By keeping House closed, Speaker Johnson proves unworthy of the office | Opinion

Force Speaker Johnson out

The speaker of the House cannot be impeached, but he can be removed. The Constitution gives that authority to members of the House, who also have a duty to represent the people and keep the legislative branch working. That duty is being ignored.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has kept the House out of session for weeks, leaving the country without representation. He claims members are “working in their districts,” but their job is to debate, legislate and hold government accountable. When the House is closed, the people lose their voice in Washington.

Every representative has the power to change this situation. If 218 members gather in the chamber, the House is constitutionally in session, even without the speaker’s consent. They can conduct business and vote to remove a speaker who refuses to let them work.

That threshold is within reach. There are 213 Democrats in the House. If six Republicans joined them, they could reopen Congress and restore representation. Six members could bring the government back to life.

The framers expected the House to serve as the people’s check on power. When a speaker silences it, members must act. The authority to restore democracy exists. What is missing is the courage.

Rebecca B. Camarena, Lemoore

Firefighters need to keep watch

The recent commentary in the online Bee by Bridget E. Bean applauds success in determining who was arrested for first ignition that led to the Palisades Fire. Unfortunately, in this and other reports I have read, something big has been missed. That original 8-acre fire was thought to have been put out by a firefighting agency, but it wasn’t.

The firefighters took charge, but they didn’t put it dead out. Then the natural force of wind reignited the blaze, and much of Pacific Palisades was destroyed.

It seems firefighters should have been assigned to stay at the site until the fire was dead out. The Creek Fire and Lahaina Fire both seem to have reignited by wind after firefighters had gone away.

When firefighting agencies take charge of a fire, maybe those agencies should be responsible for a post-fire watch so that the fire will not reignite.

Richard Kangas, Selma

Yes on Prop. 50 for balanced government

Now that billionaires and businesses no longer pay taxes to support our government, they have the resources to pay bribes instead — ostensibly to the administration to destroy the East Wing of the White House and build an enormous ballroom, but we all know they expect more in return than a party invitation.

Funding a budget that restores the cuts done to SNAP, Medicaid and ACA subsidies is off the table. Not for illegal immigrants or trans surgery, as they claim, but for ordinary Americans who need this assistance. Instead, the president has ordered the suspension of Congress. They are being paid to stay home. He has ordered the Senate to not negotiate with Democrats, preventing a budget from passing. He has refused to discuss the stalemate with any Democrats, who represent more than 50% of this country, therefore keeping the government closed.

That is why we need a yes vote on Proposition 50. When red states were told to redraw their district lines to marginalize their Democratic voters, many did. Gerrymandering is not right, but it cannot be fought with just words. What we need in Washington is a balanced, functional government. This is just one step in that direction.

Jane Huffaker, Mariposa

Vote no on Prop. 50, as it is bad politics

“No” on Proposition 50. This so-called “Election Rigging Response Act” is nothing more than the politicians’ power grab.

It would scrap our independent Citizens Redistricting Commission’s fair maps for legislatively drawn ones — handpicked by Sacramento insiders. Worse, it’s already squandered over $283 million in taxpayer dollars on this special election. Powerful interest groups have spent over $150 Million ,to influence us.

Democrats cry foul over Texas GOP redistricting, yet their own party has gerrymandered congressional districts in blue states for years: Illinois, where Democrats drew a map giving them a 14-3 edge despite Biden’s 17-point win — cracking and packing GOP voters into just three seats. Maryland’s infamous gerrymander delivers Democrats 7-1, sidelining 40% of Republican votes. New York attempted a brutal map in 2022. New Jersey and Oregon followed suit, engineering lopsided advantages that mute millions. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Prop. 50 hits hardest at our growing Hispanic communities The new maps would let big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco dominate, swallowing rural and Central Valley voices where Hispanic voters thrive in small towns. It dilutes Hispanic influence, ensuring their priorities — water rights, farm jobs, border security — get drowned out by coastal elites.

David Borchardt, Fresno

Local beef is best

Is American beef not good enough? Ranchers here at home struggle with drought, land costs and the consolidation of beef processors, resulting in price controls and reduced profits. Why should big government encourage Americans to buy Argentinean beef?

Cattle grazed in California provide some of the best beef in the world. Our meat is well-marbled, grass-fed and a great source of protein. Americans don’t need to buy beef produced in other countries and we don’t need to provide Argentina with a $20 billion bailout.

The buck stops on our soil and lets keep it that way.

Chris Mathys, Fresno

The #9 Line leaves Fresno’s workers behind

Before most of Fresno wakes up, hundreds of workers wait for the first city buses. They are cafeteria staff, janitors, and other essential employees who keep our schools, offices, and neighborhoods running.

My wife is one of them. She works in food service at Fort Miller Middle School, making sure students have breakfast each morning. But since the school year began, the #9 Line has failed to arrive more than 20 times. Each missed bus makes her late, threatens her job, and adds unnecessary stress to our household.

This problem reaches far beyond one person. Many riders depend on public transit because they cannot afford a car on minimum wage. When the bus fails to show up, people lose hours, wages, and sometimes employment.

Fresno Area Express and city officials owe working residents dependable transportation. If the #9 Line is consistently unreliable, it must be reviewed, reported and corrected.

Reliable transit is not just a convenience, it is a matter of fairness and respect for the people who keep this city moving every day.

If one of the major lines has this problem they all do.

Kevin Johnston, Fresno