‘Blood boiling’: Fresno residents outraged at supervisors’ library vote | Opinion
Great harm done by supervisors
“Library staff blocked from Fresno Pride event by majority of county supervisors,” (fresnobee.com, May 12)
A majority of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors just voted to stop allowing the library to participate at the Fresno Rainbow Pride Festival, even though the organizers waived the $125 booth fee.
During the public comments at the board’s meeting May 12, Supervisor Garry Bredefeld made his homophobic prejudices clear with a large sign he dramatically placed on his desk as rage bait. Community members, church leaders and LGBTQ+ organizations and their members stayed calm. But as a mother and grandmother with LGBTQ+ people in my family, Bredefeld’s behavior and subsequent vote to withhold information and public services for just one group gets my blood boiling.
LGBTQ+ people and their families and loved ones are taxpayers and community members, too. I wish Bredefeld and his colleagues on the board would consider the greater harm done by sending messages of invalidation to LGBTQ+ people, their loved ones and those who take this as license to bully, terrorize and deny them access to services.
Andrea Farber-De Zubiria
Fresno
Bredefeld’s shocking behavior
“Library staff blocked from Fresno Pride event by majority of county supervisors,” (fresnobee.com, May 12)
At Tuesday’s Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Garry Bredefeld disregarded professional decorum and used profanity when discussing the involvement of public libraries in Pride events. Many of us do not want our children exposed to this language in public spaces.
I am concerned that Bredefeld is using these meetings to indoctrinate our children into a profane and rule-breaking ideology — encouraging behaviors that many of us consider immoral and deviant.
Bredefeld also knowingly broke the Board of Supervisors’ rule prohibiting signs in the meeting room. Any other citizen of Fresno County would have been ejected from the meeting for displaying a sign. By flaunting the “No Indoctrination of our Children” sign that he hid behind during the meeting, Bredefeld was, in effect, saying that rules don’t apply to elected officials and that there are no repercussions for misuse of power.
Rev. Tim Kutzmark
Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno
A service-oriented candidate
“Fresno City Council District 1 primary guide and candidates,” (fresnobee.com, April 24)
I have been a resident of District 1 for over 60 years. I’ve resided in the Tower District since I was a young paperboy. I am voting for Monte Forkas for Fresno’s 1st City Council District.
Fresno faces real challenges — from basic needs to upgrading infrastructure, housing affordability, public safety, homelessness and the city’s growing deficit. We need a leader who can work with others to find practical solutions that do not leave people or neighborhoods behind.
Forkas was raised in a working-class Central Valley family. He learned early the importance of hard work, service and respect for others. Those values continue to guide him today.
Daniel Renteria
Fresno
Benefits of an EV
“E-bike injuries rise among children in Fresno County,” (fresnobee.com, May 7)
As communities across the country grapple with rising fuel costs, air pollution and the growing impacts of Global Warming, one solution is becoming increasingly clear: the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.
Electric cars offer a cleaner, more sustainable alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles. By producing zero tailpipe emissions, they reduce air pollution and improve public health, especially in urban areas where smog and poor air quality disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.
Owning an electric car is not just a personal choice. It is a meaningful step toward a more sustainable future. By embracing this technology, we can reduce our dependence on carbon dioxide polluting fossil fuels, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to a healthier planet for future generations.
Ron Sadler
Fresno