Special Report: McCarthy lashes out at Senate, President for lack of leadership during the debt crisis

 With the  debt crisis looming, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) is clearly frustrated with what he sees as a lack of leadership from the Senate and the president. A special report, in his words:

 "As the debt debate raged on this week, frustration mounted across America. I’m frustrated too. Here’s what I can tell you: my colleagues and I have been committed from day one to addressing our debt and spending problem head-on, with no gimmicks and with the facts. And just like we have done on spending cuts, regulatory reforms and energy independence efforts, we have led in this debate. We have offered solutions and voted for those solutions.

 "The August 2nd deadline to raise the debt ceiling was made clear months ago, and we sat down with the President and Democrats to begin discussions. We came to the table and offered ideas in good faith. However, the President continued to insist on increasing taxes on America’s families and small businesses. I don’t need to tell you that this is a bad idea. Just today, we found out that our nation grew by just 1.3 percent in the second quarter – less than economists projected – and growth in the first quarter was revised downward.

 "Our economy is clearly still struggling, and tax increases would only hurt more. Since the President refused to lead, my colleagues and I studied our budget and the spending causing our perpetual deficits and came up with a plan to ensure our nation can continue to pay our bills without raising taxes and that puts us on a path to long-term fiscal stability. In fact, we came up with two plans. 

 "First, we drafted the Cut, Cap and Balance Act, which I highlighted here last week. This serious legislation would have raised the debt limit only after fundamentally altering the way Washington spends. Cut, Cap and Balance passed the House with bipartisan support, but the Senate refused to even take it up for a vote. So, in our continued effort to ensure that our nation can avoid a default and a potential downgrade in our credit rating, we went back to work and used the principles of Cut, Cap, and Balance to produce the Budget Control Act of 2011. We know this is not a perfect plan, but it cuts billions more than it increases the debt limit, it doesn’t raise taxes and it doesn’t give the President a blank check to pay for Washington’s spending binge since 2009.

 "Whether you agree with these plans or not, there is no question that these are detailed legislative solutions to address the debt ceiling and the Washington culture of overspending. Unfortunately, the President has continued to refuse to put out a detailed plan on paper and the Senate has continued to abdicate its responsibility; refusing to even debate our proposals, refusing to produce alternative legislation of their own and even refusing to pass a budget this year. In times of crisis, Americans expect all of their representatives to step up, and we couldn’t agree more. My colleagues and I have led the way and remain ready and willing to work with the President and Senate Democrats to resolve this debt crisis.

Washington fiddles while the debt bomb ticks. Is it any wonder why we hold politicians in such low esteem?

 * ... GRIDLOCK: Watching the gridlock, posturing and grandstanding in Washington over the debt crisis leaves little doubt why politicians are held in such low esteem. David Brooks, a conservative columnist for The New York Times, wrote Tuesday that Republicans had missed what could have been a "glorious moment in Republican history" by rejecting President Obama's overtures for a $4 trillion debt deal and failing to reach a compromise. Likewise, the Wall Street Journal's Gerald F. Seib added that the failure of both sides to reach a compromise reflected the "general selfishness... and self destructiveness of politicians." Both Brooks and Seib predicted the result would be a legislative maneuver that would simply "kick the (debt) can down the road" while accomplishing very little. (file photo of David Brooks)

 * ... THE PORCH: If you are looking for something new and fun to do then stop by the Bakersfield Museum of Art Thursday evening for its Porch Story Slam. The concept is simple: folks gather at the museum, a "topic" for an oral short story is posted, and people volunteer to tell their own story in front of the crowd. Some are humorous, some sad, some poignant, but it all makes for a grand evening. The show gets under way at 7 p.m. and dovetails with the Third Thursday festivities at Central Park.

 * ... DIVERSITY: If you question how diversified our community is, consider this note from Matt Revenaugh. "The intersection of Chester Lane and  Oak Street is a microcosm of the American and Californian dream. On the west there is Village Auto Sales, proudly owned by what is sure a Palestinian-American family. On the east is Ralene's Filipino cuisine, Saigon Restaurant, The Empty Space and now the Irish Heritage Club. North of the intersection are another dozen businesses all owned by a different shade of the human skin. When people ask how Bakersfield is special, I want to show them it's where people from everywhere wave and call each other neighbor."

 * ... ALZHEIMER: Sandy Morris wrote to correct an earlier post on the local alzheimer's disease association holding a fund raiser. It was actually the Central Coast chapter that I wrote about, not the Alzheimer's Association of Kern County, which holds its own golf tournament to support local programs to combat the illness. Sandy said the difference was that money raised by the Kern County group stays here, while the Central Coast chapter sends part of its funds to the national organization for research. The local group is holding its golf tournament on September 9. Stay tuned for more details.

 * ... MEMORIES: Eighty-two year old reader Robert Hall submitted some of his memories of our town. Among them: "... the Powell truck assembly plant on Union Avenue, the Wimpy's Liquor Store at 34th and Chester Avenue, the Mosrite Guitar Factory south of Truxtun Avenue and west of Q Street, Mother's Bakery on Baker Street, Owens Toy Store on 19th and L streets an d the Bakersfield Hospital on 19th Street across from Central Park." 

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Sue Castro: "You might be a Bakersfield newcomer if you don't remember when sheep were herded down Calloway Drive from the pastures off 7th Standard Road.  What a great experience to be behind hundreds of baa-ing sheep, watching the herd dogs do their jobs. It was a regular occurence until around 2003.  Those were the days."


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