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At the Nov. 4 Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting, symbolic proclamations, vulgar humor and self-congratulation shared the dais with weightier matters\u2014from homelessness management to executive salary hikes.<\/p>\n
Veterans Day Proclamation Ignores Federal Cuts in Services to Vets<\/p>\n
District 2 Supervisor Garry Bredefeld sponsored a proclamation declaring Nov. 11 Veterans Day in Fresno County. Veterans Day is a federal holiday, so it was unclear why this proclamation was necessary, other than to afford Bredefeld the opportunity to boast, as he does regularly, that he worked at the Fresno VA Hospital for 27 years\u2014as a psychologist.<\/p>\n
After making patronizing remarks in personal terms rather than on behalf of the County (e.g., \u201cI extend my gratitude for their service\u201d), and following Director of Department of Social Services Sanja Bugay\u2019s comments on the tens of thousands of veterans accessing County services, Bredefeld said that he \u201curged veterans to find out about services on offer,\u201d failing to mention that the Trump administration has curtailed or plans to curtail such services nationally, including cuts to staffing and funding.<\/p>\n
While paying lip service to veterans, Bredefeld managed to focus on himself and ignore the Trump\/MAGA Republican threats to veterans\u2019 well-being.<\/p>\n
In a related agenda item, the Board voted unanimously to eliminate vehicle-entrance fees for veterans at all county-managed parks. Camping fees are to be reduced as well.<\/p>\n
Bredefeld and Supervisor Nathan Magsig (District 5) sponsored this proposal, and again, the spotlight was on Bredefeld, who was effusive about recognizing \u201cthe sacrifice and blood\u201d of veterans.<\/p>\n
Magsig said that \u201cwe have to constantly celebrate veterans for allowing our freedoms and liberties.\u201d Mendes was \u201ctotally in favor\u201d of the proposal. Again, no mention of the MAGA Republican cuts to veterans\u2019 services. But now in Fresno County, vets can camp for a reduced fee.<\/p>\n
Sikh Heritage Month<\/p>\n
District 3 Supervisor Luis Chavez brought a proclamation declaring November \u201cSikh Heritage Month.\u201d Gurminder Sangha, an administrator at Madera City College, was present along with Sikh colleagues to accept the proclamation. Supervisors Mendes and Magsig made ostensibly flattering comments: Magsig said \u201cyou are all leaders, you all lead with humility,\u201d and Mendes said he \u201chad a lot of Sikh friends\u201d and that \u201cthe women\u201d are very \u201celegant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chavez acknowledged the large Sikh community in Fresno, noting that they began immigrating here about 100 years ago, not just in the aftermath of the 1984 genocidal attacks on Sikhs in Punjab and other sites in India, perpetrated by Hindus said to be avenging the murder of Indira Gandhi.<\/p>\n
County to Manage Homelessness Programs<\/p>\n
The Board unanimously agreed that the County will take over administering the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) program, currently managed by Poverello House.<\/p>\n
The HUD CoC program entails the services of several nonprofits and local government agencies to manage homelessness. The 2024 HUD CoC program grant award of $14,265,782 to the FMCoC is to support a variety of services and programs, such as supportive housing, street outreach and the like; there was no suggestion that this federal funding had been pulled back by Trump.<\/p>\n
Joined by Deputy CAO Amina Flores Becker, Dylan McCully, the County\u2019s homelessness manager, gave a presentation and explained that there would be a transition period as duties switched from Poverello House to the County. In answer to a question from District 1 Supervisor Brian Pacheco, Becker said that the change, per a subcommittee that studied the matter, would be \u201cin the interests of the County,\u201d and would entail \u201cstrengthened accountability, alignment across systems of care and administrative consistency.\u201d Becker acknowledged risks such as increased workload, exposure to liability and compliance issues.<\/p>\n
No one spoke explicitly about issues facing Poverello House, such as the Trump administration\u2019s arbitrary and abrupt termination of its federal funding.<\/p>\n
Board comments included Magsig\u2019s, who touted the \u201cmany fantastic nonprofits helping with homelessness\u201d (reflecting an anti-government preference for charities in this role) even amid \u201cdisappearing resources\u201d (a euphemism for revocation of government funding). Chavez acknowledged \u201crisks\u201d but said that there was \u201cno choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ag Report for 2024<\/p>\n
Agricultural Commissioner Melissa Cregan presented highlights of the 2024 Crop and Livestock Report. Fresno County is again the No. 1 agricultural region in the world, a position determined by revenue generated; this year\u2019s total gross production value was more than $9 billion.<\/p>\n
The No. 1 crop was almonds, at $1.45 billion; grapes were second and pistachios third. Top export destinations were Mexico and South Korea.<\/p>\n
Many impromptu comments were made about owing much to \u201cfarmworkers,\u201d the men and women in the fields who \u201cmake it all possible.\u201d But no one broached the subject of ICE abducting workers from the fields. That the comments were impromptu and made by several people seemed to reflect anxiety over workers\u2019 vulnerability to abduction by ICE, but no one explicitly mentioned it.<\/p>\n
Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen was present to call Fresno County the \u201cfood capital of the nation\u201d and noted that California was home to nine of the 10 top agricultural regions in the world. However, he cautioned that \u201cgood numbers\u201d were not a sign of \u201chealth,\u201d and said that 2024 had been a \u201cgood water year,\u201d while future years were unpredictable.<\/p>\n
He and others throughout the discussion expressed a sense of victimization: \u201cForces outside don\u2019t want us to do ag,\u201d he lamented without offering details. He was likely referring to state attempts to manage severe water shortages, interpreted by agribusiness as an act of hostility.<\/p>\n
During the discussion, Mendes delighted in scatological witticisms: prices of some products discussed went from \u201creally shitty\u201d to \u201ckind of shitty,\u201d he said, grinning and looking around to see who else was smiling.<\/p>\n
When the subject of manure as an agricultural product came up, Chavez asked if manure was a crop\u2014\u201cWho eats that?\u201d he said. Mendes saw his chance for another riposte: \u201cWe are fed a lot of those sandwiches all the time!\u201d Only Chavez laughed, and Mendes grinned, looking pleased with himself.<\/p>\n
Self-described \u201ccity boy\u201d Bredefeld called the numbers \u201ceye-popping\u201d and made a few patronizing remarks before getting to what he really wanted to talk about: solar farms were \u201ceating up ag land,\u201d something he frowned upon.<\/p>\n
The Board got \u201ca lot of requests\u201d for such uses, he told Cregan, asking her if she would like to \u201caddress\u201d the issue. Effectively calling out Bredefeld\u2019s rhetorical move, Cregan\u2019s answer was a wry, \u201cOh, you want to drag me into politics!\u201d<\/p>\n
Bredefeld\u2019s disingenuous reply was, \u201cI was just curious,\u201d and he suggested that solar farms would interfere with big crop profits. Cregan explained that water availability is a bigger concern, and \u201cif we had all the water we needed,\u201d she would probably be against solar farms, \u201cbut that\u2019s not the case,\u201d and building on land where there is no water lets family farmers stay in business, she said.<\/p>\n
Next, Bredefled wanted to tout his copper-wire ordinance, enacted a few months earlier, intended to prevent theft of the wire found on farm equipment\u2014was that having an effect for farmers? Cregan said that it\u2019s not an issue her department gets reports on; those go to the Sheriff\u2019s Office. With that, Bredefeld\u2019s attempt to hijack the discussion was kaput.<\/p>\n
Pacheco praised Cregan\u2019s remarks about solar farms and reiterated that they are \u201cgoing in on those marginal grounds that don\u2019t have the water\u201d and that they provide \u201canother source of revenue\u201d for farmers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re always No. 1 when we have water,\u201d he said, expressing appreciation of Cregan\u2019s remarks about the volatility of water availability.<\/p>\n
Pacheco then broached the subject of Trump\u2019s interference in the ag business, noting that when \u201cthe President\u201d said he\u2019d import Argentinian beef, \u201cthe beef market plummets for two weeks.\u201d Then Trump \u201cgoes to China, and our feed prices go up.\u201d Trump starts a tariff war with Canada, and \u201cour milk price plummets.\u201d To Cregan he said that \u201cyou\u2019re accurate\u201d about volatility\u2014it\u2019s not only year to year, it\u2019s \u201cday to day\u201d\u2014but he referred to more than water.<\/p>\n
Mendes blamed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) for a lack of water, again interpreting the water-conservation rules as an act of hostility; he resented that farmers are \u201cheld to the actual pumping they can do,\u201d per SGMA mandates, which require that local agencies create sustainability plans to stop overdraft and maintain a balance between pumping and replenishment.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of coastal people don\u2019t want us to even farm!\u201d he complained, whining that \u201cthey\u201d don\u2019t care \u201cas long as the grocery store is full of food.\u201d<\/p>\n
He droned on, moaning that among his Board colleagues, no one but fellow dairy farmer \u201cBrian\u201d [Pacheco] understands. Pacheco quipped that Mendes was a \u201cDebbie Downer\u201d and reiterated that \u201cwe are No. 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
Magsig\u2019s coda to the discussion evoked a few chuckles: \u201cI\u2019m really excited that eggplant has shot up in value. I love eggplant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Salary Increases for Elected County Officers<\/p>\n
The Board unanimously approved salary increases for elected department heads\u2014including the district attorney, the county clerk, the sheriff and others\u2014ranging from 18% to 38%. Riley Talford with SEIU 521 was present to object to the increases, citing recent staffing cuts and the budget deficit, and saying that employee morale would be eroded. Magsig remarked that \u201cwe are too poor to afford cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n
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