The EPA clears fracking from causing widespread damage to drinking water, but the Sierra Club spins in the other way, and a local group joins the statewide effort for pension reform

 * ... FRACKING: The Environmental Protection Agency issued a report saying hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has not resulted in widespread damage to drinking water, but that won't stop the anti fossil fuel crowd from claiming otherwise. In what can only be described as an example of extreme chutzpah, the Sierra

Club said the EPA study "confirms what millions of Americans already know -- that dirty oil and gas fracking contaminates drinking water." Say what? The EPA in fact said just the opposite, though it did say there might be "risks" if wells were poorly constructed. Well of course there are risks. There are risks in driving, in breathing, in exercising, in not eating right and in walking down the street. The EPA said fracking should be regulated by the states and can be managed, which it is. Isn't that was life is all about, managing risks? Folks like the Sierra Club should just come clean and admit they don't approve of any fossil fuels. At least that is an honest position.

 * ... PENSIONS: Meanwhile, it was good to hear that the Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government is joining Reform California, the statewide initiative for pension reform in 2016. Reform California is working to place a pension reform ballot initiative on the November 2016 ballot. This is long overdue but you can bet every local and state public union will gear up to fight this, not because it's not a sound initiative but because the unions believe more in featherbedding their members than they do the health of the state or local governments. The initiative would require voter approval of any defined benefit pensions for new government employees, or any increase in pensions for existing government employees. And why not? After all, you and I are paying for these pensions. Said former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed: "The cost of public employee pension benefits continues to skyrocket across California, crowding out funding for important services such as police, fire, schools, and road repairs."

* ... SPOTTED: On Twitter: "Dear life, when I asked if this day could get any worse, that was a rhetorical question, not a challenge."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A bartender is recalling an animated conversation by a customer about Bruce Jenner's transformation into Caitlyn Jenner. "All she could talk about was why she spelled Caitlyn with a 'C' instead of a 'K.'"


 * ... HIKE: It was a beautiful weekend and I spent a few hours Saturday hiking the hills above Hart Park. Along the way I passed a lot of hikers and picked up animated conversations in Spanish, Tagalog (one of the languages of the Philippines), French and of course English. Like our country, the Hart Park hills are wide open and welcome anyone regardless of language or background.

 * ... DEVIL PUPS: While hiking I spotted a large group of Devil Pups, young men and women working together to gain confidence under the direction of some current and former Marines. Some of these kids no doubt will end up in the Marine Corps, and watching them work together to conquer some of the area's toughest climbs was inspiring.

  * ... HONOR FLIGHT: Kudos to local talk radio host Ralph Bailey (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) who raised $18,000 for our local Honor Flight program. The money was raised during a single show and the money was presented to Honor Flight organizer Lili Marsh just one day before the 71st anniversary or the invasion of Normandy.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy: The EPA uses suspect science to punish the Central Valley for on clean air standards

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill.

 "There is a troubling trend occurring within the agencies that make up the executive branch where legislating and creating law has overtaken the original charter to execute the laws that Congress writes

and passes. In the House, we are committed to reforming our government to make it efficient, effective, and accountable. This week, accountability took center stage as we passed two bills that establish greater accountability within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 "Perhaps the greatest example of this is its latest proposal to regulate activity in our community.
 "Throughout the Central Valley we know all too well that the EPA wields too much power over how we live and how we do business.  We know that exhaust and pollution from our big city neighbors like San Francisco and Los Angeles gets blown in and trapped because of our topography. But we also have that topography (and soil) to thank for the richest land to grow food in America.

 "But an unfortunate result is that our air is notoriously worse than other parts of the country.

 "Our community is a community of doers and problem solvers. When we are faced with an issue, we work together to do what it takes to solve it. That is why as we are faced with poor air quality, we are doing whatever we humanly can to clean the air up. We want to make sure our community is healthy and that our children are safe when they go out for recess or out to play with their friends.
 "Not surprising, our community’s resilience and commitment has yielded positive results. Our air IS getting better. In fact, last year was the cleanest on record.

  "Despite our progress --- despite the fact our air problems often originate elsewhere --- and despite pushing our technology to its current limit --- the EPA wants to issue even more stringent ozone regulations. The EPA says “science” demands they do more and more and more.

  "But to echo Bakersfield Californian columnist, Lois Henry there is a very reasonable question:  “What science?” The EPA is trying to impose more regulations based on conclusions that no one can check.

 "That bears repeating. The EPA wants to harm businesses and hurt our economy with rules based on studies that they won’t let anyone else see. Not the public --- not independent scientists --- not even the United States Congress.  If this sounds outrageous --- it’s because it is. It’s called “secret science.” and it’s wrong.
 "If the EPA or most any agency is going to propose a rule --- the people have every right to know why. By hiding the science they use from public view and independent analysis --- the EPA is asking us to trust them.

  "They are asking us to trust them even while they propose costly carbon and ozone rules on our economy and attempt to regulate puddles as if they were navigable waterways. They continue to grab for more power while the people see fewer benefits and more costs.

 "This House wants government accountability. We want transparency --- just like this Administration continues to promise. And we want to stop unnecessary secrecy in government.
 "That is why the House passed H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act which opens up the science behind regulations to the American public. Our community and country needs more accountability from its government, which can start by ending this type of unnecessary secrecy.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy: Obama's executive orders on immigration are not only wrong, but also do nothing to solve the problems of a broken immigratiomn system

House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy reacts to the executive action on immigration announced by President Obama:

 "The President announced this week a striking unilateral rewrite of our immigration laws against the expressed will of Congress and of the American people. The President doesn’t seem to get the point But despite Congress and the American people’s resistance to President Obama’s unilateral action—action the President himself said would ‘violate our laws’ and be ‘very difficult to defend legally’—the President has decided to go it alone yet again. As President Obama himself said, ‘there are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system.’ I urge the President to listen to his own words. America is a country of laws, and our Constitution does not grant the President the authority to legalize millions of immigrants with the stroke of a pen.

that he must work with the government he has, not the government he wants.

  "Not only is this action wrong, it does absolutely nothing to solve the underlying problems of our broken immigration system. In fact, it may exacerbate the problem.

  "The President’s action is a prime example of Washington cynicism. He has responded to Congress and the public’s desire for positive change with an all-or-nothing approach that only damages the prospect of future cooperation. He did not even attempt to start on the right foot and work with us in the New Year.

  "This overstep from the President is unfortunately not new. Time and again, this Administration has changed laws of the land to appease its political intentions - such as choosing to enforce some provisions of Obamacare while ignoring others. This has led the U.S. House of Representatives to take the necessary step of filing suit against the Administration to regain the constitutional footing between the branches of government that our Founders intended.  Additionally, the House has focused much of its legislative efforts on returning the power to the people, not unelected bureaucrats. And few agencies exude bloated power as much as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

  "The EPA proposes and enforces rules and regulations that can have major implications on our economy – especially here in the Central Valley. The EPA, however, insists that each new regulation is based on science and data. But despite this intended commitment, they refuse to share the data with the public and stack the board in charge of regulation recommendations (Science Advisory Board or SAB) with a majority of members that favor the heavy regulated agenda of the Administration. This week the House passed two bills that ensure greater transparency and accountability within the EPA by making public all data and science that proposed rules and regulations are based on. We also passed legislation that improves the make-up of SAB and its sub-panels by reinforcing peer review requirements and reducing conflicts of interest.

 "Our government is one that should work on behalf of the American people and ensure that laws written and passed by their representatives are not upended or contorted by an Administration. The House will continue to listen to the American people and fight for a government that is representative of its will.

Local agriculture and business leaders to host federal regulators: teach these folks about Kern ag!

If you work in a regulated industry, how many times to get to sit down with the regulators to teach them about your business? That's exactly what is happening this week when a bunch of federal regulators (think EPA, USDA, OMB) show up to get a first hand view of California farming and agriculture. According to Beth Brookhart Pandol, some local alumni from the California Agriculture Leadership program will be hosting these regulators, including Mike Young, Kevin Andrew, Mike Turnipseed, Greg Wegis, Jaime Nickel, John Lake, Steve Murray, Edwin Camp, Rob Geis, Gary and Cynthia Icardo, Adam Icardo Marcia Wolf, Mona and Pete Pankey and of course Beth. In her words:

"The goal is to acquaint these people with California farming since they are deeply involved in regulations, decisions, opinions and legislation that affect California farming. The thinking is that if they get a first hand view of the way California farming operates, they will be better enabled to make decisions that sometimes have horrendous effects on farming," she said.



Beth said the schedule starts with dinner at Woolgrowers tomorrow and then the regulators split up with their host family. There will be tours of Grimmway Farms, the Kern County Water Agency and the Nickel Ranch. Let's hope they leave with a better appreciation of what it takes to run a business in the breadbasket of America. My bet is they will.