McCarthy: President resorts to fear-based rhetoric, shows audacity by canceling White House tours instead of dealing with the real issues

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip and a Bakersfield Republican, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his own words"

 "The past few weeks, Americans endured continuous fear-based rhetoric where the White House tried to scare Americans instead of cutting wasteful Washington spending. Doubling down on this rhetoric, this week the President cancelled all self-guided tours of the White House.  It is astonishing that he would deny Americans who are visiting their capital the chance to see our historic building rather than focus on rooting out unnecessary spending in other parts of our Federal government. Unfortunately, we continue to see an Administration that governs with tactics of fear instead of finding ways to unite us as Americans and tackling the problems our country faces in a responsible and adult manner.  Washington has a spending problem and it must be addressed, not with gimmicks, but with real solutions.

 "The current federal debt today is $16.4 trillion, which is larger than the entire U.S. economy.  Wasteful government spending must be identified and cut to get our growing deficit and debt under control. As I've mentioned before, here are a few examples of spending that can immediately be cut:

·       $4 million – the annual budget of the IRS to operate a TV production studio;

·       $1.7 billion – to maintain federal property that is not in use or underutilized;

·       $9.8 billion – closing Medicaid loopholes;

·       $10 billion – the public health slush fund in Obamacare;

·       183 – the number of conference paid for by federal agencies; and

·       $100 million in EPA grants to foreign countries over the last 10 years.

 "So instead of cutting wasteful spending, this Administration continues the old liberal mantra – higher taxes that only take more money out of the pockets of hard working American families and small businesses.  Our economy needs a strong and vibrant private sector and more taxes is not the answer. Just look at the jobs report that came out today where more workers have stopped looking for work and the number of people unemployed for 27 weeks or longer continued to increase.  We need to cut spending, reform our entitlement programs, and simplify our tax code to help spur economic growth and restore Americans’ confidence.

"Instead of fear and scare tactics, our nation needs leadership that inspires our greatness and unites us to tackle our country’s pressing challenges. This coming week, we will address one of our greatest challenges – our national debt -  as we map out a budget plan that will put us on a path to fiscal sanity.

Inga Barks is suspended from her Fresno radio gig after being arrested for drunk and disorderly, and the family in the Glenwood Gardens death shows some real class

 * ... GLENWOOD: About the only class shown in the aftermath of the tragic death of 87-year-old Lorraine Bayless at the Glenwood Gardens retirement home has been shown by the victim's family. The family could have hired a lawyer and slapped the facility with a lawsuit, but instead it issued a calm, clearly worded statement praising the care Bayless received and saying it was not in the family's nature to file a lawsuit. In a world that is increasingly crass and litigious, it is nice to see that some form of class still lives.

 * ... PRICE: It was nice to run into David Price the other day at downtown Rotary. Price is the retired head of the county resource management agency who moved to Tennessee and promptly came down with serious spinal problems that left him almost crippled and near death. He is now back walking, smiling and making his trademark jokes. "I have a few things that don't work," he told me, "but I am blessed with what I have." Dave and wife Liz were on the west coast headed toward a cruise to Hawaii to celebrate his health and their 30th wedding anniversary.

* ... HERMAN: The Bakersfield Museum of Art's goodbye to outgoing executive director Bernie Herman was a heart warming tribute to Herman's nine years of service. A huge crowd attended the tribute, representing some of the community's most stalwart supporters of the arts. Among those I spotted were Cindy Pollard, Dona Baker, Art Sherwyn, Larry and Sandy Reider, Jeff and Stephanie Pickering, Gary and Bettina Belter, Bob Crewdson and Nicole St. John, Claire Putney, Gary Frazier, Sheryl and Lou Barbich, John Brock Jr., Don Martin, Judi McCarthy, Betty Younger, Vince and Linda Rojas, Tracy Walker-Kiser, Evelyn Johnson, Lesa and John Mackessey, David and Suzanne Leon, David Cohn, Bart and Napier Hill, Vince Fong, Susan and Rod Hersberger, David and Kristine Morton, Dr. Madan Mukhopadhyay and wife Dolly, and many more.

* ... INGA: Radio talk show host Inga Barks has been put on paid leave by her Fresno employer pending the outcome of an investigation into her arrest at the Marketplace in southwest Bakersfield. Police said Barks was drunk and disorderly when they found her reportedly passed out in her car near Tahoe Joe's bar and restaurant. Barks blamed her condition on medication she is taking.

* ... SCHNEIDER: Hats off to Lieutenant Lincoln Schneider, who has been named one of the Navy's 2012 Recruiters of the Year. The Navy Recruiter of the Year awards recognize the most accomplished and successful recruiters across the country. Schneider is a 1999 graduate of Stockdale High School and later Tulane University.

First Look with Scott Cox, a three-hour local news talk radio and live video production, kicks off on Monday, March 18, and Bryan Burrow takes over the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra

* ... SYMPHONY: Former banker Bryan Burrow has taken over control of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra as president and chief executive officer. Burrow said he hopes to bring a strong business model to the 80-year-old organization, which suffers from an aging audience and limited visibility. The next performance is this Saturday when the symphony teams with the Masterworks Chorale, CSUB Singers and a children's chorus. Tickets are available and the Rabobank box office or on ticketmasters.com.

 * ... FIRST LOOK: A new, three-hour local news program will kick off Monday, March 18, on KERN 1180. It's a partnership between The Californian and American General Media, which owns KERN 1180, and it will feature news, weather, live entertainment and analysis. Called First Look with Scott Cox, the show will be simulcast on the radio while streamed live in high definition video on bakersfield.com. The show will run weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. in a new TV studio in The Californian newsroom. Stay tuned.

* ... REMODEL: Good news for folks who live in the downtown area. The Smart and Final grocery store on Golden State Freeway is about to undergo a major facelift and renovation. Employees there say work should start in a couple months to upgrade the store to resemble the more modern Smart and Final locations elsewhere in town.

 * ... YOGURT: Burrberry, the frozen yogurt shop that opened on 18th Street a year or so ago, has moved over a block in to the heart of the downtown arts district. It is now located in the former location of the Spotlight Cafe. Owner Pam Gallagher says they've expanded offerings to include freshly baked croissants, breakfast sandwiches and a full line of coffee and tea. Next week she plans on adding soups and sandwiches for the lunch crowd. "

 * ... TRASH: Is noting that one's "culture" may be responsible for littering a racist comment? That's what one reader, Fred Castillo, said in responding to an earlier post from a business executive. "I'm not even going to get into the underlying racial tones intimated in those comments. Call me crazy but it seems less a 'cultural' issue so much as a socio economic problem. I was at a local park preparing for my walk when a car in obvious need of exterior maintenance drove up. The 'kids' proceeded to eat their fast food and tossed everything out the car windows after they were done with no obvious shame. I came this close to yelling at them but had second thoughts as I was by myself and there was no telling what their reaction would have been. Let you 'local executive' know that I am Hispanic and the folks littering were Caucasian." For the record Fred, the executive who wrote that is also Hispanic and her reference to "culture" was not about race, but rather about how folks are reared and what cultural values are passed down in the family. Culture is not always ethnic centric.

 * ... NEAR MISS: Shame on the driver of an older green Honda or Saturn that blew through the stoplight at 18th and F streets Tuesday, almost broadsiding a car by inches and giving its driver (me) a near heart attack. Everyone seems to have a horror story about drivers who blindly run red lights across our town.

Karen Goh returns to Garden Pathways as president, and the state wrestling championships provide a boost to downtown eateries

 * ... GOH: Karen Goh, who lost to Leticia Perez in the 5th District Supervisor race, is returning to Garden Pathways as president. The non profit organization mentors children, youth and adults to build productive lives. Prior to being appointed serve as a Supervisor, Goh served as the organization's executive director.

 * ... BOOM TOWN: The state high school wrestling championships held at Rabobank Arena brought thousands of visitors to town, and no place benefitted more than the downtown arts district. Restaurants were packed all weekend, and it was hard to find a seat and the downtown venues like Uricchio's Trattoria, the Padre Hotel and Chef's Choice Noodle Bar. Said one waitress at Chef's Choice: "I have never seen anyone like this on a Saturday. It's overwhelming."

* ... CHILDREN FIRST: The Children First Campaign is offering five, $1,000 scholarships to groups or individuals that live or work within the Bakersfield City School District to help the lives of local children.  Said Linda Fiddler: "The grants are based on a research study done by the Case Foundation. The findings indicated that when the ideas for projects are generated from within the target neighborhoods, not only were they more successful but also taught participants how to be powerful advocates for change. We are challenging our neighborhoods to think of projects that will improve the lives of children within the Bakersfield City School District service area." To apply go to www.childrenfirstcampaign.org.

* ... TRASH: A local business executive dropped me a note expressing her frustration with our litter problem. The problem, as she noted, is that many of the offenders were reared in families and cultures where littering was acceptable. So what is the solution? "(Anti litter campaigns) are never going to succeed until people who litter start paying (fines) and/or doing community work.  I don't understand why we have to assign money that we need in other areas, or that we simply don't have, to pay people to pick up trash when we should be making money thanks to those who don't care about the image of our city. I assure you that these people grew up like that, so the only way to 're-educate them' is to teach them a good, expensive lesson. And there are two places that hurt the most: our wallets and doing work that we hate to do."

 * ... TRASH THEFT: And speaking of trash, Patricia Henson of the Society for Disabled Children shared with me this problem involving two of their brown trash containers that were stolen recently from their Brundage Lane location. "The person who took the containers decided to dump out the trash all over the ground in front of our facility. The trash cans had been placed at the curb for regular pick up. So not only did we have to clean up the trash it will cost us $70 to get a new container delivered. What is truly sad is that the $140 this problem has cost could have been used to provide two or three out of town medical appointment trips, a month of STAR for one child. STAR provides assistance for children who are performing below grade level, two and a half weeks of speech and language therapy for a child or been used to support one of our other programs. What a sad commentary on our society when not even a nonprofit's trash cans are safe."

Oil executive helps former state Sen. Michael Rubio buy and sell two homes and radio talk show host Jaz McKay has a hissy fit after his colleague leaves for another station

 * ... RUBIO: Should we be surprised about the revelation that an oil executive helped former state Sen. Michael Rubio with the purchase and sales of two homes while Rubio was serving in the state Legislature? Rubio, a Shafter Democrat, says it was all on the up and up but the whole scenario hardly passes the smell test, especially given Rubio's squeaky clean image. Rubio described the oil executive, Majid Mojibi, as a close personal friend who just happened to help him with two deals, including one a $681,000 four-bedroom, five-bath home in El Dorado Hills. Don't we all wish we had friends like this? All this, of course, happened while Rubio was a rising star in the state Senate who later held hearings on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Rubio has since resigned and moved over to Chevron as head of governmental affairs. And they wonder why the public is so cynical. (file photo of Michael Rubio, wife Dora, and their two children)

 * ... BAILEY: Local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey moves his afternoon program to KERN 1180 on Monday, a fact that seems to irritate to no end his former colleague Jaz McKay. McKay, who appears on KNZR, used Facebook to hurl some racist comments at Bailey, not to mention calling him a "a misogynist pig" who "hates women." Truly bad form, but hardly unexpected. Bailey will be my guest on Californian Radio KERN 1180 Monday at 9 a.m. to address the brouhaha over his departure and to kick off his new show. (file photos of Ralph Bailey and Jaz McKay)

 * ... JACK SMITH: I mentioned the late Los Angeles Times columnist Jack Smith the other day, prompting reader Marie Schroepfer to share these fond memories of her mother. "Jack Smith was her favorite columnist and his column was the first thing she read when it appeared in the paper.  Jack Smith, paired with breakfast, her favorite meal of the day, would make her day," she said. "Periodically I would return home to spend a few days with her. Always, when I sat down for breakfast the first morning of my stay, there would be a stack of Jack Smith’s articles that she had 'saved' for my next visit.  There was no getting around reading them during my stay as she would periodically inquire as to my progress.  She particularly enjoyed his description of the antics, and perhaps misbehaving, of his Airedale dog."

  * ... PLANK: I am always happy to report when one of our local foundations opens its wallet to help others. This time is is the Plank Foundation, which wrote a check for $10,000 to the Friends of Mercy Foundation/Florence R. Wheeler Cancer Center. It was the 12th annual donation from Plank in that amount, and it was presented at a meeting of the Bakersfield East Rotary. The Plank Foundation (www.theplankfoundation.com) was started in 1985 and supports locally the fight against cancer, hospice efforts and provides donations for immediate community needs.

  * ... MEA CULPA: I erred in reporting earlier that the fine dining restaurant Valentien would have a daily prix fixe lunch menu. The restaurant's new hours mean it will only be open for lunch on Fridays, when a prix fixe meal will be available for $16. A prix fixe meal will also be offered at dinner.

 * ... ACHIEVER: Hats off to Stephen Samples, who has been promoted to vice president of regional neurosciences at the Neurological Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. He is the son of Lora and Frank Samples, a local attorney. Stephen went to school at Trinity University in San Antonio and at the University of Texas Medical School.

Will Leticia Perez run for the state Senate after serving just three months as a Kern County Supervisor? And a stink is brewing in the Southwest over a proposed apartment complex

 * ... REVOLVING DOOR: Is 5th District Supervisor Leticia Perez really considering a run for the State Senate after being in office only three months? That appears to be the case and it has many folks shaking their heads about the revolving door of local politics. First there was Rudy Salas, who served two years on the City Council only to jump to the state Assembly, and now comes (possibly) Leticia Perez. Perez said she would consult with her inner circle before deciding to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Michael Rubio, prompting one supporter to write a letter to the Californian. "She should think less of her political future and more of the needs of those who enthusiastically supported her," wrote Raymond Gonzales.

 * ... ABLIN HOME: If you ever wanted to tour the magnificent Ablin home, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed masterpiece in the Bakersfield Country Club area, here is your chance. Covenant Community Services, the group that supports current and former foster youth, is holding a breakfast fund raiser this Saturday that includes a tour of the property. The cost is just $45 and it goes to a good cause. Call Scott Gray at Covenant at (661) 302-3137 to reserve your seat. The breakfast and tour run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

* ... ZONING: There is a stink brewing over a proposed new apartment project in the Seven Oaks area. Residents of River Run and Grand Island are now meeting to actively oppose the construction of apartments on a 10-acre piece of property at the corner of River Run and Ming Avenue across from Grand Island. The land was previously owned by the Panama Buena Vista Unified School District, but was sold to a company that is now applying to change the zoning to allow for apartments. Stay tuned.

 * ... VALENTIEN: Hard to believe it has been 10 years since the fine dining restaurant Valentien opened at the corner of Oak Street and Truxtun.  Among the changes planned this year is a nightly prix fixe menu that will be offered for just $25. Lunch, Friday only, will also feature a prix fixe for $16.

* ... SPOTTED: Kudos to the small, fit woman on the Panorama Bluffs picking up trash that others so selfishly dumped along the walking trail. The curb along Panorama at the park seems to be a favorite spot to dump your fast food wrappers and soda cups.

* ... JACK SMITH: The movie rental company Redbox may think Bakersfield is not a romantic city, but former Los Angeles Times columnist Jack Smith sure did. His nephew, Mike O'Neill, remembers his uncle describing Bakersfield as "the most romantic city in America.  I am sure this was his feeling based on the fact he met and married my aunt in Bakersfield during the late 1930s. They had a long and wonderful marriage. His family even placed a large brick at the Centennial Gardens plaza commemorating his thoughts: 'Bakersfield, the Most Romantic City in America.'"

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Mark Smith wrote to pass along a note from his mother, Marian Harman Smith, a 1929 graduate of Kern County Union High School. In her words, here is the school cheer in its complete form:

 MaHee, MaHa, Maho

 Romminickel, Bomminickel

 Nip Cap, Nap Cap, Soap Fat, Rags

 Hobble Gobble Ricker Racker

 Hobble Gobble Fire Cracker

 Hobble Gobble Razoo

 Johnny Blow Your Bazoo

 Zis Boom Bah

 Kern County Union High School

 Rah! Rah! Rah!

Local radio host Jaz McKay issue below the belt comments about former colleague Ralph Bailey, and the sad rise and fall of former NBA player Robert Swift

* ... THE BUZZ: The decision by local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey to leave KNZR for cross-town rival KERN 1180 triggered a harsh response from Bailey's former colleague, Jaz McKay. McKay posted a lengthy, vitriolic message attacking Bailey on his Facebook page after Bailey made his announcement. The message immediately made the rounds on social networking, being forwarded and reposted until it was apparently deleted. Among the below-the-belt comments were, "Farewell to the man with the biggest ego known in history... Farewell to the man who couldn't keep his story straight on his political beliefs... Farewell to the man who although as much as he tried could not get past the fact that he is black." Ouch. Bailey's new show will run on KERN 1180 weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (stock photos of Jaz McKay and Ralph Bailey)

 * ... RUBIO: Another stunner last week was the sudden resignation of state Sen. Michael Rubio (D-Shafter) from the state Senate. Rubio took a job with Chevron Corp. to be its director of governmental affairs in Sacramento. That's a fancy title for lobbyist, and it doesn't hurt that Rubio was holding hearings on reforming the California Environmental Quality Act and is taking to Chevron a pocket full of contacts and inside knowledge. Rubio said he was leaving to spend more time with his wife, Dora, and his two daughters, the youngest of whom was born with Down syndrome. (family photo provided by Michael Rubio)

 * ... BAD FORM:  It's sad to watch the ongoing story of the rise and fall of Robert Swift, the onetime Garces High school basketball standout who went on to the Naitonal Basketball Association before injuries forced him out of the game. His $1 million home in Seattle is in foreclosure, and he is refusing to leave. According to a story on AOL: "The home's new owner has gone to court to have Swift removed from the property, and court records show that he is now past a grace period to leave. He has a final deadline to vacate the premises by the end of the month -- and after that, he could be forcibly removed, KOMO News reported. "He will have to respond to the sheriff, I'm sure," the new owner said. "This is a pretty sad case of an ex-NBA star who once held such promise but now has found himself in trouble."

* ... LIONS: Hats off to the Bakersfield Breakfast Lions Club and Tim Delcid who donated $12,700 to the local chapter of the Honor Flight, the group that takes aging veterans to Washington, D.C. to view the war memorials. Local organizer Lili Marsh said it costs $1,500 to send one veteran, so the Lions Club donation allows nine to go on the Spring flight. "The looks on the faces and the tears in the eyes of these humble vets, when they see that they have not been forgotten ... really brings home the significance of this of this simple gesture to the generation that saved the world! Breakfast Lions rock!"

 * ... RICHARDSON: Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will be the keynote speaker during the annual Kern County Economic Summit, set for Wednesday, March 20, at the DoubleTree Hotel. The cost is $100 per ticket and you can register online at www.kedc.com or www.bakersfieldchamber.org.

 * ... RECIPE: Steve Agerton asked for help in tracking down a garlic butter recipe made by the owners of the old Joe's National Market on East 18th Street. "We used to get gallons of this garlic butter for the Oil Man's barbecues every year. It has since closed down and out of business. I know this might be a crazy request but we wanted to try anyway." Can anyone help Steve?

McCarthy: Herman Lippert Jr. represents the greatest generation, a hero of World War II who answered the call of duty

 Our weekly update from Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Majority Whip from Bakersfield:

 "Last week I had the honor of presenting Army Private First Class Herman Lippert, Jr., with six medals he earned in World War II.  Born in Fellows, California in 1923 and raised in Taft, Herman attended Midway Grammar school, Taft High School, and Taft College.  He was drafted and served in the U.S. Army from March 2, 1943 to December 3, 1945 where he served as a Combat Engineer with the 97th Infantry Division stationed in France, Germany, and Austria.  He showed me photos and maps of where he supported the infantry through the front lines in intense battle, yet made it through the war without a scratch.  And to meet his wife Peggy and his children and grandchildren, I saw a man of character and humility.

 "This war hero fought on the front lines of the Battle of the Bulge and is a reflection of the great Americans that did so much on our behalf.  I was honored to present him with the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Triple Bronze Star Attachment, the Honorable Service Lapel Pin, the Expert Badge and Rifle Bar, and the World War II Victory Medal.  As I presented Herman with each medal, I could not help but be inspired by the life that Herman has lived and the love that surrounds him.  In fact, I was going to present these medals to Herman last Christmas Eve, but he unexpectedly went into the hospital, and Herman insisted that he wanted to get stronger before we presented these medals to him.
 "Herman answered the call so that we would be able to have a future of freedom and opportunity.  Today, our nation faces tremendous challenges and the most pressing challenge is the growing debt burdens that weigh on our future generations.

 "In the coming months, our country will have to make the necessary decisions to confront the looming debt crisis and address the issue of government spending.  Our current spending levels are unsustainable, will weaken Social Security and Medicare, and lead our country on a path towards insolvency.  The longer we ignore the problem, the more the debt burden crushes the next generation of Americans. The next generation is not mere words; they are our high school and college seniors that will be graduating this summer. These are my children and your children. We have a responsibility to leave them a better future than we inherited, and I want them to have every opportunity to achieve their hopes and dreams with hard work and perseverance.  But the longer we ignore the fiscal reality that is before us, the more we deny opportunities to the next generation because the level of debt will stifle our long-term economic prosperity.  Every generation has risen to the occasion to tackle the challenges of their time with resolve, courage, and conviction, and I will continue to fight to ensure that we leave our children with a future of endless possibilities.