 
The Fresno Bee editorial opinion blog
« July 2008 |
Main
| September 2008 »
Northwest airlines is the friendliest airline I have ever flown. I was greeted by name every step of the way. When arriving at the gate in San Francisco, I asked the agent if the plane was boarding yet.
"Are you Mr. Walter? We've been waiting for you," he said.
He barely looked up, scanning my boarding pass and motioning me to enter.
Next I crossed a flight attendant who was hustling toward me in the tunnel. "Mr. Walter?"
"Why, yes, that's me," I told him.
Wow what service! In our impersonal age getting greeted by name was quite an honor. Maybe they're loyal blog readers.
Next, I get inside the plane. It's a crammed flight. No open seats anywhere. I maneuver my way through the outstretched legs and arms in the aisle to my seat. I am greeted by another flight attendant.
"Derek?"
Amazing. I am now only flying Northwest from now on.
"We almost gave your seat away."
Apparently airlines take that takeoff time thing seriously. It wasn't really my fault. I was delayed at security because the TSA guards had to send my computer bag through the x-ray machine three times. Apparently water bottles and AAA guide books are a threat to national security.
After a fairly routine flight I arrived to far less fanfare in Minneapolis than I expected. No balloons or flag-waving, dancing elephants. That is, until I got to the baggage claim. Then the floor was plastered with convention logos and press, convention volunteers and delegates were everywhere.
Checking in at the hotel and getting my credentials was a relatively painless experience. With the exception of the three large bags of promotional items and food choices. Do I really need organic rice? Or binoculars? (Well, since I'm an alternate, maybe I'm in the cheap seats). And yes, I had already brought an umbrella. Hmmm, time for some serious eBay action when I get back home.
My first official delegation event was a presidential-themed massive exhibit at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Complete with a replica White House and George Washington and Abraham Lincoln impersonators. It was my first chance to get a real feel for the buzz among the delegation. There was definitely a sense of lethargy knowing that the first day's speakers wouldn't be there -- even though most people understood why it needed to be that way. Not only was the first day's convention cut back, but some of the peripheral events are getting parred down. Medtronic, a medical technology company, cut back the hours on an event being hosted at a lounge. The buzz is that more changes could be on the way.
And if the pick of Gov. Sarah Palin did nothing else, it energized the delegates. I overheard many conversations about how she was such a great pick and would bring in money, volunteers, and energy to the campaign. Tomorrow will be a very compelling day -- but for an altogether different reason. Will the hurricane continue to shut down events? It's just another day of political theater in this most unpredictable of elections.
Derek Walter of Fresno, an alternate delegate and Fresno County chairman of the John McCain 2008 campaign, teaches third graders at Reagan Elementary School and college classes for National University. He also blogs at derekwalter.com.
While waiting in the obligatory line to board the plane, I can't help but think how great the ambiance of this airport is and what an excellent view I have. That's because I'm at San Francisco International, not underserved Fresno-Yosemite International. However, I'm probably the only Republican in the current metropolitan area.
I would have never imagined being here. When I initially volunteered to help the McCain campaign in Fresno County I was willing to do any menial task to help get Sen. McCain elected. But when I got on board last summer, the Fresno campaign pretty much consisted of former Secretary of State Bill Jones, and Brian Forrest, who works in his office and is also the Central Valley chairperson and ... me.
Getting volunteers was harder than finding a left turn in Fresno. Just none to be found. So when I offered to help, the chairperson slot was handed to me. And with such a short list of local supporters, I was also added to the delegate list. So on primary election night in California McCain's Super Tuesday victory not only solidified his position as the nominee, but it punched my ticket to St. Paul, Minn.
Looking back it's still a bit amazing that McCain is the nominee. His campaign was broke, much of his staff was let go, and supporters looked elsewhere. But through his determination and unbelievable energy he wrote one of the most remarkable political stories of the modern era. Forget Bill Clinton: McCain is the Comeback Kid. (OK, at 72 it'd be hard to call him a kid, but you get the point).
The buzz around the convention is quite high given McCain's naming of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. It was a bold political move that not only snuffed out all the talk of Barack Obama's speech the previous night from the Barackapolis, but it energized the Republican Party's conservative base and appealed to disenfranchised Hillary supporters.
How this move plays out will determine whether his pick was a brilliant choice or a mindless gamble. McCain clearly wanted to emphasize to voters that HE is the reform candidate -- you have his record in the Senate of fighting pork-barrel spending and Palin's challenge to a corrupt party and oil industry in her state. It makes Obama's calls for change ring hollow given his minimal Senate accomplishments and the fact he hones his political skills in the brass knuckle politics of Chicago.
Along with how the Palin announcement turns out, there are other questions to watch for:
Will Hurricane Gustav wreck the party? As of this posting several options were being discussed for how to be appropriate given the likely devastation of the impending hurricane. But as with any news event there could be political implications. The hurricane may remind voters of the less-than-stellar response by the federal government to Katrina.
Just how far will the party run from President Bush? Especially if he doesn't end up coming to the convention, you might hear nary a mention of the sitting Republican president.
How will Gov. Palin perform in her first major speech? Will she surprise people again by living up to her "feisty" reputation or will she whither under the national spotlight?
This is looking to be a compelling week.
Obama's speech and the Democratic Convention were put together well, but there are vulnerabilities. Plus, by now we should know to never count out John McCain. Let the fun begin.
Derek Walter of Fresno, an alternate delegate and Fresno County chairman of the John McCain 2008 campaign, teaches third graders at Reagan Elementary School and college classes for National University. He also blogs at derekwalter.com.
I saw a small brief in today's paper about back-to-school traffic enforcement in Clovis:
"Clovis police officers issued 79 citations during a back-to-school traffic detail this week, police spokeswoman Janet Stoll-Lee said Friday.
More than 15 officers will patrol around schools next week, Stoll-Lee said."
I have to wonder if any of those citations involved violations of the cell phone law that went into effect July 1. Driving around, it seems like no one is worrying anymore about getting caught for violating it.
Do you think our streets are any safer since this law went into effect? Or would they be if more people weren't still talking on their cell phones without using hands-free devices?
I personally haven't heard of anyone getting busted for this offense.
 Sen. John McCain could have picked Mitt Romney as his running mate, and the Republican ticket would have played into the Democrats' contention that a McCain presidency would be a "third term" for the Bush Administration. Same old politics from the same old GOP. But McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was an inspired choice from a political perspective.
Consider what we have before us just over two months from Election Day. Sen. Barack Obama, the candidate of change, has an old man as his VP choice, and McCain, the old man in the race, has chosen a woman who has fought for change in her state as his running mate. Talk about turning this race upside down. Big props for McCain being a risk-taking politician.
We'll see how good of a candidate Palin is on the stump over the next several weeks, and whether there's any baggage that could hurt her or McCain. But today, on the eve of the GOP convention in St. Paul, score one big victory for McCain.
This choice threw Hillary Clinton supporters a curve ball. Their party rejected a woman candidate for vice president, and the opposition has embraced a woman for the second spot on their ticket. If gender is important to these voters, score one for the Republicans. Of course, the Clinton supporters want someone who is a woman and a liberal. Palin is a woman and a conservative.
But there were many Clinton supporters who said they'd vote for McCain because of Obama's choice of Sen. Joe Biden for his running mate. That may have been rhetoric of frustrated Democrats at the time, but the selection of Palin could now generate additional votes for McCain out of the Clinton camp.
McCain didn't exactly make this choice for Alaska's whopping three electoral votes. This was an in-your-face selection aimed at Obama's message of change. Game on, now show us what you got, Barack.
This choice also should help McCain with conservatives who have been lukewarm over McCain. Palin, a mother of five, is pro-life. She's an NRA member, a devout Christian and a fiscal conservative. The Alaska Surprise may even help McCain raise money among Republicans who have been reluctant to give to him.
Vice presidential candidates usually aren't major factors in presidential races. Voters are selecting a president and the top of the ticket is what they focus on. But Palin gives the electorate another thing to consider in an historic political year. Joe Biden, the Democrats' VP candidate, doesn't give them much beyond politics as usual.
"Cursed. Fresno is cursed. Everytime it tries to do something beautiful, something bad happens."
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day about his frustrations over the city's failings and that was his reaction. I don't agree with him; a lot of beautiful things have been done here but it does seem to take an eternity to make things happen.
Still, there are great people doing amazing things in this nation and Debra Schweiger Berg has collected them into a book called "The Power of One: The Unsung Everyday Heroes Rescuing America's Cities."
This is not about government's great projects or big businesses taking on a cause. It's about a businessman and a minister who teamed up to create an anti-poverty idea that's now helping people succeed in 27 cities.
It's a lawyer who has trained over 10,000 volunteers to track down criminals using the Internet.
It was a radio listener who initiated the Amber Alert child rescue plan that is credited with saving more than 200 lives.
This book is a vitamin shot of optimism. If you have a passion for a cause in Fresno, you may be The One who changes things. She calls these people citizen inventors and entrepreneurs.
Berg is director of the National Institute for Civic Enterprise in Grand Island, Fla. The Web site is www.NiCEnetwork.org. You can also look at www.powerone.org.
 This may be my favorite election ever. We baby boomers have always liked shaking things up. We like firsts. And now, I have to love it that next January's inauguration will look a little different from all the rest.
All those negative "can't" people out there, well, just get out of the way... .
At a time when older employees in our society are too often made to feel that they are too old, too un-technological, so "last century," John McCain soundly kicks the butts of all his younger competitors on the Republicans' campaign trail... Good for him!
And at a time when a lot of people still think a minority cannot be taken seriously as a national leader, the Democrats roar their approval of Barack Obama. I'm sure Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and the others who risked their lives to make sure that yesterday might one day come are rockin' and rollin' in heaven today. Was that nomination ceremony not somethin'? I can remember when it was thought that blacks and whites should not marry or have children because * gasp * of the children. Barack Obama takes a lot of people's breath away, but in a very good way.
And now we have Sarah Palin, a mother of five from Alaska, who may become the first woman vice president. We don't know too much about her yet because the announcement was just made this morning, but we know that, politically, it's game on. She went to a state university in Idaho and is not an Ivy Leaguer. So much for the limits on our potential. Will she be good for women or an awful embarrassment? Too soon to tell. But, heck, she can't be any more embarrassing than a vice president who gets indicted like Spiro Agnew, can't spell potato like Dan Quayle or shoots his buddy like Dick Cheney.
Apparently McCain had good things to say about Palin when he spoke at Fresno State. Will Allbritton of The Bee's interactive staff has posted video of his remarks over on the news blog. Take a look at it by clicking here.
Change? You want change? Well, hold on. As the Mouseketeers used to sing when I was a kid, "It's Anything Can Happen Day."
Associated Press Photo: Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, holds the Bible as she was sworn in as governor of Alaska in 2006.
 UPDATE at 8:29 p.m.
I have never had the opportunity to watch Sen. Barack Obama speak. As I board the shuttle back to our hotel, I'm amazed at how this man can connect with people. The crowd of approximately 75,000 people were changed by what this man said. As he concluded his speech, the song "Only in America" erupted from the platform as fireworks exploded in the sky.
That song fit this evening that we spent with Sen. and Mrs. Obama perfectly. Only in America can a man like Barack Obama have the chance to lead our nation.
As we conclude our convention, one thing is crystal clear: This election will be about the promise of our future vs. the failed policies of our past. The choice will be between hope for what we can do together and fear that tears us apart.
Everyone I spoke to today agreed that Sen. Obama needed a great night and that's exactly what he got. We will spend the rest of our evening with fellow California delegates visiting different receptions and events.
*********
We are having a great day in Denver as we await tonight's grand finale at Invesco Stadium. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed our delegation this morning at breakfast. Both will be running for governor in 2010. The buzz among delegates is that Dianne Feinstein will decide to run for governor, thus clearing the field on the Democratic side.
Last night, we had a great time enjoying a barbecue with the Tennessee delegation. The California Gala was worth the long taxi ride, as the food was by far the best we have tried so far. We also went to Voto Latino, an event dedicated to our strong support among Latino voters. We finished the evening talking with former Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer in our hotel lobby.
A major concern among delegates has been the transportation to the Pepsi Center. A trip that should take no longer than 10 minutes, often takes an hour on the shuttles provided to us.
We just heard Jennifer Lopez is near our hotel so we are going to try and get a picture.
We are awaiting the final night in Denver!
Background on convention blogger Matt Rogers: He is 27 and a farmer from Kingsburg. He worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primary election campaign, and is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District.
 Looking for something to do over the Labor Day holiday? Look for treasures in your own back yard.
I just got a note from Kristi G. Johnson, of the Fresno County Office of Tourism
& Film Commission, that the Wall Street Journal is carrying a story about Fresno's famous Underground Gardens. If you haven't seen it before, why not now? I ran into a former colleague the other day at Whole Foods, Leslie Cunning. Remember, she used to write the most charming columns in The Bee's feature section. Leslie is semi-retired now and giving tours of the gardens part-time.
See the impressions of the Wall Street Journal writer by clicking here.
Photo: From local author Silvio Manno's book on the Underground Gardens.
 Last night, I was watching the convention on KFSN Channel 30 (ABC). Former President Bill Clinton was giving his speech, which I had been looking forward to. I couldn't believe it -- the network cut away in the middle of the speech to return to its news broadcast. I had to switch to a cable news channel to see the rest of the speech. This was the only former president speaking during the Democrats' convention -- that is incredibly disrespectful.
With the state of things in our nation right now, the networks should be providing more comprehensive coverage of the convention, which sets the stage for an election that will be crucial to the future of America.
Maybe the powers that be at the networks will have more sense during the Republicans' convention next week.
Sen. Clinton met with us today to officially release us as her delegates. When she announced this a loud "NO" filled the room. Her delegates are loyal and committed and she called on us to support our nominee, Sen. Barack Obama.
What a night at the Democratic National Convention! The Pepsi Center was packed as many searched for seats. President Clinton reminded us of why we came to Denver, because this election is about people and their lives. Its about those who have been left behind for eight years and we must give them back their voice.
The President left no questions to be answered: He is for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He demonstrated the same class and loyalty we saw earlier today from Sen. Clinton. The speech was awesome!
Bo Biden introduced us to a very human side of Sen. Joe Biden. He is a great father, husband and senator who will be a strong asset to Barack Obama. The crowd went wild when Barack Obama joined Biden after his speech. Our ticket has been chosen and they are ready to lead.
Our group will be joining Larissa Cespedas as her guests to the Tennessee Delegation Barbecue tonight. We will then join our own delegation for a California Gala.
Hillary Clinton will speak to our delegation in the morning, as we wait for tomorrow's grand finale at Invesco Stadium.
 Jim Tucker taped his last Valley Press show Wednesday afternoon, the 675th over 19 years on Valley Public Television. His weekly interview program showed what local television stations could do in 30 minutes if they really wanted to produce substantive programming. He said it was time to give up the weekly show, and spend more time with his family. He earlier retired as a Fresno State journalism professor, and now he will find out what retirement really is.
The final show, an interview with Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, will air at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Now that we've dealt with the big news at KVPT (Jim's retirement), I'd like to offer my personal observations of this man. I first met him in my junior year at Fresno State. He was the young professor. I was the too-smart-for-his-britches student. He was tall and lean and I thought he could still be a long-distance runner, which he was in college. Those journalism classes began a relationship that has endured already for 39 years.
I was on Jim's first Valley Press show in 1989. It was an informative program, with then-Mayor Karen Humphrey as the first guest. I was one of the interviewers, along with Bee reporter Betsy Clemings, who is now a teacher in Clovis. We were a bit clumsy at the start, not knowing much about being on television. But we pulled it off under Jim's guidance.
I appeared on Valley Press several times over the years, and those apearances helped me when I was on statewide television as a debate panelist in governor and Senate races.
This was what impressed me about Jim: No one prepared like him for a program. You might be able to ask six or seven questions, and a few follow-ups during the 30 minutes, but he had questions that would have taken us into late-night programming if we had the time.
At a reception for Jim at KVPT after the Wednesday taping, politician after politician -- Democrat, Republican, independent -- praised his even-handed, but tough interview style. One of the things that I've always liked about Jim is that he's a gentleman. He did his job and did it with class.
So he was my professor and my journalistic colleague. He's also been my friend, through personal tragedies and tough times in both our lives. The one thing that has been constant since my days at Fresno State is Jim Tucker has been there to help and to mentor. One of the greatest honors I have received is getting the Jim Tucker Journalism Award from Fresno State's Mass Communication and Journalism Department in 2005, recognizing my work in the news business.
In recent years, we both seemed way too busy. But if I ran into him in the grocery store, we'd talk for 30 minutes or more in the produce aisle about big things and small matters.
I appreciate Jim's long run on Valley Press, and I think the region will miss his insightful interview program on KVPT.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has declared Barack Obama the official nominee of the Democratic Party. Sen. Hillary Clinton, displaying unquestionable class, entered the hall to procedurally stop the reading of the roll call vote and declare Obama the party's nominee.
Every delegate's vote will still be officially counted, but Sen. Clinton believed the reading of the votes wasn't necessary in favor of unity.
Sen. Barbara Boxer just shared with us the tentative vote numbers from California:
Obama, 273. Clinton, 166.
President Clinton's speech is coming soon.
Background on convention blogger Matt Rogers: He is 27 and a farmer from Kingsburg. He worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primary election campaign, and is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District.
We started our morning with an early breakfast where Sen. Barbara Boxer greeted the California delegation. We were sad to hear that because of an injury, Sen. Dianne Feinstein was unable to make the convention. Sen. John Kerry and Claire McCaskill also spoke to our delegation with a clear call for a united effort to ensure victory this fall. Vanessa Lugo and I were briefly able to speak with Kerry. Vanessa, a Hillary delegate from Congressional District 20, is still excited about getting to meet San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at the Pepsi Center last night.
I am currently on my way back to our hotel from an interview I was able to take part in. The Economist interviewed me on how Democrats will improve our rural communities and help struggling family farmers and farmworkers. I was really proud to say I was from the San Joaquin Valley!
Hillary Clinton will address all of us who are her delegates at a special session at 1:15. We are looking forward to her continued guidance as we move forward to tonight where a roll-call vote will take place at 3:30 p.m. at the Pepsi Center. This vote is so important because it ensures the voice of every delegate and every voter who elected them is heard and respected.
We are going to meet up with Miguel Espinoza, who organized Hillary's trip to Fresno last October, soon. A special alumni celebration for those of us who worked on her staff will take place this evening as we anticipate hearing from our vice presidential nominee, Joe Biden.
A busy day in Denver!
Background on convention blogger Matt Rogers: He is 27 and a farmer from Kingsburg. He worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primary election campaign, and is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District.
 Why is this man smiling? Not sure. A new Gallup poll is finding that Barack Obama got no bounce from choosing Joe Biden as his running mate. I'm not really surprised. Biden has had a very long career in the Senate, starting out as a boy wonder in a major upset election against a formidable opponent. He does not, however, come across as the most inspiring of Washington's leaders. And that's what we need in the middle of this depressing time -- a supremely talented person, who inspires us to do the work necessary to conquer our nation's mind-boggling challenges.
What do you think about Biden's pluses and minuses for the Obama ticket. Me? My theory is the Biden choice was a reactionary move because of the Russians' actions in Georgia. Biden should send a great big, beribboned fruit basket to the Russians for pulling that stunt during the Olympics. Obama did not react impressively in that situation, so the Obama camp panicked and trotted out someone with titanium-clad foreign policy cred. OK. We'll see how that works for them.
Last night during the convention coverage, Tom Brokaw was listing off all the problems the next president will face: this miserable economy, the unprecedented deficit, health care, climate change, energy crisis, two wars, the Russian agenda, the Middle East, terrorism -- and the big train that's coming -- entitlements for the aging and retiring baby boomers. Who wants a job like that?
Tell me we don't need inspiring leaders to help us dream up solutions for all these problems! I always lean toward leaders who are inspiring. Even if they are not as smart as their opponents, inspiring leaders will bring out the creativity, wisdom and perseverance in everyone else.They don't need to have all the answers if they can inspire others to work together and charge ahead to accomplish big goals.
Maybe Biden will give Obama some bounce with a rousing speech tonight. Sounds like Big B has been charged with attacking McCain. That's understandable, but he'd also better do some fancy talking to give the Democrats a clear understanding about why he was chosen as the VP nominee instead of the obvious favorite, Hillary Clinton, who was luminous last night.
Photo: Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
The union that represents prison guards in California is trying -- again -- to do a last-minute end run to secure a raise for its members. It didn't work last year, but the California Correctional Peace Officers Association is nothing if not persistent. And this year's effort is marked by some large and very cheesy donations to Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata for his campaign against redistricting reform. Here's our editorial today.
The Sacramento Bee found out that the union has contributed $577,000 to a campaign committee controlled by Perata, all of it very recently. Perata's using the money to fight Proposition 11, which would take away legislators' power to set the boundaries of their own districts.
Union guards have been working without a contract since July 2006, and haven't returned to the bargaining table. The state imposed its "last, best and final offer" in lieu of a contract, and that has the union upset.
There's speculation that Perata is seeking the union's help to push at least a couple of Republican senators, many of whom are fast friends of CCPOA, toward a budget compromise. In the meantime, he gets a pile of cash to fight the redistricting measure. Business as usual in Sacramento.
Sen. Hillary Clinton brought down the house tonight at the Democratic National Convention. Her speech reminded so many of us why we supported her for president. She has spent 35 years fighting for people, and blazed a trail for every woman and young girl in this nation.
There is no question Hillary supports Sen. Obama for president and has called on her delegates to do the same. This election is about more than Obama, Clinton and John McCain. It's about the future of the country we all love.
The gloves definitely came off tonight as virtually every speaker reminded the country that Sen John McCain has voted with President George W. Bush 95% of the time. Signs that read, "McCain is more of the Same" blanketed the convention hall.
We are leaving the Pepsi Center and have plans to attend an event featuring Willie Nelson, a New Democratic Coalition event, and whatever other events that look appealing.
We are joining Ian Weiland, a Hillary delegate from Fresno, tonight. And we all say good night and God bless from Denver!
Background on convention blogger Matt Rogers: He is 27 and a farmer from Kingsburg. He worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primary election campaign, and is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District.
 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told The Fresno Bee's editorial board that he won't settle for a bad budget and is willing to wait significantly longer for the right deal from the Legislature. He said he would hold his ground until November or even December without a budget, and would even consider "rolling right into" January with the introduction of his next budget.
And you thought that waiting until September to get a budget was revolutionary. Are the Democrats and Republicans ready to play that game of budget chicken? The public, which right now is not all that engaged in the problem, will be screaming if it takes that long to solve the budget crisis.
Schwarzenegger said during the editorial board meeting, which we held with him by video conference, that one thing he won't do is "kick the problem into next year." That means getting a solid budget that has significant reforms in it, including a rainy day fund, he said. The problem is the governor can't get his own party to go along with his budget proposal, and Democrats are resisting any significant spending limitations, which are in his plan.
Schwarzenegger has offered a reasonable budget proposal that includes a temporary sales tax increase and spending cuts to close a $15.2 billion deficit. He said his plan makes sense, and is the right thing for California. It has a 1-cent sales tax increase, but the total sales tax drops by 1.25 cents after three years. He also said the budget "rainy day" fund and an economic stimulus package will make the state much stronger economically. The Republicans should jump at this deal, he said.
The governor complained that the Republicans are throwing away budget reform with their anti-tax mantra. The short-term tax increase will buy them budget reform forever, he said.
Schwarzenegger also told The Bee's editorial board that the Republicans have yet to put up a specific proposal that shows how they will close the budget gap, or how much borrowing they are proposing.
"I have not seen a budget from the Republicans," he said. "Let's see their numbers. Let's see how they are going to make their cuts."
The governor is right about that. It is much easier to complain about the governor's plan than the GOP actually coming up with a budget that borrows from cities and counties and cuts billions in state programs.
Ya just never know. That was my reaction this morning to the obituary for Dave Freeman, co-author of the popular travel guide, "100 Things to Do Before You Die." He was just 47, and the story says he'd experienced about half of the oddities on his list. Good for him. That's a whole lot of fun for one life.
The ironies are plentiful in this story. After safely surviving adventures all over the world, including watching the second plane hit the World Trade Center from his apartment just a few blocks away, he died after hitting his head at home in Venice, Calif.
Have some fun out there today.
In a video meeting with The Fresno Bee's editorial board Monday evening, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the deadline to put measures on the California ballot will not pass as long as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's vice presidential running mate is not known.
"McCain hasn't named his vice president," Schwarzenegger said in response to my question about whether the deadline had passed to put measures from the Legislature on the November ballot. I said I didn't understand the connection between McCain and the ballot deadline. Schwarzenegger then explained that the November ballot in California can't be printed until McCain makes his VP choice known. Until that happens, he said. there is still time to put other items on the ballot.
The Secretary of State's Office said the GOP's vice presidential candidate's name must be on the ballot. But there's a difference in adding a name on one line on the ballot and adding four propositions, in addition to printing a supplemental ballot pamphlet that contains the pros/cons and independent analyses of the measures. The supplemental pamphlet could cost as much as $11.7 million, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
The statewide ballot pamphlet already has been printed. So, in addition to triggering the printing of a supplemental ballot pamphlet, if the governor signs the high-speed rail bond, voters would receive two ballot pamphlets (one with Prop 1 and one with Prop 1A). But their actual ballots would only include one of the two measures, which certainly raises the possibility of voter confusion, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
The governor's ballot deadline interpretation came as part of a discussion in which he said he was backing off his pledge to ignore all legislation until there is a state budget. Schwarzenegger said he would sign four bills that needed to get on the ballot, including the measure to improve the $9.9 billion high-speed rail bond measure. He also said he would put a water bond, lottery measure and budget reform bill on the ballot if the Legislature sent them to him immediately.
The high-speed rail measure is the only one that's ready to go.
Schwarzenegger said he was making this exception to his earlier pledge not to sign any bills until there's a budget because it is the right thing to do for the state.
This morning's breakfast with the California delegation was really good, far better than yesterday. We hear rumors there is tension regarding the roll call vote for Obama and Clinton.
The Emily's List luncheon is about to begin. Emily's List is the largest political action committee in the country and today it's honoring women leaders like Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Michelle Obama.
After the luncheon, we are going to attempt to find better transporation to the Pepsi Center for this this evening's floor session. The shuttle system provided for delegates is very slow and almost caused us to lose our seats last night.
We are awaiting Hillary's speech tonight and I will let you all know what happens.
Background on convention blogger Matt Rogers: He is 27 and a farmer from Kingsburg. He worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primary election campaign, and is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District.
I interviewed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday afternoon by video conference from his Fresno office and he said he believes that legislation on high-speed rail and water storage will get to his desk on time to put them on the ballot in November. He also said he would sign those bills, even though he previously vowed not to sign any bills until the budget is done. He also said he would signs bills to improve the the state lottery and reforming the budget process.
Schwarzenegger said he sent a letter to legislative leaders telling them of his plan. Here is the text of that letter:
Dear Madame Speaker, Senator Perata, Senator Cogdill and Mr. Villines:
The deadline for enacting measures for the November 2008 ballot is upon us. Any measures that must be placed on the November ballot must be acted on quickly. There are four measures that fall into this category: a measure that makes critical changes to the high-speed rail bond which is already slated to appear on the November ballot; a measure to allow the state to improve the performance of the Lottery, which is critical to the budget negotiations now underway; legislation to establish a rainy-day fund and reform our budget process, and a General Obligation bond measure to address the mounting state's water crisis.
I urge you to send me these measures that must be placed on the November ballot immediately.
So now the ball is back in the Legislature's court. But if our lawmakers can't get a budget passed, how are they going to reach agreement on a contentious issue like a water bond?
At least there's a starting point for negotiations: Schwarzenegger and Sen. Dianne Feinstein have pushed a $9.3 billion measure that would include money for new dams, underground storage, conservation, levee and canal repairs and efforts to clean up contaminated water supplies. We'll see if our lawmakers can get it done.
Another one from the "duh" file: The Valley's hospitals are finally figuring out that if you are trying to teach mothers to breastfeed their newborns, it might not be the best thing to give new mothers "the gift" of diaper bags loaded up with free formula. Talk about your mixed message. See Barbara Anderson's story by clicking here.
It's one of the ironies of this kooky nation we live in that the most educated and financially well-off mothers have the highest rates of breastfeeding. The poorer and less educated the mother, the less often they breastfeed. That's just goofy -- breastfeeding is free and healthwise superior for mother and baby.
The disparities in Fresno's numbers are dramatic -- Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno has 10.2% of babies receiving only breast milk while in the hospital. In Saint Agnes, it's 82%.
I'm counting the nixing of free formula as good news because it's progress on a very important public health issue. Many issues connected with poverty are really tough to solve. This one is doable. Most mothers want the very best for their babies, and when they get good information and good support, they'll show improvement. First 5 Fresno County is supplying mothers with newborns new parent kits to give out in place of the diaper bags loaded up with free formula. Actually, statistics might look much better when new numbers come out in a few weeks because some local hospitals, particularly, Community in Fresno has really been working to improve those numbers.
UPDATE AT 8:44 p.m. PDT:
We are filing out of the Pepsi Center after the first night of our convention. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the convention to order shortly after 3 p.m. today. Tonight, we heard from a number of speakers with a focus on "Renewing America's Promise."
We were able to say hello to our Valley's own Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, on the convention floor.
Caroline Kennedy introduced Sen. Edward Kennedy to a thunderous roar from the delegates. The senator gave an awesome speech and called on us to work our hardest to elect Sen. Obama.
Michelle Obama gave a great speech and called on us to dream again, after 8 years of a failure of leadership under George W. Bush. She will no doubt make a great first lady!
Tonight's festivities include a reception hosted by Speaker Pelosi, a Rock the Vote party, a Planned Parenthood gala and much more. Vanessa Lugo and I just ran into Congressman Jim Costa as we were attempting to find the shuttles back to our hotel.
Good Night from Denver!
End of evening update.
The California delegation had breakfast this morning at our hotel. Our meal was definitely not worth waking up for, but our speakers were great.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi greeted our delegation and other speakers included State Party Chairman Art Torres, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi and State Sen. Dean Florez. I sat with Fresno Councilwoman Cynthia Sterling and ran into Fresno's next mayor, Henry T. Perea, after the breakfast.
The media gathered all of those in our delegation under age 30 for a photo after the breakfast. We have the largest group of young people that have ever attended a Democratic National Convention.
You don't have to spend much time with other delegates to realize just how much work we have to do to heal this party. Many of Hillary's delegates feel they are being ignored by the Obama campaign and are very dissappointed that she wasn't even considered for the vice presidency. Small groups of Clinton delegates were meeting in the hotel earlier to decide what strategy they would follow during the convention.
Tonight, Michelle Obama will speak at the opening sessiom of our convention and we are looking forward to her speech. Tonight's speeches will be given by women leaders in the Democratic Party, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota. Time to go to lunch!
Background on convention blogger Matt Rogers: He is 27 and a farmer from Kingsburg. He worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primary election campaign, and is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District.
Mayor Alan Autry called me to say he hasn't had any complaints about the road construction on Cedar at Shaw near Fresno State. Not one. I raised the issue last week in this blog, asking why the work wasn't done earlier in the summer so it wouldn't impact classes at Fresno State, which begin today. Traffic is already a mess even before thousands of students head for classes.
The mayor said the work will be completed by Fresno State's first home football game against Wisconsin on Sept. 13, so it won't impact football fans traveling to Bulldogs Stadium. But what about students traveling to school for classes? This is a key intersection. Autry said the city has been working with Fresno State officials and they are fine with the construction schedule, as long as it doesn't cause problems for the football game.
I'm wondering if students caught in the traffic this morning heading to an 8 a.m. class feel the same way as the mayor and the Fresno State administration. It seems all this could have been avoided by scheduling the Cedar and Shaw construction a few weeks earlier.
 An article on fresnobee.com lists "25 Things you might now know about Obama."
Most interesting to me was No. 9: While a student at Harvard Law School, Barack Obama applied to appear in a black pride pinup calendar. He was rejected by an all-female committee.
There's a corresponding article about his opponent, Sen. John McCain: "25 Things you might not know about McCain."
My favorites on that list? Nos. 15 and 16:
He's serious about the finer points of barbecuing, and he likes to deep-fry turkeys in peanut oil. He wasn't happy when Hudson, the neighbors' black lab, ate the tenderloin he'd been marinating to grill for dinner at their ranch in Sedona, Ariz.
This morning I ran into fellow CD21 Hillary delegate Mary Fierro, a teacher from Fresno, at the Fresno Airport. Our plane to Denver was delayed so we enjoyed breakfast with Teresa Trejo, a retired teacher from Fresno and longtime Clinton supporter.
The shuttle ride to our hotel confirmed what I had suspected for months, the healing process between the Obama and Clinton camps is far from over. Delegates from both camps feel strongly about their candidates and unity is needed.
The entire California and New York delegation is staying at the Sheraton. While checking in, I ran into our State Sen. Dean Florez of Shafter and Congressman Jim Costa of Fresno. Vanessa Lugo and Miguel Arias, Hillary delegates from CD 20, are joining me for the welcoming gala this evening sponsored by the California Democratic Party.
Tomorrow morning, the California delegation will join Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Hillary Clinton for breakfast. The media have requested a photo of convention delegates who are under 30 and that includes myself. We will take the picture at the breakfast.
Off to a good start in Denver!
Background on convention blogger Matt Rogers: He is 27 and a farmer from Kingsburg. He worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primary election campaign, and is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District.
It's been two years since Fresno County voters approved an extension of Measure C, the sale tax for county transportation needs. Two years, and there's little we can point to that's been done. Some folks are getting antsy for progress. That's the subject of our editorial today.
County voters have shown they're willing to tax themselves when the purpose of the tax is clear and specific, and the promises made in the campaigns for the tax measures are kept. Measure C is popular because it's a way to make up for years of neglect from Sacramento and the feds, who've consistently underserved Fresno and the Valley when it comes to infrastructure.
It's true that major projects take time for studies and engineering work. But a lot of the projects on the Measure C wish list could have been ready to go when the first revenues started coming in.
Excitement is in the air as thousands of delegates from across our country are arriving in Denver for the Democratic National Convention. I spent my day walking precincts in the small, farming community of Coalinga, so it looks like I will be packing through the night as I await my flight out of Fresno tomorrow morning.
As a former staff member and supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, I must say I was somewhat dissappointed to hear the news that she had not been selected as Sen. Obama's running mate. Every qualification that Barack Obama had set forth in a vice president, she far exceeded.
That being said, Sen. Joe Biden, also exceeds those qualifications and I am anxious to learn what his vision is for the changes our country must make. Calls and emails are coming in from other delegates from throughout the San Joaquin Valley with questions that range from what the weather is like in Denver to whether the Emily's List event is still sold out.
The California Democratic Party is hosting a special reception for our delegation tomorrow night and we all plan to attend. I look forward to sharing with you again, next time from Denver!
Background on Matt Rogers: He is 27 and a farmer from Kingsburg. He worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the primary election campaign, and is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District.
That's the recipe for Saturday's Valley Voices page in The Bee, so don't miss it. Jane Hammaker, a former Fresno Unified principal, supports the idea of turning one of Fresno's underperforming high schools into a charter school. She should know -- she was one of the early movers and shakers that made CART the success story that it is .
Josh Brahm of Central California Right to Life weighs in on the Janet Rivera story, saying that basic food and water should never be taken away from a disabled person.
Miki Thompson-Scott shares her affection for the Olympics.
An as we go into the Democratic National Convention.Francine Farber says Hillary Clinton is one of a long line of women leaders in our country and many others around the world.
Photo: Jane Hammaker
 That's what the past two "tweets" have been from NPR Politics. Meanwhile, CNN is "confirming" that Obama has picked Joe Biden as his running mate.
While I can't confirm this news anywhere else yet, I can confirm that there have been no text messages from Obama, since my cell phone has been strangely quiet all evening. (Yes, I know I dismissed his ploy earlier this week as a gimmick, but that doesn't mean I didn't sign up to receive a message on my mobile phone.)
I should be sleeping, since I'm running 8 miles at 4,000 feet in just a few hours. But being the news junky that I am, I keep looking for signs of actual news happening. And while I applaud Obama's people for keeping this secret this long, I'll be a little annoyed if the presidential contender fails to keep his promise to let his supporters know before the traditional media establishment gets the word.
 OpinionTalk will be bubbling with convention chatter for the next two weeks as Matt Rogers, a farmer from Kingsburg, and Derek Walter, a freelance writer and college teacher from Fresno, post their observations of the two national political conventions.
Matt, who has worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign, is one of three Democratic delegates from the 21st Congressional District. He will post entries beginning Sunday from the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The convention begins Monday, but the delegate partying begins on Sunday.
The following week, Derek, an alternate Republican delegate and Fresno County chairman of the John McCain 2008 campaign, will write from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.
Look for their insider view of the conventions beginning Sunday by going to our Opinion Talk blog on fresnobee.com/opinion.
Photos: Matt Rogers, left, and Derek Walter
State Sen. Darrel Steinberg is still in the middle of an interminable handoff of the leadership chores in the Senate, but he's advancing a bill that could have profound -- and positive -- impacts on the state's air quality by changing the way California cities grow.
Senate Bill 375 would tie transportation and land use decisions to the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The state is committed to reducing those emissions by 25% over the next 12 years. Steinberg and others recognize that the greatest enemy of those efforts is urban sprawl, which has caused the number of miles we drive to increase twice as fast as our population. That's an unsustainable pace, and SB 375 would do much to stop sprawl in its tracks.
Essentially the bill would require metropolitan areas to come up with regional strategies for denser, more sustainable growth. The kicker: Regions that develop smarter growth plans would be first in line for state transportation funds. And home-builders would get relaxed rules for building closer to existing urban centers.
Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton writes that Steinberg has assembled "an unusual coalition: environmentalists and home-builders," in support of the bill.
SB 375 has already passed the Senate and awaits a vote in the Assembly, where passage also appears likely. Then it's on to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who ought to be supportive, since greenhouse gas reductions are his signature issue. Of course, the governor has said he won't sign anything until there's a budget deal, and that could take forever.
  The Fran Florez campaign for the Assembly takes surprising turn today, running very friendly ads on KMJ radio supporting Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, for her tough negotiating in Sacramento. Could this be a goodwill peace gesture? I think it's a very smart and calculated move, designed to turn to the candidate's advantage all the positive feelings toward Parra's independent streak. Clearly, Florez doesn't want to be seen as opposing Parra's actions.
So do you think it will work, seeing as how these two sworn enemies would pretty much prefer to rumble in the Woodward Park amphitheater? Or do you see this more cynically as a ploy by Florez to befriend Parra's ag supporters, who are singing hymns to her for what they see as a show of courage on behalf of Valley interests.
Photos: Fran Florez, left, and Nicole Parra
In case you're just tuning into this fight, here's the condensed version: The Florez and Parra families are long-time political enemies. Parra's throwing gasoline on that fire this year by publicly praising Republican Danny Gilmore, who's running for Parra's seat against Fran, a Democrat. So far, Fran's biggest sin is being related to Dean Florez, a state senator who long ago helped defeat Parra's father, Pete, for a Kern County supervisorial seat. Despite coming from the same party and having many itnerests in common, Dean and Nicole have been bitter enemies in the Legislature.
Now, if Nicole can put a political knife in Fran Florez's back, well, it's a payback for papa. The only problem with that thinking is that the Democrats poured millions into propping up Parra's campaigns when she faced some rough opponents. So, they are not amused with the self-serving nature of her little revenge plot.
Parra's being soundly thrashed by Karen Bass, Assembly speaker, for trading her vote for the Democratic state budget proposals to a completely unrelated issue, which is putting a water bond proposal on the November ballot.
Parra's been kicked out of her office and Bass took a ball peen hammer to Parra's pending legislation.
Talk about a double standard. We have no problem with 7-year-olds working in Chinese factories to produce inexpensive goods that we buy at Wal-Mart and Target, but we complain that they're being exploited when they compete in gymnastics. Stop whining. The Chinese gymnasts, no matter what their age, are good enough to win in the Olympics. Give them their due.
But the rules set a minimum age. Gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible to compete. The Chinese government insists their gymnasts are all at least 16, but China's credibility is so bad that no one believes anything that officially comes out of the country. The gymnasts are the victims of their own government's constant lying to the international community. In fact, the Chinese government would rather mislead than tell the truth, even when it doesn't make a difference.
But there also isn't any evidence so far that the gymnasts are underage. They just look young and are small.
This is what the Associated Press is reporting:
China was asked to provide additional documents proving that five of the six members of its gold medal women's gymnastics team were old enough to compete in the Beijing Olympics, in hopes of ending persistent questions about the girls' ages.
The International Olympic Committee said Friday there is still no proof anyone cheated, but it asked gymnastics officials to investigate "what have been a number of questions and apparent discrepancies," spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. The International
Gymnastics Federation asked China to submit documents that will further substantiate the ages of He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan, Deng Linlin and Li Shanshan.
The federation said it would forward its conclusions to the IOC. If it finds evidence that the gymnasts were underage, it could affect four of China's six medals. In addition to the team gold and He's gold on uneven bars, Yang won bronze medals in the all-around
and bars.
"It is in the interests of all concerned, not least the athletes themselves, to resolve this issue once and for all," FIG said in a statement.
So far, however, all the information the Chinese gymnastics federation has presented supports its insistence that its athletes were old enough to compete.
"We believe the matter will be put to rest and there's no question ... on the eligibility," Davies said. "The information we have received seems satisfactory in terms of the correct documentation -- including birth certificates."
With the games wrapping up Sunday, the IOC wants to quickly end any lingering doubts about underage competitors. No one would be happier to finally have closure on the
controversy than the gymnasts' parents.
China coach Lu Shanzan said the parents are "indignant" over persistent questions about their daughters' ages. "It's not just me. The parents of our athletes are all very
indignant," Lu said. "They have faced groundless suspicion. Why aren't they believed? Why are their children suspected? Their parents are very angry."
In an interview with The Associated Press, Lu said Asian gymnasts are naturally smaller than their American and European rivals.
"At this competition, the Japanese gymnasts were just as small as the Chinese," he said. "Chinese competitors have for years all been small. It is not just this time. It is a question of race. European and American athletes are all powerful, very robust. But
Chinese athletes cannot be like that. They are by nature that small."
He said the governing body of gymnastics was given additional documents Thursday night to try to dispel lingering questions. Those documents included He's current and former passport, ID card and family residence permit. Lu said the documents all say she was born in 1992, which would have made her eligible to compete.
Gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible. "Surely it's not possible that these documents are still not sufficient proof of her birthdate?" Lu asked. "The passports were issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The identity card was issued by China's Ministry of Public Security. If these valid documents are not enough to clarify this problem, then what will you believe?
"The Chinese government and the Chinese athletes must be respected," he added.
The coach dismissed Chinese media reports and online records that suggested that He, Yang and a third team member, Jiang Yuyuan, might be as young as 14.
"If you trust every Web site but not a government...," he said. "There are so many Web sites, so much hearsay. These are not official. It is possible that all news on the Internet is accurate?"
The federation has said repeatedly that a passport is the "accepted proof of a gymnast's eligibility," and that China's gymnasts have presented ones that show they are age eligible. The IOC also checked the girls' passports and deemed them valid before
the games began.
Neither the IOC nor the FIG gave details on what new information prompted it to act now, three days after the gymnastics competition ended.
"With some questions still remaining, we asked the federation to take a closer look," Davies said.
The U.S. Olympic Committee said it sent a letter to the IOC and the FIG on Friday, asking that the matter be resolved.
"We certainly believe that it's important for the IOC and the international federation to review the issue and hopefully lay it to rest because the questions surrounding the age of some of the athletes have been out there for quite a while and it's unfair to
them and unfair to the other athletes to continue to linger," USOC chief executive Jim Scherr said.
"So we have sent a letter to the IOC and to the international federation asking them to review the matter and see if they can't resolve it for the good of the competition, the integrity of the competition and the good of all the athletes."
The Chinese women won six medals, including the team gold and He's gold on uneven bars. Media reports include a Nov. 3 story by the Chinese government's news agency, Xinhua, that suggest He is only 14. Asked again earlier this week about her age after winning the uneven bars title, beating American Nastia Liukin in a
tiebreak, she said:
"I was born in 1992, and I'm 16 years old now," He said. "The FIG has proved that. If I'm under 16, I couldn't have been competing here."
Earlier this month, the AP found registration lists previously posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Sport of China that showed both He and Yang were too young to compete. He was born Jan. 1, 1994, according to the 2005, 2006 and 2007
registration lists. Yang was born Aug. 26, 1993, according to the 2004, 2005 and 2006 registration lists. In the 2007 registration list, however, her birthday has changed to Aug. 26, 1992.
"We played fair at this Olympic Games," Liukin's father and coach, Valeri, said after they arrived back in the United States. "... If somebody cheated, shame on them."
Added Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics: "USA Gymnastics has always believed this issue needed to be addressed by the FIG and IOC. An investigation would help bring closure to the issue and remove any cloud of speculation from this competition."
Age falsification has been a problem in gymnastics since the 1980s after the minimum age was raised from 14 to 15 to protect young athletes from serious injuries. The minimum age was raised to its current 16 in 1997. Younger gymnasts are considered to have an advantage because they are more flexible and are likely to have an easier time doing the tough skills the sport requires. They also aren't as likely to have a history of injuries or fear of failure.
North Korea was barred from the 1993 world championships after FIG officials discovered Kim Gwang Suk, the gold medalist on uneven bars in 1991, was listed as 15 for three years in a row. Romania admitted in 2002 that several gymnasts' ages had been falsified, including Olympic medalists Gina Gogean and Alexandra Marinescu.
Even China's own Yang Yun, a double bronze medalist in Sydney, said during an interview aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 during the 2000 Games.
They had all summer, but our city leaders waited until school started at Fresno State to tear up Cedar Avenue on both sides of Shaw Avenue. Students began arriving on campus Thursday to move into residence halls. Classes begin Monday.
I would say city officials planned to make it miserable for those of us living near the university, as well as the students and staff, but these are people who don't seem to plan. They wing it. So traffic near the university is tied up from early morning hours until late in the evening because of the city's inability to do the job properly. Maybe this is payback for the university putting Chestnut Avenue out of commission for two years.
So who do we blame for today's problems on Cedar? Let's start with Mayor Alan Autry, who seldom sets foot in City Council District 4. Now if this had been the intersection at Fort Washington and Friant, delaying the mayor's twice-a-day trips to Starbucks, this project undoubtedly would have been completed quickly. You can call the mayor at (559) 621-8000, but the best way to get him is show up at the Starbucks at Fort Washington and Friant. The odds are very good that he'll be there.
Then there's Public Works Director Patrick Wiemiller, whose department oversees Fresno's street projects. If you think public works is a well-run department, I refer you to our "In A Fix" feature in The Bee. You can call Wiemiller at (559) 621-8650.
The council member for District 4 is Paul Caprioglio, who is standing in while Council Member Larry Westerlund is on military duty. I used to see Paul in my neighborhood a lot, but now that he's on the council, he's not around much. He's probably attending a lot of meetings at City Hall. You can call him at (559) 621-8000.
 The Boren/McEwen political podcast has been so popular that we're branching out to radio and we'll even take our show on the road to a service club. (Click here to listen to the latest podcast). We tape the segment every Monday and it's available on demand on fresnobee.com.
Bill and I wanted to let you in on these developments:
-- Every weekday on KYNO, 1300 on your AM dial, the Boren/McEwen podcast will offer a two-minute segment on politics. We'll let you know when the time has been locked in. KYNO becomes a talk/news format on Sept. 2. We'll be there at the start.
-- On Sept. 3 at noon, the Boren/McEwen podcast will host a one-hour debate between Fresno mayoral candidates Ashley Swearengin and Henry T. Perea. We also have plans to stream live video on the Internet. This will be the benchmark debate that will set the tone for the runoff campaign between Swearengin and Perea.
-- On Sept. 15, we'll do our podcast from the Fresno Rotary Club, which is Fresno's largest service club. Our podcast will be recorded from the club's luncheon venue -- the Cornerstone Conference Center in downtown Fresno.
We appreciate our fast-growing listenership, and thank you for making the political podcast a success.
 The Bee's Vanessa Colon is reporting on fresnobee.com that Sen. Hillary Clinton and Robert Kennedy Jr. are coming to town this weekend.
It's been awhile since we've seen Clinton (we're thinking it was in 2007 at Fresno High School) so it should be interesting to hear what she has to say about the upcoming vice presidential choice -- if she will touch that hot topic at all. Kennedy and Clinton will speak in Fresno at the United Farm Workers of America's 18th Constitutional Convention. Kennedy will speak on behalf of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Fresno Convention Center. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Clinton will address the convention. Will you be there?
Something at the Big Fresno Fairgrounds smells, and it's not the barbecued tri-tip.
Fair officials have a parking contract with a private businessman that reeks like the livestock pavilion. By allowing Bill Hargrove, a businessman who operates a weekend flea market on the grounds, to collect tens of thousands of dollars in parking revenue each year for events he has no role in staging, the government-run fair has been deprived of more than $171,000 in the past four years.
And that is a betrayal of the people's trust.
Read our editorial here.
It's nice to see gas prices dropping a bit. It's even nicer to see people in the Valley and elsewhere making changes in their transportation choices. That's the conclusion of our editorial today.
Ridership on the San Joaquins, the Valley's Amtrak line, is way up over last year -- 32% more riders in July than in the same month as year ago.
Another bit of good news: The city of Fresno is moving ahead with plans for "bus rapid transit" line," hoping to have the express buses running in two years or so. We urge the city to accelerate that process.
Gas prices have fallen a bit from their summer peak recently, but the trend is ever higher. As global demand grows, production stagnates, and even declines in some oil-producing countries. That means oil is going to cost more and more in the long run. Our best chance for preserving our standard of living is to reduce our use of oil to fuel our transportation systems.
Fifty-one days into the state budget standoff, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has tried once again to bring the Democrats and Republicans together. He is talking some tax increases, bigger spending cuts than he originally proposed and a budget reform ideas that he has been seeking since he was elected in 2003.
According to the Sacramento Bee, the governor is advancing a plan that would have a three-year increase in the sales tax, spending cuts and a "rainy day fund" for the budget to get through down economic cycles. The Bee reports Schwarzennegger as saying the budget deadlock is "shameful."
At the heart of the governor's plan is a one-cent sales tax increase, which would raise $6 billion annually for three years. Then the rate would go below today's current rate.
Here's a transcript of the governor's news conference today explaining his plan:
Good afternoon, everybody. I hope you all had lunch, because I didn't. (Laughter) I'm losing weight. I'm telling you, very soon I'm going to have abs like you, Dan.
But anyway, as you know, the constitutional deadline for a new budget was more than two months ago and the legislature still hasn't passed a budget. This is shameful and it has already imposed very difficult hardships on Californians across out state. Many Medi-Cal hospitals are not getting paid. Neither are nursing homes and childcare centers. We had to lay off thousands of state workers to prepare for the looming cash crisis.
The pain will become even worse and more severe if the legislature drags this out any longer. This is precisely why I've pushed for budget reform since I have come into office so that we could avoid putting the people of California through this kind of madness every time there is an economic slowdown.
This year Republicans and Democrats have talked a lot about reforming the system and fixing the system. But I think it's time for the dialogue to stop and to create some action and it is time for everyone to compromise and to get this done once and for all. Republicans must step out of their ideological corner on the right and Democrats must step out of their ideological corner on the left. We must meet in the middle. We must compromise so that we can move on with vital businesses besides the budget such as the water, court and prison crises that we're in.
That's why we're here today to announce a compromised budget proposal that addresses the $15.2 billion deficit and makes additional spending cuts, increases revenues and, most importantly, reforms our broken budget system.
All of us have been sent to Sacramento to find common ground here and to get results and to move California forward. My compromised budget does exactly that.
-- It includes an additional $2 billion in spending cuts above what the conference committee has agreed to.
-- It sets up the strongest rainy day fund in the nation, so that we could be required to put money aside in the good years and stabilize revenues in the tough years.
-- It gives future governors the power to make mid-year spending cuts so that when they see a deficit coming they can make those cuts immediately.
-- And it includes also an economic stimulus package to put people back to work and help revive our economy.
These are groundbreaking reforms that will end our feast or famine budgeting and help restore the public's faith in state government.
But in exchange for permanent reform and a budget system that really will work, I am willing to compromise on the temporary one-cent increase in the state's sales tax followed by a permanent cut, which means then it will go after three years below the level where it is now by .25 cents.
This budget does not borrow or steal money from local governments, nor from transportation. It is not a get-out-of-town budget. It does not kick the can down the road and let someone else then worry about it later on. It is fiscally responsible, it's a fiscally responsible compromise with reforms that fix our system once and for all. This compromised budget proposal puts our state on the road to fiscal sanity and will give California a budget system that works, which means we will pay off our debt and also we will be living within our means.
Thank you very much. And now, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
QUESTION/ANSWER:
QUESTION: Governor, you said it's a compromise. Have you got anybody on board with this, Democrat, Republican leadership?
GOVERNOR: Well, as I said, there are still -- you know, the right is on the right and the left is on the left and they are pulling that rubber band as close as possible to the middle but they are not there yet. So this is basically saying here is an idea of how we can solve this where everyone gives -- because it's the only way that you can solve this budget crisis, is by everyone, the Democrats giving and the Republicans giving.
And that's why I say they have to step out of their ideological corners of the right and the left and come in the middle, because that's basically what the people expect us to do. They send us to Sacramento to fix the problems and not just to get stuck in our ideology and become party servants but to become public servants and that's what we're here for in Sacramento.
And this is what this proposal says. And it's for me to show, look, I've been against certain things but I'm stepping over the line here and I am doing things in order to get it done. It's a way of compromising. And I have explained it to each one of the leaders. This budget will not get done by taking it easy or doing easy things. This budget only will get done if we all make tough choices that we maybe thought we would have never make.
Yes?
QUESTION: You talked about you were unhappy with the notion of borrowing (Inaudible) talked about in Big Fives and other discussions. But to clarify, does that mean you don't want to do but you will? Or you absolutely won't agree to it?
GOVERNOR: We are right now still paying off the debt of the ERP. We have not paid it off, we are still paying off debt and therefore it will be unwise to go and create more debt and borrow again before we have paid off the debt.
So I think we have to recognize that we need more revenues. I think that by borrowing and taking money from local government and taking money from transportation and kicking that can down the alley when we know that t |