After hearing from AJ Rassamni and Ivan Paz, it is clear both are passionate about improving Blackstone Avenue. But tensions have boiled over regarding their differing views on how to make Fresno’s business traffic corridor better.

Rassamni is a candidate for Fresno City Council District 7, which includes a significant portion of central Fresno and Blackstone Avenue.

Paz, a Fresno State urban planning professor, has long been a community advocate for Blackstone. He organized a community panel Saturday, Oct. 11, at City Center to discuss the future of the corridor — including the South Blackstone Smart Mobility Strategy.

A former project manager for the Better Blackstone Association, Paz advocated for the “complete streets” plan approved by the city council, which would reduce vehicle lanes in favor of sidewalks and bike lanes.

After initially inviting Rassamni to join the panel, Paz later changed his mind.

Rassamni Dropped From Panel

Rassamni told Politics 101 he was removed because he did not conform to Paz’s views on the Blackstone “road diet.” Paz said it was because Rassamni was too disagreeable on several Blackstone issues.

“Rather than welcoming a diverse range of views, they insisted that I ‘cooperate’ and endorse what I can only describe as the Blackstone insanity. The following day, I received a call informing me that both the Blackstone Merchants Association and I were disinvited from the event — simply for expressing a dissenting opinion,” Rassmani said.

Paz said the main disagreement was over priorities — Rassamni believes the first step in revitalizing Blackstone is addressing crime and homelessness, while Paz believes investment and infrastructure improvements will help resolve those root causes.

“The reason I pulled AJ off was not ideological. It was the fact that he did not want to collaborate. He just did not,” Paz said. “And he said if we try to get investment in before fighting the crime, I don’t want anything to do with it. So that’s why I pulled him off.”

Rassamni isn’t shying away from his timeline to fix Blackstone.

“Once Blackstone is revitalized, developed, and becomes truly walkable, then and only then should the idea of lane elimination be reconsidered,” Rassamni said.

Rassamni is circulating a petition opposing the Blackstone lane-reduction project.

The panel included a Fresno police lieutenant, an urban planner, and a homeless advocate.

Paz also said Rassamni has been too aggressive as a campaigner. He did not want his appearance to be a platform for his city council run.

Another D7 candidate, Ariana Martinez Lott, appeared on the panel. But she agreed to Paz’s request not to mention her political campaign. She represented Spanish-speaking residents, Paz said.

Bill Allows Big Raises for Fresno Unified Trustees

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Oct. 11 that will allow school board members to give themselves bigger raises.

Under AB 1390, authored by Assemblymember Jose Luis Solache, D-Lynwood, school district boards like the trustees of Fresno Unified School District can give themselves raises up to a salary of $4,500 a month, or $54,000 a year.

Fresno Unified board members currently earn $2,010 a month.

The board would still have to vote on any raise.

The size of compensation depends on the size of the district. In the smaller Clovis Unified School District, trustees can now earn a maximum of $3,000 a month. Central Unified trustees can now earn up to $2,000 a month. Trustees currently earn $750 and $400 a month, respectively.

The bill continues current law allowing 5% yearly raises beyond the maximum.

Merced County Redistricting Commission Bill Passes

Apparently Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria does believe in redistricting commissions — at least for Merced County.

Newsom signed AB 1441 Monday, which establishes an independent redistricting commission to draw the seats for county supervisors following the 2030 census.

“Merced County will now have an independent citizens redistricting commission that is chosen by their own community members — not chosen by elected politicians who are already in power,” Soria, D-Fresno, said in a statement.

Soria voted to place Proposition 50 on the ballot — which would strike down congressional maps drawn by the statewide independent redistricting commission in favor of gerrymandered maps favored by Democrats. The Democrats say their goal is to counter gerrymandered congressional districts in Republican-majority Texas, which occurred at the urging of President Donald Trump.

Merced County voters are 40% Democratic, 30% Republican, and 22% no party preference. Three of the five supervisors are Republican.