Taft, KC Photography, west oil

Independent The Taft

July 6 - 12, 2012

TAFT INDEPENDENT

www.Taftindependent.com

FREEWeekly

Publisher@Taftindependent.com

July 6 - 12, 2012 • Volume 7 Issue 2

“Serving the West Kern County Communities of Taft, South Taft, Ford City, Maricopa, Fellows, McKittrick, Derby Acres, Dustin Acres, and the Cuyama Valley”

Councilman Opposes Food Bank Move to Center Street

McCarthy: Obama Care Burdens Family, Business

Karen and Robert Mitchell

Proof #

1

Amazing SpiderMan: Movie Review Page 11

Prepaid Phones, Accessories & Cards 610 Center Street • 661-745-4954

$5.00

De Descuento

Con La Compra de un Telefono de $99 o mas Fecha de Vencimiento 7/31/2012

$5.00

De Descuento Con La Compra de un Protector Otter Box Fecha de Vencimiento 7/31/2012

$10.00

KC Photography Taft’s Place To Get Framed

Date

4/6

Taft Woodworks

Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Custom Cabinetry and Counter Tops

Over 25 Years Experience in Taft.

Under New Management.

De Descuento Con La Compra Telefono Android

Fecha de Vencimiento 7/31/2012

605 6th Street, Taft, CA. 93268 (661) 765-5000 (661) 343-0507

T W

By Nicole Frost

Ta f t

WOODWORKS

2

TAFT INDEPENDENT

Shop Taft

Black Gold Cafe and Deli

508 Center Street 765-6556

Passion For Nails Nail Services:

Gel Polish • Sea Shell • Glitter Acrylic Metalic Flakes • Rock Star

July 6 - 12 2012

acme jewelry co.

F i n e

Fine Jewelry • Gifts 14K Gold • Sterling Silver 14K • Sterling Silver Black Hills GoldGold • Jewelry Repair • Watch Batteries Candles • And More!

Black Hills Gold • Jewelry Repair

Men & Seniors & Diabetics Welcome

Leanin Tree Watch Batteries Greeting Cards CENTER STREET • 661.763.5451 $2426for $1.00

Like Us on Facebook

Store Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9:30am - 5:00pm Saturday 10:00am - 2:00pm Closed Sunday and Monday

1014 6th Street • Taft In the Save A Lot Shopping Center Monday to Friday

10am-7pm and Saturday 9am-6pm

Geiger Construction & Plumbing Residential • Commercial

Cement & Asphalt Cutting

Lic # B-721903

661-765-4377 Fast • Friendly • Affordable Se Habla Espanol 661-301-4660 24 Hours/ 7 Days a Week

(661)745-4913

Personal Style

New Summer Arrivals!

Now In Stores!

$5.00

Con La Compra de un Telefono de $99 o mas Fecha de Vencimiento 7/31/2012

$5.00

De Descuento

Con La Compra de un Protector Otter Box

Con La Compra Telefono Android

Fecha de Vencimiento 7/31/2012

New Stock of Sacred Threads!

Shoes Jean Tops s Jewelry Corky’s Hide N Sole Glit z

Why go to Bakersfield? We’re here!

We Represent You To Give You The Best Service

WE Offer You Low Discounted Rates

421 & 423 Center (661)763-3527

Inside The Historic Fort • 623-1783 • 763-1700 915 N. 10th Street Suite 34

Summer Essentials & 4th Of July Favorites!

FREE

Tire Rotation & Brake Check Plus We will check all fluids & tire pressure

Host a party 415 Center Street Visit us on Facebook sales@bluejeansandbling.com

763-9100

Ten Percent Firearms

Now located at 210 6th Street

Hats, Jewelry, Purses & More

Monday - Friday 11am to 6pm Saturday 10am to 5pm

417 1/2 Center Street Taft, Ca 93268 (661)745-4920 Lic. # 0277365 www.edherrerainsurance.com

WE HAVE MOVED!

Blue Jeans & Bling Women’s Sizes 0-21 Women’s Plus Sizes Children’s Jeans & Shirts

Our Friendly Staff

1277 Kern Street (661)765-6899

Fecha de Vencimiento 7/31/2012

Miss Me • LA Idol Nicole Lee • Grace In LA

Edward J. Herrera Insurance We are an Independent Agency With Many Pre-Eminent Insurance Companies To Best Suit Your Needs

$10.00

De Descuento

(661)763-5451

Auto - Home - Health - Business - Notary Public

Yankee Candles Shoes & Sandals Sunglasses & More!

De Descuento

426 Center Street

Women • Contemporary • Junior • Toddler • Infant • Men

Brand Clothing Shoes • Jewelry A Hint of Class Name Accessories & More Prepaid Phones, Accessories & Cards 610 Center Street • 661-745-4954

J e w e l r y

Small town, family owned, low overhead.

We can save youFine money on •quality Jewelry Candles jewelry!

• Gifts

*Most Cars & Light Trucks Up to 5 Qts.

Tire & Automotive Service Center

Oil & Filter Special 95* $

39

Plus Tax

$3.50 Oil Disposal Fee Exp. July 31, 2012

Must Present Coupon at Time of Purchase

523 Finley Drive • 765-7147 • Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Sat 8am-1pm

(661)763-4176

Electronics • Prepaid Phones Service • Accessories

WE SHIP!

July 6 - 12, 2012

Inside Community Events.........3 News Briefs......................3 Westside Watcher............4 Westside News.................5 Westside News.................6 Westside News.................7

Community Events News Briefs Taft California “Home of the Taft Oilworkers Monument” “Gateway to the Carrizo Plain National Monument” Have a community event that you would like to include?

Email it to us at Publisher@Taftindependent.com

July 18th - Brighthouse Mixer at the Taft Chamber at 5:30pm July 28th-29th - Derby Acres Tumbleweed Festival August 11th - Westside Community Resource Center Backpack Drive August 20th - School starts

Liberty Under Fire.........8

August 30th - Taft College 90th Birthday Party 12pm-2pm

Opinion..............................8

August 31st - September 3rd, Taft Bike Fest

Classified Ads.................10

September 27th - Last Farmers Market

Westside News...............11

The Taft Independent 508 Center Street P.O. Box 268 Taft, California 93268 (661) 765-6550 Fax (661) 765-6556

Email: Publisher@taftindependent.com Website: www.TaftIndependent.com Locally and Independently owned since 2006 The Taft Independent is a locally owned community newspaper published weekly on Fridays for your enjoyment and reading pleasure. We publish 3,500 issues and distribute to over 225 locations in the city of Taft and the neighboring communities of Cuyama Valley, McKittrick, Maricopa, Fellows and Western Kern County, California.

The Independent is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies are $1 each. The contents of the Taft Independent are copyrighted by the Taft Independent, and may not reproduced without specific written permission from the publisher.

We welcome contributions and suggestions.

Our purpose is to present news and issues of importance to our readers.

SUBSCRIPTIONS. Subscription home or businessdelivery of the Taft Independent is available for $6.50 per month or $78.00 per year. To subscribe to please call 765-6550.

LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR. Send us your letter to Taft Independent at the above address. Limit it to 300 words and include your name, address, and phone number. Fax: (661) 765-6556. Email your letter to: Publisher@taftindependent.com.

ADVERTISING. Display Ads: Rates and special discounts are available. Contact our advertising representative at (661) 765-6550, or email to Publisher@taftindependent.com.

Classifieds: Call 765-6550 or fax us at (661) 765-6556. Phone orders are taken. Visa and Master Card accepted.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Michael J. Long taftindypublisher@bak.rr.com Advertising Contributing Writers June Woods, Kent Miller, Wesley Morris, Nicole Frost

TAFT INDEPENDENT

September 29th - Taft College/ TIL Casino Night

Pancake / Waffle Breakfast At Ford City Taft Veterans Hall The Maricopa Chamber of Commerce will hold a Pancake Waffle breakfast the the Ford City Veterans Hall on Saturday, July 7th from 7am to 11am.

The Cost is $6.00 per person. Children 5 and under eat free with a paying adult.

A raffle ticket for a new flat screen TV and other prizes will be drawn at the end of the breakfast for those wishing to purchase tickets they will be still available at the breakfast.

The yopping of the month is Fresh Peach.

The event is sponsored by the Maricopa Chamber Of Commerce.

CITY OF TAFT MAINTENANCE WORKER $1,252.79-$1,522.77 Bi-Weekly Under direction maintains streets, sidewalks, sewers, water systems, and other public facilities. Work includes but is not limited to maintenance and repair of public facilities, minor construction work, maintenance and repair of sidewalks, patching and repair of asphalt surface streets, maintenance of park facilities. Ability to work safely and efficiently. Applications will be reviewed and the most qualified individuals will be invited to participate in the testing process.

Member California Newspaper Publishers Association Printed in California

Taft City Councilman Orchel Krier has told the Independent that he opposes the proposed move of the Laborers of the Harvest Food Bank to Center Street.

The Taft City Council will hold a meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. to hear a recommendation by the Taft Planning Commission to not allow the food bank on Center Street.

Proponents of the move have asked that the city council change The Laborers of the Harvest food bank a zoning ordinance that prohibits have asked the city to allow the food bank, food banks in the downtown area. currently located in Ford City on Harrison Downtown businesses and the Taft Street to relocate to the 300 block of Center Chamber of Commerce opposed the Street in Taft next door to the Candy Cafe. move because of its impacts on the Center Street merchants and the Chamber of retail shopping area and the incom- Commerce have opposed the move.. patibility of the food bank with existing downtown businesses.

Krier said the food bank is incompatible with current zoning on Center Street where retail shops, small business and professional offices have been working to turn the downtown district back into a thriving commercial center.

“Given the state of the economy, and the expectations of businesses that have located and invested on Center Street, now is not the time to change the current zoning to allow a food bank on Center Street,” Krier said.

Krier said that the city allows food banks in industrial zoned areas of the city.

The council will receive a recommendation from the planning commission on Tuesday, and the council can choose to accept or reject the commissions findings that the food bank is incompatible with current businesses on Center Street.

Comments Taken on Carrizo Plain National Monument Travel Management The Bureau of Land Management’s Bakersfield Field Office is taking comments through July 30 on issues that should be addressed in a travel management plan for the Carrizo Plain National Monument.

BLM will review those comments and develop an Environmental Analysis with a proposed action and analysis of alternatives, said Johna Hurl, monument manager. The public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed action.

Comments can be mailed to: Carrizo Plain National Monument, Travel Management Comments, attn: Johna Hurl, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308 or emailed to BLM_CA_Bakersfield_Public_Comment@blm.gov The travel management plan is an activity-level plan stemming from the Carrizo Plain National Monument Resource Management Plan that was signed in 2010.

For more information, contact John Kelley, Carrizo outreach support, at (661) 391-6088.

Min. Qualifications: High School diploma or GED; one year of experience in the construction or maintenance of streets, sewers, water systems, and the operation of automotive equipment associated with construction and maintenance.

CITY OF TAFT COUNCIL MEETINGS Tuesday July 10th, 2012 – 7:00 p.m.

CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBER 209 EAST KERN STREET, TAFT, CA (661) 763-1222

Special Requirements: Must possess a Valid State of California Class B Driver’s license, or ability to obtain one.

A complete City of Taft application must be received by the Personnel Department no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, July 13, 2012. EOE. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of application and postmarked applications will not be accepted. Application and job description may be obtained at City Hall, 209 East Kern Street, Taft, CA. www.citoftaft.org

Columnists Randy Miller Jane McCabe, Dr. Harold Pease Subscriptions\Delivery Tim Webb, Patrick Harget

Councilman Krier Opposes Food Bank on Center Street

Visit Us Online taftindependent.com

AGENDA POSTED ON BULLETIN BOARD OUTSIDE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND POSTED AT THE CITY OF TAFT WEB SITE www.cityoftaft.org TELEVISED ON BRIGHT HOUSE CABLE CHANNEL 11: Wednesday 8 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m. 8 p.m.

Friday 10 a.m.

4

TAFT INDEPENDENT Editorial

Westside Watcher

The Taft

Independent

Steak, Seafood, Wild Game, Full Bar Monday – Friday 6 am to 2 pm Saturday – Sunday 7 am – 2 pm Dinner Hours Friday and Saturday 6 pm to 9 pm 24870 Highway 33, Derby Acres 768-4655

Paik’s Ranch House Where Everybody Meets Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Open 7 Days Mon. Tues. Thur. 6 am-8:30 pm Sun. Wed. Fri. & Sat. 6 am - 9 pm 765-6915 200 Kern St. Taft Sagebrush Annie’s Restaurant and Wine Tasting Wine Tasting and Lunch Sat. & Sun. 11:30-5 pm 4211 Highway 33, Ventucopa (661) 766-2319

Lunch and Dinner Tuesday - Friday 11 am - 2 pm 4 pm - 9 pm Saturday 4 pm - 9 pm 215 Center Street, Taft 763- 1815

Black Gold Cafe & Deli Pastas - Sandwiches Espresso - Beer - Wine Craft Beers Open Monday to Friday 6:30am to 8pm Saturday 7:30am to 8pm Sunday 10am to 2pm 508 Center Street 765-6556

How Busy Was The Kern County Fire Department on the Fourth of July?

According to the Kern County Fire Department, the following incidents occured on the 4th of July: Structure Fires: 18 Vegetation Fires: 44 Vehicle Fires: 6 Hazardous Conditions: 19 Medical Aids: 105 Rescues: 4 Vehicle Accidents: 12 Other: 50 Emergency Response Total: 258 Fireworks Taskforce Hotline Calls: 658

Week of Friday, July 06, 2012 Through Thursday, July 12, 2012 The Amazing Spider-Man (PG-13) No Passes Allowed Fri: (4:00), 7:00, 10:00 Sat: (1:00), (4:00), 7:00, 10:00 Sun: (12:40), (3:30), 6:30, 9:30 Mon - Thu: (3:30), 6:15, 9:00 Ted (R) No Passes Allowed Fri: (4:15), 6:40, 9:00 Sat: (1:20), (4:15), 6:40, 9:00 Sun: (1:20), (3:40), 6:00, 8:20 Mon - Thu: (3:50), 6:10, 8:20 Brave (PG) No Passes Allowed Fri: (4:30), 6:30, 8:30 Sat: (1:40), (4:30), 6:30, 8:30 Sun: (1:00), (3:20), (5:30), 7:40 Mon - Thu: (3:10), (5:10), 7:10

Taft Petroleum Club 450 Petroleum Club Road - 763-3268 Open Monday- Friday 3:30pm to Close

Friday Night Ribeye Steak or Chicken Dinner from 6pm - 8pm

CLOSED JULY 4th Industry Night

July Industry Night will be Wednesday, July 11th due to July 4th being a holiday.

Industry Night for July is sponsored by LDL Services The club is available for Weddings, Birthdays, and Anniversaries Hall holds up to 200 people and the bar can hold 70.

Dear Editor Some times we are in Los Angeles doing repair work and picking up new supplies. On Tuesday the store is closed.

During the time Acme has been open, after asking how can we help you, more than six “not to smart” people have told me this is a hold up or they have come to rob me, then they say they are kidding. I will not have my employees subjected to this.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but I will be closed on Los Angeles Tuesdays.

Ray Smith Acme Jewelry

Total Calls: 942 or roughly 40 calls per hour.

Fireworks Citations Issued: 54* *Only counts citations issued by the Fireworks Taskforce, this number will increase based on the number of citations issued by station personnel.

For more news and information visit www.kerncountyfire.org

514 Center Street • (661)765-7469 LIKE us on Facebook: Fox Theatre Taft TAFTFOX.COM

Letters to the Editor

Acme Jewelry in Los Angeles on Tuesdays, Closed on Tuesdays

Restaurant and Entertainment Guide

Your Guide To The Best Restaurants and Entertainment on the Westside Tumbleweed Café Asian Experience and Steakhouse Asian Food and Pizza

July 6 - 12 2012

CITY OF TAFT MAINTENANCE WORKER $1,252.79-$1,522.77 Bi-Weekly Under direction maintains streets, sidewalks, sewers, water systems, and other public facilities. Work includes but is not limited to maintenance and repair of public facilities, minor construction work, maintenance and repair of sidewalks, patching and repair of asphalt surface streets, maintenance of park facilities. Ability to work safely and efficiently. Applications will be reviewed and the most qualified individuals will be invited to participate in the testing process.

Min. Qualifications: High School diploma or GED; one year of experience in the construction or maintenance of streets, sewers, water systems, and the operation of automotive equipment associated with construction and maintenance.

Special Requirements: Must possess a Valid State of California Class B Driver’s license, or ability to obtain one.

A complete City of Taft application must be received by the Personnel Department no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, July 13, 2012.

EOE. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of application and postmarked applications will not be accepted. Application and job description may be obtained at City Hall, 209 East Kern Street, Taft, CA. www.citoftaft.org

Paik’s

Ranch House Restaurant “Where Everybody Meets”

The Only Mortuary On The West Side Where All Arrangements And Funerals Are Personally Directed By

Licensed Funeral Directors

501 Lucard St., Taft • 765-4111 FD756 FDR50 FDR595 FDR618

MARICOPA QUILT COMPANY FABRIC • NOTIONS • GIFTS WED.-FRI. 10:00-5:30 SAT. 10:00-2:00

Check Out Our Website Maricopaquiltcompany.com And Facebook Page 370 CALIFORNIA • 769-8580

CYCLE KATZ INC. HAS MOVED TO 320 HARRISON ST. 745-4931

PARTS • SALES • SERVICE Locally owned and operated We work on all makes and models Larger showroom and larger mechanic Area Now offering a customer lounge with coffee and donuts Come check out our new location!!!

WWW.CYCLEKATZ.COM cyclekatz@att.net 320 Harrison st. (661) 745- 4931

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Open 7 Days

Mon, Tues, Thurs - 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Wed, Fri. Sat. and Sun. 6 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

765-6915

200 Kern Street, Taft, Ca.

Visit Us Online taftindependent.com

July 6 - 12, 2012

TAFT INDEPENDENT

West Side Recreation Report Check us out online!

Need more information on programs, classes or facilities?

Visit us on the web: www.wsrpd.com www.facebook.com/wsrpd www.quickscores.com/wsrpd www.twitter.com/wreckerwsrpd steph@wsrpd.com

by Stephanie House

NATATORIUM POOL PARTIES Make your reservation now!

Reservations are now being accepted for private party rentals at the Natatorium swimming pool. Parties may take place on Friday evenings, Saturday or Sunday through August 19. Rental fees start at $165 for 2-hours. Call 763-4246 for more information.

RECREATION CENTER: SUMMER MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL Monthly Memberships (new or renewal) are just $20 through August 31 Regular price is $30 – you save $10!

Recreation Center Memberships cover use of the gymnasium and weight room for drop-in activities.

For more information, contact the Recreation Center at 765-6677.

SUMMER FUN! Monday – Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

June 11 – July 19 Taft College Gym Ages 6 and up FREE! This fun program keeps kids busy with crafts, games, sports and other fun activities. Younger children are welcome to attend with an adult. Kids must have completed a year of kindergarten to attend the program without a parent or guardian.

FABULOUS FINGER FOOD Tuesday, July 10 2:30-4:00 p.m.

Community Center Assembly Room 500 Cascade Place, Taft Ages 6-10 $6 per person ** registration deadline – Monday, July 9 We will make a variety of easy and yummy treats – all of which you can eat with your fingers. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

SIDEWALK CHALK ART Thursday, July 12 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Community Center Parking Lot 500 Cascade Place, Taft Ages 3 and up FREE! All young artists and creative minds are invited to come leave their mark on our sidewalk!

COOKIE WORKSHOP Monday, July 16 2:00-3:15 p.m.

Community Center Assembly Room 500 Cascade Place, Taft Ages 4 and up $3 per person Come create a jumbo sugar cookie! While cookies are baking, we will draw and color. Younger kids will need to bring along an older helper.

PLAYDOUGH FACTORY Wednesday, July 18 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Community Center Assembly Room 500 Cascade Place, Taft Grades K-6 $2 per person If you love Play-Doh, then you’ll love this fun workshop where you can make some of your very own to play with and to take home.

SWIM LESSONS Session 3: July 16-26 $20 per session – Parent & Child $30 per session – Preschool, Levels 1-3 All ages are invited to learn to swim or improve their skills by participating in one of our swim lesson classes. Classes follow the Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program and include Preschool, Parent & Child and Levels 1-3. Each session is 2-weeks long, with classes taking place Monday through Thursday).

Registration is currently underway in the District Office.

WEST SIDE RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT 500 Cascade Place, Taft, CA 93268 (661) 763-4246 info@wsrpd.com www.wsrpd.com

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

HUNTERS SAFETY COURSE

August 6-8, 2012 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Community Center Auditorium All Ages $5 per person facility fee (minimum of 10 paid students required)

COMMUNITY THEATRE AUDITIONS Monday, July 23 Wednesday, July 25 6:30 p.m.

Community Center Activity Building All Ages Fall production – “The Wizard of Oz”

6

TAFT INDEPENDENT

July 6 - 12 2012

Westside News & Business Briefs

Get Framed at KC Photography

KC Photography & Framing Fact Sheet

by Nicole Frost KC Photography, one Taft’s many family-run businesses, is celebrating its 26th anniversary this year.

Owners Karen and Robert Mitchell run the business together and help each other with all of the aspects of the shop.

“I’ve always thought of myself as a photographer,” said Karen.

“I just wanted to be able to serve people and work with photos.

Generally, as a photographer, you’re involved with a lot of happy times.”

Their business is more than just a place to develop film and take family portraits. They take photographs for weddings, passports, family, children, high school seniors and other special occasions.

Other photography services include lamination, canvas stretching, photo restoration and retouching. They offer custom framing, including table-top frames, needle work, posters and prints, mirrors and shadow boxes.

KC Photography is also a gift shop with candles, greeting cards, body and bath products, collectables, home décor, balloons and gift wrap.

Karen began a career in photography while in college. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from CSU Fresno in 1983, she worked at Henley’s Photography as a lab technician until 1986.

“While working at Henley’s, I had a week off and I took photography classes in Santa Barbara. I learned more about retouching and portrait photography,” said Karen.

In addition to owning KC Photography, Robert Mitchell of KC Photography Karen has been a teacher at Taft Union High School for three years.

“I teach ROP Retail and Fashion,” said Karen. “The students learn about things like retail, merchandising and basic sewing.

They run the student store and do different projects throughout the year. I still get to make cool things and interact with students.”

Although they’re both very busy, the Mitchells love their shop and what they do.

“What we’ve enjoyed most is people we’ve met and the support we’ve received,” said Karen.

“The stories are so much fun to hear. They tie into the pictures we take and it’s such a small world.

We get to see the people who come and go and those who make it back to Taft. Creating things Karen Mitchell of KC Photography and meeting people is what we love to do and Taft really is special.”

If you’re interested in getting some pictures taken or picking up some gifts, KC Photography is located at 427 Center Street and their phone number is 661-763-5429.

Location: Downtown Taft at 427 Center St. 763-5429 kcphotography@bak.rr.com kcphotographyandframing.com Opened June 17, 1986 26 years on Center Street Services: portrait services, printing services, framing, USA made products, archive of Taft photographic history, greeting cards, Archipelago Botanicals personal care items.

The newest service to Taft is the capacity to make large prints locally. The largest print so far has been for Stan and Wanda Cooper’s 60th wedding anniversary/ family reunion event. The backdrop for the band was a sunset desert scene that ended up 44” x 17 feet long. We did several other signage pieces for directions to the house and parking.

Our favorite image is of Elk Hills covered with wooden derricks which can be seen at Black Gold Cafe and Deli.

The scene has changed in the fields around us but now it is still exciting to see all of the new work being done.

Because of the in-house printing capacity, more of the old negatives can be explored and shared. We have the town’s photographic history in the archives from Walker’s and Schmidt’s photo studios. It is so much fun to see the community of the past and bring it forward to new generations. Many stories are generated and a sense of community is strengthened at the telling of the tales. There is such a rich history on the West Side and we want to make it available to the public.

Custom framing and portraiture is still offered with the ablity to slim bodies, smooth skin, and create the perfect group photo. Restoration of damaged images is also getting more popular. Your images will not leave the premises and the work is done here.

If you want one-of-a-kind gifts they can put anything on mugs, puzzles, frames, clocks, magnets, and the like. Stop by to see the examples and get some ideas perfect for Mom, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries; any reason you give!

We have a nice supply of historic images on mugs; from the Taft Motorcycle Club of the 1920s to the Equestrian Club of the 1950s taken after a ride out to Buck’s Steak House in Maricopa. We have Center Street mugs from the various decades showing the cars parked solid down the street. We have oil fields and pumping units and even a series on Carrizo Plain.

We feature many American made products: McCall’s Candles 20 yr old company with all components made in the USA. Another candle company we support is A Cheerful Giver out of Elmer, New Jersey. Both are high, high quality candles and with A Cheerful Giver a partnership has been formed between the company and the special needs community. One of our wind chime companies, Kara’s Creations, has moved their chime company back to the USA after trying to outsource to China. They are happy to be back home where quality control on the stained glass work will be easier and less costly to maintain. Another USA wind chime company Majesty Bells specializes in hand tuned chimes. They are the most melodious to hear and have a very generous 5 year warranty. Jelly Belly is a California company and Andi Rooney, although is located in New York, produces high quality enamel vintage signs featuring the old advertizing signs and Harley Davidson too. The Route 66 signage is made by the original company using the original process and dies as when the signs were first made to designate the “Mother Road.”

Sunrise, a division of Hallmark Cards, is a USA company with many lines covering the wide range of greeting card needs and many printed on recycled paper. Our customers say we have the best cards in Taft.

Archipelago Botanicals personal care items are a high quality line of lotions and soaps. Made in the USA, you will love this line incorporating proteins from oat and soy mixed with dried milk solids. Wonderful on the skin with a light scent even men can wear without feeling perfumed.

Taft Woodworks

Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Custom Cabinetry and Counter Tops

Over 25 Years Experience in Taft.

Under New Management.

605 6th Street, Taft, CA. 93268 (661) 765-5000 (661) 343-0507

T W

Ta f t

WOODWORKS

July 6 - 12, 2012

TAFT INDEPENDENT

Westside News & Business Briefs

Fire Restrictions in Los Padres Take Effect July 3

Wilderness & Wild River Photo Contest Santa Barbara, Calif. - Los Padres ForestWatch has kicked-off

its first ever Wilderness and Wild River Photo contest in support of the ongoing Los Padres Wild Heritage Campaign. The photo contest seeks to bring attention to special places, diverse wildlife, and those enjoying our local backcountry in existing wilderness areas or areas that are proposed for new wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest.

Three categories will be judged: landscape, wildlife, and images with people. In addition to the “Judge’s Awards of Excellence,” presented by the judges panel, there will also be awards given for a “People’s Choice” – determined by online popularity vote. Additionally, the judge’s panel will award a “Best in Show” prize for the best overall picture in any category.

Submitted images must be from existing or proposed wilderness areas and/or wild rivers within the Los Padres National Forest (visit www.lospadreswild.org to view the Los Padres National Forest wilderness map).

Photos will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit. The judges’ panel includes: • Jeff Jones, Professional Photographer, Lumnos Wilderness Photography

• Ralph Clevenger, Professor at Brooks Institute of Photography, Professional Photographer, Ralph Clevenger • Russ Bishop, Professional Photographer, Russ Bishop Photography • Tim Davis, Photo Editor for Patagonia, Inc. • Los Padres ForestWatch staff The Wilderness & Wild River Photo Context goes through September 15, 2012, and award winners will be announced on the lospadreswild.org website and in ForestWatch’s Fall newsletter, with the “Best in Show” category winner being featured on the cover of the newsletter.

Contest prizes include gift certificates, photo development, camera equipment, and outdoor gear, from some great local sponsors including: Samy’s Camera, Dexter’s Camera, Lumnos, the Brooks Institute, Color Services, Patagonia, Russ Bishop Photography, and Hooper Camera and Imaging.

For more information about the photo contest, please visit: http://www.lospadreswild.org/photo contest or contact Matt Sayles, Wild Places Coordinator with Los Padres ForestWatch, at 805-617-4610 ext 4. Entries should be emailed to Matt Sayles at matt@LPFW.org and will be posted on the Los Padres ForestWatch Facebook page.

The Southern Los Padres Wild Heritage Campaign is a coalition of businesses, organizations, and concerned citizens in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties working to protect the Southern Los Padres National Forest for future generations.

Ben’s Books The Largest, Cheapest and Only

GOLETA, CA…In response to the increasing potential for a wildland fire start, Los Padres National Forest officials announced that Level 2 fire restrictions will be implemented throughout the forest beginning July 3, 2012. These restrictions will affect the use of campfires, stoves, smoking materials and internal combustion engines, and will remain in effect until the end of fire season in late autumn.

Beginning July 3, 2012, the following restrictions will be in effect: · No open fires, campfires or charcoal fires will be permitted outside of developed recreation sites or designated Campfire Use Sites (LIST ATTACHED), even with a valid California Campfire Permit. Lanterns and portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel will be permitted, but only with a valid California Campfire Permit (available free-of-charge at any Forest Service office). Forest visitors must clear all flammable material for five feet in all directions from their camp stove, have a shovel available, and ensure that a responsible person attends the stove at all times during use. · Smoking is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or designated Campfire Use Site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. · Internal combustion engines may be operated only on roads or designated trails. This restriction is in effect year-round. Please make sure your engine is tuned, operating properly, and has an approved spark arrester.

“The moisture levels are at a critical threshold. Combine that with warm temperatures and high winds and we all the ingredients for fire starts,” Los Padres Forest Fire Management Officer Anthony Escobar said. “The most important thing is for forest visitors to be vigilant when conditions are bone-dry like this.”

For a list of Developed Recreation Sites and Campfire Use Sites in Los Padres National Forest, or further information regarding Fire-Safe Camping, visit www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf or contact the Forest Service district office nearest you.

Gas Prices Fall Slightly

California, July 2- Average retail gasoline prices in California have fallen 8.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.73/g yesterday. This compares with the national average that has fallen 6.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.37/g, according to gasoline price website CaliforniaGasPrices.com.

Including the change in gas prices in California during the past week, prices yesterday were 4.0 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 48.0 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 24.0 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 19.8 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

"Oil prices rose significantly last Friday, reversing a downward trend," said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. "It was the largest single day jump in recent memory. In some areas of the country, specifically the Great Lakes, gas station margins are fast approaching negative territory, meaning price hikes can be expected there. Other regions may see prices stabilize or jump higher as well. One thing is for sure- the yellow brick road won't be leading us to cheaper pumps for much longer, something many Americans will undoubtedly tie to the upcoming holiday," DeHaan said.

HAYDENS HOPE

Used Book Store in Taft

THRIFT STORE

Fiction • Non Fiction • Paperback Hard Covers • SciFi • Biography • Religion Childrens • Cookbooks and More!

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810 Center Street • (661)805-9813

“We can keep our Teens off the streets!”

Store Hours Mon., Tues., Thurs 10am - 6pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Closed Wednesday &

Sunday

ALL Shoes, Books & VHS Tapes ONLY $.50 We Take Donations!

Drop Off Or Call For A Pick Up! 745-4963

God Bless!

428 Center Street • TAFT

745-4963

8

Liberty Under Fire

TAFT INDEPENDENT

Opinion

Obama Care Burdens Family and Business

Judicial Legislation or Activism At Its Best

By Dr. Harold Pease With respect to the Supreme Court’s ruling on National Health Care, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said that the court majority “regards its statutory interpretation as modest. It is not.” Then, noticeably disturbed by the ruling, added. “It amounts to a vast judicial overreaching. It creates a debilitated, inoperable version of health care regulation that Congress did not enact and the public does not expect.”

He called it “judicial legislation” and accused Chief Justice John Roberts of trying to “force on the nation a new act.”

Judicial activism is when a law of Congress is interpreted by the Supreme Court in such a way as to give it new meaning. George Washington warned us in his Farewell Address of the inclination of government to do so. “Let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.” Usurpation, in his day meant twisting things around to extract meaning that was initially not there.

So what did Justice Roberts twist or legislate that changed the National Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare) as passed by Congress? At the top of the list, his rewrite called it a tax when Congress never passed it as a tax and the political party passing it, and their President, Barack Obama, emphatically resisted any description of it as such. Rich Lowry, a political commentator, said it best. “Obamacare as passed by Congress had a mandate to buy health insurance and a penalty for failing to comply. Obamacare as passed by the Supreme Court has an optional tax for those without health insurance. Obamacare as passed by Congress required states to participate in a massive expansion of Medicaid, or lose all their federal Medicaid funds. Obamacare as passed by the Supreme Court makes state participation in the Medicaid expansion optional.” In short, “Obamacare as passed by Congress didn’t pass constitutional muster. Obamacare as passed by the Supreme Court didn’t pass Congress” (The Umpire Blinks, by Rich Lowry, The Corner, National Review Online, June 29, 2012).

Judicial Legislation or Activism is not new. The desire for the Court to “legislate” through decisions expressed itself more fully the last sixty years as it attempted to “right” perceived wrongsinstead of sending the faulted legislation back to the legislative branch for correction by the peoples’ representatives. By altering legislative law it has moved into state prerogatives such as abortion, education, state residency requirements, and imposed federal standards of procedure on local police to name but a few. In broadening its power base, far beyond Constitutional restraints, it has almost destroyed the idea of two co-equal governments, one federal the other state, known as federalism.

In the National Affordable Healthcare Act the Supreme Court has effectively retrained further encroachment (mutilation) of the Commerce Clause but opened wide the interpretive door that the federal government can control anything it taxes. So, does this mean that if the federal government wishes to control free speech, press, assembly, religion, guns, or any other activity, it first simply levies a tax on that activity? Apparently judicial legislation creates a “need” for additional judicial legislation. God help us!!

We must return to our foundation the U.S. Constitution as written, without all the judicial or executive alterations that go beyond this document. According to Article I Section I, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.” There is no authority for either of the two other branches of government to make law—any law; and law made by Congress is specifically listed in Article I, Section 8 where 18 clauses are identified. So, even Congress cannot make any law they like. The issue of health is not noted and is therefore, as per Amendment 10, entirely a state issue. The Supreme Court majority ruling ignored this long-term clarity and instead chose to violate the document they are charged with upholding.

Dr. Harold Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He has taught history and political science from this perspective for over 25 years at Taft College. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.

LibertyUnderFire.org.

Andy’s Septic Tank & Sewer

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP

Congressman Kevin McCarthy As you may already know, last week the Supreme Court handed down its decision to uphold Obamacare’s individual mandate on the grounds that it functions as a tax - directly contradicting the promises made by the President, his Administration officials, and the Democratic congressional majority at that time to the American people that the Obamacare mandate is not a tax. While I respect the Supreme Court’s decision, I vehemently disagree with its core ruling. At the end of the day, Obamacare is bad policy that burdens American families and businesses with more taxes and places bureaucracies between patients and their doctors.

From the moment of its introduction, the American people have expressed concerns about the impacts it would have on our economy, the cost and quality of healthcare, and the national debt. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts Obamacare will reduce the nation’s labor supply by 800,000 workers, and economists predict an even more staggering nationwide loss of up to 2 million jobs. In addition, a recent Chamber of Commerce survey indicated that 74 percent of small businesses say the law makes it more difficult for them to hire new workers. But most importantly, when I hold tele-town halls, talk with families and individuals in our communities or meet with local small business owners, I continue to hear that they remain opposed to the government takeover of health care. These are the reasons why one of the first votes I cast this Congress was for the full repeal of Obamacare; since then, the House has voted twenty-nine additional times to defund, dismantle or repeal it.

The Court’s ruling makes one thing clear – it is up to Congress to act to repeal the impending health care tax increases on American families. That is why my Republican colleagues in the House and I will move forward to fully repeal ObamaCare in order to prevent further harm to our economy, job creation and the cost and quality of care. More than two years after its passage, health care costs have gone up and millions of Americans are at risk of losing their current coverage. This law contains $813 billion of new taxes and weighs in at a total cost of almost $2 trillion – and the impact of pending tax hikes on hardworking families and small businesses in California and across the country, massive new debtfueled spending and the proliferation of burdensome regulations is adding to the uncertainty that is already holding back economic growth and job creation.

The debate is not over and we will not rest. House Republicans will vote to repeal the law in its entirety for another time. We need to make reforms to our health care system that will actually lower costs, protect American innovation and provide certainty to American families and small business owners – we cannot achieve this unless we have full repeal. Please be assured that as your Representative in Congress, I will continue to fight to implement reforms through an open process that will make health care more affordable, preserve the doctorpatient relationship, and keep unaccountable government bureaucrats from rationing care for all Americans. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to achieve this goal.

Congressman Kevin McCarthy

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Carolyn Anderson

REALTOR DRE #01408418

HARRISON STREET AUTOMOTIVE

209 Harrison Street • Taft (661)765-2505 or (661)763-1887 fax

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Diagnostic Specialists

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Hometown Realty 4800 Easton Drive Suite F Bakersfield, CA 93309 Cell (661)747-8595 Fax (661)215-5364 carolyn@c21home.com www.c21home.com Each office is independently owned and operated

July 6 - 12, 2012

TAFT INDEPENDENT

Black Gold

Cafe & Deli The Only Mortuary On The West Side Where All Arrangements And Funerals Are Personally Directed By

Double Gold Medal Winner and Best Cabernet Sauvignon of Show at the San Francisco International Wine Competition

Wine Tasting and Lunch Sat. & Sun. 11:30 to 5:00 pm. www.sagebrushannies.com

Licensed Funeral Directors

501 Lucard St., Taft • 765-4111

Now Celebrating Our 23rd Year

8 miles south of HWY 166 on HWY 33 in Ventucopa, Cuyama Valley, 4211 HWY 33. (661) 766-2319

MARICOPA QUILT COMPANY

Ice Blended Mocha Fat Free and Sugar Free Available in Most Flavors

FABRIC • NOTIONS • GIFTS

Open 7 Days - 765-6556 508 Center Street • Taft

Check Out Our Website Maricopaquiltcompany.com And Facebook Page

TAFT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

WED.-FRI. 10:00-5:30 SAT. 10:00-2:00

370 CALIFORNIA • 769-8580

ROGER MILLER INSURANCE a division of DiBuduo & DeFendis Insurance Group

Rich Miller • Jordan Miller Kathy Devine • Shelly Hamilton

License # 0707137 • (661) 765-7131 531 Kern Street - P.O. Box 985 (661) 765-4798 FAX Taft, CA 93268 • (661) 203-6694 Cell E-Mail: Richrmia@bak.rr.com Your Hometown Insurance Store

Yates’ Detailing 600 Center Street Taft, California

(661) 623-0827 (661) 765-1171

All your detailing needs!

Wash, Wax, Shampoo, Buffing and Window Tinting.

Call for Appointment Today!

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

630 North St. 765-5557

“Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”

Pastor Cindy Brettschneider Sunday Morning Worship 10:00 AM Adult Bible Study and Sunday School 11 AM Adult Bible Study Monday 6:00 PM Wednesday Night Service 6:00 PM Praise Team meets on Thursday at 6:00 PM

St. Mary’s Church 110 E Woodrow Street • Taft 661 765-4292 Youth Group Car Wash & Food Sale Sunday July 15, 2012 on the parish grounds Everyone is welcome

Mass Schedule

Tuesday-Friday 8:00 A.M. Sunday 9:00A.M. English 11:00A.M. Spanish

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Independent

Call Today!

FD756 FDR50 FDR595 FDR618

Gateway Temple

Community Christian Fellowship

604 Main Street • P.O. Box 578 Maricopa, CA 93252 • (661)769-9599

Sunday Morning Worship 9:45 Sunday Evening Worship 5:00 Monday Evening Mens Prayer 7:00 Wednesday Evening Worship 6:30 For a ride: Call Dorine Horn 427-9722 Pastors Charle (Tommy) and Mary A. McWhorter

New Hope Temple “Connecting Lives” 308 Harrison Street 765-4572 Sunday Morning Worship Service 10 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship Service 6 p.m Bible Classes All Ages Wednesday 7 p.m.

631 North Street Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

Sunday Service - 10 a.m.

Rev. Linda Huggard

703 5th Street - Taft (661) 765-2378

NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH Sunday Services 10am 1000 6th St. Weekly Classes Mon - Thurs Please call 765-7472 for info For a ride to church call 765-7472 before 9am on Sunday

Pastors Shannon N. and Shannon L. Kelley

Trinity Southern Baptist Church 400 Finley Drive We invite you to join us each week as we worship

Sunday Bible Study 9:45 am Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 am Sunday Evening Worship 6:00 pm Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study 6:00 pm

www.nlctaft.org or nlctaft@bak.rr.com

Peace Lutheran Church- LCMS Taft- A caring community under Christ We welcome you to worship with us at peace lutheran church, 26 Emmons Park Drive (across from the College). Worship service begins at 10:00 a.m.

Communion will be offered 1st and 3rd Sundays Sunday School for all ages at 9:00 a.m.

The Pregnancy crisis center is now open and available for support and assistance.

For information, call 763-4791 If you have a prayer request please call (661)765-2488.

Leave a message if the pastor or secretary is not available

WANTED: BULKY WASTE PICKUP

Ford City Tuesday

South Taft & Taft Heights Friday

City of Taft Wednesday

• REFRIGERATORS • MATTRESSES • WATER HEATERS • STOVES • WASHERS & DRYERS • SOFAS If Missed… Call Office at 7635135

All green waste must be bagged.

Tree Limbs cut in 6’ length, and bundled.

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED Construction/Demolition Waste/Used Oil/ Hazardous Waste/Tires Westside Waste Management Co., Inc.

10

TAFT INDEPENDENT

Classifieds

Classified Adsare are$3.00 $2.00per perissue line. for Phone, fax, maillines, or drop off Classified Ads up to three $5 per issue ad for to upthe to Taft 5 lines, and $7 per issue for up to 10 lines. Yard your Independent.

Sale ads are free. Phone, fax, mail or drop off your ad to the Taft your Independent.

Ad photograph for $5. Ad your company logo for $5.

Boxed ads are $3 additional. E-mail us (or bring to our Boxed\outlined\bolded classified ads start at $12.00 for 8 office) a for photo of your home, car, truck motorcycle and lines, $16 12 lines, $20 for 15 lines, $25 for 20orlines. we’ll do the rest.

Photo Ads. Car, truck or house for sale ads are $5 per week, Yard Sale ads are $2 for 3 lines, lines $2 each. or $10 with a photo.

Email us (oradditional bring to our office) a photo of your home, car, truck or motorcycle and we’ll do the rest.

Classified ad deadline is Wednesday at 12 p.m. (noon) Classified ads deadline is now Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

Phone: 765-6550 Phone: 765-6550

For Rent

426 Shattuck

2 bed 1 bath Cottage $550 Paul Joyce 805-218-1686 Joyce Properties 661-765-6300

July 6 - 12 2012

Business Services Rite Away Carpet Cleaning Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning\General Cleaning Owner Operated Visa\Master Card 765-4191 AC & Appl. 661.765-7674.

420 Finley Dr.

Personals Preserving for the Future

PERSONALS

Fax:765-6556 765-6556 Fax: E-mail: Taftindypublisher@bak.rr.com Email: Taftindypublisher@bak.rr.com Payment can made by cash, check, or card. credit card.

Payment can bebe made by cash, check, or credit Taft Independent 6thCenter St., Taft,St., CA Taft, 93268.

Taft Independent210 508 CA 93268

Community YARD SALES Advertise your yard sale ad. 3 lines for $2, additional lines after that $2 each. Fax your ad to 765-6556 or call and leave message at 765-6550 by 12 p.m.

Wednesday.

a month on Tuesday 10 a.m. at the Buena Vista Mobile Home Club House. If interested, call June Selby 763-4845.

Business Services COMPUTER SERVICES YARD SERVICES

910 Arroyo Way. Sat. 7am to 12. No early birds. 3 family yard sale.

Yard Sale. 400 Polk St. Clothes, tools, specialty items. Sat. and Sun. 9 am to ?

Alley entrance. 423 Church St. Sat. July 7th 6am to 12. Teenage girls, womens, boys clothes and household items.

COOLER SERVICES Cooler Service: Motors, pumps, pads, cleaning, installations. New & Old Scott 661-900-0917.

BUSINESS SERVICES

Employment HELP WANTED

142 Kern St. in the alley.

Lot’s of stuff. 7am to ?

ANNOUNCEMENTS Grief Support Group, offered as a community service by Optimal Hospice Care. Meetings held Thursdays 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. At Chevron Valley Credit Union, Community Room, 1092 W. Kern St., Taft. Enter by outside entrance – Albertson’s Shopping Center. Free and open to the public. Info call 716-4000.

Alzheimer’s Disease Association Of Kern County is offering Respite Care here in Taft. Call-Cathy Perkins at 760-3790848 for RESPITE CARE info. Respite Care is available every Thursday At the First Baptist Church located at 220 North St. from 9:00am—3:00pm.

Are you a widow? Do you wonder what on earth am I here for?

Widows meet twice

EQUIPMENT OPERATOR Welding Skills a Plus Transmission & Distribution Group - Operations If you are looking for a career, come and check out what we have in store for you! West Kern Water District is looking for a motivated individual to join our team in the construction and maintenance of water lines. Welding skills are a plus. Apply immediately at 800 Kern Street, P.O. Box 1105, Taft, CA 93268.

Deadline for submitting application is Monday, July 9, 2012. Resume will not be accepted in lieu of District application. The successful applicant will be subject to a pre-employment physical and drug screen. E.O.E.

FOR SALE

3/1.75 Pool $1,300 __________________

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AUTOMOBILES

Studio Apt. for rent. Utilities Incl. $550. mo. $500 dep. 661 623-4792.

With

TAFT CITY SCHOOL DIST.

FOUND ITEMS

Taft City School District is accepting applications for Substitute Instructional Aides, ASES Activity Leaders, Healthcare Specialists, Food Service and Crossing Guards. Employment process includes written exam, application screening, interview, DOJ fingerprint clearance, and physical exam with drug screen.

A written exam for these positions will be given on Wednesday, July 18. Application and Job Description may be picked up at the District Office, 820 Sixth Street, and must be returned by Tuesday, July 17 at 4:00 p.m. EOE

FOUND PETS

Cooks, prep. cook. Only serious apply. 661 8059597.

Newspaper Graphic design and Layout. Exp.

with Indesign, Adobe, related software. Parttime. Taft Independent 765-6550.

Short order cook and bartender.

Tumbleweed cafe.

Must have experience.

809-4634.

TC Student wanted for part time waitress.

Experience required.

765-6556.

Experienced writer wanted. 765-6550

CHILD CARE SERVICES

Wanted

WANTED

Old Appliances, In ANY Condition. Car Batteries & Motorparts. Cash Paid $1 - $20 Call David 661335-2370 or 661-6541014. We will pick up!

For Sale

LOST PETS

Real Estate PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Taft Property Management 1,2,3 and 4 Bedrooms now available in good areas.

CRIME FREE HOUSING Brokers Licence 01417057 661-577-7136

BUSINESS FOR SALE HOMES FOR SALE

Real Estate eBroker Inc.

By Appointment Karri Christensen LIC# 01522411 & #01333971 661-332-6597 www.BuyTaft.com Real Estate Sales & Purchase Can’t make payments call me!! I can help direct you to a loan modification or assist you in your short sale!

Wondering how buying a house works? Set an appointment with Karri to watch a FREE video on the process.

Call 661-332-6597 for a current list or drop by the office.

MOBILE HOMES HOMES FOR RENT West Valley Real Estate (661) 763-1500.

Lic # 01525550 FOR RENT 420 ½ San Emidio 2/1 $600 302 Jefferson 2/1 $850 514 Grant Terrace 2/1 $900 306 Taylor 3/2 $900 535 B Street 3/1 $900 404 Fillmore 3/1.75 $900 108 E Calvin 3/1 $950 116 Franklin 3/1 $1,000 500 Welch 3/2.5 $1,200 302 E San Emidio

707 Filmore 3bd/1ba $750 mo. + dep. 661343-0507 116 Pierce St. 1bd/1ba house $560 mo. + dep.

661-343-0507 501 Klipstein Maricopa.

2bd/1ba fenced yard, den. $650 mo. + $900 dep. Application call 805-929-3185.

2bd/1ba unfurnished house in Valley Acres, pest control and garbage paid. $650 mo + $250 dep. 661-7652704 evenings.

APART. FOR RENT

The

Get It Rented!

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Room for Rent. $350 per month $300 deposit.

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CITY OF TAFT MAINTENANCE WORKER $1,252.79-$1,522.77 Bi-Weekly Under direction maintains streets, sidewalks, sewers, water systems, and other public facilities. Work includes but is not limited to maintenance and repair of public facilities, minor construction work, maintenance and repair of sidewalks, patching and repair of asphalt surface streets, maintenance of park facilities. Ability to work safely and efficiently. Applications will be reviewed and the most qualified individuals will be invited to participate in the testing process.

Min. Qualifications: High School diploma or GED; one year of experience in the construction or maintenance of streets, sewers, water systems, and the operation of automotive equipment associated with construction and maintenance.

Special Requirements: Must possess a Valid State of California Class B Driver’s license, or ability to obtain one.

A complete City of Taft application must be received by the Personnel Department no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, July 13, 2012. EOE. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of application and postmarked applications will not be accepted. Application and job description may be obtained at City Hall, 209 East Kern Street, Taft, CA. www.citoftaft.org

July 6 - 12, 2012

TAFT INDEPENDENT

Westside News & Business Briefs

California’s Greek Tragedy

No one should write off the Golden State. But it will take massive reforms to reverse its economic decline.

By MICHAEL J. BOSKIN and JOHN F. COGAN Long a harbinger of national trends and an incubator of innovation, cash-strapped California eagerly awaits a temporary revenue surge from Facebook IPO stock options and capital gains. Meanwhile, Stockton may soon become the state’s largest city to go bust. Call it the agony and ecstasy of contemporary California.

California’s rising standards of living and outstanding public schools and universities once attracted millions seeking upward economic mobility. But then something went radically wrong as California legislatures and governors built a welfare state on high tax rates, liberal entitlement benefits, and excessive regulation.

The results, though predictable, are nonetheless striking. From the mid-1980s to 2005, California’s population grew by 10 million, while Medicaid recipients soared by seven million; tax filers paying income taxes rose by just 150,000; and the prison population swelled by 115,000.

California’s economy, which used to outperform the rest of the country, now substantially underperforms. The unemployment rate, at 10.9%, is higher than every other state except Nevada and Rhode Island. With 12% of America’s population, California has one third of the nation’s welfare recipients.

Partly due to generous union wages and benefits, inflexible work rules and lobbying for more spending, many state programs and institutions spend too much and achieve too little. For example, annual spending on each California prison inmate is equal to an entire middle-income family’s after-tax income. Many of California’s K-12 public schools rank poorly on standardized tests. The unfunded pension and retiree health-care liabilities of workers in the state-run Calpers system, which includes teachers and university personnel, totals around $250 billion.

Meanwhile, the state lurches from fiscal tragedy to fiscal farce, running deficits in good times as well as bad. The general fund’s spending exceeded its tax revenues in nine of the last 10 years (the only exceptions being 2005 at the height of the housing bubble), abetted by creative accounting and temporary IOUs. Now, the bill is coming due. After running a $5 billion deficit last year and another likely deficit this year, Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget increases spending next year by $7 billion and finances the higher spending with income and sales-tax hikes. Specifically, he’s proposing a November ballot initiative raising the state’s top income tax rate to 12.3%, making it the nation’s highest, and raising the basic state sales tax rate, already the nation’s highest, to 7.75% from 7.25%.

While Mr. Brown deserves credit for some earlier spending cuts to reduce a large inherited budget shortfall, the budget fails to address long-run structural problems, counting on a cyclical economic recovery and stock bubble for a bailout until the next self-inflicted crisis. Moreover, he’s thus far failed to embrace a bold reform agenda to save money, improve services, and restore confidence among the state’s beleaguered taxpayers and bond holders.

The ballot initiative’s $31 billion, multiyear “temporary” tax increase is larger than the “temporary” hike it replaces and its income-tax hike is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012. Worse, it doubles down on excessive reliance on high-income taxpayers, especially their stock options and capital gains, which are taxed as ordinary income. During economic good times, it’s not unusual for the state to collect one-half of all income-tax revenue from the top 1%.

This extreme progressivity leads to boom-bust cycles of rapidly rising revenue followed by complete collapse. Not surprisingly, the

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revenue is all spent on the upswing, forcing disruptive “emergency” cutbacks on the way down.

The state’s progressive tax-and-spend experiment is broken, threatening basic services, from courts and parks to education and health care for its most vulnerable citizens. Mr. Brown’s tax initiative only exposes the state to an ever more dangerous roller-coaster ride.

No wonder many Silicon Valley CEOs say they won’t expand in California because of high taxes and burdensome regulation. And no wonder net migration has recently reversed, with hundreds of thousands of workers and their families leaving the state in search of better opportunities.

California still ranks first in technology, agriculture and entertainment among the 50 states. But it is near the bottom in business and tax climate and state bond ratings. It’s a complex picture, but at its core is the high-tax welfare state run amok.

Many Americans fear the federal fiscal train wreck will turn us into Greece. But, barring major change, they need look no further than California to see what this future portends. Relying on ever-higher taxes to fund payments to an outsized population of benefit recipients is a recipe for exporting prosperity. That is one California trend that other states emulate at their peril.

No one should write off California. It still has great strengths.

And it can turn some of its short-term challenges, such as the pressures from ethnic and linguistic diversity (the state is now 37% Hispanic and 13% Asian), into long-term strengths in the global economy. But the political class must face up to the reality that services will have to be far more carefully targeted; the tax system overhauled with lower rates on a broader base of economic activity and people (almost half of all Californians pay no state income tax); and inefficient state programs reformed to spend less and produce far better outcomes.

Mr. Brown is a man of ideas, having run for president in 1992 on a bold flat-tax agenda. Instead of still more antigrowth tax hikes, he should break the grip on the state legislature of his party’s special interests—public employee unions, trial lawyers, teacher unions and extreme environmentalists.

A California renaissance—building on the best reforms in budgeting and taxes, education and welfare, crime prevention and pensions by such leaders as Rudy Giuliani, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo—is still possible. What it requires is a governor with the vision, determination and political will to see it through.

Opinion: We the People

by Senator Mimi Walters

The landmark healthcare ruling issued by the U.S. Supreme Court last month sent shock waves of emotion echoing throughout the country, causing some to celebrate and others to question the state of our nation. In his opinion Chief Justice John Roberts pronounced, “Members of this Court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our Nation’s elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.” Whether you agree or disagree with the ruling, a core principle of our Republic was reinforced in Chief Justice Roberts’ decision: It is the people, not the courts or politicians, who ultimately decide which direction this country moves. California’s history is a perfect example of this timeless American truth.

At the turn of the twentieth century, the interests of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company dominated California politics. It controlled 85% of the state’s railroad system and used its position of power to influence the Legislature, the Courts, avoid regulation and maintain its monopoly over the transportation industry. In response, a reform movement was launched in California to fight against political corruption and return the government to the people.

In 1909, California voters expressed their disapproval of the Legislature by electing a collection of reform-minded progressive candidates to public office. These newly elected leaders would go on to create the Direct Primary System, which allowed the people to select each party’s nominees rather than leaving it up to compromised party bosses. This change represented California’s first step toward a shift in political power.

In the 1910 gubernatorial race, Progressive Republican candi-

Amazing Spider-Man Movie Review

by Jane McCabe The Amazing SpiderMan, starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker (Spider-man) and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, his girlfriend, is a good, entertaining film, but it is entirely too long (2 hours, 15 minutes), which is kind of hard to understand as there is plenty of redundancies that could have been cut.

This the 4th Spider-Man film in recent years but the first in which Andrew Garfield has starred, replacing Toby Maguire, who at 37 years is probably considered now too old for the part. Peter is a likeable, lanky high school kid with tousled brown hair and usually a non-aggressive demeanor. His mother and father are dead and he lives in Queens with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field.)

When Peter finds a file hidden in his father’s brief case, containing a formula, he takes the formula to his father’s colleague, the one-armed Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans.) Research is being done on animals which if they lose a limb can regenerate the missing part, and the formula is the missing link which will allow human beings the same prerogative.

After Peter suffers a spider bite on the back of his neck he discovers he has super-human powers—the ability to climb vertical surfaces and to establish lines with the strength of steel which allow him to vault nimbly over buildings and through the canyons of New York City.

Meanwhile Dr. Connors decides to inject himself with the serum made from the formula Peter gave him with the hope of regenerating his missing arm…however, the result is that he turns himself into a giant lizard! that raises havoc on the city and causes Peter to feel that he must stop the mayhem he is causing…

Sound familiar? This is the stuff of the Spider-Man comic published by Marvel Comic in the 1950’s updated with an infusion of modern technology.

In the struggle between the two, both seem to be invincible—no amounts of gunshot, stab wounds, or strangulation seem to suffice to cause their destruction. It’s a little exasperating, really!

Even though its premise is a bit hackneyed, had this film been properly edited and fifteen to twenty minutes cut from it, it would have seemed less tedious. You can only watch fireworks for a certain length of time without getting bored.

date Hiram W. Johnson challenged and defeated the Southern Pacific Railroad political machine with a simple message: The government must be returned to the people of California. This declaration rang true in the hearts and minds of voters and they responded by electing him as the Golden State’s new governor.

During his first year in office, Governor Hiram Johnson and the Legislature successfully passed a number of progressive reforms including nearly two-dozen amendments to the state constitution. Most notably, three new conventions were established that greatly enhanced the people’s control over their government. The first was the initiative, which gave voters the power to enact new laws through direct democracy. Second, the referendum allowed citizens to overturn unfavorable laws with a majority vote. Finally, the recall provided voters with the ability to force a new election to remove an elected official from office before his or her term was completed. These, as well as other reforms curtailed the influence of special interests and revived the notion that the people were in charge of their government.

As we annually celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July, let us always remember that no matter what happens, “We the People” always have the ability to change America and California by electing leaders who will move our country forward.

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