Does anyone else find it a bit wasteful that the cities must spend taxpayer money to make and post signs explaining that road projects are being funded by Measure L tax funds? Yeah, the signs are an actual requirement of Measure L but it’s a costly one. In fact the grand jury a while back chided Ceres and other cities for not posting the required signage at locations where work is being done.

The recent list of warrants approved by the Ceres City Council included $440.71 for signs. Does anyone even read those signs or remember what Measure L was about?

Seems like all that information doesn’t need to be on a sign, but could be included rather cost-free on the city website.

* * * * *

Members of the Ceres Planning Commission get paid a stipend of $80 per month. Stipends are typically a half-hearted effort to pay volunteers some money to offset the inconvenience of their time. Two meetings are supposed to occur each month with an extra one thrown in because of the way the calendar breaks. But due to a lack of business, out of the 25 regular meetings, the commission only met 12 times in 2023.

Just saying.

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Let’s say that your spouse has a shopping addiction and the latest is adding, oh, let’s say $25,000 on credit cards. Plus said spouse just went to the dealership and bought a new car that far exceeds the family budget. Let’s say this has been happening time and time again.

You might consider filing for bankruptcy after divorcing said spouse.

The spouse in this case are the Democrats in Sacramento.

This time they’ve run up $37.9 billion on the credit cards. It’s time for the voter to divorce this careless spending spouse, wouldn’t you say?

Understand that figure is not $37.9 million. That is $37.9 BILLION! A billion dollars is a million dollars times 1,000. Multiply that times 40 and you get an idea of how deep of a hole the state is projected to be in.

This is the epitome of fiscal irresponsibility. But how can you expect voters who are also irresponsible with credit debt from voting any other way.

It’s funny how the news of such a fiscal failure on Newsom’s watch is being interpreted from those in his party.

First, look at what James Gallagher, Assembly Republican leader said: “After years of ignoring Republican warnings about unsustainable spending, legislative Democrats and Gavin Newsom now have to deal with a massive deficit. It’s time to bring California’s budget under control, but not through accounting gimmicks or cuts to education. Our government needs to get back to basics and stop wasting tax dollars on an ineffective and unaccountable bureaucracy.”

Vince Fong, a Republican who is vice chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee said: “Years of out of control spending by the governor and the legislative Democrats have added billions of dollars of new ongoing costs. Until the governor takes control of the unsustainable spending, it is premature to tap the Rainy Day Fund.

“Instead of solving the deficit, the governor continues to wage a war on California’s energy sector causing Californians to pay higher gas prices. Water infrastructure is desperately needed, yet not a drop of new water storage has been added. 

“It is time for the governor to heed our call for a special session and declare a fiscal emergency. Waiting will not absolve him of his lack of preparation, and will only cause more harm to the most vulnerable Californians.”

Contrast that with what Democrat Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel said: “The Assembly will carefully examine the governor’s budget – including key investments in housing, education and climate – while remaining vigilant about potential shifts in revenue. Our budget subcommittees are ready to quickly begin their work with a focus on oversight, accountability, and protecting our most vulnerable Californians.”

Let’s be clear, legislators are not considering the taxpayer as the “most vulnerable Californian.” They mean kowtowing to their fringe special-interest groups.

State Senator Anna Caballero (who represented Ceres before redistricting), said: “The state of California is prepared to face this year’s difficult budgetary challenges with discipline and resolve. With record reserves and sensible budgeting, I am cautiously optimistic that we can avoid cuts to the core programs that so many Californians rely on.”

Spending down reserves is dangerous because the state hasn’t shown it wants to solve the problem of spending beyond its means. And isn’t it a sad when the state has allowed so many to “rely on” them – and I don’t mean K-8 students.

Caballero continues: “We will certainly need to tighten our belts, but I appreciate the governor’s commitment to protect the progress we have made over the last decade.”

In other words, the state will continue to waste billions on the climate scare and won’t back-peddle on offering “free” healthcare to border jumpers that will cost taxpayers $3.1 billion per year.

He’s also proposing to balance the budget using internal borrowing and deferrals. Newsom will play the shift and defer game, kicking the can down the road instead of drawing a line in the sand and saying “we shall not spend any more than we bring in, period.” But that would cost votes, wouldn’t it?

Newsom aims to take $13 billion from the Rainy Day Fund. That brings the deficit down to $24.9 billion. He also wants to make $8.5 billion in some cuts but delay some previously proposed spending, including $1 billion for transit and intercity rail, roughly half a billion dollars in early education facilities and $400 million in clean energy spending.

With his back to the wall, Newsom appears to be back peddling on the minimum-wage hike for healthcare workers because that would add a whopping number to the deficit. He also is whistling a different tune about requiring corporations to disclose their carbon emissions. But his willingness to cut back on climate program spending may only because Biden may have the U.S. taxpayer bailout the state.

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There was a time when criminals were expected to be treated like criminals. We once put up mugshots of wanted suspects in our post offices. Stores would post Polaroid photos of those caught in the act of stealing so the clerk would recognize them if they ever tried it again.

But progressives are working overtime to protect criminals from the consequences of their actions.

I’d expect this in liberal Canada where police are warning folks not to post videos of porch pirates on social media, saying “we have a presumption of innocence and posting that picture could be a violation of private life.”

So let’s get this straight. A person comes onto my porch, takes my package and walks off with it and we’re concerned about violating their personal life? Why are progressives concerned with keeping thieves from suffering the consequences of their lawlessness?

This same kind of “protect the criminals” crap came from our state Legislature in 2021 when Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) authored AB 1475 to make it illegal for our law enforcement to release mugshots of suspects on their social media sites unless specified circumstances exist. Some police agencies believed that the law prevented them from supplying mugshots to newspapers.

I called out this horrible legislation in August 2021. Our publisher spoke to a representative of Low’s office and clarified that his bill didn’t prevent police from releasing mugshots of arrestees to newspapers. We were told the Sheriff’s Department can release photos – and for a time they did.

But when I asked for a mugshot of a suspect weeks ago, I was turned down. This time the Public Information Officer referenced the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department which stated it wouldn’t release mugshots.

Apparently there was some addition to the law that kicked in on Jan. 1 that forbids a police agency to transmit mugshots to the media via email. So it’s illegal to email such a photo but okay to print one out and allow the media to pick one up?  Ridiculous, is that? It’s not your imagination the Democrats are making it hard on our police and easier on criminals.

* * * * *

The voters of the 13th Congressional District will be deciding if John Duarte goes back to Congress or if his 2022 foe, Democrat Adam Gray should.

Gray thinks he can pull it off this time. In the last election Gray lost to Duarte by 564 votes.

You have to laugh at the exaggeration when it comes to fundraising efforts. A Jan. 4 fundraising email from Adam Gray’s campaign titled, “Can’t take on extremists without your support” read: “With your help we can take on the extremists in Congress and bring back a government that works for you.

“The momentum is on our side this year. We are going to defeat John Duarte and his right wing buddies and deliver real leadership to the Valley. – Adam”

I wonder what makes Republicans “extremists” in the mind of Gray? Trying to get federal overspending under control? Trying to stop the tide of illegal immigrants now sleeping on our streets? Supporting law and order and funding for police? Protecting the lives of unborn children? Adopting an America first policy? Making our country energy independent by drilling here?

If that’s being an “extremist,” call me an extremist too.

But keep in mind that Duarte has disappointed a lot of conservatives who believe Duarte has sold out on the subject of restricting abortion and failure to secure the border.

This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or 209 Multimedia Corporation.  How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com