Badlands Journal

Politics in this part of California is mean and stupid. State Sen. Dean Florez, hailed by the anti-asthma activists as the hero who expanded the San Joaquin Valley air board to include three more city council members, a doctor and a health professional, called for the abolition of the state Department of Food and Agriculture on Tuesday. Florez comes from Wasco, deep in the Westlands Water District, but the Farm Bureau has opposed all his efforts to expand the air board and curb air pollution in the worst part of the worst air basin in the nation. So, Florez, chair of the state Senate Agriculture Committee, proposed Tuesday to abolish the state agency with oversight over the farms and ranches of the fifth most agriculturally productive political jurisdiction in the world.

In April he proposed permitting federally recognized tribes to automatically cancel a Williamson Act contract on land that they acquire.

In the midst of the worst dairy crisis in a generation, he is pushing a bill to benefit seven dairies and further weaken the price of the state fluid milk pool.

Florez is running for Lt. Governor in 2010. His Republican opponent is state Sen. Jeff Denham, from Merced County.

Merced County Supervisor Mike Nelson, a big shot in the local Republican Party who serves on the Valley air board, and Florez are locked in a number-one contest over Nelson’s remarks concerning the testimony at the last air-board meeting of one Ms. Sharp, a critic of our lousy air quality and the perpetual obfuscation of our air board. This contest has been fomented by air quality activists within the district.

Nelson said: I was going to give Mr. Abernathy a standing ovation after his comments but Dr. Forman, you do have a valid point. If we don’t listen and work together we won’t get it and that’s good for me to remember too because honestly when folks like Sarah get up here and others I tend to tune you out because as it says right here on our agenda front page, the Governing Board depends on the credibility of witnesses and the veracity of testimony, the truthfulness of testimony given here, and often times when people come up here I don’t think they are telling the truth, so that’s it. 

Egged on by the anti-asthma tribe, Florez felt called upon to remonstrate with a strong local supporter of his upcoming opponent for statewide office, instructing Nelson that impugning the integrity and veracity of critics is bad public policy.

Right.

Activists feigning skins as thin as a dowager empress's get news of the terrible insult to countless media outlets including the Merced Sun-Star, which interviews Nelson, who says he was quoted out of context. The Sun-Star doctors Nelson’s comment to prove his point. Meanwhile, Nelson “composes” a response to Florez, although we suspect the hand of the redoubtable executive director of the air board, Seyed “The Mendacious” Sadredin, in every line. The response indicates Florez is full of the well known substance. That afternoon at a Merced County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Nelson muttered contemptuously about Florez’ intent to abolish the state Department of Food and Agriculture.  The following day, Florez replies to Nelson that  Nelson is full of the well known substance.

On Thursday there is to be a demonstration of anti-air pollution activists against Nelson in front of the Fresno offices of the Valley air board.

Finance, insurance and real estate (FIRE) is laughing at the Valley destroying itself in this side show as Florez and his opponent’s surrogate compete for FIRE bribes. The problem with the Valley is the problem with the nation: it wasted resources and now the price must be paid. The lazy political class of California, particularly in the Valley, has an easy answer to who must pay the most: the most vulnerable and fastest growing class in the San Joaquin Valley.

Mean and stupid.