Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 8-26-21 E-edition

Thursday, August 26, 2021 | A4 | Mid Valley TiMes Editorial & Opinions
Serving the Readers of the Reedley Exponent, Dimuba Sentinel and Sanger Herald.
A Mid Valley Publishing Newspaper
Founded March 26, 1891, in a two-story building on the corner of 11th and F streets, by A.S. Jones
In my OPINION A political 'gang that
couldn't shoot straight'
Game cancellations show that this isn't your typical athletics season
Fred Hall — Publisher
Jon Earnest — Editor
Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
My candidate for the most prescient statement of the past 10 days has to have come from a CNN reporter. Hav- ing heard Joe Biden's claim — during a brief period that, for him, passes for a press conference — that everything in Afghanistan was going as planned and was not a failure. The young reporter wondered aloud, “If this isn't failure, what does failure look like?”
With the start of the 2021- 22 school year on Aug. 18 for the Sanger Unified School Dis- trict, it means that all schools are in "normal" live instruc- tion mode for the most part. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic quickly spread on a worldwide basis in March 2020, students predomi- nantly are back on campus and being taught face-to-face.
So far, there have been no startling reports of any nota- ble breakouts of COVID cases on campuses. But that's not to say things haven't been a little out of the ordinary.
Already, there have been a couple of game cancellations in- volving regional football teams during these first two weeks. First, Immanuel High officials decided to cancel the season- opening home game against Roosevelt of Fresno on Aug. 20, after a combination of injuries and illness dropped the team's already depleted roster of just more than 25 players too a level that created competitive con- cerns. School officials have said the team is prepared to open its season on Friday, Aug. 27, with a game at Mendota High.
Then on Aug.21, a day af- ter Sanger High dropped its season opener to what looks like a powerful Clovis High squad, the Apaches learned that their opponent for Aug. 27 — Fresno High — dropped
from the game. It's not been reported if the Warriors' ac- tion had anything to do with COVID, but it put Sanger in a tight window to try to play a game this week. In a curious ripple effect, Roosevelt had another game canceled when Porterville High bowed out of its Aug. 27 game, so the Rough Riders and Apaches were able to arrange on short notice a game for this week in Sanger.
But as it turns out, COVID isn't the only factor for some of these cancellations. In what has become an annual concern in the Central Valley the past decade-plus, poor air quality (and in August, the overbearing Valley heat) have become major causes, especially with the rash of annual summer wildfires throughout the state. Question- able air quality caused the Visa- lia Unified School District to cancel all of its home football games in the opening week.
The Dixie fire in Northern California continues to steadi- ly rage on, and the French fire in Kern County to the south has kicked up in inten- sity the past week. Those fac- tors, along with temperatures that can continue in triple dig- its into September, mean that outdoor games and activities could be in peril (depending on the level of smoke drift).
Turning back to COVID, it's probably naive to think
that positive
cases of the vi-
rus in schools
aren't going to
occur at some
level. Even if
it's merely a
matter of quar-
antining when
a child feels ill, families likely will err on the side of caution.
It would be wise of school districts to be transparent whenever possible, even if it's a simple case of provid- ing monthly totals of positive case numbers. I have to be- lieve parents and the public in general would appreciate openness about the situation.
Gradually, vaccination num- bers are climbing. In Fresno County, more than one million first vaccines had been admin- istered as of early this week. Case numbers and hospitaliza- tions have shot up in the past month because of the Delta variant. Thankfully, deaths haven't taken a big jump.
Whether you decide to get the COVID vaccine or not, it's wise to continue practicing good health habits as the weather cools and illness risks (be it CO- VID, flu or simple head-chest colds) increase. As far as mask- ing up goes, especially indoors, that decision is in the process of being made for us.
Jon Earnest is news-sports editor for The Times.
Someone needs to explain to the
president — in language he can understand — that this has never been about leaving Afghanistan but, rather, how. President Trump had pretty well laid the framework but — as opposed to Biden — had a legitimate plan for dis- engagement and withdrawal. For America, the war was essentially over. Troops and equipment must be the last to be pulled from in country, or one is left with no “big stick” of enforcement.
I'm told that the decision to abandon Bagram Air Base in favor of Kabul Airport was a decision made by diplo- mats — a decision which fully placed the incompetence of the Biden administration on display for the Taliban and America's enemies around the world. It ultimately resulted in the release of thousands of the enemy bing held prisoner to return whence they had come.
There were billions of dollars in inventory of Black- hawk helicopters, Humvees, ammunition and guns left behind for the Taliban. They even used that material to dress up like American Marines and mock the iconic raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima. Thanks to the decision to “bug-out” without securing or destroying military assets, we now have a group of goat herders with one of the best equipped armies around.
This is the same bungling administration that has asked for approval of the “Bernie Sanders budget” which ultimately is around $5 trillion for a litany of specious projects. When examined, line item by line item, the anal- ogy can only be to some sort of socialist manifesto. It calls for ever-increasing government control of our lives. A cursory look will quickly point out that the Biden-Harris administration is suffering from numerous self-inflicted policy failures, including immigration and energy.
Frankly, this group of bumblers remind me of the Jimmy Breslin novel entitled "The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight." One of the characters in that story is one Kid Sally Palumbo who is a capo of whom it is said “he couldn't run a gas station at a profit, even he stole the customers' cars.” Real life does not involve gangs, but does have more than its share of presidents, vice presi- dents, politically correct Pentagon generals, Department of Defense officials and cabinet members.
After watching the mess that the Biden Administra- tion has made during the past seven months of every- thing they've touched, one must ask oneself “Is this really the bunch we want to give $10 billion of our hard-earned money and place them in charge of climate change?” That would be Joe Biden's projected Civilian Climate Control, whose only real job — as near as we can tell — is to dem- onstrate and lobby Congress for “green” projects. Does anyone remember Barack Obama's spectacular mess of green projects with the solar panel manufacturer Solyn- dra? That was an absolute boondoggle and waste of tax- payer money! This would be the second act.
When a large amount of money is distributed by bu- reaucrats from the public treasury, nothing good can possibly happen. When government is allowed to place their heavy thumb on the scales of business, it's an open invitation to mismanagement and graft.
Along with a roughly $4 trillion “budget reconcilia- tion” bill which is essentially the dream of Sanders, the godfather of socialists and Marxists in America. Along with that bloated bill, filled with a shopping list of so- cialist dreams, there is also an attempt by Nancy Pelosi to nationalize the election process which would provide these political incompetents a stage for this bumbling act for the foreseeable future.
Letters from readers
Fred Hall
Jon Earnest
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
Time for recall is now
This once great state is in complete disarray.
California’s environment is only declining. Skies are filled with smoke, treasured forests are burned to ashes and tax- payer expensed environmental research has delivered no re- sults but only additional regu- lation.
When it comes to the econo- my, do not forget how long, dra- conian lockdowns were forced upon small businesses while big box stores stayed open. Gas prices are rising, middle class families are taxed to death and billions of dollars were sent to
criminals in EDD fraud.
Gang violence is on the in- crease and police officers are targeted and disrespected. Convicted killers are being released into neighborhoods and homelessness is every-
where.
Highways are dominated
by potholes and streets are in disrepair, yet the state’s gas tax only increases.
Schools are recklessly spending funds on “campus improvements” while they feed students dangerous informa- tion like Critical Race Theory and Sexual Education at young ages. In addition to this, test scores are declining, true dis-
cipline is absent and the next generation is untrained to enter the workforce.
It is important that we face the facts. After decades in power, the ruling party of Cali- fornia has failed the people and have turned this state into a dumping ground. However, thanks to the grassroots efforts by caring citizens, Californians have an opportunity to end the destruction of this state by re- calling Gov. Gavin Newsom.
On Sept. 14, Vote Yes on Question 1 to Recall Newsom and Vote Republican on Ques- tion 2.
Matthew Casarez Reedley
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QUOTE
“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that some- thing is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.”
— Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008)