California is running a huge budget surplus but don't expect to see any of that money back, Bakersfield Observed lists some candidate endorsements and a big shoutout to KGET for airing political debates

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... CALIFORNIA SURPLUS:  California's state government is enjoying a record year with revenues so strong they are expecting the surplus to balloon to $97.5 billion. Sounds good, right? But if California is bringing is so much more than it budgeted, don't you think Gov. Gavin Newsom would be thinking about giving some of it back? There are plenty of options: the state could reduce vehicle license fees, permanently lower the tax on gasoline or

temporarily cut taxes, and yet none of this is being considered. Why? Well if you live in Democratic controlled California, you know lawmakers never run out of things to spend money on. The new budget estimates $300.6 billion in total spending during the fiscal year that begins in July — a $14 billion increase from what Newsom proposed to lawmakers only four months ago. The governor’s plan asks lawmakers to devote billions of dollars to a raft of new items: an inflation relief package for Californians, more money to address dangerous drought and wildfire conditions, subsidies for low and middle-income healthcare plans and the highest per-pupil school funding levels in the state’s history. So here we are, amid a record money making year for California, and taxpayers won't see any of it back. Welcome to the Golden state.

 * ... KUDOS KGET: Thank goodness for KGET TV, the lone mainstream media outlet that has the time, money and resources to air debates this election year. The Californian has sponsored debates before, but print publishers are facing falling circulation numbers and tough times. So it has been left to KGET who recently focused attention on the Third District race to succeed retiring Supervisor Mike Maggard. With no incumbent in the race it was an interesting evening featuring former homeless shelter director Louis Gill (who looked stiff initially but was well prepared), retired CHP officer Brian Smith (a seemingly good natured man who appeared befuddled at times trying to answer questions) and Jeff Flores, the longtime Maggard aide who was the smoothest, most articulate and well informed of the bunch. Look to KGET to re-air some of the candidate debates.

 * ... BAKERSFILD OBSERVED ELECTION PICKS: Here are a few of my picks for the election this year - not a complete list of endorsements to be sure - but choices based on my own research and how effective these candidates might be:

 - District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer has proven she is the right person for the job at a time when we need a District Attorney who is not afraid to throw the book at the bad guys. Zimmer is no nonsense, she is unapologetically tough on crime and she will not sell her soul or position for political expediency. This one is easy because he is running unopposed. Vote Zimmer for DA.

 * ... SHERIFF DONNY YOUNGBLOOD: The sheriff is also running unopposed but it doesn't mean we don't enthusiastically endorse him. Like Zimmer, Youngblood is the right person in the right job for an era when we need crime fighters, not wishy washy politicians. This may be Youngblood's last term in office, so let's send him to another term. Vote Youngblood.

 - Assemblyman Vince Fong deserves to be returned to the 32nd Assembly District for another term. Fong its intelligent without being an ideologue, a proven rising star in the California GOP and an assemblyman who has proven he can do more than simply vote "no." Vote Fong for state Assembly.

 - Leticia Perez deserves your vote to go to Sacramento to represent the newly drawn 35th Assembly District, the old Rudy Salas seat. As a Kern County Supervisor, Perez has not served without controversy but her deep knowledge and connections in Sacramento, coupled with a realistic, Valley-based agenda that balances the conservatism of her district with more liberal Sacramento, makes her our choice. Perez sees the future of a much more diverse state and has worked tirelessly to bring disparate groups together. Vote Perez for the 35th Assembly District.

 - Jeff Flores stands above a field of three candidates and deserves your vote to succeed Mike Maggard on the Board of Supervisors. Flores has proven himself to be a reasonable conservative who has pledged to make fighting crime and cleaning up homeless encampments his top priority. In the KGET-sponsored TV debate, Flores pledged a "zero tolerance" policy on homeless encampments, a refreshing and bold statement from someone who clearly has his ear to the ground. Flores has worked for years as Maggard's chief of staff and he also serves on the Kern High School District board of trustees. Of his opponents, former homeless shelter manager Louis Gill wanted to run against Rep. Kevin McCarthy but changed his mind at the last minute, and retired CHP officer Brian Smith also had his heart set on running for sheriff. Elect Jeff Flores and free up Gill to run for Congress another year while Smith can wait for Sheriff Donny Youngblood to retire.

 - Congressman David Valadao is a Republican who represents the 22nd Congressional District which leans Democratic. He has served the district making courageous stands, including being one of a handful of Republicans in Congress to vote to impeach former President Trump. Valadao has worked hard for the district and he deserves your vote. Those running against him include Republican Chris Mathys, Republican Adam Medeiros and Democrat Rudy Salas.

 * ... MELISSA HURTADO: The 16th state Senate district is a newly drawn one, so this race is wide open in a sense. Our endorsement goes to Melissa Hurtado, who represented the 14th District before redistricting. Hurtado is a Democrat but carries a lot of the more conservative positions that Valley Democrats often hold, and she has proved herself worthy for another term. Also running are Democrats Nichole Parra and Delano Mayor Bryan Osorio and Republicans David Shepard of Porterville and Gregory Tatum of Bakersfield. Vote Hurtado.

 * ... GENERATIONAL PASSINGS: A whole generation of Bakersfield leaders is passing before our eyes, men and women who helped build this community and who no doubt will be remembered for their contributions. Among them was Dallas Grider, who enjoyed a wild and successful run as a football coach at West High and Bakersfield College. Grider was 77 and was inducted into the Bob Elias Hall of Fame in 2008. Also dying was longtime CSUB professor Dr. Louis Wildman who was inducted into the CSUB Hall of Fame in 2021 and was known as truly one of the nice people to work on the campus. (He was known as a regular at pickup basketball games at the old gym on campus) And, can you believe it has been two years since we lost Bob Hampton, the larger-than-life Taft businessman who epitomized the swagger and hard work that defines Kern County? Hampton was a graduate of Taft College where he played basketball, and he went on to his beloved USC where he played basketball from 1957-1960. He was 82 when he died. (file photos of Grider, Wildman and Hampton)

 * ... OLD MEMORIES: This old photo of Granite Station near Woody was taken back in 1903. Courtesy of the Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally feast on this old shot from the 1940s of a gas station around town. Thanks to the Kern County History Fans for this photo.

Are rolling blackouts the "new norm" in California and will Gov. Gavin Newsom pay a political price? Plus Kelly Ardis leaves The Californian to join CSUB and another trip down memory lane with some old photos

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company. 

 * ... WINDS: Hey California, does it feel like we are becoming the next Venezuela, a nation-state of endless shortages, uncertainty and bloated bureaucracy? It sure looks like it when we wake up and

find the power has been shut off and the state bureaucracy is telling us to shut up because this is the "new norm" in California. It is all because of Pacific Gas and Electric, the utility that cannot seem to shoot straight, has instituted rolling blackouts during the windy season to prevent wildfires. That's right, after the lack of maintenance led to horrifying fires in northern California, the utility has decided to pass the buck to us instead of doing what we expect it to do. But here is the ugly truth: historically the utility has put the pockets of its investors over routine maintenance of its power lines, creating a system that puts shareholder profits over safety. (Thankfully that practice ended recently thanks to a federal judge), Now you know what I mean when I say California is starting to look a lot like Venezuela.

 * ... RECALL NEWSOM: So where does all this leave our Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has long been eyeing a run for the presidency at some point? Will the rolling power outages lead to more pressure on Newsom, and act as a catalyst for the "recall Newsom" movement? Recall supporters point to Newsom's moratorium on the death penalty (after being upheld by voters), his decision to take gas tax money meant to improve highways and divert it to pet rail projects, and now this. Time will tell but the pressure is growing on Newsom as the state struggles to keep the lights on.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You're an adult now. That means nobody can stop you from putting shrimp in a bowl of melted butter and eating it like cereal. Not anymore."

 * ... MOVING UP: Congratulations to Kelly Ardis, a longtime Bakersfield Californian features reporter who is joining the ranks at CSUB in a marketing position. Ardis is the latest TBC alumni to join CSUB, closing ranks with Christine Bedell who works in alumni affairs, and head communications director Jennifer Self. Ardis will work for the school of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering, reporting to Dean Kathleen Madden and working closely with Jennifer Self, director of public affairs and communications. The school of NSME is on the rise at CSUB, having earned a prestigious engineering accreditation in 2018.

 * ... THE POLITICS OF WATER: If you live in California, you should pay closer attention to water policy and how politics plays a role in who gets this precious resources, and who doesn't. And now there is a comprehensive new non-profit that offers in-depth reporting and writing on California's love/hate relationship with water. It's called SJVWATER.ORG and it is run by award winning journalist Lois Henry, who has devoted her life to reporting and writing about water in the Central Valley. Go to the website and support it, financially, by becoming a subscriber. I did.

 * ... MEMORIES: And what do you think of this, a shot of "West side girls" back in the day. Thanks to Art Moore and the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. And check out this second photo of the old Ridge Route back in the day.

34th Assembly candidate Vince Fong weighs in on the Kern County economy

Bakersfield Observed is proud to provide a forum to local candidates to express their views. Today we hear from Vince Fong, a Republican running to succeed Rep. Shannon Grove in the State Assembly District 34

PAGA Reform is Needed to Protect Kern County’s Economy
By Vince Fong

Supplying nearly half of California’s private workforce, small businesses are the lifeblood of our community and the backbone of our economy. We depend on their success and prosperity to employ our neighbors and friends and to support our local economy.

Unfortunately, hundreds of small businesses in Kern County are being forced to turn off their lights and shut their doors in the latest scheme by opportunistic trial lawyers.

Thanks to a state law signed in 2003 by then-Governor Gray Davis , trial lawyers are exploiting employees to sue their employer for any violation of the California Labor Code. The Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) was originally designed to prevent employers from abusing their employees but has transformed into a hammer that is bludgeoning businesses into bankruptcy and putting people out of work.

Even the most minor violations of the California Labor Code, like pay stubs that lack the start or end date of a pay period or paychecks that by misplacing a period or comma in a company name, can result in millions of dollars in PAGA penalties. And, when businesses suffer as resources go toward litigation instead of investing in their workers, they are forced to make hard decisions – like laying off employees, reducing benefits or moving out of state.

Previously, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) handled these cases, but due to a lack of resources, they were not able to process every case. This act attempted to be the solution, but trial lawyers discovered how to walk away with the biggest chunk of change at the expense of vulnerable employees and businesses.

Here in Kern County, PAGA is a four letter word that many business owners would like to avoid and is harming our business climate. After facing millions in penalties and legal fees, many local businesses are contemplating closing their doors. It has gotten so bad in Kern County that California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse recently hosted a small business summit to inform business owners about the trial lawyers’ latest ploy. And PAGA abuse continues to grow across California.

Assemblywoman Shannon Grove has been a champion for Kern County business owners who are facing PAGA lawsuits from unscrupulous trial lawyers. She has led the reform effort in Sacramento, carrying legislation that fights to protect both employees and businesses. But much work still remains.

If elected to the California Assembly, I will continue the charge against these frivolous actions, making PAGA reform one of my top priorities. If your business has been affected, please share your story with me as we work together to find a solution.

Our local small businesses are simply trying to survive, dealing with over-regulation, over-taxation, and over-litigation in a state that ranks last in business climate. This is one burden we should remove. It is time we protect Kern County workers and stop shakedown lawsuits targeting our local small businesses.

Vince Fong is a candidate for the 34th Assembly District.