Written Surveys

Name 5 things you like about Greater Bakersfield. What are our Strengths?
Location/proximity to ocean, mountains, large city (L.A.) 296
Nice, friendly, & helpful people 276
Centennial Garden events 268
Affordable housing & land 221
Downtown Rebuilding/revitalization/beautification 165
Low traffic-ease of mobility/low commute time 163
Good schools-in some areas 157
Small town atmosphere/big town events 155
Low cost of living; financially reasonable place to live 154
Valley Plaza Mall/shopping centers/adequate shopping 133
Safe place to live/law enforcement/declining crime rate 125
Educ. Resources:  CSUB, BC. UC Ext. 116
Increase in diversity of activities/ entertainment 115
Weather/relatively mild climate/year round golf 113
Variety of restaurants: many countries represented 106
Spirit of generosity & giving/volunteerism/opportunities for involvement 100
Family oriented/lots of activities/great place to raise kids 90
Lots of clean parks: beautiful and accessible 71
Community spirit/sense of community 69
Many movie theaters 69
Market Place 58
Good size, not crowded 57
Kern River Parkway/bike path 57
Cultural resources: Fox, Stars, Symphony 54
Employment/jobs/job market 46
Parades, street fairs, community events, up on the roof, First Night 45
Diversity/wonderful mix of culture/multicultural neighborhoods 45
Good economy/opportunity for growth 41
"Big" on sporting events: Blaze, Condors, CSUB basketball 41
Growing, Focus on positive growth and development 36
Emphasis on church/many diverse worship houses 35
Growing cultural awareness/expanding events and opportunities 32
Kern River-especially when water runs through it! 30
Clean streets & lots of trees 30
Agricultural heritage & now diversity 28
Outdoor Recreation facilities 27
Helpful, accessible local government, responsive elected officials 25
GET buses, convenient stops, evening schedule 25
Wide streets, attractively landscaped - except Rosedale 24
Great hospitals: Memorial, KMC, Heart, etc 24
Sports activities: youth & semi-pro 23
Buck Owens, the Crystal Palace, the "Bakersfield sound" 21
Country living/open space 20
Kern County Museum/Pioneer Village/Art Museum/CALM 18
Van's Skate Park 16
Conservative community 15
Kern County Fair 13
Quiet, peaceful town; reduced stress attitude 13
Teenage hangouts, Nickel Arcade, John's Incredible Pizza 13
Local news teams/good local coverage/ KGET newscast members 12
After school programs for children 12
Beale and other libraries 12
Working together to make our future better 10
Lakes (Ming, Woollomes, Buena Vista) 8
Rich history, let's make more of it 8
Fresh & plentiful affordable produce 8
Nice, beautiful neighborhoods (Northeast, Westchester) 8
Bakersfield Business Conference 8
Lots of land-available for growth/disappearing to housing 7
Community Organization & Govt. Collaborations 7
Pro-business attitude 7
Mesa Marin, racing, recognition of motor sports 7
Beautiful views of mountain scenery 7
Hart Park 6
New "Bakersfield" sign 6
Oil Industry 6
Ag and Oil 6
Dewar's 6
Jazz festivals 5
Good street maintenance 5
Nice antique stores 5
Many senior activities/residences/centers 4
Arts representation: galleries, antiques, live shows; strong artistic community 4
Diversity in business 4
AMTRACK 4
Strong "Christian" community 4
Great airport & air service 4
Homeless Shelter 4
Free parking availability 4
Great concerts 4
Location at highway & R.R. transport hub-good for business/commercial hub os So. S.J. Valley 4
Panorama walking path 4
Book stores, Starbucks & Barnes & Noble 4
Good mental health services 4
Excellent social services: job placement, fire, police, trash, green waste, free leaf 4
Family owned stores that popularize Bakersfield: Dewars, Woolgrowers, Guthries 4
Downtown School 3
Newspaper's focus on positive news/truth.  Involvement in the community 3
Camelot Amusement Park 3
Natural beauty such as trees 3
Well planned communities (Silvercreek, PoloGlen, etc) 3
Parks & Recreation Dept. 3
Availability of day care 3
Proactive Chamber with great community involvement 3
Convenience of shopping to residential 3
Full variety of good radio stations 3
Our Mayors (Price & Shell) 3
Community seems to focus on basics in life; Values 3
Visionary Movers & Shakers, Vision2020, community has vision 3
Kern County Collaborative - resources available to the community 3
Business community working together for a better community 3
Community pulls together in times of need 3
Children's Network  & newly established partnerships 3
Diverse environment: mountains, desert, river 3
Clean air, the Night Sky-stars are visible 3
Golf courses 3
Choice of physicians 3
Senior centers, food distribution, help when needed 3
Truxtun Extension beautification 3
Old Town Kern, if preserved & restored 3
Panama-Buena Vista Schools are great 3
Conservative government 2
City & county fire and police cooperation 2
Basque Food 2
Garces High School; private schools 2
Work ethic attitude 2
School projects; academic competition 2
Leading county in welfare to work programs 2
Local police involvement with community; PAL programs, etc 2
Large number of caring educators 2
Holiday Inn Select 2
New positive attitude city is exuding (not hicksville anymore) 2
Graffiti hotline, little graffiti 2
Environmentally supportive elected officials 2
Career services center - ETR 2
Emergency services, quick response to accidents 2
Non-profit agencies 2
Talent: Korn, Smokin Armadillos 2
Easy to find things-city well laid-out 2
Grocery stores spaced well 2
Gang activity low relative to other cities 2
7 Oaks Country Club 2
Airport Bus availability 2
Light industry 2
KCSOS visionary in programs and downtown 2
Auto Mall 2
Rosedale 2
Safe schools/law enforcement in schools 2
Freeways: N-S-E-W 2
Tourism 2
Great Rotary town 2
Trash pickup 2
Places for bands to play 2
Strong local leadership 2
Young adults (30-40) appear to be taking a more active part in the community 1
Opportunity for an individual to make a difference 1
Variety of housing options (price & type) 1
Low unemployment 1
Involvement of political leaders in community events 1
Our "nostalgic" look 1
Independent spirit 1
Enthusiasm at every event 1
High school career academies 1
Isolated from floods, fires, famine, 1000' waves 1
Abundant energy 1
High quality of life 1
"Can do" attitude in business community 1
Local recreation attracting lots of income 1
Aspirations of our youth to do better 1
Strong patriotism 1
Professional community (lawyers, geologists, etc) 1
Expert approach to Kern County facilities 1
Reinvestment in old buildings 1
Good support teams from "higher ups" in helping youth 1
Smith's Bakery 1
Temple Beth El 1
Edwards Air Base 1
Networking of charitable organizations 1
Excellent athletes (CSUB, Condors, high school) 1
SEW Original Needle Arts 1
Symphony 1
Govt officials want to make it a better place 1
Tree Foundation 1
Paint the town pink month 1
Valley Achievement school for autistic children 1
H.E.A.R.T.S. Connection Family Resource Center 1
Adaptive Aquatics Center 1
M.A.R.E. 1
Pepsi available at many restaurants 1
Historical preservation of some buildings 1
Program for replacing underground water 1
Easy access to freeway 1
City staff approaches everything with "can do" team effort 1
McCan Family Chiropractic 1
Valley Bible Fellowship 1
It's flat, great for biking 1
Major traffic intersections well regulated 1
Summer concert series 1
Barbara Patrick always hears my concerns 1
State Senator Jim Costa 1
Exceptional GATE/magnet programs at BCSD 1
Fireworks are okay 1
Bricks around fountain 1
Wide range of manpower 1
Government row on Truxtun 1
Expansion into undeveloped foothills in Northeast 1
Plenty of lighting at night 1
Home of Bob Karpe and other great men 1
Adult clubs 1
New signs at parks 1
Board of Supervisors on TV - KGOV 1
Lots of guitar stores 1
Healthcare excellent 1
Wall Street Alley 1
Skating rinks 1
Bowling alleys 1
Vision of City Council 1
East Bakersfield 1
Infrastructure planning 1
Pedestrian friendly 1
Water in river year round-recreation potential 1
City owns water rights in river 1
NW development 1
No L. A. problems 1
Recycle club for kids 1
Takedown on violence in E. Bakersfield 1
Hi speed rail through downtown potential 1
Gleaners 1
No mosquitoes, fleas, etc 1
Crosstown freeway extending to Rosedale Hwy 1
Not quite as gentrified 1
Organ at Bakersfield Christian Life Center 1
The law school 1
Cancer monument 1
Excellent public defenders office 1
Video stores 1
Recovery homes 1
San Joaquin Kit Fox 1
Canal project 1
Beautiful sunsets 1
Increased interest in educational requirements 1
School music programs 1
Decent drinking water 1
Energy of people 1
Doctors and dentists 1
Judge Hoover's drug court 1
Isolated from floods, fires, famine, 1000' waves 1
Great clubs 1
Recycling drop-off points 1
Bakersfield underground music scene 1
Graffiti control 1
Melodrama 1
Generous business owners who contribute to community 1
Consolidation of services city/county 1
NOR programs 1
Community education programs 1
Good balance of arts & creative people 1
More local TV than most 1
Outdoor seating at restaurants 1
Bakersfield in USA 1
Keep horses & ranch animals 1

Name 5 things you don't like about Greater Bakersfield. 

What are our weaknesses?
Air quality/smog/pollution/dusty/allergens 392
Traffic congestion, poor traffic mgt., lights not synchronized 169
Nothing for teens to do-affordable/after-school activities for kids/no hangouts 135
Poor highway and transportation planning/poor cross town/ freeways don't connect 134
Weather: Wet, cold foggy winters/the heat in summer 107
Gangs:  not tough enough on them 95
Crime and violence 95
Shopping/More dept. stores (Nordstroms, Eddie Bauer,. Etc.)/upscale shopping 83
Road maintenance; potholes, etc. Especially county roads 79
Schools; Low test scores-education at all levels 74
Urban sprawl & strip malls/out of control building 73
Public transportation: too long transit times/no after 7pm/longer hours 24x7/more buses/cost 69
Lack of more cultural/entertainment options; concerts, sports 69
Lack of variety in restaurants; incl. Ethnic & seafood 62
Urban decay/emphasis on new development West, rather than redevelopment-especially East 56
Poor air service: no direct flights/No jets/too costly 51
Gas prices high comparable to other cities 51
No water park/water slide-especially in summer 49
Growth into farmlands; no farmland preservation 46
Negative image-seen as "hick"/"cowboy"/"redneck" 44
Neighborhood & freeway cleanliness/litter; Lack of pride as evidenced by trash, weeds. 43
Parking downtown 41
Need more trees in parking lot/parks, streets 40
Lack of job opportunities 39
Size of airport; antiquated 37
Not enough amusement parks, entertainment for children 33
General unfriendliness towards minorities; racial insensitivity; cultural prejudice 33
Home values do not appreciate; excessive residential building/perimeter boundaries 31
Graffiti 30
Homeless people 29
Bad drivers/drink & drive/ no stops/run red lights/U-turn mid street/speeding 28
No outlet mall/get Grand Canal open 26
No major baseball stadium; or refurbish Sam Lynn 25
Traffic on Rosedale; urban nightmare mix of commercial & passenger 25
Too many old, falling apart, vacant buildings especially downtown; Renovate or remodel 25
Too few parks, bike paths, etc. 25
A dry Kern River (communicates "dry & dusty"/ fluctuation of flow 24
Lack of consistent planning/zoning 24
Unattractive gateways. Landscape & clean up. Ugly on and off ramps 24
Too much poverty; too many "poor" neighborhoods 23
Drug sales and use/Methamphatamine manufacturing 23
More police; more sheriffs on duty/need more foot patrol 23
No drive-in movie theater 22
High unemployment 22
Dairies in the Southern San Joaquin/proposed mega-dairy too close to residential 22
Poor health access/emergency rooms slow/KMC 20
Transit in and out of city/train to L.A./ - high speed/bullet train 19
One newspaper; quality of reporting, needs to be more professional & responsive 19
Better downtown nightlife, and safer/no nice night clubs 17
Too many movie theaters 17
Need diversified economy-Oil and Ag dependent/lack of industry 16
More family gathering activities 16
Poor cooperation between city & county/lack of planning agency coordination/turf wars 16
Mall and Marketplace rules too strict (for teens) 15
Upgrade downtown-restaurants, shops, theatres 15
Lack of nice landscaping in many areas 13
Need more high tech industry/jobs 13
Need more youth clubs/teen dance clubs 13
Lack of accessible, affordable quality child care 13
Tacky Union Avenue.  Clean-up, or tear down and start over 13
Good 'ol boys political system; inequity in application of regulations; cater to special interests 13
Declining water quality.  Also, trash in water (SE) 13
East Bakersfield and Old Town Kern need improvement 13
Very conservative; right wing thinking 12
Street names change 12
Pesticides 12
No NBA or NFL (pro sports) 12
Not enough culturally diverse activities/festivals/multi-cultural events 11
Lack of overall vision for development/no published Overall plan presenting Bakersfield uniqueness 11
Growing too much, too fast 11
Downtown physical appearance/Downtown too small 10
No recycling pickup 10
Over-zealous law enforcement/Dist. Attorney 10
Becoming Los Angeles/bringing their problems here; Too pro-development 10
Not enough to do 9
Increasing prices 9
Need another shopping mall comparable to Valley Plaza 9
No Symphony Hall/musical venue 9
Underskilled and uneducated labor pool/lack of "entry level" workers 8
Lack of community involvement/low community spirit/not enough cooperation among residents 8
Billboards-visual pollution-"truck stop" feel/ Ronald McDonald balloon 8
Low paying jobs-city welcomes businesses with low paying jobs 8
Parental responsibility/involvement in children's events/parents not @ back to school 8
Police attitudes - rude/ sheriff harassment 8
Absence of Univ. of California campus; lack of advance educ. Opportunities 8
Lack of top medical expertise 7
Feral cats/animal control (encourage county limitation of # of cats & dogs per household?) 7
Valley Fever & allergies 7
Fully developing Kern River - bike path, stores, parks 7
Lack of shops - East Hills mall 7
Communication of upcoming events too late 7
Dumping ground for other cities/Toxic waste dumping 7
Lack of diversity in population 7
More lights on streets 7
Little redevelopment along core avenues (Union, Cottonwood, Mt. Vernon) 6
Trash pickup not adequate (one-day)/mandatory pickup 6
Develop River Walk (like San Antonio) with hotel and water access-use River So. Fork canal 6
Need a public ice skating rink 6
Anti-environmentalism or lack of concern for the environment 6
Property taxes too high for a community of this size with affordable housing 6
Too many prisons in surrounding areas 6
Lack of services for abused children/crimes against children 6
Hundreds of changes to General Plan 6
Radio stations (compared to L.A., San Francisco) 6
Oildale and North Bakersfield 6
Apathy - low voter turnout; It can't happen here attitude 5
Police Response time slow for non-emergency/ignore some crime areas 5
Provencialism /small town thinking 5
Poorly served county islands within city limits 5
Need to preserve historical buildings & sites/appreciate pre-dust bowl history/bigger museum 5
Decisions made about growth without citizen input or approval 5
Low quality health care 5
Need free community swimming pools with longer hours and places to change 5
High teen pregnancy-need to educate them 5
Route freeway away from the river 5
More community activities 5
No tourist type attractions 5
Economic stagnation in SE Bakersfield 5
Smells like a sewer; refinery 5
Need to feel safe on the East side 5
Lack of community support for local arts & entertainment 5
Preoccupation with sports as an economic panacea 5
City doesn't put enough $$ into rundown areas of city/vacant malls 4
Need jobs for teenagers 4
Lack of inexpensive, high bandwidth internet access/slow telephone access 4
Lack of desire for quality growth 4
Lack of art education in schools/art education not accessible for poorer children 4
Trains running through the middle of town/gates malfunction/trains during rush hour 4
Need free skate parks 4
Movie prices are high 4
Cost of dry-cleaning comparatively too high 4
School districts economically unbalanced 4
CSUB needs an engineering/technical program- high tech 4
Overly punitive court system; white male control 4
Not a whole lot directed to singles (not bars) 4
Not enough schools/ too many temporary school buildings 4
Bigger recreational center; indoor activities for kids) 3
Need to set growth boundaries so inner city can be rebuilt 3
Lack of vocational training in high school 3
Lack of fresh produce and natural foods 3
Kern County Fair is small. Acts weak 3
Architecture of buildings 3
In-city speed limits too high 3
Inability to make the town grow/attract new business 3
Economic gap between haves and have-nots 3
Car dealers not competitive 3
Corruption in high officials 3
Condition and patrons of the parks-need clean restrooms 3
Inferiority complex 3
Not enough sophisticated jobs/management jobs 3
Few quality elected officials 3
Littering and illegal dumping 3
Distance from L.A., S.F., Santa Barbara, Tahoe 3
Media and Californian only report about "popular" high schools 3
Another community college and more classes needed 3
Need better teachers/teaching methods 3
Possible overpopulation 3
No beach 3
Not enough coordinated concern for the poor in our community 3
Totally out of control with annexation process 3
Trees butchered all around town 3
Nosy, gossipy community 3
Padre Hotel: signs and fire code 3
Need for truck routes to bypass town (connect 58 & 99) 3
Lack of support for writers/artistic expression 3
Lack of curb cuts/curb ramps for wheelchair access 2
Trashy nightclubs 2
Lacks charm, ambiance and visual culture 2
Not enough theatres for plays; stop building movie theaters 2
Some Special Educ. Classes lack qualified teachers; need more funding 2
Some parts of Southeast look like 3rd world ghetto 2
High level of illiteracy 2
Ethnic celebrations should be given more "press" 2
Care and maintenance of drainage (sump pits) below standard 2
No snow 2
Too much destruction by youths (need more programs for energy) 2
Centennial Garden events too expensive 2
Bus station/depot - needs big work 2
Seeming lack of concern for water for growth 2
Low educational levels 2
Lakeview 2
No fenced parks to train dogs/no "pooper bags" for dogs in parks 2
Too much country music and good ol boy attitude 2
Too many Wal-Marts, superstores; Need to protect small bus. Market 2
Spell it "Baker's Field" It's more nostalgic/the name 2
Some streets "you don't drive down at night" 2
Retired people need to involve themselves in the lives of youth 2
Circle on Chester has too many roads coming into it 2
Poor government support for cultural institutions 2
Lower class size in all K-12 classes 2
Libraries are not funded adequately/high fees 2
Too many incentives to developers (Grand Canal) and not to others 2
Fewer houses crammed into small suburban neighborhoods 2
Lack of adequate sports complex 2
Road construction too long to complete/construction during rush hour 2
No public gardens or arboretum / try a citrus garden 2
High dropout rate 2
The Marketplace 2
GET stops are litter sources 2
Need nicer hotels 2
Limited movie selections in spite of many movie theaters - too many R rated 2
Media encouragement of illegitimate children 2
Need big music stores 2
Schools are crowded 2
No place to ride ATVs 2
More social services without red tape/more family service centers 2
Seasonal altruism 2
Federal representation/Bill Thomas, congressman 2
Railroad tracks in lower income neighborhoods are horrible 2
Need more soccer fields 2
Utility costs too high 2
Lack of fishing and hunting 2
Language misuse/foul language 2
Media needs to emphasize the positive 2
Lottery at Centennial Gardens 2
Change driving age to 16 2
First Night blocking street to work and businesses 2
Too many on AFDC and abusing it 2
Street sweeping not regular 2
No specific theme for the city 2
Need reading taught as a separate class 2
Local news - lack of substance 2
Business at any price syndrome of governing 2
No restaurant nor restrooms on the river 2
Incentive credits should be given to developers of recreational & cultural facilities 1
City investments which have gone poorly 1
2 small cities within 1 city (NE and SW) 1
Too many violent people on welfare with nothing to do 1
Children born into hopeless situations 1
Lack of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities 1
Motels are too expensive 1
Not accepting of alternate religious beliefs and sexual orientations 1
Zoo needs more funding 1
No Executive Golf Courses (3-par) 1
Large portion of population have low self esteem 1
No movie Production agencies 1
View coming down from the Grapevine 1
Too much bickering about any changes to be made 1
Attitudes and service of city employees 1
Adult bookstores 1
Downtown mini-bus (34th to Valley Plaza) 1
County agencies still lack Spanish speaking personnel 1
No intermodal transit center 1
Downtown beautification caused congestion 1
Not many choices for event locations over 500 1
City workers ticketing people without confirmation (planning dept). 1
Need a S/W Hart Park 1
Not worrying about 2000  and working on 2020 1
Easier access to buildings/businesses 1
Overprotected by sign ordinances & other regulations 1
Most people are last minute to commit to an event 1
Short-sighted planning - "everything has to be downtown" 1
"Not in my backyard" attitude 1
No good pubs 1
Business charge for ATM use 1
Road lanes are too little 1
Lack of CALTRANS investment 1
No inspired leadership in the school systems 1
Neighborhoods need to be safer for children 1
Need nice Visitors Center 1
No Bakersfield "showcase" @ Hy 99 and I-5 1
Inadequate road fees for new houses in county 1
"Thugs" hang out at malls 1
Broadway productions done by amateurs 1
Underpass at Q near Truxtun 1
Better stop lights on 4th & P 1
Better garbage pick up in the area (S E) 1
Public/local officials who break law & get away with it 1
Lack of state funding for local programs 1
Lack an Opera/Broadway shows season 1
Californian still resistant to write articles about Latinos 1
Resistance to change 1
Improve awareness of World Trade Center 1
Oil companies undertaxed, citizens overtaxed 1
Pollution from old power plant (leaks, etc.) 1
Mean justice unfair to indigents 1
Lack of good roads to the coast 1
Polarization of ethnic communities 1
Businesses S. of Chester very rundown 1
Need sidewalks of major streets (Rosedale, California) 1
Better planning puts economic before aesthetic 1
Entertainment type businesses tend to fail, (ie: Ice Palace) 1
Greater support of CSUB and BC educational programs 1
Not enough police interaction with children 1
Schools don't prepare students for college 1
More support & community awareness of disabled 1
Need more lanes on the freeway 1
Childcare difficult for handicapped children 1
CMIF State Taxes 1
Need better private schools not all Christian 1
Need to be more pro-active in mentoring at-risk youth 1
Condition of school leadership 1
Everything closes at 9pm 1
Lack of advertising of mass transit opportunities 1
Continuous change in high school boundaries 1
Planning Commission needs revising roads vs freeways 1
On-again, off-again politics (sports complexes, shopping areas, freeways) 1
Cottonwood and the Ioma 1
Major county subdivisions on septic systems 1
County in development business 1
City lights often go out (6th, P, 4th streets) 1
Wooden fences instead of cement 1
High schools establish abstinence programs to curb teenage pregnancy 1
Latest trend of taking away parental choice in their child's teacher 1
Urban situation needs change 1
Need traffic light at Ridge Oak & Old River 1
Easy town for bank robberies 1
Need more cable companies for lower cable TV rates 1
Lack of support for CSUB in retaining best students & athletes 1
Slow to be up to speed in technology 1
Lack of accountability by city administration 1
Government Center not centralized - departments all over town 1
Need to change how the bottom 10% is living: educationally & economically 1
Low quality social workers 1
Lack of penalties for small crime criminals 1
Fairfax (between Eucalyptus & Pioneer) should be 4 lane road 1
No petting zoo 1
Utilities not underground in new development areas 1
We are a culturally separated town 1
New market places taking business from older centers 1
Poorly trained teachers and administrators in cultural sensitivity 1
Overcrowded and obviously troubled community college system 1
How this town kisses the behind of anyone remotely famous from here 1
No good bands come to town 1
Worry too much & take ourselves and the city too seriously 1
Too conservative-can't make decisions on improvements 1
We don't support our schools enough 1
Oildale O8ers 1
Change lefthand turn signals to yield on green 1
Needs professional soccer 1
Counseling for parents with teens 1
Lack of concern for the remainder of Kern County 1
When shopping area built, utility and oilfield operators should put up wall around 1
City council meetings good for a nap..we should look into this 1
Surrounding area not considered when put expensive housing next to ramshackle 1
Developers in county get away with no infrastructure 1
Lack of support for the oil industry-big tax payer 1
Downtown still not safe to shop 1
More attendance at BC football games 1
High School district's idea that 2000 students is perfect 1
High school kids need to be involved in public service 1
Low publicity of positive youth programs 1
Cover or close the canal on Lake Street - dumpers make it an eyesore 1
Not enough foreign films 1
Hiring process is very long in this area 1
Youth drinking and driving-need to educate about death rate 1
"Ponds" in parts that are fenced or weed-filled 1
More educational interaction between schools and public representatives 1
Negative media coverage 1
Lack of opportunity for ethnic population to share in city's successes 1
Need downtown Edwards Cinema 1
Palm trees 1
Castle & Cook grip on city 1
Need more aggressive development downtown 1
Need housing downtown 1
One way streets 1
Miss Chester Avenue parades 1
Slow parades 1
Lack of awareness of major Jewish holidays 1
Projects owned by outsiders taking money out of town 1
No major college sports program 1
Poor entertainment 1
Need batting cage in SW 1
School crimes 1
Catering to minorities 1
Destructive sand storms 1
Centennial Gardens location 1
Tramps and bums at bus stations 1
Need adult sports programs 1
Loud booming music coming from cars 1
Billboards in Spanish only 1
Need to support visiting entertainments so they will want to return 1
Gun shops 1
City & county fire and police should consolidate 1
Not enough focus on needs of teens 1
Destruction of wildlife habitats 1
Too many Spanish only stores 1
Lack of awareness of the importance of education 1
Community involvement in cleaning up city 1
Too many rules for teens 1
Children breaking curfew 1
Garbage & sanitation departments deceiving and wasteful 1
Small seats at Centennial Gardens 1
Tax dollars spent on show buildings for city officials 1
Need a subway 1
Deals with dairy farmers before public made aware 1
Lighting at bus stops 1
Need more domestic violence shelters 1
Teen suicide 1
Too many illegal immigrants 1
Van's skate park 1
Not enough book/coffee shops 1
Can't cruise downtown 1
Central Park is not pleasing 1
School hours too short 1
Lack of elder care respite programs 1
No place to party for 20-35 age group 1
No Indian reservation 1
Dominating, egocentric city manager 1
Poor treatment of nurses 1
Lighted basketball courts in parks 1
Lack of respect for agriculture and ag education 1
High school dress codes not strict enough 1
No all night stores 1
Long lines at county offices 1
Need buses to Hart Park in the summer 1
Adult schooling 1
People moving here who don't appreciate it 1
Outside contractors who don't finish projects 1
Drop the Grand Canal 1
Lack of walk-thru on Chester Avenue-pedestrians only 1
Rising cost of housing 1
Ugly monotonous suburban SW and NW 1
Lack of visionaries without self-serving agendas 1
City schools busing policy 1
Too many oil wells 1
Ogden Entertainment lack of concern for Bakersfield resident opinons 1
Need local team ownership 1
Promote ag-related businesses 1
Need organizations for women 20-30 age 1
Pit bull breeding 1
Can't grow fuchsias because of white fly 1
Bakersfield Jazz Festival 1
More frats and sororities at CSUB 1
Prices of food and drink at Centennial Gardens 1
School buses stop on main roads during rush hour 1
No library in NW 1
Need scheduled events at Hart Park 1
Police too strict with teens 1
Curfew too early 1
Schools like prisons, not a learning environment 1
Need a festival that only Bakersfield has, include teenagers 1
Unfriendly people at the DMV 1
Destroying horse riding areas with houses 1
Need no tolerance for criminals 1
Ugly oil refinery 1
Religious school board members with their own agenda 1
Need projects that pay for themselves not with tax dollars 1
Ugly shopping areas such as College Center 1