Here we go again with Democrats demonizing the local GOP. 

But we knew it was coming. That’s their modus operandi. The Democrat machine fired its opening salvo last week with a press release slamming Ted Howze in their quest to keep Joshie boy in office. The release was to announce a series of ads designed to make Howze seem like a heartless SOB when it comes to his “Trump like views” on immigration. It’s a play on emotions, of course.

The release highlights the boilerplate Democrat talking points: GOP bad because they want the law followed. Democrat good because they don’t believe in law and even welcome lawbreakers with freebies we get to pay for, including free health care and free education.

Not many Republicans have said they favor deporting the children of illegal aliens. But this issue with Dreamers is because this problem wasn’t nipped in the bud decades ago when illegal immigration got out of hand and no politicians had the courage to deal with it – until Trump came along and talked of building a wall. Deportations have been occurring under presidents since Eisenhower – and under Democrat presidents – without any media squawking. But because of Trump Derangement Syndrome, it’s suddenly a big deal.

“CA-10 is home to 10,000 DREAMers, the neighbors, classmates, friends, colleagues and future community leaders of the Central Valley. But when Ted Howze and Donald Trump look at them, they see criminals,” said DCCC Spokesperson, Andy Orellana. “Howze’s stance on DREAMers shows how out of step he is with the values of the Central Valley voters. It’s abundantly clear that with Howze’s extreme and Trumpian anti-immigrant views, he is no position to lead the Central Valley.”

So let me get this straight. Someone who believes in following U.S. immigration law is in no position to lead the Valley? I think the opposite would be true – that people who think we can blow off immigration law passed by Congress should be in no position to lead in Congress. Look no farther than Josh Harder who was pointblank asked in Ceres how he felt about sanctuary cities and completely dodged an answer.

Let’s be honest. Dreamers themselves should be angry with their parents who put them in this position. Their parents were law breakers for sure.

Rush Limbaugh hit the nail on the head last week when he said: “The Democrat Party cannot win in the arena of ideas unless they flood the country with people who reject or are ignorant of the blessings of freedom and liberty. They can only win … by repopulating this country with people who likewise hate it or suffer some type of grievance.”

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Does it seem like something is missing this year? Ordinarily there would have been a council and mayor’s race this year with the nomination period this month.

Why no race this year?

Two liberal California policies led to the decision to put off the 2019 council races in Ceres to 2020.

California lawmakers and the courts forced the city of Ceres to go to district elections a few years ago out of this insane belief that it gives minorities a better shot at representation. (Since Ceres went to district elections no minorities have even sought office). On top of that, the state mandates that municipal elections be timed with gubernatorial and/or presidential elections to boost voter turnout.

SB 415, signed into law in 2015 by Gov. Jerry Brown, was designed to get municipal elections away from “off year” election cycles, or elections that don’t include elections for governor or president. State lawmakers felt that many voters won’t bother to vote  – as if voting should be considered a bother – turn out to vote if only local races are on the ballot so they now require cities to change when city elections are held. 

SB 415 specifically dictates that cities cannot hold an election in an off-year if the historical trend of voter turnout is more than 25 percent less than major election years. Data backs the state’s claim that voter turnout can be extremely low in off-year elections. In November 2015, for example, voter turnout in Ceres was at a dismal 15.93 percent but it more than doubled to 33.92 percent in November 2014 when Californians voted for statewide offices. During the presidential election of 2008, voter turnout in Ceres was 64.62 percent. Average voter turnout in recent past statewide elections (including two presidential elections) was 51 percent in Ceres. However, Ceres voter turnout over the past municipal elections held in an “off” years averaged 17 percent. That fact placed Ceres directly under the dictates of SB 214.

To realign the council terms to coincide with balloting where we decide on a president or governor, the council made the four-year terms temporarily five years. So the terms of Linda Ryno, Bret Durossette, Mike Kline and Chris Vierra all were extended by a year. Ryno was re-election in November 2018 when her term was originally to end December 2017. The terms of Durossette, Kline and Vierra were to end this year but were extended to 2020, just to appease Sacramento liberals who cater to the lazy voter by making things easier.

If you think about it, voters should be especially engaged to vote in local elections because the local decision making bodies really have more direct influence over a constituent. A governor makes decisions about state issues while a city council tends to your roads, your police, your fire, your parks and your recreation programs.

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I’m a faithful council watcher and I’m seeing some posturing for next year’s mayor’s race. It could be an interesting race to watch. We haven’t seen a contested mayor’s race in Ceres since 2003  when DeLinda Moore defeated Ken Lane. 

Chris Vierra is burned out on the job and has told me he is done next year. Bret Durossette, who has been on the council since 2008, says he’s intending to run. Ryno hasn’t ruled out a run either. Mike Kline has indicated he won’t seek the mayor’s office if Durossette runs, preferring to run for re-election next year.

Others could enter the race, including some former faces from the past.

Like I said, it could be very interesting next year.

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As you watch the Democrats jockey for the White House by promising the sky, moon and the stars, ponder this quote from Euripdes who lived about 2400 years ago: “When one with honeyed words but evil mind persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.”

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And another quote that especially rings true today in today’s PC climate: “The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.” George Orwell wrote that.

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Aren’t you sick of all this BS of the left calling just about everything under the sun “racist”? Let’s get real folks and realize that this tactic is an act of desperation.

The news cycle a few weeks back was this nonsense about the Betsy Ross flag caused by washed up football has-been Colin Kaepernick. He called the flag racist. Maybe Colin should have been a little clued into his studies when he was attending school in Turlock. Betsy Ross was a Quaker. Quakers were abolitionists who helped ban slavery in England. They also assisted with the Underground Railroad to get slaves to freedom. So objecting to the Ross flag because it is deemed to represent slavery by ignorant saps on the left shows the shallowness of their understanding of American history.

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How rich is this? Bernie Sanders was called out for his hypocrisy of his own campaign staff! The senator who wants to give everything to everybody by taxing us, is unwilling to dig deep into his own pockets to put his money where his mouth is. Over the weekend he announced that he was cutting staff members’ hours so they can effectively be paid $15 per hour minimum wage.

The development came days after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concluded that a proposed $15 federal minimum wage could result in 3.7 million people becoming unemployed -- far higher than House Democrats’ estimates -- as employers struggle to make payroll and respond by slashing jobs and hours.

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They talk a big game about reproductive “rights” and fake concern for children at the border, but when it comes to healthcare for babies who survive an abortion, the Democratic presidential candidate are AWOL.

Every senator seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination voted to deny care to newborns who survive abortion. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, and Bernie Sanders all voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in February. Their votes put them at odds with not just the general public, but Democratic voters. poll commissioned by the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List.

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I warned you about Gavin Newsom and I was right.

In September before the election I editorialized: “California continues to continue its slide into the morass of a Third World dump hole thanks to policies enacted by Democrats. If you want it to continue, move Sleazy one office higher. If not, John Cox is the only option this November.”

California, you stepped in it. Now people are outraged that he signed into law a bill that pays for free medical care for people who aren’t even supposed to be here – and wants you and me to pay for it.

Join the efforts to recall this lousy governor.

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Politically correctness is bordering on insanity now in cities like Berserkley. Now they want to – I kid you not – change terms like “manhole” to more gender neutral “maintenance hole.” Can’t use the term manpower; nope, it’s now going to be “human effort” or “workforce.” Can’t use the words policeman, or craftsmen. Can’t use the term “he” or “she” now. 

The big dilemma, as I see it, is what to call that gaping hole in the heads of elected members of the Berserkley City Council. Maybe brain evacuation slot?

This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or Morris Newspaper Corp. of CA. How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com