[Sosfbay-discuss] Wes Rolley: Where to Go? How About Fresno

[alexcathy at aol.com]

Dear Green Friends, 



In his latest post on California Greening, Wes Rolley asks a very important question: 



Why don't California Greens come out stronger about the political chaos in the Central Valley?

Posted on California Greening, October 1, 2009.

Where to go? How about Fresno? 

by Wes Rolley
 


I have been told that it is a waste of time for Greens to try and
organize in the Central Valley, that we need to build on the areas
where we have the most electoral success, already have some recognized
politicians and are more likely to be be able to tap local money.


 
I want you to read the complete picture of Fresno in this Alternet published piece by Mark Ames.
It will give you a very different view of the Central Valley than you
get from Coastal megalopolis TV news. Ames manages to combine the
background of a workplace shooting and the appearance of Sean Hannity
and make sense of it… well as much sense as the two situations
allowed...



I would like to add links to stories in support of Wes. 



 
In Northern California the defection of Fresno State Assemblyman 
Juan Arambula 
from the Democratic caucus. This was reported in the Fresno Bee at the height of the state budget crisis -- none of the big shot "liberal" pundits in Los Angeles or San Francisco noticed it. 



 In Southern California staggering rates of foreclosures in
traditionally One-Party Republican San Bernardino and Riverside
Counties. A recent article in the Los Angel
es Times by 

Peter Y. Hong
noted that "In August, foreclosures accounted for 57% of sales in San
Bernardino County, though that figure was down from a peak of 69.3% in
April. Foreclosures constituted 50.7% of Riverside County sales in
August, down from 71.2% in January."



 
That's not all.  An article in the 

Temecula Valley News
reported that a county-commissioned study found "the Inland Empire’s
housing boom put the area 'in an unsustainable trajectory,' leading to
artificially high home prices that barely one-fifth of the region’s
residents could afford using conventional loan products... The collapse
in the housing market and in housing activity is one of the main
factors behind the sharp deterioration of the county’s economy." In
other words, because so much of Riverside County's overall economic
activity was based on the housing bubble that even the anemic
"recovery" is likely to leave this traditionally Republican territory
in deep doodoo for years. They even used the magic word "unsustainable"
to describe Riverside County's so-called conservative status quo. 


Meanwhile, part of Riverside County is represented in the State Senate by the Honorable 

Dennis Hollingsworth
whose principle claim to fame is his enthusiasm for Proposition 22 and
Proposition 8. Folks in Riverside might not have homes, jobs, or water
to drink, but they can sleep well under bridges unthreatened by gay
marriage! 

 Alas, our Los Angeles "liberals" and our Los Angeles
"libertarians" are too busy obsessing ov
er Barack Obama, foreign
affairs, and the "culture war" incited by demagogues like
Hollingsworth to recognize an historic opportunity to break the
Republican Party Machines.



 
READ MORE AND COMMENT ON WES ROLLEY'S POST AT:

http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2009/10/where-to-go-how-about-fresno.html  












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