David Thomas: “I want to join in commemorating California's 150th year as a State. Our diversity and the pioneering spirit of our…”

“I want to join in commemorating California's 150th year as a State. Our diversity and the pioneering spirit of our people should be clear to anyone who visits the communities in Kern and Tulare Counties in my Congressional District, the 21st. While the image other Americans have of California is often that of beautiful beaches, high tech industries and outstanding sports teams, the real California stands out when anyone visits Kern and Tulare. These are rural counties where families have built some of the nation's best farm businesses--dairy, cotton, table grapes, oranges, almonds and pistachio nuts. The California oil industry is centered on this area-- over half the oil production in California comes from Kern County. At the same time, national public lands, including wilderness areas, provide some of the finest opportunities for recreation anywhere in the United States. If someone wants to see how Californians have continued to pursue new ideas, how they work and how they have built strong communities around the use of natural resources and high technology, they ought to come out and meet with my friends in Kern and Tulare Counties.”