Congressman McClintock, restore staff and services at Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of California's most valuable public assets economically, ecologically, and culturally. Recent executive decisions have led to significant staff layoffs and service reductions, disrupting park operations and putting local communities at risk.
These cuts impact more than just tourism. They affect jobs, small businesses, and regional stability, particularly in areas that rely on visitor traffic and park accessibility. In light of this, the lack of timely, proactive engagement from Congressman Tom McClintock is concerning.
Strong leadership is critical when national resources and local economies are both on the line. It is the duty of elected officials to safeguard public lands and ensure they remain supported, accessible, and well-maintained for future generations.
Constituents and concerned Californians should contact Rep. McClintock at (202) 225-2511 to demand swift, concrete action to restore staffing and services at Yosemite.
Lauren Gonzalez-Perez, Lynwood
Clovis residents need to question the actions lately taken by the Clovis City Council because of the main issues its members seem to fight for, like LGBTQ books at the Clovis Library, sanctuary and immigration laws, teenage trans athletes and other issues. Many Clovis resident seem to not know what is transpiring or not care. We see this when it is time to vote.
I think the cty of Clovis has more pressing problems, like housing, school lunches, utility prices, Marjorie Center, overcrowding and the list goes on.
What should the role of the City Council be? What concerns most Clovis residents? Are our streets safe for children walking or riding their bikes to school every day?
There is no doubt Clovis a is one of the most desirable cities in California, but I think residents need to decide what kind of city they want and are the most important issues facing it today.
Steven Trevino Jr., Clovis
I'm not so old that I have forgotten the halcyon days when public officials, appointed and elected, at every level of government took their bribes behind closed doors in smoke-filled rooms.
Now, it is perfectly acceptable to solicit and receive bribes in the open, in front of everyone. And no one seems to care.
What a country.
Jim Doyle, Fresno
Did you know there are hundreds of clean energy projects slated to happen in the Central Valley from IRA investments? But if the Senate passes the reconciliation Bill without the clean energy tax credits, we stand to lose thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in the Valley alone.
The investments spurred by clean energy tax credits will go a long way toward improving our air, controlling electricity rates and stabilizing our climate chaos. Cuts will hurt many of us if they become law.
A rollback of tax credits for home upgrades like rooftop solar would also be a blow to all of us who've been using these tools to cut energy bills. Incentives have made it easier for homeowners to install solar panels, save money, and even help stabilize America's power grid. But those benefits — and the local businesses that depend on them — are in jeopardy if Congress moves forward with these cuts.
Throughout the country, Republican-led districts are especially benefiting from investments in manufacturing, solar, wind, hydrogen fuel and battery storage projects. But there is pressure to vote along party lines. Call or email your senators. Ask them to work harder across the aisle to help constituents.
Andrea Farber De Zubiria. Fresno
Now I have to say I'm confused: Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her used artificial intelligence to make up some accusations against others. Is this a new skill FUSD will be teaching our children — how to use the plagiarism-generation machine to create fake documentation of crimes that never happened?
How can we expect this woman to lead our children in their education when she cannot even follow the most basic instructions for writing in FUSD, which are 'Cite Your Sources' and 'Don't Plagiarize'?
Why would we want to send our children to schools where the administration are purposefully and maliciously being defiant against the teachers they love and trust to teach them?
Washington, D.C. may be a circus right now, it doesn't mean we have to follow suit. Shape up, FUSD — the parents and future teachers are watching you.
Kathleen Osle Eugene. Fresno
The longer and warmer days bring more traveling. Freedom comes with following laws.
When I was 16 in 1992, I was hit by a drunken driver. Medical care and therapy in the Bay Area and Central Valley made up half of my teenage life. After three decades, I communicate with a deep tone, read lips, cannot drive and I walk unsteadily.
Look at the results of the Independence Day weekend maximum enforcement period for 2023 and 2024: CHP made 1,224 DUI arrests in 2023 and 1,336 DUI arrests in 2024. Drivers, please make DUI arrests come down this year.
Anyone's independence can be ruined if you drive drunk. Many holidays are coming. Memories of a crash, injuries or even death caused from drunken driving will haunt your future.
Foods and drinks are part of the fun. Taking Highway 33 to head home from a festivity? Planning to drink? Go ahead, but don't forget to have a sober person drive you if you become drunk. This certainly shows your pride for freedom and people will admire your safety. Freedom and safety go hand in hand.
Lori Martin, Tracy
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Scott Bessent Accuses Gavin Newsom of Threatening 'Tax Evasion'
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In late-May, President Donald Trump threatened to pull "large scale federal funding" from the Golden State unless it bars transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. Bessent's remarks come amid ongoing tensions between federal, state, and local authorities as protests continue in Los Angeles, which were sparked following immigration raids during which police followed the Trump administration's directives to arrest people. Some protesters have thrown rocks at officers, with one allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail, and burning items in the streets. Agents have used tear gas on the crowds. The clashes highlight deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and deployed the National Guard against local leaders wishes. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Inset: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in West Hollywood, California, on March 26. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Inset: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in West Hollywood, California, on March 26. Photo by Corine Solberg/Sipa USA/Aaron Schwartz/AP Images What To Know On Friday, Newsom shared a screenshot of a CNN article on X, formerly Twitter, about the Trump administration's potential move to cut federal funding to the state, writing, "Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off." Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 6, 2025 His post followed a CNN report that the Trump administration is targeting California's public university system over alleged antisemitism on campus. The administration has already taken similar action against Harvard University. California is the most populous state in the country with over 39 million people. It leads all the states in federal tax collection, with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reporting that California contributed around $806 billion to total IRS collections in the 2024 fiscal year, which is about 15 percent of the national total. A recent analysis by the Rockefeller Institute of Government found the state contributed $83.1 billion more in federal taxes in 2022 than it received back. In response to the governor, Bessent, who oversees the IRS, wrote in an X post on Sunday: "Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion. His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes." Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion. His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes. (1/3) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) June 8, 2025 In a follow up post, he wrote: "I am certain most California businesses know that failing to pay taxes owed to the Treasury constitutes tax evasion and have no intention of following the dangerous path Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening." In a third post, the treasury secretary called the governor's comments "extremely reckless." Federal law defines a willful attempt to evade or defeat federal taxes as a felony under United States law. The public clash comes as Newsom is sparring with Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over deployment of the National Guard, and potentially active-military Marines, following protests in California sparked over federal immigration enforcement operations. Hegseth wrote in a Saturday evening post on X that in addition to mobilizing guards, nearby Marines may also be called upon, writing, "And, if violence continues, active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert." What People Are Saying White House spokesperson Kush Desai told CNN in a Friday statement: "No taxpayer should be forced to fund the demise of our country," in regard to certain California policies related to energy and immigration. "No final decisions, however, on any potential future action by the Administration have been made, and any discussion suggesting otherwise should be considered pure speculation." 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He all but begged: 'To the people of Los Angeles and across the country who are protesting these immigration raids: Don't give them the spectacle that they want.' A few hours later, Newsom posted on X that the president was sending troops to L.A. County 'not to meet an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis. He's hoping for chaos, so he can justify more crackdowns.' Los Angeles County was the site of scattered clashes between authorities and protesters Saturday, but was nowhere near a state of chaos. The governor's messages illustrate the complex political situation the weekend's events have created for California's leaders, and for immigrants' rights advocates. They are outraged by what they see as the federal government's heavy-handed tactics in conducting immigration raids. But they are also terrified that the federal government will win the image battle and convince America that Los Angeles has exploded into a rebellion that needs to be subdued. 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She also condemned violence, saying people who engaged in it or vandalism should be 'arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law.' "The protest that happened last night in L.A. was relatively minor," she added, and "to say that the city is out of control, I don't know what city they are talking about." Demonstrations in the city of Los Angeles on Saturday were largely confined to the federal Metropolitan Detention Center where immigrants were detained; larger protests unfolded in Paramount, southeast of L.A. Political consultant Mike Madrid in an interview said the Trump administration has managed to put California officials in the middle of a perilous situation. On the one hand, he said, there is a legitimate threat to public order. 'There are thousands of people in the streets of Los Angeles,' he noted. 'There are people throwing rocks at police cars.' California officials must call for law and order, he said. 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The Department of Homeland Security issued a press bulletin Sunday with the names of several people arrested in Los Angeles, calling them the "worst of the worst illegal alien criminals in Los Angeles, including murderers, sex offenders, and other violent criminals." The release added that "California politicians and rioters are defending heinous illegal alien criminals at the expense of Americans safety" and quoted Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin asking: 'Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens?' Immigrants rights groups, meanwhile, called for a rally Sunday afternoon at La Placita Olvera near downtown, one of the centers of the immigrant rights movement. 'There is a Constitutional Crisis in Los Angeles, with First, Fourth & Fourteenth Amendment Violations Happening Now," one of the organizers, civil rights attorney Jaime Gutierrez, said in a statement. "This isn't just policy disagreement. ... This is the blueprint of tyranny.' And so, as protesters began to gather, more and more officials joined the chorus urging people on the street to keep the political optics in mind. The message seemed to be resonating. Julie Solis, 50, was walking back and forth holding a Mexican flag along Alameda Street on Sunday, urging the crowd to 'keep it peaceful,' warning protesters that she believes the National Guard was deployed solely to provoke a response and make Los Angeles look unruly to justify further aggression from federal law enforcement. 'They want arrests," she said. "They want to see us fail. We need to be peaceful. We need to be eloquent.' Times staff writers Seema Mehta and James Queally contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
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Congressman McClintock, restore staff and services at Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of California's most valuable public assets economically, ecologically, and culturally. Recent executive decisions have led to significant staff layoffs and service reductions, disrupting park operations and putting local communities at risk. These cuts impact more than just tourism. They affect jobs, small businesses, and regional stability, particularly in areas that rely on visitor traffic and park accessibility. In light of this, the lack of timely, proactive engagement from Congressman Tom McClintock is concerning. Strong leadership is critical when national resources and local economies are both on the line. It is the duty of elected officials to safeguard public lands and ensure they remain supported, accessible, and well-maintained for future generations. Constituents and concerned Californians should contact Rep. McClintock at (202) 225-2511 to demand swift, concrete action to restore staffing and services at Yosemite. Lauren Gonzalez-Perez, Lynwood Clovis residents need to question the actions lately taken by the Clovis City Council because of the main issues its members seem to fight for, like LGBTQ books at the Clovis Library, sanctuary and immigration laws, teenage trans athletes and other issues. Many Clovis resident seem to not know what is transpiring or not care. We see this when it is time to vote. I think the cty of Clovis has more pressing problems, like housing, school lunches, utility prices, Marjorie Center, overcrowding and the list goes on. What should the role of the City Council be? What concerns most Clovis residents? Are our streets safe for children walking or riding their bikes to school every day? There is no doubt Clovis a is one of the most desirable cities in California, but I think residents need to decide what kind of city they want and are the most important issues facing it today. Steven Trevino Jr., Clovis I'm not so old that I have forgotten the halcyon days when public officials, appointed and elected, at every level of government took their bribes behind closed doors in smoke-filled rooms. Now, it is perfectly acceptable to solicit and receive bribes in the open, in front of everyone. And no one seems to care. What a country. Jim Doyle, Fresno Did you know there are hundreds of clean energy projects slated to happen in the Central Valley from IRA investments? But if the Senate passes the reconciliation Bill without the clean energy tax credits, we stand to lose thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in the Valley alone. The investments spurred by clean energy tax credits will go a long way toward improving our air, controlling electricity rates and stabilizing our climate chaos. Cuts will hurt many of us if they become law. A rollback of tax credits for home upgrades like rooftop solar would also be a blow to all of us who've been using these tools to cut energy bills. Incentives have made it easier for homeowners to install solar panels, save money, and even help stabilize America's power grid. But those benefits — and the local businesses that depend on them — are in jeopardy if Congress moves forward with these cuts. Throughout the country, Republican-led districts are especially benefiting from investments in manufacturing, solar, wind, hydrogen fuel and battery storage projects. But there is pressure to vote along party lines. Call or email your senators. Ask them to work harder across the aisle to help constituents. Andrea Farber De Zubiria. Fresno Now I have to say I'm confused: Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her used artificial intelligence to make up some accusations against others. Is this a new skill FUSD will be teaching our children — how to use the plagiarism-generation machine to create fake documentation of crimes that never happened? How can we expect this woman to lead our children in their education when she cannot even follow the most basic instructions for writing in FUSD, which are 'Cite Your Sources' and 'Don't Plagiarize'? Why would we want to send our children to schools where the administration are purposefully and maliciously being defiant against the teachers they love and trust to teach them? Washington, D.C. may be a circus right now, it doesn't mean we have to follow suit. Shape up, FUSD — the parents and future teachers are watching you. Kathleen Osle Eugene. Fresno The longer and warmer days bring more traveling. Freedom comes with following laws. When I was 16 in 1992, I was hit by a drunken driver. Medical care and therapy in the Bay Area and Central Valley made up half of my teenage life. After three decades, I communicate with a deep tone, read lips, cannot drive and I walk unsteadily. Look at the results of the Independence Day weekend maximum enforcement period for 2023 and 2024: CHP made 1,224 DUI arrests in 2023 and 1,336 DUI arrests in 2024. Drivers, please make DUI arrests come down this year. Anyone's independence can be ruined if you drive drunk. Many holidays are coming. Memories of a crash, injuries or even death caused from drunken driving will haunt your future. Foods and drinks are part of the fun. Taking Highway 33 to head home from a festivity? Planning to drink? Go ahead, but don't forget to have a sober person drive you if you become drunk. This certainly shows your pride for freedom and people will admire your safety. Freedom and safety go hand in hand. Lori Martin, Tracy