Knock Knock Knock

Time to go. Time to go. Time to go…

We can think of many things that need repair or replacement in Ridgecrest. It’s easier said than done. The parochial nature of the town’s leadership together with 40 years of haphazard development have left the community completely dependent on government of all types with enough acronyms it’ll make your head explode.

We call it “The Blob”

This is our Blob, the one that’s eating the City of Ridgecrest alive, and it’s the root cause of our problems, along with the secrecy and hidden agendas:

What’s wrong with Ridgecrest?

The City of Ridgecrest: A Slideshow is worth a thousand words

Let’s go on a tour from the City Limits on South China Lake Blvd, where RPD is ready to welcome you at the bottom of the hill, then we take a meandering tour the City and end at the City Limits on Inyokern Road. The front door to China Lake NAWS is Inyokern Road, the main gate entrance.

Ridgecrest is in the State of California (we can’t do anything about that…)

We have a Water Crisis caused by State of California

Thanks to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Groundwater Sustainability Act, we have only free air to breathe, and you know they’ll take that too. Of course, the new “Groundwater Authority” is turning out to be a complete mess and the attorney’s are warming up the helicopters for the first of what will be many battles! The State has effectively confiscated our water using what is called “regulatory capture”. Not only did they steal your water, they want you to pay the new “Authority” to take it from you.

We have Wherry Housing (La Mirage), a legacy of the Navy

The biggest mistake made by the City and Navy was the decision to leave the Wherry Housing project standing after the Navy decided to get out of the housing business. Wherry is a festering sore the locals call “criminal gardens”.

We’ll be writing about the history of the deal between the Navy and the City of Ridgecrest, and place blame for Wherry squarely where it lies: the U.S. Navy and the City of Ridgecrest.

Did you know that Wherry/La Mirage was at the center of a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scandal leading up to the Great Financial Crisis? Anybody ever heard of James Delbert McConville?

Wherry will be front and center soon, as part of the redevelopment plan called the China Lake Heritage Opportunity Zone. What’s that, you ask? Stay tuned.

We have a “Navy” museum

The City of Ridgecrest and the Navy aren’t concerned about first impressions, or what the real estate agents call “curbside appeal”. Some of these problems are easy to fix. For starters, how about a cleanup day on China Lake Blvd?

China Lake is closed to the public and what remains as a legacy is the China Lake Museum of Armaments and Technology, a gift shop in a modular trailer (modern day version of a Quonset hut) and a Fatboy in the parking lot. Really?

No, our leaders are only concerned about recruiting for the Navy, hotel sales tax revenue, and selling you a line of bullshit about the City of Ridgecrest being a great place to live or that “small business is the backbone of our community”. Ridgecrest is a great place to leave, just ask all the former “leaders” and civil servants who’ve retired to Arizona. Can you blame them?

“What you see here, what you do here, when you leave here”

We’ll try to offer solutions and some ideas for the City of Ridgecrest to consider or there will be no true economic development here for the next 40 years.

The folks that made Ridgecrest what it is today have already left town. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to go…

With apologies to Pink Floyd

Hello? Hello? Hello?

Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home?
Come on now
I hear you’re feeling down
Well I can ease your pain