McCarthy: While the federal government puts fish before families, California suffers from a long drought that is costing jobs

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

"This week the President gave his State of the Union address. Unfortunately, when it comes to policy, we heard much of the same. The President said he has “a phone and a pen” but that’s not what the Founders of our Constitution envisioned. He should take the time to use the phone to listen to the American people and call Senator Harry Reid to move the over 150 commonsense bills –

legislation that would spur domestic energy production, end government duplication, and rein in red tape - that are sitting in the Senate and use his pen to sign those bills into law.  The President may have provided more promises this week, but the vision our country needs is one that empowers hardworking Americans, not the government.

 "Before the State of the Union, the President acknowledged to me the drought our state faces. While I appreciate the recognition, the current California drought crisis demands immediate action.  Unfortunately in recent years, the federal government has chosen to put fish before families and has ignored longstanding laws that were designed to secure adequate water for the Central Valley.  Our local farmers and families were dealt another blow when the California Department of Water Resources reduced State Water Project allocations from 5% to 0% in light of yesterday’s finding that the California snowpack is only 12% of its average for this time of year.

 "That is why I have joined with other members of the California congressional delegation taking immediate action to address this crisis by supporting the introduction of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Emergency Water Delivery Act (H.R. 3964).  This bill would ensure that water pumps tasked with delivering water to the Central Valley are operating at the levels agreed to in the 1994 Bay Delta Accords between California and the federal government, and most importantly, reverses the backward policies that put the protection of one species of fish before our state’s farmers and families.  Additionally, this bill would ensure that in wet years when it does snow and rain, the resulting water is sent to those who contract and pay for it or is used to refill our reservoirs and groundwater banks in the Central Valley, rather than sending it out to the Pacific Ocean as current government regulations require.

 "The House will vote next week on this solution to the man-made water problems in California.  As the House acts, I also call on Governor Brown to use his authority under the recent emergency declaration to immediately direct state agencies to relax current state environmental regulations to ensure that any available water flows across the state. Water is the lifeblood of our communities, and I hope the Senate will join us and act to provide water to Californians across the state who are enduring another year of drought.

What's your take on the Christian singer who walked out of the Grammys? Have the Grammys gone too far pushing the boundaries?

 * … GRAMMYS: One of the sub plots to the recent Grammy awards involved a gospel singer who walked out, apparently upset with the "in your face" tone of some of the performances. The singer in question was Natalie Grant, a devout Christian who was nominated for two Grammy awards. While she was widely criticized for walking out, let's give her credit for doing so with class and without

directly attacking any particular performance. Said the singer: "What I DID say is this: I am honored to be a part of the Christian music community. I've had many people throughout my career ask why I never tried to go in to mainstream music and last night was a beautiful reminder that I love singing about Jesus and FOR Jesus. I've judged no one. I hate no one. And I believe that every person has been created in the image of God. I will never stand on a street corner and wave a sign, I won't use my platform to engage in political arguments that will only divide and not unite… I was honored to be nominated for 2 Grammy awards last night. I'm so grateful that NARAS and The Grammys continue to recognize the contribution that gospel and Christian music make to the world. And I'm so thrilled for those who won in my categories. And I can say that with all sincerity." Well said.

 * … DIVORCE: Now that the economy is slowly beginning to recovery, more folks are feeling more financially secure to seek a divorce. That's right, divorces plunged during the long recession as couples put off divorce until they could afford to split the sheets. But now that things are looking better, the divorce rate has crept back up to where it was just a few years ago. And so it goes.

* … SPOTTED: Comedian Bill Murray posted this on his Twitter account: "I can't decide if people who wear pajamas in public have given up or are living life to the fullest."

 * … ANCHORS: Congratulations to KGET morning anchor Maddie Janssen who gave birth to her first son, Eli, this week. Word is Maddie and Eli are back at home. She will be off for several months. Meanwhile, over at KBAK morning anchor Lynda Halligan has announced she is leaving Bakersfield to get married and move to Laguna Beach.

 * … REUNION: It took a common interest in fossils for two cousins to come together on Sharktooth Hill. It turns out that Bay area resident Roy Leggitt made a reservation to dig on Sharktooth on the exact same day that his cousin, Los Angeles resident Leroy Leggitt, did so. So they both showed up on Saturday not knowing the other would be there. They hadn't seen each other in eight years and spent the day digging side by side.

Commercial real estate broker Duane Keathley on our market: retail on Panama Lane will explode and East Hills Mall is "in play" for a razing or a renovation

 * … RETAIL: Duane Keathley is one of the smartest folks in town on the subject of commercial real estate, and Tuesday I spent an hour picking his brain on First Look with Scott Cox. Some factoids from my conversation with the senior partner at Cushman Wakefield: At one point the first Dollar General store on North Chester and China Grade Loop was one of the highest performing stores in the chain;

Panama Lane west of Highway 99 is set to explode with new retail over the next few years; East Hills Mall is "in play" as the new owners decide whether to raze it or revive part of it; there is new retail planned for Brimhall and Allen roads; and the average size of a BevMo! (beer and wine retailer) is about the size of Trader Joe's. And finally, at one point the relatively new Golden Corral on Ming Avenue was the No. 2 performing outlet in the chain.

 *  …  MORE RETAIL: Reader Joe Chavez wrote asking if there are plans by any big retailers to set up shop in the Northeast. According to Keathley, likely not. Most of them are looking west, and southwest, where the average incomes are higher and there is more "day traffic," meaning more places of employment where workers may shop at lunch or after work.

* … IMMIGRATION: It looks like there may be a breakthrough on immigration reform. News reports say the House Republican leadership will be holding a three-day retreat during which Speaker John Boehner will issue his position on including a path to citizenship or legal status for illegal immigrants along with tighter border security. This is a huge issue in California, of course, where the political pressure has been intense on House Republicans to get something done. Protests at the local office of House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy have become an almost weekly event, but it remains to be seen if the new Republican stance is enough for a true breakthrough with the Democratic controlled Senate.

 * …. DROUGHT: The drought being played out in California is serious stuff, and now it looks like the Republicans are using it as a political issue. Central Valley Republicans hosted House Speaker John Boehner last week to criticize environmental laws that divert water from farmers to engendered species. As Boehner said, putting fish over people is a "crazy idea" where he comes from. As the drought intensifies there is little doubt that House Republicans will continue to seize on it as a hot issue. Stay tuned.

 * … MORE DROUGHT: On the local front, you may have noticed the GET buses wrapped with messages encouraging water conservation. It's all part of a campaign by the non profit Water Association of Kern County to encourage water conservation in Kern County. The six buses will run for six months and they advertise a website - www.wakc.com - where people can find lots of ways to conserve water.

Crabfest pulls in 450 people to raise more than $250,000 for the St. Francis Parish, and Terry Maxwell tests the patience of his constituents

 * ... CRABFEST: A record 450 people turned out for the annual Rib and Crabfest to benefit the St. Francis Parish. This event has grown so popular (getting in is akin to scoring tickets to the Super Bowl) that Monsignor Craig Harrison had to move it to the old satellite wagering barn at the Kern County Fairground. Harrison told me the Parish expected to clear $250,000 from the Friday evening event. Among those I spotted there were Mikie and Dan Hay, Lisa Kimble Edmonston and husband Craig, Trevor and Annalise Townsend, Ken and Renee Carter, Day Raytis, Kristie Spitzer, Robin Mangarin Scott, Don and Patty Houchin, Jim and Beverly Camp, Jeff and Stephanie Pickering, Brian and Katie Kirschenmann and many others.

* ... BCHS: You have to love the print advertising for Bakersfield Christian High School that features beaming young people wearing sweat shirts of the colleges they will be attending: USC, UCLA, Cal Poly, Georgia Tech, Pepperdine among others. A picture like that speaks to the success of BCHS in sending our young people off to school.

 * ... MAXWELL: My colleague Lois Henry nailed it in her Sunday column about the Quixotic city councilman Terry Maxwell, who is ignoring the majority of residents in his own Ward 2 in opposing those who want cul de sacs on the "tree streets" at 24th Street. Maxwell holds to his own beliefs, if nothing else, but only time will tell if there will be a political price to pay.

 * ... RETAIL: With so many new retailers lining up to move to Bakersfield - BevMo!, Nordstrom Rack, Sprouts Farmers Market among them - what does that say about the state of our economy? On Tuesday, I will be chatting with commercial real estate broker Duane Keathley about new retail activity and what that means for 2014 and beyond. Catch us on First Look with Scott Cox on NewsTalk KERN 1180 or live on bakersfield.com beginning at 9 a.m.

 * … GOOD FORM: Ruth Darrington passed along this example of good form from an incident last week at the Albertson's on Mount Vernon. "A friend of mine and I were supposed to meet for lunch when I received a call from her telling me she had been in an accident at the Albertson's parking lot on Mt. Vernon.  I rushed to the site and found her standing next to the Albertson's manager, Jeff Albitre.  She was quite shook up and stood there as the paramedics checked her vitals. I don't know all the details, but what I do know is that this young man took it upon himself to talk to her insurance company and made sure that each person involved gave the insurance representative the information needed and then arranged for a tow.  This whole process took almost 2 1/2 hours and is something that she would have had a difficult time doing. My friend and I would like to thank Jeff for his assistance, compassion, and willingness to give the highest caliber of customer service."

McCarthy: Californian's drought is deepened by federal and state policies that prevent water from flowing to those who need it

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

 "Last week, Governor Brown declared a statewide emergency over the current drought.  In his declaration, he noted this is “perhaps the worst drought California has ever seen since records began being kept about 100 years ago.”  The governor’s declaration is an important recognition of what families and farmers in the Central Valley have been struggling with for years – lack of water.

 "That is why, as Majority Whip, I have been working with Congressman David Valadao and Congressman Devin Nunes in the House to take action to provide relief to local families along with struggling Central Valley farms and small businesses to ensure they receive the water they contract and pay.  Last Congress, I led the House in passing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act, which would have provided more water to Central and Southern California and reformed environmental laws that irresponsibly put fish over people.  Senate Democrats refused to even allow debate on this important bill.

 "Since then, things have only gotten worse in our state.  We have a record drought, record low reservoirs and water banks, and more fallowed farmland, all exacerbated by Federal and state policies that prevent water from flowing to those who need it.  Since 2007, environmental regulations in the delta have resulted in Kern County and State Water Project contractors losing over 2.7 billion acre-feet of water, valued at more than $200 million.  This is unacceptable.  That is why I working with my Central Valley colleagues in developing solutions for California by drafting legislation that would create a joint House-Senate committee to develop long term solutions to California’s water problems, that turns on the pumps in the delta, and that stops water from being wasted into the San Joaquin River.  This commonsense approach is designed to bring the U.S. Senate to the negotiating table to develop solutions, while providing our state with more water when it starts to rain.

 "The solutions are simple – we need the political will in the Senate to act.  It is unconscionable that Federal and state policies in wet years have wasted water out to the Pacific, which has crippled our ability to better weather the current situation. We cannot waste any more time.



It is time to put our families and farmers first and to reverse misguided regulations that put Kern’s $6.2 billion agriculture economy at risk by wasting water out to sea during wet years rather sending it to those that contract and pay for it or to refill our reservoirs.  It is time for action, and I call on the Senate to join my colleagues and me in supporting this commonsense bill to provide all Californians with immediate relief, and come together to develop a long term solution as well.

Remembering the great Bakersfield Dust Storm of 1977 and celebrating some good news on the economic front as major retailers head for Bakersfield

 * … DUST: This week's dust storm got me to thinking about the Great Bakersfield Dust Storm of 1977 that left several people dead and caused millions of dollars in damages. That event happened in

mid December and, like now, followed several years of severe drought. The day began normal enough, with a low of 44 degrees, but by midday it had warmed considerably and then the winds came roaring in, blowing swamp coolers off roofs and leaving the town littered with debris. Sound familiar? Time to pray for some rain.

* … RETAIL: One of the surest signs of a recovering economy comes when major retailers free up capital to expand into new markets. And that's why we should all be encouraged with news that retailers like Nordstrom Rack and the organic grocer Sprouts Farmers Market may be coming to the Shops at RiverWalk. These aren't done deals yet but all indications are that both retailers are Bakersfield bound. Another good sign: apparently the opening of the Hobby Lobby here was such a big success that the crafts store is already thinking of expanding in the old Mervyn's building. Golden Corral is another business that came to Bakersfield and enjoyed a near record grand opening and is one of the restaurant chain's top performing outlets.

 * … HOT CITIES: For the third year in a row the city of Atlanta has been ranked the top city where people are moving. This is the word from the truck rental company Penske, which tracks where folks are moving. Rounding out the top ten of most popular places to move were  Tampa/Sarasota, Fla.,  Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Phoenix, Houston, Seattle, Chicago, Denver and Las Vegas. (file photo of Atlanta)

* … LAMENT: My old friend Bryan Kelly always has an interesting take on thing, and here is his lament on today's society. "My little hometown in Texas, as did so many others, died in the early 1960s when the interstate highway system by-passed it. In the 1980s a prison was built and the inmates were put to work cleaning the roadways, parks and lake area. They also keep schools, state, city and county buildings painted and in good repair. The townspeople show their appreciation. Little old ladies are always baking cookies and muffins for the work crews. Here?  If kids are asked to take the last five minutes of the day to pick up litter which has blown over the fence into the school yard, a mother has a fit. This is not her kid's problem!"

 * … BAD FORM: Sometimes it's hard to believe how reckless some of our local drivers can be. This story came from a colleague. "Around 9 p.m.  (on a recent) Saturday, I was at the Ming Avenue-Ashe Road intersection preparing to turn left (west) onto Ming from Ashe. The westbound traffic on Ming had a protected left turn southbound onto Ashe, and two women in a white van began turning left. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a grey SUV (might have been a Bronco or Suburban) barreling toward the intersection against a red light. The SUV slammed into the van, smashing parts of both cars' front ends; though luckily it could have been far worse, as neither car was traveling very fast. I got ready to put on my flashers and get out of the car to help, when suddenly the driver of the SUV peels out, turns sharply and screams off into the night northbound down Ashe. The white van, still drivable as well, heads off south down Ashe. I made a U-turn, assuming they would pull over and I would assist them as best I could. Nope. They drove off as well, beating me to a street light and off into distance — with most of their front bumper peeled off. It all happened pretty quickly and I wasn't able to recall license plate numbers or specific vehicle descriptions, but man: Two cars, a red light run, a collision and both take off from the scene."

New retailers eyeing the Bakersfield market, including Nordstrom Rack

 With the economy improving it looks like Bakersfield may be getting some big time retailers in the near future. That's the word from Duane Keahley, a senior partner with Cushman Wakefield, who told a group of business people that sources indicate deals are in the works for a Nordstrom Rack among others. Keathley said Nordstrom Rack is negotiating to locate at the RiverWalk.
 In addition he said, BevMo!, Oregon-based Les Schwab Tires, Dunkin Donuts and the health grocery store Sprout's may be coming to town. Sprout's may also locate at RiverWalk, he said. Others that may be coming include Laz-y-Boy Furniture (in the old McMahan's building on Ming), Aldi ( a grocery retailer and the same company that runs Trader Joe's in the United States), DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) also at The Shops at Riverwalk and a second Freddy's Steak and Frozen Custard store on Ming Avenue.

Here's another reason to have that second cup of java: studies show coffee drinkers have better memories. And where are the best places to go to college?

* … COFFEE: Here's another reason to enjoy that cup of java in the morning. According to a story in The New York Times, researchers now believe that coffee can boost your memory. In a study, 73 male

and female volunteers were divided up and given two pills: one that contained enough caffeine equivalent to two cups of coffee and the other a placebo. The result? Those who received the caffeine pill were able to respond to memory questions more effectively than other group.

* … COLLEGE LIST: The Huffington Post came out with its list of the most interesting places to go to college. Apparently this had more to do with location than academics, but it nevertheless is an interesting list. So for all you high school kids, here it is: University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of California-Berkeley, University of Iowa, Cooper Union, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Southern California, Brown University, Drake University, Vassar College, The University of Texas at Austin, New York University, Sarah Lawrence College, University of Alabama, University of Pittsburgh, Arizona State University, Harvard University. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California-Santa Barbara. (Berkeley campus shown)

 * … LYNCH: Keep an eye on the lawsuit surrounding the death of Joseph Adam Lynch, the developmentally disabled man who died in a group home in Lamont after being restrained by staff members. Neil Gehlawat, an attorney with Chain, Cohn, and Stiles, told me on First Look with Scott Cox that one of the defendants is the Kern Regional Center, a little-known non-profit that helps place the disabled in group homes and is charged with making sure the homes meet minimal state standards. Kern Regional Center is just one of a cobweb of organizations that oversee all the group homes that serve a disparate clientele that includes the disabled, the elderly, the infirm and the recently paroled. These types of civil suits shed daylight on the operation of these organizations.

 * … KING: I found this lovely tribute to Martin Luther King on the Facebook page of McKinley Elementary kindergarten teacher Jolie Brouttier: "I teach children of all different colors and race, I work, befriend, socialize, and love amongst faces all unique and special. So thank you Martin Luther King, for giving all of us the privilege to see such strokes of different colored paint and the creation of such a beautiful masterpiece."

 * … HOME: Gerhard H. Schmidt weighed in on those who bash Bakersfield, noting that despite the bad publicity it hasn't affected our growth. "Before the 1970s, according to my recollection, the area had been growing by about 10,000 in population per decade. But since then, vow! Funny, isn’t it, if it is so bad here, how come people keep coming in such numbers?"