Dems Reject Resolution Against Recall of West Fresno City Councilmember

At yesterday's meeting of the Fresno County Democratic Central Committee, members soundly rejected a resolution opposing the recall of Fresno District 3 City Councilmember Cynthia Sterling.

The urgency of the matter before the local Democratic Party was apparent when a motion was passed to suspend the rules so that discussion and a vote on the resolution, proposed by District 3 resident Chuck Krugman, could take place immediately.

The resolution and its proponents claimed that the current efforts to recall Ms. Sterling did not meet the test of egregious violation of law or public trust and was not in the best interest of the residents of District 3 or the Democratic Party - Councilmember Sterling is a Democrat. Supporters of the resolution also cited her support for human rights issues in District 3 and the city of Fresno.

In contrast, Democratic Central Committee member Jose Luis Barraza opposed the resolution by saying that the Democratic Party should not take action against the recall. He said that only the residents of West Fresno know if there is a violation of law or public trust. "We should not tell people what's in their best interest," he explained.

Opposition to the resolution came from several District 3 residents who arrived well prepared to defend the recall and argue against the adoption of the resolution.

One by one, District 3 residents and community advocates described Cynthia Sterling - a woman with deep roots in West Fresno - as a representative who has not fulfilled her obligations to the people of the district. Phrases such as "lack of confidence," "lack of performance," "lack of representation," and "misrepresentation" were used in explaining the decision to recall Sterling.

In a passionate and profound explanation of the reasons for the recall, Rev. Floyd Harris, Jr. gave several examples of Ms. Sterling's lack of communication with the community regarding issues such as the Running Horse development, the Hacienda prison facility, the Hinton Center, and the Frank H. Ball Playground.

In describing a telephone call in which he personally invited Sterling to attend a meeting regarding the Frank H. Ball Playground, Rev. Harris said that she declined the invitation saying "I didn't create the problem so why should I fix the problem."

"It's about accountability," proclaimed Rev. Harris.