I was once told by a listener, that news radio tends to focus only on bad news. I’m not so sure about that. It could simply be her perception of what is good news vs what is bad. For example, when we are broadcasting election night results, many in the audience will hear mostly bad news while others in the audience are popping champaigne corks and cheering. Regardless,  it is news.

Based on your perception, I found good news…. or did I? This is a perfect example of how you read this  story and whether or not it is good news or bad:

Published on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009

A CBS/Vanity Fair Poll shows that Rush Limbaugh is thought to be the most influential conservative voice in America.

In order of smallest to greatest, the CBS poll results are as follows:

4%  Congressman John Boehner

8% KVML Talk Show Host Sean Hannity

10% Former Vice President Dick Cheney

10% Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

12% KVML Talk Show Host Glenn Beck

26% KVML Talk Show Host Rush Limbaugh

Meg Whitman, who is running in the 2010 Governor’s race as a Republican, recently told CNBC’s Larry Kudlow that California’s current tax structure is not a problem…. no really, she did.

I’ve been asked a number of times and I don’t think that Whitman is a part of an ongoing Saturday Night Live prank. 

Based on her facial expression and dismissive “yeah”, I’m not so sure that she really even knows who Texas Governor Rick Perry is. And flat tax? No, because according to Whitman, California’s tax structure is “not the problem” and neither is “who we tax and how we tax them”.

The proposed 2010 California Marriage Protection Act would make divorce illegal in California. This proposed initative still needs enough valid signatures to be placed on the ballot in November of 2010.

The Sonora Christmas Parade will take place this Friday (November 27th) at 5:30pm.

I will be announcing the parade from the balcony of “Go Figure” Accounting, located near the intersection of Washington and Stockton. Joining me is former KVML News personality, Alisha Cruz.

For optimum visual and sound, the best place to watch the parade from will be just across the street from us, by Bank of America & Yosemite Title. There is no better place to be….

OK, one exception. Bill Johnson (KVML News Director) and BJ Hanson (KVML Reporter) will both be announcing from the balcony of Yosemite House (which is located across from the Courthouse) on Washington Street.

The parade travels from the Red Church to Restano Way.

We’ll see you this Friday night!

– Mark Truppner

The $11 billion water bond that California voters will be asked to approve next year, contains nearly $2 billion in earmarks or wasteful pork.

Hundreds of millions of dollars of these pork projects would do nothing to increase the state’s supply of clean and reliable water.

Republican State Senator Dave Cogdill, who authored the bond bill that Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed immediately, told KVML’s Bill Johnson on November 10th, that the pinnacle of his career was the “recent passage of  the comprehensive water bill”.

Cogdill tried to justify his “pinnacle” porkulus water bill by telling the San Francisco Chronicle that, “…you can look at any bond that has been brought forward the last few years and probably find pork in it. You’ve got to be able to convince the majority of the people in the state that there’s something in there for them.”

In the same interview, the removed Senate Minority Leader told KVML that he will not seek re-election for the 14th District California Senate Seat, which includes Tuolumne County.

Here’s a look at some of the pork projects in the $11 billion dollar water bill that Senator Cogdill authored:

— $100 million for the “Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program” which includes bicycle trails and recreation projects.

— $75 million for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, for interpretive projects, physical projects and “improving community sustainability.”

— $250 million for dam removal on the Klamath River, to restore salmon runs.

— $20 million for Siskiyou County to help its economy.

— $20 million for the Baldwin Hills Conservancy to be used to buy land.

— $10 million for the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at UC Merced

— $30 million for watershed recreation centers

Conservative critics of the water bill, such as Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, (who is racing against Republican Carly Fiorina for Democrat Barbara Boxer’s US Senate seat) said that he would prefer a bond that funds only construction of new dams and other water storage projects, which he claims, wouldn’t cost more than $5.2 billion.

According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the debt on this $11 billion bond would be repaid from the general fund (which is already facing a $21 billion deficit). If approved by the voters, the debt payments would eventually reach $800 million per year.

With Thanksgiving this week, anyone want to guess what the Senator would like us to eat?

First, it’s shocking to see that Larry King still has a show. Second, Carrie Prejean was King’s guest on Wednesday night promoting her new book, “Still Standing”.

Prejean was “Miss California” in the Miss USA Pageant, seven months ago. During the pageant, when asked  her about feelings on gay marriage, Prejean sided with the majority of California voters in 2008, and stated that she felt marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Prejean may have lost the pageant because of her answer. It was given to a homosexual judge, who went on to rip Prejeans character and her “Christian beliefs” on his celebrity website. Gay advocates were also vocally stupefied and outraged by Prejean’s answer and she became the subject of ridicule.

However, Prejean became an overnight darling for both conservative organizations and talk show hosts, until it was revealed that she had posed topless in Las Vegas.  Donald Trump (who owns the Miss USA Pageant) originally kept, then fired Prejean for “violating the rules”.

Now Prejean has a new book. It’s an autobiography about standing on her principles and religious beliefs. But just as her book is hitting the shelves, TMZ (the celebrity gossip website and tv show) has announced that they have acquired an exclusive “sex tape” that Prejean had made on her own and sent to a boyfriend a couple of years ago. Prejean has admitted to the tape calling it, “a mistake”.

Last Wednesday, Prejean appeared on CNN’s “Larry King”. Prejean did no favors for herself, by suddenly behaving like a primadonna and creating an immature couple of minutes of television:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R0a9xq6uek&feature=player_embedded

Carly Fiorina earlier this week announced that she will run as a Republican to replace US Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat-CA). Over the past few years, Fiorina perhaps has become best known locally as the fired CEO of Hewlett Packard. Last year, Fiorina was the economic advisor to John McCain’s failed Presidential run.

Some California voters will be concerned that Fiorina has voted only in five of the last eighteen state elections. Other concerns could be Fiorina’s track record as CEO of Hewlett Packard. Nearly 18,000 employees were fired while Fiorina touted outsourcing high tech jobs to other countries. As Senator, Fiorina would like to strengthen California’s illegal immigrant workers program, despite a 30% unemployment rate of already legal residents in areas of Tulare, Kern and Fresno Counties.

Last week, when Fiorina was asked about the internet, her answer sounded as though she supports the federal government censoring of the internet. Through her diplomatic and somewhat confusing answer, she also brings up the word “taxes” on the internet.

Should your unlimited access to information and entertainment on the internet be censored by the US Government? Should the US Government begin to tax internet usage and/or web hits?  

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3YDIRP2qVw

Before joining the race to be the next Governor of California,  Meg Whitman (Republican) helped John McCain during his failed Presidential bid. While answering one reporters question, Whitman spoke for herself, in favor of the H-1B Visas that allows US employers to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. One criticism of the H-1B program, especially in Silicon Valley, has been its role in replacing U.S. workers with much cheaper immigrant workers. Many people would hope that during these difficult economic times, the next Governor of California will care more about employing, not displacing, well qualified US citizens and California residents. There is a huge reservoir of high tech college graduates here, that would love to work.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSfYiVKzUjw

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican) discusses his early movie-documentary, “Pumping Iron”, in which he is seen smoking weed. The Gov appears proud of his scene and boasts that he inhaled:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zdm-bCfyyI