We routinely receive letters from an uber-liberal in Nevada City by the name of Ron Lowe. I have no idea who he is but his letters are filled with rabid anti-GOP vitriol. I’m sure that he sends them out on blast to all newspapers.
He starts out his latest letter saying, “You better f@%#ing vote!” Already he’s off on the wrong foot with me with that kind of threatening language. It has shades of desperation.
Lowe goes on, saying, “… unless you’re been blissfully living under a rock the past two years, you know the stakes have rarely been higher.” I couldn’t agree more – the stakes are high but we think the other side is the threat. There is definitely a war between two ideologies: that of socialism versus capitalism; of a government that rewards people for lack of effort and punishing those who are successful; an ideology that government should get off the backs of people and let them prosper on their own versus the nanny state of Barack Obama and Maxine Waters.
Lowe goes on: “Republicans are waging a physical and psychological war on American values.”
I can’t for the life of me figure out what this “physical war” the GOP has waged against American values. I thought American values were life, liberty and the pursuit (but no guarantee) of happiness. I can, however, recite all the times the Democrats have enacted policies that assault liberties and attack the life of the unborn. Some of the extremists have even attacked Republicans even in a physical manner. Someone threw a brick through the front office window of the office of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield. Henry Kissinger was just told by a heckler to “rot in hell.” Someone shot Rep. Steve Scalise last year. GOP Congressional candidate Rudy Peters was nearly stabbed in Castro Valley by a leftist making disparaging remarks about the president. A Minnesota state Republican Representative Sarah Anderson was attacked by a man who told her to kill herself. That sounds like a direct assault on the American value of free speech and taking a political stand.
Ronnie goes on: “Republican liars are counting that you won’t vote so that the GOP can continue it’s (sic) agenda of hate, lies and racism all under the guise of religious antiabortion, anti-gay and anti-immigration labels.”
Wow. Agenda of racism? I’ve seen absolutely no evidence of this. Religious anti-abortion? Okay, sure most people of faith are against the killing of what will become a child. I’ve not heard Trump or anyone express any anti-gay sentiments. Anti-immigration? I haven’t heard of any Republican say no more immigrants as we did from 1924 to 1965. I do hear the GOP talk about illegal immigration all the time though. And I agree with the president that it’s time America let people into the country based on what they can contribute, not because they need our government assistance. (Whatever happened to JFK’s call to “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”?)
Lowe goes pretty low when he concludes his letter with “Democrats need to unite and fight this Republican cancer.”
Republicans, a cancer? Tell us how you really feel, Ron.
Shame, shame, shame.
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I stand by my assertion that people are just headline readers. Few really take the time to read stories and understand the information.
As you know, the Courier has its own Facebook page where we routinely make posts to direct people to our website. Many people who don’t read the story will comment on the Facebook posting about the story.
Lots of people ranted on the post about the City Council giving City Manager Toby Wells a raise. I could tell people didn’t read the story because of their comments.
Apparently a lot of people think a city manager should live in the city that he manages. But do they have any idea how many school teachers, principals, school district administrators, police officers and firefighters work in Ceres but don’t live in Ceres? Just because one lays his head at night in a neighboring city does not mean he can’t do an effective job where he works.
Steve Webb wrote: “In baseball a manager with this many loses get fired, not a raise. It’s time for Toby to go and any city councilman that voted for the raise. C’mon council it’s time for a reality check.”
I didn’t realize the city had any “loses” other than corporations closing Kmarts and Factory 2-U. Did Steve read the part about Ken Lane praising Wells for helping to bolster the city revenues by $1.7 million annually?
Daisy-Steve Castillo said the funds for the raise “could be used for other things like the fixing our streets and cleaning up the new downtown bc it looks like crap with all those weeds that are real high now there is no upkeep or the trash on the freeway? He doesn’t need a raise!” Daisy, trust me when I say the extra $13,282 for the year wouldn’t pay for much street maintenance at all. Besides, Measure L was passed to specifically fix roads in the county and its nine cities. And does she know the city is not responsible for cleaning the freeway? (That’s Caltrans’ job). Daisy, those aren’t weeds in downtown – that is a tall drought-tolerant grass part of the landscaping scheme.
Probably nobody read the article since they made no mention of Lane noting that Wells is also the acting fire chief and city engineer. Certainly worth some extra pay?
Joe Brocchini had an interesting spin when he posted: “City raises when you all are talking hiring more police and firefighters? Really? Who is running this town? Homeless all around! Shopping carts scattered all around town? Adults and teens smoking dope in our parks? But the city manager needs a raise? Ridiculous.”
Let’s dissect what Joe has to say. The city has been giving raises to its employees and hiring new police as the result of the added monies that are rolling in from the marijuana developer agreements, which Wells was an agent in crafting. The city manager is not responsible for homelessness, abandoned shopping carts and kids doing drugs – the residents of Ceres are. Should they not get any raises because people aren’t raising their kids properly or because they are breaking the law by wheeling carts away from store parking lots?
Darrel Moore takes the cake, saying Wells’ raise shows “how stupid our council is.” Or just maybe the council is just trying to pay its manager enough to where he doesn’t take his managerial talents to another city which would appreciate him with a better salary. Darrel publicly wondered the logic for the raise but had he read the article he would have gotten the perspective of Ken Lane, Mike Kline and Bret Durossette – the three who cast the deciding votes.
In response to the Wells raise story, local contractor Harindeer Singh Toor commented that he “would love to run for mayor.” If he lives in Ceres and is a registered voter he’s free to do so but in the last two mayoral elections, Chris Vierra was unopposed. While I doubt Chris runs again in 2020, there could be a few on the council interested in taking over.
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Lee Brandt of Ceres mentioned that on a visit to David Crockett State Park in Tennessee that the bathrooms are “very, very clean, mirrors clear, no graffiti.” He then said he wondered what California does with its funding and said “our parks are disgusting.”
There is a cultural divide that I notice between California and the south. Southern states are friendly and seem like they have it together. Californians really have no right to be arrogant.
When I had twice visited Silver Dollar City amusement park in Branson, I noticed how well-mannered the kids were; unlike what I see when I go to Great America. Maybe it has to do with values taught in the Bible belt and those not being taught in the so-called Golden State.
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Speaking of that race, I saw the funniest campaign slick mailer ever. It was issued by the Defending Main Street organization and was not endorsed by Denham. It shows a skeleton on a bench with the phrase, “The doctor will see you now.”
On the flip side is a photoshopped image of Josh Harder as a doctor, slipping on a glove and saying “Bend over.”
It’s a funny piece to illustrate that Harder’s healthcare ideas will cause taxpayers to “take it in the rear” so to speak because it will cost $32 trillion and result in higher taxes for John Q. Public.
If socialized medicine is so great, why do people in Canada seek out American healthcare?
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I read the recent Modesto Bee commentary alleging less than ethical Denham campaign tactics. They alleged letter writers are submitted with names of persons who did not okay them and took Josh Whitfield to task for making an issue of Harder’s voter registration in SF County.
I wonder how the Bee feels about the video of the female Josh Harder volunteer swiping a piece of Denham campaign literature and leaving a Harder piece in its place.
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Speaking of that race, I saw the funniest campaign slick mailer ever. It was issued by the Defending Main Street organization and was not endorsed by Denham. It shows a skeleton on a bench with the phrase, “The doctor will see you now.”
On the flip side is a photoshopped image of Josh Harder as a doctor, slipping on a glove and saying “Bend over.”
It’s a funny piece to illustrate that Harder’s healthcare ideas will cause taxpayers to “take it in the rear” so to speak because it will cost $32 trillion and result in higher taxes for John Q. Public.
If socialized medicine is so great, why do people in Canada seek out American healthcare?
The Defending Main Street Super PAC is an independent expenditure organization supporting the governing wing of the Republican Party.
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Sarah and I enjoyed the Five for Fighting concert at the Gallo Theatre in downtown Modesto Wednesday evening. Apparently a lot of other people from Ceres – and associated with Ceres – did too.
Before seating I bumped into Julie Martin of the Ceres Unified School District and Kay Dunkel, the former recycling coordinator with the city of Ceres. I was surprised to see Tim Kerr, the former city manager of Ceres, being seated a few rows in front of us. Tim was with the city of Ceres from July 1998 to June 2005 (at which time he was asked to leave), and went to Turlock where he was manager from 2006 to 2009 (at which time he was fired). Kerr then became the executive director of the Downtown Stockton Alliance. His Facebook page notes that he is now happily retired and a “tax-and-spend liberal proudly serving as chief of dog walking, grocery shopping, laundry dishes.”
Well alrighty then.
John Ondrasik, the exceptional talent who had a string of hits including “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” “100 Years” and “The Riddle,” mentioned how he played the Fat Cat in Modesto while he was a rising but still struggling musician. He put on an amazing show and managed to do so without uttering one profane word, unlike other artists I’ve heard. Ondrasik also supports out troops often.
Ceres is blessed to have such a first-class music venue within minutes’ drive time. So far I’ve enjoyed concerts at the Gallo with Gordon Lightfoot, Gavin DeGraw with Andy Grammer, Michael McDonald and the comedy act of Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie.
How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com
