By Mike Rhodes I meet a lot of lawyers who work on social and economic justice issues but have never met one quite like Paul Henry Abram. Abram, who lives in Bass Lake and has an art gallery in [...] Continue Reading
Economy
Prisoners and Shadows Draining Like Slow Water: On the Film Cesar Chavez
By Leonard Adame I’d never heard of Cesar Chavez when I was 15 and driving bobtails stacked with cherry tomatoes from Dinuba to Orange Cove. I was happy the little truck had a radio and often [...] Continue Reading
Fresno Housing Authority Votes to Comply with the Brown Act
By Mike Rhodes On March 19, the Fresno Housing Authority (FHA) board of directors voted on a by-law change, bringing them into compliance with the Brown Act. The board voted that the public has the [...] Continue Reading
What Do They Have to Hide?
Why did the Fresno Housing Authority at its Board Meeting on Jan. 22, 2014, prevent a Community Alliance representative from recording the meeting? I was at this meeting when Preston Prince, [...] Continue Reading
Local Efforts to Stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership
By Stan Santos President Obama Comes to Fresno On Feb. 14, President Barack Obama arrived at the Fresno Airport aboard Air Force One accompanied by Rep. Jim Costa (D–Fresno). Hundreds of Fresno [...] Continue Reading
Letters to the Editor – March 2014
Letter Read at Rhodes Farewell Dinner I am sorry that I could not be at this event (see above) to honor Mike Rhodes, but I did want to send a few words about him and what he has meant for journalism. [...] Continue Reading
The Fresno State Sweatshop Connection
By Andrea Wilson When we see a piece of clothing—or any item in a store for that matter—we usually don’t think about its origins. We should. Production is not completely automated. Specialized [...] Continue Reading
Inequality!
By Yezdyar Kaoosji The economic reports, books, documentaries, columnists, talking heads and self-proclaimed pundits are juggling cold statistics and jabbering away about “inequality” of resources in [...] Continue Reading
Farmworkers: The Ignored and Marginalized
By Chucho Mendoza Pineda As National Farmworker Awareness Week approaches this month, we must make an honest attempt to shed light on the reality of these human beings. When it comes to addressing [...] Continue Reading
Forum Sets New Course for Local Politics
By Michael D. Evans The Fresno Partnership shook up the local political world on Jan. 25 with a Candidate Forum for candidates in Fresno City Council Districts 1 and 7. The forum was unprecedented [...] Continue Reading
Occupy Fresno: “Viva Liberté, Viva America!”
By Chip Ashley Mike Rhodes was walking by Courthouse Park on Dec. 12 and noticed Occupy Fresno was no longer there. On closer inspection he saw a notice taped to one of the columns of the “gazebo,” [...] Continue Reading
The 20 Percent Only Society
By James L. Rodgers As John Q. Adams said, “Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself as there never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” It can [...] Continue Reading