Page 4 - Mid Valley Times 2-27-20 E-edition

Rick Curiel — Sanger Editor Jon Earnest — Reedley Editor Dick Sheppard — Editor Emeritus
With the ever-worsening economic
and quality of life issues being faced
by residents in many of this country's
“blue” cities and states, it should not
come as a surprise to anyone that
there is a mass exodus of citizens to
states where the tax structure is not
so crushing. At the same time, operat-
ing hand-in-glove with that acknowl-
edgement is the fear that many will
bring the very liberal political views with them that spoiled their original locale to the detriment of their “red” state destinations.
These are indeed almost inexplicable political times in which we are living.
Who would ever thought we would see the day when the national leading candidate for the Democratic Par- ty's nominee for president would be an avowed Social- ist Democrat? Who would have ever thought we would see the day when nationally respected political polls indicate that half of the Democratic Party would agree with socialist dogma as they seemingly do? Who would have ever thought — after decades of being a prime destination state — that we would see residents fleeing California in record numbers?
The last of that series of questions is probably the most evident in its answer.
California leads the nation in poverty when adjusted for cost of living. The price of even a modest home has become astronomical, owing to the cost of regulations, restrictions, building requirements and satisfying envi- ronmental concerns before construction can even begin. A wage structure which is established by bureaucrats instead of market conditions is a loser right out of the gate. Politicians are busy making an entire generation unemployable by messing with payroll costs of small and large companies. Most of them have never had to meet a payroll which was not taxpayer subsidized and don't have a clue about what the real world is like!
All of these blue cities and states have much in com- mon which leads to the bleeding loss of their greatest resource — their hard working, tax paying residents. One would think that even politicians would understand that there is a threshold of human misery that makes even the toughest among us seek respite.
Mike Bloomberg recently said that California should represent a standard for this nation. Well, Mr. Bloomberg, let's take a look at your idea of a trendsetter. California has the highest poverty rate in the entire nation when one factors in the cost of living. Our utility costs and the price of fuels for our industrial needs indeed lead the entire country. Those companies which rent trailers and other paraphernalia for moving charge a premium for outbound because they cannot count on someone renting it and returning it to California. Sadly, far too many of those currently replacing our outflow immigration are il- legals and become a part of the $26 billion in costs of Cali- fornia taxpayers each and every year for public services.
We can only offer our prayers to those states who are receiving expatriated Californians that they not get too many of the liberals who, despite knowing what they did to this state, will try to bring the same silly socialist ideas and programs to their newly adopted lo- cation. New York already has had a devastating impact on Atlanta, the state of Georgia and the state of Florida.
Liberal Austin, Texas has begun to feel the impact of many of the silly ideas migrating from California. Places like Nevada and Idaho seem well aware of the threat and hopefully will put up a fight against the interlopers.
We pray for all of them. This state, which we all love so dearly, seems to have moved beyond salvation, thanks to about four decades of Democrat rule. Gavin Newsom, our current governor, and his minions make it seem virtually impossible to recover from this deep dive we have taken into liberal insanity.
This last week — in fact, the entire month of February — has been an emotional time for first responders in eastern Fresno County. The days dating back to Feb. 18 were extremely difficult following the tragic deaths of two Porterville City fire personnel while battling an arson fire at the Tulare County city's library.
But in any time of trag- edy within ranks, firefighters from around the Central Valley pitched in to offer their sup- port. That includes actual work time, with several out-of-area departments helping to pro- vide coverage to Porterville's department. That included the Sanger Fire Department, which had three personnel — Capt. Andy Jones, Engineer Craig Pitts and Firefighter Brian Puga — spend a portion of the day on Feb. 22 helping cover operations.
It was a request and service the Sanger Fire crew said they were privileged to provide. In Juanita Adame's interview with the Sanger trio, Capt. An-
dy Jones said he and Engineer Craig Pitts had spent an entire week with fallen firefighter Capt. Ray Figueroa working with a strike team battling the Kincade Fire in Sonoma Coun- ty in October 2019.
February is traditionally a month of remembrance for the Reedley Police Department, which on Feb. 25 once again held a flag-lowering ceremony in memory of Cpl. Javier Be- jar and Fresno County Sheriff's Deputy Joel Wahlenmaier. This year was especially poignant, as it marked a decade since the two died from a shooting incident in rural Minkler on Feb. 25, 2010. As in every year, a RPD unit solemnly lowered the American Flag, Califor- nia state flag and U.S. Marine Corps flag to half staff through the end of the month; this year coming on Sunday, March 1.
This February also brought sad news to the Sanger Police Department. Fred Sanders, who served 26 years with the department before retiring as a sergeant in 1988, died on Feb.
13 after a long illness.
Past or pres-
ent, apprecia-
tion goes out
to all first re-
sponders who
have served
and run to a cri-
sis and emergency rather than away from it.
•••
If you haven't already do-
ne so, be sure to mail in your ballot or go out to your near- est polling place by Tuesday, March 3 to participate in the most basic tenet of democ- racy — voting. In the course of American history, men and women have paid the ultimate price to allow us to enjoy this freedom we never should take for granted.
Once you're registered, vot- ing should be easier than ever. In Reedley, you can go to the Community Center to cast bal- lots starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, through Election Day.
Jon Earnest is Reedley edi- tor for The Times.
Thursday, February 27, 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 The exodus continues
from California
Tragic, somber week is appropriate time to salute first responders
Jon Earnest
Fred Hall
‘Battle of the Towers’ rivalry is good for both Sanger and Dinuba
Just over three months ago, Dinuba High School’s football team traveled to Sanger to take on the Apaches in the Division 2 football playoffs. It was a packed house and you could feel the electricity in the air.
The game was billed as the ‘Battle of the Towers’ and fans from both towns packed Tom Flores Stadium to cheer the teams on.
For me, the game was in- triguing on many levels. The first obvious reason was that Dinuba is my hometown and yet I work in Sanger. In ad- dition, I had recently met the new principal at Dinuba High, Andrew Popp, and discovered he had spent the previous sev- en years at Sanger High.
Seeing him prior to the game along the sidelines, I couldn’t help but ask the ques- tion, “So who are you going for?”
Popp’s reply was immediate and confident. “I’m all green,” he answered.
He and other Dinuba fans were happy to see the Emper- ors walk away with the upset victory over the Apaches. I have to admit that I was happy for my alma mater and first year coach Carlos Barajas, es- pecially after seeing just how good the Sanger High football team was during the season.
I won’t soon forget that game, nor will many others.
Perhaps that moment was on the minds of many Sanger fans as they returned to Tom Flores Stadium in droves on Friday night for the second ‘Battle of the Towers’ this prep year.
I’ve been to plenty of soccer games over the past few years. Never have I seen a high school stadium so packed for soccer as it was in Sanger for the Divi- sion 2 championship.
It had all the feelings of a football playoff game and the same electricity in the air. The biggest difference in this game is that this game repre-
sented the top two schools in the division — powerhouse programs going toe-to-toe.
Having
watched Sanger
play this year, I
knew Dinuba would have their hands full. And though the game was tight in the first half, the Apaches speed inevitably got the best of the Emperors as Sanger rolled out to a 4-1 victory and the Division 2 title.
Here in the Mid Valley, there are two elite sports pro- grams that compete with the best of them year after year. Those programs, in my opinion, are the Dinuba Emperors and the Sanger Apaches.
The recent ‘Battle of the Towers’ proves that each team, playing in the same divisions, pushes the other. So my ques- tion is; why not have more?
Rick Curiel is Sanger editor for The Times.
But, as always, that's only one man's opinion.
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QUOTE
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— Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987)
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Rick Curiel