McCarthy: House passing legislation to help business and create jobs

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) gives us his weekly update. In his words:

"Bakersfield’s athletes just keep making news. Not only did our own Colby Lewis pitch in the World Series game Thursday, Jake Varner won gold in free style wrestling at the Pan American Games.

"As with athletes, competition is vital to spurring growth in our economy. The latest estimates indicate North Dakota will overtake California in oil production, in part because of California’s onerous regulatory climate, and America has dropped four spots in global competitiveness. Just like we can’t expect our athletes to successfully compete with hands tied behind their backs and weights on their feet, our economy will struggle to compete until we lift unnecessary regulatory burdens. I’m working with Governor Brown now to help lift regulatory restrictions and bureaucratic delays that are limiting oil production here at home, threatening jobs and millions of dollars of investment, as well as much-needed oil and gas royalty revenue to our state.

"My colleagues and I are pushing policies to encourage small business investment, and the good news is that some are garnering bipartisan support. The Free Trade Agreements that will create an estimated 250,000 jobs nationwide were sent to the President’s desk with strong bipartisan support. Also, the House passed legislation (H.R. 674) this week with a bipartisan vote repealing the onerous 3 percent withholding tax, which would have allowed government to capture and waste money that entrepreneurs could – and should – be using to innovate and hire. This rule just doesn’t make sense and I am glad the President has indicated support for its repeal. Furthermore, my legislation (H.R. 2940) to rescind a Depression-era securities requirement to increase access to capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses was approved by the Financial Services Committee with bipartisan support and should be voted on the House floor next week.

"These are encouraging steps, but there is much more to be done, starting with the Senate taking up the 15 jobs bills the House has passed. These ‘Forgotten 15’ are simple, straightforward pieces of legislation that could create hundreds of thousands of jobs, reduce energy costs and help put our economy back on track. There is no excuse for them to still be sitting dormant in the Senate, and I will continue to pressure Leader Reid to bring them to the floor. I know American businesses and workers can compete with anyone in the world, we just have to give them the opportunity, and I will continue to fight for policies that do just that.

"Regulatory and administrative burdens aren’t just a business issue. Earlier this week, I requested a Government Accountability Office audit to help determine why too many of our local veterans are experiencing delays in benefit processing and long wait times to receive care. Our veterans deserve the utmost respect for their and their family’s sacrifices for our nation, and I hope this audit, requested by a bipartisan group of Congress members, can start the process of correcting these problems and ensuring our veterans receive the quality care they deserve.

Bakersfield ranks high on a list of cities with high poverty rates, but good deeds abound

 * ... POVERTY: The U.S. Census says Bakersfield ranks No. 4 on the list of metropolitan areas with the highest rates of poverty in the country. Ranking first was the McAllen, Texas, area with 33.4 percent of residents living below the poverty line, followed by Fresno at 26.8 percent, El Paso at 24.3 percent and then Bakersfield at 21.2 percent.

 * ... FAMILY AFFAIR: You may have read about the exciting end to the Garces-Highland football game last Friday, where Highland’s last minute drive for the winning touchdown was halted by an intercepted pass by Garces to end the game. The back story is that Highland was led by their quarterback, Ryan O’Leary, who had a terrific game but threw the doomed interception to Garces’ Mark Stinson. As can only happen in small town America under Friday night lights, O’Leary’s dad is John O’Leary, owner of O’Leary’s Office Products. Young Stinson is the son of Ben Stinson, owner of Stinson’s Office Products. What are the odds? The younger lads are class acts, and their dads are friendly competitors.

* ... SALLY SHOPPER: My recent post on the old "Sally the Shopper" program at Brock's department store caught the attention of reader Warren Pechin. "My mother, Marguerite Pechin, was one of the two original Sally the Shoppers along with a woman named Rose Nathan. They worked for Marie Smith who started the program and went on to run the Golden Empire Gleaners." This was around 1967, he said, and his mother is still going strong at 92.

 * ... LENDING HAND: Linda Sheffield was in front of the Target store on Rosedale Highway when she witnessed a good deed that she wanted to share. "I saw an elderly, bent lady with a cane stopped by those pesky yellow, bumpy things recently installed in front of the entrance, not sure how to navigate them. She looked as if she would surely fall. I was thinking I would go park and come back to help her, when a young man emerged from the passenger side of a small black car in front of me and offer his arm in assistance. What a blessing it was to observe kindness in action! I checked to see who was driving the car as I went by and it was another young man - not someone's mother who told him to help. I wanted to share this because I was so blessed by it, but also to help counteract all of those tacky things (and I see plenty of those, too) that show up in your column. Thanks for the interesting tidbits that you share with us."

* ... MEMORY: Reader Nancy Schilly says you have been around Bakersfield for a while if you "remember Wayne's Dairy on North Chester Avenue. It was across the street from the original Kern County Fairgrounds. Wayne's had a very good restaurant in front of the dairy. Growing up we drove in from Shafter and ate there a lot. They made their own donuts and you could watch them being made. They made them all by hand. They made all their own ice cream too. We also ate at Tiny's restaurant on the corning of 18th and Chester. You could get a chubby steak dinner for $5. Those were the times."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Even young people have memories of "old" Bakersfield. From 23-year old Jolie Brouttier: You may be from Bakersfield if you "remember driving down Ming (Between Gosford and Old River) smelling only dust from the dirt field rather than Tahoe Joe's steak dinner."

Kegley Institute's anti-Israeli rant sparks a furor and the Bakersfield Racquet Club struggles to survive

 * ... LEBEC HOTEL: More background on the old Lebec Hotel comes from Jim Clifford, who just happens to live in a beautifully restored home on 19th Street that was once owned by the Lebec's builder and owner, Thomas O'Brien. Clifford said O'Brien came to Bakersfield via Needles and Kingman around 1900 and owned a number of properties, including a saloon called the Louvre located at 19th and K streets. He also had an interest in the Del Monte Saloon and Bakersfield's first theater, the Empire. In 1905 he brought Al Jolson to the Empire Theater and met an opera singer who would become his wife and help him in running the Lebec Hotel. "I became interested in O'Brien when I remodeled my 19th Street home and discovered he was the original owner," Clifford said. "With a little luck I was able to ferret out much of this information from local archives and books." Clifford said the Lebec Hotel was never a cash cow and his partnership with Cliff Durant and the debt he incurred plagued him until the end.

 * ... CHUTZPAH: The anti-Israeli lecture by Palestinian-American Susan Abulhawa at Cal State's Kegley Institute of Ethics last week has lots of folks up in arms, and rightly so. As Howard Silver wrote in The Californian, Abulhawa "hurled classic anti-Jewish blood lies... unrestrained by reason, facts, evidence or decency." Abulhawa showed her true colors when, while taking a question, she wouldn't answer if the state of Israel had a right to exist. And  later I learned that - talk about chutzpah - the Kegley Institute actually approached a local Jewish congregation weeks before her speech and requested money to sponsor the program.  (file photo of Susan Abulhawa) 

* ... OVERHEARD: Shopping at a local Costco a middle aged woman turns to her husband and says: "If you don't leave me alone I won't buy you that casket you want."

 * ... RACQUET CLUB: Interesting story in Sunday's Californian about turmoil over at The Bakersfield Racquet Club, one of our community's long standing institutions. The club faces an uncertain future. It has lost roughly half its membership, including some people who have been members for years, and tennis is not exactly a growing sport. The turmoil - triggered by the board's decision to replace Jeff Hedberg as manager - led to the entire Board of Directors either resigning or being voted out. One thing seems certain: if the status quo isn't working, something has to change. Here's hoping the old place survives.

 * ... CAL RADIO: Make sure you tune into Californian Radio (KERN 1180) Monday morning when I will be chatting with local attorney Phil Ganong about the fight over medical marijuana, particularly in light of the California Medical Association's recommendation that pot be legalized. I'll also be talking to CSUB Athletic Director Jeff Konya on what's happening on the Southwest campus. The show runs from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember "Sally the Shopper" at the old Brock's department store. Said Kitty Jo Nelson: "What a help she was, especially to those of us who live 50 miles from town. Dial and talk free number, tell her what you need and it's taken care of at no extra charge. Mailed and delivered."

McCarthy: Valley needs reliable supply of water and jobs

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, gives us his weekly update. In his own words:

 "California has been the nation’s top agricultural producer and exporter for decades, and our region is a main reason why. Last year, we produced $4.7 billion worth of crops – grapes, almonds, pistachios, milk and citrus topped the list – that supported countless jobs and small businesses in our community. One of the single most important ways to ensure the continued success of our agricultural industry, and the jobs it supports, is a reliable water supply.

 "Today I spoke at Vision 2061, a water conference hosted by the Kern County Water Agency (KCWA) to mark their 50th anniversary and to begin to find solutions to the state’s water challenges over the next fifty years. I don’t have to tell you those challenges are steep. We face a rapidly expanding population, government overregulation and over-litigation, not to mention the ever-present threat of drought. The good news is that we have some great minds on top of these pressing issues. After all, Jim Beck and the folks at the KCWA haven’t helped build one of the world’s leading water agencies by accident.
 "From cutting unnecessary red tape to building additional storage and conveyance systems and continuing to innovate for conservation, there are many ways to get water flowing more reliably through California. Right now, I am pushing three bills (H.R. 869, H.R. 1837 and H.R.1604) that would increase the amount of water flowing to our community, create jobs and reduce the layers of bureaucracy and paperwork for water projects. I know much more must be done, but this conference has demonstrated that we are on the right track. The ideas are there, the will is there, and I trust that our community and water experts will continue to do everything possible to ensure we have the water we need to thrive for the next fifty years and beyond.
  "Water is not the only thing that will ensure Bakersfield’s continued success; the young people our community produces continue to give me high hopes for the future. I have two young men from Bakersfield currently interning in our Washington D.C. office: Jack Pandol, who recently graduated from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia; and Jess Thomas, who studied at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Their hard work, dedication and eagerness to serve the constituents of our congressional district make me certain that they will accomplish great things and make Bakersfield proud.
 "For those still in high school, I’m hosting a U.S. Service Academy Forum this Saturday, which will allow students and parents to get detailed information on the application process, academy life and career opportunities in the military. I hope to see many of you there at 10 a.m. at the Kern County Board of Supervisors' Chambers. Also, in case you aren’t able to make it but still are interested, KGOV will air the forum live on its supported channels, and on its website at www.co.kern.ca.us/gsd/kgov/. If you have any questions, please call my office at 661-327-3611.

Remembering the old Sandberg Summit Hotel on the Ridge Route and Ravi Patel gets a high honor from the American Cancer Society

  * ... SANDBERG'S: Last week readers weighed in on the old Lebec Hotel, the grand dame of the Ridge Route that connected Los Angeles with the San Joaquin Valley before Interstate 5 was built. Now another reader, Mary Fuller, submits this information about another hotel - albeit a bit smaller but equally charming - called Sandberg's Summit Hotel. Apparently it was located near the intersection of Pine Canyon Road and the old Ridge Route at an elevation of 4,170 feet. It was built by Harald Sandberg in 1914, originally as a one-story log structure, but later enlarged to three floors. During renovation in April 1961, sparks from a fireplace ignited the roof and the hotel burned to the ground. All that remains today are foundations and a rock wall on the west side of the old road, just before entering the Angeles National Forest. Anyone remember Sandberg's?

 * ... HOMECOMING: Bakersfield is known for its "brain drain" when the best and brightest of our children leave and never return. But there are plenty of examples of kids who do come back, and I recently learned of two more from Joseph "JJ" Gianquinto, commissioner of the Kern County Superior Court. He wrote to say that one of his sons, Dr. Jared Gianquinto, completed his residency in orthodontia at Temple University and has returned to Bakersfield to establish his practive. His elder son, Jason Gianquinto, also returned to Bakersfield with his wife and two daughters. They spent some time overseas working on international engineering projects and he now works for a major Central Valley water district. "I know that my sons are only two, but they have friends here who are of the same ilk. Some of them never left, and others have returned. They will all continue to make the community and their parents proud," he said. J.J. and his wife, Lani, have been married almost 39 years and he credits her with rearing two outstanding boys. Well spoken.

 * ... PATEL KUDOS: Kudos to Drs. Ravi and Naina Patel for being recognized with a prestigious honor from the American Cancer Society for donating more than $850,000 to find a cure for cancer. The philanthropic award is given to an individual or family foundation that has given a minimum of $500,000 to strengthen the American Cancer Society's goal of saving lives and finding cures. The funding came from the Patel Foundation, which includes their family and the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center.

 * ... PUMPKINS: Remember to run over to the Northwest Promenade for a special sale on pumpkins on Saturday, sponsored by Cub Scout Pack 177. The Scouts will be selling pumpkins from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

 * ... TOW SACK ANNIE: Marcie Brakebill wrote to recall the character known as Tow Sack Annie (I was reminded by a reader that it should read 'tow sack' and not 'tote sack' as I had it). "It was fun to read your blog about Tow Sack Annie in today's Californian. As soon as I saw the heading I knew I had heard that moniker before. As a child I had lived on Weedpatch Highway close to Edison Highway but I wasn't sure if I actually remembered her or had just heard about her so I called my dad, who now lives in Missouri, and ask him if the name meant anything to him. Of course it did! He told me the same story told to you by Marvin Pritchett but also says that I had a little dog that would run out and bark at her. She apparently would scold my dog and tell him "go back in the yard or you'll get ran over"! What a great blast from the past and a chance to ask my Dad about something long forgotten! Good job." Thanks Marcie.

 * ... SMALL WORLD: I'm used to running into folks I know at Starbucks or Trader Joe's, but Kern County Family Court? I spent the day in court recently and saw four people I know, all going through divorces. Must be something in the water around here.

Shelley Long shows up in Bako for a wedding and remembering Tote Sack Annie

* ... SPOTTED: Actress Shelley Long of the hit TV series "Cheers" was spotted at Uricchio's Trattoria Friday night. Apparently she was in town for the rehearsal dinner for her cousin's wedding. Stacey Williams, daughter of Shelley's first cousin Jon and wife Debbie, married her high school sweetheart, Clint, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Saturday. (If there is a more beautifully landscaped church in town, tell me about it) Five priests, including Father Heffernan, former pastor of St. Francis who officiated at the wedding of the bride's parents, were at the altar. All were friends of the bride's grandmother, Rena Fagot, who is responsible for the beauty inside and out of the church next to Garces. The priests joined pastor Monsignor Mike Braun, a downtown Rotarian member, to insure the marriage was well blessed.

* ... BAD FORM: Darlyn Baker shard this experience while driving down 24th Street: "While stopped at a traffic light I looked to my left and noticed identical mirror type objects for babies, I assume twins, attached to the back of each front seat of a gray Toyota. The infant seats were empty. Then I noticed the lady reaching into her blouse to apply roll on deodorant! That was a first. She then proceeded to put on blush and had her mascara in hand as the light changed. People sure make a routine drive interesting."

 * ... WAKE UP HARRY: It was a hilarious moment on the morning show at KBAK TV last week when anchor Leyla Santiago went to interview singer Harry Belafonte, who was hooked up via a remote location. When the camera cut to Belafonte, the famous singer appeared fast asleep, prompting the raspy voiced anchor to implore: "Wake up Harry. Harry! Wake up!" The singer continued to snooze while co-anchors John Dabkovich and Aaron Perlman shared the awkward moment. The video has now gone viral, attracting thousands of hits on the world wide web.

 * ... TOTE SACK ANNIE: Marvin Pritchett wrote to answer another reader's question about Tote Sack Annie. "During my high school days I worked in a service station on Edison Highway in the early 1950s and almost every afternoon a person who we believed to be a female would pass by east bound on Edison Highway with a tote sack over her shoulder walking at a fast pace. Everyone referred to her as Tote Sack Annie. If anyone said anything to her she would show her displeasure with some very colorful words. She saved her most colorful words for truck drivers who honked at her. We never figured out where she came from or exactly where she went."

 * .... YMCA: Good news for the Kern County YMCA, which has been struggling to make a comeback after a few years in obscurity. Board member Dave Wilkerson told me they now have more than 700 kids in Y soccer programs in Delano and Arvin, all funded by some generous local companies. "Saturday we start our soccer program in Delano, almost 500 kids fourth and fifth graders only," he said. "Along with our Arvin program that started one week ago we have almost 700 kids between the two. The Delano program is a partnership between S.C. Anderson, Inc., Delano Elementary School District and the City of Delano. Arvin is 100 percent sponsored by Grimmway farms."

Don Martin being courted to run for City Council while Seven Oaks gets hit with burglaries

 * ... WARD TWO:  It looks like longtime downtown arts activist Don Martin is being courted to run for the City Council to replace Sue Benham, who is stepping down after 12 years on the council. I've heard that Candi Easter, head of the local Democratic Party, has met with Martin to urge him to run in the November 2012 election. Apparently Martin is among a number of potential candidates being approached to run, and he told me he has yet to make a decision. The Ward 2 post covers most of downtown, where Martin lives and runs his art gallery, The Metro Galleries on 19th Street. He has been instrumental in the evolution of the downtown arts district and is well known in the community. Another potential candidate is Terry Maxwell, himself an owner of a downtown restaurant, who ran unsuccessfully for the post over a decade ago.

 * ... SEVEN OAKS: The Grand Island area of Seven Oaks has been hit with a number of burglaries recently, putting residents of this gated community on edge. I am told most of the break-ins are happening in mid morning, and that the favored entry point seems to be windows leading to the master bedroom. In some cases, alarms are not triggered because the introduders simply break the glass and crawl inside without ever opening the window. Alarm companies can wire houses with devices that are triggered by the sound of broken glass, and this may be an option.


* ... MORE BURGLARIES: Kevin Ormande is the manager at the Kern Security Systems and knows something about the rash of burglaries and car thefts sweeping our community. "Please tell your readers to use their home alarm systems even when leaving for just 'a few minutes' to run to the store or pick up children from school. If all possible park in your garage. In 18 years in the security business I have yet to heare of a vehicle being broken into inside a garage."



* ... GARCES POOL: Heads up if you live downtown or on the east side of our community: the new pool at Garces Memorial High School is now open to the public for early morning workouts. Swimmers can sign up for a daily, monthly or yearly pass to use the heated pool from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Lockers are available. The new pool is beautiful and provides a great morning workout. Call Billy Potter at Garces at (661) 327-2578 if you are interested.

* ... FUND RAISER: I had the chance to stop by a fund raiser for the local Ronald McDonald house over at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. It was held at Imbibe Wine and Spirits and chaired by Jeffrey Mestmaker, a local wealth advisor. I am always impressed by how many people in our community rally behind good causes. Mestmaker took the microphone to thank many donors, including HPS Mechanical, The Golden Empire McDonalds operators, Chevron Valley Credit Union, Alon USA, Peggy Darling in the memory of Curtis Darlin, Bakersfield Active 20/30 Club, Bon and Pat Engel in memory of Ryan Dobbs, Diane Lake Family in memory of Catherine Ann Lake, and Sandy Moffett in memory of Marshall Helm.

  * .... COAT DRIVE: Kudos to West Rotary’s New Member Committee for collecting over 500 coats, jackets and sweatshirts at the Antique Peddlers Fair last weekend. Headed by new club member Mark Bianchi along with Chip Casteen, PK Zander, John Shaw and senior members Brad Henderson and Jim Darling, the group's goal was 200 coats for Castle Elementary School. Because of the large response the group added Standard School and West Rotary’s sponsored elementary school in Ensanada Mexico.

 * ... BAD FORM: Speaking of Rotary, service clubs are rarely the venue for bad behavior but that was exactly the case at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield, also known as the downtown club. Turns out one of its members hijacked the invocation to launch a personal attack on the speaker, with whom he had a falling out over a business deal. He later apologized.

 * ... SPOTTED: A young mother with a toddler pulls up to a tobacco shop at Ming and Ashe, music blaring loudly, windows rolled down. She gets out of the car but leaves the loud music playing and the toddler in the back seat while she runs in to get some smokes. Class act.

McCarthy: Free trade agreements show that bipartisan efforts can succeed in Congress

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) submits his weekly update from Capitol. Hill.

 "Faith in Congress is at historic lows, and to be honest, I don't blame the nearly 90 percent of Americans who are frustrated. But this week proved that where there is common ground, the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, can take meaningful action on policies that will help get our economy back on track. I'm talking about the passage of three Free Trade Agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea that create a fair playing field among America and these other nations and are estimated to create jobs and increase exports across America, including right here at home.


 "I know the American people can out-compete anyone in the world if the playing field is fair. See, right now American products face tariffs when they enter these countries, making them more expensive and less attractive to consumers there. With the passage of these agreements, the majority of our exports will now enter more freely – increasing the incentive for South Koreans, Colombians and Panamanians to purchase American-made goods. Exports from California’s 22nd District directly support an estimated 139,627 jobs, and in 2010, local businesses exported an estimated $44.3 billion in merchandise, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. These trade agreements open the door for our businesses, from agriculture to energy to manufactured goods, to export more to Asia, Central, and South America.
 n"I am glad that the President finally submitted these agreements for approval. And I am hopeful that the bipartisan effort that moved them forward is a stepping stone to working on other areas where there is common ground.

 "Speaking of working together, I was able to meet one of our nation’s strong allies, South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, when he addressed a Joint Session of Congress on Thursday. From national security issues to our soon-to-be increased trade relationship, South Korea continues to be a strong democratic friend and strategic ally of the United States, and I was glad to help welcome President Lee here.

 "I was also honored to meet with two of the Astronauts of the Space Shuttle Atlantis this week, Commander Chris Ferguson and Colonel Rex Walheim. Colonel Walheim was actually stationed at Edwards Air Force Base for a time, and it was great to hear first-hand about their most recent mission to the International Space Station on the final flight of the Space Shuttle program. Some folks from Bakersfield were also in Washington this week. I had lunch with Cody and Leanne Anderson and spent time with Kern County Undersheriff Rosemary Wahl.

  "Our community is known for its generosity and selfless service, and I wanted to thank everyone who helped at Veterans Stand Down at Stramler Park this past Thursday. I also want to wish the United States Navy a happy 236th birthday and thank the men and women at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in Ridgecrest and all the sailors and their families around the world for the work they have done and continue to do to ensure our nation’s safety and security.