in the pages: FEB 11, 2011

The State of the Valley

DUES
WHEN IN FRESNO

the QUESTIONS
WITH
ZARA ARBOLEDA

E N C E
C ON FID
I S I S OF
CR
WILL
A THE RETURN
OF STEVE
‘THE DAILY’
REINVENT
POIZNER PUBLISHING?
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DUES VOL 2, No. 2

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Memorable
Tweets and
Quotes from the
last few weeks.
PG. 3

QUESTIONS
Our Interview
with CBS 47
Anchor Zara Mayor of Fresno Ashley Swearengin announces Mark Scott as the successor of Andy Souza as City
Arboleda. PG. 4 Manager. Photo: City of Fresno.

FOTOGRAPH
The Drudge
BULLETIN
Report: Fresno
Edition. PG. 18 REVIEW: ABC 30 IPAD APP GROUPON: OVER THE LEDGE
A nationally televised slapdown
With an unimpressive iPhone
on Tibet has Groupon on the
app, can ABC 30 turn things
the
DUES around on the iPad? PG. 5 defensive. But is its service
worth the controversy? PG. 6

is a publication of the SEATTLE: CITY OF SUPERHEROES THE (POSSIBLE) REINCARNATION OF

Daily Dues. Itʼs a bird, itʼs a plane, no wait: STEVE POIZNER
itʼs Phoenix Jones: Protector of Out of Sacramento, Poizner
All content is Seattle. How this tights fanatic is should set his sights on
copyrighted to its saving the city. PG. 8 Washington. PG. 9
respective owner.
COVER: FRESNO’S CRISIS OF THE STATE OF THE VALLEY
Contact the DUES:
CONFIDENCE From inside the blogosphere, a
Looking at the City of Fresnoʼs look at the Central Valley and all
Email: of its issues. PG. 10
tough state of affairs. PG. 13
info@dailydues.com

Twitter: @dailydues TECH: ‘THE DAILY’ LETS PRINT GO THE TICKET: WHAT THE HUCK?
As his polling numbers
DIGITAL skyrocket, what is Mike
Facebook: Our review of Rupert Murdochʼs
fb.dailydues.com Huckabee waiting for? PG. 19
iPad brain child. PG. 17

DAILY DUES
THE
the textbox...
Why do some still call G Street is like the G string
Sarah Palin "Governor"? of the @FresnoBee.
She quit that job. Now she's
just some idiot with a reality
show. She's Snooki. - @DaveChilders
- @HeatherinFresno

“"Success is not a function

of hard work or PR, but
Whenever I see someone
hard work and discipline" -
using a fake name on
McCain is doing his Muttley
Facebook, I always wonder
grumble somewhere
what they're trying to hide.
#SOTU”
-@thisisconlan
-@gnagesh

Today was Groundhogs I don't blame Mubarak for

Day. Tomorrow is Richard
Gere's Gerbil Day. God
knows what that beast will
look like emerging from an
asshole.
-@TravisSheridan
what's happening in Egypt. I
blame his evil vizier Jafar.
Who appoints a parrot to a
cabinet position?
-@StephenatHome

3
Questions with
CBS 47’s ZARA ARBOLEDA
ALEX: How has the transition been from
late night news to early morning?
ZARA: It's been shockingly easy.  I think I was
just so excited to be able to have dinner with
my two kids and hubby that I overlooked the
fact that my alarm squeals at me at 2 am
weekdays!  As long as I get some kind of nap
in the afternoon, I'm good to go.  If I don't...
don't say I didn't warn you!
ALEX: What is your current favorite
internet meme?
ZARA: Iʼve recently discovered those Hipster
Ariel memes. These recent Bill O'Reilly ones
crack me up. And I will always have a soft spot
for the Don Draper crying memes, which I first
saw on the Beehive. (Jon Hamm is fellow
Missouri grad, so I have to include him!)
Once in a while, Mike Oz will send me a
pedobear meme. It's an homage, if you will, to
when media outlets around the country last
year were warning parents about the bear, not
realizing that the symbol was USUALLY used
to just mark something as inappropriate.
4
The Daily Duesʼ Alex Tavlian talked to
Zara Arboleda, who just celebrated
her seventh year at CBS 47. Zara
currently is a host of KGPEʼs morning
show.
Pictured (l to r): CBS 47’s
Zara Arboleda and Jenny
Toste are celebrating
Zara’s seventh year at the
station.
Photo: CBS47.tv
ALEX: Giants and Grizzlies season is just
around the corner, what are you looking
forward to?
ZARA: My SF Giants DEFENDING their World
Series title!  I can't wait to don my Panda hat
and catch game at AT&T Park.  Also, I love
going to Chukchansi to watch the Grizzlies.  I
truly don't know why more people don't catch
games!  I saw Timmy, Buster and gang there...
before they made it to San Francisco.
ALEX: You tweeted about a Vatican-
approved confession app earlier today, are
there any technologies you find to be a little
awkward?
ZARA: Hmmmmm. Yeah, that was a bit odd.
Huggies has an "I Go Potty" app that sets
timers to remind your potty-training toddler
when to pee. Then, while your kid relieves
himself, it plays this annoyingly catchy jingle.
It's bizarre. And, in my recent experience, not
that effective.
Go to the Daily Dues for our Extra
Question!
 The coveted ABC 30
REVIEW iPad app

Stationʼs iPad app greatly launch screen (a picture of a one place (without having to
Fresno landmark broken up into watch a video, though videos
improves from iPhone
individual squares) and an even are available).
Everyday and night, ABC 30 cooler interface for looking at
news, ABC 30 has hit the Naturally, thereʼs plenty to be
KFSN-TV will remind its viewers
jackpot already with this one. excited about with this app: local
that it is the first in the Valley
news with a great interface,
with an iPad app. Here at the
One of the upsides to ABC 30′s intuitive navigation and faster
Dues, we were pretty
iPad app is this: itʼs easier to app. While there can be some
disappointed with ABC 30′s
navigate the app than their own tweaking to make it better, the
iPhone app. But with a new app
website. With each section app is one that you canʼt really
to review, weʼve given them a
receiving its own square, itʼs an complain with.
second chance at redemption.
intuitive way of looking at a wide
What ABC 30 failed to do well variety of news and information. The Action News team has a
winner with their iPad app (now
on their iPhone app was have a
Whatʼs even better? The if they could only work on their
good user interface. For their
weather section. You can get the iPhone app).
iPad app, that seems to be no
forecast, see where the fog is
problem. With a very cool
hovering (via FogTracker) all in GRADE: 9.5/10 (A
5
Groupon: Over the Ledge BULLETIN
VIDEO EXTRAS

CLICK HERE FOR TIBET AD

Timothy Hutton, above, was the featured actor

for the second of two Groupon Super Bowl ads.
The ad acted as a parody of Public Service
Announcements of humanitarian issues
including Tibet. PHOTO: YouTube

Ad isnʼt the only

thing that should
have people upset. CLICK HERE FOR WHALE AD

There was quite a hullabaloo
about the Groupon Super
Bowl ads yesterday. Most
people were distraught after
Groupon aired this ad during
the Super Bowl:
Let me be perfectly clear:
the crass humor of Groupon
is not the major problem with
the company (it did make
them look pretty bad
nonetheless). Thereʼs one
major problem with
Groupon: It doesnʼt always
provide fantastic results for
consumers.
Iʼve looked at all of the
Groupon competitors in
Fresno and Iʼve NEVER
found one thing that was
actually worth buying. For
example, todayʼs deal in
Fresno was for Viva La
Vaultʼs upscale or fashion
jewelry. I hate to admit it,
but that doesnʼt get too
many people jumping to
6
buy the product. In fact,
only 21 people have
purchased the deal.
The greater problem with
Groupon isnʼt their
marketing strategy with
consumers, itʼs their
marketing strategy with
businesses. Until a decent
retailer (that has broad
appeal) can provide a
crowdsource deal,
Groupon isnʼt going to
succeed many places
(Fresno included).
 W I T H
C I A L
T S O UE S
GE I LY D
E D A
T H
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foursquare.com/user/dailydues
 SEATTLE:
Home of Superheroes

LEFT: Phoenix Jones: Guardian of Seattle is one superhero in Seattle who battles
criminals with no weapons. Jones fights crime with a group of confrontational
superheroes on the record with Seattle PD. PHOTO: PopCultureShock

If you ever dreamed of flashing a light in the sky
and waiting for Batman, your dream might just
come true. Though no Gotham City, Seattle,
Wash. is a city that can be peculiarly dark and
rainy, but in the strife to fight crime is a group of
superheroes.
with two men in the city. Jones had a man in a
headlock waiting for police to arrive to arrest him
when another man pulled out a gun on the
superhero. Phoenix Jones let the head-locked
man go and then was kicked in the face by the
gun-toting man.

The most well-known of this community
underbelly is Phoenix Jones: Guardian of
Seattle (bolded for dramatic effect). Recently,
Jones was interviewed by ABCʼs Good Morning
America in his black and yellow costume (of
uniform). Essentially, Jones and a group of
superheroes resolve conflicts without any police
weapons. Whatʼs better? They do it with the full
knowledge and consent of the Seattle P.D.
A few days after his national interview, Jones
receives a broken nose during a confrontation
The kick broke his nose. If, by now, this story
doesnʼt sound eerily familiar, please watch Kick-
Ass and see for yourself.
As for Phoenix Jones: he just may have become
my favorite real superhero. That is until a rich guy
decides to man up with an Ironman or Batman act
that out does Phoenix.
Looks like we need someone in Fresno to help
Jerry Dyer and Fresnoʼs Boys in Blue. The light in
the sky would obviously be the Grizzlies ʻFʼ logo

8
 THE (POSSIBLE) REINCARNATION OF
STEVE POIZNER
Iʼm not running for U.S. Senate in 2012. Both Steve
Poizner or Darrell Issa would make fine Republican
candidates for the job.
Photo: The Press-Enterprise
After falling short to billionaire Meg Whitman in
the 2010 Gubernatorial Primary and losing his
place as California Insurance Commissioner, the
question being asked is: “Whatʼs  next?”
The Los Gatos Republican gained quite a bit of
public support throughout the California Primary
campaign, but floundered in June after Whitman
put the money squeeze on him with massive ad
buys.
Now out of Sacramento, what can Californians
expect from the crown jewel of Assembly
Republicans? Actually quite a bit.
Even though heʼs out of a political spotlight,
Poiznerʼs keeping up appearances as if he were
still smack dab in the middle of it. Then came a
tweet that got people rethinking a GOP swing at
one of the two Senate seats in Washington. The
American Spectator suggested that Poizner
should run for US Senate in 2012 if Sen. Dianne
Feinstein did not run.
It seems like the best move for the California
Republican Party. The CRP has had
embarrassing results with political outsiders, so
supporting someone that has a real political
record that voters canʼt complain about would be
a step up.
9
Comment from
Chuck DeVore, Former US Senate Candidate
Republicans came the closest to winning the US
Senate seat when Michael Huffington (ex-
husband of Arianna Huffington) ran against
Feinstein (considered the untouchable of the two
California women).
With a primary election in which Poizner carried
conservatives an a slim minority of moderates,
Poizner will have to start fundraising and putting
his agenda front and center over the next two
years (something heʼs done with his Facebook
and Twitter accounts).
Of course, Poizner wonʼt be the only big name in
the field. Chuck DeVore can be expected to run
again, a candidacy that isnʼt flexible to win a
general election against any Democrat. Darrell
Issa is also considered to be a potential
candidate. Issaʼs upside is that he is well known
and respected by House Republicans as the
Government Watchdog. With an NRSC
endorsement, Issa could prove to be the Achilles
heel for Poizner in a Primary run (much like Carly
Fiorina to Tom Campbell).
The bottom line: Steve Poizner is coming back in
2012, and the US Senate would be the best office
to take.
 !e
State of the Valley

TRANSITIONING FOR
BETTER OR WORSE
Mrs. Mayor, distinguished readers, and my fellow we will have to make sacrifices to achieve a plan
bloggers: that is most benefitial for all people involved in
commercial waste.
The Valley is in a state of transition. Despite the
political issues that plague the nation, there are Even in contentious debate, this Valley united
many problems we shouldand must address to behind a cause, feeding the hungry. 'Man cannot
redeem the Valley to a stronger state. We are not live on bread alone' never meant more to
at a loss of ideas, but at a loss of actions. There is Fresnans than during our campaign to fight
nothing worse for our region than doing nothing; hunger with the Walmart FIghting Hunger
we cannot be bystanders of life. Contest. Fresno fought the good fight, defeating
98 cities in the process and falling short of our
Progress is not swift, but gradual. We will all have envisioned goal. But in the end, Fresno
to make a sacrifice for the benefit of the Valley. galvanized to reach our initial goal.
Each issue that we face can be addressed to
improve one section of life. With that said, what Each of the problems that the Valley faces has its
are we waiting for? own discourse and sides, but one problem is all
about the bottomline. Tough talk and legal fighting
In this year, the City of Fresno has has ruined one high schoolerʼs senior year. The
proposed significant change with Buttdrag was what the Valley called it, but many
a trash privitization plan. If this plan will have real people around the country considered it bullying.
long-term benefits for the City as a whole, With little factual information about the case, the
allowing businesses to remain with low-cost Valley and the state have grown into a fight about
waste service, then we need to support such a the implications of the two Buchanan High
plan. But if costs rise, and the job losses of city students' wrestling match ending in a 'painful'
employees occur due to this plan, then there is no buttdrag. We need to stop jumping to conclusions
benefit to any citizen of the City. In either sense, and fight on the issues (buttdrag or otherwise).

10
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 !e
State of the Valley
Together, we were able to decide the future of a
prospective hub of commerce, or so we were
told. The process of redesigning the Fulton Mall
brought out concerned advocates and people just
looking for a fight. But the issue is serious. The
future of Fresnoʼs economy is rooted in
downtown, not River Park. For Fresno to
compete for jobs, businesses and opportunities,
downtown will have to be the hub of activity,
commerce and employment 24/7. Letʼs fight for
the centralization of Fresno, not sprawl.
In the halls of politics, economics and even
athletics, Fresnoʼs score is not very high.
Fresnoʼs baseball team fell apart at the end of
the 2010 Season taking the backseat to the
Sacramento Rivercats, a crash-and-burn
thoroughly appreciated by Sacramento. Even
with Rookie of the Year Buster Posey and Giants
rookie ace Madison Bumgarner, there wasnʼt
much keeping the Grizzlies alive toward the end
of 2010. Steve Decker will do better, and the
name Brandon Belt will be echoed in the halls of
Chukchansi Park with a strong 2011 season on
the horizon. Give Fresnoʼs G-Men a chance, and
they will deliver (or so we hope).
As a region, we must invest in a plan to buy local.
There is no way of measuring the success of
local buying campaigns, but the spirit of a plan is
one that will benefit our neighbors and business
owners who work to make a living in spite of big
box companies. In the Valley, letʼs invest in
Wishon Rowʼs growing business enterprise and
expand businesses downtown by frequenting
them more than a few times a year. A change to
your routine of purchases can, and will, have a
tremendous impact to the Valley.
There are many parts of our lives we wish to
accelerate and escalate. From local businesses
to giving government better options, there are
plenty of places that need to be jump-started.
12
Local politics was not one of those areas.
Political fighting, overheated discussions have
broken down our civil discourse that has become
known as the American way. The Valley has been
the center of heated debate over illegal
immigration and the growth of government. It is
great to see disagreement among people, but not
at the cost of civility and dignity. Letʼs tone down
the talk and let cooler heads prevail.
Our elected representatives in Sacramento and
Washington are gaining power. From a Central
Valley congressman taking a high-power position
in the House Majority Leadership, to the rookie
congressman getting a taste of the good life, our
elected representatives are working to ensure
that state and national issues are recognized.
However, donʼt let their “inside the beltway”
thinking allow them to walk all over their own
constituents. Dissent on issues you disagree and
provide new ideas for future policy.
There is much we must do in the coming year to
turn around negative effects, but we can all
praise those who work to bring good to our fruitful
area of California. To Victor Perez, the man who
saved a young girl from abduction, there is plenty
of praise to be given. The phrase Good
Samaritan was replaced with Good Fresnan in
early October when Perez saved young girl after
being abducted by a Bulldog gang member.
These actions are a shining light toward the
future of the Central Valley.
We are in a period of transition where we can
better or worsen our community and our region.
This fork in the road will not be decided by our
community leaders, but by us the residents and
citizens of the Central Valley. Letʼs get working
for a better Central Valley.
May God Bless You and God Bless the Central
Valley of California.
ALL ABOUT
CONFIDENCE

What has the City really

done?

4
 Answering the Question
F
our years ago, Mayor Ashley Swearengin
succeeded Alan Autry and took over mounting
tensions about Fresnoʼs economic stability.
In the wake of a national economic crisis and
numerous aftershocks, Swearengin had to best
protect Autryʼs sizeable surplus from becoming a
major deficit. Now, three years into her term as
Mayor of Fresno, what has Swearengin and her
colleagues in City Hall done to impress voters?
The answer: not much. A struggling local
economy and rising taxes all around, Swearengin
and the City Council have had to maneuver from
one crisis to the next with no time to breathe in
some political discussion on long-term issues.
Many of the problems that City Hall has faced are
compounded problems from the last 10 years that
have all fallen on the same plate. From Jim
Pattersonʼs biggest political mistake: not resisting
Chukchansi Park enough to Alan Autryʼs continual
failure at Downtown redevelopment, each of these
14
In the Boyʼs Club
Mayor Ashley Swearengin may be more
visible than her counterparts in the City
Council, but the blame for a slow moving
agenda can easily be placed on both
offices.
Pictured (l to r): Former City Manager Andy
Souza, Mayor Ashley Swearengin and Chief
of Police Jerry Dyer
Photo: IndyBay.org
problems have escalated to major components of
Swearenginʼs agenda over her first term.
So how do these problems qualify as a ʻcrisis of
confidence?ʼ The voters will qualify it in 2012
when they look back over four years and ask:
“What has Ashley Swearengin done for Fresno?”
The current game that the City has played over
the last two years is one of plateau. The best way
to operate the City of Fresno is that in which the
government reacts to problems while not
significantly reforming policy that could adversely
affect taxpayers.
In laymenʼs terms: stay the course. That,
however, shouldnʼt be substituted for business as
usual. City officials are still sweating bullets just
as much, if not more, as they were a few years
ago. The only reason why it matters now is
because many City Council members and a
Mayor are up for reelection.
There is no doubt that Swearengin will face a
challenge in the 2012 Primaries. People who
disagree with her work over four years will run
 The Group of Seven

Fresno City Council members Blong Xiong (D1), Andreas Borgeas (D2), Oliver Baines (D3), Larry Westerlund (D4),
Sal Quintero (D5) Lee Brand (D6) and Clint Olivier (D7) are part of the flatline politicking on Fresno Street

need to be more frank with the public and need to more jobs downtown, then there needs to be
change the conversation. City Hall started to some serious moves toward attracting businesses
discuss and supported the environmental impact for downtown jobs.
report for the El Paseo shopping center in
Northwest Fresno. Even more so, the City Council has a much larger
problem than downtown development. The City
When Swearengin begins to stump in 2012, she Council needs to open up to its constituency.
can either explain why the City is going nowhere,
or the major achievements theyʼve had. Opening up the city government isnʼt exactly what
the City Council has been engaging in. For
One achievement that she could point to in the example, the Fulton Mall redevelopment process
election season would be her tighter enforcement was more populist than anything else. The City
on panhandlers around Fresno. Unfortunately, the Council needs to give people an opportunity to
ordinance is experiencing a tough enforcement interact and participate with their council
due to a lack of resources in the District members or the Mayor going beyond the townhall
Attorneyʼs office. format and getting down to the real issues.

With every job-creating project proposed to the Just because the top eight leaders of the City of
City Council, there is a growing problem not being Fresno are uninspired to create better policy for
addressed: the effect on downtown development. downtown redevelopment and job creation
doesnʼt necessarily mean that their constituents
El Paseo is just the tip of the iceberg. These arenʼt. Now is the best time to get involved in the
projects have continued to prove the idea that process without being the person who perpetually
general development in Fresno is northward, not shouts at City Council meetings.
downtown.
With a lack of imagination, a state of flatline
If you want your business to succeed, youʼre politics and no plan for real renewal inside the city
better off opening in north Fresno than south. limits, Mayor Swearengin and numerous
Mostly, that can be attributed to the economic members of the City Council will be facing a real
dichotomy of Fresno. crisis of confidence on the campaign trail.

This is where the City Council needs to step up to

the plate. If there is an actual priority to bring

15
against her regardless of incumbency. Given the downtown. Logically, creating a more vibrant
2010 anti-incumbent wave, a candidate with just Downtown Fresno would incentivize a night at the
enough spark may get people in a frenzy to part ballpark.
ways with the Mayor.

But the cityʼs current state of “flatline politics”

shouldnʼt solely be blamed on Swearengin. If
anything, the City Council has rightfully earned
much of the voter smackdown that could come in
“ City Hall, however,
was looking the
other way
June or November of 2012.

The first sign of Fresnoʼs flatline politics came

With all things that require revitalization, there is
when, after eight years of playing from
also a cost to be paid. The cost for City officials
Chukchansi Park, the Fresno Grizzlies nearly
would be political and fiscal. With an
killed themselves to pay the rent. This was an “I
undemocratic method for determining Fulton Mall
told you so” moment for former Mayor (and then
plans, the people who cared about economic
Congressional candidate) Jim Patterson who
redevelopment in the Fulton Mall were dismayed.
fiercely opposed the building and ownership of
the new baseball stadium in early 2000. City Hall has been playing referee in a
competition between community activists and the
Opened in 2002, the Park brought none of the
business community. Nearly a decade ago, the
economic benefit that Downtown entrepreneurs
business community was part of the support for
sought during the community discussion. In fact,
building Chukchansi Park.
Chukchansi Park had a hard time filling the
stands on a regular basis due to lack of interest Business had some serious victories in the Fulton
and overbearing cost to visitors. Mall Charette process, gaining many plans that
favored vehicle traffic. In the end, however, the
Without a steady and strong stream of income
process is much like a car on the Fulton Mall:
from baseball games, should it have been much
going nowhere.
of a shock to the City that the Grizzlies would
have an excruciating time paying off their rent? Each day that the planning commission
deliberated on the plans and held public
Nope. City Hall, however, was looking the other
meetings, the more useless the Mall was to the
way.
public.
Because taxpayers are already on the hook for
The City was non-confrontational with the Fulton
such an enormous site, there were plenty of
Mall committee so it wouldnʼt rock the boat of
reasons why the City couldnʼt drop sell the
reforms (or ruin the flatline).
stadium and pay off mounting debt from
construction. The main reason: the Grizzlies sure Now that it can be determined that there is a
werenʼt going to buy it. serious problem at City Hall, what can Fresnoʼs
top leaders do to fix the problem that they havenʼt
Enter Jim Patterson saying “I told you so.”
done?
With City Hall in a scramble to figure out how to
The obvious solution is shake up the agenda.
rebound their biggest investment in the last
After focusing on spending cuts and keeping the
decade, they devise a new investment plan that
budget situation relatively stable, City leaders
could also stick them into more debt: revitalizing

16
‘THE DAILY’: FUTURE OF PUBLISHING?
“ It’s the perfect mix
for the average
THE DAILY reader.
PRICE: FREE ($.99 DAILY, $40 ANNUAL)
DEVELOPER: NEWS CORP.
FEATURES: INTERACTIVE NEWS MAGAZINE

Itʼs a bird, itʼs a plane, no silly, itʼs just The Daily:
the iPad-only newspaper from News Corp. CEO
Rupert Murdoch.  With a 99 cents per week or
$40 annual subscription, Murdoch has finally
given way to the economics of digital publications
by providing a cheap outlet to read the news.
Letʼs start off with this: The Daily is not a true
newspaper. Itʼs more of a hybrid between a
magazine and a newspaper without spilling onto
tabloid.  Itʼs the perfect mix for the average
reader.
With a two-week free trial, The Daily is giving
iPad owners an opportunity to get used to the
publication before buying in. The Daily hits the
mark as a revolutionizing idea and execution in
publications. Naturally, the quality of The Daily will
be established over its first months. For the price,
I think many people wonʼt care that much about
the quality. Right now, The Daily looks good and
reads well (enough for many could-be buyers to
shell out $40 bucks for a year).
However, where the publication succeeds, it does FINAL NOTE: THE DAILY and THE DAILY
have some fixable pit falls. The biggest issue is DUES have a similar logo font.
sluggishness, the app will need to work faster to
provide a fluid experience for the user.  Many 1.0
apps get quicker as developers utilize different
methods of download and processing.
My larger beef is the ability to spread the word
about The Daily articles. With commenting on
multi-story pages being an arduous process
(mostly because one commenter can comment
on one story and another person to another story)
and Tweeting even worse, thereʼs plenty of room
for improvement.
For now, Iʼll enjoy my two-week free trial and
hope that The Daily editorial and development
teams can get together so I can shell out $40 for
a new news source.
IDEA GRADE: 5/5
EXECUTION GRADE: 5/5
FUNCTIONALITY GRADE: 3.5/5
OVERALL GRADE: 13.5/15 (A-)

17
 FOTOGRAPH
FRESNO’S DRUDGE MOMENT

The Fresno Bee’s Pablo Lopez was featured on the Drudge Report for his
story on the infamous butt drag case. The traffic from the website was
the one of the highest the Bee has ever received for one story.
Photo: The Drudge Report

FOTOGRAPH
18
 THE TICKET
POLITICAL NEWS

WHAT THE HUCK?

HUCKABEE NUMBERS SHOW A TRUE SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Looking at many early state polls being Arkansas did not make fundraising his top priority
conducted by media organizations across the in 2010, putting him at a very low spot in the 2012
country, there is one thing that can be said for field as far as cash-on-hand for the new year.
former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee: heʼs With a year before any serious contests begin,
well liked. The man who knocked off John McCain Huckabee can easily swing it around. That said,
in the 2008 Iowa Caucuses is no stranger to Huckabee is a very popular guy among the GOP.
voters in 2012. Huckʼs the common sense conservative who
reminds many voters of a Reaganesque
Over the past year, Huckabee has been stumping presidential hopeful. Where money falls short,
for a few Congressional and Senatorial thereʼs always people to hold him up.
candidates across the country along with
promoting his new childrenʼs book to test the THE MONEY LINE UP (Cash starting 2011):
waters for a 2012 presidential bid. When asked 1. Mitt Romney – $1.4 million
about an all-but-certain run for the White House, 2. Sarah Palin – $1.3 million
Huckabee told the Daily Dues “I am not ruling [a 3. Mike Huckabee – Under $138,000
Presidential bid] out at this time. The book tour
isnʼt the singular gauge that will make my IOWA CAUCUS EARLY POLING:
decision. Iʼm trying to see peopleʼs response to Huckabee – 30%
me; whether they want me to run or if they want Romney – 18%
me to stay on TV and radio.” Palin – 15%
Gingrich – 13%
Thatʼs one way of putting it. Huck, like many of (Source: Public Policy Polling; Displaying
the Republican field, is playing a game of political Candidates with double digit support)
posturing before making any announcement for
2012. Unlike Mitt Romney or Sarah Palin, Huckʼs With these numbers, what the heck is Huck going
posturing is downright absurd. to do for 2012?

Hereʼs the scoop on Mike Huckabee: FOR MORE 2012 ELECTION NEWS, GO TO
POLITICS.DAILYDUES.COM
What Huck has in favorability, he significantly
lacks in money bags. The former Governor of

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 The calendar says 2011...
The political parties say 2012.

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