June 2009

500 times on the blackboard

Members of the Badlands Journal editorial board wish to apologize to our readers for the spelling in yesterday's post, originally titled, "Socery." As soon as we discovered it, we changed it to try to restore our dignity. The offending, spelling-disadvantaged editor is currently halfway through his assignment, writing the word, "Sorcery," 500 times on the Badlands blackboard.

Blue Dogs at the Preakness

 
Congressman Dennis Cardoza. D-18th CA,  was able to suppress for two weeks the story of his "personal and professional reasons" for not attending Michelle Obama's commencement at UC Merced, a new campus he did a great deal to bring to his district.
 

6-4-09

 
6-4-09
Badlands Journal
Blue Dogs at the Preakness...Badlands Journal editorial board...6-2-09
http://www.badlandsjournal.com/2009-06-02/007251
Congressman Dennis Cardoza. D-18th CA, was able to suppress for two weeks the story of his "personal and professional reasons" for not attending Michelle Obama's commencement at UC Merced, a new campus he did a great deal to bring to his district.

Baker's common sense economic journalism

Dean Baker has always been good at explaining in terms of common sense why the speculative housing boom was extremely dangerous and completely unsustainable. By "common sense," we mean that Baker has covered this story for years using his training as a professional economist, using facts instead of advertising or blind academic free-market dogma, and bringing to his stories a humane perspective grounded in what all this means to ordinary working people.
Badlands Journal editorial board
 
 
June 3, 2009
CounterPunch.com

Opinions differ on feds' biological opinion on Central Valley salmon

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
For immediate release:
6 June 2009
For information:
Bill Jennings, CSPA Executive Director, 209-464-5067, 209-938-9053 (cell)
Michael Jackson, CSPA Attorney, 530-283-0712, 530-927-7387 (cell)
NMFS Biological Opinion for Salmon Step in the Right Direction but Not Sufficient to Restore Fisheries

6-8-09

 
6-8-09
Badlands Journal
Opinions differ on feds' biological opinion on Central Valley salmon...Badlands Journal editorial board
http://www.badlandsjournal.com/2009-06-07/007258
The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
For immediate release:
6 June 2009
For information:
Bill Jennings, CSPA Executive Director, 209-464-5067, 209-938-9053 (cell)

6-9-09

 
6-9-09
Merced Sun-Star
Merced County, cities finally getting U.S. aid
A year after Congress approved funding, $9.3 million will be divvied up in the Valley...SCOTT JASON
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/890131.html
Merced County and its cities will receive their piece of the $4 billion federal foreclosure aid almost a year after it was approved by Congress.

A first look at the dairy crisis

 
 
Although “oligarchy” may not be a word that springs to the lips of every dairymen, we bet that the top commentary in the collection below, “The Dairy Oligarchy,” will ring a lot truer to them than the three versions of the same McClatchy editorial calling for a “free market” for the dairy industry, presumably to solve the “over-production” problem.
 

6-12-09

 
6-12-09
Merced Sun-Star
Southern California politicians trying to derail funding for Merced high-speed rail hub...DANIELLE GAINES
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/896338.html
Central Valley lawmakers worried that their counterparts in Southern California are set to derail plans for a high-speed rail maintenance hub in the Valley will have to wait another day for peace of mind.

6-13-09

 
6-13-09
Merced Sun-Star
Tom Frazier: Party's over -- who paid the bill?...Tom Frazier
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/463/v-print/story/898442.html
The Sun-Star's coverage of the first four-year UC Merced class' graduation was impressive -- until the lights went out.
First lady Michelle Obama came to town. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, thanks to the imagination and tenacity of the class of 2009.

Statewide consequences of the knuckleheads we elect to office

The article below from the LA Times, datelined Merced, observes that the Republican legislative delegation from the San Joaquin Valley, one of the poorest places in the nation, is going to once again do the "right" thing despite their desire to be compassionate and vote to lower taxes and cut health and human services in the next state budget.

"Herald chalks it up to core GOP ideology, a yearning to shrink government," the Times reports. 'In fairness to them,' he said, 'much of it is simply philosophical.'"

When East is East and West is West, who pays the bills?

As the inveterate, hairy-chested managing editor of the Sun-Star heads off to embeddedment in Iraq again (because a female reporter went twice!), Tom Frazier asks real questions about a local issue: Who is paying for the Michelle Obama event? While the Imperial Tharp is Inshalla-ing to a fair-the-well about his upcoming war junket, Frazier is calling out the imaginary “feral dogs” of the press to find out what happened. Yo, Frazier, there are no feral dogs of the local press.

Nothing but mean and stupid

Politics in this part of California is mean and stupid. State Sen. Dean Florez, hailed by the anti-asthma activists as the hero who expanded the San Joaquin Valley air board to include three more city council members, a doctor and a health professional, called for the abolition of the state Department of Food and Agriculture on Tuesday. Florez comes from Wasco, deep in the Westlands Water District, but the Farm Bureau has opposed all his efforts to expand the air board and curb air pollution in the worst part of the worst air basin in the nation.

Sauve qui peut

*Sauve qui peut -- French: "Save who can," a disorderly retreat.
A very fancy corporate consulting firm announced recently that Merced would lead the way out of recession in the north San Joaquin Valley because of UC Merced. As intrepid Modesto Bee business reporter J.N. Sbranti noted, the fancy new economic model unveiled by the consultants from outer space failed to include the foreclosure rate. This blip failed to live up to the big shot firm’s slogan: “Bringing you the power of perspective.”

6-21-09

 
6-21-09
Sacramento Bee
Ginger Rutland: Pension watchdog barked early and often...Ginger Rutland
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/v-print/story/1962177.html
As far as the leaders of public employee unions in California are concerned, Marcia Fritz is public enemy No. 1. A certified public accountant who specializes in government work, Fritz is an expert on pensions.

Almonds, an error and some questions

Badlands has been consistent in writing that Merced is the largest almond-producing county in the state, nation, world and universe. Badlands is in error. According to the state Almond Board's statistics, Kern, Fresno and Stanislaus exceed Merced in almond production. Kern remains the largest producer, steady at 20 percent after 20 years.

CSPA and Environmental Law Foundation Sue Regional Water Board Over Tracy Discharge Permit

Contacts:
Bill Jennings, CSPA Executive Director: 209-464-5067, Cell 209-938-9053, deltakeep@aol.com
Erin Ganahl, Environmental Law Foundation, 510-208-4555, Cell 510-898-8620 eganahl@envirolaw.org
Michael Lozeau, Lozeau/Drury LLP, 510-749-9102-2#, Cell 415-596-5318, michael@lozeaudrury.com
 
http://www.calsport.org/6-18-09b.htm
 

6-26-09

 
6-26-09
Merced Sun-Star
Showdown on Wal-Mart distribution center near
Final environment report should be in city's hands...SCOTT JASON
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/920742.html
By the first Monday in July, Merced planning officials should have the final report that chronicles how the proposed Wal-Mart distribution center will change the city.

6-27-09

 
6-27-09
Badlands Journal
Lively radio on Monday in Fresno...Badlands Journal editorial board
http://www.badlandsjournal.com/2009-06-26/007288
Bill McEwen, Fresno Bee columnist, is starting a talk show on KYNO. His guest on Monday will be Lloyd G. Carter, San Joaquin Valley water activist.
Time: Noon, Monday, June 29, 2009

Credit and debit or water and fish?

With the sounds of families splitting up in our ears, late-model cars disappearing to the repo man, empty houses standing all over town, and an unemployment rate correlated to one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, people in Merced are not inclined to weep for the plutocrat growers of Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties. We have all the water we need for agriculture on both sides of our county (they are provided by different sources) and our unemployment rate is worse than all the counties just listed.

6-30-09

 
6-30-09
Modesto Bee
EPA approves California pollution rule...H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Writer
http://www.modbee.com/state/v-print/story/764928.html
WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency has given the go-ahead for California to impose stringent regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.

Statement at Salazar Town Hall Meeting, June 28, 2009

 
My name is Lydia Miller. I live in Merced. I am president of the San Joaquin Raptor Wildlife Rescue Center. I am here today representing the Center, Protect Our Water,  Central Valley Safe Environment Network, and South California Endangered Species Habitat Alliance.
The Raptor Center was a petitioner on the 22-year-old San Joaquin River Settlement.