Taylor Swift, the NFL and the great conspiracy theory pushed by Republicans | Opinion

Taylor Swift and the GOP

The Jan. 31 article, “Ramaswamy says Super Bowl could be rigged to boost Taylor Swift, Biden” had me remembering the 2012 presidential race.

Conservative big brain Rush Limbaugh (now deceased) claimed that liberal Hollywood had named the nemesis in that year’s Batman film, “Bane,” because voters would be unable to distinguish between the villain Bane and Mitt Romney, who co-founded Bain Capital. And, it worked — 5 million more people voted for Obama.

Limbaugh later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump for his relentless wisdom.

It’s happening again as Vivek Ramaswamy is warning us. The “liberal” NFL has rigged the Super Bowl so that KC will win because Swift is dating a Chief. And Swift is a known not-conservative. Wake up, people! Root for conservative San Francisco instead!

Ramaswamy, Q-Anon, and Trump: the three legs of the conservative big-brain stool.

Don Smith, Fresno

Bee columnist is a hero

All hail Marek Warszawski. He unraveled the Gordian knot, finding an answer to the question: How does one survive without cable TV. He simply cut the umbilical cord.

That sounds easy. However, not only does it take impeccable logic, but also unfathomable courage. Many of us who suffer from media and entertainment frailty worry that our La-Z-Boy worlds would crumble without HBO and ESPN.

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Each month, when the bills from the cable company oligopoly and the connection-provider monopoly arrive, we who cannot break the bonds of addiction write our checks with gritted teeth and guilty consciences.

Like Samson Agonistes, Warszawski has shown us that the chains can be broken. The Temple of Temptations can be brought down. Yet, we cowardly cling to our security blanket of despair, knowing that our only reward for loyalty to Cable God will be disappointment.

Our hero has blindly led the way. Ought we not follow?

James A. Glynn, Madera

Vote no on Measure E

Measure E is an incredibly poor tax measure. Fresno State does not belong to Fresno County. It is one of many state universities. Students come from all over California, in fact from all over the world. Fresno State is the responsibility of the state of California, not Fresno County.

Measure E is an increase in the county sales tax. Sales taxes are the most regressive form of taxation. It taxes the poor and middle class simply because they have to spend all of their income every month. The well-to-do can avoid this tax simply by saving their money.

It is not the responsibility of Fresno County taxpayers to develop Fresno State. In my opinion this tax increase will simply move money from taxpayers to local business interests. Vote no on Measure E.

Gordon Fake, Fresno

No on Measures A, B

It’s time to stop pandering to the conservative majority on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. They are responsible for a book ban that a majority of citizens opposed. They ignored citizen positions.

It’s time to stop political machinations at the board level and in our DA’s office. Why is it alright for (Lisa) Smittcamp to support (Steve) Brandau in ads? Does she expect him to support her in ads? Obviously yes. That needs to change.

And adding measures to an off-cycle election so you can ensure your measure passes is wrong.

Measures A and B accomplish all that they want.

Please vote on March 5. Please vote against A and B.

Nancy Schultz, Fresno

Bulldog basketball team a disaster

Colorado State beat the Fresno State men’s basketball team and was clearly more talented and better coached. The program needs a major overhaul to be competitive in the Mountain West.

Most disheartening is the lack of student support, which is non-existent. What player or potential recruit wants to play in a sparsely filled arena with no students?

It’s the university’s responsibility to do everything possible to get students into seats and it’s failing miserably. We’re not talking rocket science here.

Until the university commits to building a strong student presence for basketball like the football team enjoys, the basketball program will continue to languish in mediocrity.

Tom Tyner, Clovis

Homeless claims suspect

I’m trying to wrap my head around a boast made by Mayor Jerry Dyer in a new radio ad. He claims that under his leadership the number of homeless people within the confines of Fresno (and it’s him speaking in the ad) has decreased.

I checked the numbers and found that he can only claim that for 2023. Since 2015 the number of homeless people here has increased year over year.

And even those numbers are suspect since it’s been proven that those counts are under the actual total. Fresno has the highest number of homeless among California’s large cities on a percentage basis.

And the numbers counted are based on volunteers going out and doing their best — counting within shelters during a winter month and attempting outreach as well.

Going forward, these counts will be based solely on the numbers counted within shelters during January. Which means it will be an estimate that will decrease the overall number the mayor can tout when in need of good news.

An accurate count would be smarter — and benefit those who need help the most, and not the politicians who can skew those numbers to only benefit themselves.

Joel S. Dyer, Fresno

Haley shows up

Although Nikki Haley and Donald Trump have their differences, they also have many Republican core principles in common.

In a GOP debate, how would one be able to tell them apart?

Haley isn’t afraid to show up.

Fred Oakes, Fresno

More no on E

Vote “no” on Measure E promoting a 0.25% sales tax increase costing the taxpayers $1.6 billion over 25 years. The tax is being promoted to remodel and upgrade the Fresno State campus and expand nursing and other academics. This measure should not be allowed to pass for the following reasons:

1. This is a “regressive tax” assessed regardless of income in which low and high income earners pay the same dollar amount. The poverty rate in Fresno County is 20.6%. This tax also requires the homeless pay the same amount as the rich, which makes no sense.

2. Our taxes, via state funding, supported Fresno State by $183 million, plus it received $147 million from student tuitions in 2021-22. Student tuition is also expected to increase by 6% annually over the next five years. So students are also burdened with higher costs.

3. Disadvantaged students have programs for financial aid, via Pell grants, loans, scholarships, tuition assistance, veteran benefits with the majority funded by federal and state government programs, which are also taxpayer funded.

4. The university needs operate within budget like the other colleges in Fresno. We do not need higher taxes.

Ray Cortez, Fresno