WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:01.520 It was about a month or so ago that I 2 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.360 month or two ago I thought that the story, the 3 00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:13.679 relentlessly shady saga of Terrence Fraser and his nonprofit and 4 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:18.600 Central Valley Community Sports Foundation their lease of Granite Park, 5 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:23.719 a city owned sports complex, kind of near one point 6 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:28.199 sixty eight in Shields, that that saga was over, the 7 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:32.719 city was all finally the city council was all finally 8 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.200 on board with the idea of we need to get 9 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:40.600 rid of this guy. The bizarre sort of makeup of 10 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:46.320 the board where you had Miguel Arias plus other people 11 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:50.840 influenced by as Morel de Suria as Mereldasauria, who was 12 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:54.439 engaged to Terrence Fraser. I don't know if they're married 13 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:57.840 or I'm not sure what their status is. Uh. Soria 14 00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:00.799 couldn't directly vote on stuff, but because she was recusing 15 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:05.599 herself that there wasn't Basically, her recusal was as effective 16 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:09.000 as a no, and there just weren't enough votes on 17 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:11.920 the city council for a long time to get rid 18 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:16.519 of Central Valley Sports Foundation as the tenant at Granite Park. 19 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:20.959 And Granite Park has had a number of problems going 20 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:25.560 all the way back to Lee Brand's administration, Brand asked, 21 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:29.680 Fraser came to the city for more money. Brand initiated 22 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:37.480 an audit. The audit showed tons of financial irregularities. Since 23 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:41.920 that time, Fraser tried to sue the city for racial discrimination. 24 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:47.239 You know Lee Brand, apparently, Lee Brand, whom if you've 25 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:50.000 ever met him, I mean, there are probably some things 26 00:01:50.040 --> 00:01:53.359 politically I don't all fours agree with Lee Brand about. 27 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:56.719 But he's a very nice guy. I mean, he's a 28 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:00.959 perfectly affable gentleman. Yeah. The idea that Lee Brand's got 29 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:03.200 a ku Klux Klan outfit hiding in his closet, and 30 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:05.480 that's why he initiated the audit, just to stick it 31 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:08.919 to Terrence Fraser because he's a black. No, he Fraser 32 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:12.039 wanted more money. They did an audit because it's public money. 33 00:02:12.039 --> 00:02:15.199 You got to publicly scrutinize this. They found all these irregularities. 34 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:17.479 They said, well, no, we're not going to give you 35 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:26.719 more money. Fraser sues the city. Since then, Fraser's business 36 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:33.439 partner within Central Valley Sports Foundation, the now disgraced former 37 00:02:33.479 --> 00:02:36.560 Congressman T. J. Cox. I say now disgraced because he 38 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:46.360 has pled guilty to various fraud charges. So the whole 39 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:49.639 thing was gross. The whole thing was disgusting. Here was 40 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.199 this guy who was in a relationship with a sitting 41 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:54.800 member of the city council as Melda Sorry, who thank god, 42 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:58.000 is now not on the president city Council. Sorry for 43 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:03.400 her constituents whom she presents with her assembly district. Finally 44 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:09.879 she's out of the city council. Analisa Perea, who certainly 45 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:11.719 on a Lisaprea is farm more liberal than I am, 46 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:16.960 but it seems like she isn't that exceedingly corrupt, or 47 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:20.159 at least she's not literally sleeping with someone who's at 48 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:27.240 city tenant. So Analisa Perea does not have the same 49 00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:30.960 need to play Kate. Terrence Fraser. Terrence Fraser was also 50 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:34.840 a big time local Democrat fundraiser and kind of a 51 00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:36.879 bit of a power broker. You know. He was throwing 52 00:03:37.240 --> 00:03:43.319 fundraisers at his house for Miguel Arias and stuff like that. Now, 53 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:47.199 I had thought that we had finally gotten to this 54 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:53.000 point because for a while it was just the mayor, 55 00:03:54.879 --> 00:04:00.639 Gary Brettefeld, and uh, maybe one or to others on 56 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:03.159 the city council. I think Mike Carbasi was not thrilled 57 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:06.800 with the whole thing who were saying, this is terrible. 58 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:12.800 We need to get this person out, We need to 59 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:15.400 get this person kicked out of Granite Park. This is 60 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:17.319 not a person that we should be in business with. 61 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:21.120 He's delinquent in paying all kinds of things. There was 62 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:24.160 a whow where he didn't have appropriate insurance for the 63 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:27.560 place he was doing, all this stuff that was shady 64 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:33.680 and bad, and finally I thought we were at a 65 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:37.959 point of okay, well we've got enough. You know. The 66 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.600 problem was that various kinds of property decisions like that 67 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:44.360 are not really in the hands of the mayor and 68 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.519 the city manager. The mayor was on board with needing 69 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:49.319 to get rid of this guy. City manager was on 70 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:51.199 board with needing to get rid of this guy. Some 71 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:53.439 of the city council was on board, but not all 72 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:56.279 of them. And critically, there was not a majority on 73 00:04:56.319 --> 00:05:00.839 the city council willing to get rid of this guy. Well, 74 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:05.600 clearly now there is okay, even the liberal members of 75 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.279 the city council. They don't have any ties, any need 76 00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:13.360 to placate this dude. So they're all okay with getting 77 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:20.759 rid of them. That the tide is turned. But now 78 00:05:20.920 --> 00:05:26.480 Terence Fraser is fighting the eviction process from this city 79 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:28.800 owned property. The City of Fresno is going to court. 80 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.800 The story from GV wire about it, written by David Tobb. 81 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.079 The City of Fresno is going to court to force 82 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:38.759 the nonprofit Fraser Operates to exit the Granite Park Sports Complex. 83 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:42.519 The city filed an unlawful detainer lawsuit in January, and 84 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:44.800 the judge next week will decide if the eviction case 85 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:48.319 continues or ends. Fraser, the president of the nonprofit Central 86 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:51.759 Valley Community Sports Foundation, is combating the city in court 87 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.800 and with his words, I'm willing to walk away from 88 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:57.920 the park if city Manager Georgie an White or Mayor 89 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:01.439 Jerry Dyer can stand by their state and say that 90 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:05.600 I own rent, that I owe rent. If I prove 91 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:07.800 to them that I do not owe rent, are they 92 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:14.120 willing to leave their job? Fraser told GV wire, I 93 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:17.079 don't know that that's I think. If I'm trying to 94 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:21.079 judge between Terrence Fraser and Jerry Dyer about whether Terrence 95 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:24.959 Fraser owes rent, I think I'm gonna put my money 96 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:28.600 down on Jerry Dyer and the city manager. If they're 97 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:31.279 not willing to walk away from their job, that should 98 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:33.800 tell everybody in the city of Fresno that what they're 99 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:37.920 doing is wrong, defamatory and all lies. Fraser said, I 100 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:41.399 don't think that's how this works. You're the tenant, you 101 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:46.079 owe money, You've done bad stuff. We want to get 102 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:48.920 rid of you as a tenant. Like no, Jerry Dyer 103 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.759 doesn't have to stand, but has to gamble his job 104 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:59.439 to demonstrate that you owe rent. Okay, that's silly, Fraser said. 105 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:03.160 The city's allegation in this lawsuit quote are premised on 106 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:07.560 a complete fiction lacking any basis in fact. I'm gonna 107 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:13.920 bet no it's it's premised on a lot of facts 108 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:18.079 that are just inconvenient for Fraser. A twenty fifteen lease 109 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.160 called for Central vallec Community Sports Foundation pays sixty two 110 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:26.040 five hundred dollars in yearly rent and share digital billboard revenue. 111 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:28.800 The city says that the nonprofit has failed to do so. 112 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:31.800 It's this digital billboard revenue that has been a real 113 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:36.120 point of contention. The lease also gives Centralveilic Community Sports 114 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:39.160 Foundation an additional one hundred and fifty thousand dollars subsidy, 115 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:42.199 something Fraser said the city has not paid. Yeah, because 116 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:45.360 they've been so delinquent with their other stuff? Why are you? 117 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:49.600 I believe that's one of the problems is that the 118 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:52.800 city has said that at different points, Central Vali Community 119 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:56.920 Sports Foundation has owed like four hundred thousand dollars in 120 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:01.399 a billboard revenue. So why give them the one hundred 121 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:04.279 and fifty thousand dollars subsidy? If they're that delinquent in 122 00:08:04.360 --> 00:08:07.839 paying thing. If Central Valid Community Sports Foundation is four 123 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:11.839 hundred thousand dollars dollars delinquent in paying certain of its 124 00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:14.360 revenues that it's supposed to pay, why would you give 125 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:18.399 them the one hundred fifty thousand dollars subsidy. Without the subsidy, 126 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:21.199 Fraser said, he will have to lay off fifty employees. Yeah, well, 127 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:26.399 whose fault is that God allows the enemy to tempt 128 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:30.360 you same as he did with job. So yes, I'm 129 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:36.159 getting persecuted, Fraser said, referencing the Bible. This guy is 130 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:41.399 a nut. Uh. The January fourteenth unlawful detainer filing said 131 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:44.960 the Central Valid Community Sports Foundation owes seven hundred eight thousand, 132 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:49.799 two hundred and ninety eight dollars in unpaid rent. The 133 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:53.120 litigation followed demands in May and November of twenty twenty 134 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:56.960 four from the city. So, really, you want to get 135 00:08:56.960 --> 00:09:00.159 your one hundred and fifty thousand dollars subsidy when you who 136 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:03.759 don't you owe seven hundred and eight thousand dollars. You're 137 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:06.080 just going to take that money, spend it all and run. 138 00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:12.480 I mean, why should the city pay its subsidy if 139 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:17.320 you're not upholding your end of the bargain. Those employees 140 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:22.200 aren't going to be able to last anyway. The litigation 141 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:24.840 followed demands in May and November twenty twenty four from 142 00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:27.200 the city the Central valid Community Sports Foundation quit the 143 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:31.000 lease for failure to pay. The nonprofit refused to leave, 144 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:35.600 remaining in operation. In illegal declaration Georgia and White, the 145 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:39.559 city manager listed reasons for an expedited eviction hearing. One 146 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:43.600 the city continues to lose rental income. Two the city's 147 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:46.600 inability to use the premises for supervised sporting events with 148 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:52.360 necessary safety measures. Three increased legal exposure from potential jury, injuries, 149 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:56.519 vandalism or nuisance complaints at the park. White also made 150 00:09:56.559 --> 00:10:00.080 several other accusations. They include Central Vali Community Sports Foundation 151 00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:03.440 failing to clean up after events, using tents on the 152 00:10:03.480 --> 00:10:07.399 property in violation of fire codes holding the February nineteenth 153 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:10.240 celebration of Fresno Native and Kansas City Chiefs star Xavier 154 00:10:10.279 --> 00:10:15.279 Worthy while not legally allowed on the premises, and they 155 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:17.480 got a picture of Xavier Worthy. Xavier Worthy is a 156 00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:21.000 draft He was like a first round draft pick or 157 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:22.720 something by the Kansas City Chiefs and played in the 158 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:27.759 Super Bowl this year. Defendant's persistent non compliance dating back 159 00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:31.000 to at least twenty twenty three reflects a clear disregard 160 00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:33.320 for the terms of the lease, White said. White also 161 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:36.720 accuses Huntrebollo Community Sports Foundation of letting its workers compensation 162 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:41.879 insurance expire, also back there. This is a train wreck. 163 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:46.799 Fraser denied those allegations, sharing an email with Gvire from 164 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:52.039 his insurer that coverage renewed on February eleventh without a lapse, okay. 165 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:59.000 Fraser also alleged that well, it renewed on February eleventh 166 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:02.840 without a lapse. Was there some other period that you 167 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:06.399 had a lapse? Well, because there were other insurance policies 168 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:08.240 over the course of this saga, over the last like 169 00:11:08.279 --> 00:11:13.960 three years. There was one point at which they didn't 170 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:19.159 have appropriate insurance for anyone to consume alcohol on the 171 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:22.879 premises and they were allowing like alcohol sales or something 172 00:11:23.159 --> 00:11:26.799 or like. They had all kinds of insurances that they 173 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:29.720 didn't have on file. And like anyone who runs a business, 174 00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:31.840 I mean, I have to do this for I have 175 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:33.159 to do this for right to life. I had to 176 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:35.519 do this for ro Obia Clinic when I was at CEO. 177 00:11:36.360 --> 00:11:39.320 There's like a bevy of different insurances that any business 178 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:42.639 has to maintain and has to get renewed year over year. 179 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:46.080 With nonprofits, you also have to have officers and directors insurance, 180 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:50.279 you have to have employment practices, liability insurance, you got 181 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:54.360 to have workers comp you got to have your general 182 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:58.840 liability covers. You know, your premises, liability, slip and fall, 183 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:02.559 you know, stuff like that. Everyone has to maintain that stuff, 184 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:04.559 and it seems like they were run so poorly that 185 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:09.320 they were having these big lapses. Fraser also alleged that 186 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:12.559 the city quote continued to coerce baseball tournaments to leave 187 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:17.120 Granite Park and use facilities of Fraser's now arguing that 188 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:21.840 he's coercing that the city is coercing baseball tournaments to 189 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:27.080 leave Granite Park and use city facilities, falsely alleging that 190 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:29.120 the lease has already been terminated. Well, if the city 191 00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:31.320 is contending that the lease is terminated and that there's 192 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.840 certain kinds of insurances that aren't covering the event, what's 193 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:37.120 the city supposed to do? So? Oh yeah, come on in, 194 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:43.200 come on in keep having events set this park and 195 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:46.960 increasing the potential liability risk to the city for this 196 00:12:47.240 --> 00:12:49.360 train wreck of an operation where we don't know what 197 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:51.919 insurances they have on the books, or don't know what 198 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:53.799 insurances they have on the books, and someone that we're 199 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:56.399 not even sure is legally allowed to be operating the 200 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:59.159 park and who has all these other violations, tents, and 201 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:06.080 all kinds of things that are up to snuff. Central 202 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:10.879 Valley Community Sports Foundation, represented by attorney Lance Armo, filed 203 00:13:10.919 --> 00:13:13.559 a demurr, which is a defense arguing that the city 204 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:16.919 that the plaintiff's motions are defective. The city, through its 205 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:20.200 law firm Whitney Thompson and Jeff and Jeff Coach, wanted 206 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:23.399 to speed up the originally scheduled demur hearing of March twelfth. 207 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:26.799 Judge Judge Robert Whalen on Monday set the date for 208 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:31.360 March fourth. Fraser said he's paid millions of dollars from 209 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:34.919 his own pocket in attorney's fees fighting the city. It's 210 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:36.799 cost me a lot of money and it actually changed 211 00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:39.399 my entire lifestyle because I'm fighting for these kids. I'm 212 00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:43.320 fighting for these kids. I'm fighting for the citizens of Fresno. 213 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.759 Is there anything less believable than I'm just doing this 214 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:54.679 for the kids, Like, come on, bron, don't give us. 215 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:58.840 We saw like we've seen an audit of your enterprise. 216 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.440 I kind of know the game here. The city is 217 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:07.120 not doing this out of a demonic like this is 218 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:10.519 not the devil being allowed to tempt and test job. 219 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:13.840 You haven't paid a bunch of stuff you owe. If 220 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:15.519 you were paying all the stuff you owed, the city 221 00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:24.080 wouldn't be doing this. This is nonsense. This, this thing 222 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:28.000 has been such a train wreck for the city at 223 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.399 a time when the city could really you know, is 224 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:34.279 strapped for cash. You know, the city's running a deficit, 225 00:14:36.440 --> 00:14:38.759 and here we've got this, this thing that should be 226 00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:42.840 a There's no reason. I mean, maybe there are reasons. 227 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:44.639 I don't know. Maybe there's something wrong with the fundamental 228 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:46.960 business structure of a place like this. It doesn't seem 229 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:49.879 to me, like, you know, if the city got into 230 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:52.519 this with the idea that this could be a revenue 231 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:59.159 generative property for the city, a successful nonprofit running all 232 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:08.000 kinds of youth sporting events, advertising revenue. It clearly that 233 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:10.879 there must have been some way in which running this 234 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:13.399 would be a revenue generative thing for the city, and 235 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:17.799 instead it's just been an absolute eyesore. And I guess 236 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:21.080 my question would be, what's the what's the plan going 237 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:24.000 forward once they're able to finally get Fraser out of there, 238 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.320 which eventually they have to do. I mean, he can 239 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:31.159 only go so long not paying money. The basic reality 240 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:33.200 that he owes about eight hundred thousand dollars in rent 241 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:35.679 is somewhat inescapable, and at some point he will get 242 00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:38.000 out of there. What's the city going to do with 243 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:44.320 this property? And you know, if it's not something that's 244 00:15:44.360 --> 00:15:46.679 revenue generative, is there a way for the city to 245 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:50.120 sell it or is it something that could be run 246 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:54.279 better with someone more intelligent in charge. When we return, 247 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:58.519 more city news, a proposal to target smoke shops and 248 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:01.039 shut them down in the city of Fresno. That's next 249 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:05.679 on the John Girardi Show. Just getting all kinds of 250 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:10.159 city news for today, probably better after my yesterday just 251 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:16.000 talking about international geopolitics. John Girardi ranting about it was 252 00:16:17.159 --> 00:16:21.399 yesterday's show was a real moment of as our beloved 253 00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:24.039 producer Agent Squires always says, I'm just a simple country 254 00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:26.240 boy out here trying to make a living. But which 255 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:31.320 is his way of sort of disclaiming any criticism for 256 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:33.559 what you're about to say, just a I don't know anything, 257 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:37.120 but here's what I think. Anyway. That's me when I 258 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:40.039 talk about geopolitics. I feel like I'm a little firmer 259 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:44.559 ground talking about stuff like a City of Fresno business ordinances. 260 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:47.720 And there's this ordinance in front of the City Council, 261 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:50.559 in front of well, actually right now, it's in front 262 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:53.960 of the Fresno Planning Commission, a proposed ordnance that could 263 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:57.360 result in the closing of about seventy different smoke shops 264 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:01.600 in Fresno the Fresno City Council. Here's a story from 265 00:17:01.639 --> 00:17:05.200 gvire about it, by Edward Smith. As the Fresno City 266 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:08.720 Council will consider an ordnance Thursday, potentially closing down about 267 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:12.079 seventy smoke shops. A coalition of business owners has retained 268 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.319 an attorney who says the city's proposed action verges on 269 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:20.200 eminent domain. The ordinance from council members Miguel Arius Nalisiprea 270 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:25.720 and Nelson Esparza. It's interesting that it's the the real 271 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:32.359 hardcore liberal block of the court doing this Arius Onalsaperea 272 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:37.480 and Nelson Esparza, but you know it makes sense. I 273 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:39.319 mean a lot of the regions of Fresno where they 274 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:43.319 have tons of these smoke shops, and I do agree 275 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:45.599 with them that they are a real blight, so anyway, 276 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.359 good for them. The ordinance from council members Miguel Arius 277 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:51.799 Nalisiperea and Nelson Esparso would force future and existing smoke 278 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:55.400 shop owners to apply for conditional use permits. The ordinance 279 00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:59.640 only allows seven per district, and it doesn't allow smoke 280 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:02.359 shops to be within one thousand feet of a school 281 00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:08.039 or other sensitive sites, so that would mean we could 282 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:10.519 have forty nine total of these shops in the city. 283 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:13.960 The President of Planning Commissioners at their meeting February nineteenth, 284 00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:18.200 recommended increasing the number of permits, grandfathering in businesses near schools, 285 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:21.880 extending how long businesses have to clear out inventory if 286 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:24.799 not approved, and making approval for permits based off of 287 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:30.599 merit rather than a lottery council members, So it seems 288 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:36.119 like the planning commissioners they're not as on board. But 289 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:39.079 my guess is that this is something that's within the 290 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:43.960 decisional domain of the council members. Council members say smoke 291 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.680 shop owners bring blight to the area. True. Code enforcers 292 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:51.559 and police have found marijuana, guns, and illegal gambling at 293 00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:55.680 some locations during inspections. City Attorney Andrew jan said all 294 00:18:55.720 --> 00:19:00.000 businesses they inspected had code violations. Only businesses without signals 295 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:03.200 nificant violations would be eligible for approval, So we have 296 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.240 to lower the bar so far. Yeah, you had code violations, 297 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:09.720 but they weren't significant, so we'll let you, let you 298 00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:16.559 keep existing. But okay, this is what's happening. Legal weed 299 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:22.640 was introduced into cal You know, maybe I'll save this 300 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:26.680 for I might save this for the next segment, maybe 301 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:31.559 do a broader rant about legal versus illegal marijuana. Needless 302 00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:35.480 to say, I totally agree these smoke shops are bad. 303 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:38.160 They are bad for the city. Basically a lot of 304 00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:41.039 them just have become a front for you know, there 305 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:45.000 are only so many legal marijuana dispensaries in the city 306 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:48.599 of Fresno, which, by the way, here's a fun game 307 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:52.960 to play. Anytime you see illegal marijuana dispensary, look at 308 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.519 its name and think whether that name would work for 309 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:01.519 or maybe has been used for a non nominational Christian church. 310 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:08.359 That there's one that's near my work. It's near a 311 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:11.240 place where I a Mexican joint where I go to 312 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:14.880 get tacos for lunch sometimes. And this works at one 313 00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:20.279 hundred percent. Works like do just anytime you see a 314 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:22.480 marijuana dispenser, look at the name and think, would that 315 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:24.480 work is the name of a non denominational church. I 316 00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:30.440 bet it would. But basically these places have become fronts 317 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:36.599 for selling marijuana illegally because basically there are only so 318 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:41.440 many legal marijuana dispensaries in the city of Fresno, and 319 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:46.559 there continues to be a really large market for illegal 320 00:20:46.599 --> 00:20:50.599 weed because guess what, potheads don't like paying taxes. We'll 321 00:20:50.599 --> 00:20:52.920 talk about that next. This is the John Gerardi Show 322 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:58.839 on Power Talk. President City Council is considering an ordinance 323 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:01.599 that would result in the band of some seventy smoke 324 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:05.000 shops throughout the city of Fresno. You've all seen these. 325 00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:09.680 They all have the same distinctive looking kind of weird 326 00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:12.680 sort of not really christmasy rope lights, but these kind 327 00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:20.279 of like very bright like white white or red sort 328 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:23.160 of string of lights all around the windows, really brightly 329 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:25.599 lit up. And in part because I think their hours 330 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:28.880 of operation are always crazy. It's to accommodate the hours 331 00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:33.640 when potheads are awake. Generally, potheads are not up and 332 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:37.680 doing their grocery shopping at the smoke store at eight 333 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:41.400 o'clock in the morning. They're showing up at eight o'clock 334 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:50.279 at night, ten o'clock at night, et cetera. Now, these 335 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:53.440 smoke shops are bad. I am down with the City 336 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:57.079 Council of Fresno in wanting to get rid of them, 337 00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:00.400 wanting to limit them, wanting to curb them. I think 338 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:03.599 it's it's a bad thing for the community. These are 339 00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:06.880 not These are businesses that I think very often are 340 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:11.519 just fronts for people to sell marijuana illegally, and they 341 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:15.119 a lot of these stores managed to get I think 342 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:17.960 at some point that there was reporting out about how 343 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:21.160 a lot of these stores managed to get city approval 344 00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:24.359 claiming to be like grocery stores because they sell like, 345 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:28.640 you know, you know, Fredo's chips and potatoes, you know, 346 00:22:28.680 --> 00:22:32.359 snacks and basically for you know, stuff that's funions, you know, 347 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:36.240 stuff that's appropriate for someone who has ingested some kind 348 00:22:36.279 --> 00:22:41.960 of a drug that gives them the munchies. And a 349 00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:44.920 lot of these smoke shops that they're very like open 350 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:51.160 about what they're about. This is about weed paraphernalia, drug paraphernalia. 351 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:55.839 And again out of the back of a lot of 352 00:22:55.920 --> 00:23:00.839 these places, they're smelling, they're selling the weed illegal and 353 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:03.119 in some of these places have been fronts for even 354 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:07.720 worse crimes than that. There's some allegations of like prostitution 355 00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:11.240 and all kinds of gambling operations, which is not as 356 00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:13.759 bad as prostitution, let me make that clear, and all 357 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:15.559 kinds of things that are just bad, bad, bad, bad bad. 358 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:17.920 It brings blight to a community. It's bad good for 359 00:23:17.960 --> 00:23:20.920 the city trying to curb it, you know, not often 360 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.519 that I'm going to come on here and say Miguel 361 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:26.200 Larius Nelson Asparza and Elisa Barea are totally right on 362 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:27.799 the money. But I will say that here they are 363 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:29.400 right on the money. I think it's great idea that 364 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:34.680 they're trying to target this stuff. And I don't know 365 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:38.400 this whole GV Wires story that says, could it cost 366 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:42.480 taxpayers millions of dollars in tax revenue. There's there's no 367 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:45.920 way that there isn't some other kind of business that 368 00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:49.480 could operate in those spots that wouldn't be more productive 369 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:52.559 than a smoke shop. Just forget about it. Like the 370 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:55.960 idea that that's all, thank god we have these smoke shops. 371 00:23:55.960 --> 00:23:59.240 They're keeping the you know, like Atlas holding up the 372 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:03.000 globe there, or the only thing keeping the city budget afloat. No, 373 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:05.759 that seems silly to me. I don't know. Maybe you 374 00:24:05.759 --> 00:24:10.160 can make the argument that some of these places there's 375 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:14.440 no other likely productive tenant. It's gonna take those spots, 376 00:24:14.440 --> 00:24:16.160 and that a lot of those places are just gonna 377 00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:22.880 lie fallow and be vacant. Okay, maybe, but I still 378 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:29.160 think that the social impact of these things is net bad. 379 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:36.839 But here's the main point of this. The proliferation of 380 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:43.400 these smoke shops is a real testament to what a 381 00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:49.079 lie and what a flop. The ongoing proliferation of legal 382 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:58.599 weed has been in California. The whole premise of legalizing 383 00:24:58.599 --> 00:25:08.319 marijuana was basically, why are we criminalizing this activity? It's dangerous, 384 00:25:08.599 --> 00:25:15.359 it empowers drug cartels. You know, it's bad for people. 385 00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:22.559 Why not take this activity which isn't that bad, you know? 386 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:26.000 And then all these studies come out to try to 387 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:28.519 say that marijuana is not that bad. Although now there's 388 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:31.200 more studies coming out that there's all kinds of stuff, 389 00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:32.960 psychosis and all kinds of things that are linked to 390 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:35.920 marijuana use. More and more, the evidence coming out is 391 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:39.960 showing marijuana it's not good for you. It's clearly depressive, 392 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:43.359 it's clearly something that's not a good thing as a 393 00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:49.039 lifestyle choice for you. But the idea was, hey, let's 394 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:51.880 take these transactions out of the dark into the light, 395 00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:56.039 have it be sold legally, and hey, while we're at it, 396 00:25:56.119 --> 00:25:59.200 let's tax it. And if there's one thing that is 397 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:05.319 absolute canip for state and local governments, it's a new 398 00:26:05.640 --> 00:26:09.000 source of revenue where you're not imposing attacks on everybody, 399 00:26:09.880 --> 00:26:14.920 a voluntary activity that you can tax that generates revenue. 400 00:26:15.319 --> 00:26:20.119 City governments, county governments, state governments love that stuff. Why 401 00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:23.480