Fresno’s leaders make time for photo ops while thousands remain homeless | Opinion
Fresno’s homeless and photo ops
As I start the new year and I continue my rounds of handing out necessities to the street people in my neighborhood (i.e. caps, gloves, nail clippers, toothbrush and toothpaste, socks, umbrellas, sanitary wipes, etc) I am reminded once again of all the promises made by a certain mayor who shares my last name and a City Council more interested in re-election than serving its city.
What’s the unofficial homeless count in Fresno? Somewhere in the realm of 4,000? Emergency shelters can house maybe 1,300 on any night. Many are on wait lists just to get into them. For one night.
Transitional housing lags way behind where the city said it would be. Rehab offers are not offers. They are ultimatums.
Acute and chronic trauma are the major factors in homelessness. Poverty, job loss, domestic abuse, rental prices increasing hand over fist. These are the main factors. Drug dependency is not. But that is what everyone wants to blame. And then blame the individual for not being “accountable”.
Dyer and the City Council don’t want to end homelessness. They only wants photo-ops.
Joel S. Dyer, Fresno
Trump-Vance signs: Enough already
What happened to taking down signs after elections?
We live in San Luis Obispo, and on our drives to Fresno on the (Highway) 41 there are numerous large “Trump/Vance” signs spread across the drive.
My request: Trump won, now please take down your signs. If you had put up Harris/Walz signs, I would say, “Harris lost, now please take down your signs.”
Let’s try to get back to being humble in victory and show acceptance in defeat.
Chris Jensen, San Luis Obispo
No on latest PG&E rate hike
I strongly object to the rate hike Pacific Gas and Electric has proposed in application A.24-11-009 for the following reasons:
1) This is the 3rd or 4th time PG&E has used the excuse of wildfire mitigation to place am unnecessary burden on customers. How many times are customers going to pay for PG&E’s negligence? PG&E has failed to exercise prudent fire prevention polices, such as cutting fire breaks, clearing dead trees and maintaining fire access roads.
2) Cost recovery for billing protection during COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden administration floated a massive COVID spending bill and no one in PG&E management had the foresight to request federal funds. This demonstrates total incompetence on the part of the PG&E’s CEO.
3) Recovery of $595.5 million: Where was the watchdog CPUC and California attorney general? Please, explain how PG&E pays administrators bonuses and Investors profit-earning dividends with a $595.5 million deficit?
Robert Havay, Clovis