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Recent events have demonstrated that we are still a divided nation. It does not have to be this way in Kern County. In my years of political experience, I have seen and talked to folks from all over the county. I have heard from them what matters, and I have listened. My findings will not surprise you, nor should my recommendations on what we should do. But sometimes, in the face of fear and hatred, we need to be reminded of who we are. In the end, as I have said here in this column, as I have said on the campaign trail, and as I have said to...
By now, I’m certain that all of us have been impacted by the COVID-19 virus, and I’m also certain that you are keeping informed so I will not use our weekly Couch’s Corner to provide you any “breaking news,” as it changes so fast. But I would like to keep you informed on what’s going on at the county, how to find out what services are still available, and how your District 4 office can help you with matters concerning the county. In compliance with the state emergency shelter-in-place guidelines, the county has shut down all nonessential functi...
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, I joined work crews from the Bakersfield Homeless Center and Caltrans as we kicked off a program that was initiated in the District 4 office and will serve the entire county well, especially all the communities of the district. This program is the litter abatement program on state highways in the county, utilizing the homeless and homeless-vulnerable workers employed through the county’s contract we just signed this week with the Bakersfield Homeless Center. When we try to solve the problem of homelessness, we have to u...
Kern Transit will offer free rides to those from Wasco and Shafter attending Bakersfield College. The rides will continue through the summer session. In addition, the county also has funding available to offer the program again during the 2019-2020 school year. Over 12,000 free rides were given during the spring semester, and over 25,000 rides were given over the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Communities in District 4 who also receive transportation from Kern Transit are Arvin, Lamont, McFarland and Delano. The Wasco Road Yard did AC cutouts and...
This week I wanted to discuss what seems to be the most controversial issue in our nation at this moment: immigration. It's important for all of us to understand the roles of all the different jurisdictions of government so that we can better know where one goes to get the results we want. As part of that, I have made it a goal of our office to better understand immigration law and policy and to understand where the county fits in this equation. As part of that education process, District 4...