RON DAVIS -- Through My Eyes

The fall television lineups will be trotted out shortly, so I’ll use

this occasion to remind everyone to tune into one of the best continuing

comedic-dramas on the tube -- the Huntington Beach City Council meetings.

I particularly enjoy the audience participation portion of the

program, where the general public is invited to “come on down” and toss

in their two cents from the lectern. For some time, I have suspected that

many of those “contributors” would have preferred to be on “Who Wants to

Be a Millionaire,” but they might have trouble answering the first

question, despite the availability of several lifelines.

At the July 5 meeting, during the two-cents hour, some of the speakers

suggested to the world that this whole Garofalo flap is just the product

of tabloid journalism. The blame-the-media routine.

Apparently, all of these “tabloids” -- the Independent, the O.C.

Weekly, the Los Angeles Times and other local publications -- must have

gotten together in some imaginary tabloid conspiracy to manufacture and

manipulate evidence against Dave Garofalo.

In fact, one speaker suggested that we newspaper columnists and

reporters need to get a “real job.”

I want to report that I’ve actually given consideration to getting a

real job, but all of the sales positions for soliciting advertisements

from people and businesses with issues before the City Council are

filled. Another suggested alternative might be buying and selling houses.

Rumor has it that you can make a buck or two in that business.

Being only a weekly columnist, I suppose I’m not really part of the

real media fraternity -- just part of the tabloid subset. Before I write

any column, I go into the back of the Tabloid Room, to the Ax to Grind

section. That’s where they keep a big-spin wheel that contains each of

the letters of the alphabet.

I give that baby a big spin as they do on “Wheel of Fortune.” After

the arrow lands on a letter that matches the first letter of the last

name of someone in government, I launch a witch hunt. I do this every

couple of months, and last month the letter G was selected.

After I’ve selected the target, I ask all of the target’s political

enemies and adversaries for gossip about the target and completely ignore

any defense offered by the witch hunt target.

That way, any article written can be as slanted as a Venetian blind.

Does it sound like I’m a little bent out of shape at the suggestion

that the news reports are the product not of truth and fair investigation

but of the imaginary wanderings of a bunch of tabloids? You bet.

The information regarding the mayor’s 87 votes in favor of those who

have advertised in periodicals with which the mayor is associated isn’t

based on a “tip” but upon an examination of the record. Questions

surrounding the house transaction likewise aren’t based on tips but upon

an examination of the deeds recorded at the county recorder’s office,

which suggest that Garofalo’s version may not be completely accurate.

He could readily substantiate a defense by merely showing all of us

the escrow and purchase documents and the contracts relating to the

upgrades.

Garofalo claims to have done a friend a favor by selling him the house

for $1. I wish the mayor would do us a favor -- I’ll pay the buck -- and

show the residents of this community the documents that must surely exist

to support his contentions.

* RON DAVIS is a private attorney who lives in Huntington Beach. He

can be reached by e-mail at o7 [email protected]