Editorial

EDITORIAL - You people talking recall don't know the first thing about getting it going. You also don't know the first thing about the problems Mr. Gonzales has caused at Madera Unified.

If you owned a business Ramiro Alvarez, which I am sure you do not, what would you do to an employee that ignored your requests or was publicly and privately disrespectful to you? Read his evaluation in the Tribune. This guy need to be fired even before he was hired.

EDITORIAL - Madera Unified Superintendent Edward Gonzalez has called MUSD Trustee candidate Lynn Cogdill's Facebook page deceptive to the public. This follows the candidates posting of a video which implies that the superintendent has endorsed the former board member's candidacy for the district six seat in next weeks election.

"I am not endorsing any candidate for school board. I have asked Mr. Cogdill to remove my likeness from his Facebook page, and he has refused to do so, stating that he is not messaging that I support him, but rather that he supports me. I think the Facebook page is deceiving to the public."   Ed Gonzalez said in an email sent to local media on Monday.

EDITORIAL - Madera Unified Superintendent Edward Gonzalez has called MUSD Trustee candidate Lynn Cogdill's Facebook page deceptive to the public. This follows the candidates posting of a video which implies that the superintendent has endorsed the former board member's candidacy for the district six seat in next weeks election.

"I am not endorsing any candidate for school board. I have asked Mr. Cogdill to remove my likeness from his Facebook page, and he has refused to do so, stating that he is not messaging that I support him, but rather that he supports me. I think the Facebook page is deceiving to the public."   Ed Gonzalez said in an email sent to local media on Monday.

EDITORIAL - Individual elected officials are exercising their right to free speech when they cast their votes — even if those votes might be the result of corruption or based in a conflict of interest, the California Supreme Court has decided. The opinion, handed down Monday, includes an in-depth analysis of the State’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) law. The law is designed to end lawsuits that chill the right to speak on issues of public concern.

The opinion in City of Montebello v Vasquez stems from an allegedly tainted waste disposal contract for the City of Montebello. Amid allegations of votes purchased with campaign contributions, recall elections and a referral to the District Attorney, a private citizen sued the City to invalidate the contract under Government Code section 1090, asserting it was the product of bribery — campaign contributions offered and then delivered.

EDITORIAL - Open government meetings is the most fundamental way for the public to stay informed as to what their representatives are doing on their behalf. When a government agency tries to hide their votes behind the curtain of an illegal closed session agenda item and the public finds out the item did not meet the criteria of a private meeting, trust in our public officials is lost.

Case in point the July 12th meeting of the Madera County Board of Supervisors where a closed session item was listed on the agenda for the reviewing of salaries for the elected department heads (Auditor, Tax Collector, Assessor, Sheriff and District Attorney) as well as the five members of the Madera County Board of Supervisors. They were going to hide behind a closed session meeting in a back room and discuss how much more money they wanted to pay themselves.

EDITORIAL - Open government meetings is the most fundamental way for the public to stay informed as to what their representatives are doing on their behalf. When a government agency tries to hide their votes behind the curtain of an illegal closed session agenda item and the public finds out the item did not meet the criteria of a private meeting, trust in our public officials is lost.

Case in point the July 12th meeting of the Madera County Board of Supervisors where a closed session item was listed on the agenda for the reviewing of salaries for the elected department heads (Auditor, Tax Collector, Assessor, Sheriff and District Attorney) as well as the five members of the Madera County Board of Supervisors. They were going to hide behind a closed session meeting in a back room and discuss how much more money they wanted to pay themselves.