The LTTE I got published in the Daily Journal plus some comments I

sent to the political hacks over at the chron:

Carla and John, in reference to your continued biased and negative coverage of Phil Angelides, I am passing along a LTTE that I wrote about the major media such as your reporting in the Chronicle and other corporate outlets - the letter was published in a local, non-corporate daily newspaper . I am passing it along to you because the reference is intended for reporters such as yourselves and your corporate bosses who are telling you what the story is.

I find it amusing that you think that Angelides is somehow the prisoner of special interests and that Schwartzenegger will be immune to attacks from Angelides over the special interests ala Pete Wilson's crew that brought us Enron who put Schwartzenegger in office.

Let me tell you something. As a small business owner just in my first few years of ownership, I have seen my state fees and licenses increase by at least $500 this year alone. If that's not a tax on the middle class, I don't know what is. At the same time, my business's landlord, who is a multi-millionaire and inherited this shopping center, and who probably got over $25,000 in federal tax cuts last year, is still raising my rent by $500-$700 a month this year. I'm struggling to get by - I know where my best interest lies and it is in Phil.

The Chron better take a long hard look at where the Hearst Corp. wants to take this paper because it is quickly becoming irrelevant to the needs of THIS community, which wants FACTS, not propaganda.

Dear Editor:

As dependable as an Osama video appearing after a Republican poll down-turn,we hear the perennial prediction of the "lowest turn-out ever" from the mass media every time we have an election, particularly a primary.

From my stand-point, this election was intensely important to many. As I write this, we won't have the final count until probably Wednesday, due to the need to count paper ballots in Alameda County, the election problems in Sacramento, San Joaquin and Kern Counties and the large number of absentee ballots.

The conclusions I have derived from this election are that the mass media, particularly the papers owned by corporate conglomerates, have lost sight of their duty to inform the public and, instead, prefer a spectacle.

In fact, the other words that came to mind, were, as Jon Stewart might say, what do you call it? Oh, yeah - partisan hackery. Never mind that these two are both nominally Democrats.

We have one candidate, supported by 67% of state Democratic delegates, with a very detailed plan, who clearly and firmly called for raising taxes on the very wealthy and corporations, the same group of people who enjoyed tax cuts amounting to 17 BILLION dollars from the federal government, in order to put California back on track as the best state in the nation. We have another candidate who paid $34 million from his own very deep pocket out of $36 million spent, whose only experience in office is signing checks, who couldn't generate more than 30% support at the Democratic State Convention, and who has no clear plan for what he's going to do when in office or how he's going to pay for it.

This isn't American Idol, folks. The way we vote has actual consequences for what happens to us individually and as a state. If we can't get real information from the mass media, we are lost.

So, as Jon Stewart might say, Stop. Just Stop. Stop the affected cynicism, stop the spin, stop the he said/she said "reporting". Stop trying to fit the quote to the agenda. Prove to us that investigative journalism isn't just fiction any more, after all.

Sincerely,
Dani Weber

PS:
The Chron might find apathy because you are seeking it, you might find people who are fed up with the mud slinging because that's been your meme - that people should be so turned off by the mud-slinging that people don't vote - that's what you are trying to sell. And it's the major media that is doing most of the mud-slinging and failing to report on real issues. Or you help create mud if the opponents aren't slinging it hard enough for your preconceived point of view.

Dani
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