May 6, 2021

06May

POLICY & POLITICS

 

1 MORE DAY:   What does leadership look like in your community?

James Irvine Foundation

The James Irvine Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Leadership Awards – a $250,000 grant for California leaders. Accepting nominations at IrvineAwards.org through May 7, 2021.

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Ceres to begin special election candidate filing period. Here’s what you need to know

Modesto Bee

The candidate filing period for the Aug. 31 special election in Ceres begins Monday, kicking off the race for a vacant City Council seat. Northern Ceres residents of District 1 will find out who is running to represent them after the candidate filing period ends June 4.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Too many jobs, too few applicants: Fresno restaurants facing staffing shortages

abc30

Cinco de Mayo is one of the biggest days for restaurants, and customers were quickly filling tables as restrictions loosen. But now, restaurants are facing another problem - finding enough staff to meet the demand.

 

‘Alarming’ rate for this sexually transmitted disease in Fresno County, public health warns

Fresno Bee

While California continues to hammer at COVID and its test positivity rate, there is a growing concern among state and Fresno County public health officials over a trend that seemingly runs contrary to a year of shelter in place orders, quarantines and shuttered bars, restaurants and college campuses.

 

Can one project help curb street racing, improve river access in Fresno? Here’s the plan

Fresno Bee

Fresno elected officials said Wednesday they would add a traffic light to a busy north Fresno intersection to improve traffic safety and speed up the construction of access points to the San Joaquin River.

 

Valley Voices: Fresno leaders work to address anti-Asian hate, but more can be done on human rights

Fresno Bee

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a rapid increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans in this nation. Recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Indianapolis have shocked the conscience of the nation.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

City Council makes no comment about report urging reforms to BPD

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council received a report on proposed reforms to the Bakersfield Police Department without comment during a meeting Wednesday.

 

Supervisors to allow the public back into meetings after more than a year

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Board of Supervisors plans to allow in-person attendance at its next meeting for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.

 

Skelton: Regardless of Newsom’s motive, bid to end California oil production is a game-changer

Los Angeles Times

There are three ways to look at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recently announced phaseout of fracking and desire to end all California oil production. The first two are both credible and the third is fact.

 

John Cox, running for California governor, to visit Kern County on Thursday

Bakersfield Californian

John Cox, one of the candidates for governor in the California recall election, will make a pit stop in Kern County on Thursday afternoon as part of his Meet the Beast Bus Tour.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

Gavin Newsom’s COVID emergency powers upheld by California court

Fresno Bee

A California appeals court affirmed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s use of emergency powers on Wednesday, shooting down a challenge by Republican lawmakers who said the Democrat acted illegally when he issued an executive order laying out procedures for a mail-in election.

See also:

 

California to spend $33 million to combat vaccine hesitancy, reach more communities

Fresno Bee

California plans to shift its strategy for COVID-19 vaccination, as demand has been slowing while more than one-third of adults still have not received a first dose.

See also:

 

Why can’t Gavin Newsom fix California’s unemployment center? Phone lines still jammed

Sacramento Bee

Activists understand that the surge in claims driven by the pandemic overwhelmed EDD. But they said much more could have been done to navigate through the emergency.

See also:

 

Over half of California public school students remain in distance learning

EdSource

Although 87% of California’s traditional public schools have reopened for some form of in-person instruction, fewer than half of students have returned either full time or part time in a hybrid model.

 

Republican Challengers Officially Launch Campaigns as California Recall Begins In Earnest

Capital Public Radio

California’s recall election went into full swing Tuesday, with a Republican candidate’s campaign launch featuring a live, 1,000-pound Kodiak bear — drawing criticisms from animal welfare groups — while Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom defended his record managing the state during the pandemic and other emergencies.

See also:

 

Walters: Offloading two of California’s civic embarrassments

CalMatters

We human beings are tempted to shirk responsibility when our lapses of judgment result in negative consequences. Rather than owning up and handling those consequences, we often try to shift the onus or remediation costs to others.

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

US backs waiving intellectual property rules on vaccines

Fresno Bee

The Biden administration on Wednesday joined calls for more sharing of the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic, a shift that puts the U.S. alongside many in the developing world who want rich countries to do more to get doses to the needy.

See also:

 

U.S. birthrate falls to its lowest level in decades in wake of pandemic

Washington Post

The birthrate in America fell 4% last year, marking the biggest annual decrease in decades — suggesting the coronavirus pandemic has taken the country’s already existing downward trend into overdrive.

See also:

 

What the “Infrastructure” Fight Is Really About

Politico

President Joe Biden’s proposed infrastructure legislation has the political class seemingly locked in a debate about what “infrastructure” means.

See also:

 

Cheney could be 'toast' in fight with Trump over GOP future

Bakersfield Californian

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy wants his party to stand firmly with Donald Trump, despite his false claims about the election being stolen from him.

See also:

 

Why Democratic Departures From the House Have Republicans Salivating

New York Times

A growing number of Democrats in battleground districts are either retiring or leaving to seek higher office, imperiling the party’s control of the House and President Biden’s expansive agenda.

See also:

 

Facebook board’s decision to uphold ban is a major political blow to Trump — for now

Los Angeles Times

The decision by Facebook’s Oversight Board to extend a ban on former President Trump on the world’s biggest social media platform is a major political blow, that denies him access to a huge audience he needs to help amplify his message.

See also:

 

Other:

 

Views About National Identity Becoming More Inclusive in U.S., Western Europe

Pew Research Center

As issues about culture and identity continue to be at the center of heated political debates, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that views about national identity in the U.S., France, Germany and the UK have become less restrictive and more inclusive.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, May 16, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "Eliminating Fraud, Waste & Abuse: Who You Gonna Call?" - Guests: Gabriel Petek - Legislative Analyst's Office; CA State Auditor Elaine Howle; Pedro Nava, Chairman - Little Hoover Commission; John Myers - LA Times; Dan Walters - CalMatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, May 16, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Keeping them Honest: The Role of State and Local Watchdogs" - Guests: Jim Boren, Executive Director - Institute for Media and Public Trust at Fresno State; Dympna Ugwu-Oju, Co-Editor - Fresno Bee's Fresnoland. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

How growers had to sidestep county & state programs to vaccinate farmworkers

CalMatters

As harvest season approached, growers begged county officials to vaccinate their workers. But the state and counties didn’t prioritize vaccine doses for farmworkers in February. So the growers and doctors stepped in and set up their own clinics.

 

Merced County-based Hilmar Cheese Company to build multi-million dollar plant

Modesto Bee

Merced County-based Hilmar Cheese Company on Wednesday announced it’s building a new state-of-the-art cheese and whey protein processing plant in Dodge City, Kansas.

 

Grapes and almonds poised to maintain top sales spots in California

Agri-Pulse

As drought grips many of California’s prime agricultural areas, its two top-grossing crops are positioned well to pull through, much as they did during the last prolonged dry spell in the mid-2010s.

 

Legislation Restricting Use of 'California' on Olive Oil Labels Gains Momentum

Olive Oil Times

While AB-535 has gained some prominent supporters and breezed through committees, its detractors remain confident a compromise can still be reached.

 

Driscoll’s Desperately Needs to Know America’s Appetite for Strawberries

Wall Street Journal

Just over a year ago, Soren Bjorn, who helps run the world’s biggest berry company, made a bad call. Demand for fresh berries was falling as the onset of a pandemic shut restaurants, while grocers focused on keeping staples in stock.

 

Biden Plan Would Limit Longstanding Tax Break Used by Farmers

Wall Street Journal

President Biden has said his tax proposals would make big business and wealthy investors pay their fair share. His package would also likely deliver a blow to American farm owners by limiting a longstanding tax break.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

City Council makes no comment about report urging reforms to BPD

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council received a report on proposed reforms to the Bakersfield Police Department without comment during a meeting Wednesday.

 

States push back against use of facial recognition by police

Bakersfield Californian

Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have used facial recognition technology to solve homicides and bust human traffickers, but concern about its accuracy and the growing pervasiveness of video surveillance is leading some state lawmakers to hit the pause button.

 

Public Safety:

 

Entire U.S. West Coast Now Covered By Earthquake Early Warning System

VPR
Residents living on the West Coast don't know when the next earthquake will hit. But a new expansion of the U.S. earthquake early warning system gives 50 million people in California, Oregon — and now Washington — seconds to quickly get to safety whenever the next one hits.

 

California University Students, Employees Demand Removal of Campus Police

Capital Public Radio

At universities across California, students and workers refused to attend class or meetings, answer emails and clock into work Monday as part of a “day of refusal” organized by the group Cops Off Campus Coalition.

 

Fire:

 

Giant sequoia still smoldering from 2020 California wildfire

Fresno Bee

A giant sequoia has been found smoldering and smoking in a part of Sequoia National Park that burned in one of California's huge wildfires last year, the National Park Service said Wednesday.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Major Changes for California Businesses: Ninth Circuit Reverses Injunction Blocking AB 5 in the Trucking Industry - Complimentary Webinar

aalrr

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed a district court injunction blocking the application AB 5 to the trucking industry.  In CTA v. Banta, the appeals court held that AB 5 is likely not preempted by federal trucking law.

 

Biden touts direct relief for businesses with Restaurant Revitalization Fund

CBSNews

President Biden called the newly launched Restaurant Revitalization Fund "badly needed" Wednesday as he continues to tout the implementation of the American Rescue Plan.

 

Inflation stalks the US economy

The Hill

The biblical prophets chastised the people for having eyes but not seeing and for having ears but not hearing. When it comes to inflation, the Federal Reserve might be chastised in the same way.

 

Jobs:

 

Too many jobs, too few applicants: Fresno restaurants facing staffing shortages

abc30

Cinco de Mayo is one of the biggest days for restaurants, and customers were quickly filling tables as restrictions loosen. But now, restaurants are facing another problem - finding enough staff to meet the demand.

 

Hospitality workers celebrate right to return to work

CalMatters

SB 93 guarantees about 700,000 laid-off housekeepers, cooks, waiters and bartenders an opportunity to return to their jobs.

 

Opinion: California needs more jobs in job training

CalMatters

Forty years ago California was in a recession with 10% unemployment, yet employers said that good jobs were going begging for lack of skilled workers. The state spent hundreds of millions of dollars on training, but both business and labor were dissatisfied with the results: lots of certificates, but not many jobs.

 

U.S. Unemployment Claims Fell to 498,000 Last Week

Wall Street Journal

Weekly unemployment claims fell to 498,000 last week—a new low since the Covid-19 pandemic began more than a year ago—in a fresh sign that the labor-market rebound is gathering force.

See also:

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Was vote to change Fresno High’s Native American mascot illegal? New lawsuit says yes

Fresno Bee

A lawsuit filed against the Fresno Unified School District this week alleges the board violated the Brown Act when it voted to remove the Fresno High Schools mascot that depicts a Native American caricature.

 

Fresno Unified trustee condemns ‘disparaging’ remarks made about her disability

Fresno Bee

A Fresno Unified School Board trustee addressed “disparaging” comments from a community member about her health during a recent public meeting. Trustee Carol Mills spoke publicly for the first time about what she described as her “disability” at Wednesday night’s FUSD school board meeting.

 

Over half of California public school students remain in distance learning

EdSource

Although 87% of California’s traditional public schools have reopened for some form of in-person instruction, fewer than half of students have returned either full time or part time in a hybrid model.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Fresno needs more college graduates. Will President Biden’s new education plan help?

Fresno Bee

Fresno-area students could benefit under President Joe Biden’s new proposal to expand financial aid and offer free higher education to many two and four-year college students.

 

Will Fresno-area community colleges require vaccinations? Here’s how the fall will work

Fresno Bee

The decision of whether to require COVID-19 vaccinations for community college students in the Fresno area will be decided over the coming months, State Center Community College officials announced at a board meeting on Tuesday.

 

International students heading to California colleges navigate vaccine, visa hurdles

CalMatters

More California colleges are planning to require students to get COVID-19 vaccinations. For international students, that often means only vaccines approved by the World Health Organization will be accepted, even though not all students have access to those.

 

Opinion: We should support more funding for higher ed, not a new Master Plan

CalMatters

California’s public higher education institutions do need more funding. But Nils Gilman’s financing plan would “rob Peter to pay Paul” by taking all state funding from the UC system to make up for inadequate state funding for the CSU and CCC systems.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Endangered Bakersfield cactus threatened by off-road recreation

Bakersfield Californian

The hikers gathered at 7 a.m. Wednesday at the southern reaches of Hart Park. Before long they were walking uphill into the washes, canyons and carved hills that rise dramatically to the south. They intended to explore not only the beauty but the trash, vandalism and clear evidence of fat tires grinding out new dirt trails where no trail should be.

 

Bakersfield's new normal temperatures are hotter than the old normals

Bakersfield Californian

On Tuesday, Bakersfield's warming climate officially pushed the new normal even higher. Each decade, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculate the "normal" temperatures we can expect to see each day, each month and each year in Bakersfield and myriad other locations across the lower 48 states.

 

How UC Davis is testing ‘sheep mowers’ against conventional landscaping techniques

Sacramento Bee

A sheep landscaping crew is the latest, if temporary, addition to the front entry of UC Davis. An academic experiment at the campus, which first opened in 1908 as an extension to UC Berkeley called the University Farm, started Wednesday.

 

A narrow path for Biden’s ambitious land conservation plan

Washington Post

Months after President Biden set a goal of conserving 30% of the nation’s land and waters by 2030, the administration Thursday laid out broad principles — but few details — for achieving that vision.

 

Energy:

 

California blackouts this summer? State offers ‘guarded optimism’ the lights will stay on

Fresno Bee

The managers of California’s electricity system can’t promise they’ll be able to keep the lights on this summer. Still reeling from two nights of rolling blackouts during last August’s heatwave, state officials say they’ve fortified the power grid against more outages but acknowledge that another extraordinary surge in temperatures could spell trouble.

 

Skelton: Regardless of Newsom’s motive, bid to end California oil production is a game-changer

Los Angeles Times

There are three ways to look at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recently announced phaseout of fracking and desire to end all California oil production. The first two are both credible and the third is fact.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

‘Alarming’ rate for this sexually transmitted disease in Fresno County, public health warns

Fresno Bee

While California continues to hammer at COVID and its test positivity rate, there is a growing concern among state and Fresno County public health officials over a trend that seemingly runs contrary to a year of shelter in place orders, quarantines and shuttered bars, restaurants and college campuses.

 

Scientists see path for the coronavirus to invade the brain

Los Angeles Times

Scientists experimenting in the lab have found that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is capable of infecting two types of brain cells — neurons and astrocytes.

 

Covid-19 Vaccines vs. Infections

Wall Street Journal

Since the first Covid-19 vaccines were approved in December, the U.S. has administered nearly 250 million doses, getting shots in the arms of more than four in 10 Americans. About a third of the population is fully vaccinated.

 

Why Lagging COVID Vaccine Rate At Rural Hospitals 'Needs To Be Fixed Now'

NPR

President Biden on Tuesday is set to announce new steps to reach rural Americans in the push to get as many people as possible vaccinated for the coronavirus, a White House official tells NPR.

 

Opinion: A blueprint for Californians’ behavioral health

CalMatters

Californians are looking forward to when immunity from COVID-19 is widespread. It is a goal that is closer thanks to the multiple vaccines and expanded statewide distribution.

 

Human Services:

 

California to spend $33 million to combat vaccine hesitancy, reach more communities

Fresno Bee

California plans to shift its strategy for COVID-19 vaccination, as demand has been slowing while more than one-third of adults still have not received a first dose.

See also:

 

Local 'Trusted Messengers' Key To Boosting COVID Vaccinations, Surgeon General Says

VPR
The pace of COVID-19 vaccinations is slowing down — not because of any vaccine shortage, but because some Americans don't want to get vaccinated. President Biden addressed this on Tuesday, announcing a change to his national vaccination strategy that will include moving distribution away from mass vaccination sites to concentrate on more local areas.

 

Opinion: A vaccine passport is the most constitutional way out of lockdown.

Slate

More controversially, vaccine passport has come to mean a policy in which the government and businesses exempt vaccinated people from certain restrictions.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

ICE deportations fell in April to lowest monthly level on record, enforcement data shows

Washington Post

The number of deportations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month fell to the lowest monthly level on record, a drop that comes as illegal border crossings remain at a 20-year high, according to the latest enforcement data.

 

U.S. Reduces Migrant Children in Border Patrol Custody, but Emergency Shelters Pose New Concerns

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration in recent weeks has opened more than a dozen emergency child shelters to remove migrant children from Border Patrol custody, using convention centers, concert venues, army bases and camps built for oil-field workers to address the surge in unaccompanied minors.

 

‘It’s inhumane’: Undocumented immigrants ineligible for COVID funeral reimbursement

Fresno Bee

After Claudia Medina’s husband died from COVID-19 in late March, she was left with a $14,000 bill for his funeral expenses. Pedro Cruz Mendoza was an undocumented immigrant from Oaxaca who worked in the Central Valley’s fields for 21 years.

 

Is America the merciful nation immigrants want it to be?

Los Angeles Times

Some of the world’s most vulnerable people arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border every day. Men and women fleeing violence in Central America, political strife in Haiti and Venezuela. Boys and girls sent alone by their families, in the hope that America will offer them better lives.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Can one project help curb street racing, improve river access in Fresno? Here’s the plan

Fresno Bee

Fresno elected officials said Wednesday they would add a traffic light to a busy north Fresno intersection to improve traffic safety and speed up the construction of access points to the San Joaquin River.

 

Two long-vacant Modesto buildings find new life. This company is buying both spaces

Modesto Bee

U-Haul has taken over the former Longs Drugs on McHenry Avenue and the old Toys R Us on Sisk Road. The buildings have been empty and boarded up for years. Now the moving and storage company is buying both with big plans for their future.

 

Old Town Kern train depot to remain standing, for now

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council has granted the Southern Pacific train depot in Old Town Kern a temporary stay of execution. The depot, which is now owned and operated by Union Pacific, was scheduled for imminent demolition, but a 6-0 vote with Councilmember Chris Parlier absent halts the process for the time being.

 

Housing:

 

Federal judge says CDC doesn't have authority to issue eviction moratoriums; Implications unclear

abc30

A federal judge in Washington on Wednesday declared that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's moratorium on eviction -- a key element of the federal government's efforts to aid those hit hardest by the COVID pandemic and its economic effects -- must be set aside.

See also:

 

Shedding light on housing discrimination in Fresno County

abc30

Discrimination among homeowners is a topic local advocates say is not often addressed. One local non-profit is working hard to raise the %age of minority homeowners and believes it starts with transparency and education.

 

Why is the Central Valley’s rental market booming? Here’s how local prices stack up

Modesto Bee

The Central Valley is the nation’s hottest rental market, according to a new report. The data, analyzed by RENTCafé, an online rental listing site, shows the region leading a group of midsize hubs across the country.

 

Opinion: State legislation should support, not hinder, efforts to plan for more housing

CalMatters

With dozens of bills on housing, the Legislature should keep in mind the right to citizen engagement in the local planning process.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Biden’s Capital-Gains Tax Increases Would Hit Few Americans, Study Says

Wall Street Journal

Affluent Americans are worried about President Biden’s proposed tax changes on capital gains from stocks, bonds and other assets. But those proposals would hit a sliver of taxpayers, according to a new analysis.

See also:

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Caltrans plans to reroute another 132 stretch west of Modesto. Here are the 4 options

Modesto Bee

What should Highway 132 west of Modesto look like? Planners are asking the driving public to weigh in on plans to reroute another segment of the highway.

 

Cyclists could roll through stop signs under plan moving through California Capitol

Sacramento Bee

For bicyclists, there are few places more dangerous than an intersection. Nearly a third of bicycle-related fatalities occur at one, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

California bullet train isn’t the jobs creator some claim

Los Angeles Times

Atop massive viaducts and bridges under construction for the bullet train in the San Joaquin Valley, the state has hung banners proudly proclaiming “5,000 workers and counting.”

 

WATER

 

Fish or farmers? Newsom drought declaration would trigger new war over California water

Fresno Bee

When a bipartisan group of state legislators held a press conference last week to demand that Gov. Gavin Newsom declare a statewide drought emergency, they assembled at a withered farm field east of Fresno, complete with piles of dead trees in the background.

 

Newsom not doing enough on drought, California Senate Minority leader says

Fox26News

California Senate Minority Leader Scott Wilk (R- 21st District) tells FOX26 News Governor Gavin Newsom does not have an interest in governing and is not doing enough on the drought issue.

 

Editorial: There is no drought

Los Angeles Times

If ‘drought’ means a period of dry years followed by a return to the norm, California is not in drought. The current climate is the norm.

 

“Xtra”

 

Bethany Clough: This downtown coffee shop could be moving into a historic Fresno site built in 1894

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s historic water tower has been closed since the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic started. It’s taken some damage from vandals, who have broken lights and damaged one of the doors.

 

National parks will still require masks in some outdoor areas this summer

Fresno Bee

National parks will still require visitors to wear masks in some outdoor settings entering the summer season, an Interior Department spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

 

Which Sierra Nevada roadways are open? Updates for Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Kaiser Pass

Fresno Bee

A number of Sierra Nevada locations that are inaccessible in winter due to snow can now be reached or will be accessible soon. Snowpack is at low levels across the mountain range, and drought has returned to California.

 

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

 

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