Red Line (Aug. 26)
All comments are edited for length and content. Due to content or space limitations some comments may not be published. Please limit your calls to two minutes or less. Repeat messages on the same subject adding to the length will not be published.
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“I am a single, senior citizen living in an apartment,” began a woman. “My rent just went up $50 more a month. I don’t know what to do about it? Maybe it’s time to give up food or medicine. I don’t know which is better. What are people like me supposed to do? If anyone has an answer let me know on the Red Line. Thank you.”
A man called concerning “the police being exempt from using their cell phones. They are exempt from a lot of things, and I don’t think that’s right. They have radios in their cars. The police should lead by example. I think the police get away with way too much.”
He concluded with, “stop harassing me. I’m in the Lincoln.”
A gentleman “just noticed today the new homeless housing going in underneath the Lake Street bridge on the Fresno River. With the laxity in the law enforcement in the city of Madera, I don’t think I have the courage to walk the River Trail now.”
A man called about the Aug. 19 Red Line message concerning “Mexicans driving all these nice cars and blacks and whites walking and homeless concerning the Welfare Department.”
The caller said, “if you’re at the Welfare Department in a nice car and you don’t work there, maybe cheating is your game. As far as the working hard in the fields message, who do you think worked the fields before the Mexicans?”
On the same subject another man said, “maybe if they would hire blacks and white people maybe we would have a chance. Everywhere you go in Madera you have to be bilingual. It is not fair to the American people that speak English.”
A lady said in a hard to understand message, “this should be of concern to the Golden Valley School District. At Liberty High the principal is trying to implement policies.” One concerned the dress code and specified “tank tops. I think they should be allowed to (wear them).”
The caller said, “she is going to end up with a sexual discrimination lawsuit if she does not back off.” The caller continued until her time was up and the Red Line stopped recording.
“Where are our water patrols?” asked a woman.” She claimed a man who lives near her waters not only on his watering days, but always. “This is on Lillian Street.”
A lady visited a local ice-cream vendor and said, “it was the weirdest experience she had ever had.” She picked out an ice-cream specialty, “and first of all, they took it in the back closet or something. When it came back out it didn’t look like the ice cream in front. It kind of makes you wonder what they do back there.”
“Tuesday night (Aug. 19) on national television, I saw the Blue Man, Paul Karason,” began a woman. “Why haven’t I seen anything in the Tribune for the last month or more? The articles on him before were very informative and we always enjoyed the updates on what was happening to him. Now, it seems, we have to rely on Fresno channels and television to hear what’s happening to Madera’s Blue Man.”
In a tongue-in-cheek message, a man advised “the Chamber of Commerce better look out for an imminent lawsuit. Four of their six (Life Achievement Award) honorees were Italian. The CRLA will be suing them for discrimination.”
Concerning the lawsuit (against MUSD) filed by “Mr. Uranga,” a man said, “He can always to get on the school board. I’m sure there are boards there that can benefit from his expertise.”
Another caller thought the lawsuit was “frivolous and a waste of taxpayer’s money. For almost 20 years, one of the best trustees on the (School) Board was from the other side of town. His name is B.J. Robinson. He kept getting re-elected, not because he was from a certain well-off district, but because he continued to prove he was the best man for the job.”
A woman was “real happy they have a new manager for the city bus system. Lets hope the new manager can do a better job than the last one, and get those dispatchers with their snotty attitude, adjusted.”
“Downtown has been on my mind quite a lot,” said a woman. “Something needs to be done because downtown represents Madera, and a lot of people traveling through our town see that and they think that one downtown represents us. I think we should do something, because it will represent pride in our community.”
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Thank you for your calls. Remember, the Red Line is open for your messages 24-hours a day by calling 674-4478, or by visiting www.maderatribuneredline.com.
