In years past the job of vice mayor was distributed from year to year to various councilmembers. However, I’ve noted Daniel Martinez has been allowed to keep that role longer than anyone in my memory.
Perhaps it’s time to shift that role to Cerina Otero who has show exceptional leadership qualities since joining the Ceres City Council.
For example, on Monday she took the initative to fight the council from endorsing Proposition 1, which has been billed as a bond to help veterans get into affordable housing.
Otero noted that the proposition is deceptively worded since only a fraction would go to veteran housing. It’s an old trick of state Democrats and Attorney General Rob Bonta to write deceptive titles for propositions to get them passed or failed depending on their views of the ballot. Otero said as the wife of a veteran she objects to them suggesting that Prop. 1 is a measure for veterans since only $1.25 billion of the $11.25 billion is designated for veteran home loans.
Councilwoman Otero also noted how the state continues to take on debt that long-term affects all Californians. She noted how billions have been spent on so-called affordable housing and yet families are still struggling to make ends meet.
Otero – no fan of the state’s onerous mandates for cities to meet housing goals – said state legislators are using veterans for their own personal gain and political agenda.
In the end, the council backed off from endorsing Prop. 1. Rosalinda Vierra suggested the council shouldn’t take stands on state propositions.
But Mayor Javier Lopez said nothing. Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez was absent again.
Otero is a standout leader.
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Galen Guzman doesn’t seem to be very serious about getting elected to the Ceres City Council. He hasn’t participated in any newspaper inquiries into his stands and his goals he if elected to District 1. Thus far he has not confirmed he’ll even attend the Oct. 22 Candidates Forum at the Ceres Community Center.
It’s as if he filed his candidacy and later changed his mind. At any rate, he’s sure to come in last place out of three contenders.
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John Warren, an active and vocal Ceres resident, thinks the city employees need to be a little proactive in reporting problems. He made his remarks after Gail Hyatt went before the council to complain about an overgrown tree blocking a stop sign on Hackett Road at Central Avenue. Warren suggested with all of police and firefighters roaming around that somebody should have reported that to Public Works rather than a citizen having to.
I agree but sometimes you see something so much in your town that you don’t see it any more. That could be in play here.
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Back in 2020 Ceres resident Juan J.P. Vasquez ran for council and lost. He’s what you might call a progressive and possible socialist.
In a recent Facebook post on the Ceres Community Awareness page, Vazquez wrote: “Sounds like a bunch of people in this group plan on voting No for Measure P, effectively defunding the police. Anyone interested in joining Ceres Defund the Police campaign and helping campaign against Measure P?”
He then tried to drag council candidate Gary Condit into his fight, posting: “I have to admit, Maybe Gary M. Condit for Ceres was right and Ceres has been mismanaging taxpayer money. Is Gary interested in joining Defund the Police?”
Condit is not in favor of defunding the police. Only lunatics are.
Vasquez is wrong when he states a vote against Measure P is defunding police. Measure P is a one-cent sales tax increase that would funnel an estimated $9.4 million annually into the General Fund. Most of the general fund is spent on police and fire (which are the city’s largest areas of expenditures). If P does not pass, it means the city has to do more belt tightening, not defunding the police.
There is a huge difference between not supporting an additional local sales tax and defunding the police. I call the latter idea sheer stupidity.
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A few weeks ago I shared how I am voting for governor, state offices and the propositions.
On Sunday I received this anonymous email from an individual who was apparently too afraid to sign his name (I say ‘he’ because of its passive aggressive nature).
This anonymous person wrote: “Thank you for your opinionated column in the Ceres Courier. I appreciate you making your views known, as it helps me know exactly what to vote against. Please continue sharing your opinions so the residents of Ceres can see where you stand and vote against the positions you support.”
My first thought is if you’re reading my column, you’re probably mostly in agreement with what I’m thinking. Secondly, Mr. Anonymous doesn’t represent Ceres residents who he suggests are looking to vote against my positions. Thirdly, only lazy voters would look to see how anyone votes and then vote opposite. Those who are derelict in their homework as a voter and think critically about why California is broken with its unaffordability, its record homelessness, its broken infrastructure, its lack of housing, and losing industries to other states are part of the reason why California has no chance of improving. If you keep voting for the retreads you’ve put in office for the past two decades you’ll get more of the same and I’m not down for that. California needs change now.
Maybe we should switch the label of “conservative” to “a common senser”?
Why? Well, it’s common sense to having government spend what revenue it brings in, not keep amassing debt that only drives up inflation and saddles our kids with debt.
It’s common sense to build more homes to bring down its cost.
It’s common sense to reduce the homeless problem by requiring the drug addicts on the streets to undergo treatment.
It’s common sense that getting tough on crime locks up evil and protects the innocent.
It’s common sense to quit inflicting so much regulation on business and industry that they flee the state with their jobs and add to the economy of other states that don’t believe in over-regulating.
It’s common sense to quit telling out kids that they can be a female if they have male parts and vice versa.
It’s common sense that men and women are different physically and should not compete with one another in high school sports.
It’s common sense to acknowledge that our lives are great today because the free market has efficiently produced products at competitive prices and to acknowledge that socialism destroys productivity by removing profit.
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And the Democrats and the mainstream media keeps telling us there is no evidence of voter fraud. Who do they think they are kidding?
In March Shakir Khan, a Lodi City Councilman, was sentenced to three years in county jail, with one year suspended and served on mandatory supervision in response to registering over 70 voters in connection with the 2020 Lodi City Council election in which he defeated three opponents including the incumbent by 282 votes.
An investigation by the San Joaquin Sheriff’s office discovered 41 sealed and completed mail-in ballots when searching his home, and a citizen looking into the voter rolls discovered 71 names registered to Khan’s address, phone number, or email.
Khan took advantage of members of the Pakistani community with his election fraud misconduct. Khan, who resigned from the council, was also charged with illegal gambling, tax evasion, unemployment fraud and other charges, for a total of 77 criminal charges against him (71 felonies and 6 misdemeanors). Khan pleaded no contest to all 77 charges including the 14 felony election fraud charges and is awaiting sentencing.
And he is just one fraudster out there!
A sure fire way to make sure this crap doesn’t happen again is to vote YES ON PROP. 39. It does not deny anyone the right to vote as the state AG Bonta would have you believe. It does make sure every voter is legitimate! It truly is the biggest no-brainer of this election.
We show an ID to buy alcohol, get on a plane, buy certain medicines, buy a guy, get into a hospital and we don’t have to prove who we are when we vote? That’s nuts. Prop. 39 fixes that!
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Newsom and party just keep hammering away at gun owners – not the criminals who misuse guns.
Newsom signed Senate Bill 948, which requires a minimum four-hour safety course that includes live-fire training to obtain a Firearm Safety Certificate.
Gun owners moving to California must get a Firearm Safety Certificate within 180 days of arrival starting in 2028.
California residents buying new firearms must complete the four-hour course starting on January 1, 2029.
It’s just more attempts to make it harder on people who want guns to protect themselves. Gun rights organizations, such as the California Rifle and Pistol Association, have opposed the law, stating it places an unnecessary financial and administrative burden on legal gun owners.
Like I said, change leaders now.
This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or 209 Multimedia Corporation. How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com
