Thanks to technology problems with a hearing, the people of Fresno saved $6.8 BILLION in new taxes! The bigger question is why did they wait till the last minute to hold a hearing—why not weeks or months ago, so the community had time to discuss the matter. The answer is simple, government wanted the hearings to be pro-forma and not allow the people after they got the information to organize against it.
People should now ask where the current taxes go? Why do they pay premium labor rates by using union only workers? Which corporations get the money—and how much did those folks donate to elected officials making this decision? In the middle of a recession, with inflation as high as it could be in the last 40 years, government wants to raise taxes and put more people in poverty.
“It appeared Fresno COG was using a version of Zoom that allowed everyone to participate all at once. Other agencies, such as the city of Fresno, use a version that allows control for more orderly meetings.
“We had a situation where we had technical difficulties. Part of that was tied to the public Zooming in, doing what they call Zoombombing,” Tony Boren, Fresno COG executive director said. “We had people drawing pornographic drawings on the agenda … and making lewd noises … Then we had to mute everybody and that created the problems with the translation.”
If you are so incompetent you can’t run a ZOOM meeting, why would anyone think you are capable of spenhttps://gvwire.com/2022/07/01/measure-c-discussion-turns-into-the-meeting-from-hell-and-is-canceled/ding $6.8 billion?
‘Zoombombing’ Derails Fresno Roads Tax Discussion
Technology problems canceled a discussion to renew a countywide transportation tax at Fresno COG headquarters.
“We had people drawing pornographic drawings on the agenda … and making lewd noises … Then we had to mute everybody and that created the problems with the translation.” — Tony Boren, executive director, Fresno COG
Instead of taking the next step to get Measure C — the half-cent Fresno County sales tax for transportation projects — on the November ballot, the Fresno Council of Governments spent most of its Thursday evening in an awkward meeting that left most attendees frustrated.
Holding the meeting in-person and on Zoom, the legally required Spanish translation for the online service failed. The Measure C discussion was shut down and rescheduled for next week — July 7, 5:30 p.m., at Fresno City Hall.
It appeared Fresno COG was using a version of Zoom that allowed everyone to participate all at once. Other agencies, such as the city of Fresno, use a version that allows control for more orderly meetings.
“We had a situation where we had technical difficulties. Part of that was tied to the public Zooming in, doing what they call Zoombombing,” Tony Boren, Fresno COG executive director said. “We had people drawing pornographic drawings on the agenda … and making lewd noises … Then we had to mute everybody and that created the problems with the translation.”
Social Justice Group Frustrated
“The English part is always prioritized and it feels sometimes like people who don’t speak English get pushed to the side.” — Aracelia Sanabria
The Measure C renewal would yield $6.8 billion over 30 years.
More than 100 social justice advocates packed the downtown Fresno meeting room and two overflow rooms. They are asking for a delay in the vote — Measure C expires in 2027 — until more public outreach happens.
Sandra Celedon, president and CEO of Fresno Building Healthy Communities, said that Thursday night’s events demonstrated why Fresno COG and other agencies need to wait before putting the renewal proposal on the ballot.
“I think they’re a perfect example of how this body doesn’t have any experience actually talking to everyday Fresnans,” Celedon said.
Celedon was critical of the technology issues.
“I think it’s a disaster and an embarrassment that elected officials, some of them who actually just voted to give themselves a raise, don’t know how to do something that I’m sure a 16-year-old in the room could have probably done easily,” Celedon told GV Wire.
Related Story: Fresno City Council Cuts Its Huge Pay Raise by Nearly Half
The reference was to the Fresno City Council voting to raise members’ salaries earlier in the day. However, no members of the Fresno City Council are actually on the Fresno COG board. Councilmen Miguel Arias and Tyler Maxwell were present to speak on Measure C. They both support a delay.
