Sacramento

Signature gathering going gangbusters to save cities

2010-04-16T17:54:08Z

Californians to Protect Local Taxpayer and Vital Services has gathered close to a million signatures in support of the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act of 2010.

Support for this bill has been overwhelming throughout California. The number of signatures gathered by late February stood at 500,000. Roughly 320,000 signatures were gathered between the end of February and the end of March.

The act is designed to prevent the Legislature from transferring, borrowing, restricting, taxes imposed by municipalities by amending the California constitution. The coalition list in support of this act ranges from city mayors, public safety, labor groups, transportation, businesses, taxpayer associations and local elected officials.

Kathy Fairbanks the spokesperson for the Save Local Taxpayers Act said “I have heard through the grapevine that cities in the South Bay in the San Mateo/Santa Clara county area are going gangbusters.”

Roughly 150 municipalities have passed resolutions in support of this bill, California is home to about 450 municipalities.

Municipalities are tasked with creating and balancing a budget just like the state is. And when the state fails to meet its obligations, cities and in their inhabitants suffer from lost police officers to increased public transportation fees. Personal safety and basic means of transportation and mobility are compromised.

Fairbanks “I do know that city officials from all over the state are taking their own personal time to collect signatures. That's a big deal since many (most) ballot initiatives are put on the ballot with 100% paid signatures. We, too, are using paid signatures, but our volunteer component is impressive and frankly, unprecedented.

In order to secure voter approval just over a million signatures are required to make sure it gets on the ballot. The number of signatures needed is 1.1 million signatures is gathered to account for false names and verification measures.

In 2004, 84 percent of voters authorized the state to borrow and no longer seize city funds. The state is required to pay this money bask with interest within three years. The question remains as to how this is going to happen.

In an email exchange with Fairbanks when asked whether the California Legislature had any response to this amendment, she replied “The California legislature doesn’t take a position on ballot measures.”

The city of Sacramento was not on the coalition list until recently, but Sacramento kicked off a signature gathering drive in January. Mayor Kevin Johnson was the speaker at the news conference supporting the measure.

More information can be found at www.savelocalservices.com

Bohemian Ball

2010-04-10T05:38:34Z

A night of burlesque dancing, live music and live art is happening Saturday at the Bohemian Ball in Old Sacramento.

Mike and Natalya Wahba, owners of Café Americain, are hosting the event, which they said will be on the order of what you might expect to find in San Francisco.

The evening will include musical performances, Russian cuisine, absinthe and a fashion show of lingerie.

The ball also will be a masquerade party, so don costumes and wear your finery.

The after party will begin at 1 a.m., with performances by Black Kat Kabaret, Sizzling Sirens Burlesque, and fire eating and belly dancing by Leona.

Musicians will include Jeff Stott, a composer and aficionado of the international electronica movement, and DJs Rhymystic, I-Self, Jdubz and Cyril Noir.

There also will be a live art performance by Dusty Rose, and fashion vendors on hand.

The event will be held at 1023 Front St. in Old Sacramento, starting at 9 p.m. A dress code will be enforced. For more information, visit www.bohoball.com.

Justin Smith can be reached at justinsmiths@gmail.com

Richard Trainor investigative journalist to promote new book at Harlow's

2010-04-06T06:39:23Z

Investigative journalist Richard Trainor will be promoting his new book, “Paradise Lost?: High-Speed Trains Get Waylaid, Shady Politicians get Billions and Taxpayers Get the Shaft!” at Harlow’s Wednesday.

The book opens with a sordid account of Trainor’s lifestyle and the pitfalls of being an investigative journalist.

That lifestyle included homelessness, a politician threatening to throw him off the Bay Bridge if he didn’t back off of a story, and being tossed in jail as he relentlessly pursued shady politicians and their scams.

“Paradise Lost?” is an extraordinary account of what politicians call ‘pump and dump’ schemes. The two main examples in the book elaborate on high-speed rail projects and the Bay Bridge - and the nefarious characters involved. The book is written in the first-person perspective, and objectivity is most certainly not the goal to please readers.

After reading only 30 pages, it becomes clear that this is a book every Californian should read.

Trainor got his start in journalism in the early ’80s. In 1983, Trainor published a scathing article in “California Magazine” about Brad Evans, a campaign manager for the late Senator John Schmitz. The story eventually led to a $10 million lawsuit against Evans and launched Trainor’s career as an investigative journalist.

Trainor, now a seasoned veteran of investigative journalism, has published many features in “The Sacramento Bee,” “The Los Angeles Times” and “The Vancouver Sun” as well as serving as managing editor of “France Today” magazine. He is also the recipient of many awards for his articles.

“An investigative reporter used to be a title I was proud of,” Trainor said in a phone interview. He had no qualms with sharing his opinion on how the field has changed for the worse.

Trainor said that when he began, the profession was perfectly healthy, and it was acceptable to do this kind of work. “Now you’re seen as a pariah if you do what a real journalist is supposed to do,” Trainor wrote, “which, in the immortal words of Francois Rabelais, is to ‘Tell the truth and shame the devil.’ ”

Trainor’s website, eldoradomagazine.com, notes the difficulty of publishing stories that check the powers that be.

One telling anecdote from a meeting he had with Dan Walters when they discussed how investigative journalism isn’t dead, but that now newspapers will only publish hard-hitting stories produced by their own staffers. Having also worked in the Forum section of the Sacramento Bee, he was getting the shaft.

The book, a six-year endeavor, exudes a meticulous account of his research and, furthermore, what has become of California politics and business.

Reading through his website and his most recent book, it is apparent Trainor has an esoteric and earned knowledge of California politics and politicians which shouldn’t be dismissed.

Wednesday’s event at Harlow’s begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $25. Harlow’s is located at 2708 J St.

Justin Smith can be reached at justinsmiths@gmail.com

Sacramento close to going digital

2010-03-23T07:23:21Z

The City of Sacramento is negotiating a deal with Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) to install four digital billboards along several freeways within city limits.

The four proposed digital billboards would be located at Interstate 80 at Northgate, Interstate 5 at Richards Blvd., Capital City Freeway at Fulton Ave., and Highway 99 at Mack Road.

The city’s goals for installing the digital billboards are to diversify and increase city funds.

According to Tom Zeidner, the senior economic development project manager, the financial terms between the city and CCO are still being negotiated, and he is not able to discuss the specifics.

The revenue the city is expected to earn and how it will be distributed among districts is still tentative.

The current city code does not allow for new digital billboards to be constructed unless the city enters into a ‘relocation agreement,’ which requires sign owners to remove a billboard if another is built.

When this deal was first being hatched, Zeidner proposed that for every digital billboard built, three traditional billboards would be taken down.

The zoning requirements to build a digital billboard need to fall under either a commercial or industrial zoned area. One of the proposed billboards would be located in an agricultural zone, soon to be rezoned to allow for the construction of the billboard.

Concerns have been raised by community groups about the dangers and the carbon emissions the digital billboards will pose. The McKinley East Sacramento Neighborhood Association (MENA) has been active in opposing the billboards.

MENA recently sent a letter to the city’s planning department breaking down the energy use and the emissions from one digital billboard. It states that “a standard digital billboard consumes 397,486 kWh/year. One digital billboard is responsible for 108.41 tons/year of carbon dioxide.”

In other words, the greenhouse gas emissions are equal to just fewer than 14 homes or 18 cars.

An environmental impact report done by the city used SMUD’s emissions to factor how much energy the billboards will use.

The environmental impact report took into account the dangers billboards pose, distraction to the driver, how the intensity of the light may interfere with the drivers’ vision and possible reflection the signs
pose.

Several mitigation measures have been put in place in accordance Caltrans that include no special effects that include moving or flashing lights.

From the looks of things, the city and CCO are close to sealing this deal.

“We expect to come back to Council with the financials for the deal as well as the language for the updated sign ordinance in April,” wrote Daniel Roth, the district director, in an e-mail.

Peace and Freedom Party candidate

2010-02-10T08:36:48Z

The Peace and Freedom Party is gathering signatures in Sacramento to put Daniel Fredrick on the ballot in the November election.

Fredrick is running for Assembly District 4 against Republican incumbent TedGaines. Fredrick has made his reasons for running against Gaines abundantly clear: “In a nutshell, what separates me from Ted Gaines is everything! Whatever he stands for, I am the opposite. So are my solutions.”

Fredrick made the decision to run during a meeting in which Ray Reynolds, a ocal member of the PFP, said, “We are never going to get any young people in this party by running our tired old asses again. Daniel, you need to run”.

The importance of getting a younger demographic into the fray of politics is the PFP's goal. It offers a litany of platforms that appeal to a
younger generation, above all including them in politics. The PFP goes beyond the generic political party side choosing.

Explaining his view about why young people are so important to the PFP, Fredrick remarked, “ Easy; it’s the future of this party. I am the
youngest representative here and I’m 35!” Beyond just including the young and rebellious, a different perspective on economics is of great concern to Fredrick.

The commitment to the working class is one of Fredrick’s many priorities. According to Fredrick, “ The reason for the low approval rating for the California Legislature is because they are not working for the people. That simple. No one is looking out for the working
class.”

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the California Legislature has a 16 percent approval rating, 75 percent disapprove
and 9 percent decline to state among registered voters. The current population of California is just under 36 million.

Reflecting on the signature-gathering drive, Fredrick said, “It has been great talking to people and letting them ask questions on what I stand or.” The advantage is two-fold in Fredrick’s eyes: “I can register more Peace and Freedom Party members and really meet people that want to vote for us.”

Since a political party of this nature typically doesn’t have the war chest of Republicans and Democrats, paying a $2,000 fee to be
placed on the ballot isn’t an option.

One accomplishment the PFP can take credit for is being an integral part in passing a law that allows political parties to gather
signatures to be placed on the ballot instead of paying $2,000.

Every election cycle is crucial to the party. The PFP needs 2 percent of the vote every election cycle to keep its status as a
ballot-qualified party.

Fredrick is currently the vice president of the Central County Committee for the Sacramento Peace and Freedom Party.

Justin Smith can be reached at justinsmiths@gmail.com

Keeping municipal funds municipal

2010-01-18T08:15:32Z

Californians to Protect Local Tax Payers & Vital Services launched a signature-gathering drive throughout the state to protect local taxpayers and municipalities against the state from perpetually looting city funds to balance the state budget.

The Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act would amend the California constitution under Section 24, Article XIII (b): The Legislature may not reallocate, transfer, borrow, appropriate, restrict the use of, or otherwise use the proceeds of any tax imposed or levied by a local government solely for the local government’s purposes.

According to the Californians to Protect Local Tax Payers & Vital Services Jan. 12 press release the state has “exploited loopholes…and used legally questionable tactics to borrow and raid more than $5 billion in local government, transit and redevelopment funds this year alone.”

“The borrowing was meant to provide an outlet in short-term budget emergencies but it’s instead being used to paper over structural budget problems.” said a representative who chose to remain anonymous. “The state has no clear way to pay back the $2 billion plus interest in local property taxes that the state is borrowing in this year’s 2009 - 2010 state budget.”

The representative went on to add “ Changing the constitution is the most secure thing voters can do to protect local revenues.”

The measure if passed would ensure local control, predictability and accountability for local tax dollars that are used to provide the most essential local services.

In 2004 voters passed Prop 1A which included provisions that allow the state to borrow municipal funds during fiscal emergencies. The state must repay the debt after three years with interest. The representative noted “After several budget cycles it is clear that these budget provisions are bad for local governments and transportation services and fiscally irresponsible for the state.

The coalition is set to obtain 1.1 million signatures to ensure that it meets the required 694,354 valid signatures needed to qualify a constitutional amendment for the statewide ballot slated for the November 2010 ballot.

Sacramento faced close to a $58 million budget gap for the 2008 -2009 fiscal year, and will need to cut $200 million by 2013 to stay in the black.