that he doesn't know it's illegal to solicit donations prior to filing his nomination papers, then he's going to need his fairy godmother to get his act together for the ball.
As far as Eben...give me a break...can we all say "opportunist"?
I am all for every person having their own opinion, but I am not sure why you would say things that are so obviously one sided and personal, but asking for "support" or for people to donate their "time" is not the same as asking for donations. I have not asked for, nor have I received any donations because I know I have to wait for Feb. 11. As for your comment about Jeff Eben, it's probably not my place, but I have known Jeff for over 25 years and I can tell you that he is a good guy and has Fresno's best interests in mind and is not an "opportunist" as you stated.
I don't believe it is whining to ask the media to be fair when reporting on the candidates. I am tired of the corruption in Fresno politics and that makes me one of the 70% of Fresno residents who have also become tired of the same politician's receiving favors because of their wealth and power. I don't believe that wanting something better for the people of Fresno is a bad thing. I think this person might already have their favorite candidate in mind.