Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 1-9-20 E-edition

Thursday, January 9, 2020 | 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
Fred Hall — Publisher
In my OPINION Dems' Trump hate continues
Given the Jan. 3 announcement of
the death of Qasem Soleimani, as the
result of an American drone strike,
that alone should bring some degree
of closure for hundreds of American
military families for the loss of hun-
dreds of their sons and daughters.
When this Iranian butcher recently
assumed room temperature the world
was made a safer place in which to
live, thanks to our military and this
current administration. Even retired Gen. David Pe- traeus said the death of Soleimani was even more mon- umental in the war on terrorism than killing Osama Bin Laden or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Not so much with media and Democrats, who seem to hate President Donald Trump more than they hate Iranians who have sown terrorism throughout the world. How ridiculous has it become? As I write this on a Tuesday morning, I hear reports being spread that “the Iranian butcher” was actually on a diplomatic mis- sion, seeking peace, when he was taken out by the air strike. Really? Does anyone beside the mainstream press believe that one?
Adam Schiff, who is the fact-challenged leader of the Democrats in the House Intelligence Committee, has al- ready begun to call for an investigation with the intent to file another bogus impeachment article. Remember that their first mess hasn't even been forwarded to the Sen- ate because, we personally believe, that the work is noth- ing but an embarrassment to all concerned — especially Nancy Pelosi, whose majority and speakership is at risk when November elections are over. Many members of the House, their co-conspirators in the media and nu- merous number of celebrities have already begun a hue and cry over this terrorist as if he has been martyred.
Turning another calendar page assures us California taxpayers of nothing except fear and loathing of the po- litical entities to whom we have released the reins of state government. Those people have elevated bumbling malfeasance to an art form. In terms of quality and af- fordability of living, ours is a state rapidly going to hell in a handbasket.
Want to know the worst part of that current suicidal slide toward mediocrity? It's our fault; we voted them into office. Absent any sort of checks and balances, California is typical of one party control and has been been established during that period of time which par- allels our decline in terms of affordability and quality of life. If one will take an honest look at all the metro- politan areas in this country — from San Francisco to New York City — they share a common trait. All have been under the control of Democrat mayors and gov- ernance for decades.
California is absolutely controlled by Democrats. I seriously doubt that Republicans representing us in government in Sacramento could even field a softball team!
It seems to me that we actually have three options available to us for dealing with this rapidly approach- ing disaster. First of all, we can sit idly on our hands and watch the developing trainwreck—sorry about the pun High Speed Rail. That would mean accepting the mass exodus from our state which also means the loss of a Congressional seat. Secondly, we might join that trail out of the state which can never be back-filled with illegal immigration. Our ballot information is available in nine different languages. If all of these people are supposed to be citizens to vote, and one of the require- ments for citizenship is that one be communicative in English, we shouldn't need the unnecessary expense of printing of all those additional ballots.
Third — and the one that makes the most sense — is that we get educated on the ways of the political sys- tem, we get involved in pressing our beliefs and vote. Your voice could make the difference or represent the first step! When more people vote in some precincts than are registered, something is wrong!
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
2020 is a year of change for a longtime Reedley agricultural icon
Rick Curiel — Sanger Editor Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
QUOTE
“Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it's important.”
— Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005)
Fred Hall
The new year already has brought a notable change to a pair of the San Joaquin Val- ley's oldest family-owned busi- nesses – one of them a long- time Reedley fixture.
As of Jan. 1, the former Gar Tootelian, Inc., in business lo- cally since 1949, has officially merged with the former Ben- nett Water Systems of Lem- oore. That company has been in operation for 90 years. The new company name is GAR Bennett, and will become a business meant to provide the best in crop protection and wa- ter services to Central Valley growers. Adam Sabourin, the company's chief operating of- ficer, said during a Jan. 7 rib- bon cutting in Reedley that GAR Bennett is "well-equipped to move into providing multi- ple complementary services the likes of which our state and the agriculture industry has never seen."
Greg Musson, co CEO of the new company with Tyler Bennett, said in a news release that the merger raises the bar by combining the two respect- ed locally-owned family busi- nesses. "GAR Bennett is com- mitted to helping growers feed the world by increasing crop yields with maximum water ef- ficiency. We will focus on pro-
viding solutions and products to Central San Joaquin Valley growers to help them cope with the ever-increasing global de- mands for food. Together, our opportunities are endless."
We wish the new company the best in becoming a leader in the always-challenging ag- riculture industry.
•••
Change isn't just occurring
in the agribusiness world; it's happening in Sanger law en- forcement. Silver Rodriguez, police chief, is counting down the days to his Jan. 15 retire- ment, and was on hand at the Sanger City Council Chambers last week to see the promo- tions of five members with the Sanger Police Department. The Jan. 3 ceremony included the promotion of two new lieu- tenants, Reyes Carillo and Ja- son Boust.
Rodriguez called his final promotional ceremony "bit- tersweet" but expressed pride in having hired one of the pro- moted personnel and promot- ing three others.
•••
I have to admit, we here in
the Central Valley have been pretty lucky to have expe- rienced a couple of years of relatively low levels of fog. Notice how I stress the word
"had." This past
week has been
pretty tough on
the commute,
especially com-
ing from Kings
County and a
region that's
susceptible to
the pea soup-like Tule fog. It's been so bad this week that even crossing the Kings River into Tulare County and heading north to Reedley has remained hazy, instead of the welcome sunshine breaking through on a normal winter's day.
I usually avoid Highway 43 as it's usually packed with traffic, but I prefer the long trail of vehicles compared to remote roads that become high-risk areas when poor vis- ibility is involved.
As always, be sure to heed one simple request – turn on your headlights. I still see way too many people in lighter-col- ored vehicles flowing out of the haze. Okay, two requests for the "other" driver. Stay pa- tient and don't be passing in these conditions.
Also, school's back in ses- sion this week and next. Be wary of children walking and crossing streets.
Jon Earnest is editor for The Times' Reedley office.
Jon Earnest
So, here we are, the year 2020. Happy New Year!
I read something the other day that really put time into perspective. Consider this. We are just as far away from the year 2050 as we are the year 1990.
Do you remember what you were doing in 1990?
I do. I was a freshman at Di- nuba High School and life was pretty carefree in those days — at least it was for me and many other freshmen.
MC Hammer was the big thing in those days. As teen- agers, we wore rayon shirts, Z-Cavariccis and steel-tipped shoes. There were no cell phones in those days and the Internet was closer to movies like ‘War Games’ and ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ than what it has evolved into today.
Back then, if we were asked to imagine what the world might look like in the year 2020, some of us may have re- verted back to our childhood memories of watching flying cars and robot maids on the Jetsons.
Today, the idea of flying
cars still seems like something out of a science fiction movie (though there are some who claim to be close to having a working model) and as far as robot maids — well, it would depend on how you look at things.
Some may already be using robot vacuums and many now have devices in their homes that speak back to them, i.e. Alexa and Google. Robot lawn mowers are now on the market and many in the agricultural industry have been using trac- tors equipped with GPS track- ing to navigate their fields for years now.
But, perhaps the most vivid example of the future at hand is that which we often times, sometimes too often, find in the very palms of our hands. Information, and vast amounts of it, available at the touch of a finger and stored on small de- vices, is now attached to us like never before.
For today’s freshman, they cannot remember a world where technology was so ac- cessible and integrated into our day-to-day lives. I wonder
if asked, what would today’s youth imagine the year 2050 to look like?
As for me,
whereas in my
youth I may
have looked to
the future with a degree of awe and wonder, today I have to admit that I look to the future with a bit more concern than I would have 30 years ago.
How will we socialize in the future? What will become of the brick-and-mortar landscape when the market flips to online consumers? Will artificial in- telligence replace the need for human labor at a rate too fast to make up elsewhere? Will the world continue to make waste of its resources while being driven by the global epidemic of consumerism?
Who knows? But when times change, it’s always good to take a step back and remem- ber to never let time change you, unless, of course, it’s for the better.
Rick Curiel is editor for The Times' Sanger office.
Welcome to the future
Rick Curiel