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Friday, Aug. 21, 2009

Loose Lips: Would a 'no' vote be suicide?

For the Merced City Council members, it's probably political suicide to vote against the proposed Wal-Mart distribution center. One group may have already tied the noose.

An announcement was made some time ago at a Merced Boosters meeting that money was set aside for a recall campaign that would target any members who voted against the project out of spite. Booster member Doug Fluetsch said he's heard the kitty was at $10,000 and possibly as high as $15,000.

The boosters aren't behind the fund, he stressed. The plan was brought up only as part of a broader discussion of what's happening in the community. Fluetsch said he didn't know who was overseeing the fund.

Another booster doubted there's actually a war chest. He said someone made a joke that any council member against the project should be pulled from office. He went on to add that he believes it morphed into a rumor that a fund was established.

We'll have to wait and see if there's any council member willing to go against the tide of popular opinion, and if so, whether a well-funded recall will follow.

Town hall troubles

Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Maryland/Merced, may not be holding town hall meetings, but that hasn't kept some local politicos from convening to discuss the congressman's performance.

The grade? D-isappointed.

Sources tell Lips a meeting of frustrated farmers met with a political consultant in a Modesto hotel to discuss challenging Cardoza. Just this past week, another meeting of Merced business leaders was called to discuss Cardoza's standing.

Names were floated around of who could be the next rep -- Republican or Democratic. Obvious ones include state Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, or Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston. Both of them have their sights set on other offices.

The sense is that Cardoza's no longer connected to the area and its issues, said one person at the meeting, who didn't wish to be named.

Another person noted that plenty of other people are disappointed with Cardoza for not holding town halls to discuss health care or other pressing national issues. None of them would go on-the-record with Lips.

Cardoza has pointed to his telephone town halls as a viable alternative to in-person meetings because he can reach far more people, as many as 4,000 at a time.

Too bad Norman Rockwell's not around to paint another version of "Freedom of Speech." Rather than a man standing up for what he believes, it could show a voter -- living in a neighborhood surrounded by foreclosures -- holding a phone to his ear, talking to his elected official living thousands of miles away. Lips would hope Cardoza would have freedom from fear.

Loose Lips can be reached at editor@mercedsun-star.com.