Page 3 - Sanger Herald 10-11-18 E-edition

Random thoughts More than 100 traffic citations were issued last week and, in my opinion, that's not nearly enough ...
The police issued 102 traffic citations last week and, in my opinion, that's probably just barely scratching the surface of what's needed to get the attention of Sanger's worst traffic offenders.
During the several years I was away from the Valley, I commuted in Sacramento, Los Angeles and the Bay Area and drove rentals in New York, Chicago and Detroit with nary a scratch or a fender bender. Then I came back to the Valley, moved to Sanger and my car was almost totalled in the Walmart parking lot by an unlicensed and uninsured driver.
Many, many times my dogs and I, on our morning walks, have had to jump out of the way of drivers who apparently think the only
Every vote counts
An empowered community full of residents eager to see change is always willing to discuss the prominent issues that need to be addressed. Lately, education has been a concern for many of our Parlier residents.
As a student organizer with Valley Forward, I’ve had the opportunity to speak
In my OPINION
Make sure you vote this November
SANGER HERALD 3A THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 EDITORIAL & OPINION
By Dick Sheppard
I'm soooo glad the police department, after finally getting up to full staffing, has revived its traffic unit.
It's very needed in a town which surely must be home to some of the worst drivers in the northern hemisphere.
Dick Sheppard
purpose of a crosswalk is to get pedestrians lined up so they are easier to hit.
Many Sanger drivers turn Academy, Bethel and Greenwood into drag strips and speedways, particularly during the morning go-to-work time.
See the story on today's front page about the speeding car that came southbound around the corner on Academy by the rail- road tracks so fast it careened into a curb and into a car pulling into the parking lot at McDonald's before running head on into a median on Academy.
Go get 'em PD traffic unit! Get them before they get us!
•••
A significant misunderstanding is being brought to the surface by the school district's
bond measure on the November ballot. I'm hoping the district can clear up the confusion with a statement in next week's
paper, which will be devoted to election issues.
In brief, the school district and the City of Sanger are very separate entities when it comes to governance and finances.
The district's bond measure and its over-
to many of our concerned neighbors and oneofthethingsIalwaystendtohear
is, “The students need better educational opportunities.” One of the survey questions Iaskis:“Doyouliketheschoolsinyour community?” And the first thing I notice on people’s faces, is disappointment. Right after that,Ihear,“Theschoolsystemneedsalot improvement.”
As a graduate from Parlier High School,
I can agree with our neighbors’ concerns. The amount of students per classroom is
way too large for a teacher to be able to giveattentiontoeverysinglestudent.Even thoughateachermighttrytofocusonevery student,sometimesit’smoredifficultthan whatitseems.Thatiswhyifwealluniteas one and fight for a better educational system, ourstudentscanachievesuccess.So,itis veryimportantthateverypersongoesoutto voteandmaketheirvoicesbeheardbecause everyvotedoescount.
Brenda Cabrerra
sight committee and the City's very public challenges with its public safety tax measure and its oversight committee have nothing
to do with each other. There is no mixing of finances or governance.
By the way, the school district will have a formal groundbreaking for its new education center at the corner of Jensen and Armstrong at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 25.
Why is it so far west of Sanger and so close to Sunnyside and Fresno? Because by 2020, according to district officials, there will be as many or more students in the district from that area as there are from the City of Sanger.
•••
I placed my first order of the season for
holiday tamales Tuesday morning. That means the trick or treating, turkey, parade, Santa Claus, Trek to the Tree and eating sea- son is soon going to be upon us - and after the recent much publicized and analyzed parti- san political battles I suspect we are all more than ready for it.
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
- Pogo
Comments, complaints and suggestions may be emailed to sangerherald@gmail.com or may be made by calling 875-2511.
By Fred Hall
views or agenda.
Over the years since then it seems to
have gotten progressively worse until we have reached the point where a media which should be completely unbiased has now become overtly slanted in their reporting. Trump stories are unabashedly negative and anyreportsofpositiveaccomplishments
in terms of the economy and international affairs are noticeably absent from cover- age. Ifyouarepartofthereasoned,rational group of American citizens the best way to deal with all this insanity is get active and involved. Makesureyoucastavotethis Novembertomakeyourfeelingsknown. It's the last, best weapon we have.
By this point in time you should already have or will soon receive your vote-by-
mail packets for the General Election on 6 November2018. Thesearethesamevoter packetswhichwereoncecalledabsenteebal- lots. Timeshavechangeddramaticallywhen todaysomanyeithermailintheirchoicesor are certainly encouraged by the government todoso. Timewasitwasalmostaritualto showupatthevotingprecincttoexpress yourwishes. Notsomuchduringthese thoroughlymoderntimes. Voting,oneofour most precious rights, has been reduced to the level of a mail order item.
MywifeandIhavesuccumbedtothe modern trend but still take our ballots, once we'vemarkedthem,downtotheprecinct locationtoberecorded. Forusthereisa greater feeling of participation in some- thing special when we extend that little bit ofeffort. Itjustsomehowfeelsasifweare more involved in this democratic process.
When your packet arrives, there should be a booklet enclosed which should objec- tivelypresentbothsidesoftheissueand
the exact wording of the wide array of initiatives appearing for your up or down vote. Remembertogetpastthetitleson these propositions because, more often than not,theyaremisleading. Icanstillremem- beronewhichwastitled'TheSafeSchools Initiative' when it was an actually a get out of jail free card for felons.
Remember, also, that High Speed Rail was approved by a voting public which had essen- tially been mislead about funding and other issues.
Asalways,werefrainfrommakingany recommendations because we feel that our readersareeruditepeoplewhowillmake good decisions after doing the necessary reading and research on issues and candi- dates.
I do find it interesting however that many people have told me they consult the local daily newspaper to see who and what they recommend. They, then, go out and cast their ballot in the opposite manner of what that learned group of scribes has recommended.
But, as always, that's only one man's opin- ion.
In addition to the Sanger Herald, Publisher Fred Hall oversees two other Mid Valley Publishing newspapers - Reedley Exponent, and Dinuba Sentinel. He can be contacted by phone at (559) 638-2244 or by email at fred@ midvalleypublishing.com.
Political partisanship
and activism reached
its nadir with the recent
confirmation hearings
in the Senate for Brett
Kavanaugh. Thankfully,in
a brief moment of sanity,
the seat on the Supreme Courtwasapprovedbya
bare majority and, with the exception of one approving Democrat from West Virginia, the votewasstrictlyalongpartylines. Ifconfir- mationwerestrictlybasedonqualifications, as was intended by the founding framers of the Constitution, that vote should have been unanimous.
Today, decisions on who is qualified to serveonthisaugustbody,arealmostalways basedon“whoseseat”itis. We'veallowed thecourttobedividedintoliberalversus conservativejustices. That'sjustwrong! Anyone who is chosen should, first and foremost,beastrictconstructionistofthe Constitution. Thatdocumentwasintended toserveasthelawofthelandandshouldnot beconstruedasbeingmalleableintermsof popular issues such as social justice, the envi- ronment and others which are currently in vogue. We'veallowedthishugelyimportant third branch of government to become politi- cized. Thatshouldneverhavebeenallowed tohappen.
The idea of a jurist being able to, on his or her values, interpret the law is a reason- ablyrecentphenomenon. Nationwide,law schools taught by liberal law professors have espoused the theory that a law's inter- pretation can be based on social criteria and shapedtofittheviewsofthejudge. Wesee it every day, especially with the election of Donald Trump, where a lower court judge comesupwithsuchaconvolutedrulingthat no one really believes it will pass muster onappeal. ThatseemsO.K.withmanyof today'sDemocrats. Theyseempleasedwith having temporarily impeded that which will eventually amount to true, unbiased justice.
Following hard on the heels of last week- end's confirmation vote, impeachment of
a sitting Supreme Court Justice has been placed on the table by Gerald Nadler of New YorkandNancyPelosiofCalifornia. Nothing could be more destructive of the American systemofjurisprudence. Theveryideaof having a Supreme Court where no one's job is safe will assure that no decision can be com- pletelytrusted. ThankHeaven,thewisdom of our Founders saw the necessity of people placed in such a position having the security of a lifetime appointment was a necessary element.
There has been a great hue and cry from politicians and their enablers in the media about how divisive our current President hasbeen. Talkaboutthepotcallingthe kettleblack! Oneofthetacticsofpolitics has always been to divide and conquer, but the real onset seemed to take place during thefirstClintonadministration. Herewas
a group of people drawn together to form a “war room” whose very essence was attack and destroy anyone who opposed either their
Fred Hall
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