Valley Solutions

Land of opportunity?

Cal Matters. Big change for CA small businesses: No more SBA loans for non-citizens. 
Synopsis: People who are legally in the US but not yet citizens are no longer receiving low-interest Small Business Administration loans to help them turn good ideas (and hard work) into businesses. The SBA rules changed in March, requiring citizenship – not just a green card – to qualify for a loan. California, with the largest number of small-biz start-ups and largest number of immigrants, is seeing the biggest impacts. GO Biz says small businesses account for 99% of all new jobs in CA. And 40% of all new businesses are owned or co-owned by immigrants, generating $23.4 billion in income a year (and presumably from $2.3 billion to $4.6 billion in taxes). Dozens of chambers of commerce, business groups and organizations have written to urge the feds to reconsider. Lots of economists, officials, businesspeople and Republicans are quoted, calling the actions wrongheaded and punitive.

Two debates in Fresno

Fresno Bee. After canceled USC event, two Fresno colleges to host governor forums on same day.
Synopsis: Some of the candidates for CA governor will attend one or two debates Wednesday in Fresno. The first will be at 1:30 pm, sponsored by Western Growers, the CA Farm Bureau, the Maddy Institute and Ag Council at Fresno State’s Resnick Student Union. It will be moderated by former Modesto resident Kristin Olsen and Fresno supervisor Buddy Mendes. The two top Democrats – Eric Swalwell and Tom Steyer – declined, but Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Betty Yee, Antonio Villaraigosa, Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco will be there. At 5:30 in the Fresno City College auditorium, the college, UC Merced and a coalition of labor organizations will host a second debate. Becerra, Mahan, Porter, Villaraigosa and Tony Thurmond will participate, but not Hilton or Bianco.

What do tax returns reveal?

Cal Matters. CA governor’s race: See the candidates’ income and tax payments. 
Synopsis: Tom and Kat Steyer’s income last year was $39 million, thanks to investments. That’s more than the other nine significant candidates (and their spouses) made last year, combined. They also turned a profit of $23,000 on TomKat Ranch in Pescadero. They paid $5.4 million in federal taxes. Though well below his usual income, Steyer still managed to give $18 million to charity. Steve & Rachel Hilton made $7.5 million; well, Rachel made $6.7 million. Eric Swalwell and his wife made $184,000 from his day job in Congress and another $280K from other sources, paying $83K in taxes. Sheriff Chad Bianco made $590,000 with his wife – which includes $348K for being the highest-paid sheriff in the state. The candidate who made the least was Betty Yee, who earned $211,000 for being state Controller. Interestingly, she reported $3,400 in gambling income.

Cities answer Gov’s blast

Modesto Bee. Newsom blasts 3 cities in Stanislaus over housing plans; how they responded. 
Synopsis: Turlock, Oakdale and Patterson were among the 15 cities Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened to sue last week because their proposed “Housing Elements” have not yet been approved by state reviewers, mainly because they do not have enough housing for low- and very-low-income residents. Turlock pointed out that its plan – which includes 1,305 very-low-income residences -- has been under state review for several months. Oakdale’s draft plan shows 414 very-low income residences but is still awaiting approval. Patterson is a special case. Its plans shows 1,247 very-low or low-income units among 3,716 proposed houses expected to be built in 8 years. But the Dept of Water Resources has held up those plans over environmental concerns. Also targeted by the state are Atwater, Escalon and Merced County.

It’s really dry up there

Grist. The West’s unprecedented winter could fuel a summer of disaster.
Synopsis: Marianne Cowherd, a climate scientist at Montana State, says “there is no analog” in the records for this year’s heatwave and snow drought. That means we have no model for dealing with the coming summer months. Snow normally accounts for 60% or 70% of Western water supplies, but this year most of the snow has melted and been absorbed. This has been especially critical in the Colorado River watershed.

Valley Sun. Kings River snowpack ‘in ruins’ after hot March.
Synopsis: The Kings River Water Association did its snow survey a day early and found the snowpack “in ruins” with water content at about 12.5 inches. Snow depth was 29 inches compared to 70 inches in a “normal” year. Meanwhile, runoff has filled Pine Flat Reservoir to 140% of normal for this time of year. That’s not good news. The water that should be coming down in May or June all came down two months early. Now, very little additional water is expected.

Nurses will get big raises

Modesto Bee. Nurses will receive double-digit wage increases at Stanislaus-area hospitals.
Synopsis: The CA Nurses Assn said registered nurses at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, Emanuel MC in Turlock and Doctors Manteca will be among those receiving raises ranging from 11% to 18% under a three-year contract. Some 93% of nurses voted to approve the contract. Nurses at several other Tenet Healthcare hospitals got similar deals.

Dos Palos steps up

Westside Express. Community rallies to champion renovations at Stephanie’s House in Dos Palos.
Synopsis: Members of the community came to the DES Hall in Dos Palos to help raise funds for Stephanie’s House, which cares for developmentally disabled adults. The facility was started by Troy and Mildred Carter, whose daughter Stephanie was born with Downs Syndrome. The 16-bedroom house is licensed to care for 13 adults. This year’s fundraiser was dedicated to remodeling the kitchen. The Lions Club served steak, and Supervisor Scott Silveria auctioned desserts while the Knights of Columbus and Tracy police and others made significant donations.

Fresno sees $300M budget hole

Fresnoland. Fresno County braces for impact to Medi-Cal and CalFresh following fed budget cuts. 
Synopsis: Trump’s Big Beautiful budget Bill has left a $300 million hole in Fresno County’s budget for the coming fiscal year, says a staff report. CalFresh will lose about $7.5 million. Early estimates say cuts to Medicaid will cost at least $69 million and possibly as much as $295 million. “These changes were done on purpose,” said Tania Pacheco-Warner, of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State. “This is not a mistake. That’s important for people to remember now when we’re faced with the consequences of it.” Fresno County has joined several other counties in asking the state to help make up the difference.

The Trump Taj, er, library

Wall Street Journal. Trump reveals presidential library design: A glass tower in Miami.
Synopsis: Plans for the Trump Presidential Library includes glass, glitz and gold. There will be a golden escalator, a golden statue of Trump raising his fist and room to hang Air Force One from the ceiling. Instead of books, look for video screens and an auditorium. It will be next door to the historic Freedom Tower, where Cuban refugees were processed upon coming to America – which has angered many in the area. The 2.6 acres, valued at $67 million, was transferred from the state to the Trump library foundation last year. In polling, 74% of Miami residents opposed turning over the land to Trump, including 59% of Republicans. Trump says he’ll finance the building through donations from Truth Social and the proceeds of his lawsuits against ABC, Meta, Paramount and others.

What do red-light cameras see?

Modesto Bee. What happens after Modesto’s red-light cameras capture your info? It’s complicated. 
Synopsis: The so-called red-light cameras are capturing and storing personal data across Modesto. Earlier this month, the Modesto PD admitted it had inadvertently shared some of the information with federal agencies, including the Border Patrol. The Bee sent written questions to both the Modesto PD and the vendor who operates the cameras. The vendor responded that it works under the Modesto PD’s rules and does not share data with anyone outside of MPD. The Bee got no response from the MPD. CA law prohibits personal-data sharing with federal agencies. A computer-privacy expert said Modesto should insist on a “data hygiene” protocol with the vendor, since it already has similar agreements with other cities.

Not so fast, buddy

Fox26. Street racing bust in Fresno ends with 13 cars towed, 60 tickets.
Synopsis: Fresno police cracked down on street racing Sunday, issuing 60 tickets, impounding 13 cars, making 2 DUI arrests while issuing 8 misdemeanor citations. The location of the arrests was not revealed.

A talking pig?

Guam Daily Post. Merlin the talking pig gets world record for viral fame. 
Synopsis: Merlin is a miniature potbelly pig who lives in a Sacramento home and has learned to communicate with his owners. He pushes buttons that give voice to his desires – like “Give me a treat.” If ignored, he goes into the laundry room and pushes the door closed behind him with his snout. But Merlin also will push buttons telling his owners, “I love you” or “Clap for Merlin.” He uses a different button to alert his owner when he needs to go outside. He’s gotten famous in his Sacramento neighborhood, riding in a wagon or walking on a leash. At 180 pounds, he’s outgrown the baby stroller. Experts say pigs are really smart, but it takes a “very dedicated owner” to teach one to “talk.” The owner says she will be using Merlin as a ringbearer in her wedding in September.