By Mark Smith
By all accounts the Madera Redevelopment Agency was a success. It built affordable housing, developed a popular shopping center, created jobs and bolstered infrastructure on the city's East Side.
On top of that, the agency had never gone broke, even during the housing crisis of 2008.
In the end, none of that mattered.
As part of Gov. Jerry Brown and the state legislature’s attempt to lessen California’s budget woes, Madera’s RDA, along with the more than 400 others across the state, was officially terminated Feb. 1...