A letter to our supporters
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VOTE. Then celebrate with us!
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An open letter to Fresno voters
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Fresno Democrats – Biased Poll Closure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2018
Fresno Poll Closure Feeds Bias
fresno—The Fresno Bee recently reported that the Fresno County Registrar’s Office officially closed and reassigned the polling place at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno. County officials claim the reason was that the church has a banner displayed on its property that reads “Black Lives Matter.”
By the county’s own admission, that banner does not violate any election laws, and yet the church still lost polling place status. The county’s FAQ Web site says that displaying a message of “Down With Liberals” would be perfectly acceptable as it doesn’t “advocate voting for or against a particular candidate or measure,” and yet the simple statement that “Black Lives Matter” is somehow more political and more objectionable. Moreover, the UU Church sign is well outside the 100-foot zone for restricted campaign activity.
According to Jordan Scott, the public information officer for Fresno County, the banner was discouraging people from coming to the polls and making them uncomfortable casting their vote on issues. The county said it had received calls indicating the sign made people feel threatened. In this case, the group receiving government protection is clearly those who feel Black lives should not matter.
“What a contradiction,” said Michael D. Evans, chair of the Fresno County Democratic Party. “In the current bizarre world of duplicitous doublespeak, this is somehow OK? A live person wearing a ‘Down With Liberals’ t-shirt or a ‘MAGA’ hat is far more threatening and intimidating than a sign that is not even close to a polling site.”
The polling site was moved to another, presumably less objectionable, church nearby. The objection to merely seeing the statement “Black Lives Matter” is inherently racist, and closing the polling place over those objections is an endorsement of the worst aspects in our society. It is not only voter suppression but also democracy suppression.
The Fresno County Registrar’s Office owes our community an apology and should prioritize First Amendment considerations in future polling site decisions.
People have the power. Vote on Nov. 6.
The Fresno County Democratic Party can be reached at 559-495-0606 or dems@fresnocountydemocrats.org.
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110318-FCDCC-Press-Release.pdfFresno Democrats: Yes on P, No to Fear
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2018
Yes on P, No to Fear
fresno—Fresno’s public parks need help. The Trust for Public Land has rated Fresno’s parks dead last or near last among the country’s 100 largest cities for the past five years. But congratulations, in 2018 we managed to be only the 94th worse. Obviously, something needs to change. Measure P’s 3/8-cent sales tax would go a long way to restoring our parks, allowing for greater community engagement, outdoor safety and improved property values.
In the last few weeks before the Nov. 6 election, a crop of blue signs has sprouted across Fresno, shouting against Measure P. A close look at the small print on the bottom of the sign shows it was paid for by Fresnans for a Safer Community.
You might rightly ask what a funding increase to improve park maintenance has to do with decreasing public safety, and the answer is, of course, nothing. Indeed, it is the opposite. Measure P would not mean a single cent reduction in police funding and in fact would result in further funds for park safety.
“Measure P has broad bipartisan support,” says Michael D. Evans, chair of the Fresno County Democratic Party. “Former mayors Alan Autry and Ashley Swearengin are supporting the measure, and it is hard to believe that anyone in our community would oppose improving our parks.”
Despite the overwhelming need and the obvious benefit to our city of having a good parks system, the current mayor, Lee Brand, opposes Measure P. That shows an absence of leadership and sends the wrong message to our community.
Why is Brand opposing Measure P? Because public safety advocates oppose it. And how did that happen? The mayor wanted a ballot measure that would jointly address funding for public safety and parks. However, the two factions were unable to come to an agreement on how that would work.
As a result, the parks proponents went to the voters, gathering more than 30,000 signatures to get their initiative on the ballot. The proponents of a public safety tax did not do that. They were outworked and now, apparently out of spite, are opposing the parks measure.
Moreover, for reasons not fully explained, the city inadvertently left out some important wording from the approved description of Measure P for the voter handbook. That language should include “improving park safety; improving accessibility for persons with disabilities; updating and maintaining playgrounds and restrooms; improving youth and veteran job training; improving after school programs and beautifying roadways.”
“Cities are defined by their quality of life,” notes Evans. “And a good park system is a strong indicator of a city’s livability. For far too long, we have failed to provide adequate parks for residents south of Shaw Avenue. Measure P can remedy that.”
Measure P is needed. Without public spaces to tie our communities together, the city deteriorates. When children don’t have safe places to play, they hang out somewhere else and are exposed to less savory influences. If we do not commit funds to maintenance, parks can fall apart leading to injuries. For years, our community has let this problem grow. Now we have the chance to step up and fix it. Vote Yes on Measure P.
People have the power. Vote on Nov. 6.
The Fresno County Democratic Party can be reached at 559-495-0606 or dems@fresnocountydemocrats.org.
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