Rob DeFrees

As daft as Councilwoman Sterling is, she is right clever. She knows where the votes are and she has played to that for the whole of her time on City Council.

Councilwoman Sterling knows well that folks in District 3 do not vote. She feels that she can coast to the end of her term and hop into another pay packet.

I am getting information from the folks at Fresno County Elections, to see what is required to recall her. I will read the documents carefully and have a very good attorney advise MOI as to how to word the petition. I will see how many registered voters are required to get the recall going. I know that it takes but 20 registered voters in Fresno to sign my petition to get it served on Councilwoman Sterling. There has to be 20 folks in the district that will sign.

I am also getting the information that will show where the monies District 3 Council Office receives on yearly basis to do things for the district. I will pay out of own pocket to get the reports. I want to see where all of the monies have been spent over the last 6 years.

Councilwoman Sterling is an elected official and is required to show how she spends monies and what she does for the whole district.

It may not come to pass that a recall will take place, but Councilwoman Sterling will know that here every move is being watched. It just might get her to do more. Or leave office and let someone with vision and energy to do the job.

One can hope.

As much as I want to go on one a huge rant of what I think of Councilwoman Sterling, I won't as it serves no purpose here. What I will do is commend you Mr. DeFrees on what you are doing and how you are doing in. Most would have given up, but you bring the good fight. To be honest I would have never known the plight of your neighborhood if it wasn't for your posts. Though I don't live in District 3 I do work in it and am angered that she is ignoring your plight. Do what Doug has suggested if you already haven't. Document everything you can. The more you let this be known about the more pressure will be on Sterling.

And Joey props to you for what you said and how you said it. My temper would have flared up and I would have said something "uncivil" if it was me. I can't believe she ignored you like that and tried to do a photo op with you and the rest of the Grrrls. I doubt she has ever even been to a bout.

Mr. DeFrees,

I do not live downtown. i rarely drive down Calaveras street although i have at times when i forget that Community Hospital cuts through my route. I have seen the plight you are talking about but i do not experience it first hand. i am however affected by it.
I live in central Fresno. my neighborhood is made up of mostly families with many small children. it is safe and quiet and very condusive to growth and positive upbringing. i am lucky. i was born into a middle class family and because of that, a single mother like me working full time, school part time and derby all the time, i am able to benefit from the luxuries my financially well-off parents have afforded me.
But i am lucky. i work hard because i could easily be one the mothers who live on your street. i am lucky because God granted me an ideal blue print in which to start my life, even if i started it a little late.
i am lucky because i have security both financial and physical.
my point is this. the folks of Calaveras street and the surrounding neighborhood are extremely lucky to have a man like you who has the passion and determination to see through a dream that you have for yourself and for the future generations of Fresno.
I have my mom and dad to guide me although i am the ripe age of 34 and should already be well established. i am not. but i have them to help me through hard times but only because they see me pulling my weight.
The folks of Calaveras Street are lucky to have you because you are pulling the weight of the whole community and you do it because you care. that inspires me.
when i saw Mrs. Sterling last week at The Vibe, i couldnt hold my tongue. i couldnt sit back and not acknowlege what you have so passionately fought for. her attention.
as we stood face to face i told her directly, "what are you doing for Calaveras Street?" she chose to ignore me. But she heard me. and because of you Fresno is listening.
Keep doing what you are doing. Your passion is contagious.
even if it was for just one moment, she knows we are listening. she knows she is being watched. and i dont view you as a person with one malicious bone in your body. i dont see your words as being physical threats. i see your drive and motivation as a positive thing. if she would just look past the fame and dollar signs, maybe she'll finally decide to do the right thing but only if you stay persistant!

Stay strong friend!

It's time she went down.
My moneys on Rob.
But watch what you post Rob.
She might claim your making threats.
Have you documented the problems at the sum sites?
Write down the conditions and submit them to code enforcement.
I saw lots of cars at various propertys on your street parked on the grass.
Take pictures of the conditions.
Make copies of your letters to Code Enforcement and the pictures.
Send copies of the pictures with your letters.
Have your landlord and the other good landlords notify City Hall and Code Enforcement by letter too.
Get copies of the letters they send too.
Send a registered letter to the slumlords informing them of the problems along with the pictures.
Give them say 30 days to respond.
Let them know if they fail to respond the good landlords will sue them in court for maintaining a public nuicance.
Also see if you can get a call report showing how many times the police are out to that property.
This will show the judge the slumlord is maintaining a nuiciance and allows it.
Then the good landlords can demand the property be shutdown.
Another thing to consider is have the slumlords had their propertys recently inspected by the Fire Inspector?
What is the last date on file if any that they were inspected?
Come on Rob your an apartment manager you should know the rules and codes.
There are "ways" to get the slumlords.
Do the slumlords have valid City Business Permits on file.
Have they ever had a business permit?
Odds are good if they dont then they are not reporting their rent as income to the IRS, the City or the State Franchise Tax Board.
A tip to the IRS and State wil have them in hot water fast.
You don't denie the government its share of the booty.
Even if it's "ill gotten" booty.
The tax man wants his cut.
That cut will include back taxes and intrest for all the years they owned the property compounded.
Slumlords make your neighborhood miserable.
Make their life miserable.
Personally I think the City should start taking more slum lord propertys and sell/give them to people like you that are commited to fixing them up.
By sell/give I mean fine them and confiscate the propertys in question.
Give people willing to clean them up a tax break if they keep the property up. Say a tax break for 10 years no taxes paid on rent earned as long as it goes to pay back the City and fix up the place.
Maybe a grant to purchase the property at zero intrest for 25 years as long as they maintain the property. Then if sold the grant is paid back and City approves the new buyer.
The new landlord must have property inspected regularly and brought up to code with the City helping out to bring it up.
New landlord must be local and if possible have to live in an apartment or use one as an office to be around regularly.
Also since the City wants more younger people downtown a condition should be that a certain percentage of units be rented to collae students.
Not just any students but serious students with good grades that need affordable housing.
Besides a midnight game of "Ninja Paintball" from various rooftops might be fun.
If drug dealers and customers get in the way Paint Happens!
Not that I would suggest hurting anyone.
But I understand it gets the word out fast when you move into a new apartment and druggies keep knocking at 2 am looking for the former tenant/dealer.
I was wondering do you and the good landlords have neighborhood watch signs posted.
Also since your street is a historic street why not play up that angle.
Some nice signs up on poles where taggers can't get to that say Historic Calaveras Street.
Maybe a Historic Calaveras Neighborhood Association.
I could go on but I'm getting tired.
Good Luck with Oprah.
I mean Sterling.