I have a feeling summer is going to sneak up on us real fast.

May is almost here yet the perpetual rains have lulled me into this false notion that it's still winter yet summer heat is not far off. You just watch. We'll go from rain to baking in no time.

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So is this how it's going to be?

A woman in Keyes posted a photo of gang graffiti on a bench in Keyes on the Keyes Facebook page and voiced her obvious concern with the words, "Sick of it." Some jerk (and I'm being polite with that choice of word) named Ezekiel responds, "Deal with it." Ezekiel's homepage shows him flashing what appears to be a gang sign and his cover photo includes the letters SSSJ Southside San Jose gang?). I don't know the connection he has to Keyes but that's disconcerting. So is the attitude of such in-your-face punks.

Someone else posted what I believe about this type of behavior: Parenting failure.

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To some people, Jeff Denham can do no right.

Believe it or not, they even attacked the congressman over his Easter message!

I get that our district is politically polarized like the rest of our country but is our congressman really the villain that some on the left portray him to be? Or is he a target because he's a Republican in an increasingly liberal drifting district?

Denham gets it from both sides. He's targeted by the left, for sure. He's also being criticized by the far right who dislike his ENLIST Act, a way for so-called "dreamers" (AKA children of illegal immigrants) to earn their U.S. citizenship. But for crying out loud, the man puts a rather innocuous message, "He is Risen! Happy Easter," on his own Facebook page and catches hell for it. I cringed at the response of some Facebook users, mostly women:

Diane Moody wrote: "It isn't appropriate to post this obviously religious statement. Please refrain from future attempts at furthering a religious agenda."

So much for free speech. I've often said that many - mostly on the left - try to shut down free speech when they disagree with that speech.

Tracy Wade said: "You know, I'm not actually a Christian, so I'm not sure I appreciate my ELECTED GOVERNMENT rep telling me Jesus has risen. Perhaps a mere Happy Easter would be more appropriate ... but I find the mix of Jesus and government quite offensive."

A mere Happy Easter wouldn't have been offensive to Tracy? What does Tracy think Easter is? Is it not a Christian holiday and really not about colored eggs and the Easter bunny?

Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.

If Denham were to hand these two ladies gold bricks they would look at them with disdain and complain, "It's even the wrong color!"

Even at least one high-ranking CUSD official got in on recent Denham bashing. I note comments made by Scott Siegel, the Ceres school superintendent, in answer to Denham's call to complete a survey. Siegel said, and I quote: "This is a survey designed to confirm existing bias. I am unable to fill it out as my interests are missing. Jeff Denham, you no longer represent me and I will remember that in November of 2018."

You'd think people who represent over 10,000 students could try to be a little more diplomatic with a federal official despite political biases.

Perhaps Denham's survey is flimsy and may be "stacked" with issues appealing mostly to conservatives. But Denham's first questions asks constituents is to weigh in on what matters most out of these issues: Reducing government waste, protecting our national security, lowering taxes, protecting our ag industry and reducing our $19 trillion debt. Denham foes feel those are partisan issues?

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Let me talk briefly about how the Democrats are badgering Denham - baiting him, really - to lose his cool. At the town hall meeting held last week in Denair, it was obvious that the audience was packed with Dems who didn't come to understand but to be loud and obnoxious. One rather cocky woman got up to say she was a Democrat and upset about Gorsuch being nominated and asked for a show of hands of people who did not vote Republican in the last election. Many disrespectful and boisterous loudmouths backed her. She went on to accuse Denham of not knowing his district constituencies and pointing out that Hillary enjoyed more of a margin of victory in his district than did Denham. I'm not sure what her point was since as a Republican he was elected by a margin of over 10,000 votes. The town hall meeting was an embarrassing display for the Democrats, but that's kind of what we're used to seeing on a national scale: Total disrespect from the left.

One lady, barking with the ferocity of an annoying Chihuahua, kept interrupting him as he tried to answer a question about his position on the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Public Radio (NPR). They kept yelling "answer the question" after he answered the question. They're like mind-numbed wind-up robots that are incapable of anything but intent to harangue.

Another woman set Denham up with a question she already knew the answer to: Denham's respect for human life and opposition to abortion.

It's clear they want blood for Hillary's stinging defeat and they figure the next best thing is try to take out a congressman. They also believe that twice-failed candidate Michael Eggman can do it next time. (Speaking of not knowing the district, do your research and learn that Eggman doesn't even live in our district. He lives in Kingsburg near Fresno. Can you say carpet bagging?)

I'm not dyed in the wool for Denham but I did vote for him. I also think his detractors need to apologize for calling him a coward for not having a town hall meeting.

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How much of the year does it take for all labor to pay your tax debt? In California, everything you make from Jan. 1 to May 1 goes toward paying taxes. Think about that, would you? Is that a bit ridiculous?

If you live in the rest of the nation, Tax Freedom Day comes eight days sooner, as if that's any better. States that are worse off than California are few: Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

According to the Tax Foundation, Americans will pay $3.5 trillion in federal taxes and $1.6 trillion in state and local taxes, for a total tax bill of $5.1 trillion, or 31 percent of national income. That's more than Americans will collectively spend on food, clothing and housing combined.

If you're asking yourself why you're not getting anywhere economically, hmmm, it just could be your taxes. And what party always embraces tax hikes ad nauseum? I don't have to tell you.

It's only going to be worse when the new taxes passed by the Democrats with the help of Republican state Senator Anthony Cannella kick in on Nov. 1. Ask yourself why they made the next tax kick in on Nov. 1. It couldn't be because they didn't want an electorate at boiling point from paying higher taxes all year going to the polls the following week.

Sneaky devils.

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Did you hear the outrageous statement uttered by Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, a Democrat from Concord? He held a town hall meeting in which an 11-year-old, who has been indoctrinated into the politics of his family, asked him a question. We don't know if his mom put him up to the question or not but I suspect she did. Eden said this to the congressman: "My mom is worried about my future with President Trump. On election night, my mom cried. Kids at my school are worrying about being deported. I've read and heard awful things about him. Should I be worried about my future? As a kid, what can I do about it?"

The congressman, shame on him, said: "I think you should be concerned. This is dangerous stuff. I've said a few times, the most dangerous person in America isn't a terrorist, it's the person who's president of the United States. So Eden, you've got to read, you have to be thoughtful, and you have to be engaged."

It's too bad the congressman couldn't have taken his own advice about being thoughtful. If I were that congressman I would have answered in this way: "Well, Eden, you really shouldn't worry at all. We live in a great country, People said awful things about Lincoln, too, and they weren't true. Lincoln was a great president. It's unlikely that children will be deported in spite of the fact that their parents broke the law to be here. It's unfortunate that they did break the law, but they did, and fear of being found out is a consequence of breaking the law. Maybe others will refrain from following in their footsteps."

But no, the congressman opted for fear-mongering. We see that a lot in his party.

Do you have any feedback about this column? Let Jeff know by emailing him at jeffb@cerescourier.com. He will read it, promise.