Actually, we have to raise taxes to get the money Bill Thomas "raised".  FYI

I terms of total Cash Amount required to use all of the TRIP money. It would be the largest tax raise in the history of Kern County I believe.

One of Kern County's largest Tax increases. One of America's largest Earmarks. Now one of the most powerful LOBBIST in America.

Good Job Thomas. You are my fiscal hero.

You are a monument to Kern Conservatism.

NOT!
 

The TRIP money is worthless unless my taxes are raised.

In order to kick start the TRIP money, a ½ cent sales tax will have to be put in place.

What business will vouch for that in the middle of a recession.

What citizen south of the river will vouch for such a idiotic idea.

I want North of the river to stop building. I want building to increase south of the river. Building south of the river can progress with out the use of TRIP money. Building south of the river will increase the value of my property. And I am not a one horse and pony show. I have Castle and Cooke as my cut man.

TRIP was Thomas' last hurrah. It was money to build a personal monument at the expense of the taxpayer through a ½ cent sales tax increase.

Fiscal Republican. Yea sure. He is done as a politician in Kern County.. He has no standing with fiscal conservative in Kern County anymore.

Let him go lobby for the Corporate Drug Czars in Washington. He is finished here .

A city loop. One that does not invade inhabited areas. Is the solution to the 58 dead end.  It would also alleviate the Rosedale problem. 

But there is no money. There will be no money. The Thomas earmark and his TRIP funds has turned all of California against us. We are on our own. More specifically, north of the river is on it's own.

Taken out of context my position does seem selfish. But you must understand. When they decided to dead end 58. I said don't come to me later and ask me for money to right the wrong.

When people started building homes in the middle of the industrial complex north of the River, I said stop. Listen to me. You are going to be confronted with enormous traffic and pollution problems. Don't come to me latter and ask for money to right the wrong.

People puffed up their chests and and told me to stay out of their business. They can build where they wish. This is a free country.

I warned each and every one that would listen. It is not my duty to bail them out.

It is not as though the problem should not have been evident to anyone with near average intelligence.

This is a a free country. Finance your north of the river projects on your own.

In fact, keep all the Thomas monuments, north of the river.

FYI as a long term north of the river resident I opposed the destruction of farmland in our area. We had some of the best producing farm land in the country out here at one time. Now its rows of houses and traffic jams. They should have never been allowed to build in any area as massivley as they were where the roads couldnt handle the future traffic.

Just a few years ago ..pre building boom we caught a red fox out here killing our chickens and we had to let it go..couldnt even relocate it 1 mile to the river due to the protection laws..where are those red foxes quail kit foxes kangaroo rats red tailed hawks etc now? Why is it some people can get things changed for the all mighty dollar and to heck with the natural wild life?

I agree they should have built more towards Taft hwy so they would have had a somewhat barrin stretch of road to put the hwy 5 connection on..then go firther west to the coast..makes too much sense i guess.

All the building out here was just a flash in the pan as far as raising property values. Now look whats happening. besides everything was relevant back then because if you sold high you had to buy high. It was all a big richman's joke and most people couldnt see it.

I feel like the land for the proposed freeway was bought over the years with full intent on upgrading the road system in our town, Trouble is they waited too long to set it up. Now they cant look like they screwed up again so they are going to try and ram the new freeway down everyones throats when the cost of land to work on the project is spiraling down ward. We dont want a freeway in our back yard anymore than any of you out there. as I said on another blog..run 58 into 99 so traffic has no descion other then north or south..build a freeway on 7th standard to hwy 5 and taft hwy out..that goes to the beach anyway and can keep being upgraded if they do it right. ..build a overpass in rosedale for the train and keep improving the road for the locals. Get the traffic just passing through Bakersfield off our city roads and it will lighten the load considerably

I certainly agree that the "slugfest" was over-hyped. The milktoast labeling that interview a "slugfest" probably considers a hearty handshake to be a brawl.

No kidding, Robb.  I've done better myself just watching Thomas on TV.

The problems of the past have come back to haunt us for sure. And the solutions given, are to delay improvements in the south west to mediate the greed that caused the increased population in the north of the river area.

Westpark will not help north of the river unless development stops immediately. And that's not going to happen until the NOR folks understand they have to pay for their own mistakes.

If we spend all the TRIP money and the ½ cent sales tax on NOR. What happens to transportation project in the south west.

They get put on hold, we suffer traffic congestion the same as those foolish enough to move NOR.

Westpark is no different than if you left all your inheritance to the child in prison with life without parole. Leaving the rest of your children homeless and to starve.

Why should the foolish and reckless be rewarded for their purposeful mistakes at the expense of the honorable?

Save what can be saved. Save those willing to help themselves.

Rosedale today is overly congested due to traffic from I-5 to 58. We knew that was going to happen decades ago. But if a moratorium is not placed on NOR development. Nothing imaginable will be able to alleviate the traffic congestion NOR. EVER.

Keep in Mind. The Feds are broke. California is broke. The county and city will soon be broke.

We are dreaming. We are fighting over a wish list. We are kids running to the mailbox waiting on the Sears Catalog.

But we got no bling..

"Here we have a chance to get this road stuff done without raising our taxes (like Delano) ...."

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. This project will not happen without a tax increase. Period.

noon

The biggest tax increase in terms of Cash. In the history of Kern County I believe.