Comedian Conan O'Brien mentioned Fresno on his TBS TV show, saying he wanted to send the cash-strapped city his giant bobblehead as a tourist attraction to raise money.
On his show, O'Brien said, "Fresno needs a lot of cash fast, so I'm going to solve their money problems by giving them a tourist magnet."
The reason for the comedy skit is that there has been three California cities: Stockton, Mammoth Lakes and San Bernardino, that have recently filed for bankruptcy. "So I'm going to put a stop to these bankruptcies right now. I live in California. I'm a Californian. I want to do my part to help out," said O'Brien.
Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin wasted no time in taking O'Brien's up on his bobblehead offer. "We thank him for his leadership and his inspiring budget balancing idea and said, 'Come on up and bring your bobblehead and we'd love to have you in Fresno,'" said Mayor Swearengin.
So how does a giant bobblehead help generate cash for Fresno? "This thing just attracts tourists by the buckets-loads. They'll spend a lot of dough. This thing was a huge hit in Chicago. It always draws a crowd," said O'Brian.
On a more serious note, while the City of Fresno is struggling, the mayor says the city is not in dier straits. "We have no plans to pursue bankruptcy. I do not believe it's necessary. But we're very grateful for his generosity" said Mayor Swearengin.
Click the related link to visit the "Bring the Conan Bobblehead to Fresno" Facebook page.
