Mayor Javier Lopez, Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez and Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra talk a big game about serving the best interests of the taxpayers but REFUSED on Monday evening to stop milking the taxpayers to pay for their medical insurance.
The job of a councilmember is truly a part-time job. Most part-time private sector jobs don’t offer medical insurance as an employee benefit so why are taxpayers expected to fund the medical premiums of part-time elected officials? Martinez and Vierra have jobs that offer medical insurance while Lopez – the congressional wannabe – is in business for himself.
On Monday Councilwoman Cerina Otero (a Sheriff’s Department employee) and James Casey (a business owner) both motioned to divert council funds for police training purposes. Lopez, Martinez and Vierra each voted their own self-interests over the police.
Apparently Martinez was uncomfortable having the spotlight shine again on his self-serving vote and didn’t want it coming up again (he already said on June 2 that he wants the taxpayers to continue paying for his medical insurance). On Monday he questioned why the matter was returning since the council was deadlocked 2-2 over the issue at the June 2 budget workshop and it technically died. But City Manager Doug Dunford remind Martinez that there was a sentiment on the council to have the entire council vote on the matter since Vierra was absent on June 2.
Otero and Casey deserve praise for trying to end fleecing the taxpayers while the mayor, vice mayor and Vierra need to be called out.
Martinez had no qualms about the city shelling out medical premiums but turned right around and voted to seek ways to cut costs for animal services with the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency (SASA).
Later on Monday the same three decided against making public records requests public out of the interest of costs. Funny that Lopez, Vierra and Martinez weren’t concerned about costs by giving up their free medical insurance yet later on Monday they voted against public transparency as being too costly in the form of city staff time.
The real leaders of the city are not the mayor or council but the city staff. The organization continues overspending by reducing the city’s savings account – this year by another $2 million!
You-know-what will hit the fan next year when they cannot possibly continue digging deeper into the city’s rainy day fund. The city has been in the practice of kicking the can down the road for years and “leaders” have been unwilling to make tough decisions like we saw then Mayor Anthony Cannella make years ago.
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Things are exciting at Central Valley High School. Ground broke on Monday for the new $16.2 million athletic stadium that will complete the school campus. It’s been 20 years since the school opened and since then a swimming pool and Ric Campero Performing Arts Center have been added. The stadium will be the final piece and that will be exciting for the students and families of Central Valley high school. Congratulations and hopefully the first games will be held in the fall of 2026.
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If anyone dies in the rioting in Los Angeles, then Gavin Doolittle will have some will have blood on his hands. As governor, he has fully endorsed the concept that lawbreakers can be shielded from federal immigration authorities. The entire Democrat Party has flipped off the rule of law as they support the maiming and assaults on police officers. I watched video of thug protesters throwing rocks at passing vehicles and Molotov cocktails at police vehicles and feel that it’s time that police start shooting to kill. A rock can kill just like a bullet so officers should fire on such blatant criminals. We should not mollycoddle criminals in the streets of our major cities or anywhere else. This could get so out of hand that it will look like the Watts riots of 1965 or the LA riots of 1992. Gavin Newsom should resign in disgrace and so Karen Bass the mayor loss of Los Angeles.
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By now you have probably noticed that Cost Less Foods has stopped running ads in our paper. The new ownership has made a decision to go in other directions. I’m only telling you this because you may have been wondering why their ads have disappeared.
Speaking of Cost Less, I dropped into their Hatch Road store to purchase some breakfast cereal since the other store that dominates the area (Save Mart) charges exorbitant prices. I was stunned to find that Cost Less was charging the same very high price.
I can buy a giant size box of Honey Nut Cheerios at Walmart for several dollars cheaper than the smaller family size box at Cost Less. Has anybody else noticed that their prices don’t necessarily cost less?
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For what it’s worth, I have some advice for graduates entering the world that still applies in a changing society.
As you plan your futures, plan to be an involved citizen. That means vote and vote intelligently. Candidates like Kamala Harris promise to make things easier for you – offer you a lot of “free” stuff like free college – but resist. They are only pandering and only want to spend somebody else’s money to pursue your vote. There is no such thing as a free lunch, or free college education. If it was free it wouldn’t be worth anything. So when they suggest things like letting illegal aliens vote, tell them that they need to abide by the Constitution and quit trying to sell the country down the river.
Personally, get used to the idea that no one is going to make it happen for you. Your parents can’t and shouldn’t do it for you. And certainly the government shouldn’t either. If you want something in life, you must be intentional and as focused as a laser beam. And trust me, there is a world of distraction ready to break your concentration.
You have not “arrived.” It’s quite rare for any of us to end up as a Bill Gates or a Walt Disney type. Humble yourself and picture yourself merely joining the end of a long line of soldiers who’ve been marching along, with those at the head of the line dropping off to the side, retired and dying.
Be a person of your word. Do what you say you will do and you’ll stand out among a generation of promise breakers. Does anyone really have to tell you that you need to show up for work when you’re scheduled to? Take responsibility and you’ll be given responsibility. Do your best. If you work at Walmart, work as if you owned the company. Honestly, you’ll feel better about yourself if you do your best, no matter if you feel you’re underpaid for the work you do. People who do their best are often promoted.
Don’t let others think for you. Challenge what the world tells you, especially those in the media.
Add a spiritual dimension to your life, God if you haven’t already. The Bible is full of wisdom for life, not just preparation for the afterlife. He who dies with the most toys still dies.
Take care of your body; it’s the only one you’ll get in this life. Seems like a no-brainer for a 20-something but take a look around and see how many people who two or three decades later are pathetic physical specimens because of smoking, drug use, lack of exercise, lousy food choices and sleep deprivation.
Practice physical and mental disciplines. Practice the art of denying yourself at least once a day.
Do something every now and then that challenges your comfort zone. Routine is the enemy of creativity.
Be respectful of others. Ever hear of the Golden Rule?
Appreciate what you’ve got. Studies reveal that happy people tend to be grateful for the little things in life.
Smile. Have a personality that people want to be around. Don’t live life so fast that you fail to smile when a child bats bashful eyes at you. Or that you fail to see flowers along the side of the road. And it goes without saying that you should say “I love you” to family and close friends. Live without regrets.
Get outside of yourself and see the world. We live in a world of people who only love themselves. The trouble is they don’t love others. Volunteer for a worthy cause. You’ll be amazed at how your open eyes – and heart – will see need and want to help others.
Consider yourself blessed for the opportunity you have in the U.S. Whenever you feel sorry about your position in life, realize you’re wealthy by world standards.
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
