Just wanted to get my two cents in before too many Republicans start slamming your post…….thanks for a wonderfully thoughtful well presented factual comment. Rarely seen these days but such a pleasure to read. And a very Merry Christmas to you too!

“Being a primarily agricultural community, it goes without saying that water is our lifeblood.” Just a small point but water is important to everyone, and people in small towns and big cities get first dibs. Some will need to get comfortable with that notion. Remember the saying from Star Trek, “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

In the past, Tulare county was a “primarily agricultural community,” but is it today? A very significant portion of the money coming into this county comes from government taxes (from each of us) – both federal and state. Think about social security, Medicare and other forms of health care, city and county government (police, sheriff, etc), schools (teachers, administrators), the legal system, government funded construction, and much more. And a lot of that money circulates in this community and funds lots of small businesses. What source of money do you think has the greatest impact on this county? There are still many family farms here, but more and more the banks and financial conglomerates from outside the San Joaquin valley own those farms and the farm loans (do you think that income stays in the area?).

Some people shout about “policies” created by Democrats that cause all the problems but provide no details. Tell us about those problem policies! Are they the problems of a few, or state wide problems (or imaginary problems)? Are these the problems of a few wealthy people complaining about having to pay for other people’s problems (maybe those people are in other parts of this state)? Sounds like a NIMBY problem.

In reality, gas taxes going up are not much of a problem either (but a major Republican concern – who are they kidding?). The recent California fuel tax increase is the first in 23 years. Think about that for a minute; road repair costs have gone up for 23 years (do Republicans want to be paid salaries from 23 years ago?) and cars are more fuel efficient than they were 23 years ago – each using less gas per mile, the result being less money for road repair. The fuel tax increase was needed – but some think it’s an attack on Republican freedoms (or just an attack on the free lunch).

It’s nice to hear about all the good things that Republicans have done for Tulare county. It would be more wonderful to have a detailed list of all those accomplishments. Lately, all that Republicans are talking about are illegal emigrants taking our good farm worker jobs, random conspiracies designed to take away our “freedoms”, the need to reduce taxes on corporations (the money will trickle down to each of us), and why investigations into Mr. Trump are very unfair (Devin Nunes will explain).

Have you noticed that when the President is a Democrat the national debt is a major problem for Republicans – but when a Republican is President the national debt can be reduced by tax cuts? Must be a math problem.

Merry Christmas.

We live in a state that has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation.

Who controls all portions of the California State Government? Your lovely party, the Democrats.

Being a primarily agricultural community, it goes without saying that water is our lifeblood?

What has happened to the water rights and total allotted water usage for the farmers in this area? It’s been reduced significantly. But how much do the farmers continue to pay? The full amount.

What party instituted these changes? The Dems.

What group of people work the jobs in the fields that require water? Immigrants, supposedly a group of people about whom your party cares greatly…or so they say!

Whose policies are taking jobs away from people they supposedly care about? The Dems.

Who tells farmers you are going to continue to have to pay full price for water that we are not going to release to you? The Dems.

Who recently added an additional burden to anyone in the state who drives a car, via a significant increase in the gas tax? The Dems.

Democrats passed Obamacare along party lines.That bill had huge tax implications for everyone. But I’m guessing that even though that put an unfair tax burden the poor in Tulare County it was okay because…hey it was done by the Democrats and they care about you!

Here’s the point, your party has jacked up taxes left and right. It’s what they run on every year. The taxes passed by the Democrats don’t hurt any less than then tax increases passed by Republicans. Your people have done a lot of damage to the working men and women of this area too.

Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, sir.