For the last seven years I have sat back and laughed at the folksy, down-home editor of The Malibu Times, Mr. Arnold York. Unfortunately, it has become frighteningly clear that I can laugh no longer. Apparently many of my good neighbors here in Malibu have not gotten the joke. So I feel it is incumbent upon me to fill you in.
You see, while Mr. York spins his tales of family values and homespun charm, his real motivation is a bit more material. The fact is the The Malibu Times is presently worth several thousand dollars. However, in the event the civic center development is approved and a massive shopping center is built here in Malibu, Mr. York’s paper will be worth several million dollars. Huge multi-national corporations like Armani, Prada, Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Cartier, etc., will be lining up to have a high profile address in this world famous community. A large theatre complex or two will bring in big budget advertising from the major studios. A car dealership in the civic center for BMW and Mercedes will further increase Mr. York’s ad revenues. These corporations spend hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising and there is nothing they would like better than to reach America’s richest demographic through The Malibu Times.
So the next time you read Mr. York’s biased reporting, nasty innuendoes and personal attacks disguised as editorials, please remember what Mr. York’s agenda is really about. And regard his folksy charade for the joke it really is.
Jeffrey Stamm