If politicians were truly serious about ending global inequality, many economists would say there is one obvious policy: allow greater global migration. A nurse is paid $1,900 annually in poor countries and $32,000 in rich countries. A McDonald’s worker in India earns 16 times less than their counterpart doing the...
California Politicians on Verge of Next ‘Bullet Train’ Boondoggle
Decisions by governors, legislators and bureaucrats have consequences, some intended and some not. Were politics a rational exercise, decision-makers would fully explore potential effects before acting, thereby minimizing chances that what they have wrought would backfire. However, politics and politicians tend to act in the here and now, rather than...
H Spees, Fresno Pastor, Former Mayoral Candidate, Dies From Injuries
H Spees, a Fresno pastor, former City Hall official and one-time mayoral candidate, died on Friday — succumbing to injuries after a fall, his family said. Spees, 70 of Clovis, was in Florida when a cardiac event apparently caused a fall and a head injury, several media outlets reported. He...
Tulare Lake, Flooding, Sinking Land, and Raising the Corcoran Levee
The Corcoran levee is being raised — again. The fear is it won’t be high enough as runoff from record-breaking snowpack above several rivers that feed into the old Tulare Lake gets underway. Before work got underway the levee stood at 188 feet. That’s four feet shorter than when it was...
Manchester Center Housing Project Bears Dyer’s ‘One Fresno’ Branding
An application to transform part of Manchester Center into housing offers a view into the project Mayor Jerry Dyer talked about last November while also revealing that it bears his political mantra. The One Fresno at Manchester Center project filed with the city shows the transformation planned for what was...
Will CA’s $150M Life Raft Keep Distressed Hospitals From Sinking?
A bill to provide a $150 million lifeline to struggling hospitals is headed to Gov. Newsom’s office, but one legislator says medical facilities need at least $1.5 billion to stay afloat through the end of the year. The Distressed Hospital Loan Program from state Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Merced), Assemblymember Esmeralda...
Cemetery’s Condition Is Latest Flashpoint in Brandau-Bredefeld Race
Two candidates for Fresno County supervisor have found a new wedge issue — maintenance of the county-run Veterans Liberty Cemetery — courtesy of a Fresno County Grand Jury report criticizing the conditions there. Garry Bredefeld, the Fresno city councilman challenging incumbent Steve Brandau for the District 2 seat, pounced. "Complete...
Why Is It Hard to Find a Place in Fresno? City in Top 10 for Fewest Vacancies, New Home Builds
Two new studies point to why housing is so expensive and hard to find in Fresno. Fresno ranked No. 8 for the fewest housing permits issued in 2022 among metros with a population greater than 1 million, according to a study from Point2Homes. Combined with data placing Fresno as No....
Ruling Against Fresno Unified Sends Shockwaves Through School Districts Statewide
Last week, the California Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in a very complex – but very important – case that had been percolating for more than a decade, dealing with how local school officials evade competitive bidding on construction projects. The case began in 2010 when Fresno Unified School District persuaded...
Previously Rejected Clovis Apartment Project Gets a Reprieve
A proposed apartment complex that was denied in March received new life from the Clovis City Council. The city council denied a 12-unit market-rate apartment complex on Alluvial Avenue, east of Sunnyside Avenue on March 6. During the vote, the city council asked city staff and the builders to come...