Conservatives and libertarians have most of the power.
Liberals and progressives want all they can get.
Government is just about everywhere – but we need more.
That pretty much sums up an intriguing analysis of who among Fresno County’s power brokers has the juice to get things done in the political arena.
The 50-page report – “Fresno Power Analysis” – was crafted by Michael Evans, chairman of the Fresno County Democratic Party and a leader in the region’s growing progressive network.
The report reflects the thinking of the local Democratic Party chief as the Central Valley heads into Election 2016. Evans and his lieutenants will seek every opportunity to showcase the report at morale-building meetings of the faithful.
Thanks to Evans, I got a copy of the report plus words of wisdom from the author himself.
“What we’ve tried to use it for is to educate primarily the progressive community as to what the landscape is,” Evans told me on Friday in his downtown Fresno office. “We’ve found that pretty much everyone we’ve shown it to has had their eyes opened. Our message to them is: ‘We can change our community, but you need to understand this so you know what we’re up against.’”
There’s one other thing in the mix – me as a foil. Evans said it’s hard to accurately update the report if the only feedback he gets is from the progressive echo chamber. So, he sent me the analysis and asked for my thoughts.
“The true value of it is to be as objective as possible,” Evans said.
Let’s dig into this feast of insider opinion.
