Sweden's evening newspaper on rural poverty in California's Central Valley

Expressen, one of two evening newspapers in Sweden, reports today from Mendota, population 11,000, in Fresno County, which has twice been declared by USA Today the worst place to live in America.  Here's an excerpt, with translation from Swedish compliments of AI (Google Translate):  

Expressen has met women who need food for their family, the mayor who runs the city from a car repair shop and the former gang member who decided to help Mendota. 

In a parking lot at Rojas Pierce Park in Mendota, less than an hour's drive from the county [seat] Fresno, stands Jose "Jay" Huizar, 38.  Mendota is located in California, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, but few know the city ... Today is Thursday, which means that Jay Huizar will distribute food to the many families who need it.  

A truck with food arrives at the parking lot and together with a dozen volunteers, Jay Huizar begins to open boxes and place food on tables that have been set up.  Today, there are, among other things, onions, crushed tomatoes, walnuts, peppers, oranges, chicken and melon.  

Later, Huizar is quoted criticizing Biden's immigration policy and work policy: 

Mendota's biggest problem is that such a large part of the population is undocumented.  And he has been critical of the Biden administration's grant [wondering about the translation here?] in recent months.  

Those who do not have documentation to be here legally cannot get the help that would be needed.  President Biden is handing out money as candy right now because for some reason they do not want people to work. But that does not help people in Mendota.  

This is very, very interesting in terms of immigration politics.  

I am quoted in this story, to provide context for the Mendota situation--context in relation to the county and the state.  Some will consider my take cynical:

This is important for jobs, which are in short supply, when businesses do not open.  The low level of education is also important... It's devastating for Mendota.  Companies do not open when there is no trained staff available. 

And Mendota's problems also reflect why the region is struggling.  

* * *  

You would need to invest in schools, healthcare, jobs.  But decisionmakers assume that the type of place will disappear when people are more or less forced to move to larger cities.  There is no immediate appetite for major investments.