PUBLISHED 11/30/08 ----

As we wind up this Thanksgiving weekend, The Californian’s Opinion staff reflects on the many things around us we can be thankful for:

While some may be disappointed that the the size of crowds in some stores was not larger, local shoppers showed up on this busy pre-Christmas shopping weekend with their holiday spirits and their wallets open. We urge them to continue supporting local merchants this season. Taxes from retail sales pay for the government services we rely on. Merchants and their employees — our neighbors — need support.

We also should be thankful that the two major drivers of our local economy — the oil and agriculture industries — remain strong. Certainly Kern County and Bakersfield are not immune from the economic downturn. Certainly many of our families and businesses are suffering. But we should be thankful that these industries remain strong.

Be thankful for the conclusion of the 2008 election. On top of the “grateful list” should be the mere fact that the election is over. We now get a break from the incessant campaigning. The presidential election — stretching back to the primaries — seemed to have broken a longevity record.

But we should also be thankful that so many citizens turned out to vote and that the vote-counting, for the most part, went smoothly. No “hanging chad” controversy, and no U.S. Supreme Court intervention required.

In fact, the decisive margin given to Democrat Barack Obama seems to be serving as a foundation to help the 44th U.S. president unite the country behind some bold moves to energize the economy.

In California, we should be thankful that voters cast thoughtful ballots on a wide range of initiatives. While you might not have agreed with all the votes they cast on Nov. 4, neither the right nor the left controlled the outcome. While partisans battle on in the courts over Proposition 8 (the successful same-sex marriage ban), other equally controversial measures were decided without challenge.

Proposition 11, the initiative that takes away from politicians the power to draw their own district boundary lines, barely passed. We should be thankful for this small step that may help reform California’s dysfunctional government.

On the environmental front, valley residents should be thankful the Legislature passed and governor signed a bill expanding the membership of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District board. New members will have expertise in science and medicine, removing politicians’ total control over air cleanup policy.

Be thankful that a court recently upheld air cleanup rules that now apply to agriculture — particularly to the dust and fumes emitted from facilities that confine large animals, such as dairies and feedlots.

And in the energy field, we all should be thankful that gasoline has dropped to below $2 a gallon at many Bakersfield area stations. But the bigger energy news for Kern County is that Obama will press for the development of alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind and geothermal. Kern County has long been on the cutting edge of alternative energy development. More green energy should equate to more green jobs.

In the health field, Kern County residents are still traveling out of the area for some medical care. But the good news — and certainly something to be thankful for — is the expansion of advanced medical services in Bakersfield. Of particular note is the expansion of San Joaquin Hospital and its programs, and the development of a Ronald McDonald House for the families of extended-stay children at Memorial Hospital.

The retirements of several veteran Kern County jurists gave voters the rare opportunity to elect two judges. In the June primary, they elected Larry Errea to replace Judge Skip Staley, and on Nov. 4 they elected Charles “Chip” Brehmer to replace Judge Clarence Westra. Thankfully, the campaigns were thoughtful and dignified, leading to the election of quality jurists. Gov. Schwarzenegger then moved quickly to appoint judges to other Kern County vacancies. We should be thankful these  appointments have included women, minorities, Republicans and Democrats.

We can be thankful, too, that locals are stepping up to take care of local charities in times of difficulty. The Gleaners and the United Way, to name two, are cautiously optimistic that their needs will be met.

Local businesses seem to be doing their share. Employees of Aera Energy, for example, have continued to coordinate their annual Thanksgiving food-basket drive for the Gleaners, sending 150 boxes to the local food bank just last week. And this year Aera’s management has upped its United Way employee-match program from a 1-to-1 match to a 1-to-1.5 arrangement.

Will community giving be enough to meet the need this year? Time will tell, but history suggests that valley residents will rise to the challenge.

We’re grateful that the Bakersfield City Council had a year relatively free of controversy.

The biggest exception to the comparative calm was the failed attempt to remove Councilman Ken Weir via the recall process. (Recall advocates couldn’t get enough signatures within the prescribed time frame.) We think it’s likely, however, that the recall effort got Weir’s attention in a positive way, because he seems to have started reaching out to his Ward 3 constituents more than before. Weir arrogantly befriended certain developers when he came into office. How he seems — well, perhaps it’s too early to tell.

He’ll have a chance to keep working on his image as he, presumably, runs for reelection.
We’re thankful the city of Bakersfield and the county of Kern showed substantial progress in road construction efforts associated with the TRIP money. Things are well underway, most notably at the Highway 178-Fairfax Road interchange. There’s much more to be done. Signs are hopeful.

We’re thankful county and Bakersfield city government have made positive strides toward shoring up shortfalls in revenues from state sources. And they’re showing signs they’re willing to work together to accomplish it. Hopefully, they’ll do more of the same in the coming year. Too much is at stake to revert to the territorial behavior of the past.

What about you? What are you thankful for?