The Truth about Fresno

Regarding Jim Boren's recent article (a definite must-read)... I have to congratulate The Bee on publishing what is probably the most honest assessment of Fresno I have ever read. I'm usually not a big Bee cheerleader, but kudos to them for having the guts to speak the truth to power - especially in a city that seems to be allergic to the truth at the expense of the city and its citizens.

I was born and raised in Fresno, graduated from Fresno Pacific, and moved to Washington DC after graduation where I lived and worked for 2 years. I then naively thought that I could come back to my hometown and be able to be taken seriously -- maybe even make a positive difference -- as a young woman with an excellent education and management-level experience in something other than data entry. Wow, was I wrong.

The Good Old Boys are alive and well in Fresno, and unfortunately, their quest for self-preservation has driven away or silenced some of the most intelligent, creative young minds that Fresno has produced (and when I say "creative." I don't mean all the artsy-types; I mean people who actually work for a living, and not as teachers). This "leadership" has clearly demonstrated that they are incapable of effecting any kind of real, positive change, but they are so invested in the status quo that they won't let anyone else even try. The irony is that once these changes happen, it will affect everyone's bottom line (not to mention quality of life) in a positive way. But then, it would take long-term vision for someone to realize that -- something obviously lacking in the current group of "All the Same People" now running the city.

Unless these folks either go away or wake up, Fresno will eventually die economically because people like me get so fed up with the ineptitude of the city establishment that we see no reason to stay, especially when we can easily find and move to other cities that welcome us and allow us to grow and thrive, both professionally and personally.

Unfortunately, the dirty little secret is that I would have liked to stay in Fresno and be closer to my family and friends, if only Fresno had given me a reason to stay (a good economy, decent jobs, things to do after 8pm, a fun downtown, less corruption). But it didn't, so I didn't. I hope that someday the leadership of the city will realize that preserving the status quo will eventually mean not having a city to run. I would love to see Fresno adopt some of the proven strategies that have made cities like Arlington, VA, Washington, DC, Portland, OR, Denver, CO, and San Diego, CA such great places to live. But again, I'm probably being naive.

Let's hope people keep speaking the truth.