Editorial

EDITORIAL - When is an Association endorsement not an endorsement of the Association?  In the present race for the Office of the District Attorney, Paul Hornick and Sally Moreno have garnered various law enforcement endorsements.  Paul is endorsed by the Madera Police Officers’ Association, the Madera County Correctional Officers’ Association, the Chowchilla City Police Officers’ Association, and the Madera County Prosecutors’ Association which is comprised of the Deputy District Attorneys who have worked with both Paul and Sally.  It is reported that Sally is endorsed by the Madera County Sheriff’s Association.

Up front let me disclose that I know each of the candidates and after reviewing their credentials and history I will be voting for Paul Hornick.  This is not to say that I am opposed to Sally Moreno but rather in making a choice as to who receives my vote, I as well as most of the attorneys based in Madera County, whether working for the government or in private practice, are supporting Paul Hornick for District Attorney.

EDITORIAL - For the second time in the past few months I find it necessary to correct the Tribune and set the record straight regarding presentations I have made to the Madera City Council.  A few months ago, I admonished the Tribune for making several factual errors and misquoting me regarding an earlier report on water rates.  Unfortunately, I am compelled once again to make corrections regarding my report addressing City of Madera management compensation at the Wednesday, August 1^st meeting.  

Following are some of those errors and/or incorrect quotes: 1) The Tribune attributed to me the following terms/phase of “padding of salaries” and “pad earnings”. Terms I did not use or imply. 2) “… Manfredi said in his report were some 16% higher than similar positions in other Valley cities….”.  Again, this was not said.   The previous City Administrator’s salary was reported to be 16% higher, a few others were higher; but most were lower.  3)  The Tribune was completely mixed up in reference to Management Leave not appearing in the budget. The reference was to medical insurance for retirees not easily being identified. 4) Information as to my preference for the City of Fresno not being in the study was misquoted.  My reference was to an earlier statement I made regarding not including Fresno or Chowchilla.

EDITORIAL - In 1981, President Reagan, with his signature grace and civility, declared of Robert Kennedy, “He roused the comfortable. He exposed the corrupt, remembered the forgotten, inspired his countrymen, and renewed and enriched the American conscience.” A half-century later, Reagan’s truth seems just as clear.

June 6^th, 1968 bears a special place and a solemn reminder in the hearts and minds of many people inspired by Senator Robert F. Kennedy.  While we were not born yet, that fateful day in 1968 has inspired us, through Kennedy’s life and legacy. The issues and challenges of the 1960s very much remain relevant today and his legacy still calls subsequent generations to act on convictions of equality and dream of a better future. June 6^th, 2018 marks the 50^th anniversary of his assassination after winning California’s Presidential Primary, and Madera shares a unique place as part of that history, as Bobby had campaigned here just days before on Thursday, May 30^th 1968.

EDITORIAL - Black history month is a time to celebrate Americans whose accomplishments are sometimes overshadowed by the eye-catching negative news stories. It was discomfiting to watch the State of the Union address while black congresspersons churlishly sat with their arms crossed even as President Trump announced that black unemployment was at its lowest recorded rate. This sort of behavior does nothing except promote the notion that rudeness and incivility is accepted congressional protocol.

The employment news could have been a great segue into Black History Month. These “resisters” could have transformed a statistic into an opportunity to let their unquestionably loyal constituents know that ordinary black people can rise to the top. 

EDITORIAL - As part of an effort to highlight Walmart’s failure to clarify the nature of its announced wage and benefit changes, Making Change at Walmart (MCAW) released the following fact sheet to ensure that local and national media is accurately stating that these wage and benefit changes do not apply to all employees. In addition, MCAW is also highlighting that these wage and benefit changes are being announced even as Walmart closes 63 Sam’s Club stores, resulting in the loss of an estimated 10,000 jobs for Sam’s Club employees.

“The truth matters, and the American people deserve to know that truth about Walmart’s changes. Walmart’s claim of appreciating and investing in its workers is disingenuous at best, and cruel at worst,” said Randy Parraz, director of Making Change at Walmart.

EDITORIAL -   Citing growing nuclear risks and unchecked climate dangers, the iconic Doomsday Clock is now 30 seconds closer to midnight, the closest to the symbolic point of annihilation that the Clock has been since 1953 at the height of the Cold War. The decision announced today to move the Doomsday Clock to two minutes before midnight was made by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' Science and Security Board in consultation with the Board of Sponsors, which includes 15 Nobel Laureates.

The statement explaining the resetting of the time of the Doomsday Clock notes: "In 2017, world leaders failed to respond effectively to the looming threats of nuclear war and climate change, making the world security situation more dangerous than it was a year ago—and as dangerous as it has been since World War II. The greatest risks last year arose in the nuclear realm. North Korea's nuclear weapons program appeared to make remarkable progress in 2017, increasing risks for itself, other countries in the region, and the United States. Hyperbolic rhetoric and provocative actions on both sides have increased the possibility of nuclear war by accident or miscalculation … On the climate change front, the danger may seem less immediate, but avoiding catastrophic temperature increases in the long run requires urgent attention now … The nations of the world will have to significantly decrease their greenhouse gas emissions to keep climate risks manageable, and so far, the global response has fallen far short of meeting this challenge."