Gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa likes to visit the Central Valley — again, again and again, as he says. This past week, the former Los Angeles mayor made two stops to Fresno and the surrounding area. He even picked up the endorsement of California Citrus Mutual, the non-profit trade association that...
‘Clerical Error’ Could Cost Fresno County a Half-Million Dollars
Fresno County could issue a refund to a buyer of a contaminated building purchased at a 2014 tax sale. The Board of Supervisors will discuss the matter Tuesday (May 1). The problem: The county didn’t tell the buyer the 130,000 square-foot building at 2696 South Maple Ave. in Fresno was...
Central Wants to Hire New Superintendent by July
Central Unified could hire a new superintendent by July. The school board will vote on a timeline to hire the full-time education chief at its Tuesday (April 24) meeting. The trustees are moving ahead with the process despite calls to wait until after the November election. There is community discontent...
Newsom’s Support Drops in PPIC Poll. Should He Be Worried?
Over the next few weeks, we will learn a lot about the power of political televisions ads. Thus far, the race to pick Gov. Jerry Brown's successor is a snoozer. Going forward, all of the serious candidates must focus their resources on stirring voter passion. So expect to see a...
Poll Shocker: Republican Could Face Newsom in Governor Showdown
A poll released at 9 o'clock Wednesday night shows that an anticipated all-Democrat showdown to determine Gov. Jerry Brown's successor might not materialize. San Diego businessman John Cox, a Republican, is gaining traction with voters, according to the latest survey of likely June primary voters conducted by the nonpartisan Public...
Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down Tonight for Proposed Clovis Charter School?
A proposed Clovis charter school based on the principle of “mindfulness” could be DOA before getting off the ground if Clovis Unified trustees follow a staff recommendation. One of the school's goals is to provide a safe space for Sikh students who are subjected to bullying and harassment in public...
Who Do You Love to Hate More, LA or SF? Resentments May Decide Governor's Race.
Which city — San Francisco or Los Angeles — do you love to hate more? This is shaping up to be California’s question for 2018. Each of the top contenders for governor is a former mayor of one of those cities, and each embodies certain grievances about his hometown. And...
Despite Newsom's Name Recognition, He's Slow to Win Over Voters
In his Tuesday, Feb. 20 column, CALmatters' Dan Walters sizes up California's gubernatorial election as a two-man, "down to the wire" race. The two leading candidates are Democrats, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and they are running neck-and-neck in the most recent Public Policy...
Despite Newsom's Name Recognition, He's Slow to Win Over Voters
In his Tuesday, Feb. 20 column, CALmatters' Dan Walters sizes up California's gubernatorial election as a two-man, "down to the wire" race. The two leading candidates are Democrats, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and they are running neck-and-neck in the most recent Public Policy...
Who Will Be Next Governor? Villaraigosa Cuts Newsom's Poll Lead
Though it's still early and nearly one-quarter of voters have yet to form opinions on the race, it appears that Democrats Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa will duke it out to become California's next governor. The two Democrats are running a close race among likely voters in the gubernatorial primary,...