Sunday Morning, one of my favorite "Sunday morning" programs says newspaper readership in the USA is down by something like 10 million readers.  Several reasons were proposed:  the internet is the top replacement.

I'v read newspapers most of my adult life.  Actually, I am a reader of pretty much everything.  Reading entertains me, keeps me current on local and world events, tells me what's playing at the theater and also provides some provocative editorials.  I read cook books, breakfast cereal boxes, labels, and, honestly, budgets and financial reports. 

Currently, my favorite is the Tehachapi News.  Wouldn't miss it.  Interesting enough, I'm a new member of the Tehachapi News blog site.  I scan most of the paper's articles from this site.  From the blog site I can read all the local opinions on everything from the Iraq war to "what should I read to my child?"  My immediate and local small world of Tehachapi has become more important than the entire big world.  My habit for world news now-a-days is to read books (mostly history and reporter type) rather than newspapers because I feel I get a larger view on what is happening in places like the Middle East.  And I can read a book at my leisure. 

So, if I had a say in it, what would I like to see in the local newspaper?  What would continue to keep my interest so I would continue my subscription?

Here's the begining of a very long list:  What are the city's prospects for empty lots along Tehachapi Boulevard?  Will the upgrades we've seen recently around Tehachapi Blvd. & Green St. be expanded?  Are there plans for expanding the historic downtown area to include additional shops, art boutiques and bistro type eateries?  Is WalMart going to build along Tucker Road?  I heard Lowes is going to build in Tehachapi; is that true?   I'd love to see some professional shopping and restaurant critiques.  In other words, I'd love to hear from City Hall - tell us your vision?  Publish a weekly article.

The rumor mill passes around so much false information that it has become completely unreliable.  Ya know, word of mouth use to be the way people passed information around but I don't think that's true anymore.  I didn't see any reliable information about Starbucks arriving until the sign went up.

Are there others out there like me?  I think there are because of what I've seen on the blog site.  What would you like to see in our newspaper and from our city leaders and planners?

Who is going to buy the land for sale by Superior Farms?  Dick is looking for a buyer.  Anyone have information?

Any of my blogger friends still think there weren't lies told about WMD capabilities in Iraq?  Scotter's been found guilty of obstructing justice and lying to the Grand Jury (twice). 

This particular lie, with any luck, will send Mr. Libby to jail.  Mr. Libby knew that there were absolutely no materials coming from South Africa to Iraq that are used to produce WMD.  He lied.  Then Scotter tried to shut Wilson up (our Ambassador to Iraq) who was running around telling the newspapers that this information was inaccurate, by outing Wilson's CIA under-cover operative wife. 

Now, do you think he was the only one who knew that compeling piece of information was completely fabricated?  Not very likely.

Who, in their wildest nightmare, can support the way this administration took us to war.  It is hideous because our troops are dieing and returning home maimed, only to end up in deplorable conditions at places like Walter Reed Army Hospital.

Support our troops - as my mother used to say:  "my eye."  Don't hear that anymore, but it means someone is flat out lying.  Shame on our Generals, shame on our President, shame on Dick Cheney and ya know, shame on the hospital administrators who didn't blow the whistle sooner.