Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Councilmembers Go to D.C., Mend Fences with AOC over Grizzlies Video
GV-Wire
By Jody Murray
Published 5 years ago on
June 5, 2019

Share

Two Fresno councilmembers met with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to cool down any residual angst from a politically volatile video displayed at a Fresno Grizzlies home game.

“AOC was gracious. She felt bad that this led to sponsorships being withdrawn.” Miguel Arias
Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Esmeralda Soria visited with the New York congresswoman at the U.S. Capitol. Images from the meeting show the congresswoman accepting Grizzlies merchandise from the two.
“AOC was gracious,” Arias told GV Wire. “She felt bad that this led to sponsorships being withdrawn.”
On May 24, a video was shown on the Chuckchansi Park scoreboard that was supposed to honor Memorial Day. The video, which the baseball team’s officials later said was lifted from a third-party YouTube account, was based on a Memorial Day speech by former President Ronald Reagan. At a point where Reagan cites “enemies of freedom,” the video showed images of Ocasio-Cortez, North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un, and the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Grizzlies officials apologized, saying the video was not properly vetted. In the days that followed, Sun-Maid Raisins pulled its sponsor support of the Washington Nationals’ minor-league affiliate, followed by Heineken USA, brewers of the Tecate and Dos Equis beer brands.
“She knows the role baseball teams have in creating jobs for a city,” Arias said of Ocasio-Cortez.
Rep. TJ Cox (D-Fresno) said he was happy to help the councilmembers connect with Ocasio-Cortez. “We should all take every opportunity we can to be kind, empathetic and forgiving,” he said.

Discussion About Federal Funding for Fresno

In a joint news release, Soria and Arias said they also went to Washington to discuss improving access to clean water in central San Joaquin Valley communities, and to support passage of DACA legislation. The House on Tuesday passed the latest version of the so-called Dream Act; the legislation faces a much tougher battle in the Senate.
The councilmembers met with members of the Fresno-area congressional delegation, and with members of the House Appropriations Committee, focusing on funding priorities for Fresno.
“The state and federal lobbyists haven’t been all that successful,” Arias said. “We want to make sure Fresno doesn’t get left behind for appropriations.”
The councilmembers’ trip to D.C. was paid for by the city. The total cost of the trip was about $2,000, Soria said.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story attributed comments by a Fresno councilmember to Esmeralda Soria. The correct source was Miguel Arias.

From left, Reps. Jim Costa and TJ Costa, Fresno councilmembers Miguel Arias and Esmeralda Soria, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez meet in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. (Special to GV Wire)

DON'T MISS

City of Fresno Buys Half of Eldorado Park in Strategic Maxwell-Led Move

DON'T MISS

GOP Picks up Key House Seats While Democrats Say They Still Have a Path to a Majority

DON'T MISS

Costa Expands Lead Over Maher, Richardson Holds Narrow Edge on Bonakdar

DON'T MISS

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

DON'T MISS

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

DON'T MISS

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

DON'T MISS

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

DON'T MISS

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

DON'T MISS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Foe of Drugmakers and Regulators, Is Poised to Wield New Power

DON'T MISS

California Beat Trump in Court His First Term. It’s Preparing New Cases for His Second.

UP NEXT

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

UP NEXT

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

UP NEXT

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

UP NEXT

With Mountain West Title Out of Reach, What Is Fresno State Playing For?

UP NEXT

Fresno County Duo Could Face 20 Years in Crop Insurance Fraud Scheme

UP NEXT

Woman Loses Van Ness Extension Mansion, Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Obstruction

UP NEXT

Central Valley Weekend Packed With Sports, Tacos, Magic and Local Entertainment

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Arrested in SE Gas Station Shooting, Man Hospitalized

UP NEXT

Fresno County Double DUI Crash Leaves One Seriously Injured

UP NEXT

Cat House on the Kings Wants You to Adopt This Adorable Puppy

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

8 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

9 hours ago

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

9 hours ago

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

9 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

10 hours ago

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Foe of Drugmakers and Regulators, Is Poised to Wield New Power

10 hours ago

California Beat Trump in Court His First Term. It’s Preparing New Cases for His Second.

10 hours ago

With Mountain West Title Out of Reach, What Is Fresno State Playing For?

11 hours ago

Former Fresno State Bull Rider, a Vietnam Vet, Calls Central Valley Honor Flight ‘Life-Changing’

12 hours ago

Don’t Expect Kamala Harris’ Loss to Boost Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Prospects

12 hours ago

City of Fresno Buys Half of Eldorado Park in Strategic Maxwell-Led Move

The city of Fresno now owns a new park. Or at least half of it. Technically, the city of Fresno did not own El Dorado Park, at Barstow Avenu...

7 hours ago

7 hours ago

City of Fresno Buys Half of Eldorado Park in Strategic Maxwell-Led Move

The U.S. Capitol is seen from Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
8 hours ago

GOP Picks up Key House Seats While Democrats Say They Still Have a Path to a Majority

8 hours ago

Costa Expands Lead Over Maher, Richardson Holds Narrow Edge on Bonakdar

8 hours ago

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

9 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

9 hours ago

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

9 hours ago

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

Trump co-campaign manager Susie Wiles is seen at Nashville International Airport as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP File)
10 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

Search

Send this to a friend