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Christmas wishes for Kern County
Dear Santa, I only want one thing this year. Please, please, please! Bring the good people of Kern County some gumption. It is my most fervent Christmas wish to see more people involved in deciding how their community will grow, where it should spend its money, how best to educate its children, and so on. Civics is not just a class to get through in high school. When you’re an American, lucky enough to live in a country where government actions are legally required to be conducted in the open, records are available to anyone and regular citizens can voice whatever opinion they want, it’s downright criminal to sit silently by. I’ve often heard from people that they would like to get their foot in the door of community life but 1) nothing ever changes, so why try? I’ll try and address the issues listed above and, hopefully, Santa will sprinkle a little “anti-apathy” powder over Kern County tonight. But the rest is up to you! Yes, things do change when average people get involved. Major kudos to the residents of Frazier Park for proving that point just recently. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District implemented severe no-burn rules this winter, greatly curtailing days we can burn wood in fireplaces and stoves. And they did away with a previous exemption for people who live in higher elevations. That was a big problem for Frazier Park folks. They got involved, learned about the issue — including the fact that the district never did a study showing smoke from the mountains harms valley air, or even that it fouls Frazier Park’s air the way it does in the valley when the inversion layer traps soot — then took their case to the district. And they won, sort of. The district began a new forecasting system specifically for Frazier Park that will likely show much cleaner air than in the valley and allow more burn days. If it seems like problems are lurking around every corner (they are) and it’s just too overwhelming, then stop looking around every corner. Look at your own corner. That’s what Carol Bender did. Bender, a strong advocate for better planning in northwest Bakersfield, joined her neighbors to kibosh a giant double overpass at the intersection of Allen and Hageman roads over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks, pushing for an underpass design instead. County planners took heed and have been working on designs that are more in tune with the neighborhood, according to Kern’s Roads Deptarment director Craig Pope. They are planning another public meeting to look at design options in January, he said. “We don’t have a strict answer yet as to design because we want to build a consensus” with the people who will have to live next to the interchange. Of course, all bets are off for now, as the state has frozen all infrastructure funding. Sigh. But that’s another rant. If your neighborhood is just perfect, pick a topic that fires up your passions and tackle that. Such as better fitness instruction in schools, the lack of services for juvenile addicts, Kern County’s horrible animal overpopulation problem and on and on. As for how to get involved, start by asking questions. Lots of questions. What agency is in charge of the topic you’re interested in? Where can you get more information? Are there any community groups also working on this topic? Ask us. It’s what we do! In fact, we publish a regular feature — Ask The Californian — every Monday in which we answer questions from readers. Use government resources to keep tabs on what’s happening. The city and county both have very rich websites where you can pick through agendas, meeting minutes, reports, fee schedules and more. You can even watch meetings live online or on KGOV, cable Channel 16. And, of course, make sure you read The Californian daily to keep up on what’s going on. Then let officials know you're watching. Attend meetings. Nothing puts you in touch with decision makers and other community members better than actually being there. Call council members and supervisors, write letters, send emails — be a squeaky wheel! These people work for you, not the other way around. It’s your hard- earned money that’s paying for every government program you see. Your say matters. But you have to use your voice. Opinions expressed in this column are those of Lois Henry, not The Bakersfield Californian. Her column appears Wednesdays and Sundays. Comment at people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/noholdsbarred, call her at 395-7373 or e-mail lhenry@bakersfield.com
How to reach out and touch local government:
3 comments from 2 users
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posted by
reformer
on Dec 23, 2008 at 10:00 PM
My Christmas wish is that The Canyons would get to begin their project ... 10 Christmases from this one -- after all the defaulted and halted projects abandoned on Morning and Paladino Drives have infilled and brought the needed roads, etc. up to it. posted by
drzack
on Dec 24, 2008 at 11:12 AM
My Christmas wish is that the Board of Supervisors in Kern County carefully examine the problems renters face when dealing with unethical,fraudulent landlords who do not keep up with their mortgages while still collecting rent from unsuspecting renters. Imagine the shock renters face when an eviction notice is placed on the door by the bank. Here the renter thought everything was fine and the Landlord was taking care of his financial obligation, only to discover that the landlord had not been paying his financial obligations and allowed the property to go into default/foreclosure. It seems that renters have no rights at all. This group is treated as if they are thirld worl citizens. I think that not only do the local government officials need to stop this illegal practice being commited by landlords, but that the State Governmental leaders, i.e.assembly members and state senators need to examine this matter as well and pass much needed legislation for protection of Renters. When I did my own investigation of this matter, I learned that there is no law on the books in California that requires Landlords to take the money they collect from tenants and use it to pay their mortgages or financial obligations to protect their tenants. Landlords aren't being held accountable for the rent money they collect. What an injustice.!! Hopefully, people like yourself and others will rise up and force our politicians to act. posted by
reformer
on Dec 24, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Why not you, drzack? Transform into "Forrest Gumption!" And another recent scenario ... homeless squatters moving into empty homes and law enforcement can't/won't just remove them (arrest them) when they are discovered by the owner because they were scammed by other crooks.
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