Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula wants to do the same for a state home-lending program as for state health care — expand the program to undocumented people. Arambula, D-Fresno, introduced AB 1840, which would allow "undocumented persons" eligibility for the California Dream for All Program — administered by the California Home Financing...
Californians Unite Behind These 3 Things They Say Are Wrong with the State
A December poll finds that Californians — regardless of party affiliation — agree that economic conditions, homelessness, and housing are the biggest issues plaguing the state. The poll from the Public Policy Institute of California surveyed adults across the state. When surveyors asked what issues were the most important, 31%...
CSU Offers 5% Raise, Professors Want 12%. Will Strike Cancel Classes at Fresno State?
Fresno State students who started their spring semester classes today might find their academic year suddenly on hiatus if the California Faculty Association and Teamsters strike on Monday. The planned strike is scheduled to end on Friday, Jan. 26. It's not clear how many of the university's 24,000 students will...
Rollercoaster Weather Shows Why CA Needs More Water Storage ASAP
As California’s traditional season for rain and snow began last fall, meteorologists and hydrologists predicted that the state would probably experience a second year of heavy precipitation. The previous winter had been a record-breaker that strained — and sometimes overwhelmed — California flood control systems. Among other things, it recreated...
As the World’s Greatest Superpower, Our Charge Is to Broker a Lasting Peace in Gaza
The images of death and destruction from Gaza are horrifying. Every picture and video we see — especially those of innocent children being killed or maimed — shakes every caring person to the core. We are not so naïve as to think there will never be a war somewhere in...
Will Visalia Lose the Rawhide? $7M Ballpark Upgrade Dispute Will Decide
A December ruling from a Tulare County judge has neither the city of Visalia nor the California League's Rawhide baseball team any closer to figuring out who has to pick up the $7 million tab to upgrade the historic Valley Strong Ballpark. And, with an April 1 deadline looming from...
Fresno Children Face Long Waits for Mental Health Care. Is Payment Reform Making It Worse?
Children in Fresno and elsewhere in California face long wait times to get mental health care. In fact, a November report from the California State Auditor's office shows that wait times for appointments sometimes reach as long as 100 days. Moreover, a lack of oversight by governing agencies obscures how...
Budget Deficit Will Test the Link Between CA School Spending and Achievement
When California’s governors and legislators write state budgets, they begin with projecting how much revenue the state is likely to receive. It’s a semi-educated guess that is often billions of dollars removed from the eventual reality, given the high level of volatility in the state’s taxation system. With a revenue number in hand, officialdom...
Literacy Advocates Promote ‘The Right to Read’ in Fresno Screenings
The inability to read isn't just an education issue for students — it's also a civil rights issue because reading is critical to success in college, career, and life. In Fresno and across California, students of color have lower reading scores on standardized testing. If certain student populations are struggling...
What Newsom’s Office Says About $100 Million Delay for Downtown Fresno Improvements
The governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) says it has a lot of love for Fresno despite wanting to delay $100 million in downtown improvement funding. The proposed state budget presented this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom said the money — part of a $250 million pledge last...