Page 4 - Reedley Exponent 1-11-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent A4 Thursday, January 11, 2018 Editorial & Opinions
Serving “The World’s Fruit Basket” since 1891
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
Perhaps you’re as confused as I am about all the measures flowing from California govern- ment officials which appear to be completely counter-intuitive. If not, it would be deeply ap- preciated if, after reading this, you would take moment, put pen to paper, and explain some of the seemingly inane actions of our governor, Senate and Assembly.
Jon Earnest — Editor
Chris Aguirre — Sports Editor Felicia Cousart Matlosz — Panorama Editor Budd Brockett — Editor Emeritus
QUOTE
“There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.”
— Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Downtown parcel will result in a better location for public library
Marijuana is now legal in California, which
has an overwhelming number of citizens who
already appear stoned all the time. The gov-
ernment was so anxious to get this one on the
books that they moved on legalization with none of the supporting mechanism for administering or monitoring its implementation. It appears the only thing which we know for sure that is up and run- ning is another huge bureaucracy that hereinafter will be called the Bureau of Cannabis Control. We think it would be interesting to read their job description, although we doubt there is one. The charge of most state agencies is in itself a joke.
This seems to be just one more item over which the California attorney general will be suing the United States because no thought was given to making sure our standards matched those of the federal government. Light up another one, California, and spend taxpayer money going after your Uncle Sam! After all, what do we have to lose? Between the actions of Jerry Brown and Xavier Becerra, Cali- fornia rapidly is becoming a national joke.
California continues to decriminalize felonious actions in a seeming effort to empty our prisons, while showing more interest in protecting the rights of lawbreakers over law-abiding citizens. Our streets are becoming less safe, but the miscreants walking around free as birds help free up taxpayer money for what strikes liberals as more pressing social programs. After all, our lay-abouts must be made comfortable in their life mission! This political posturing re- quires an absolute disconnect with the cost of the mayhem created by that element. Democrats don’t seem real picky about voter blocs.
We still are in search of any rational explanation of how a criminal illegal alien in the San Francisco area could shoot a young woman dead and yet be held blameless under our state laws. There still is a chance this miscreant may face no punitive action of any kind. How wrong is that? It’s a safe bet that, even if he is deported, he will soon be back in California for a seventh time — thanks to our open arms sanctuary state policy.
Hand in glove with this movement one will find some really pecu- liar people who would blame the police first for everything. A friend recently shared his solution for police units who are called out to intercede with black-clad mobs from Antifa and any of the other similarly over-brainwashed and undereducated groups. His solution, which I thought was spot on, would be for the police to hand out job applications to this hygienically challenged bunch. That should clear the campus quads and city streets or wherever they are plying their trade.
Consider for a moment some of the real issues which are facing California and the inability of our current government to address or deal with any of those. Affordable housing has become a tremendous burden to a state with the infrastructure for about 20 million people which has grown to roughly $40 million.
A large portion of that can be directly attributed to fuzzy or even uncontrolled immigration policies. Our governor recently in- vited everyone to move to California. Perhaps they can be put in the vacated housing made available by a working class flight from our state because of the ever increasing cost of living due to taxation and regulation.
Very soon, one either will have to be wealthy or on welfare to afford to live in this beautiful climate. We’re so far ahead of things that the governor is helping address the climate on a worldwide basis. Maybe while he’s at it, he can join with all of his air agencies and boards and arrange for some rain.
Perhaps I’ve saved the dumbest for last. These same deep think- ers are working on taxpayer-sponsored, state-administered and con- trolled free healthcare for everyone. Please explain to this country boy where the funding for that one will be derived.
But, as always, that’s only one man’s opinion.
A portion of the Reedley City Council’s consent agenda that was passed on Jan. 9 included good news for supporters of a new public library in Reedley.
The council unanimously adopted resolutions to negotiate a contract with the Fresno County Friends of the Library accepting a donation from the Friends of Reedley Library. The money will be used to buy a piece of property in downtown Reedley be- tween 10th and 11th streets just west of the Rails to Trails Parkway. A total of $250,000 from a bequeathment to the Reedley Friends will be put into the city’s general fund to handle prop- erty acquisition and related costs.
It’s big news, as library supporters are shifting from the original plan to use money to demolish the old Royal Valley building near City Hall and use that site for the new library. But the parcel between 10th and 11th streets is a more attractive option for sup- porters as the proposed $6 million, 15,000-square-foot building would have room for parking and future ex- pansion. Basically a win-win situation that is a potential cost saver.
City Manager Nicole Zieba said action to purchase the property should move forward in January. If all falls into place, it will be an ideal spot for the new library in the downtown lay- out.
It also would enable the city to proceed with its own plans to demol- ish the Royal Valley building and still
maintain ownership of the property. Zieba said the city wants to use the area for a solar-covered parking area that would be used by city employees and police department personnel.
•••
You may remember when I wrote
about my mother’s death in Septem- ber 2016. I’m sad to report that her older brother, George Kourmeles, died Jan. 6 in the Chicago area at the age of 92. My uncle had been admitted to the hospital before Christmas with pneumonia and other symptoms. Un- fortunately, he was unable to recover from his illness.
Uncle George was quite a colorful character. He was known to many peo- ple throughout the Central Valley as he lived in Fresno and the Valley for more than 50 years. Nicknamed “Goo- ber George,” he was the subject of a newspaper column in the early 1980s detailing his travels from Bakersfield to Stockton selling fruit, vegetables and other food staples. He would walk into hair salons, stores and many other various businesses selling homemade sandwiches, peanuts, snacks and a va- riety of custom treats.
It’s a safe assumption that “Goo- ber George” covered more than a mil- lion miles traversing the Valley five days a week visiting spots in most cit- ies — Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Mer- ced, Modesto to the north and Visa- lia, Hanford, Tulare, Porterville and Bakersfield to the south. Most likely, there are longtime Reedley residents
who may remem- ber visits he made to the city. He was friends and ac- quaintances to me- chanics, barbers, sales clerks — you name it.
After my fa-
ther died in 1966,
Uncle George talked my mother into moving her, my brother and I from Nebraska to Fresno in 1969. With that encouragement, I was able to estab- lish a new life as a Californian and have remained a resident of the state ever since.
My uncle decided to return to the Midwest — he grew up in Illinois and Wisconsin — in the early 2000s. With the help of old high school class- mates, he settled in a small apartment in Berwyn, Ill., a northern suburb to Chicago. He lived out his remaining years there, but did make a handful of visits to California to visit friends and family. While here, he would visit the Fresno Veterans Administration Hospital for physical exams — he was a sailor in the Navy who served in World War II.
Sadly, another from the “great- est generation” is gone. I’m happy to have built many fond memories of my time spent with Uncle George, and am proud to share a bit of his legacy.
Fred Hall
Jon Earnest
A chance to nurture the spirit of democracy in Iran
By Dan Weber
Guest columnist
The ruling mullahs of Iran may be able to silence anti-government protestors, but they cannot win their hearts and minds. The peo- ple want an Iranian Repub- lic, not an Islamic Republic. And you can make book on the fact that the latest unrest that rocked that nation over the New Year’s weekend will continue, notwithstanding the brutality of the country’s security forces.
In 2009, pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets of the capital city of Tehran. An estimated 3 mil- lion protestors took part in the hope of igniting a Green Revolution, according to the United States Institute
It begins with us
This year I read in “Reader’s Digest” about small towns across America that have residents helping each other.
Then I read The Expo- nent letter from an 88-year- old who couldn’t get help to fix a battery. I was sad- dened that a business couldn’t reach out to assist someone in need.
This is our town.
In case anyone won- ders what I’ve done — I’ve given rides to a female walking to work, bought a meal for a hungry strang- er, pulled weeds and clipped plants for a senior who was under the weath- er, volunteered for Street
of Peace. But hundreds of them were killed, maimed and jailed and the uprising was put down. For the next eight years limited anti-gov- ernment activities contin- ued. But, the latest protests are significant because they were countrywide with citi- zens taking part in big cities and smaller municipalities throughout Iran.
President Barack Obama essentially ignored the 2009 protests, and he was widely criticized for doing so on both the right and the left. Many experts say he was concerned that if he took any kind of stand, it would upset negotiations for a nuclear deal with Iran.
President Donald Trump appears to be tak-
ing the opposite approach. He already has been busy tweeting support for the protestors. And, he has a variety of choices for next steps.
For example, Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says that just making statements of support doesn’t cut it. “The United States and its allies should, through public statements, private messages, U.N. resolutions and whatever other vehi- cles are available, clearly express their support for Iranians’ right to protest. They should also warn au- thorities in Iran against any violent suppression of the demonstrations, whether such violence takes place
on the streets or — as oc- curred after the 2009 pro- tests — later on in homes and prisons, out of the pub- lic eye. Both the regime and demonstrators should be made constantly aware that the world’s attention is fixed on them.”
Nurturing the spirit of democracy in Iran has a variety of near-term and long-term benefits. For one thing, it could eventually lead to the establishment of an Iranian government that is more interested in peace and prosperity for its people and less absorbed with sup- porting terrorism, nuclear conquest and the destruc- tion of the state of Israel.
Dan Weber is president of the Association of Mature American Citizens.
acid storage batteries are known to produce explosive hydrogen gas. Automobile battery explosions, though infrequent, do occur and potentially cause blindness. Given the above conditions, there probably would not be any liability insurance available. The only winner in this situation would be the lawyers.
To give credit where it is due: the employees of the store were correct in refus- ing to participate in this situation.
Anthony Jewell Reedley Editor’s note: Anthony Jewell is a retired ASE mas-
ter automotive technician
Letters from readers
Night and much more.
I will be that senior one day. It is my hope that when my time comes in needing help someone — a total stranger, even — will be there like the tow truck driver was for that senior. I will continue to hope that this small town I love and call home will be big, in- deed, in helping others. It
begins with us.
Katherine Flint Reedley
Store employees were correct in their action In a letter to the edi-
tor in the Dec. 21 edition, a reader/writer unfairly crit- icized employees of a local auto parts store for not as-
sisting with the installation of a battery into a curbed automobile at the front of the store.
Some facts: The store is not a licensed automobile repair dealer and cannot legally participate in the service of an automobile. Next: the store location is not zoned by the city for au- tomobile repair and would be in clear violation of their conditional use permit as a retailer. Next: city ordi- nances expressly prohibit the repair of automobiles on the street and certainly on the sidewalk in front of a retail store.
Then there is the issue of personnel safety. Lead
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