The Buzz 09.28.23

FREE SPEECH

How to cover the president’s press conferences when the president is lying? It seems the TV news finally figured it out, as the American electorate gave him the boot. In the uncertain days between the Nov. 3 election and determining an outcome on Nov. 7, Joe Biden delivered a message encouraging patience and trusting in the vote count. President Donald Trump took a different tack, first falsely claiming that he had won. Then in a Nov. 5 press conference, Trump said, “If you count the legal votes, I easily win. This is a case where they’re trying to steal an election.” Four major networks – ABC, CBS, NBC and MSNBC – cut away to instead tell viewers Trump’s claims had no basis in reality. Fox and CNN stuck with Trump for his full remarks, but CNN included a caption on the screen that read, “Without any evidence, Trump says he’s being cheated.” CNBC’s Shepard Smith had the most pointed live takedown: “We’re interrupting this, because what the president is saying, in large part, is absolutely untrue. And we’re not going to allow it to keep going, because it’s not true. There is not a scintilla of evidence this is true, none. There are only words here, no truth.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“That’s football – it’s a crazy sport. You can win it quickly, you can lose it quickly.” - Monterey Bay F.C. head coach Frank Yallop after his side conceded two quick goals in the 90th and 93rd minutes against San Diego on Sept. 20, losing 3-2 (see story, mcweekly.com).

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Martin Dunes, just south of the Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge, might be the most pristine dune habitat in Monterey County, and that’s at least in part because its 125 acres are managed by an exemplary steward: the Big Sur Land Trust. On Sept. 15, BSLT announced that Montage Health, which was bequeathed some of the 125 acres, had donated its share to the land trust, meaning that BSLT now owns nearly 74 percent of the total area. “We are grateful for Montage Health’s outstanding example of inspiring love of land across generations, conservation of our unique Monterey County landscapes, and access to outdoor experiences for all,” Jeannette Tuitele-Lewis, BSLT’s president and CEO, said in a statement. BSLT organizes guided hikes and volunteer stewardship days for the public to get out and experience the unique and extraordinary habitat.

GREAT:

When Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 104 on Sept. 13, it provided $17 million in much-needed money for dam safety projects at both the Nacimiento and San Antonio reservoirs. After the Oroville Dam spillway failure in 2017, a statewide assessment of dams and spillways was initiated, during which it was found both Nacimiento and San Antonio dams, completed in 1957 and 1967, respectively, were in need of some work. The $17 million will go toward design and permitting over the next two years for a new spillway at San Antonio, as well as the rehabilitation of Nacimiento’s plunge pool over the next four. In a statement, Ara Azhderian, general manager of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, thanked a host of state and county elected officials representing the region, calling their work on the matter a “key component of the success in securing this critical funding.”