Naindeep Singh is running for Fresno City Council in District 1, and he's framing this race as a question of insider versus outsider — a contest of values and integrity rather than the old red-versus-blue divide.
Jordan sits down with Deep to talk about what it's actually like to run for council in Fresno, the trade-offs of the district voting structure, and the critique that community organizers struggle to govern the people they used to organize against. They dig into the West Fresno sidewalk problem and Deep's pitch for a dedicated city fund matched by the county; the parking conversation nobody's having about Tower; how the city could be a partner instead of a hindrance to events like Porchfest; vacant buildings and the missing middle in commercial real estate; and historic preservation through a Strong Towns lens.
On the citywide side: Fresno's strong-mayor system and the absence of checks and balances on Mayor Dyer, why Deep opposes SEDA and what smart growth looks like instead, capping utility rate hikes (trash is already up 80% in five years), whether the city should take on its own public health services, and how to think about the FPD budget when non-emergency calls are going unanswered.
Stick around for overrated/underrated — yard signs, Me-N-Ed's, the 180 Freeway, the Tower Theatre, door knocking, and public comment — plus Deep's current reading list and where to find the campaign.
Find Deep: @Deep4Fresno on Instagram • Text 559-647-4700
Upcoming events: Ice cream socials at Inspiration Park (this weekend, 4–6 PM) • Final District 1 candidate forum at Big Red Church, Monday May 18 at 6 PM.
Book Recommendations
Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution Anand Gopal
No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes Anand Gopal
California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric — and What It Means for America's Power Grid Katherine Blunt
Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It M. Nolan Gray
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