Media goof-ups can create a whole new hilarity. Take the Weather Channel’s recent gaffe. During high winds they reported on some areas of the Sierra and in particular, the graphics pointed to 58 mph winds over Indecency, CA. They meant Independence.

We kind of prefer Indecency! After all, it’s the location of the Bureaucrat Beat newsroom and the Inyo County Seat. Government lives here, as do its critics. That seems kind of indecent, don’t you think? There are those who find us indecent. We kind of like that.

Some people have told us they find the supervisorial actions and non-actions somewhat indecent. Others point to the severely lowered groundwater table as definitely indecent. So, in our spare time, we might petition the town to consider a name change. Just think what it would do for our image? Tourism would likely go up!

Going down to the Mountain, Governor Arnold. We reported the rumor that the Gov went skiing. He did, and much, much more. Ski Area CEO Rusty Gregory confirmed that Schwarzenegger came to town and appeared in a video commercial for the California Travel and Tourism Commission. He skied with Rusty and a few others, said some lines in the ad – you know, Arnold stuff, about room at the top, etc.

He dined with Rusty, had some fun, and reminisced. Just like a regular guy.

We feel like quoting Thomas Paine today. He was the newsman back before the American Revolution who stirred up the first of change. He said, “My mind is my own church.” Heavy.

Here’s what you might consider a positive note. Undoubtedly government budget bureaucrats do. Seems that California continue to use less gasoline all the time. No kidding! But, gas tax amounts have gone up. That’s because the price of gas is so high, taxes on it are too. Now, if they would just spend it on something reasonable – like a health care plan for everybody.

A word of advice to the folks who have written to us complaining that we report on criminal arrests. Number one – it’s our job to report everything we can find out. Arrests are public information. Now, we will happily talk to those arrested, their lawyers, their friends, about other facts related to the arrest. Just call us. In short, we need someone to go on the record. So, call us.

Yes, what goes on in Sacramento does change our lives. We found out, inadvertently, while reading letters between Caltrans and the June Lake Citizens Advisory Committee. Seems June Lake folks took issue with snow removal over the winter. A letter back from Caltrans Deputy Director Craig Holste admitted that Caltrans resources are limited. He said Caltrans suffered equipment failures but with a shortage of mechanics could not fix things fast enough.

Watch for the bureaucracy to make things worse in the future. With a $20 billion budget short fall in Sacramento, we may lose more than mechanics over here.

A Los Angeles Times reporter, Steve Hymon, driving home from Mammoth Mountain the other day noted the highway widening south of Big Pine. He got onto the nickname for that stretch of highway – Death Alley. His take – why so slow, Caltrans? He found out that highway widening plans had started in 1955. Ho-hum, 53 years later, here we go!

With that, this is Benett Kessler, signing off for Bureaucrat Beat where we await your word on our lives in the Eastern Sierra and beyond.