Post a Comment On: Bakersfield Observed

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 Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) checks in from Capitol Hill with his weekend report. In his words:

 "I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with their loved ones, and if you venture out to the stores on Friday, I hope you are able to find what you were looking for at a good price. As we all give thanks this week, I am thankful for my family, our veterans, those who defend our country in uniform, and for our amazing community. 
"On Monday, I had a very productive meeting with some of our local veterans to discuss the growing number of troops returning home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).  We talked about different methods to educate as well as to provide services to help out veterans deal with PTSD and TBI.  Later, I met with local farmers to further discuss how we can turn the water pumps back on to nourish our local economy.  I also spoke with Ralph Bailey as well as visited KERO and KGET to discuss the terrible ramifications of Speaker Pelosi’s government takeover of healthcare, and the need for policies that spend less and create more jobs. 
 "Regarding Afghanistan, the media reported the President is expected to announce next Tuesday his plan to deploy an additional 35,000 troops.  The President has finally made his decision and says that he intends “to finish the job.” I hope General McChrystal will be allowed to testify before Congress to ensure our troops have the resources they need. 
 "Last Friday, California’s October unemployment numbers were released - California was at 12.5%, an alarming 2% more than the national average.  In February, the White House predicted the 22nd district would grow over 8,000 jobs because of the stimulus.  It’s November and Kern County has a 14.5% unemployment rate, and our small businesses and families are struggling.  It’s clear that the bailouts have not worked. While the President has indicated he plans to host a jobs summit next week, I hope he finally embraces the ideas my colleagues and I proposed in January focusing on small businesses to fuel the economic engine that creates over seventy percent of all American jobs
As Christmas nears and everyone’s schedule gets a little bit busier, I hope we can all get a chance to help those less fortunate and support our troops.  Our local Marine Corps Reserve Training Center is collecting “Toys for Tots” for disadvantaged children - check their website for more information:  
http://www.kerntoysfortots.org.  You can also visit my website to find other opportunities to support our troops during this holiday season under the Spot Light section at http://kevinmccarthy.house.gov/
Enjoy those big games this weekend! We are going to push back the Fox News Sunday interview to another weekend. I will let you know when it is set.  And last, I hope some of you will come by and say hello at the annual Lake Isabella Christmas Parade this Saturday.