Gov. Jerry Brown caves on meaningful pension reform, but will it hurt the chances of the tax-the-rich Proposition 30 in the November election?

* ... PENSIONS: Keep your eye on Proposition 30 now that Gov. Jerry Brown has failed on his promise of passing meaningful state pension reform this year. Prop 30 imposes a temporary sales and income tax hike to raise money for education, but it was put on the ballot with the implied promise from Brown that it would be accompanied by real pension reform. That didn't happen, thanks in no small part to the powerful state employee unions.  Instead, the "reform" package put forth fails to address escalating medical care costs (thousands of state workers have free medical care for life) and also fails to implement a more hybrid retirement plan including a reduced pension and a 401(k) type savings plan. So will voters approve additional taxes without meaningful pension reform and while the state barrels ahead with an unfunded high speed rail project? Assemblywoman Shannon Grove was among those who attacked the governor's plan, calling it a "watered down" version of his original, 12-point pension reform proposal. "The fact that it took two years for this meaningless ‘pension reform’ to be addressed gives further proof to my goal of changing this place to a part-time legislature, because absolutely nothing of real is accomplished by our current batch of ‘professional, full time’ politicians.  They will adjourn Friday night and go home for two months to campaign, telling the taxpayers to vote for their Prop 30 to raise taxes and give the Legislature even more money to spend!” (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times)

 * ... MAYA: Meanwhile, I was at the Maya Cinemas the other day and noticed the Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government has extended its pension awareness campaign to the theater screen. The organization is sponsoring an effective ad that poses the question: is it right to cut the number of days our children are in school to pay for unsustainable teacher pensions?

 * ... COVENANT: An event to raise money for Covenant Community Services, the non profit that helps foster kids get on their feed, will be held at Imbibe Wine and Spirits on Thursday, October 18. I mistakenly reported it would be held at Covenant's North Chester office but instead will be held at Imbibe from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The cost is $25. Hats off to Imbibe owners David and Tami Dobbs who do so much for many needy organizations in town.

 * ... IRISH: The college football season kicks off this weekend and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and their fans will be flying to Dublin, Ireland, to face Navy. And among the estimated 30,000 fans heading to Ireland are two local kids, both of them graduates of Garces Memorial High School. Brandon West is a junior at the university and Julia Berchtold is a senior. Brandon is a stunter on the Notre Dame cheer squad (he is one of the kids who hurls cheerleaders into the air) and Julia is with the band. I am always impressed with the number of local kids who head off to Notre Dame and yes, there is even a Bakersfield Notre Dame Club to cheer them on.

* ... BAD FORM: Over in Laurelglen, Lynne Budy has some advice for those who walk their dogs in the quiet neighborhood: please keep your dogs off the lawn.  "I have spotted and caught one of the dog walkers in my neighborhood allowing his two female standard boxers defecate  in my newly landscaped front yard. This has been going on since earlier this year.  As I ran out of the opened front door and down the front walk, the man looked up, grinned at me, and responded, 'You have nice new grass.'  I was so stunned, that I said nothing, but I did walk to the area next to the sidewalk to verify what I witnessed."

Olympian Jimmy Watkins is treated to a homecoming bash at Action Sports and signs that the anemic housing market is starting to find some traction

* ... HOT MARKET: More stories from our local housing market. The number of homes on the market is near an all-time low, prices are inching up and properties at the lower end of the price range are attracting multiple offers. One friend has been shopping for a home for his son for several months. "One came on the market in the area we wanted, it needed a lot of work but it sold in one day," he told me. "A cash deal from an investor in Los Angeles." At the upper end, homes are taking longer to sell but at they are starting to move. A colleague sold her house in the $440,000 range in less than a week. So if you are thinking of listing your home, you may want to consider doing it sooner rather than later.

* ... OVERHEARD: A local business executive passed along this conversation that happened during a recent job interview. "Your application indicates that you haven’t worked in about two years. What is that all about?" The applicant responds: "Well, I was on unemployment all that time and making a lot, but now my unemployment is running out so I have to look for a job.”

 * ... OBSERVED: This observation comes from reader Walter E. Stewart: "I wonder how many people observe waitress and waiters wipe off the seat where you sit after using the same towel to wipe off the table where your food is served. The same contaminated towel is repeatedly used from seat to seat and table to table."

 * ... OLYMPIAN: Hats off to Kerry Ryan over at Action Sports for giving Olympian Jimmy Watkins a heck of a welcome home party. A big crowd of more than 150 people packed Action Sports Sunday afternoon to welcome Watkins home and celebrate his 30th birthday. Watkins was moved by the adulation but told me that London was his first and last Olympics. A Kern County fire fighter, Watkins finished sixth in the track cycling competition.

 * ... GOOD DEED: The newest Rotary Club in Bakersfield, Twilight Rotary, recently completed a successful project providing 126 backpacks and supplies to the entire third grade class at Mount Vernon Elementary School. The club is barely three years old and has stepped up in a big way since its inception in community service projects through the direction of immediate past president Gary Fachin and now under the leadership of Robin Paggi. Several Rotarians, including Breakfast Rotary past presidents Cecil Martin and Jim Bell as well as West Rotary past president Brad Henderson, helped charter the club three years ago.

 * ... DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that there are some 650,000 registered motorcycles on the road in California, and more than nine million nationally? High gas prices have led to a surge in motorcycle sales as more folks use the bikes for commuting. Not surprisingly, the highest death rate for motorcycle crashes involve so-called "supersport" bikes that accelerate rapidly and can reach speeds of 160 miles per hour.

Juicy Burger readies to expand to a second location and Californian Radio will host Rep. Shannon Grove to talk about our dysfunctional legislature

 * ... JUICY: One of our community's local success stories is the success enjoyed by the privately run Juicy Burger restaurant on 24th Street, open since November of 2010. It has created a large and loyal following and was awarded the "best burger" and "best new restaurant" by Californian readers its first year in business. The owners, Moe Mathuna and Justin Smith, also run the Dreyer's Ice Cream Parlor in the same complex. Now comes word the owners are expanding and will open a second location for both Juicy Burger and Dreyer's off Hageman and Calloway next month.

 * ... GRAPES: Did you know that California produces 99 percent of all the table grapes grown in the United States? And in California, Kern County is the top producer of table grapes? About a third of the grapes grown here are destined to export, to places like Canada, Mexico, China, Central America and Australia. I spent Sunday driving through the lush vineyards off Famoso Road and it looks like we'll have another rich harvest of the popular red seedless grapes. If you are new to town and have not experienced a leisurely drive through our vineyards, treat yourself to this amazing experience. (photo courtesy of A. Domingo)

 * ... GROVE: Tune into Californian Radio (KERN 1180) Monday at 9 a.m. to weigh in on several hot topic issues. I'll be chatting with Assemblywoman Shannon Grove about the dysfunctional state Legislature and its inability to find common ground. Last week the state Senate voted down a bill that Grove said would have "accelerated the cumbersome process of dismissing teachers that commit horrific actions upon school children." Said Grove:  “It is absolutely appalling that most Democrats are so beholden to the teachers union and their large political donations that they are not willing to make even the most obvious needed reforms in order to protect our children." She will be on the show at 9:15 a.m.

 * ... GUNS: Also for KERN 1180 Monday: What if you ran a sports store and Facebook would not let you advertise because it refuses to run ads featuring guns? That's just the case facing Gene Thome, the owner of Bear Mountain Sports on Weedpatch Highway. Gene will be coming on the radio Monday to share his frustration and talk about dove season and the gun business. (Gene Thome, left, in file photo)

* ... HONOR FLIGHT: The local group behind the "Honor Flights" that send aging veterans to our nation's capital is planning on hitting the streets to raise money on Thursday, Sept. 6. Organizers said they will be seeking donations in the morning at several locations to send more of our veterans to Washington, D.C., to view the war memorials.

* ... TAFT COLLEGE: Taft College is getting ready to celebrate its 90th birthday this week with what it calls a good, old fashioned party. It is all set for Thursday beginning at noon with a 90-inch cake cutting ceremony. Officials from the college, the Taft College Foundation and Cougar alumni and friends are invited. Alumni are asked to Contact Jan Ashley at jgarrattashley@gmail.com for more information.

Facebook rejects advertisement from a local gun store featuring little more than plastic decoy ducks, and Imbide Wine and Spirits sponsors a fund raiser for Covenant Coffee

 * ... FACEBOOK: Gene Thome is the easy going owner of Bear Mountain sports, a store that has catered to hunters and sportsmen for almost 30 years. Normally he's not easy to rile, but he was Thursday when the administrators of Facebook refused to allow him to advertise on its pages. Why? Gene wanted to post a picture of employee Bill Curtis holding a plastic dove decoy. Seemed innocent enough until Facebook rejected the ad, saying it not not allow "ads for ammunition, firearms, paintball guns, BB guns, or other weapons, including but not limited to: knives, daggers, swords, bows, arrows, knuckle dusters, and nunchucks." But the ad only showed a plastic decoy, so Thome was left scratching his head. "How is this offensive?" he asked me. "According to Facebook there is nothing in my store that I can promote with them. This is so sad on many levels."  (photo courtesy of Gene Thome)

  * ... COVENANT: Regular readers of this column know how fond I am of Covenant Coffee, the little non-profit on North Chester that helps former and current foster children gain skills to become productive citizens. If the converted bank building at 1700 North Chester is out of your way, here's an excuse to drop by to check out what they are doing. On Thursday, October 18, Covenent will open its doors to the public with a wine tasting and live music. David Dobbs, who owns Imbide Wine and Spirits along with wife Tami, are donating all the wine for the evening. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds go to Covenant. The event will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pick up tickets at Imbibe on Truxtun Extension.

 * ... RUNNERS: And speaking of worthy fund raisers, the woman's basketball team at Cal State Bakersfield is trying to raise $100,000 by the end of December to provide more training opportunities over the summer months. Head coach Greg McCall is promising a "stronger, faster and taller" Lady Runners team that will open its season against the University of Arizona on November 9.

* ... TEHACHAPI WINE: Eugene Wood was shopping at Country Club Liquors on Columbus up in the northeast when he ran into a Forest Glen wine labeled Tehachapi Clone. It's a pinot grigio and "comes from a vineyard they have in Tehachapi, and they are giving credit to the area. On hot summer nights a glass of chilled pinot goes well with some grilled salmon on a cedar plank. I recommend it."

* ... STRANGERS: A reader wrote with a cautionary tale about suspicious people showing up at your door in the evening. "I answered  the door tonight to a lady with a young boy. I asked what I could do for her, she said, 'Yesterday my brother died of a heart attack and I'm  collecting for his funeral. Would you please help?' She had a plastic baggie with money in it.  I was so shocked, I just looked at her and then I said, no, where do you live?' She said up the street in the apartments. Was she for real,  or just someone begging money or just casing the neighborhood?"

 * ... LEADERSHIP: A reunion of the last 25 classes of Leadership Bakersfield is set for Thursday, October 4. The program is sponsored by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and exposes future leaders to all aspects of our community. If you served in a class and are interested, go to the Chamber of Commerce website for more information.

District Attorney Lisa Green and Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood warn of a crime wave as thousands of felons are released on the streets

 * ... CRIME: If you think the state prison realignment that has dumped hundreds of parolees on our streets is not affecting crime, think again. I spoke recently with District Attorney Lisa Green and Sheriff Donny Youngblood (Green was my guest on Californian Radio KERN 1180 and the sheriff called in) and both agreed that property crime has spiked since Gov. Jerry Brown implemented his plan to relieve crowding by releasing thousands of felons. In fact, Green told me of a case where a suspect told his arresting deputy that "now is the time for crime" because he would likely serve only a fraction of any sentence he received. Green said the number of crimes reported in Bakersfield has jumped 38 percent in the last few months.

 * ... VALADAO: A big Republican crowd showed up for lunch at the Petroleum Club Tuesday to raise money for David Valadao in his bid for a congressional seat. On hand were House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy and House Speaker John Boehner. Valadao, a Hanford farmer, currently serves in the state Assembly and is running for the newly created 21st Congressional District. (file photo of David Valadao)

 * ... CSUB: I had the chance the other day to meet David Melendez, the new vice president for university advancement over at Cal State Bakersfield. Melendez will be in charge of fund raising for the university, one of the most critical tasks in this period of budget cutting and economic uncertainty. He replaces Beverly Byl, who left CSUB a few months ago amid a rocky relationship with key alumni. Melendez is sharp and articulate and will work directly with CSUB President Horace Mitchell to enhance alumni relations, work on governmental relations and raise money. Melendez was most recently at Chapman University where he served as assistant vice president for advancement. His wife is a sculptor and will move to Bakersfield as soon as the couple finds a suitable home.

* ... OVERHEARD: A prominent local architect is telling a friend that his business has started to pick up dramatically. "I went for two years without work and now I have enough for the next two years," he said. "Something good is happening with this economy."

* ... SPOTTED: Clayton Koerner was taking a left on Mohawk from California Avenue when a young woman driving a new Ford Focus tossed a banana peel onto the street. "I thought this little girl has no class," he said. "Hopefully, either she or her family read this and realize people are watching and she needs to get respect for her community."

 * ... PARTY SCHOOLS: If you are sending a child off to college this year you might want to pay attention to the Princeton Review's annual list of the hardest partying schools in the country. The top ten: West Virginia University, the University of Iowa, Ohio University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Georgia, the University of Florida, UC Santa Barbara, Florida State, Miami University and Syracuse. The most sober school: Brigham Young University. The University of Colorado-Boulder was cited for its "Reefer madness" and Providence College for having "Lots of Hard Liquor."

Northwest Baseball 10 year olds win the Cal Ripken World Series and DA Lisa Green coming on Californian Radio to discuss local crime

* ... CHAMPS: Congratulations to the team of Northwest Baseball 10-year-olds who won the Cal Ripken World Series in Bentonville, Arkansas. The team made it to the finals after sweeping teams in California and traveling to Arkansas for the tournament. It may not be an Olympic gold medal, but don't tell that to these local boys of summer.

* ... LISA GREEN: District Attorney Lisa Green will be my guest Monday on Californian Radio KERN 1180. We will be chatting about local crime, the ongoing prison realignment and its role in the sharp spike in thefts and burglaries. Call us with your questions beginning at 9 a.m. at (661) 842-5376.

 * ... ASHBURN: Linda Fiddler, who helped manage Democrat Leticia Perez's successful campaign to join the Kern County Board of Supervisors, is now working for Roy Ashburn in his bid to return to the board. (file photo of Roy Ashburn)

* ... SPOTTED: Retired Kern County Schools Superintendent Larry Reider and Vince Rojas, who retired as head of the Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, having lunch together at Luigi's. Other familiar faces seen during the busy lunch hour were Monsignor Craig Harrison of St. Francis and local plastic surgeon Dr. Darshan Shah.

 * ... GOOD DEED: A transient couple with a black dog are resting in the shade near the 24th Street Cafe when another couple leaves the restaurant and offers them food and cold drinks.

 * ... KASH: Remember Kash, the reader with the poison pen who had a gripe or two about our town and this column, including my picture? Linda Burton wrote to say that Kash should "change his name to Crass or Crass minus the 'cr,' either would apply." Another reader, Stephen Montgomery, said Kash  "should be ashamed making all those silly snarky remarks. That kind of thing looks at best juvenile and shows a lack of self discipline.  If writers can't put their name on it most likely they shouldn't write it. Maybe he and some others should find something else to read. Me? Agree or not this is my favorite column." Nice to have Linda and Stephen watching my back.

 * ... BC RENEGADE: Too often people go about their business quietly and rarely get the recognition they deserve. Randy Ariey called my attention to Judy Romanini, a counseling department assistant at Bakersfield College for more than 20 years. "When students have been issued an incorrect grade, or received a notice in the mail saying they have been suspended from BC, it is Judy who they seek out and sometimes blame. However,  Judy handles  all these types of situations with a  aring heart, and a true concern for each individual; furthermore, it is truly remarkable that she has done this job for 21 years. She is the face of Bakersfield College for all of our young people, and I feel that is a great thing."

Local businessman finds his stolen bike on Craigslist and Bako police set up a sting to recover it; and readers provide some blowback to this blog

 * ... CRAIGSLIST: Hats off to the Bakersfield Police Department for helping arrange a sting operation to recover a stolen bicycle. The bike was stolen out of the garage of local business owner Mark Ramsey earlier this week, and sure enough, Mark later spotted it listed for sale on Craigslist, the free online classified website. He alerted the police and a sting was set up near the Canyon Hills Church. "Long story short, we drove up, the detectives hopped out of the car, introduced themselves and busted two guys, 19 and 16, for burglary and possession of stolen property. The minor was on probation already... Hats off to the BPD and the detectives who handled the whole thing... professionals the whole way through and on it in a flash. Nice to know we have some good quality people working at the BPD... considering the budget cuts, smaller workforce etc. they're still ready and willing to put it on the line to bring criminals to justice, uphold the law and do what they can to make our community a safer place."

 * ... FEEDBACK: A reader known simply as "Kash" is a regular contributor to this column who never minces words. Kash's latest missive concerns recent posts about people texting and driving and the three joggers who came upon two young people in the back of a pickup truck. "First, nobody can drive in this city, with or without a cellphone in hand. Quit writing about that boring crap whenever one of your stupid, loyal readers writes in. I'm surprised none of them caught me driving. You wouldn't know what to do with that story. Second, the people spotted having intercourse in their truck. Actually, that's quite adventurous and romantic. Here is this bright young man treating his girlfriend to a nice, private time, when all of the sudden three nosey runners drop in on them. If they were good human beings, they wouldn't have bothered with the truck. In this over populated world we can all still control our actions and let people have as much privacy as we can control. If they accidentally saw them getting it on, they should have looked away while apologizing profusely. Ever get intimate anywhere you're not really supposed to? It increases the fun. Try it sometime. If I was the one caught by runners I'd keep going at it while telling them off. I keep it classy.... Third, as your BFF I can tell you the truth. The truth is, you need to change your picture. It makes you look like an ass. You can do better." (Hang Glider Hill photo by Michael Renzi)

 * ... MEMORY: The pickup truck post also brought this response from Riley Parker. "I couldn’t help but laugh at the account of the lovers in the pickup bed. My family lived in a house on the adjacent oil lease from 1948-1962. There was no Paladino Drive, no Morning Drive and no State Route 178. Access was via a gravel road from Kern Canyon Road near the ‘Y’ where the Chevron is located today. On any given summer evening, and sometimes during the pre-dawn of morning, lovers would find their way to the top of that ridge and/or the top of what became known as ‘Hang Glider Hill.’ Seldom would they stay for more than an hour. Dad used it as a teaching moment, explaining that sometimes minor infractions, in this case trespassing, should be overlooked and the violators granted a bit of grace. In any case, there were spectacular views of cars traversing the grapevine, and of the moon rising over Breckenridge, with no housing developments or lighting to interfere. The only sounds emanated from the sheep being tended by Basque shepherds as they grazed the wheat stubble. Those are very pleasant memories."

 * ... SHADE: Norma Sacchini submitted this rant on the tendency in our community constantly trim shade trees. "I am driving down Old River Road and what are they doing while it is 109 degrees? Thinning all the beautiful shade trees. Why? These trees do not need to be trimmed... no wires anywhere on Old River Road...We need the shade and all the beauty we can get!"

* ... MOVIES: Marsha Kennedy added her thoughts about people who bring young children to R rated movies. "The 'entitled generation' feels they have the 'inalienable right' to do what pleases them, with no thought or concern towards anyone else. However, their parents enabled them by never telling them no and allowing them to do whatever they pleased and giving them everything they want. I'm a parent of four grown sons and am not without compassion - but there are times that parents need to either get a babysitter or do a family outing instead!"

 * ... SPOTTED: In a case of really bad form, a young man in his 20s in spotted urinating in the public parking garage on 18th and Eye streets during the lunch hour mid week as a woman in a Toyota SUV waits to drive him off.

The fattest state in the union? Mississippi. The Centers for Disease Control releases an obesity rating list and remembering Dr. Hans Einstein

* ... GOOD CAUSE: If you're like me you have your list of favorite charity fundraisers (West Rotary's annual Cioppino Feed and St. Francis Parish School's CrabFest are near the top of mine). But another one not to miss is the "Elegant Evening of Wine" to benefit the Joe Alexander Scholarship Foundation. This is an East Rotary-inspired event that, while a bit pricey, is always a first class operation thanks to folks like Vernon Varner, Phil Icardo, Daren Alexander and others. It's a great alternative to the time consuming charity golf tournament or chicken dinner at a country club, and it's all for a good cause. This year it's set for Saturday, Sept. 29, at the downtown home of Dr. Mark and Sue Ashley. It's the 10th anniversary of the event and the 100th birthday of Joe Alexander. Tickets are going for $175 each. Contact Vern Varner for more information at (661) 979-5788.

 * ... EINSTEIN: Our community lost a giant recently with the death at 89 of Dr. Hans Einstein, one of the preeminent experts on Valley Fever. Einstein, a distant relative of Albert Einstein, was born in Berlin but his mother moved him to The Netherlands after Hitler took power. He came to the United States as an exchange student and attended Furman University. Dr. Gerhard H. Schmidt recalled this story from Einstein's mother, who had been living in England where political scandals usually involve sex. "So, when Dr. Einstein’s mother was visiting from England just after Watergate and the Nixon resignation, her big question was, 'But where’s the sex?'"

 * ... OBESITY: Obesity is a national epidemic, and now the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta has rated the states in terms of the best, and worst. The fattest state? Mississippi leads the nation with a rate of 34.9 percent, followed closely by Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana and Kentucky. Even the "most fit" states have high obesity rates. The least obese state was Colorado where 20.7 percent of the people were overweight, followed by Hawaii and Massachusetts. California came in with a rate under 25 percent.

* ... WOOD-DALE: Marlene Morales, the communications director over at the law firm of Chain, Cohn and Stiles, dropped into the Wood-Dale market for the first time recently. "It's everything I've read and now just experienced. Old fashion fresh meat counter with old fashion customer service. I felt like I was in Ozzie and Harriet's movie. Everyone waiting in line conversed with each other as we all observed the fresh meats (Harris Ranch steaks, stuffed pork chops, various sausages, bison, frog legs, scallops, halibut, etc...)  Then at the cash  register, the checker introduces herself as Darlene and proceeds to tell me that for the holidays they will be offering turducken... Turkey stuffed with duck, the duck stuffed with hen. Needless to say, it was a wonderful experience back in time and glad
Bakersfield still has old fashion values and grocery stores."

 * ... GOOD DEED: Here's a nugget to brighten your morning, compliments of reader Ginny Espinoza. Ginny's friend held a yard sale recently and a couple bought several items and paid with two $100 bills, both of which turned out to be counterfeit. "Last week the mother of the male came to my friend’s house to pay the debt! Her son was guilt-ridden (now in jail for another offense) and asked his mother to make good.  I am just hoping that he will repay her one day! I really have to give kudos to the mother – that couldn’t have been easy!"

 * ... SPOTTED: Peter and Patty Wonderly and a friend were running the foothills just north of Morning Drive and Paladin recently when "we noticed a pickup truck parked on the edge of the hilltop. We ran up the side hill and as we crested the top we witnessed a young couple in the truck bed - complete with mattress - scrambling to get into their clothes. Hey - keep it classy, folks."