By Bradley J. Fikes
UPDATE: The trial was exhilarating. A shaky video, but representative of the atmosphere, is above, taken by yours truly.
And below is a video clip of the audience proclaiming Darrell Steinberg guilty of being a tax traitor.
The background: Republicans Mike Villines and Dave Cogdill, along with Democrats Karen Bass and Darrell Steinberg, were the top four leaders in the California Legislature last year, who supported a huge tax increase to balance the budget, while Californians were reeling from recession. KFI talk show hosts John Kobylt & Ken Chiampou held a mock trial for the “tax traitors,” on Tuesday. The trial, at the Ayres Hotel in Costa Mesa, was attended by about 200 people.
The impetus for the trial was their receipt of the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award from Caroline Kennedy, which they picked up Monday.
Since the Taxing Tetrarchy didn’t show up, they were represented by blow-up dolls, dressed accordingly, and all stuffed with money. After a trial of a little more than an hour, including audio playbacks of vows not to raise taxes, and tax victim impact statements, the four were unceremoniously stripped of their clothes (and Bass-Doll of her wig), and dumped into the pool outside.
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Hyperkinetic truth-tellers John Kobylt & Ken Chiampou are hosting their take-no-prisonersKFI talk show today at the Ayres Hotel in Costa Mesa. I’m here, as it’s too good an entertainment meal to pass up. The show begins a little less than 90 minutes from when I’m writing this.
The appetizer is served at 2 p.m. with a healthy exchange of views with Republican senatorial candidates Carly “Demon Sheep” Fiorina, Tom Campbell and Chuck DeVore.
The main course is two hours of John & Ken’s merciless skewering of pompous liars, thieving con-artists and moronic media types.
The dessert begins at 5 p.m. with John & Ken’s “Trial of the Tax Traitors,” those scoundrels who voted to raise California taxes last year, hurting the recession-suffering state. On Monday they got a “Profile in Courage” award from Caroline Kennedy.
John and Ken say they will wear robes & wigs and wield gavels as they judge the tax traitors. Listen to one of them, Republican Mike Villines, repeatedly deny to John & Ken that he would vote to raise taxes.
THE VERDICT: Tax Traitors Mike Villines, Dave Cogdill (Republicans) and Karen Bass and Darrell Steinberg (Democrats), or reasonable facsimilies thereof, have been duly convicted and punished.
DISCLAIMER: This is the personal opinion of Bradley J. Fikes, and does not necessarily reflect the views of his employer, the North County Times.