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Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other person or organization.

 * ... PROP 13: Is the state of California trying to repeal Proposition 13 so it can raise your personal property taxes? If you believe everything you read on Facebook, you would think so. But the truth is far different. In fact, there is an effort to repeal parts of Prop 13, but it would not affect personal property taxes. Instead,  the California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2020, also
[Image] known as the "split-roll" measure, would raise taxes on factories, stores and industrial real estate by requiring they pay property tax based on current market value rather than the value of the property when it was purchased. ​Politifact, a non-profit website devoted to truth in reporting, said Facebook in particular is full of misleading statements about Prop 13 and it cited a Bakersfield publication as one of many sources spreading untruths. Said Politifact: "A similar Facebook post by Bakersfield Tuff, a media company focused on racing and rodeo, was shared more than 2,200 times. Others have appeared on the platforms Next Door and We Chat, according to the campaign for the initiative." The initiative may be flawed in many ways - and many would argue this is just the first step toward repealing Prop 13 altogether - but in this case it would not raise property taxes on individuals.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Be honest, you thought the Kansas City Chiefs were from Kansas."

 * ... MISSOURI OR KANSAS?: And then there was this, tweeted by our president. Now, in his defense, this is a common mistake many people make, but it didn't stop folks from heaping scorn on him.

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 * ... RACHELLE MURCIA: KBAK evening anchor Rachelle Murcia has come out publicly in her fight against breast cancer. The anchor submitted a Facebook post last week in which Murcia detailed her personal struggle. "My writing teacher always taught me never to bury the lead and get right to the point. I have breast cancer," she wrote. "I found a mass before Christmas...The doctors found two large masses on my left side. They are calling them late stage two, early stage three cancer." Murcia ended the message by saying she did not plan to talking about the cancer often. "The next time I plan on talking on the air about my cancer is when I can come to you and say, I beat the dang thing and I am cancer free. So, go out there, live, be kind to one another, and have a good evening.”

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 * ... MAYORAL DEBATE: KGET television will host a debate featuring Mayor Karen Goh and the candidates seeking to unseat her. The debate will air at 7 p.m. tonight (Monday). The candidates are facing off in the March 3 primary and if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held in November.

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* ... SICK BAY: Edward Lee, a longtime mechanic at Action Sports, is recovering from a serious stroke. Lee suffered a stroke several weeks ago, was able to leave the hospital and apparently suffered a second one that sent him back to the hospital. Friends say he is resting but the road to recovery is uncertain. Keep Ed Lee in your thoughts.

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 * ... MEMORIES: Last week I submitted a picture of the old Germania Beer Hall and asked for your help where it was. Well, Art Moore solved the puzzle for me, sending me this "now and then" photo of the intersection of 19th and L streets. Enjoy.


[Image]  * ... MORE MEMORIES: And yet another walk down memory road thanks to Art Moore.


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