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OUR VIEW: What to expect from an all-cuts solution

The Bakersfield Californian

Gov. Jerry Brown erred by not clearly spelling out for California voters -- and recalcitrant legislators -- much earlier what an all-cuts budget would mean to the people of this state. But others have picked up the slack as the window drops ever lower on a proposed June election to consider tax extensions.

Educators from K-12 schools, community colleges and both of California's public university systems have painted grim pictures of what another multibillion-dollar round of cuts would mean in terms of layoffs, class sizes, teacher-student ratios, a shortened school year, more limited course offerings, tuition hikes, diminished research and other impacts. Health advocacy organizations have spelled out the dire circumstances that await the elderly and disabled, among other vulnerable populations.

OUR VIEW: GET's decision to look at new bus routes welcome

The Bakersfield Californian

As gas prices rise and Bakersfield's geographic footprint continues to grow, public transportation becomes an increasingly important part of this city's future. But the all-too-common sight of a near-empty Golden Empire Transit bus isn't exactly an inspiration to those who might otherwise be inclined to consider that transportation option.

What's keeping riders away? A big part of it is undoubtedly California car culture -- the deep-seated conviction that when one sacrifices one's vehicle, one sacrifices freedom and spontaneity. Convenience is another big factor, however, and it is on this count that GET must make some big strides if it hopes to win over new potential riders. Some routes are circuitous and unnecessarily long. Some transfers require lengthy waits at uncovered bus stops, and some trips are most efficient when they involve walking several blocks between stops. That's hardly the type of arrangement likely to make new ridership inroads.

OUR VIEW: Ground-level or elevated rail? We like elevated

The Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield City Manager Alan Tandy has expressed dismay over the latest turn of events in the state bullet-train saga. Noting that the California High-Speed Rail Authority is trying to maximize its miles-to-dollars ratio with "value engineering," Tandy revealed that more of the route through Bakersfield will be at ground level, as opposed to elevated, than we've previously been led to believe would be the case.

"We liked it elevated," Tandy said.

OUR VIEW: Anti-graffiti app makes sense if residents use it

The Bakersfield Californian

OUR VIEW: Redistricting panel, keep this point in mind

The Bakersfield Californian

EDITORIAL: Mass poverty on fertile land: Irony we cannot abide

The Bakersfield Californian

How do you describe a situation in which one of the most agriculturally prolific valleys in the world is home to such profound poverty and hunger? How do you portray circumstances in which rampant malnutrition co-exists alongside unparalleled bounty? The word "irony" does not seem adequate.

Yet according to the Kern County Network for Children's 13th annual Kern County Report Card, released this week, that's the staggering contradiction that surrounds this and other areas of the fertile San Joaquin Valley.

EDITORIAL: Embrace reality: Repeal valley's EPA ozone fine

The Bakersfield Californian

We've got to work together, here in the most polluted region in America, to make our air more breathable. We've got to make sacrifices, accept restrictions and change long-entrenched habits.

But the people of the San Joaquin Valley shouldn't be asked to do the impossible. And we shouldn't be forced to pay a penalty for an ill-defined problem largely caused by several factors -- some geographical, some vague, unknowable and just plain erroneous -- that are mostly beyond our capacity to affect.

EDITORIAL: Sports fans shouldn't have to fear for safety

The Bakersfield Californian

The recent incident in which a San Francisco Giants fan was assaulted by two unidentified men in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium after a baseball game should serve as a reminder that the safety of spectators ought to be a top priority for those who manage pro sports venues.

The Dodgers organization, to its credit, is taking strong steps to address the problem. Last week, team owner Frank McCourt, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck unveiled plans for beefing up security, which will include a greater police presence inside and outside the stadium.

EDITORIAL: Medicare proposal would just shift elderly's burden

The Bakersfield Californian

Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who has been characterized as an "honest, deeply serious thinker," has a plan for your golden-years health care, and you may not like it very much.

He's going to slough it off on individuals and the states, which in most cases will be even less capable of paying for it. Ryan's proposal would take away the elderly's Medicare card as we know it now -- and along with it their choice of doctors. In place of that, older Americans would get a voucher that they can apply to the purchase of a health insurance policy. Private insurers would cash the checks, rather than hospitals and doctors, as is the case now with Medicare.

EDITORIAL: Some lawmakers making budget problems worse

The Bakersfield Californian

Knock it off already. We know you want to be seen as actually doing something, but if it puts a bigger hole in the state budget, unless voters have already OK'd it, now is not the time.

You'd think it wouldn't be necessary to point this out to state legislators, but sadly we must. Even as lawmakers struggle to close an estimated $26.6 billion gap, many of those same elected officials are attempting to widen California's budget deficit with bills that would either increase spending or diminish revenue. Democrats and Republicans alike -- but mostly Democrats -- are guilty.

EDITORIAL: 1 percent hike isn't too much to ask of wealthy

The Bakersfield Californian

Cuts will have to comprise a major portion of any budget-balancing plan for California, no question. But an all-cuts budget would slice far too deeply into far too many areas. Republicans seem to have successfully blocked a June ballot measure that would have asked voters about an emergency extension of temporary tax hikes.

What's left? Not much. But this idea has merit, and a poll by the California Federation of Teachers suggest that voters overwhelmingly agree: Increase state income taxes on the wealthiest 1 percent by 1 percent. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it would raise an estimated $2.5 billion a year, a fair chunk of the deficit after more than $11 billion in agreed-upon budget cuts are factored in. The hike, which would affect only Californians earning more than $500,000 a year, would put the wealthiest taxpayers nearer the rate they paid in the mid-1990s, when Pete Wilson was governor.