House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy remembers D-Day and thanks those who serve our country

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader, remembers D-Day 71 years ago.

"Seventy one years ago, thousands of American soldiers embarked on a mission that held no promise of success and no guarantee of survival. As the best of our nation cut through the fog that morning and landed on Normandy Beach, their valor and sacrifice lifted our nation and our allied forces to eventual triumph that preserved and expanded freedom to millions around the world.  More than 160,000 Allied soldiers landed on June 6th along a 50 mile stretch with over 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supporting the D-Day invasion.

 "We honor this incredible devotion to our country as they fought to preserve the freedom we enjoy every day. Many of these men and women, our community has had the honor of recognizing as we have taken them to Washington D.C. to see the WWII Memorial on various Honor Flights. Words cannot adequately say how grateful we are to individuals of the Greatest Generation.

 "There are countless ways we honor all of the men and women who have served our country. In Congress, perhaps no act does this more than providing the resources necessary to prepare the men and women of today’s armed forces to carry out their duties and to care for the individuals and families that have already served selflessly.

 "This can be done through the National Defense Authorization Act and the corresponding Department of Defense Appropriations Act.  These critical pieces of legislation provide critical support for the men and women of our military. Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act, and we will work to pass the Department of Defense Appropriations Act next week.

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The world is a more dangerous place than it was just a few years ago. Our allies don’t trust us and our enemies don’t fear us. Now, we must do everything we can to keep America safe and strong and to serve the men and women who show proudly serve our country.

McCarthy: On observing D-Day, the VA scandal and fighting for water for the Central Valley

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

 "Seventy years ago, tens of thousands of men stormed the beaches of Normandy, uncertain of their fate and the fate of this grand and bold plan. Their sacrifice freed Europe from tyranny and made the world safe again for freedom. We thank these patriots for their impossible valor and the continued courage of our armed forces.

 " Friday, President Obama accepted General Shinseki’s resignation as Secretary of the Veterans
Affairs. This is a much needed step in the process of rebuilding and restoring trust in the Department of Veterans Affairs, but it is only the first step. We owe nothing but the best to our veterans and their families, and I know all Americans share my belief that fundamental change to the VA is required. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House to investigate this matter and bring accountability to the VA so that our veterans can receive the care they deserve.

 "I have also been working to bring needed water supplies to the Central Valley. We are currently enduring one of the most severe droughts in California history. Over a half-million acres of our nation’s most valuable farmland are at risk, and thousands of Kern County agricultural jobs may be lost as a result.

 "However, the harm our community is now feeling can be equally attributed to decisions made in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Decades of misguided, ideologically-driven policies is turning an already bad situation worse. Our families must take precedence over fish.

I "n February, the House passed the Sacramento-San Joaquin Emergency Water Delivery Act. This water reform legislation would restore the agreed-upon principles set forth in the bipartisan 1994 Bay Delta Accord, striking an appropriate balance between protecting our environment and providing critical water supplies to the communities that depend on it.

 "This was the second time in two years that the House sent a bill to the Senate that would ease the burdensome restrictions preventing the flow of water to our communities. And after much delay, the Senate finally responded this month with its own version of California water legislation sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein.

 "Passage of Senator Feinstein’s bill is long overdue, but an important step forward.  Though the House bill provides a more comprehensive and long-term solution, passage of the Senate bill now enables the two chambers to begin negotiating a solution that allows water to flow to central and southern California and enables us to store water during wet years for use in dry years. Californians deserve a reliable and affordable supply of water, and I will work to achieve this as the legislative process continues.

The nation celebrates the 70th anniversary of D-Day, old warbirds are headed to the Minter Field Air Museum and more bad form about town

* … DDAY: It's amazing to think we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of day Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. Each day we lose more members of the Greatest Generation, that time when so many men and women gave everything so that the we could enjoy freedom. If you haven't paid a visit to Normandy and the solemn military cemeteries there, it is worth putting on your bucket list.
Locally, it's great to see so many aging veterans take the Honor Flights back to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials to these brave men and women. Today, we remember.

 * … MINTER FIELD: Speaking of remembering, put Saturday, June 14, on your calendar for a special air show and display out at the Minter Field (Shafter) Air Museum. There will be an airplane fly-in in memory of the late T-6 Warlock pilot Al Goss, vintage planes and race planes. The museum has also invited local car clubs and military vehicles to the event. It runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Pancake breakfast is another $5.

* … BAD FORM: A middle aged is behind the wheel of a late model Acura westbound on Truxtun extension doing 30 mph and weaving all over the road at lunch hour. His sin? Texting while driving.

* …MEMORIAL: I goofed in inferring that Mercy Hospital was the only local hospital to have Vein Finder devices. Turns out that Memorial Hospital also has three such devices, including two in the Lauren Small Children's Medical Center.

 * … FUND: Kudos to the Women's and Girls' Fund which has reached its goal of having a $1 million endowment. The fund, part of the larger Kern Community Foundation, awards grants to improve the lives of Kern County women and children. It was started in May 2005 by Judi McCarthy and a handful of friends and grew to $300,000 within two years.

 * … TINY'S: The renovation of the old bank building on the northeast corner of 18th and Chester is continuing, but did the building ever house a restaurant called Tiny's? Walt Berry has worked in the Sill Building across the street for 50 years and says he remembers Tiny's being located on the southeast corner, not the northeast. "Some of my friends keep telling me Tiny’s Restaurant was on that corner, but I have a picture of that intersection from November 1940 which clearly shows Tiny’s was on the south east corner. I also remember my father parking in front of Tiny’s in October 1949 on the southeast Corner. Can you or someone in your organization tell me if Tiny’s was ever on the northeast corner?"

Voters kill the proposed tobacco tax; does this portend bad things for the twin tax hikes for the November ballot?

* ... TOBACCO TAX: I was surprised that Proposition 29, which would have added a new $1 tax on cigarettes, appears to be losing by a narrow margin. The tobacco lobby threw almost $50 million in misleading ads against the tax, but some experts think a general anti-tax sentiment across the state may have doomed the measure. If that is the case, it spells trouble for the two tax measures that will be on the November ballot to bail out higher education.


* ... NUT FESTIVAL: A group of folks who work hard to improve the image of our community are hoping a "nut festival" will bring Bakersfield some better publicity. It's all the brainchild of Sheryl Barbich and a small group of influential business people who are modeling the "nut festival" after the garlic festival in Gilroy and other successful events. The first Kern County Nut Festival will be held June 14-15, 2013, at the Kern County Museum. Organizers stay the event will feature a number of culinary creations using almonds, pistachios and walnuts, as well as games and activities for kids and adults. It's still being planned, but this could be just the thing our community needs to put Bakersfield in a better light.

 * ... JEOPARDY! Alex Trebek has hosted the popular game show "Jeopardy!" for almost 28 years, and there is a lot of speculation on when he might retire. In a recent interview, he dropped the idea that he may just drive up to Taft College to take a few courses. "Learning something new is fun," says Trebek. "When I finish as the host of `Jeopardy!' I'm going to go up to Taft in central California. They have a small college there that teaches you about oil drilling. I'd like to take a course," he says.

 * .... D-DAY: The 68th commemoration of D-Day brought this note from Bonnie Bogle Farrer. "On June 6, 1944,  my father sent me a telegram from 'somewhere in England.'  Six days after D-Day he landed at the Normandy beaches  in France as a major in the American Army. A medical doctor, he cared for both American and German wounded soldiers. Much later, he wrote his war memoirs about those incredible days."

* ... BILL RAY: If you consider yourself handy around the home, or if you aspire to be, head over to Bill Ray Tile on East Brundage on Saturday for a workshop on laying tile. Bill Ray Tile has an incredible selection of tiles around the world, and they will be giving away Dodger tickets and other prizes. Bill Ray is located at 6301 East Brundage and the workshop starts at 11 a.m.


 * ... EATERY: The renaissance of downtown Bakersfield continues with the opening of yet another restaurant, this one called Muerto's Kitchen and Lounge in the Wall Street alley just across from Guthrie's Alley Cat.  I stopped by the other day and was impressed by its menu and service (I highly recommend the white wine sangria and machaca tacos). Muerto's is in the space formerly occupied by Azul and the infamous Sud's Tavern in the 1970s and 1980s. It was originally a firehouse in the late 1800s and in fact the back patio area was the stable for the horses that pulled the fire wagons.  Muerto's is owned by Shawna Haddad-Byers, formally of Fishlips.

* ... BAD FORM: From Dr. Bill Farr, a physician whose office is near the intersection of Calloway Drive and Brimhall Road: "A teacher from Emerson Junior High dumped all of her class room crap all over the dumpster in my office, missing the dumpster and getting it all over the floor.  The trash (collectors) would not pick it up because it was such a mess. The pupils' grades and reports were scattered all over the ground."