« April 2008 |
Main
| June 2008 »
Voters will cast their ballots on Tuesday, and they have a lot of sorting out to do on this last weekend of the political campaign. The problem is the candidates in several races have complicated the decision instead of defining differences between themselves and their opponents.
The worst race is the District 5 contest for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. The gutter-romping was started by Clovis Councilman Nathan Magsig, and opponent Debbie Poochigian was forced to respond. The Bee's editorial board comments on the politicking in that race in this editorial.
There are so many problems in the county -- an upside down budget, a human services agency with managerial problems, a need for public safety consolidation among them -- that need attention. They should be at the center of the debate, not which candidate has more local ties to District 5.
UPDATE: Now we learn that icnumbent Supervisor Bob Waterston is secretly supporting Magsig. John Ellis reported this Saturday afternoon on the news blog: Waterston's "campaign committee gave $10,000 to Citizens for Representative Government, a political organization that in turn has spent more than $3,600 on an independent expenditure in support of Magsig."
There are several other interesting local races on Tuesday's ballot. Unfortunately, seven out of 10 voters will stay home, according to the elections experts.
They will miss a fascinating mayor's race that seems to have come down to Henry T. Perea and Ashley Swearengin. But four other candidates -- Jerry Duncan, Tom Boyajian, Jeff Eben and Mike Dages -- say they are making their moves to get into the November runoff. They will be on the streets this weekend trying to persuade voters to go their way.
With popular incumbent Alan Autry not seeking re-election because of term limits, there are 11 candidates on the mayoral ballot.
Another interesting race is the campaign for City Council in District 4 in the heart of Fresno, That contest pits incumbent Larry Westerlund against challenger Susan Good. But Westerlund isn't here because he's been called to active duty from the Naval Reserve.
Westerlund's mom, Judy, and wife, Dora, are campaigning on his behalf. I got a mailer from Judy and Dora Westerlund on Friday urging me to vote for their son/husband.
The challenge for Good is taking on an opponent who is serving in the military. If she gets too aggressive, there could be a backlash. If she doesn't go after him, how does she convince voters that a change is needed?
Things are happening quickly on the gay marriage front. Yesterday a new Field Poll said California voters now support legal marriage between same-sex couples and oppose a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Earlier today, a state directive said same-sex couples will be able to wed in California beginning June 17, barring a stay of a historic California Supreme Court ruling.
Many letters to the editor have poured into our mailbox since the court's ruling earlier this month, both opposing and supporting the decision by the justices. Many of those against it said something to the effect of why should we even bother to vote when some "liberal court" in San Francisco can overturn the will of the people? (As one reader pointed out six of the seven judges were appointed by Republicans -- three by Pete Wilson, two by George Deukmejian and one by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.)
But this paragraph in a letter by William Eisentrager of Fowler sums up the crux of the issue very succinctly:
"The more egregious error comes in believing that this ruling somehow overturns a mythical 'will of the people.' The Constitution clearly established the courts to protect the rights of the minority and to keep a mob mentality from circumventing the law. Because the majority believes something does not make it the right or lawful thing to do."
Harold Meyerson, editor-at-large of American Prospect and the L.A. Weekly, wrote in this column: "Chief Justice Ronald George found that as once the court had ruled that race was not a legitimate basis to deny a person's legal rights, neither was an individual's sexual orientation."
I'm not sure why I thought this final State of the City speech of Alan Autry's eight-year mayoral run would be any different than the others. It wasn't, but it was pretty darned good. In fact, it may be the best State of the City speech that he's given. He was funny, preachy and visionary -- everything we've come to expect from the mayor.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up in a surprise visit to the State of the City gathering, leading Autry to quip that he felt like Wayne Newton on stage, with Elvis Presley sitting in the audience. But the governor, who has become a close personal friend of Autry, wasn't there to upstage his pal. Schwarzenegger sat in the audience and applauded the mayor's speech. Very classy.
Autry also brought a roar from the crowd when he asked Fire Chief Randy Bruegman to stand up. The chief was so far back in the audience in the Exhibit Hall that Autry told City Manager Andy Souza he'd better get a better seat for Bruegman or he'll leave for Eugene, Ore., the way Assistant City Manager Jon Ruiz did.
The mayor apologized for the tone of some of the things he said in the heat of a political battle. But he said he would not apologize for wanting to improve the Fresno school system or blasting the federal government for its terrible immigration policy. He also criticized the courts for "trampling on the will of the people" by forcing God from the "public square" and "redefining marriage."
This speech, as well as the invocation and benediction, did not acknowledge the many faiths practiced in this diverse city. That made some audience members of other faiths uncomfortable. The benediction by Pastor H Spees was audience participation, except it didn't include those from non-Christian faiths.
Autry, who is not seeking re-election because of term limits, covered a lot of ground in the 33-minute speech. At one point, he offered this advice for his successor:
First, don’t expect anything to be given to Fresno, even that which we rightfully deserve. The Governor knows this, the fight that goes into that. I’m not saying to go look for a fight, but you must be willing to fight in order to protect the quality of life and interests of this city. Unfortunately, the state and federal governments control much of the resources that we depend on for a healthy city. The politics of exclusion has devastated Fresno and the Valley for over 40 years because of that policy. It will take a sustainable, continued fight to change those politics. It will be a fight to get our water and it will be a fight to keep our water. It will be a fight to clean our air and fix our highways. It will be a fight to educate our children, look out for our elderly and tend to our sick and disabled. My advice: walk softly, but carry a big two-by-four.
Second, I would encourage you to come to office with unshakable principles and flexible politics. Too often it is the other way around. I believe with all my heart that, in order to keep this city moving forward, you will have to ask yourself three simple, yet very important questions:
1. Can I say no to my friends if what they are proposing is not in the best interest of this city, even if those friends were instrumental in getting me elected?
2. Can I say yes to people if what they are proposing is good for our city, even if those people worked overtime to keep me from being elected?
3. Are the things I stand for important enough that I am willing to get recalled to get them done?
If the answer to any of those three questions are “no,” I would advise you, even at this late date, to reconsider your candidacy because you will fail. But if the answers are all “yes,” I have no doubt that you will be successful in continuing to move our city forward.
We've got some colorful characters running for mayor, so it's been an interesting race to watch. In Sunday's Vision section, we've pulled together a fun little quiz with trivia questions about the candidates. See how you do.
You can start studying up for the test, but that is no easy task. There is a huge reservoir of knowledge available about the candidates this year. They have answered many questions from The Bee, and their answers are posted on our Web site. Click here. There is also video of all the candidates on our site. The candidates also have their own Web sites with music, videos, policy papers, the names of their dogs, pictures of the family. They are on MySpace and YouTube. This is a new generation of mayor candidate, that is certain.
So take out your Sharpies Sunday morning, and spend a few minutes with the quiz. And just to reward you for being a faithful reader of the OpinionTalk blog, here is a crib sheet for one of the questions:
Which candidate is not a current or former member of the Fresno Ctiy Council?
A. Jeff Eben
B. Henry T. Perea
C. Jerry Duncan
D. Tom Boyajian
E. Mike Dages
See? That's not so hard. Let us know how you do! (The answer, by the way, is A.)
Dr. John A. Capitman, executive director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State, discusses the health of San Joaquin Valley residents in this podcast recently posted on San Joaquin Valleyfornia. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here. Mike Lukens, who runs the Valleyfornia blog, reports that Capitam is troubled by our health numbers, especially the indicators that suggest there's little evidence of positive change coming in the near future.
Capitman is co-author of the Health Policy Institute’s latest report, “Healthy People 2010: A 2007 Profile of Health Status in the San Joaquin Valley.” His assessment is one that policymakers need to take into account as they do health planning. Because of the Valley's demographics, this region is not well suited to solve its health problems on its own. Access to health care and the lack of health insurance by too many residents add to an already stressed health care system in the Valley.
Valley leaders must be more aggressive in educating residents about how to handle their health issues, and policymakers need to pursue state and federal programs and policies that could help solve the region's health crisis.
There's been a lot of negative news coming out of Fresno State this year, and retired lawyer Phil Fullerton wanted to make sure that the good things also get mentioned.
He and his wife are big fans of the theater department, and their season tickets were one fine investment they said. Here is a note he sent to me making note of a fine year of performances:
The Fresno State Theater Arts Department has achieved the almost impossible in the 2007-2008 season of addressing almost all of the major problems facing our society today and doing so with professionalism, a joie de vivre, and humor. We can be very proud of this department, and through it, of Fresno State University.
The year concluded with a musical: "Urinetown." As the racy title indicates, folks in a mythical town were being charged a fee for....well, you can guess it from the title. The class structure and conflict between labor and capital are the centerpiece of the drama. A ruthless dictator bribes the legislature, increases the fees, and plans to send his daughter to a private university. The oppressed groan under this tyranny, until freed by an unlikely combination of popular leader and the daughter of the oppressor.
The theme here is as old as Karl Marx in Das Kapital. Our own John Steinbeck in "Grapes of Wrath "and "To a God Unknown" tackle similar themes. And one only needs to look at the populist themes in today’s presidential primary politics to see the same themes: gas companies oppressing the public, lack of medical care due to drug and medical conglomerates.
The season started with "Polish Joke." Here a rather neglected theme is addressed: white on white prejudice. A Polish lad tries hard to hide his ethnicity, even ludicrously dressing as a Scottsman. Yet always fails. Society just has no place for a Polish descendant, as he was warned in the opening scene. Our national oppression of the Irish, Slavic Peoples, and locally the Armenians, are all called to mind. And these battles continue; all of us have heard ethnic jokes.
"Doubt" was a carefully balanced play dealing with the issue of molestation of minors by Catholic clergy. Two advocates in the faculty of a fictional school accuse and defend a clergyman. The problems of teaching and raising young men and women in schools is vividly portrayed. How can you be close to them and not be accused of molestation? Or did it actually occur? The audience never knew; instead you were left in “Doubt.” However, it is certain that this burning issue was addressed with skill and love.
In the 15th Century Spanish "La Celestina" the Theater Arts department produced a play the central theme of which isthe thwarted love of a young girl who reminds one of young Juliet courted by her Romeo. One only needs to look at contemporary tragedies, like the murder of a young high school girl in Madera, to see how much love and passion are a part of our lives five centuries later. And prostitution, pimps, and dominating parents have been there essentially forever; all were portrayed here.
The Portable Dance Troupe did an incredible job. After a series of wonderful dance numbers, they concluded with a number dealing with Nazi Germany between World War I and World War II. The happiness of a springtime world at peace slowly morphed into one dominated by war and genocide. You could just sense the happy dancing times of the 1920’s and with great sadness see them turn into horror. The final number ended with projection on the screen of the number of war dead: a vivid reminder of how the frothy women of Springtime Germany became the victims of war and mass destruction.
"Single Black Female" Looking dealt with the issue of an aging (by her terms, not mine!) black professional looking for a mate. Her search deeply moved to laughter the largely African American audience. Some of her potential mates, such as a Russian immigrant, lifted the whole theater to convulsions of laughter. And the problem of race was dealt with lightly, but it is ever-present in our society and is surely present in the dating scene. A spoof, but one dealing with marriage, finding mates, and inter-racial themes in a society in transition.
So there you have it: racial and ethnic prejudice, class warfare, priestly molestation, war and peace, and the dating scene. These are the central themes of today’s world, and they were all there this year in the Theater Arts Department.
Many folks, including me, have been critical of the Athletic Department at Fresno State. However, it is now time to look beyond that to the huge number of exciting things happening there. All of us would be well served to focus on the affirmative at FSU--and to get tickets for next season’s performances of the theater department, as I will surely do soon.
The Reta twins will walk. That much is certain, despite confusion statewide over a new requirement that special ed students must pass the state high school exit exam.
Anne Dudley Ellis is reporting in today's Bee that Alyssa and Amanda Reta will be able to participate in Buchanan High School's graduation ceremonies Wednesday and I'm happy to hear that. The Bee advocated in an editorial last week that the Clovis School Board reconsider a decision by the district administration that the girls would be banned from the ceremonies because they had not passed all parts of the exit exam. Six other special education students also will be included in the ceremonies.
The sisters are developmentally disabled, and there are specific rules in the education code covering special education students. Clovis Unified has its own regulations, however, and the initial ruling was that the girls would not be able to participate. The twins' father appealed to the school board for a reconsideration. The board voted unanimously Wednesday to allow the girls and others to walk in the ceremony, even though they will receive letters of recommendation rather than diplomas.
This has stirred up a lot of attention, as one might expect. Read Ellis' full story by clicking here.
On Saturday's Valley Voices, special education teacher Jason Plemons gave his opinion on the topic. Read his ideas by clicking here.
Maybe the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce has gone union. How else can we explain the chamber's candidate for mayor, Henry T. Perea, in line to get $750,000 from a labor political action committee? Read The Bee's story here. Not surprisingly, this endorsement has caused a huge rift among Chamber of Commerce leaders. But those in charge are solidly for Perea.
As things sit now, Perea is the business candidate and the labor candidate. We haven't quite figured out how he can sit on both sides of the negotiating table. But the chamber leaders can explain it to you. Call them at (559) 495-4800.
The interesting thing is Perea says in today's Bee that he had no idea that the union PAC was going to spend that much money on him. Seems a bit disingenuous, or maybe he's just out of touch with his own campaign. Everybody else in town knows about it. Here's the last paragraph of today's story:
Perea, who is now on the Fresno City Council, declined to comment on the PAC report because he hasn't seen it. "I don't know anything about it," he said.
Would you pay an extra $10 a year for registering your vehicle if it got you free admission to state parks? That's the idea from Assembly Member John Laird, a Santa Cruz Democrat who is trying to address the dreadful condition of the state's parks.
In effect, the license plate on you car would become a park pass. Average entrance fees for state parks are somewhere between $6 and $10 a day now.
Paul Rogers of the San Jose Mercury News outlined the plan in a story today, and described the problems facing the parks:
On Sunday, a Mercury News investigation detailed that the number of rangers, lifeguards and other state parks employees remains the same -- about 2,970 people -- today as 20 years ago, despite the fact that 5 million more people visit the parks. The newspaper also cataloged a $1.2 billion backlog of maintenance, including broken sewers at campgrounds, collapsing historic buildings and other problems.
It's an interesting idea, and one that would benefit the San Joaquin River Parkway, among other entities. But it's also already been pinned with the kiss-of-death label "tax," and Republicans in the Legislature -- as well as the governor -- are sure to oppose it.
Ah, well, who needs state parks anyway?
The conservative Lincoln Club just released poll results today that show the Fresno mayor's race as a draw. If that's true, Council Member Henry T. Perea has faded the past month while political newcomer Ashley Swearengin has surged.
Mike Der Manouel Jr., the head of the Lincoln Club, says the poll shows Perea and Swearengin with 20% each, with a big chunk of voters -- 31% -- still undecided. Perea had a big lead in most other polls, although those polls have recently shown the race tightening. In Swearengin's own poll, Perea leads her 23% to 20%.
The Lincoln Club has been running ads against Perea, even through Council Member Jerry Duncan is its candidate. Duncan hasn't moved, and is stuck at 9%, according to the Lincoln Club. That's about where other polls have put Duncan. Unless something chnages, Swearengin will probably be the Lincoln Club's candidate in the runoff election in November.
The Lincoln Club poll puts former Council Member Tom Boyajian at 8% and Deputy Mayor Jeff Eben at 7%. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5%, according to Der Manouel.
If this poll is accurate, and I haven't seen the cross tabs to verify these numbers, the big question is where the undecided voters will go in the last few days of the June 3 election. They could still vault Duncan, Boyajian or Eben into second place. That's unlikely. The pattern seems set, and that would make it a Perea/Swearengin runoff.
That would mean fireworks in the fall.
Clovis Councilman Nathan Magsig has been pounding away at supervisorial opponent Debbie Poochigian for the past several weeks. Poochigian has finally countered, raising questions in campaign ads about the source of Magsig's private salary, and saying he has voted to increase his public salary three times in six years.
Magsig is executive director of the Coalition for Urban Renewal Excellence, a nonprofit foundation that builds homes for needy families. Local developers partner with CURE on some projects, and Poochigian's ad says Magsig and the developers "scratch" each other's backs on his pay and their projects when they come before the council.
This is already a very expensive race, with the candidates raising more than $1 million between them. You can bet it will get even nastier before Tuesday's election. Magsig and Poochigian are seeking the District 5 seat being vacated by Supervisor Bob Waterston, who is not running for re-election.
Magsig's ads have characterized Poochigian with little connection to the county. and suggests her real loyalty is to state government in Sacramento. That ignores the facts that her father, Deran Koligian, was a longtime supervisor in Fresno County, and that her husband, Chuck Poochigian, represented the region in the Legislature for a generation.
The Bee's editorial board was critical of local Republican Congressmen George Radanovich, Devin Nunes and Kevin McCarthy for recently voting against the GI bill while supporting sending American troops to war. We gave the trio a "thumbs down" on Saturday. That angered Nunes and he fired off this response:
This letter is in response to recent reporting by The Fresno Bee, which incorrectly suggests I oppose improved GI Bill benefits for veterans.
In an article printed on May 26, the Bee noted that 256 of my colleagues in the House and 75 U.S. Senators voted for legislation that would provide improvements to the GI Bill. However the paper failed to explain why, given both House and Senate passage of GI bill improvements, no legislation has been sent to the President or will become law.
The answer is simple. Leaders in Congress were not trying to improve benefits for veterans. Instead, they were playing partisan political games in advance of the Memorial Day recess. Improvements to the GI Bill, as well as urgently needed funding for our soldiers in combat, are being held hostage as a result.
This summer 490,000 active duty military troops will face the prospect of no paycheck and 300,000 military families could lose their housing benefits because Congress has not passed a clean war funding bill. Unfortunately, our local paper took the political bait related to GI benefits and missed out on reporting the complete facts.
What really happened? Democrat leaders, with the support of specially created Marshall Law rules, did not allow Congress to vote on clean legislation to improve GI benefits or fund the war. Instead, the speaker tied these issues to massive tax increases on small businesses, an unprecedented increase in unemployment insurance spending and a requirement to withdraw troops from Iraq. Take a look for yourself online at www.thomas.gov – just pull up HR 2642. You will find three votes, as well as the rule linking them together. While it takes a little digging, you will quickly see how the Bee’s reporting was misleading at best.
Last week, I and other Republicans voted for a clean bill to improve GI benefits (Roll Call 364). Only two Democrats voted against their party leaders and supported the proposal. Instead, as we have witnessed for the past two years, most Democrats supported the political exercise of pretending to support veterans and our soldiers, while actually doing nothing for them.
I have been trying to get those who want to reform the California Legislature to consider a fundamental change: getting rid of the Assembly and State Senate and having only one legislative chamber. This unicameral legislature makes a lot of sense. The only reason we have a two-house legislature is that it copies the federal model.
I argue again in Sunday's column that there are many reasons that a unicameral legislature suits California much better than the current system. You can read that column by clicking here.
Here are the relevant points:
"The way it works now, it's easy pickings for the special interests. If they don't get their way in the Assembly, they'll get their way in the Senate.
"A one-house legislature would be much more efficient, especially when working with the governor on the state's most contentious issues. It also would end the lawmakers' tendency to blame the other body for not getting anything done. Finger-pointing is an art form in Sacramento.
"I wouldn't even mind if the 80 members of the Assembly and the 40 members in the Senate became a 120-member house. Spread those 120 members across the state and the Legislature would be much more grass roots than it is now."
Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral legislature. Just consider the time that would be saved by not having to square up the competing versions of the same bill that come out of the Assembly and Senate. All the overlapping committees could be eliminated, as well as the redundant staff.
Lawmakers wouldn't want a single house because they couldn't bounce between the Assembly and Senate to extend their legislative careers under term limits. But that wouldn't be an issue if we followed through on other key legislative reforms. First, have an independent redistricting system to make races more competitive, and then loosen terms limits, or even do away with them.
Here are other reforms I'd like to see:
-- Change the requirement for passing the state budget from two-thirds of the legislators to 55%. This super majority will still ensure that minority interests are represented.
-- Limit the number of bills that can be introduced in each legislative session so the big issues get the full attention of lawmakers.
-- Require that a substantial portion of satte revenues be set aside in good economic times to get the state through the bad times.
The Legislature won't be doing this, but other groups interested in state governance just might. That would include the Commonwealth Club of California, California Forward, the League of Women Voters and California Common Cause. They have pushed for reforms and these ideas should be on their agenda.
  Excuse me if I don't jump on the bandwagon extolling Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and Jim Costa, D-Fresno, for committing to Sen. Barack Obama's presidential nomination bid. Cardoza and Costa are superdelegates by virtue of being in Congress and being Democrats. But there isn't anything super about them finally supporting Obama.
Cardoza had committed to Sen. Hillary Clinton very early in the campaign. This was when she was supposedly a lock to get the nomination. Nothing gutsy about that move. Then Clinton faded and Cardoza began wringing his hands when it became evident that he had chosen the wrong candidate. Now after Obama has the nomination essentially won, Cardoza moves to what he now thinks is the winning camp. He should get no points for being a fair-weather superdelegate.
Costa's finger-in-the-air commitment to Obama is even worse. He sat on the sidelines all year as voters cast ballots in primary after primary. We didn't hear a peep out of this superdelegate. He couldn't figure out which Democrat was the best to lead the Democratic Party in the fall campaign. Now that the campaign is virtually over, Costa pops out of his bunker to say he's a big Obama supporter.
And there you have it -- the Valley's congressional leaders.
With the June 3 election fast approaching, The Bee's editorial board decided it would be helpful to Fresno voters to again explain our reasons for supporting Ashley Swearengin for mayor and Andreas Borgeas, Larry Westerlund and Lee Brand for City Council.
In this editorial, we talk about the traits that set Swearengin apart from the other 10 candidates in the mayoral race. In this editorial, we discuss the merits of Borgeas, Westerlund and Brand.
We first published our recommendations in these races earlier this month. Click here to read our initial mayoral recommendation editorial. You can read our original council editorial by clicking here.
Heck, don't take my word for it, but the smart folks at Popular Mechanics have a list of the top 10 ways to save money on gas: See for yourself before taking off on your weekend trip by clicking here.
This is serious business for the gearheads at PM. Here's an excerpt:
Three or four days after buying my first car, I came to a disturbing revelation: Paying for your own gasoline is expensive! You don't realize just how much of a pain in the butt it can be—and how much junk advice is out there on the Web—until the entire financial burden rests solely on your shoulders. So I decided to geek out, learning everything I could about how to squeeze more miles per gallon into every fill-up—and share it with the rest of the pump-fearing masses.
Over the past couple years, I've tried every gimmick—acetone, fuel-line magnets, intake air swirlers, you name it—to top out on gas mileage with my 1991 Honda CRX. Needless to say, these gimmicks didn't get me anywhere—as Popular Mechanics' own Mike Allen has proved so many times, and he's debunking them once again. So I jumped on the fuel-economy bandwagon with the next generation of Mike Allens. Some call us hypermilers, but at my MPG forum and blog, we go by ecomodder—someone who combines car tweaks, behind-the-wheel techniques and some basic skills to cut back on trips to the gas station.
My new lifestyle has taken me from an average (but very unsatisfying) 30 mpg to an efficient 55 mpg in the last year, and the 70 mpg mark is looming on the horizon. With gas prices hovering around $4/gallon and forecasts scouting even worse news, getting even more out of every gallon of go juice has become even more important to me—and you can get in on the action, too.
Being a bit of a tech- and gear-head, some of my mods (such as converting my automatic transmission to manual, with my lean burning Japanese-market Civic VX engine just arriving in the mail for a transplant) might seem a bit extreme. Still, while I've beaten the 27-mpg EPA rating on my CRX by over 30 percent with the best practices below, there's so reason you can't go out and cut at least 10 percent before a summer road-trip weekend. These simple tricks will definitely help you save fuel—without ripping your car apart.
This just in: Saint Agnes nurses have said no to a union, a hot topic of discussion in the community for the last few weeks. What do you think about that? Is it good news or bad news for the patients?
Tracy Correa of The Bee's business staff reported this story on fresnobee.com today.
A majority of registered nurses at Saint Agnes Medical Center voted down union representation at the Fresno hospital after two days of voting.
Of 792 nurses who cast ballots Wednesday and Thursday, 452 voted against representation by the California Nurses Association and 327 voted in favor of the union.
At least 397 votes were needed for a union win - or 50% plus one of those who voted. The union fell short by 70.
Voting wrapped up Thursday at 10 p.m. and the count was announced around midnight.
Hospital officials said they were pleased with the outcome.
Union leaders, who have accused the hospital of harassing and intimidating pro-union nurses in recent months, vowed to challenge the election.
Check fresnobee.com for updates throughout the day.
John Taylor at Fresno Community Hospital has discovered that the crossroads between the energy crunch, fast food, obesity, disease and city planning lies right in his neighborhood -- and perhaps yours as well.
The folks at Metro Ministry have been raising red flags on this issue for years. City zoning laws that allow too many fast food outlets and liquor stores have a direct effect on the health of the people in those neighborhoods.
Here is an excerpt from John's recent blog posting:
I can now buy beer, beef jerky and a toy that too closely resembles an AK-47 at my cluttered Valero station, where the owner is desperately trying to sell something that makes him money 'cause the dollars spent on gas don't.
The energy chaos comes while I'm reading a UCLA Center for Health Policy Research study that says California's skyrocketing obesity/diabetes rates disproportionately affect low-income communities that have higher ratios of fast-food and convenience stores. They created something called a Retail Food Environmental Index to separate bad from worse neighborhoods.
People who don't have cars or easy public transit to supermarkets that sell fruit, low-fat and higher-nutrient products tend to gobble high-calorie, high-fructose food sold nearby. So, what happens as gasoline prices soar? What will be the impact on diabetes and obesity?
Read his full blog by clicking here.
At least that's what a top federal official says in a letter asking that an alternative casino site be studied by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. The regional office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs doesn't want to study the North Fork location -- 135 acres called the Old Mill site -- but agreed to add it to the process after Washington officials insisted that they take a look. That would slow down the movement toward building the mega-casino on Highway 99.
The North Fork Rancheria wants the Highway 99 location in Madera County because it would be a much more lucrative site than one in a rural location.
This is from Michael Doyle's story in today's Bee:
North Fork Rancheria tribal leaders and regional BIA officials both consider the Old Mill site a poor one, but Assistant Secretary of the Interior Carl Artman disagrees.
"The [Old Mill] location may provide a viable location for a destination resort casino and could revitalize the tribal economy and the economy of the town of North Fork," Artman wrote May 12.
Sacramento-based BIA officials agreed to add the Old Mill site to a draft environmental impact statement now under review, but not without making their concerns known.
"The Old Mill site could present a future cleanup liability to the United States," BIA Regional Director Dale Morris warned in a May 15 memo, explaining that the former lumber facility is considered a potentially contaminated "brownfield."
A brownfield is a piece of property where development may be hindered by known or potential pollution.
It's nice to be appreciated. Dr. Ned Doffoney, president of Fresno City College, is about to leave town to serve as chancellor for the North Orange County Community College District.
He leaves with the admiration of the African American Faculty and Staff Association, according to Homer Gee Greene, an educational adviser at Fresno City College, who sent me this e-mail chock full of well wishes the group sent to the outgoing president. Doffoney starts his new job in July.
Here is the message:
We Will Miss You Dr. Ned Doffoney!!!
The African American Faculty and Staff Association of Fresno City College wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Ned Doffoney on his appointment to the position of Chancellor for the North Orange County Community College District.
We would also like to thank him for his support of the organization and the life long friendships he has established with members of this association.
Dr. Ned Doffoney exemplified African American collegiate leadership in his role as president of Fresno City College. He has been a role model for students, staff, faculty, management and for the community at large.
Lists of his collegial accomplishments as the executive leader of Fresno City College are:
1. His role as supporter of the successful Measure E bond to renovate the Historic Old Administration Building.
2. His role as a strong supporter of the capital campaign to renovate the
auditorium of Historic Old Administration Building. The first capital
campaign initiated by a California Community College.
3. His role as a mentor and academic advisor to faculty and staff who were
pursuing graduate degrees.
4. His role as a public intellectual in making numerous speeches concerning the community college mission and related issues in higher education to the wider Fresno County community.
5. His role in leading the college out of probationary accreditation status with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation and the U. S. Department of Education. The accreditation violations were already apparent before Dr. Doffoney’s tenure at Fresno City College started.
6. His role in hiring a diverse representation of race, class, political viewpoints
and higher education curriculum vitas of faculty and staff to the college.
7. His role in establishing a women’s water polo sport at the college.
8. His historical role as the culminating African American certificated employee in reference to the first African American female, Alma Palmer, Nursing, 1963; the first African American male, William Day, Chemistry, 1964 and Dr. Ned Doffoney, the first African American president, FCC, 2002.
9. His tenure as president, six years, was the longest of any of the past five
presidents. This is indicative of his desire to serve students, faculty, staff and
the FCC community.
10. His role in supporting the development of the SYMBAA (Strengthening Young Men By Academic Achievement) Program. A program that targeted at risk African American Males.
11. His role as an instructor in the CSU, Fresno Division of Continuing and Global Education: Certificate Program for Community College Faculty Preparation.
12. His role as a mentor to both classified and certificated FCC employees.
13. His role in abolishing the college of an entrenched caste system that the college was cited for by the accreditation team by the establishment of the Strategic Planning Council. The council is organized in such a manner that all constituents have equal say or participatory governance in the decisions that has an impact upon the future direction of the institution.
14. His role in supporting the highly successful Speakers Forum.
15. His role as the key note speaker for the 2006 City of Fresno’s Martin Luther King Unity Celebration.
16. His role, support and guidance in developing a decision making process whereby decisions pertaining to the college’s planning and budgeting are done by consensus by all member constituent representatives on a given committee.
17. His role in supporting the inaugural African American Graduation Celebration.
18. His role in encouraging staff, faculty and students to pursue their higher
goals and objectives and not settle for their current position, but to strive to change their live and to have an impact upon the community in which they live and work.
19. His role as the key note speaker at a conference on the campus of CSU Fresno, sponsored by the Central Valley Institute for Regional and Historical Studies. The conference, whose theme “Beyond the City Limits: African Americans in the American West” was the first of its kind to highlight aspects of the rural African American experience in the San Joaquin Valley.
There have been many presidents of Fresno City College in her long history since 1910; however, Dr. Ned Doffoney is the one president that faculty, staff, students and the community will miss. In the opinion of many in the community and employed at Fresno City College, he was the best president that Fresno City College has ever had!
Looks like Texas' dramatic action of removing children from parents living in a polygamist sect is in big legal trouble. The Associated Press is reporting that an appeals court says the state had no right to take more than 400 children and this could unravel one of the biggest child-custody cases in the nation's history. What do you think about that?
Take a look at the whole story by clicking here.
The blog called gritsforbreakfast is also reacting to the ups and downs of the case.
Richard Wexler, who works for child welfare reform, put up a post right away. He's always argued that there needed to be an investigation before children were removed from their families unless the children are in immediate danger. Here is a portion of his opinion:
As is often the case, some of the most telling material is in the footnotes, particularly notes 9, 10, and 11, where the appeals court demolishes CPS' claim that the ranch is one household and therefore if one child may have been abused, all supposedly are in danger. In Note 11 the judges write that "the simple fact, conceded by the Department, that not all FLDS families are polygamous or allow their female children to marry as minors, demonstrates the danger of removing children from their homes based on the broad-brush ascription of every aspect of a belief system to every person living among followers of the belief system or professing to follow the belief system."
And, of course, the court stated the obvious. The issue here is removal of children without a hearing or even any real investigation first. That is such a drastic action that legally it can be done only when the danger to the child is immediate. When the allegations involve abuse of teenage girls and "grooming" boys to be abusers, obviously the danger to younger children is not immediate. So there is time to investigate and see if the danger is real – before subjecting children to the clear and present danger of foster care. The question to CPS is: What part of "immediate" don't you understand?
Here is an excerpt from the breaking news story:
The Third Court of Appeals in Austin ruled that the state offered "legally and factually insufficient" grounds for the "extreme" measure of removing all children from the ranch, from babies to teenagers.
The state never provided evidence that the children were in any immediate danger, the only grounds in Texas law for taking children from their parents without court approval, the appeals court said.
It also failed to show evidence that more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused, and never alleged any sexual or physical abuse against the other children, the court said.
It was not immediately clear whether the children scattered across foster facilities statewide might soon be reunited with parents. The ruling gave Texas District Judge Barbara Walther 10 days to vacate her custody order, and the state could appeal.
This just in: The Wall Street Journal is reporting another consequence of the foreclosure crisis, which is parents giving fake addresses to school districts to keep their kids in better schools. Is that fair? What do you think?
The dominoes fall like this: When the house gets repossessed, the family has to move -- often to a cheaper house in a cheaper area. Losing the house is traumatic enough, so parents try to keep their kids in the same school when they move.
The problems arise when that school is in a chi-chi district with higher property taxes than the surrounding areas. The residents of the district are so adamant that only district residents be allowed to attend classes that the schools are using detectives and anonymous hotlines to bust cheaters using fake addresses.
This "fake address" business has been going on for years in the Valley. I saw this firsthand in our own neighborhood, which is in the Bullard district. One family had used a friend's address to get a child into Clovis West, and another family wanted to do the same with their kids. When the district refused the second family, the parents ratted out the first family. So, you see how it gets complicated.
We've know for some time that the Valley's foul air can be deadly. We didn't know just how deadly.
The California Air Resources Board released the results of a two-year public health study Wednesday, and the bad news is that PM-2.5, or fine-particle pollution, is 70% more lethal than scientists had earlier suspected. Here's today's story from The Bee.
In blunt terms, it means as many as 3,000 people die prematurely each year in the Valley because of fine-particle pollution. We thought it was bad when the estimate was 1,000 premature deaths annually, and it was. Now it's worse.
The news comes as CARB members gather in Fresno today to vote on a plan for reducing PM-2.5 pollution that many feel is weak. We hope it's not too much to ask that they bear their own new study in mind as they weigh their decision.
If you want to get a flavor of the back-and-forth of last week's meeting of UC regents on a possible Valley medical school, read John Taylor's account by clicking here. John, a former Bee reporter, now works for Community Medical Centers. Supporters of a future medical school in the Valley made their case to get permission to continue planning. That was granted; but John's comments confirm what we already knew. In some ways, this is going to be a repeat of all the arguments against building a UC campus in the Valley in the first place.
I appreciated the supportive comments of Regent Sherry Lansing and Regent Eleanor Brewer, who is quoted by John: "When I think of the Central Valley, if not us, then who else would do this?"
Sen. Barack Obama, who is about to wrap up the Democratic nomination, can afford to say nice things about rival Hillary Clinton. There is nothing she can do to prevent him from being the Democfratic nominee. That's why Obama is going out of his way to say nice things about Clinton.
The Associated Press says Obama is 66 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to secure the nomination. Obama's challenge now is to bring the Democratic Party together so he has a fighting chance of defeating Republican John McCain in November. The problem is the Dems have had such a polarizing campaign that many Clinton supporters say they won't vote for Obama. That means they'd rather see McCain win than a Democrat, which tells you everything you need to know about the Democratic Party.
Obama is now slobbering over Clinton: "You know, we've had our disagreements during this campaign, but we all admire her courage, and her commitment, and her perseverance." the AP quotes Obama as saying. "And no matter how this primary ends, Sen. Clinton has shattered myths and broken barriers and changed the America in which my daughters and your daughters will come of age, and for that we are grateful to her."
Unfortunately for Obama, Clinton isn't reading from the same script: "Neither Sen. Obama nor I will have reached that magic number when the voting ends on June 3," she said Tuesday night. "And so, our party will have a tough choice to make -- who's ready to lead our party at the top of our ticket, who is ready to defeat Sen. McCain in the swing states and among swing voters."
She vowed to fight on. That makes John McCain very happy.
 An article in today's Fresno Bee talks about a law that went into effect this school year, beginning with the class of 2011, requiring students to take physical education classes until they can pass five of six tests or graduate.
It's meant to keep kids physically active and to fight childhood obesity, supporters say.
I say that's a good thing. Our schools should be focusing on creating well-rounded, healthy students, not only focusing on academics. The article quoted one freshman -- who passed all of the tests, by the way -- who said, "Students could exercise on their own or get involved in sports."
That would be great, if kids actually went outside and played or focused on athletics and academics. But too many of them are too busy playing video games, texting their friends, checking their MySpace pages to get out and walk the dog, go for a jog or ride a bike for more than a mile.
This web site for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, has links to lots of ways to promote a healthier environment in your home. But schools need to be involved too
Here's more from the article:
There is little debate that students who are physically active do well academically, said Camilla Sutherland, school improvement coordinator for the Fresno County Office of Education. Before testing, schools often have students run to a fence and back "to get those endorphins going," she said.
Healthier bodies lead to healthier minds. Now get out there and push yourself, and your kids. Way to go, Eddie Jimenez (a former member of this department), who took and passed all of the tests that students must undergo.
(File photo by Christian Parley/The Fresno Bee: A student hops through a workout station at Mt. Whitney High School.)
We have a collection of letters on the Opinion pages today about the California Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage. To read the letters. click here.
What do you think?
From the discussion, I'm hearing a lot of people seem to want to make this personal, implying a "liberal court" made this ruling or that these are "activist" judges. Hold on. They are all Republicans except for one.
What a lot of people do not seem to comprehend is that, if you really want to make marriage between only men and women in California, you can certainly do that. You just need to square that with the Constitution. An unconstitutional law, even if voted on by the people, won't stand. That's why we have a Supreme Court. To let us know those things. Essentially, the court said the state constitution needs to be amended. No doubt folks will get an opportunity to vote on that in November.
The interesting part of the issue to me is this: What's going to happen in the interim?
Another stunning achievement for the Golden State -- years of neglect have landed the state parks system on a list of the nation's most endangered historic places.
That's the word from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is placing the system on its list at a news conference today. Check out a video prepared by the History Channel here.
The state parks now have a backlog of deferred and delayed maintenance that totals $1.2 billion. No wonder Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to close so many of them as part of the annual budget farrago in Sacramento -- better to shut the parks down than expose our inability to take care of them.
It's all part of a pattern in California. We are determined to soil our own nests, and pretend to like it.
You might be surprised at who we picked as our winners and losers in this week's political podcast. In fact, I think you'll be stunned. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our choices. You can hear the Boren/McEwen podcast by clicking here and then clicking on "Listen to podcast."
The winners and losers are in the third segment of the podcast. The show opens with our latest analysis of the Fresno mayor's race and the second segment is on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors' race in District 5.
This is the only place you can get this degree of expert analysis from the Valley's most experienced political journalists. That means Bill and I have been around a long time. But that time in the saddle also offers a take on local politics that puts the campaigns and issues into perspective.
If you missed last week's podcast, you can catch it by clicking here. You can listen to all of our previous podcasts by going to the Opinion Page on Fresnobee.com and scrolling to the bottom right of the page. The podcast archive is listed under Special Projects.
Cynthia Brickey, a teacher at Clovis West High School, wrote a very provocative Valley Voices essay a couple of weeks ago and her e-mail box has not recovered since. She said dozens of people have written her -- just one in disagreement -- that students who are not doing their schoolwork should be booted out of college prep classes and into vocational education.
What do you think? Here is an excerpt from her column:
Education has spent the past 20 years trying to get every kid to go to college. A lot of kids go for six weeks. After the first midterm, they drop out. It's too much like work. They never belonged there in the first place. Example: Many junior colleges now have two levels of English labs the student must take and pass before the student is eligible for English 1A.
Work. That's where I believe these oxygen-deprivation machines belong, at work. The ODMs (not my expression, my science colleague's) belong at work. We finally got a grant at Clovis West High School to improve our auto shop -- fantastic! What about all the other non-college professions? Machinists, construction, heating and air-conditioning, plumbing, cement design, interior/exterior painting, esthetics, culinary, health care. The list is endless.
Why aren't we preparing these dropouts for work and not welfare? In some inner cities like Baltimore, the high school graduation rate is 30%. That's deplorable.
What do the taxpayers want us to do? I believe they have the answer, not us.
Many of the answers lie in the home, not the school. The answer lies in parenting, not teaching. The answer lies in the implosion of the American family and absent parents, not in incompetent teachers. The answer is personal responsibility, not government responsibility.
I want to hear from you, I really do.
 San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom says the state Supreme Court's ruling allowing gay couples to marry in California now demands that he tour the state to discuss the issue with residents. Newsom said he might even come to Fresno to help County Clerk Victor Salazar carry out the ruling. Read the San Francisco Chronicle story here about Newsom's plans.
This is what Newsom told reporters in San Francisco about the ruling:
"This is not just San Francisco, It's Walnut Creek. It's Long Beach. It's the southern part of the state in San Diego. It's in Riverside. ... It's in Fresno that this is now appropriate and legal. I may go to Fresno to support their county clerk."
Newsom set the legal battle in motion four years ago when he allowed gay and lesbian couples to get licenses to marry. The Supreme Court ruled last week that Newsom's action was legal.
So now Newsom may tour the state explaining the issue. Of course, Newsom, a Democrat, is considering running for governor in 2010, and this tour may help him set up campaign operations around California.
Here's what Willie Brown, former Assembly speaker and onetime mayor of San Francisco, said about Newsom's plans:
"He can go to all 58 counties if he's smart and have his friends in the gay community give him human rights awards in every county. He is Gay Marriage Sam, so he has no choice but to try to make it as respectable and as apple pie as possible."
But this issue is divisive in California, and it may not be wise hanging your gubernatorial hopes soley on alowing gays to marry. In addition, voters may have a say about the Supreme Court's rule in an initiative that opponents of gay marriage are trying to qualify. This issue might boost your name ID in California, but there's a downside.
Don't forget that in 2000, just over 61% of California voters said that marriage should only be "between a man and a woman." I suspect that something close to that margin would hold in 2008.
Rosario Marin, the first Latina U.S. treasurer who is now Secretary of the California Consumer Services Agency, was the keynote speaker at Fresno State's Latino commencement celebration Saturday. Mike Lukens of San Joaquin Valleyfornia caught up with Marin for this podcast interview.
"Secretary Marin’s inspirational success story provides an interesting perspective on one of the most important issues facing the Valley -- addressing English language learners," accordng to Valleyfornia. "The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley’s board and K-12 Education Work Group have identified English language learning as one of the key challenges facing the Valley’s education system."
Listen to the Valleyfornia podcast by clicking here.
Let's send up a great big whoop and a holler for Ricardo Cisneros of Fresno, who will be the first Ph.D. candidate to graduate from UC Merced.
Cisneros will be awarded his doctorate Friday at the university's third commencement ceremony. He represents many of the goals visionaries hoped for when they started dreaming of a Valley UC campus years ago. He lives in the Valley and his research is focused on improving the life and health of Valley residents. (He studies air pollution in the Valley and the surrounding mountains.) We hope other Valley students will be inspired by his accomplishment and follow the trail he is blazing. He's not stopping now, by the way, he plans to keep up his research. Read more about him and see his picture by clicking here.
Congratulations, almost-a-Dr. Cisneros.
As the June 3 election winds down, our mailboxes are being blasted with campaign brochures from the candidates trying to get our attention -- and our votes. My column this week is a guide to interpreting all that the material you are getting from the candidates. Click here to read the column.
We are only 15 days from the election, so the campaigning will get intense, especially for Fresno mayor, which has 11 candidates, and the Fresno County Board of Supervsisors, which has competitive races in Districts 2 and 5. Most of the candidates have been stockpiling their money to get maximum exposure in the last two weeks of the campaign. That means you will get even more stuff sent your way in the next several days. Be prepared by reading this column.
Looking back on 2003, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had just won an historic recall election, we can see now what an incredible opportunity he had to wrest control of state government from the special interests. The timing was right, but the special interests refused to let go, aided greatly by Democratic and Republican leaders in the Legislature.
Schwarzenegger clearly tried to do the right thing, but he failed, just as all the reformers who came before him failed. He couldn't do it alone, and he had no help from other elected officials. So the public employee unions and business interests continued to look out for themselves, and the Legislature went along.
Evidence of Schwarzenegger's failure is the latest budget that he has proposed. It is full of gimmicks and isn't even a stab at realistic budget-making. The Bee's editorial board points out some of the holes in the latest budget proposal in this editorial.
Here is part of the editorial:
"Schwarzenegger keeps saying that the state has plenty of revenue to meet its needs if only the liberals who control the Legislature would quit their free-spending ways. That line would be easier to buy if the governor himself had the nerve to propose a budget that would force the state to live within its means.
"Instead, he has offered up a proposal that falls more than $5 billion short of balance and then relies on a collection of tricks, gimmicks and creative financing to bridge the gap. The biggest of those is a plan to advance $15 billion over three years from future proceeds of the state lottery -- money that would be repaid, with interest, over 30 years."
President Bush was in Saudi Arabia Friday begging his friends to increase oil production, but they told him they're not stupid. Soaring gas prices make them billions of dollars. So much for Saudia Arabia helping Bush out of the economic mess that he created with his oil-company-friendly administration.
The Associated Press reported that the Saudis told Bush there is "no reason to increase oil production until customers demand it."
This was the second time that Bush made a personal appeal to King Abdullah, but the longtime U.S. ally said he doesn't care if gasoline prices hurt the little people in the United States. Saudi officials said they will only pump more oil when the market demands it, according to the AP.
Oil prices hit $127 a barrel on Friday. That's another record high.
The AP reported that Bush spent the day with "Abdullah at his lavish farm complex outside Riyadh, talking mostly out of public view over multiple tea services and meals. Abdullah greeted Bush warmly at the airport, and rode with him in his limousine out into the desert."
The little people in Fresno were pumping $4-per-gallon gas and wondering how to make the mortgage payment.
 Our editorial today is about Clovis Unified's administrators banning twin girls, both special education students, from participating in graduation ceremonies, even though the ed code specifically allows Amanda and Alyssa Reta to take part. Grr! Not fair! Fortunately, their father has appealed to the school board. I hope he prevails! Clovis says it is legal for them to be banned by the district. It's also legal to let them walk in the graduation ceremonies. In this instance, it's not a question of doing what's legal; it's a question of doing what's right. Read about Amanda and Alyssa Reta's story and photo by clicking here. Then spread the word to your friends. The school board takes this up on May 28.
Councilman Larry Westerlund, who is scheduled to report for active duty in the Navy, had been playing down the military angle in his campaign for re-election in District 4. But his latest mailers are now pointing out that he will be serving his country as a lieutenant commander after being called to active duty from the Naval Reserve.
In a mailer that District 4 residents began receiving this week, there's a "message from your City Councilman Larry Westerlund." He compares his service to great Americans who came before him.
"Like our forefathers, when called to duty they served then returned to resume their lives," Westerlund says on the front of the mailer, and again in the text of a letter on the back.
Westerlund is being challenged in the June 3 primary by Susan Good, an aide to state Sen. Dean Florez. The incumbent points out in the mailer that he won't be able to campaign while overseas, but says his wife, Dora, and mother, Judy, will be talking to voters on his behalf.
"Two months ago, I was called to active duty to serve in Iraq," he says in a Dear Neighbors letter. "My orders are for 12 months and I am currently scheduled to depart and report for active duty on May 18, 2008. This means I will miss about six months of the current term and should I be re-elected, the first six months of my new four-year term."
Lawyer Paul Caprioglio, a District 4 resident, has been chosen by the City Council to replace Westerlund while he is on active duty.
This is an odd campaign because the candidate running for re-election won't be here for the last 16 days of the campaign. Good has complained that Westerlund has been ducking debates and has not answered issues that she raised early. She said that after she learned he was going on active duty, she decided to quickly raise issues to give Westerlund plenty of time to respond.
Westerlund said he has attended some of the debates and forums and has been busy with council business and getting ready for his military departure.
 My husband answered an interesting phone call this morning at home. A worker for Nathan Magsig was letting us know that she had our Magsig yard sign ready for us. Magsig, a member of the Clovis City Council, is running against Debbie Poochigian for Bob Waterston's District 5 seat on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
Thing is, we didn't ask for a yard sign. Denny laughed as he told the lady that. With my husband working as a reporter (he covers Fresno City Hall and the mayor's race) and me working on the Opinion pages for The Fresno Bee, a campaign yard sign is something you won't see in front of our house.
Nice try, Nathan. The editorial board recommendation is all you'll get from me.
This just in:
BALTIMORE (AP) - Clay Buchholz was put on the 15-day disabled
list Wednesday by the Boston Red Sox because of a broken nail on
his right middle finger.
Geez, they sure don't make 'em like they used to. Remember the old days, when ballplayers would trot out onto the field with a compound fracture (in the snow, and uphill both ways) and then grit it out for nine innings?
Now a broken fingernail lands you on the disabled list.
In all fairness to Buchholz, the story goes on to say that in fact the nail was torn all the way off. It's on his pitching hand, and the team's manager, coaches and trainers were concerned that trying to pitch while the nail grows back would cause him to alter his motion, which can lead to serious arm problems.
But still, can you imagine some of those legendary tough guys of yore seeing that lead paragraph in the sports pages? They'd die laughing.
I just got an e-mail from Brandy Ramos Nikaido with some excellent news. The University of California regents have authorized UC Merced to continue planning for a future medical school. The Bee has heartily supported this important effort. Read our editorials here and here and here and here .
Now the university will establish a medical school planning office, develop curriculum and prepare a full proposal and business plan. The school's goal is to present that to the regents by the end of 2009.
This is a small step in the overall process, but an exciting and unanimous vote of confidence from the regents. For months, the Valley has been aligning its energies toward this goal, and it's impressive to see so many people successfully moving forward together.
Here is the entire press release:
MERCED, CA – The University of California Regents’ Committee on Educational Policy and Committee on Health Services today (May 14) unanimously authorized UC Merced to proceed with the next phase of planning for a School of Medicine.
As a result of the regents’ endorsement, UC Merced will begin immediately to establish an office that will encompass all medical school planning efforts. The next phase of planning for the campus involves developing curriculum, planning for the infrastructure, and seeking faculty review and approval of the curriculum and the new school. UC Merced’s aim is to submit a full proposal and business plan by the end of 2009.
"This is an exciting day for UC Merced, the San Joaquin Valley and California,” said Chancellor Steve Kang. “With the regents’ approval we will continue our comprehensive and consultative process of planning for a research-based medical school at UC Merced. The school is necessary to train physicians to meet the critical need for doctors in the state and medically underserved Valley. I thank the regents for their endorsement and wish to express sincere gratitude to the Valley community, including our elected officials and the Valley Coalition for UC Merced Medical School for their tremendous support.”
Based on more than three years of planning led by UC Merced’s Dean of Natural Sciences Maria Pallavicini, in September 2006, UC Merced submitted to the UC Office of the President a preliminary program proposal to establish a School of Medicine. The proposed school will help meet healthcare workforce demands by training physicians through expanded professional training in medical education and research. Current plans call for the enrollment of the first class of 32 students in 2013 though factors such as approval process, funding and hiring of leadership will affect the time line.
A projected shortfall of up to 17,000 physicians in California by 2015 will have an adverse and disproportionate impact on the rapidly growing San Joaquin Valley, where access to healthcare is already 31 percent lower than the state average. Access to specialists in the Valley is 51 percent lower than in the rest of the state.
In addition to improving access to health care, the UC Merced medical school is expected to generate positive economic benefits in the Valley considering that $845 million is spent annually by Valley residents on health care services delivered outside of the region.
Five advocates, including members of the Valley Coalition for UC Merced Medical School, told the regents today that the Valley’s need for more physicians is a serious public policy issue that must be addressed. The representatives spoke to the widespread support in the Valley for a UC Merced medical school and recalled the history of UC Merced as a lesson in how perseverance prevails. Speaking were Bryn Forhan, a Fresno businesswoman and co-chair of the Valley Coalition; Lee Kolligian, a UCLA alumnus and son of former UC Regent Leo Kolligian; Luisa Medina, a board member of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley; Larry Seigler, M.D., former regent and president of the UCLA Alumni Association and City of Fresno Councilmember Larry Westerlund, who is being called to active military duty and leaves later this week for Iraq.
Rail projects, including California's high-speed system, would get a significant boost in funding under legislation passed by the House of Representatives recently. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (HR 6003) would invest $14.4 billion over five years. The money would be used as matching funds for states that are building passenger rail lines.
In the past, such matching funds have amounted to only 50% of the states' costs, well below the 80% that highway projects receive. The new legislation would raise rail matches to the same 80% level. A similar measure passed the Senate last year.
It's about time. Environmental concerns and the cost of oil and make rail travel look better and better, but we're still stuck in our 1950s addiction to highways.
There are signs people are getting it, though. Amtrak ridership is at record levels, and growing rapidly. During fiscal year 2007, more than 25.8 million passengers used Amtrak. Ticket revenue was more than $1.5 billion, up 11% over the previous year. And in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008, that trend continued, with an increase of 11% in ridership. Revenue for the quarter was up 14.6%.
Clovis lawyer Patricia Brown wrote in Valley Voices Saturday about her outrageous neighbor, a guy I suspect has applesauce for brains demonstrating his high regard for aesthetics by tearing down the yard signs for Hillary Clinton that she and another neighbor had placed on their front lawns. Unbelievable! It's even more complicated because they live in a condominium complex, so there is a homeowners association to deal with. Do you have campaign signs on your lawn? What would you do if someone tore them down?
To read the entire essay, click here. This is an excerpt:
Hillary Clinton running for President is a big, big deal. Like Gloria Steinem, I'm not voting for Hillary because she's a woman, but because I'm a woman.
But my neighbor discounted my sense of pride as an American, my sense of pride as a woman, my sense of pride as a voter. Displaying the American flag, especiall |
