Want to help the Progressives in Fresno work against the Neo-con Good ol boys ?
Here is another coalition group that has formed in Fresno and is putting in a lot of energy to make a change.
They are inspiring.
What happens in Fresno affects the rest of the state.. the evil in Fresno spreads to the rest of CA.. sort of like cancer.
If we can heal Fresno we can help the rest of the state.
The progressives in Fresno has a much bigger battle than the progressives that live in the choirs.
This group was working hard doing voter registration this weekend.
"First phonebank for FIC! Leaders looking over their scripts and getting ready to call voters.
Women at the frontline of the struggle." -Carmen Medrano
Faith in Community is a coalition of faith institutions working towards a more just, compassionate, equitable, and thriving city of Fresno.
They have facebook, maybe give them some words of encouragement.
http://faithinfresno.org/fic/
This theme of "Concentrated Usury" is critical for our leaders in the context of Fresno: We increasingly believe that - with our city's status as having the highest concentration poverty in the nation (higher than even post-Katrina New Orleans) and second highest metropolitan poverty rate overall - this has led to ironically and perversely rich soil for a select few businesses (importantly, typically with corporate headquarters outside the city) looking to line their pockets off of the pain and suffering of many. While this list includes several businesses/business models, we are currently most focused on two:
Payday lenders, which lure those living paycheck-to-paycheck in with a path of least resistance and storefronts inundating high-poverty areas (with at least 65 stores now in Fresno, the vast majority in high-poverty neighborhoods), but bank on their inability to pay loans back (studies show that only 5% are able to repay within two weeks) and ultimately charge 400+% APR in interest; and,
A select number of "property management" companies that have bought up foreclosed homes all over distressed neighborhoods, only to sit on them (boarding them up and serving as blight/crime havens) until they can either rent in slum conditions to undocumented families (or at least just those without other means) or simply until the entire neighborhood eventually flips.
