Valley Headlines

Gray hears veterans’ concerns

Office of Rep. Adam Gray. Congressman Gray hosts summer veterans advisory committee.
Synopsis: Rep. Adam Gray met with roughly 40 veterans on Tuesday to discuss their issues and some of his efforts on their behalf. He talked about the STRIVE Act, which Gray wrote to limit copays at VA health centers for both veterans and their dependents -- including for mental health support. It has passed out of committee with unanimous support. Gray invited Merced County Human Services deputy director John Ceccoli, Winton Post 7792 Commander Adam Conour and SJ Valley Veterans program coordinator Manuel Inacio to sit with him on a panel to discuss concerns.

Downtown stadium for soccer

Modesto Bee. Modesto council picks downtown for proposed soccer stadium; Muni still has role.
Synopsis: The city council voted 6-0 to put a new 10,000-seat stadium suitable for United Soccer League games downtown and to create practice fields on the old Municipal Golf Course. The stadium will cost an estimated $125 million, of which $35 million will be public money. The city expects other projects to provide housing, shops and other uses around the stadium site. It will require demolition of the city’s convention center at Centre Plaza. Among those expressing concern were MID, the Brighter Side restaurant, and a few homeowners.
MAD Take: Stadiums built by private entities are often successful. But those built by cities rarely show any real returns. That’s why folks like the Federal Reserve Bank say they’re a bad use of public funds. As one sports economist put it, “The idea that sports is a catalyst for economic development just doesn’t hold water.” Temper expectations.

Was optimistic estimate costly?

Western Farm Press. Was NASS’s 3-billion-pound almond estimate overly optimistic?
Synopsis: Reporter Tim Hearden talks to Matt Efird of EE Farms in Fresno, who says the USDA was off on its estimate of the almond crop, failing to consider distressed or abandoned orchards. The USDA predicted the second-largest crop on record, leading to a drop in prices of 25 to 50 cents per pound. The Almond Board is sticking to its prediction of 2.8 billion pounds. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to ride with this for a while,” said Efird. “The big handlers can’t afford to sit and not sell, and growers need cash flow. It’s not positive news.” Last year’s nuts averaged $2.14 a pound. But “It’s not the same $2 almond that it was five or six years ago” due to higher input costs, said Efird. Fresno Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen says there’s not much that can be done now about a faulty USDA estimate. “Hopefully the estimate was on the high side, and hopefully prices will at least stabilize and start to go just a little back up.”  
MAD Note: Is a 25-cent drop in nut prices important? Consider, Stanislaus County produced about 470,000,000 pounds of almonds in 2023. So, a 25-cent drop works out to about $100 million to the county’s economy – give or take a few million.

Ag Net West. CA almonds at the crossroads: Tariffs, trade and hope for better harvest.
Synopsis: Interviewer Josh McGill spoke to Darren Rigg of Minturn Nut Co. in LeGrand, who is “cautiously optimistic” about the coming harvest. Ideal growing conditions have created a lot of nuts, and almond prices hit their highest point in a decade in 2024. He worries about tariffs. Up to 90% of Minturn’s almonds are exported, so he is hoping new markets in Africa and the Middle East will make up for lost markets in Asia. “We’re one trade deal away from making 3 billion pounds of almonds profitable again,” he said.  

Legislators: Get out of the way!

Sacramento Bee. Why is Sacramento screwing up a way to keep down electricity prices?
Synopsis: Columnist Tom Philp writes about how often the legislature screws up the state’s electricity market. This time, he writes about a developing multi-state power market that, in theory, will “make power shopping easier and cheaper.” The plan is backed by environmental groups like the NRDC and Union of Concerned Scientists. But state legislators – led by Sen. Anna Caballero of Merced -- want to add a layer of oversight, which power sellers say is politicizing the plan. Caballero’s oversight board would include the CPUC, CA Energy Commission and attorney general. Such a plan, writes Tom, “stands to cost us billions if we don’t quickly learn how to get along with our neighbors.”
MAD Take: A little more “oversight” might have kept us out of rolling blackouts and 10-fold prices increases 25 years ago. If such oversight is too odious for Tom, does he have a better idea -- rigorous review protocols, periodic audits? No one wants to be left to the tender mercies of the next Enron.

Micromanaging in Fresno

Fresno Bee. Which holidays will Fresno County allow? Leaders exclude Pride from short list.
Synopsis: County leaders created a list of approved holidays Tuesday, “despite confusion over how much the Board of Supervisors would micro-manage (celebratory) events.” The 3-2 decision listed 12 approved holidays but said any addition will require a board vote. They also restricted county spending for events, a “thinly veiled attempt to steer support away from Pride Month festivities.” The county had no policy on celebrations until Dept of Health workers attended the Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade in June, angering supervisor Garry Bredefeld because they distributed condoms and lube. He also wants public displays at libraries removed. Luis Chavez and Brian Pacheco voted against the new policy, saying the county hires department heads to make such decisions. Chavez asked about holidays related to Hmong and Punjabi communities among others.

Tunnel will protect & deliver

Maven / South SJ Irrigation District. Canyon Tunnel Project: A historic investment.
Synopsis: South San Joaquin and Oakdale irrigation districts – partners on the Stanislaus River – kicked off the Canyon Tunnel Project on Monday. The 12,000-foot tunnel will “revolutionize how water moves through the Sierra foothills” by following a buried riverbed and bypassing a fragile section of the Joint Supply Canal. “This project will take us into the next 100 years with confidence, safety and strength,” said Tom Orvis, OID Board president.

A risky move for Newsom

Politico. California Playbook: Newsom bets political future on redistricting war.
Synopsis: Gavin Newsom is trying to “feed red meat to Democrats across the country” by standing up to district-rigging in Texas. Showing backbone is “the No. 1 requirement for whomever becomes our de facto head in 2028,” said former DNC chair Jaime Harrison. “You have to be willing to fight.” But there are big risks. Gerrymandering adds to polarization, even among Democrats. And if voters reject Newsom’s plan, it would be seen as a rejection of the governor. Considering the Gallup poll that showed Newsom’s national popularity below that of Donald Trump, JD Vance and Bernie Sanders, that’s not a winning formula.

Cal Matters. Democracy be damned: Texas, CA plot dueling congressional gerrymanders.
Synopsis: Dan Walters say a pox on both California and Texas and the man who put you up to this gerrymander BS – Donald Trump. Walters likens the gerrymander plans to Spy vs. Spy or Wile E. Coyote. But “there’s nothing funny about trampling – in the lust for partisan political power – the quaintly democratic notion that congressional districts should fairly represent the … values of constituents.”

Collaboration saves salmon

Sacramento Bee. CA farmers, anglers and researchers clash over salmon; science united them.
Synopsis: Reporter Calista Oetama writes an ambitious story for those who don’t know much about salmon but want to spend 15 minutes learning. She says fishers are linking arms with researchers to solve issues on the Sacramento River. She writes “drought killed more than 97% of winter-run Chinook in 2021” and that salmon fishers lost $45 million due to the commercial ban in 2023. Such losses caused the Golden State Salmon Fishers Association to start working with farmers on solutions – like more hatcheries. The story touches on thiamine deficiencies, floodplain restoration, a little on predation, and letting fields flood so salmon have better rearing habitat.
MAD Take: Bias is frowned on in journalism even when it’s hard to avoid and harder to detect. In this case, the order in which the reporter listed “stakeholders” offers a clue to whom the reporter likes: “fishermen, farmers, water managers, researchers, agencies.” Bias can lead a reporter to accept information at face value from favored sources. Saying commercial salmon fishers lost $45 million in 2023 is, well, suspect. That would be one of the highest years ever for a CA salmon harvest. The state reported the 2022 catch was valued at $16.2 million. Considering that fishing was banned due to too few salmon, it’s unlikely fishers would have caught enough salmon to total 3x the previous year’s number. The numbers are out there, if you check.

‘Incompetence’ costs county $4M

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus penalized $4 million for high rate of defendants declared incompetent.
Synopsis: The state has issued $3.98 million in penalties to Stanislaus County because too many defendants have been declared unfit to stand trial. That declaration leads to placement in one of the state’s five mental hospitals, which have been overwhelmed by such defendants as more than 90% of admissions are referrals from criminal courts. That forced the state to set hard numbers on referrals. Stanislaus has a baseline of 89, but sent 148 in 2024 – or 66% more than the cap. Only San Joaquin (77%), Imperial (72%) and San Mateo (70%) had higher rates. The penalties assessed each county are put into a fund to be used for treatment and diversion programs. As Stanislaus was paying $3.9 million, it was accepting a grant for $39.5 million for diversion programs, housing and support.

Los Banos takes lead on toxin

Westside Express. Los Banos dealing with tough toxin problem.
Synopsis: Los Banos Mayor Michael Amabile has taken the lead in helping the state figure out how to deal with naturally occurring Chromium 6 in water supplies without bankrupting communities. The problem is worse on the west side of the Valley. Sen. Anna Caballero is carrying legislation to grant cities an opportunity to cure the problem without interference from predatory lawsuits. If a city or water district fails to act, they can be sued. “You’ve got to take the lead,” said Amabile. “We’re talking millions of dollars in possible lawsuits. We need to save the money that our citizens pay to fix the problem.”

Discounting Shakira’s show

Fresno Bee. Shakira tour hits Fresno State stadium, a first.
Synopsis: Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour is coming to Valley Children’s Stadium on Thursday night. The show has multiple costume changes, sets and a huge band. “It’s the experience,” said one person. There will be shuttles from remote parking and after parties at several bars. Apparently, tickets have been slow to sell. In a stadium that seats 40,000 for football, only 20,000 were sold as of Tuesday. So, $128 tickets are now selling for $62.50.

Duffy’s nuclear Moondoggle

KSEE / CBS47. Duffy announces plan to build nuclear reactor on the moon.
Synopsis: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants to fast-track plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, calling it critically important. The “Real World” performer says this will lead to development on the moon and keep the Chinese on Earth.
MAD Take: Duffy recently insisted that building high-speed rail in California is a boondoggle. This plan has an obvious name.