McCarthy: Over reaching federal regulations stifle business, an unnecessary cobweb of rules and regulations that onerous to small businesses

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

 "One of the formative experiences in my life was starting Kevin O’s Deli – being the first one to arrive and the last one to leave, waiting on tables, delivering sandwiches, and making sandwiches on the 'If I started Subway today, Subway would not exist.' His reason?  Excessive government regulations.

counter that I built with my dad in our garage. I often joke that it was the Subway before there was Subway. Recently, however, the CEO of the actual Subway Restaurant franchise, Fred DeLuca, made headlines when he proclaimed that,

 "At a time when our number one priority should be encouraging job creation and growing our economy, unelected bureaucrats in Washington are busy writing new regulations that suit their agendas at the expense of hardworking Americans. The most obvious example is Obamacare which we need to repeal and replace.  With its over 13,000 pages of regulations (so far), this law has already begun to prompt layoffs and reduced work hours, while raising health care premiums for families and making it more difficult for patients to keep the doctors they trust. But there are countless other less publicized regulations that impose equally unnecessary costs on you and me.

 "That is why I worked this past week in Congress to pass commonsense measures to stop government abuse and overreach. We passed the “Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act” that will provide the American people with an annual report on the cost and performance of government programs, helping to bring greater transparency and accountability to Washington. We passed the most significant regulatory reform package of the past 60 years in part through the “ALERRT Act” that translates directly into a more competitive environment for our businesses and greater opportunities for our families. It requires the head of each federal agency to submit a monthly report for each rule they expect to propose or finalize during the upcoming year; requires agencies to look at the lowest cost rule making alternative that meets statutory objectives; requires advance notice of proposed major rule makings to increase public input; prevents agencies from proposing sue-and-settle decrees and settlements to the courts until parties affected by the proposed regulations can participate in settlement negotiations; and ensures that agencies fully analyze the effects of regulations on small businesses and consider ways to reduce unnecessarily burdensome rules.

  "And lastly, we passed legislation that will protect our First Amendment speech and assembly rights from the Obama Administration’s proposed IRS rule changes.   After the revelations last summer of IRS overreach against specific groups applying for tax-exempt status, no American should be targeted by the IRS based on his or her personal political views.

 "Time and time again - from my days of making sandwiches to my tenure as your elected representative - I have witnessed the adverse effects of burdensome regulations on American businesses and workers. By returning the federal government to its proper limited role, we can get Washington out of the way and make the American dream attainable for all.

Patti and Martin Croad, owners of Croad Vineyards in Paso Robles, introduce a new "661" red blend in honor of their hometown area code

 * … CROAD: Local wine makers Patti and Martin Croad are at it again, introducing a new blend appropriately named "661" after their hometown's area code. The wine, which sells for about $24 retail, is available at various places around town. It is produced and bottled by Croad Vineyards in Paso

Robles, where the family also produces a full line of wines including a Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet. On the back label the Croads printed a Valentine to Kern County: "As the winter mist surrenders to the summer sun you will find a mighty river tamed by the valley plains. Where the fertile ground provides food for the nation and the energy to move it there. Where the people give as much as they receive and share memorable moments with good wine."

 * … RAIN: Spotted on a friend's Facebook page: "Some might look at this gift of rain and credit the recent 'Pray for Rain' event in Bako. I credit myself for getting my car washed Tuesday."

* … PANHANDLERS: Marilou Burlingame wrote with a unique way to deal with panhandlers. "If business persons would hand out brooms, scoopers and plastic bags to those that hang around the front of their establishments, and after finishing the job, give the person a voucher or certificate to a fast food place.  I wonder how many would actually take up the broom or just vanish."

* … SKI CHALET: Bentz Ski Chalet, owned by the late Doug Bentz, is up for sale. Bentz died of a heart attack on the bike trail earlier this month and now his son, Dirk, is trying to sell the family business. Apparently Doug Bentz was preparing to sell the business shortly before he died. If you are interested, call Dirk at (661) 343-5910.

 * …. GIFTS: Looking for a unique gift? You might consider checking out Greater World Gifts, a non-profit fair trade store run by the First Congregational Church at Real Road and Stockdale Highway. It is holding its first spring sale on Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The store features items made by artisans in impoverished countries.

 * … SWENSON'S: Colorado resident Mark Parsons was in town recently visiting his mother and spotted the mention of Swenson's ice cream parlor in this column. "I began in my junior year at BHS as a dishwasher at the Valley Plaza store, working my way up to Super Scooper by the time it closed in 1970.  I transferred to the Mt. Vernon store in the shopping center across from the BC football stadium and worked there and the Hillcrest store that was only sporadically open. I went to BC working my way into being the fellow who actually made the ice cream and drove it madly to the Taft store in the middle of the night so it would not melt. I recall making $1.40 an hour to start, and finally up to $1.75 per hour.  I worked there until I finished at BC and went away to UC Davis and life off in America.  The stores were all owned by Bakersfield Food Harvesters, a partnership of two doctors and a brother-in-law who did the day to day management. They owned tomato harvesting equipment, a car rental agency, a gas station and these ice cream stores. I ate a lot of ice cream in those days. It was grand. Thanks for helping me recall those days "

Readers take a walk down memory lane when Bakersfield was a "wide open" town with charm, grace and (a little) bawdiness

 * … HISTORY: If you are not into Bakersfield history, this column may not be for you. I am devoting today's blog to reader memories of our city's rich and storied history. I hope you enjoy.

* … MURRAY: I had the chance to spend an hour with Jim Murray, who at 92 has total recall about growing up in old Bakersfield. Murray shared his stories Tuesday on First Look with Scott Cox, and he left his audience in awe of the breath and depth of his memories. Murray was a tail gunner on a B-24 Liberator during World War II and later spent years working for S.A. Camp Co. He remains active in real estate and noted that "I am working on two deals now." He remembers the excellent food in the old Southern Hotel, a bar called the Drink-a-Link that featured a restaurant and putting green where downtown Mexicali is today, and a bar called the Oil Zone in the old El Tejon Hotel where oil executives and businessmen would make deals. "Bawdy houses," or houses of prostitution, were common back in the day when Chinatown flourished in the "tenderloin" district a few blocks behind Brock's on Chester Avenue. And of course, as a young boy, he and friends would sneak into the Fox Theater and pick up ticket stubs to "prove" they had paid to enter.

* … TUNNELS: It's well documented that the tunnels that run beneath our downtown streets were centered around where Mexicali is today, but Janeen Smith says there are more near the Nile Theater. "My friend, John Nelson, had opened (a plant) shop when hanging ferns and philodendrens were all the rage.  In the back of the shop was a narrow stairway (probably still there boarded up I suspect) that led to the tunnels with many small rooms off the pathways. I know for sure they extended west to G Street and I'll bet they are connected east to the larger complex of tunnels to the east. By my reckoning, that's a huge complex."

* … HISTORY: How many of you know about a small basement theater across the street from the downtown Mexicali? Bryan Kelly told me it seats 30 to 40 people and includes a small stage. "The stage is about a foot high and three feet deep, located under an arch. The owner (at the time) told us that men would gather there in the 1920s and 1930s to watch 'blue movies.' Very exclusive, only men who had money and power in the city/county were invited. Sometimes there was live entertainment. The owner also said there was an entrance to the tunnels on the corner shop, but had been sealed."

* …MEMORIES: Vickie Sandoval Gilley shared some memories about working at Valley Plaza in the early years of its operation. She recalled that Payless Drugs had "the biggest and most delicious glazed donuts that they made fresh daily. I used to work at Brocks when they first opened in the mall… I also recall when Hodel's had another restaurant on a strip of property with other small businesses outside of the mall where part of the Target parking lot is now. They later moved inside the mall. I also worked with Hodel's when I was 18. I got the pleasure of working along side Lydia Hodel. She and her husband were wonderful caring people. My mom used to scratch her head wondering why they were going to build an indoor shopping center around cotton fields!"

Two new boutique restaurants are coming to downtown Bakersfield's arts district, and remembering the tunnels that exist under the old Chinatown area of Bakersfield

 * … OUCH: A reader took me to the woodshed recently for promoting a fund raiser where tickets cost $75 each. Said Alvin Gregorio: "Do you have any idea how much money that is for the average

person, the non notables, non VIPS, non Bakersfield family-heritage elite?" He went on to describe this blog as elitist and said he might join me at the Padre bar, but only if we order "non notable" wine. Thanks for the note Alvin, and I can now scratch being an "elitist" off my bucket list. And by the way, just so you know.,this elitist prefers wine in the $4.99 range. Just ask Ray at Trader Joe's. And if you'd like to join me at the Padre, please bring your list of non-elitist topics that you find suitable for this forum.

 * … EATERIES: Downtown Bakersfield's arts district will soon get two new restaurants. One will go into the space formally occupied by The Foundry on 19th Street (right next to The Metro Galleries). It will be named "InBread." The other, called "Crash," will go into the building previously occupied by the failed cooking studio Sustenance 101. That is on Eye Street next to the Caribbean themed eatery Mama Roomba.

 * … TUNNELS: I am enjoying the feedback from readers about the old Chinese-made tunnels that exist under parts of downtown. Jim Murray, 92. remembers visiting the tunnels as a teen-ager when a Chinese friend took him down. "Right near Mexicali is where there were four Chinese restaurants" with tunnels underneath, he said. "They smoked opium down there and if you wanted to gamble, that's where you went. " Murray remembers the Chinese community well, noting that "they were wonderful people and we never had one bit of trouble in the area." Murray will join me on First Look with Scott Cox on Tuesday at 9 a.m. on NewsTalk KERN 1180 and broadcast live on bakersfield.com.

 * … MORE TUNNELS: Added Bryan Kelley: "The building at 21st and L streets (used to be a Leslie's pool supply - might still be) has an entrance to the tunnels in the basement. In the 1970s it was loosely boarded closed, but you could see through the cracks. A friend who worked there showed me  this one night after closing and some of the boards just accidentally came off. We just happened to have strong flashlights (imagine that). I went some 20 feet into the tunnel before claustrophobia reared its ugly head. One path kept going straight and one veered to the right (south) and i could see where  there were two others, one going west and another headed back east. There were also a couple of 'cubby holes' in the walls, supposedly where one could sleep. I also have a friend who, as a little girl (late 1930s-early 1940s), was sent into the tunnels to find her father and bring him home. Men would meet down there to drink and gamble. She and her family are still alive today and somewhat prominent so I don't think she would appreciate the family's name in your column."

 * … MEMORIES: Edith Lyons called to remind me that when Valley Plaza first opened there was a Swenson's  ice cream shop near the Brock's department store. She said there were two others, one in Taft and the other in the Hillcrest area.

East High gets ready for its annual Hall of Fame dinner and a Central Coast troubadour comes to The Metro Galleries for a house concert

 * … EAST: East Bakersfield High will hold its Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday, March 1, at the Marriott Hotel. Some of the notable inductees this year include Dennis Lockhart, now president of the

Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta; Paula Hochhalter, arguably the best cello player in the country;  Chuck Wall, creator of the 'Random Act of Kindness' campaign; and Mark Hutson, the winningest high school basketball coach in the history of the Central Valley.

 * … SINGER: If you are looking for something different to do this weekend, you might consider dropping by The Metro Galleries on 19th Street to enjoy a house concert by Dan Curcio, a San Luis Obispo troubadour. The cost is $25 and that includes light snacks and refreshments. Doors open at 6 p.m. Sunday.

 * … ROTARY: Twilight Rotary will host its third annual fund raiser - "Luck Be a Lady Tonight" - on Saturday, March 22  at  p.m. at the Bell Tower Club. It's a fabulous party and a great fundraiser for local charities. The band Wrenwood will be performing along with the opportunity to enjoy professional gaming tables, dancing, auction items and a scumptious dinner. Tickets are only $75 and can be purchased through Jeni Moore (661) 319-687.

* … TUNNELS: The tunnels that run under Bakersfield have always fascinated me, though I have never actually seen one. Mike Doolittle wrote that he was a professional inspector some 40 years and remembers them well. "As I remember it, I entered the tunnels in the basement of the old Western Union (18th or 19th street) and ended up at the old Salad Bowl restaurant on Chester Avenue. The tunnels were big enough to drive a semi-truck through."

* … MORE TUNNELS: And there was this from Patricia Davis Kelley: "The tunnels that supposedly existed in downtown Bakersfield are a reality! My mother, Carol Rummel, used to play in them and get candy there. She went to school with the Yune children and would play with them after school… a lot of the Chineese living in Bakersfield had below ground quarters as it was cooler. My grandmother used to admonish her to come right home after school and not go down there for the candy. She has pointed out several times to me as we drive around where a lot of these tunnels were, or maybe still are. Mom will be 98 this August, but just stopped working a few months ago, so her clarity of mind astounds me. She is continually pointing out to me where businesses used to be and where a lot of the pioneers used to live around town. As for the Chinese cemetery, we live on Terrace Way, the home was built in 1928, down the street from the house built by the Ragland Dairy people; she and my step father Harry Rummel bought here in the early 1960s and has pointed out many times the location for the old cemetery."

New study shows most parents overlook the obesity of their own children, and more stories of trash and bad form around town

 * … OBESITY: According to a new survey, many parents believe their children are thinner than they are. A study published in Pediatrics (and reported in The New York Times) says more than half of

parents of overweight and obese children totally underestimated their weight. Said one researcher: "They're in denial." Added the Times: "The reasons for the misunderstanding are not known, but the scientists suggest that they news media presents a stereotypical picture of overweight children as severely obese and this distorts parents' understanding."

 * … TRASH: Lisa Prudhomme witnessed some behavior on the Panorama Bluffs that leaves you wondering about how people were raised. "I just have to share this with my fellow citizens," she wrote. "Again, as I was walking on the Panorama Bluffs I thought I would pick up some litter. As if the litter and trash aren't bad enough, piggy people are worse. As I approached a family sitting on one of the pathway benches, they watched me nearing them as I was putting trash in a bag.  They quickly got up to leave, leaving their fast food trash (cups, wrappers, napkins, etc.) right where they were sitting.  Their car was parked at the curb and they quickly loaded up their kids and were gone before I could say anything, leaving more trash in the gutter.  I couldn't believe it!  Are people really that ignorant and disgusting?  I guess so, because this wasn't the only time I've witnessed such disregard and stupidity.  With that being said, those of us that choose right over wrong will always lead by example."

* … CARDS: House of Cards, original Netflix programming starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright,  is some of the hottest TV on these days and provides plenty of fodder for water cooler chatter. The series depicts Spacey as an ambitious and cruel House Majority Whip who rises to become vice president. Last Friday Spacey appeared on Good Morning America where the real House Majority Whip, our own Kevin McCarthy, appeared in a tongue-in-cheek video from the Whip's office with a picture of Spacey behind him. Spacey said he shadowed McCarthy before the series to fully understand how the Whip office operates.

* … MEMORIES: Linda Meadows Polston wrote that her mothtr grew up on Terrace Way where Baldwin Road dead-ends into it. "She has always told me about an old Chinese cemetery behind her house. She said it was very interesting as they would burn incense, leave rice cakes and other food, and other items for the deceased person on his journey  They would finish by giving everyone a nickel wrapped in colored paper. My mom and the other neighborhood kids would get right in line to get a nickel, too, and graciously, no one ever said anything. Sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s, the cemetery was moved, and houses then built on that spot. I just wondered if anyone remembered this cemetery besides my mother. "

 * … TUNNELS: And speaking of Bakersfield's Chinese population, does anyone remember the tunnels that supposedly existed somewhere in the downtown area?

Friends of Janis Varner chip in to raise $6,900 for Honor Flight Kern County, and readers submit their memories of an older Bakersfield

 * … JANIS: If you know Janis and Vernon Varner this post will not surprise you, because their generosity here is well known. It turns out Janis held her annual birthday Bunco party at StockdaleCountry Club, where Vernon picked up the check. Janis' friends then chipped it to donate to one of her favorite charities, Honor Flight Kern County which sends veterans to Washington, D.C., to view the war memorials. According to Honor Flight coordinator Lili Crommett-Marsh, Janis' friends donated $6,900 to Honor Flight. Janis herself has paid for five veterans to make the trip. (photo by Jessica Frey)

 * … RETAIL: It looks like Joseph A. Bank, a men's retailer, is coming to The Marketplace in the Southwest. The national chain has hung its signage in the space once occupied by Russo's Books.

 * … MEMORIES: It looks like we solved the question about the name of the old drug store in Valley Plaza when it opened in 1967. But it triggered a lot of memories, and I will share some here. As Kevin Cornelius said: "The name of the drug store was Payless Drug Store, you could enter from the south side of the building or from inside the Valley Plaza. I remember this because I bought my girlfriend a $19 going steady ring from the jewelry counter located at the inside entrance. That girlfriend became my wife of 40 years. WOW has time flown by."

 * … MORE MEMORIES: But another reader, Janice Dillingham, also recalled a candy store in the mall called McFarland Candy Store.  "John and Nancy White (my aunt and uncle) managed it when I was a little girl and we always received wonderful candy treats and leftover doughnuts when we visited them in Bakersfield. I love your blog and look forward to reading it along with the rest of the Californian." Thanks Janice.

 * … AND MORE: And there was this in my mail box from reader Joe Stormont: "The drug store in Valley Plaza was Payless Drug Store. It was eventually moved to the old Mayfair Market building south of the mall (near where the theatre is now located). Other Valley Plaza old timers might remember Pickwick Books, Toy World and Jolly Roger restaurant. Another great memory was when they had a Japanese Zero airplane on display in the center of the mall for a short time in the 1970s. A local had shot it down during WW II and recovered it from the bottom of the ocean many years later. I believe the Zero ended up in a San Diego air museum and was destroyed in a fire a few years later."

 * … AND MORE: Linda Meadows Polston remembers when her then 18-month-old daughter, Cathy, "knocked over a three foot tall display of Maalox in the old glass bottles" at the drug store. "Fortunately for me, my husband, Eddie, was with her and had to suffer the embarrassment.  What a mess!"

McCarthy pushes to restore the principles of the 1994 Bay Delta Accord and laments that state and federal policy puts fish before people

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

 "Many are familiar with the fable, the Ant and the Grasshopper by Greek fabulist, Aesop. Aesop’s fable teaches us the importance of planning ahead and saving.  During summer, the ant would work to store food for the winter, knowing that in winter, food would be scarce. Not the grasshopper. The grasshopper was carefree, taking the summer day-by-day without thinking about the seasons to come. When the inevitably barren winter arrived, the ant was ready and the grasshopper went hungry. Unfortunately, when it comes to California’s water policy, this lesson remains ignored.

 "In 1994, an agreement was forged between the federal government and the state of California that established a system and process in years of rain and snowfall that would deliver water from the north of the state to the Central Valley. Once the water reached the Valley, it could be stored to help mitigate the effects of inevitable future droughts, such as the one we are facing today. This accord was agreed to by farmers, environmentalists, Republicans, and Democrats alike.

 "But this agreement has evaporated, along with the water our communities contract and pay for. Thanks to federal and state regulations, as well as California’s well-funded environmentalists, water has been diverted from California’s traditionally arid regions and instead dumped into the Pacific Ocean – where no crops are grown. Since 2007, the State Water Project has lost 2.6 million acre-feet of water because of these policies, enough water to meet the annual needs for every resident of Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago combined. If that water had been stored, we would be in a better position to withstand today’s current drought.

 "Our legislation, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Emergency Water Delivery Act, which recently passed the House, restores the principles in the 1994 Bay Delta Accord that strike an appropriate balance between protecting the delta environment and providing communities south of the delta with critical water supplies.  It simply prioritizes families over fish.

 "The President’s decision to use his visit to California as an opportunity to launch a massive spending initiative to explore the impacts of climate change will simply leave California Central Valley communities dry. Unfortunately, nothing the President proposed today changes the underlying issue that our communities are not receiving the water they have contracted and paid for; thus exacerbating the impacts of the current and future droughts. House Republicans on the other hand are continuing to work to find a bipartisan, bicameral solution to ensure our communities are not crippled by future droughts. We look forward to coming together with the Senate to find areas of common ground and commonsense to finally achieve a solution that allows desperately needed water to flow in our state.