McCarthy: Obamacare is a disaster, a crazy Jenga like puzzle that will punish employers and give workers fewer and more expensive choices

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Majority Whip and a Bakersfield Republican, gives us his weekly update from Capitol Hill.


 "Earlier this month, the President decided to unilaterally suspend the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act for one year over concerns that his Administration, three full years after enactment, simply is not ready to implement its own massive overhaul.  In fact, it seems the President is finally seeing for himself what we’ve been telling him all along:  this bill is a disaster."

 "As many of our small business owners know, the employer mandate will impose penalties on employers if they do not comply with new regulations included in Obamacare.  This mandate is just one block of the complicated Jenga puzzle that is Obamacare.   When you start pulling out the pieces, the entire puzzle becomes unstable, and that is exactly what is happening to the law.

 "This mandate has the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which has 47 separate powers under Obamacare, requiring businesses to report employee benefit information to them in order to verify and enforce the mandate’s standards.  And we know the IRS is not prepared nor should they have this role.  Given the ongoing investigation of the heavy-handedness of its tax-exempt unit, who believes that the IRS right now can be entrusted with new authority?  I do not.

 "In addition, while the employer mandate may be suspended for one year, the individual mandate requiring individuals to purchase health insurance presumably still goes into effect on October 1st of this year. But if the employer mandate is bad for businesses, it is just as bad for individuals. Throughout our community, we are beginning to see premiums and costs rise. As the law prepares to implemented, however, my biggest concern lies in California itself.

 "As one of the 16 states choosing to set up its own exchange, California is attempting to set up an extensive bureaucracy to attempt to enroll California residents.  The State Insurance Commissioner and anti –fraud groups have expressed concerns that the exchange is falling short in ensuring that these people are being adequately screened to perform a job that involves the handling of personal and confidential information.  And even worse, because HHS won’t enforce the standards of the employer mandate until 2015, they’ve decided that they will not require the state exchanges to certify an individual’s qualifications either.  Instead, the state-run exchanges can simply use an “honor system” of personal attestation, verifying individuals’ social security numbers, household income, and insurance status solely on their word.   It is an open invitation to fraud and improper payments. That type of policy is unthinkable and irresponsible.  I believe state-run exchanges should be held to higher standards for the sake of protecting personal confidential information, and to ensure that scarce taxpayer dollars aren’t subject to waste or fraud when handing out subsidies without proper verification. 

 "The decision to delay the employer mandate by the Administration did not happen overnight. It required substantial review by departments throughout the Executive Branch. My House colleagues and I have written to the President demanding to know the type of analysis conducted to come to this decision and the legality of the decision to unilaterally delay this portion of the law, but not the rest of the law.  Americans deserve to know this information of the true impact of Obamacare.  It’s insulting to American families and job creators that President Obama believes a one year delay can solve the long-term problems that Obamacare causes for our nation’s job creators.

 "There are common sense solutions that address the real cost drivers of health care costs, such as tort reform and expanding health insurance options across state lines that will benefit consumers.  Unfortunately, Obamacare does not do this, and instead includes bad and unworkable policy.  I know it, and now we’re seeing it.  That is why I have supported repealing the law entirely, and voted to repeal Obamacare in its entirety on May 16 this year.  Unfortunately, the Senate has refused to act on that bill.  Now that the Administration is unilaterally deciding what parts of Obamacare it wishes to enforce, the House took action this week.   As a former constitutional law professor, the President should understand that the Congress, not the White House, has the sole authority in amending written law.  Therefore, in response to his decision to administratively delay the implementation of certain provisions in his own law, the House passed legislation (H.R. 2667) that statutorily amends Obamacare to delay the employer mandate until 2015.  Additionally, the House passed H.R. 2668, which parallels the delay of the employer mandate by ensuring individuals and families are treated the same way as employers by delaying the individual mandate until 2015 as well.   Both bills passed by bipartisan majority votes.  It is difficult to believe that this Administration wouldn’t want to give hardworking American families the same needed reprieve from the law’s crushing mandate as they gave corporate America.  Be assured that I will continue to fight the flawed implementation of this health care law that threatens to affect the way we receive our health care.

If there really is a heaven, there must be a special place for veterinarians; and my take on the bone headed called by Rolling Stone to run the Boston bombing suspect on its cover

 * ... BELOVED PET: There is a special place in heaven for the veterinarians who care so deeply for our pets. This story comes courtesy of Mark Powell, a colleague of mine at The Bakersfield Californian. In his words: "Last Thursday, I had to put down my dog, Molly, a 15-year-old- Australian Shepherd, due to a combination of just old age and some inoperable tumors. It was a very emotional and scary time for me and my family since we've had Molly since I picked her out at the SPCA when she was 6 weeks old. The staff (at Rosedale Veterinary Hospital) was incredibly helpful, caring and informative, and they made Molly's last few moments of life go from panicked to peaceful. They took great care to see that the procedure was as easy and painless as possible for Molly, even though she hasn't always been the most willing patient. They took very good care of her, and us as well. I cannot tell you how much they helped us through this transition. They even told us Molly would be returned to the earth via a Paso Robles vineyard following a communal cremation. I couldn't have imagined a better way to go through such a heartbreaking situation." (Photos courtesy of Mark Powell)

 * ... OVERHEARD: At the downtown Post Office, a woman is telling the story of a conversation with her 4-year-old grand daughter. "So she comes home from pre school and says, 'Nana, did you know you can't bring guns to school?' I thought: what a world we live in!"

 * ... ROLLING STONE: It is easy to understand the angry backlash to the decision by Rolling Stone magazine to feature an appealing picture of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover. But make no mistake, this is not a First Amendment issue, but rather one of taste. Rolling Stone is certainly within its rights to publish it, but just because it can doesn't mean it should. My take: it is an insult to those who died in the bombing or were left critically wounded. Bad form.

* ... ROAD WARRIOR: Anthony Bulygo is a retired master auto mechanic and wrote to lament how folks drive and maintain their cars today. In a recent trip from Bakersfield to Salem, Oregon, he "witnessed 48 vehicles where one, two, or all three brake lights were in fail mode. There were 62 vehicles with at least one tail light not functioning. And ... 21 vehicles traveling with one noticeably very low tire (these are the ones that may/will fail and cause loss of vehicle control).  One vehicle had a tire that was so bald that the steel belt was causing sparks as it traveled down I-5 in Oregon at about 80 miles per hour. And, Richard, here is the topper for me. While traveling on I-5, the posted speed was 70 miles per hour. I was in the slow lane at 75 miles per hour (flowing with traffic) and the fast lane had slowed to 75 as well. We had traveled about two miles like this when a car came down the shoulder at no less than 85. What's wrong with this picture?  Thanks for allowing me to vent.  This should be a notice to everyone to learn how to check your lights and tires regularly.  The life you save may be mine."

 * ... MEMORIES: David Gallagher not only remembers the old DiRico's restaurant, but the prices as well. And for good reason: he worked there. "A cheese pizza was 85 cents and spaghetti and meatballs $1.50. DiRico's was originally on South Chester and Belle Terrace, they moved for a short time across from Mexicali downtown and then to 4th and Union where the Great Castle is now located.  Scott Hanson and myself (1958-60) made the pizza dough from scratch and occasionally tossed the crust in the air in front of the window. Irene DiRico made the raviolis and Art made the sauce. Two of my brothers also worked there, Dennis and Barry Gallagher. Great Memories!"

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember when the old PGA tour stopped here for the Bakersfield Open Golf Tournament. John Pryor was involved in helping organize it and said the 1961 tournament was won by Jack Fleck, and the next year by Billy Casper.

A dying man reaches out to share life lesson; if you had to do it all over again, what would you change in your own life?

 * ... MARK: After a 35-year absence, I recently reconnected with Mark James, a friend from Georgia who is battling an unforgiving form of lymphoma. He is allowing me to share selected excerpts of his notes to me, simply because I think his they resonate in all of our lives. Weakened and alone, he wrote

this to me: "What I have learned is I took far too many people for granted. I made it all about work and wealth. I became a millionaire CEO but am going to die childless, spouseless and alone. All that money is sitting there waiting to be swooped up by nieces and nephews whom I hardly know. All those people I knew in my career cared deeply during the first year of this cancer but when I lived longer than expected they moved on. Not that I expect anything else. They are busy people with families and are still working every day. If I had a do over, I would find more time for those I love. I would be there for weddings, funerals, graduations and first communions. I would send gifts and cards and they would have known their importance to me. I would have been brave and walked out of a deep, dark closet many years ago, found a partner, and enjoyed life with him. But we don't get a do over. So I try not to spend energy on regret. I hope you can learn something from my situation. I simply never anticipated an early departure."

 * ... GOOD FORM: For every litterer or inconsiderate employee in town there are folks like this. "This morning I had a very nice experience at Costco on Panama Lane," wrote Mary Ellen Agan. "First I was checked out by a very pleasant checker, and as I was putting the load into the trunk of my car a young voice asked if I wanted help. This was a darling little boy of about eight or nine years of age. As his mother and little sister waited, he loaded most of the rest of my groceries for me. What a sweet boy he was, and what a tribute to his mother who waited patiently and has raised such a thoughtful young man. That made my day, and I won't forget it."

 * ... BAD FORM: And then there is this, from reader Sue Braman. "My husband and I made a morning trip up to the Richbar area in the Canyon the Monday after the 4th of July, and we were sickened at the site of the picnic areas. PILES and PILES of trash in a heap along the riverbank, and other areas. Would you believe someone hauled in a metal BBQ, sat it on a plant stand, and of course, left that behind too? As we drove into the parking area, we saw someone had dumped a TV! What has happened to caring about the beauty of nature and the respect that it deserves? Instead, it is a reminder of the mentality of a whole lot of people who could care less about their trash left behind and I imagine their homes and yards look the same. Pathetic isn't it?"

 * ... MEMORIES: Mona Martin wrote to share her memories of the old restaurant Senor Joses. "It brought back great childhood memories, as my mom would take me there for a very 'grown up' dinner experience that she and I shared on special occasions. The location of the restaurant back in the late 1960s, early 1970s was at the corner of Union Avenue and approximately 18th Street. It most recently housed the nightclub Aldo's. The drive-in with carhop service Stan's had been on the backside of the building earlier in the 1960's era, which also brought back delicious memories as well! I remember the interior of Senor Jose's as being very adult, with candles on the tables and a small dance floor with tables bordering it. I always felt like a grown up young lady when my mom would treat me to a delicious 'Mexican pizza' when we would dine there. Thank you for reviving these great memories!"

 * ... MORE JOSE'S: And finally this from reader Susan Seaman: "This short lived venture of Joe Mooney, my great uncle, was located in the building now occupied by The Black Bear. Joe and wife Martha also owned The Pancake House, J's Resturant, and the Ranch House located up on the Grapevine. His first venture was an ice cream shop on union ave, close to the dairy. This info should evoke more memories!"

A dying friend reaches out to touch base, radio show host Ralph Bailey gets some good news and remembering DiRico's Italian eatery

 * ... MARK: You don't know Mark James, and I had not heard from him for years until he reached out to me on July 3. Back when I knew him, some 35 years ago, I was a young reporter and he was an ambitious young aide to a Georgia congressman. We knew each other on a professional level, we both moved away, the years passed and we went about living out our lives. That is, until I heard from him.

Mark is now dying, suffering from a cruel lymphoma that has depleted his strength and left him alone in his thoughts, reflecting on a life that passes by in a seeming nano second. And yes, he has regrets. I asked Mark if I could share his thoughts, because I have found them so profoundly powerful. It is a story of success, joy, loneliness, fear and regret, both sad and uplifting. From time to time I will share Mark's story. I will begin with his first email:  "After 40 years, I suddenly had you on my mind, so I Googled you and am so happy you did so well in your career. I met you when you when I was a kid working for Congressman John Davis. A few years later I decided politics was hopeless and decided to make money. I spent the bulk of my career running an American commercial real estate company based in Manhattan for a wonderful Saudi family. I'm declining now from a rare Lymphoma. The chemo didn't work and I'm lingering, homebound, with much time on my hands. You probably don't remember Mark Stroup (I've been Mark James for 30 years) but I remember you. When I was so young, and quite stupid, you treated me with respect. So this is to thank you, and to let you know you made a difference in my life. I am most grateful."

 * ... BAILEY: Local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey got some good news last week when he was told he would not need surgery for a suspected heart ailment. "It was the scariest call I have ever received," Bailey told me. "But it was good news!" Bailey was told he may need a stent, but after a review by Dr. Brijesh Bhambi and his staff at Central Cardiology Medical Clinic, he was given a clean bill of health. Bailey will be my guest on First Look with Scott Cox on Tuesday at 9 a.m. to talk about his health scare.

 * ... ACHIEVERS: Hats off to the Bakersfield College culinary department team which recently won top honors during a competition in Mammoth. Said Bob Mullin, whose granddaughter was on the team: "They beat out four culinary schools for the championship.  They were the only junior college to compete. The other teams were cordon bleu schools and an art institute.  My granddaughter, Victoria Menna, was also one of twin students to be selected to intern under the master chef at the Playboy mansion in Los Angeles. Way to go Tori!"

 * ... MEMORIES: Vickie Burke Schallock wrote to thank Darlene Stewart for evoking memories of Art DiRico's Italian Restaurant, which was located on the southeast corner of South Chester and Terrace Way (not Belle Terrace). "As a child in the 1950s, I recall our family visiting the restaurant and I also recall the red/white checkered tablecloths and the candles dripping the multicolored wax onto the wine vinegar bottles placed on the tables. Fun times! Along that line, does anyone recall another long-ago Mexican restaurant, I believe it was called Señor Jose's, and I think it was located in the southeast corner area of Chester and California. My siblings and I also enjoyed visiting there with my folks...kids always received some kind of small toy upon leaving the restaurant!"

  * ... MORE DiRICO'S: And this from Jerry Beckwith: "In the late 1950s Art DiRico tended bar, Dave Blanco was the chef, Dave Gallagher was the pizza boy and I was the pearl diver. Some nights after closing we would go to the Terrace Drive In, via the exit gate and watch the late feature film. When security came by to eject us, out popped a container of spaghetti and it was all good. Art's mom made all of the ravioli and the New York style cheesecake at home. Yum."

Bakersfield ranks high on a list of cities with strong job growth, thanks to the boom in the oil and gas fields. And remembering swim teacher Owen Nelson, a role model for so many others

 * ... JOBS: Bakersfield showed up on yet another list of cities that are showing strong job growth, thanks in large part because of the oil and gas boom. According to Forbes, Bakersfield placed No. 5 on the list of medium sized cities showing strong job growth. Said Forbes: "But the real evidence of

energy’s power can be seen in smaller metro areas. Oil-rich Midland, Texas, places first on our list of smaller metro areas (those with less than 150,000 jobs) and also first overall among the country’s 398 metropolitan areas. Nipping at its heels in second place in both categories is Odessa, Texas. On our medium-size cities list, energy towns with strong growth include No. 4 Corpus Christi, Texas; No. 5 Bakersfield, Calif.; and No. 6 Lafayette, La."

 * ... RIP: Donna Cazacus wrote to remember Owen Nelson, a retired Bakersfield City School District teacher and longtime swim coach who passed away recently. When Donna was a teenager, Nelson was the head lifeguard at the Jefferson Park pool. "I have thought of him countless times over the years and have many memories of him, including him buying an early Mustang (red) and him jumping into the pool to help a child in distress. However, the thing that has most stuck with me is the counseling he gave me when 'friends' weren't being so nice to me at the pool.  He told me not to worry about them, that the friends you have in college will be the friends you have for life.  And he was right!  Thank you, Owen."

* ... BAD FORM: Just when you think we are making some progress against litter you witness something like this. From reader Caroline O. Reid: "I was entering the parking lot to the Target off Stockdale Highway on Saturday, July 6.  I met a woman leaving.  She had her child in the front seat open the passenger door and start throwing trash out of the car.  All I could think to do was roll my window down and say, 'Are you cleaning out your car?' Her window was down. She was actually stopped in the row of traffic leaving the store as her daughter threw out bags, cups, etc.  Glancing in my rearview mirror I saw their trash sitting in the left turn, outgoing lane. I mentioned it to a couple of employees inside the store but the trash was still there when I left. I cannot imagine that anyone would think that would be a good place to clean out one’s car. Unbelievable."

 * ... RALPH: Popular local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey may be headed to surgery to correct a heart ailment. Bailey, host of The Ralph Bailey Show on NewsTalk 1180 KERN, told listeners this week that an abnormality was detected during a routine exam and he is now awaiting word if surgery will be necessary. Bailey's highly rated program appears on KERN from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week. 

 * ... CONCERT: If you are looking for something to do this Saturday, alternative country crooner Grant Langston is playing at The Gardens over off 19th Street. The Gardens is a relatively new meeting and concert venue at the corner of 19th and R streets, a beautiful outdoor setting and that is ideal for weddings or other events. Doors open at 7 p.m. and Langston comes on at 9 p.m. The best part: admission is free.

 * ... MEMORIES: Darlene Stewart asks if anyone remembers Art DiRico's Italian restaurant from the 1950s  and 1960s.  "As I recall it was on the south-east corner of South Chester and Belle Terrace.  It had the old Italian look with red and white checked tablecloths and candles dripping multi-colors onto wine vinegar bottles.  It was fun to watch the chef making the pizza dough by throwing it up in the air.  Great place to go with lots of ambience & the best Italian food - their pizza was at the top of my list!"

Bako Bits: a bit of good form around town and a dose of bad form and more memories of the old Haberfelde Foundry

 * ... GOOD FORM: Gary Chambers provided this bit of good news that reflects well on our community. "On July 3 I stopped at the Fresh and Easy at Jewetta and Olive to pick up some last minute items for the Fourth barbecue. At the last minute I decided to withdraw $50. Guess I was

distracted and I forgot to take the $50 that had been dispensed. I didn't notice it missing until the Fourth.  Knowing it was probably fruitless I called the Fresh and Easy as I was sure someone took the free cash.  To my suprise the manager said a customer had turned in both the $50 and the receipt. The store had my money when I arrived to pick up the next day. I would like to thank the person who turned the money into the store.  Makes one feel good about the honest people in Bakersfield."

 * ... BAD FORM: As if the litter on our roads were not enough, have you ever noticed the landscaping (or lack thereof) around the Highway 99 and Highway 58 interchanges? It is virtually non existent and and weeds grow out of control. Next time you are on Ming at the 99 or on California check out the "landscaping" on the on and off ramps.

 * ... FIREWORKS: A reader left me a voice mail message with a curious argument in favor of fireworks on the Fourth of July. Dogs on both sides of his house, he said, normally bark through the night preventing him from getting a full night's sleep. "But on the Fourth they shut up," he said. "I find the constant dog barking far more irritating than fireworks."

* ... JOBS: Did you know that restaurants and bars account for one in 10 jobs in America? That's according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported that restaurant sector job growth is helping lead the overall growth in national employment. The downside: salaries in this industry are generally at the lower end of the compensation spectrum.


 * ... MEMORIES: My recent blog entries on the old bowling alleys around town triggered this memory from Gene French. His family moved to Bakersfield in 1943 when his father went to work at a pattern maker for the Haberfelde Foundry.  "The pattern shop was on the east side of the canal in a brick building that was south of the building that became Golden State Lanes. My father said that in the 1930s the big building was an ice skating rink, the brick building had the refrigeration unit for the rink. (Bakersfield Ice Chalet – Not sure about the name.) During the war the building ... was machine shop to machine tank parts that were cast in the foundry. After the war Haberfelde changed the machine shop to machine and rebuild automobile engines into the late 1950s.


* ... ACHIEVER: I am always happy to recognize all our local kids who go on to great achievements, and the latest is Heidi Wegis, a West High and CSUB graduate (2002) who went on to Oregon State  and obtained her master's and doctorate in exercise and sport science.  She is now an assistant professor within the School of Biology and Population Science. Heidi successfully completed the Ironman Triathalon in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, on June 23, swimming for 2.5 miles, biking for 112 miles, and running for 26.2 miles. Her family, including her parents, Robb and Evelyn Wegis and her aunt Carol Hall, are understandably proud of her.

A young woman is attacked and mugged in downtown Bakersfield and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush makes a convincing argument for immigration reform

 * ... MUGGING: A young woman was the victim of a mugging and purse snatching last week in our downtown, a reminder that petty thefts and crime remain a problem in the arts district. It was last Thursday after the opening of a new show at the Bakersfield Museum of Art and the woman (I am

honoring her request to remain anonymous) had gone with friends to The Padre Hotel. While walking to her car around 9 p.m., she was jumped by four or five young men and women. She was roughed up but apparently scared them off by hitting the alarm button on her car keys. She suffered two black eyes but otherwise is okay. Ten years ago the downtown area was the scene of numerous crimes, but it has been relatively free of issues until this case.

 * ... IMMIGRATION: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made a convincing argument for comprehensive immigration reform in the Wall Street Journal the other day. Bush said the Senate reform bill, which could be improved, does something important by welcoming in more skilled workers that could lead to faster economic growth. "To grow economically, the nation needs more young workers, as the population is aging and its growth is slowing," he wrote. "Yet only 13 percent of the immigration visas each year are issued for work or special skills. Nearly two thirds go to relatives of existing residents under an expansive definition of family preferences that includes not just spouses and minor children but parents, siblings and unmarried adult children."

 * ... OVERHEAD: A Bakersfield couple is explaining to a friend why they left Las Vegas a day early. "We had to come home to get out of the heat!"

* ... BAD FORM: Nancy Vibe was at the Valley Plaza food court the other day when she witnessed behavior that, in her words, was "just plain rude." Nancy, as it turns out, has had nine surgeries on her right knee and three on her left and almost lost one leg to a flesh eating bacteria. But it didn't stop two mothers and their daughters from gawking and pointing at her legs. "So to have legs at all, is just fantastic for me. I will show them off no matter how awful those tasteless cows think they look," she said. Amen.

 * ... SPOTTED: A reader was driving in Stockdale Estates this week when she spotted a Post Office mail carrier leave her truck and stand amid lawn sprinklers to cool off. "I drove over to her and gave her bottled water ... She  said she always does this when it's hot and she dries quickly. We need to thank our mail delivery people who tolerate all the hot weather with no air conditioning."

 * ... WENDY: Hats off to Sophia Busacca and her team of DreamCatchers at Liberty High School who will be honoring the late Wendy Wayne next week with a "Pay iftForward Day." It is set for next Tuesday at Jastro Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those who show up will find suggestions of how to make our world a better place, all in honor of Wendy.

McCarthy: On this Fourth of July, celebrating the wisdom of our Founding Fathers and the strength and courage that make our country great

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield and House Majority Whip, gives us his weekly view on this Independence Day week.

 "When President Reagan began his Fourth of July remarks from aboard the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy in 1986, he knew his speech was the only thing standing between a patriotic crowd and a huge fireworks

display over New York Harbor. He recalled a saying from his days back in Hollywood about never doing a scene with kids or animals, because they would always steal the scene. “Rest assured,” he said, “I wouldn't even think about trying to compete with a fireworks display, especially on the Fourth of July.”

"As members of our communities in California and Americans across the country look forward to celebrating with family and friends today, I will take a page from President Reagan’s script. But if one thing ought to be remembered, it is that all of today’s celebrations – from the Central Valley to the Antelope Valley to the Indian Wells Valley and all the way to the East Coast – are connected by the history of this day, July 4.  Summoned by Liberty Bell’s ring in 1776, Philadelphians gathered in front of Independence Hall to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Afterwards, shouting, muskets firing in the air, and bells chiming could be heard throughout the city. And as copies of the Declaration spread, the celebration rippled through the nation.

  "But the days and months leading up to Independence Day were dark ones. It was a time filled with uncertainty and danger. The Founding Fathers risked their lives when they signed the Declaration because they knew, as Thomas Jefferson said, that the principle of freedom itself was not enough - it had to be inherently inscribed within a foundational document. They were brave, and their courage not only inspired the fight for freedom but led our nation through the Revolutionary War. Their courage created the first nation founded on the principle that all people are born with the right to be free.

 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The guiding principles of our democratic republic, these words also represent hope to billions around the world. From the local veterans I have the honor of meeting on Kern County Honor Flight trips to the young students in our communities who choose to attend U.S. Service Academies, it is thanks to all of the heroic women and men who selflessly fight to defend and protect our freedom that America continues to be a beacon of democracy and symbol of hope to the world.

 "There will always be obstacles that test our strength and unity as a nation, and foreign enemies who do not ascribe to our beliefs. It is easy to focus on what makes us different from each other. But the history of this day reminds us that America was not founded on an ethnicity or a religion, but a creed. We believe that every man, woman and child has an equal and God-given right to liberty, to a fair chance at happiness and success.  It is our duty to ensure that freedom is protected and preserved for generations to come.

  "In a letter to his wife, Abigail, from July 3, 1776, John Adams told her that Independence Day ought to be “celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival […] with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” So while we remember the history and honor the sacrifice made for our nation’s independence today, Presidents Adams and Reagan were making an important point: today it is also a day to have fun and celebrate.
 "Let Freedom Ring."