Russ Betts Show

The running impeachment show now extends beyond Trump's term of office. Russ Betts says four years was not enough on the impeachment front so the Senate takes it up again even though Trump is weeks out of office. It still requires a 2/3 vote to convict on the articles of impeachment the House handed to the Senate. No chance of getting that as 45 Senators have already said they will not vote to convict. Meanwhile, no word from the House or Senate when much needed relief will be coming for small businesses and families struggling financially under the Covid pandemic. And why should Congress be concerned about that...they have IMPEACHMENT!!! To continue to talk about.

Russ Betts talks to Author Bill Effinger who has documented extensively the Trump Administration and now focuses on President Biden. The Road Ahead is a look at the prospects for a return to political civility. Will there be civility? Russ and Bill take a detailed look at the prospects.

Also, this hour of the Russ Betts Show, Palm Springs, California has a new city manager and Coachella Fest and Stagecoach announce cancellation of the giant music and cultural festivals for the third time in the past year due to Covid. Russ looks at the financial impact this has on the regional economy.

A trend toward banning short term vacation rentals in the Coachella Valley moved forward with a second city taken action to limit them with an eye on banning them altogether. Palm Desert followed Cathedral City's lead. Cathedral City bans them all by 2023 and Palm Desert just imposed a moratorium on any new ones.

The local real estate market is hot. Russ is joined by Coachella Valley Realtor Scott De le Torre who provides the details. Where are the buyers coming from? Big cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles where home owners are selling at higher prices and paying cash at the local asking – with heaps of money left over.

What takes place behind the scenes of a local election? Russ provides the back story. And you would State agencies charged with fixing the Salton Sea would have listened to a recommendation by all nine Coachella Valley cities and the Torres Martnez Tribe...but they didn't. Now comes round two - a second resolution by the cities and the Tribe demanding that sea water import to save the sea be looked at seriously and to make sure it is, the cities and tribe now want a seat at the table.

Lots of cities are in big financial trouble. But not all. Desert Hot Springs has its finances in order. So much so that instead of announcing cuts, it unveiled a $2.5 million renovation plan for Wardman Park Pool. All Desert Aquatics CEO Rene Hickey joins Russ to review the plan and reminisce about the pool Frank Sinatra funded to start with. And what are truckers going through with Covid? Truckers travel everywhere. When they get to a terminal they are approached like lepers. Trucker Gabriel tells what it is like.

Russ continues his conversation about current events from the week of June 15, 2020 and this is his last live program before going to Podcasts only from iHub Radio beginning in July.

Russ talks about current events for the week of June 15, 2020. And, he visits with guest Steven Stewart, Commissioner with the Riverside County Airport Land Use Commission.

Some people just have to have everything spelled out for them. Like the warning label on nighttime sleep cough medicine that says this product may make you sleepy, they need a warning with everything. So it was with an announcement that Governor Newsom was allowing restaurants and other businesses in Riverside County to open. Every Southern California news outlet ran the story. Local elected officials let everyone know. But those 12 pages of Cal OSHA guidelines were not included. It is no easy task to open.

City budgets are strained. One California City, Palm Springs, seems to have a plan to work itself through a huge budget deficit. A week ago everyone was wondering but last week the city's city manager presented a plan that must have sent relief through the hearts of the council members. It will still be tough but at least there is a plan and it is manageable. It is not alone as it works through budgets torn about the economic crash.