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Will Fresno Council Support DACA? Vote at Next Meeting.
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 6 years ago on
September 13, 2019

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The Fresno City Council will weigh in on an issue of nationwide importance at Thursday’s meeting. Councilman Miguel Arias wants his colleagues to support filing a friend of the court brief on behalf of the DACA case at the U.S. Supreme Court.

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David Taub
Politics 101
President Donald Trump is trying to end DACA, the Obama-era program granting legal residency status to immigrants who were brought as children into America without documentation. Arguments before the Supreme Court are expected in November.
According to Arias’ resolution, the inspiration to file an amicus brief came from the city and county of Los Angeles. Approximately 5,000 DACA recipients, or less than 1% of the estimated total of all recipients, live in Fresno.
His figures show 27% of DACA recipients work in sales, office or administration work; 18% work in construction and production; and 18% work in food preparation, serving and farming.

Franco Nominated for District 6 Post

Sammy Franco
Councilman Garry Bredefeld nominated Sammy Franco for a slot on the District 6 Implementation/Project Review Committee. The body is one of the preliminary layers to review things like housing and retail projects before they go to the planning commission.
Franco is a critic of one-time business partner Terance Frazier and the handling of Granite Park.
Bredefeld has also been a critic of Frazier because of a city audit earlier this year that found accounting regulations, but no crimes. Frazier called the audit error-filled and filed a claim for damages against the city because of it.
“Mr. Franco is my constituent and he asked to be more involved in our district.  We have a very important committee comprised of citizens in our district that specifically comment on projects being proposed in our district,” Bredefeld said. “He, along with seven other citizens, serve on the committee.  His criticism of Mr. Frazier will have absolutely nothing to do with his work on the committee.”
Bredefeld also nominated Kevin Wray to the committee.

Also on the Council Agenda

— Introduction of an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, such as Airbnb. The ordinance, proposed by Bredefeld and Paul Caprioglio, would require owners to obtain a permit and business license; be subject to transient occupancy tax (like hotels); actively prevent “nuisance activities”; and keep certain records. How much a permit may cost is not covered in the ordinance.
— Approve a two-year contract with the Big Fresno Fair for policing services for $696,762 for 2019-2020.

‘Trump Must Hang’ Professor Returns to Classroom

Lars Maischak
After spending the last two years on the academic sidelines, Fresno State history professor Lars Maischak is back in the classroom.
In 2017, Maischak created a storm of controversy regarding a tweet on his barely-followed Twitter account that said “Trump must hang.” The reaction was fierce. Maischak said he did not literally call for harm to the president, and said his words were taken out of context.
Despite calls for his firing, Maischak instead was removed from the classroom but remained on staff teaching online.
As of this semester, he is back in the classroom, teaching a class on European culture.
“I am tremendously happy to be back in the classroom,” he told Politics 101. “One might chalk it up as a victory that I am back in my job, against the express wishes of the administration of this campus.  I think it can serve as an example to others, who might believe that it is impossible to speak truth to power. ”
Maischak said he’s been welcomed back with open arms from both students and faculty. But, the professor said, he’s not ready to fully move on.
“I am not ready to forget or forgive those who sided with my attackers in 2017.  Most of the institutions whose job it is to defend democracy failed miserably, and have not shown any signs of correcting their course,” Maischak said.
In a related teaching note, Fresno State says Randa Jarrar — another controversial professor — is teaching creative writing classes online.

City Raises Mexican Flag for Independence Day

In a small City Hall ceremony, a delegation from the Mexican consulate raised their country’s flag. Mayor Lee Brand and Acting Consulate General Francisco Vargas offered brief comments in what was possibly the shortest ceremony in City Hall history, finishing in less than 10 minutes.

John Bolton, We Hardly Knew You

With the news earlier this week of John Bolton’s removal as National Security Advisory, it harkens back to his Fresno appearance in 2015 as the keynote speaker for the Frenso County Republican annual dinner.
The county party chairman, Fred Vanderhoof, offered his take on this week’s news.
“John Bolton has served his country well, ensuring that the citizens of the United States are protected from hostile nations. Obviously, Bolton and President Trump had a disagreement about our national security policy. While we don’t know the specifics of the disagreement it is important to know that both leaders want the same thing —to keep our nation safe,” Vanderhoof said.

John Bolton (center) poses with Georgeanne White (left) and then-Fresno mayor Ashley Swearengin (right) during a Bolton appearance at the Fresno County GOP dinner in 2015 (Fresno County Republican Party)

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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