I did this drawing ten years ago, during an era of exceptional rancor in Nevada County politics. Here’s a passage from my chronicle of those ugly times, Once Upon A Village.
“With the election of 2004, a new generation of conservatives assumed control of the Board of Supervisors, but it’s understood that the days of the good ol’ boys, sweetheart deals and rampant development are gone forever. Even if they wanted it, they are constrained by a maze of mandates and regulations from the state. While progressives may not agree with the new majority, they have charted a more moderate course for the future, much to the dismay of their more libertarian supporters.”
Here in 2014, the “moderately conservative” Board has come under fire from all directions. In an ironic twist, property rights activists from the left have taken them to task over marijuana farms and a controversial cell phone tower. The specter of development on Dorsey Drive has many activists up in arms. The right wingers are unhappy that the Board hasn’t weighed in on Agenda 21, global warming fraud and the secessionist movement, among other tea party topics. The progressives, now led by the ever-boisterous Jeff Pelline and his Sierra Foothill Report (Or sometimes referred to here as The Whine & Cheese Quarterly ) have begun to challenge the status quo, who are still being referred to as the “good ol’ boys.” Mr. P vigorously denies any political leanings, but his slanted reporting on the Grass Valley city council race and Ahabesque vendetta against The Union tells another story.
Compared to 2004, this year’s election is a sleeper. The supervisor’s contests were conducted with a minimum of nastiness, and the moderate right still holds sway in the Rood Center chambers. Still, there is much grumbling from the disaffected left against the Supervisors and Sheriff Keith Royal. It will be interesting to see how the ASA (Americans for Safe Access) initiative does in November. If successful, it could set the stage for a new round of recall elections in 2015. If there is still any water in Nevada County, that’s when the mud pies will fly.
Mr. P. has responded in typical fashion on his blog http://sierrafoothillsreport.com/2014/09/06/tea-party-gazette-the-sequel/ (see comments) And as usual he has accused me of being some sort of right wing fanatic. Ha! And he repeats his mantra of being “in the middle” of the political spectrum. Well, that’s up to the reader to decide. If you’re partial to the left, I’m sure he does sound very reasonable. But he’s had nothing but criticism for the two city council candidates he considers “good ol’ boys” and praise for their opponents’ “lack of partisan posturing.” There isn’t a conservative bone in his body.
As for me, I’m not taking sides in the election. In my history as editorial cartoonist I take care to only do cartoons which portray both sides of the field, leaving the reader to decide who might best serve the city’s interests. That’s if I draw it at all. I really don’t care for either party, and if I tend to pick on Democrats more than Republicans, it’s because Democrats rule the roost in this state. Republicans are irrelevant for the most part.
As for The Union’s supposed bias, it’s always a no-win situation. If both sides are mad at you, it pretty much says that you are doing something right. Mr. P. seems to think I’m in denial about the future of newspapers. He’s correct that printed news will someday go the way of the dodo. I don’t know where he gets the idea that I’ve ever disputed that. But it is likely that rural papers such as ours will be the last to go, mostly due to older readers than metropolitan publications. I have no doubt that The Union will evolve to fit the market of the future.
And by the way, Mr. P., as long as you refer to The Union as The Tea Party Gazette, I’ll have no qualms about name-calling. It’s a lie, and you know it.
Bob~ I’ve never been able to stand any camp/person/party the swings radically either way. I’m into what’s fair and logical and what makes frickin’ sense. That’s what’s so right about you, man. You’ve always stood for the most intelligent and logical. Fuck those sissies who call you out…it just makes for an interesting day and I suppose is partially what it is all about; but it just makes them look all the more foolish and desperate.
Cartoon & Conquer! Keep on choogalin’!
What makes you think Mr. Bubba’s obsessed with The Union?
Maybe it’s because his “updates” on Sunday’s brush fire consisted of bashing The Union, hardly helpful to somebody in harm’s way who was under the mistaken impression that his blog might be a source of useful information.
If his house ever catches fire, he’ll probably criticize The Union if it doesn’t get there is time to take a picture.
Funny how history repeats itself…but politics and cesspool have gone hand in hand since the ancient Greeks. Thank you Crabbman. Your cartoons (and other musings) are always a delight.
Bob continues to paint me into a vision that exists to suit him. This is the problem with cartooning: it’s two dimensional.
….from the horses mouth….if you want to lampoon jeffy RL make sure to use at least one more dimension.
For realism if nothing else!
After whining about the lack of diversity in the paper’s editorial policy, Big P can’t even say anything nice about Reinette Senum, Nancy Eubanks, Lynn Wentzel and several others being added to the board. He is so fixated on Stan Meckler he can’t see past his own hatred of the newspaper he used to champion enthusiastically when he was the editor.
As of this moment, the last six of ten commenters at Pelline’s are… Pelline.
Probably time for “Annie Fox” to chime in. Given “Annie”‘s thousands of posts at the Pelline blog and nowhere else, I’m assuming “Annie” is also named Pelline.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
And last but not least, here comes Greg Goodknight, “Mr. Science”! Tell us Mr. Science how does “vapor lock” work? What can you do to prevent it? Go back to school Mr. Science.
Wow…. talk about “vapor lock”……..
To prevent it just don’t write anything jeffy finds distasteful.
That’s “Dr. Science” to you, Jeff. Find him at 34:28 to answer your questions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Ytr_Ztp4w
With a new flurry, six of the last ten commenters at Pellines remain Pelline, or at least *a* Pelline.
I gotta go.
Now I’m in the same league as Rush Limbaugh! Had to think back to remember ever having been the anti-women misanthrope that Mr. Bishop compares me to. Here’s an entry on the subject…Be sure to read the comments if you want a more accurate picture…
http://www.rlcrabb.com/uncategorized/before-you-burn-the-witches/
Chip Wilder now says I called Sandra Fluke a slut. This is a bald-faced lie. I would never call any woman a slut. Typical propaganda from Big P’s blog.
Oh, and Annie Fox, concerning my use of ‘State of Jefferson Airplane’…My Tuesday strip was done a week ago. Perhaps we just think alike more than you think!
Nevada County Scooper seems to be running short of new material. Here’s a story it should pursue, complete with headline: “Sierra FoodWineArt recalled after accidentally criticizing an advertiser.” They can assign the story to Bored Georgeman.
I find it interesting that some who claim they’re liberal, or moderate don’t want to hear or read anything different from what they think. Worse…they want to stifle other viewpoints…all the while claiming they believe in free speech (for themselves). The uproar concerning the Union having a few conservatives on the editorial staff was ridiculous. During my lifetime I’ve learned many wonderful things from listening to what others learned from their experiences…Enough to realize how little we know so we shouldn’t turn off spigot to wisdom.
Big P. calls me ignorant and ridicules my Tuesday 9/9 cartoon for being insensitive to people from the bay area. No, this is being insensitive to people in the bay area
http://www.businessinsider.com/ellis-act-ruining-san-francisco-2014-7
Here’s more fodder for a hungry cartoonist…
http://48hillsonline.org/2014/09/10/mountainview-get-outsource-housing-problems-sf/
It’s looking like the campaign against Measure S is getting ugly. Someone from that side has been stealing our Yes on S signs on a regular basis and have even trespassed onto private property to take down our signs. I wonder why they are so intent on stifling free speech?
ASA is offering a $500 reward for the identity of the sign thief’. Please snap a photo or write down a license plate number, location and time of the theft and call our office at 530-430-7027 to claim the reward.
Mr. Bubba criticizes KNCO for talking to just one side of today’s pot bust story, but won’t give The Union credit for talking to both sides. This is the guy who whines every time The Union doesn’t give him credit for one of his so-called “scoops.”
Another example of selective use of the facts, something else he has in common with Rush Limbaugh.
Can Grass Valley learn something here? You be the judge…
http://48hillsonline.org/2014/09/11/willie-brown-denounces-sf-electorate-democratic-process-chamber-commerce-event/
Big P. doesn’t think Silicon Valley has affected San Francisco politics (not to mention housing.) What planet does he live on? And yeah, I know about the San Franta Clara 49ers, doofus.
Speaking of housing… http://48hillsonline.org/2014/09/10/mountainview-get-outsource-housing-problems-sf/
Here’s another brilliant ruling from Marin County… http://www.shawnmccadden.com/the-design-builders-blog/bid/104900/CA-Judge-May-Have-Created-Huge-Challenges-For-Contractors
And people wonder why I draw these characters as dimwits and thugs!
Q0Not very radical conservative of you…liking Firth’s Facebook page! You don’t fit the “Purple Man’s” caricature of you either!
I won’t Like any of ’em. Mainly ’cause I don’t do Facebook. LOL and what a hoot.