Lately, I’ve been looking at politicians and wondering. Well, let’s rephrase that. Most politicians act in their own self-interest, and I shouldn’t be embarrassed by them doing questionable things.
For example, Superintendent Chance Condit was the only one of the five superintendents who didn’t like how slowly the government was moving and was the only one who tried to shut down county government by failing to pass a budget. Condit claims it will take Stanislaus County Public Works 30 to 70 days to fill the pothole and up to four months to abate roadside hazards. It will take the Department of Environment and Resources 700 days to dispose of the old camper van and 214 days to clean up the property.
Rather than figuratively burning the whole house down, wouldn’t it be better to take corrective action, such as blaming department heads for forcing faster results in dealing with potholes and epidemics?
Mr. Condit probably knew that the other four supervisors would pass the budget, so his no vote was simply a political ploy. If he can work with the other two supervisors to stop the county from passing a budget, and all employees go to work without pay, and the sheriff’s deputies stop coming to work, you can imagine what his political future will be. Maybe?
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Last week, when Ceres Mayor Javier López brought canvas campaign banners for schoolchildren to hold up before Lucas Dual Language Academy’s Walk to School event, I I couldn’t believe my eyes. Can you imagine a politician using schoolchildren at a community event designed to highlight walking to school as a healthy lifestyle practice to promote himself? Self-promotion is not appropriate.
Mr. Lopez has also come under fire for his tasteless campaign emails. Such tactics reek of desperation. Really? Planning commissioner and fellow councilor accused of facilitating homelessness and fentanyl trafficking?
I cover City Council and commission meetings, and I don’t recall ever voting to promote homelessness in city parks. In fact, the Ceres Planning Commission has barely met since Condit was appointed.
Lopez owes his two adversaries and the community an apology for lying.
It’s honestly embarrassing for him to call himself a Republican.
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These are not good optics right before an election.
Councilman James Casey on Monday asked the City Council to consider taking up the issue of eliminating benefits for Ceres City Council members. Casey, a businessman and insured elsewhere, brought up the issue of “self-help” funding. He pointed out that he had intended to pay for the city shirt he was wearing, but when he asked about the bill, he was told that it was paid for by the Self-Development Fund. Casey said he’s not necessarily interested in eliminating stipends paid to city council members and planning commission members, but said health insurance is “pretty sensitive to me.”
“Was I chosen to benefit myself or to improve the city of Ceres?” he asked. Casey then suggested that the City Council should consider whether the city could cover these costs. He opined that councilors who want insurance through the city should find “a way to pay for it themselves.”
Ceres resident John Warren said the health benefits are “very expensive” at a cost of $2,000 a month, or nearly $100,000 a year for the four people receiving them.
Councilwoman Rosalinda Vieira gave a long answer, suggesting that state law requires cities to provide health benefits to members (which I don’t think is accurate). She also defended annual training, suggesting that some members may not be able to afford to attend the annual conference in Southern California where they receive training. However, there is no requirement for MPs to attend these meetings or trainings. Conferences and trainings are typically held in California’s most touristic areas, and typically not in Valley locations.
In short, four members of the City Council (Viera, Mayor Javier López, Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez) flushed Casey’s idea down the toilet. It won’t be picked up and the profits will continue to flow.
Governor Newsom has shown once again that we don’t need to worry too much about voter fraud. He banned all local governments in the state from requiring voters to present any form of identification, effectively outlawing voter ID requirements. Some cities are pushing back, including one where City Attorney Michael E. Gates has said he has no intention of complying with the new law. Gates appeared on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” to discuss how he plans to respond to the legal challenge and whether the city could resist the state’s order.
I just took two flights this month, and the key to getting on the plane was my ID. In the days of check cashing, you had to show ID. You will be required to show ID at the DMV and social services. So what’s wrong with showing ID to prove you’re legally allowed to vote or who you are?
Newsom’s outlawing of the practice shocked Huntington Beach voters, who voted in March to establish voter ID requirements in the city. Mr. Newsom and two top state officials, the secretary of state and attorney general, sued the city to block the use of voter IDs. Meanwhile, one of the Democratic thugs in the state legislature drafted a bill for Governor Brylcreem, which he greedily signed.
Gates doesn’t believe the state can violate the state constitution, which gives charter cities some autonomy, and plans to fight the state in court.
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Ask yourself why states like Florida can know the winners and losers on election night, but California can’t finalize its results for more than a month.
The answer is all-mail voting starting in 2021 with AB 37, authored by Bay Area Democratic Rep. Mark Berman.
“Voters vote when they receive their ballot in the mail,” Berman said. All Democrats welcomed the concept of all-mail voting because they knew most people weren’t considering it. In other words, those at the bottom who do not make the effort to vote directly tend to rely on government benefits and welfare. And you’ll be voting for the Democratic candidate. All-mail voting is a low-informed electorate who wants to vote for a “black” woman who attends friendly late-night talk shows and drinks beer with comedians instead of explaining policies for America. It also corresponds to
When I was a kid, we knew who won the election that night. The votes were counted in a simple manner at the voting booth.
But now that paper ballots are being mailed out, they are prone to all kinds of duplicity.
Understand this: Governor Dufus signed Assembly Bill 3184 on September 22nd, prohibiting Stanislaus County and other counties from certifying election results until December 3rd, even if they have finished processing. . A new law signed by Governor Newsom requires counties to wait 28 days before certifying election results. Stanislaus County said it has historically finished as quickly as possible, between the 17th and 20th.
Stanislaus County Clerk and Recorder Donna Linder also issued a press release last week saying, “We understand this law may be frustrating.”
It’s not a joke. But just about everything Newsom does is frustrating.
Although local election officials claim to verify signatures and conduct manual audits to ensure accuracy, there is too much room for illegal voting that undermines my confidence in the election process.
A few years ago, I noted how Lee Brandt of Ceres received ballots mailed to his home for his adult children who had left home years earlier. Their names were not removed from the voters’ register. A dishonest person in the household would feel comfortable filling out someone else’s ballot, forging a signature on the envelope, or mailing it. Are election officials experts in handwriting?
If you have to go to the polling place in person and show your ID, you cannot cheat.
This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or 209 Multimedia Corporation. What do you think about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com.
