California's under-construction high-speed rail system is mismanaged, faces budget shortfalls, and will operate slower than promised. Those are some of the conclusions reached by the state auditor in a report released Thursday (Nov. 15) morning. The report is the latest saga in the state’s effort to build a bullet train...
State and Congress Races: Fresno Delegation Headed Back to DC; Vidak Falls
While the Democrats claim a majority of the House of Representatives nationally, the Fresno delegation will stay the same. Jim Costa, David Valadao and Devin Nunes handled their evenings in convincing fashion. With 100% precincts reporting: Costa, a Fresno Democrat, leads Republican Elizabeth Heng, 54%-46%. Valadao (R-Hanford) leads Democratic challenger...
High-Speed Rail CEO: People Will Ask How They Lived Without It
High-speed rail will reduce travel times between major California cities. That is the belief of the bullet-train authority’s CEO Brian P. Kelly, who spoke in Fresno on Friday (Sept. 7). He said when the rail is built, for example, it will cut the time from San Francisco to Los Angeles...
Patterson Renews Call for DMV Audit After 'Motor Voter' Snafu
Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno again called for an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles after it was revealed Wednesday that agency technicians may have botched about 23,000 Californians' voter registrations under the state's new "motor voter" law. The DMV sent the secretary of state's office incorrect information for...
Cox Runs Over DMV During Fresno Campaign Stop
The modest wait times of DMV customers seemed to catch John Cox off-guard. The Republican candidate for governor visited Fresno on Friday afternoon, talking to motorists at the office on north Blackstone Avenue. This was not the first time Cox had visited a DMV office to observe the wait lines in...
As Lines Grow, State Legislators Kill DMV Audit
Despite calls to hold the DMV accountable for hours-long wait times, a California legislative committee declined to approve an audit of the agency at Wednesday (Aug. 8) hearing. Although none of the 13 assembly members and senators on the Joint Committee on Legislative Audit voted no, not enough voted yes...
Will Patterson, Other Lawmakers Get Answers From DMV?
In 2017, the state Legislature approved $226 million in extra funding over five years to help the Department of Motor Vehicles deal with the expected crush of residents seeking Real ID cards. Passed in 2005 by Congress, the Real ID Act set new federal standards for state-issued drivers' licenses and...
Why Won't State Use Fresno Company's Wildfire Fighting System?
A Fresno manufacturer has created an aerial firefighting system that increases the amount of fire suppression materials delivered in a shorter period of time at nearly half the cost of conventional platforms. The Guardian system has been used to fight wildfires all over the world — including this week's deadly...
State Auditor Nabs Fresno State Groundskeepers for $111,000
You'd think by now that California state employees who sleep on the job, leave their posts early or buy unauthorized stuff would realize that State Auditor Elaine M. Howle and her staff are watching. But state employees keep thinking they can fleece taxpayers. And they keep getting caught. Howle issued...
Those Long DMV Waits Should Finally Shorten
Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) is known for fighting for issues he strongly believes in, but his efforts are usually greeted in Sacramento with partisan indifference. Whether it's his pro-life stances or water rights issues, Patterson uses his bullhorn, but few Democrats listen. But now Patterson has found an issue Democrats...