NPR News and Cultural Arts
  for the Central Valley

If there's one thing Californians can agree upon, it's that their government is broken. Earlier in 2010, the approval rating for the state Legislature hit a new low - just 9 percent. California finds itself in a perennial budget crisis, one which shows few signs of improving anytime soon. The Golden State's once admired status, from the "master plan" for higher education, to public infrastructure, is largely tarnished. And prior efforts at reform from over a century ago, such as the initiative process, are now leaving many to question their place in California's 21st century democracy. Some have even said that California has become un-governable.

What does all of this mean for the future of California, and the Central Valley? What would major political reform in California look like? What are the challenges and what are the opportunities? And how can citizens become engaged in the process? As part of our series on reforming California, our program will look at a number of key issues, from re-districting to fiscal reform, regional planning and cooperation, and more. We'll ask the experts and ask YOU - what is your vision for your California?

Support for Valley Public Radio's Governance Reform Initiative comes from the James Irvine Foundation.

Recent Programs

• State budget may keep Fresno veterans home unopened.
  Aired January 17, 2012
  For around a decade veterans advocates have been looking forward to the opening of a new state operated Veterans Home in Fresno. Last year, funding for operating the facility was caught up in the struggle to balance the state’s budget, and now in 2012, it’s happened again. The facility which was built with federal funding, is nearly complete, but Governor Brown’s proposed budget eliminates the money necessary to actually open and operate the home, and serve the Valley’s veterans. FM89’s Tracey Scharmann reports on the struggled which has united both Democrats and Republicans, and host Juanita Stevenson talks with Assemblymember Linda Halderman (R-Fresno) about efforts to restore the funding.
  
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• Closure of Redevelopment Agencies Hits Valley.
  Aired January 9, 2012
  At the start of 2012 California had over 5,000 local governments, from counties and cities to school and fire districts. But this February, over 400 of those governments are slated to disappear, almost overnight, as the state officially closes the book on local redevelopment agencies. It’s the latest move in the effort by Sacramento lawmakers to find a new way to balance the state’s budget, and shift $1.7 billion from community redevelopment agencies (or RDAs as they’re often known) to the state’s general fund.
  
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• Health care reform funding rejected by Fresno County.
  Aired November 15, 2011
  Earlier this fall the Fresno County Board of Supervisors chose to withdraw the county's application for $50 million in federal funding that would have helped create a "Low Income Health Program" for the county's poorest residents. That makes Fresno the only county in the state to not take advantage of this new program, designed to get poor residents out of local emergency rooms and into a primary care setting. On this Valley Edition, host Juanita Stevenson reports on how an old contract with a local hospital, the debate over immigration, and the uncertainty over cost, caused the county to walk away from a program that could have improved health and created jobs. Kevin Hamilton of Clinca Sierra Vista, Jacey Cooper of Kern County's Kern Medical Center Health Plan, and Diana Dooley, California's Secretary of Health and Human Services join our roundtable discussion following the report.
  
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• Gridlock in Washington spells trouble for Fresno court.
  Aired October 18, 2011
  One hundred years ago this month, California’s experiment in direct democracy was born with the introduction of the ballot initiative and referendum process. Now a century later, Californians are again looking at new ideas to fix what many feel is a broken system in Sacramento. So what might the next 100 years have in store? Could it be a part-time Legislature, a “merger” of the Assembly and the State Senate, or changes to the state’s term limits law? Valley Public Radio’s Joe Moore brings us a special report, and host Juanita Stevenson talks with Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC about what future reforms might be just around the corner.
  
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• Reforming California: 100 Years Later
  Aired October 4, 2011
  Even before the recent retirement of Justice Oliver Wanger, the Fresno division of the US District Court’s Eastern District of California faced big case backlogs. The district is home to over 6.7 million residents, and 19 of California’s 33 state and federal prisons, but the Fresno division is home to just two judges, and the nation’s heaviest caseloads. That’s leading many, including Wanger, and Justice Anthony Ishii to suggest that the court may need to stop seeing civil cases. Valley Public Radio's Juanita Stevenson reports on what the judicial bottleneck means for Valley residents, and retired Justice Wanger joins us for an in-studio conversation about how political gridlock in Washington DC has helped to create this problem.
  
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• Kern County city of Maricopa faces uncertain future
  Aired August 30th, 2011
  As small cities everywhere face debilitating financial challenges, or even bankruptcy, some wonder if cityhood itself is worth the price. Disincorporation allows a city to fall back into the care of a county. That's the challenge faced by the citizens of Maricopa in Kern County. A series of scathing grand jury reports this summer criticized everything from the city's poor management and severe debt to speed traps set by the police. But last week, the Maricopa city council refused calls to disincorporate. Valley Public Radio correspondent Shellie Branco has this report from Maricopa.
  
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• Redistricting Fresno County
  Aired August 2nd, 2011
  While California's new Citizens Redistricting Commission is tasked with drawing district boundaries for the state Senate, Assembly and Congressional districts, it's not just those districts that are getting new lines. California's counties are also drawing new boundaries to keep pace with population, as measured by the 2010 Census. Fresno County Supervisors have are evaluating four plans, but Supervisor Henry Perea has his own idea of how the lines should be drawn. FM89's Tracey Scharmann reports on the process and host Juanita Stevenson talks with Perea, as well as Fresno County Clerk Victor Salazar; Redistricting Task Force Member Ernie "Buddy" Mendes; Fresno State Political Science Professor Tom Holyoke, and Terri Figg from the League of Women Voters.
  
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• Budget cuts impact local K-12 Schools
  Aired July 19th, 2011
  Last month, when California lawmakers passed a new state budget, they also passed a bill prohibiting local school districts from laying off teachers. Backers, including the California Teachers Association, say that the law protects students from class size increases and will save teacher jobs. School districts say it ties their hands, especially with the prospect of a midyear $1.5 billion funding cut if revenues fall short of projections. Host Juanita Stevenson reports on the story of one Fresno Unified teacher who has already lost her job, and the financial challenges still facing local districts. Guests Larry Powell, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools; Christine Lizardi Frazier, Kern County Superintendent of Schools; and Jesse Aguilar, a classroom teacher at East Bakersfield High School join host Jaunita Stevenson for this discussion.
  
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• Valley Professional Struggle to Find Work/Breaking Up California
  Aired July 12th, 2011
  Segment 1: Valley Professional Struggle to Find Work
  Among the groups hit the hardest in the economic downturn are business professionals. From April 2010 to April 2011 the business and professional sectors in Fresno County lost 1,800 jobs. Host Juanita Stevenson reports on how some Valley professionals are looking to re-enter the workforce and having success finding work. Guests include Ginny Burdick, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Community Hospitals of Central California; Cathy Frost, President, Bennett Frost Personnel Services and Dr. Ernie Goss of The Goss Institute for Economic Research
  
  Segment 2: Breaking Up California
  Every few years, a new proposal suggests "breaking up" the Golden State into several smaller states. This week, one Riverside County lawmaker is advancing his idea to create a new state of "South California" which would include San Diego, Orange County and much of the San Joaquin Valley. "California Crackup" Author Mark Paul joins us to talk about what he thinks this proposal would mean for the state and the Valley.
  
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• Redistricting / Drunk Driving
  Aired May 10th, 2011
  CA Citizens Redistricting Commission Redraws the Lines While it doesn't get nearly as much attention as the state's on-going budget debate, behind the scenes, work is underway on a set of maps that could dramatically alter California politics for a decade to come. The State's 14 member Citizens Redistricting Commission is currently at work on redrawing the lines of the state's assembly, state senate and congressional districts. And in a state where major decisions such as the budget and big social issues often are decided by just one or two votes, the stakes for all those are high. On this edition of Quality of Life, Valley Public Radio's Tracey Scharmann brings us a special report on what redistricting means for the Valley. We also talk about the politics and practice of drawing legislative district boundaries with Dan Walters, columnist for The Sacramento Bee, and Dr. Stanley Clark, professor of political science at Cal State Bakersfield.
  
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• The Valley’s Small Cities Face Tough Times
  Aired March 22nd, 2011
  California's cities have been hit hard in recent years. The housing bust, the economic downturn, and perennial state budget crises are just a few of the factors that have helped batter the balance sheets of municipalities up and down the Golden state. Valley cities are no exception, especially given the region’s perennially high levels of unemployment, even in so called "good" times. Many large cities, like Fresno have been forced to make drastic cuts to city services, and have been forced to lay off hundreds of employees. But what about the Valley's smaller cities, those in rural areas, that have less diversified economies, and already rely on doing more with less? FM89's Tracey Scharmann reports on how a financial crisis has rocked the small Madera county community of Chowchilla. We also look at how other small cities are faring in these difficult times, and how volunteers are helping in areas like public safety and emergency response. In this segment, we also talk about the challenges facing the Valley's small cities with Jose Antonio Ramirez, City Manager of Firebaugh; and Danny Brown, Economic Development Director, City of Wasco; and Mike Dozier of the Rural Development Center at Fresno State. Is the future for small, rural Valley cities a bright one?
  
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• Prop 13 casts a long shadow on state, local government
  Thirty three years ago, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 13 into law, ushering in a new era of California politics and forever changing state and local government. Not only did the constitutional amendment cut property taxes nearly in half, its implementation also ushered in a major change in the way government services are provided, in the Golden State, centralizing more power in Sacramento. It also helped spark a wave of so called "ballot box budgeting" with citizens taking control of the power of the purse, in both setting tax rates and spending priorities. Reporter Tracey Scharmann looks at the local impact of Prop 13 in a special feature report. Later, host Joe Moore talks about legacy of the proposition with Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters; Paul McIntosh, Executive Director of the California State Association of Counties; and David Klein of the California Taxpayers Association.
  
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• Reforming California/Public Employee Pay
  California has one of the world's largest economies. Despite our wealth, the state's budget is in constant disarray. What are the causes and possible solutions? Host Terry Phillips talks with Mark Paul, co-author of California Crackup: How Reform broke the Golden State & How We Can Fix It; Mac Taylor, Legislative Analyst for the State of California; and Pete Weber, Executive Committee Chairman of California Forward. Later in the program, reporters John Ellis of the Fresno Bee and Steven Mayer of the Bakersfield Californian discuss the salaries of local government employees.
  
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Community Conversations

• Reforming California – Occupy Fresno
• Reforming California – State of the State
• Reforming California - Exeter
• Reforming California - Caruthers
• Reforming California - Fresno State
• Reforming California - Fig Garden

California Reform Resources:

• California Forward
• Public Policy Institute of California
• James Irvine Foundation

Regional Resources:

• Great Valley Center
• California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley
• Valley Blueprint