November 2010 Election

Woo didn't break law, state says

2011-02-01T01:27:02Z

Allegations accusing school board member Darrel Woo of violating the Political Reform Act were dismissed by the Fair Political Practices Commission last week.

Shane Singh, who ran against Woo for board member of the Sacramento City Unified School District in the Nov. 2 election, accused Woo’s campaign of making improper payments to Woo’s daughter, among other allegations.

Gary Winuk, FPPC’s enforcement division chief, wrote a Jan. 26 letter to Singh about the state’s investigation. The commission “conducted an investigation and has found insufficient evidence to establish a violation of the Political Reform Act,” Winuk wrote. “As such, we are closing this case without further action.”

Singh said on Monday that he is glad the FPPC investigated and claimed that Woo ran a “questionable campaign.”

Alex Barrios, who worked as a campaign consultant for Woo, described Singh’s allegations as “a distraction” on Monday.

“The FPPC confirmed what we already knew, that there were no violations,” Barrios wrote in Jan. 28 news release.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

State investigates school board member's campaign

2010-12-28T01:29:46Z

A Sacramento school board member’s recent political campaign is being investigated by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission, a spokeswoman for the commission confirmed Monday.

The FPPC is investigating allegations against Darrel Woo’s campaign for a seat on Sacramento City Unified School District’s board, according to FPPC spokeswoman Tara Stock.

Shane Singh, who unsuccessfully ran against Woo for the school board seat, complained to the FPPC about Woo’s campaign.

Woo won his race for a school board seat in November.

In a Dec. 22 letter to Singh, the FPPC said it would investigate his claims about Woo’s campaign. The letter also pointed out that it has not yet “made any determination about the validity” of Singh’s complaints.

The FPPC states on its website that it will thoroughly investigate an issue “when there is sufficient information to believe that a violation of the (Political Reform) Act has occurred.”

Singh sent a statement to local media outlets on Monday announcing the FPPC’s decision to investigate his former competitor’s campaign. He also gave them his written complaint.

Singh accuses Woo of breaking the state’s Political Reform Act in various ways. Among Singh’s accusations is a claim that Woo’s campaign improperly used business cards purchased by the Sacramento City Teachers Association.

“These campaign materials noted that they were printed and paid for by the Teachers Union, but apparently distributed by Woo's campaign in an effort to deceive the voting public,” Singh wrote Monday in a statement.

In his complaint, Singh also accused Woo and Woo’s daughter of receiving payments improperly. “It is also believed that Woo’s campaign violated the Political Reform Act by paying his own daughter Alyson K. Woo $2,000/month from his campaign … His daughter lives with him on Reef Court. As such, Woo personally received a benefit from his campaign committee,” the document said.

Alex Barrios, who worked as a campaign consultant for Woo, said he does not think there is any merit to Singh’s allegations. “The only reason (the FPPC is) investigating us is because Shane’s a sore loser,” Barrios said.

Attempts to reach Woo by phone and e-mail on Monday were unsuccessful.

Sacramento City Teachers Association President Linda Tuttle could not be reached Monday afternoon because the association’s office was closed.

Read the FPPC’s Dec. 22 letter here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

District 7: Chin weighs conceding

2010-11-12T22:45:15Z

District 7 City Council

As election results continue to trickle in, District 7 City Council candidate Ryan Chin is feeling less confident about his prospects for a win.

“It’s obviously not going in my direction,” Chin said.

In the District 7 race, Fong was leading with 52 percent of the vote Thursday night. Chin followed with 47 percent. In the Nov. 3 results release, Fong had 51 percent to Chin’s 48 percent.

Chin said he might “reach out” to opponent Darrell Fong. But it was unclear Friday if or when Chin will concede the race.

“We’re happy that our numbers held and that our numbers went up,” Fong said Friday.

Sacramento County Sheriff’s Race

Both Sheriff Capt. Scott Jones and Capt. Jim Cooper, said they were feeling confident Friday.

The race narrowed Thursday night, bringing Cooper closer to Jones’ lead. Results released late Thursday afternoon showed Jones with 50 percent of the vote, while Cooper had 49 percent, a slight increase for Cooper since the Nov. 3 election results update.

Jones said that while his lead had slightly receded, he remained confident. “The reality is the prospects never looked better,” Jones said.

Cooper, meanwhile, said he was still optimistic. “We’re still plugging along,” he said.

Brad Buyse, campaign manager for the Sacramento County Elections Department, said the next batch of election results will be released Monday afternoon.

The Elections Department has about 21,600 ballots left to count from the Nov. 2 election, according to a Friday update on its website.

Photos of Fong, Chin, Cooper and Jones by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Opposite takes on sheriff's race

2010-11-04T00:02:27Z

The two candidates for Sacramento County sheriff are reading the results of a close race in opposite ways. Sheriff Capt. Scott Jones said he is so confident with the results that he’s planning to discuss his vision soon with outgoing Sheriff John McGinness.

But Jones’ opponent, Sheriff Capt. Jim Cooper, said the county has so many more ballots to count that the outcome is unknown.

By the latest count, Jones leads with 50.8 percent of the vote, and Cooper follows with 48.8 percent. Sacramento County’s elections department has a total of 120,000 ballots left to count, according to the department’s website. Of the remaining ballots, 108,000 are vote-by-mail and 12,000 are provisional.

Jones said Cooper is not likely to beat him, even with all the uncounted votes.

“It’s a mathematical possibility, but a statistical improbability,” Jones said Wednesday afternoon.

Jones said he plans to start talking to McGinness soon about the transition process, as well as his vision for the job of sheriff.

Meanwhile, Cooper noted that the county has many remaining ballots to count. He said he would let the ballot-counting process take its course.

“Basically, it’s just hurry up and wait,” Cooper said.

It could be weeks before the sheriff’s results are final, according to Brad Buyse, the county’s campaign services manager. Buyse noted that the county’s deadline to certify the votes is Nov. 30.

Photos of Cooper and Jones by Kati Garner.

Staff reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report. Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Precincts roundup: local election results

2010-11-03T18:32:59Z

Election night is over but Sacramento County workers are still wading in ballots.

The Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections Department must keep counting votes, according to Brad Buyse, the county’s campaign services manager. Tens of thousands of vote-by-mail ballots were turned in Tuesday, he said.

However, the county finished its precinct-counting from Tuesday’s voting.

Here is a roundup of local election results with all precincts reported:

Sacramento City Council District 5
Education policy consultant Jay Schenirer had a significant lead by late Tuesday night.
Schenirer: 53 percent
Patrick Kennedy: 46 percent

Sacramento City Council District 7
The two candidates are divided by 373 votes. Darrell Fong is the frontrunner.
Fong: 51 percent
Chin: 48 percent

Measure B: Utilities Rollback
The measure was rejected by voters Tuesday.
No votes: 68 percent
Yes votes: 31 percent

Measure C: Taxing medical pot businesses
Voters supported a business operations tax for medical marijuana businesses.
Yes votes: 71 percent
No votes: 28 percent

Measure D: Arden Arcade Cityhood
Incorporation of Arden Arcade slumped at the polls.
No votes: 76 percent
Yes votes: 23.9 percent

Sacramento County Sheriff
Sheriff’s Capt. Scott Jones was in the lead late Tuesday night.
Scott Jones: 50.8 percent
Jim Cooper: 48.8 percent

Read the vote tallies from the precincts here.

Photo by David Alvarez.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Voters support medical pot tax

2010-11-03T08:08:59Z

Sacramento voters are likely to approve a tax on local medical marijuana dispensaries. With 331 of 355 precincts reporting, the “yes” side had 71 percent of the vote. The “no” side had 28 percent of the vote.

With voter approval of Measure C, medical marijuana dispensaries could pay business taxes as high as four percent of their gross receipts per year.

However, the City Council has the authority to set a tax rate on medical marijuana businesses that is lower than 4 percent of yearly gross receipts.

Photos by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

News Release: Election Day reminders

2010-11-02T02:00:01Z

Sacramento County's Voter Registration and Elections Department sent the following news release on Monday:

Sacramento County Registrar of Voters Jill LaVine wants to give voters some last minute reminders and tips that can make your trip to the polls go a little smoother on Election Day.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Mark your choices in your Sample Ballot Booklet ahead of time and take with you into the voting booth.

If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask a poll worker for a new ballot.

If you are in line when the polls close, you will be allowed to vote.

Can’t make it to your polling place or your name is not on the list? Ask to vote by provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will be counted after the elections office has confirmed that you are registered to vote and you did not already vote elsewhere in the election.

Even vote-by-mail ballots must be turned in by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count. Drop off your vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in Sacramento County or at the Elections Office, 7000 65th St., Sacramento.

Locate your polling place by typing in your address at http://www.pollingplacelookup.saccounty.net/ or by calling the automated polling place lookup at (916) 875-6500.

Photo by Suzanne Hurt.

Medical pot tax on ballot

2010-11-02T01:22:23Z

Sacramento voters will decide Tuesday whether to set a business tax on local medical marijuana dispensaries.

Under Measure C, medical marijuana dispensaries in Sacramento could pay as high as 4 percent of their gross receipts per year in business operations taxes.

Meanwhile, most Sacramento businesses already pay $.40 for every $1,000 of gross receipts per year, according to Mark Prestwich, a special projects manager for the city. These businesses don’t pay any more than $5,000 total in business operations taxes. Measure C would not change the rates for non-marijuana businesses.

But if Measure C passed, medical marijuana businesses would be assessed a higher rate of $40 for every $1,000 of gross receipts. The medical marijuana businesses also would not have that $5,000 cap on the amount of taxes they pay, Prestwich said. This means that medical marijuana businesses could pay more of these taxes than most other businesses in the city.

In July, the City Council approved the measure to be placed on the November ballot.

If Measure C passes, the City Council will have the power to decide the specific tax rate it wants to set for medical marijuana businesses. It could choose to charge less than 4 percent of yearly gross receipts.

“The city of Sacramento needs this new revenue to keep providing the services you depend on,” according to the ballot statement by Measure C supporters.

The tax money would go toward the city’s general fund. General fund money goes to city services such as fire, police and park maintenance, according to a fact sheet on the city’s website.

Medical marijuana patients would have to pay more with the new tax, said Lanette Davies, co-owner of the Canna Care dispensary in Sacramento. She said she would have to add the cost of the tax onto the amount that patients are currently paying. Medical marijuana patients are already ill, she said. “They should not be penalized.”

If Proposition 19 passes, legalizing recreational marijuana, Measure C would also allow the city to assess taxes to recreational pot businesses up to 10 percent of yearly gross receipts.

Staff reporter Brandon Darnell contributed reporting and the photograph for this story.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Q&A with sheriff candidate Scott Jones

2010-10-29T22:17:12Z

Two Sacramento County sheriff’s captains are in their final weekend of campaigning for sheriff.

Voters will decide on Tuesday whether Sheriff Capt. Scott Jones or Sheriff Capt. Jim Cooper should replace outgoing Sheriff John McGinness.

Jones sat down with The Sacramento Press on Friday morning in Carmichael to discuss his ideas and qualifications.

Read The Sacramento Press’ interview with Cooper here.

SP: In your view, what are a few of the most pressing public safety issues in the county?

SJ: We have a lot of pressing problems. Of course, everything is overarched by the budget. It’s not just a question of what I would like to do, it’s a question of what we can do within our budgetary constraints.

There are a lot of things we can do. It’s not going to involve more revenue or higher taxes. It’s going to involve becoming more efficient internally and partnering with our regional public safety partners ... In fact, I went to the police chiefs first when I started this campaign 15 months ago. I said, ‘Look, my vision is for regionalization of services for this region.’ They all agreed. All the chiefs in the county have endorsed me. There’s seven cities in the county, and all the police chiefs have endorsed me, as well as the police chief from West Sacramento and the sheriff from San Joaquin. I’ve got the regional support to carry out that vision. That’s one aspect of it.

The other is, we have to do a better job engaging with the public – engaging them in the fight against crime in a collaborative fashion with us. Because we can’t do it on our own. We simply cannot provide the level of public safety that is going to keep everyone as safe as they should be without the public’s help. So, we need to be better at engaging them.

SP: What is your strategy for how the Sheriff’s Department should work with neighborhoods?

SJ: That’s a huge component. And it kind of piggybacks with what I’m saying about being more engaged with the public. We have to rely on them. We have to change the paradigm from us being the sole proprietor of public safety to communities taking ownership of their own public safety.

Whether geographic or ethnic or religious – however a community is defined – they need to have ownership of their own public safety in cooperation with us. That involves neighborhood watch programs. That involves me exploding our volunteer forces – not only in the numbers and in the traditional roles – but finding completely new ways of utilizing volunteers to help out officers.

For example, right now, you come out of your house and find your car broken into. You can call us, but we’re not going to come. But I can send a volunteer out to take that report. It only costs me gas money. But what it does is it gives you, as a crime victim, a connection with the department. I’ve given you a level of service for the Sheriff’s Department that would not be present otherwise – you would have to be responsible for your own report. Well, this is a way I can use volunteers for little to no cost to still maintain a good public safety presence and service.

SP: What are a few key differences between you and your opponent, Jim Cooper?

SJ: You can look at a couple of things. Number 1 is our conduct. I think the best predictor of future conduct is past behavior. So, look at our past behavior – not only throughout our careers, but during this campaign as well. I’ve always been positive. I’ve never been negative in this campaign. I’ve never said anything negative about my opponent.

When I was the jail commander, I opened it up. I was completely transparent for the first time ever in the jail. So, my past conduct is going to be a good predictor of my future conduct, as his will be.

Secondly, is a vision. I’m the only one that’s articulated a vision going forward in this department. I posted (it) on my website about a year ago. I hear a lot of complaining from my opponent about perceived failures of prior administrations. I don’t hear any cogent vision about how to go forward, what he’s going to do, and how he’s going to do it. And I’ve been very clear about only looking forward throughout my campaign.

And lastly, is the support. I have, like I said, (received the support from) all the regional police chiefs – who know what it takes to run an organization. They know who’s better-equipped to do it. All the media outlets that have weighed in on this race have supported me, including the Bee, the News & Review, the Folsom Telegraph. I’ve got all the regional chambers of commerce because of my ideas and strength for the business climate in Sacramento County, and the public safety piece to (the business climate) ... I’ve got the (support of the) Elk Grove mayor. There’s a reason that I’ve got all of this support. And it’s because I’ve been able to get out my vision and work very hard and that resonates with folks.

So, that’s been my challenge for 15 months. I knew I wouldn’t have the money to compete with the union money that he got. And I knew I didn’t have the name ID or the political experience that he had. But I knew I could out-work him, and I knew I had a better vision.

SP: What is your vision, then?

SJ: It’s multi-faceted. One, is the regionalization. Second, is the collaboration with the public. And that takes on many forms. It takes on the form, for example, (of) me having office hours in the community, much like a professor – all over the community for a direct interface.

It includes me creating two more advisory boards. We have one now that’s loosely geographically based. I want to create two more: one, a business advisory board because the business climate in Sacramento County ... is extremely important for our economic recovery and sustained economic health.

The last board I want to create is a faith-based and community-based organization advisory board. I want to be able to tap into the community-based and faith-based organizations and communities – not only for the pool of volunteers they can provide, but to be a voice directly to the communities and directly back from the communities. A direct voice from the communities to me.

And I also want to utilize them to reach our young people. The problem is, the first time we show up in young (peoples’) lives can’t be when we take their father or their brother or even them to jail. It’s too late at that point. We need to show up in their lives beforehand.

I’m going to rely on the faith-based, community-based organizations ... to help me reach the young people through them. So we can not only just have enforcement for gang activity and crimes, but we have some prevention and some intervention. And that’s what’s going to change behavior. And changing behavior is the only way to effectively attack crime in Sacramento County – not just showing up and arresting bad guys.

That’s great to have more cops to arrest bad guys, but if you really want to change behavior, you have to start on the other end with prevention and intervention before it ever comes to that. And it will pay dividends; it will work.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Q&A with sheriff candidate Jim Cooper

2010-10-29T01:42:45Z

The duel between two Sacramento County sheriff’s captains is nearly over.

Local voters will choose one of two candidates in the Nov. 2 election to replace outgoing Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. Sacramento County Sheriff Capt. Jim Cooper is in the final stretch of his runoff campaign against Sheriff Capt. Scott Jones.

Cooper, who is also an Elk Grove City Council member, sat down with The Sacramento Press on Thursday afternoon to discuss his ideas and qualifications for the sheriff’s post.

The Sacramento Press has asked for an interview with Jones, and aims to talk to him before Election Day.

SP: In your view, what are a few of the most pressing public safety problems in the county?

JC: I think number one is patrol services. We laid off 122 deputies in August 2009. We’re getting 50 back. But that still leaves a hole of 72 officers still missing in patrol. That’s critical ... because we want to protect our children.

[The Sheriff’s Department] has been over-budget. I think everybody out in the community (is) making do with less. They aren’t going out as much, not spending as much money. And here we are, we’ve overspent our budget. And that’s not right either.

We need to live within our means as a public agency.

It’s all about protecting our children ... For the last two and a half years, I’ve been the commander of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. We do all the Internet crimes against children investigations. Those are all the child pornography investigations for Northern California. So, if you’re downloading or trading child pornography, we come after you and arrest you.

SP: What is your strategy for how the Sheriff’s Department should work with neighborhoods?

JC: You’ve got to get out there in the neighborhoods and know those neighborhoods. And part of that problem is, we’ve lost our service centers. We had community service centers in every neighborhood in Sacramento. We closed those and shut most of those down. Our citizen volunteers – most of those folks staff those service centers. We’ve got to rely more upon those folks in doing that.

(Before the cuts), citizens could go to the service centers and get their issues addressed, especially with the community-oriented-policing (COP) officers. We lost all of our COP officers, and we don’t have them anymore. That’s vital to have those folks out in the community.

SP: What are a few key differences between you and your opponent, Scott Jones?

JC: I’ve worked patrol; I’ve worked narcotics/gangs. As far as being a captain, I’ve commanded every major division in the Sheriff’s Department. So, I’ve got the experience.

Number 2, I’m a city councilman down in Elk Grove. I’m in my 10th year – my third term. I’ve been mayor twice. We set aside $13 million when we saw the economy getting bad. We’ve had no layoffs (at) our police department – none whatsoever. I’ve got the experience of going back to Washington, D.C., and bringing money back here for local projects in Elk Grove. Approximately $120 million in federal funding I helped bring back.

And I have relationships with our congressional delegation in Washington. He doesn’t have that – he’s never had relationships with those folks.

SP: What would be your top three priorities as sheriff?

JC: To get more officers back on the street.

To re-implement the grant-writing unit. And that was part of our problem – we got rid our grant-writing unit. And over where I am, in high-tech crimes, we’re about 70 or 80 percent grant funded. It’s important to have that grant-writing unit. And last year, we lost out on some federal grants. The Sacramento Police Department got $9 million in federal funding. They had no layoffs.

Third one is more community collaboration. We don’t talk with the community enough and collaborate with them. Sacramento is a big county, and each community has different needs and different problems. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach. So, you’ve got to reach out there and establish community councils to deal with problems in specific areas.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Arden Arcade ballot measure explained

2010-10-28T04:14:43Z

The future of Arden Arcade’s relationship with Sacramento County is one of the most contentious local issues in the Nov. 2 election.

Measure D asks voters to choose whether Arcade Arcade should leave the county and become a city. Two passionate campaigns have debated for months whether a 98,000-person Arden Arcade community should have a city government with a city council.

The Sacramento Press is providing the following summary of three key subjects in the Arcade Arcade fight: a guide to the opposing campaigns, what the county’s financial relationship would be with a new city, and an exploration of campaign claims that the city of Sacramento wants to annex Arden Arcade.

The proposed city of Arden Arcade would consist of land bordered “on the west and north by the Sacramento city limits, on the north by Auburn Boulevard and the centerline of Winding Way, on the east by the centerline of Jacob Lane and Mission Avenue and its northerly extension to the centerline of Cypress Avenue, and on the south by the centerline of the American River,” according to the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission.

A city of Arden Arcade “may be fiscally feasible,” according to an April 30 fiscal study conducted by Willdan Financial Services for the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission.

Supporters of Measure D argue that cityhood would benefit Arden Arcade because it would give the community more local control and take it out of the county’s jurisdiction.

Joel Archer, formerly a coordinator of the Arden Arcade incorporation effort and currently a city council candidate for the prospective city, said local control would ensure “our businesses are encouraged.”

Archer also claimed that the county has not provided adequate law enforcement and appropriate planning for Arden Arcade. The community has faced “a lack of attention” from Sacramento County, he said.

The campaign cites recent Sacramento County budget woes to make its claim that Arden Arcade needs improved public safety services.

But the U.S. Department of Justice announced in September that it would give the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department $21.4 million. The department intends to bring back 50 deputies with the money, according to a statement from Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness.

Meanwhile, Measure D opponents defend the county’s service to Arden Arcade in the areas of transportation, utilities and community planning.

Mike Duveneck, chairman of the No on Measure D campaign, said a new city would be hard-pressed to have adequate revenues because of the recession. Duveneck also claimed that the new city would add an unnecessary second level of government.

“We think it’s just a risk in a lot of ways that we can’t afford to take,” he said.

On the campaign contributions front, Yes on Measure D took in $44,521 from Jan. 1 to Oct. 16. The campaign’s supporters include the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, which contributed $400 in September.

The Yes on D campaign has received several small contributions from candidates for the prospective Arcade Arcade City Council. Candidates are running for city council seats that would only be created if voters approve cityhood.

The No on Measure D side garnered $95,898 in contributions during the same period. A large chunk of the No on Measure D camp’s money came from a $50,000 contribution in September from the Plumbers and Pipefitters union, Local 447. The California Association of Highway Patrolmen contributed $3,000 to No on D in October.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, which provides police services to Arden Arcade, appears to be split on cityhood. While the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association supports Yes on D, Sheriff John McGinness opposes it.

How would Sacramento County work with a city of Arden Arcade?

The backers of Measure D and the county government were the two parties that worked out the financial terms between a city of Arden Arcade and Sacramento County, said Rob Leonard, the county’s economic development director.

The two parties developed an agreement to cover the county’s financial losses from Arden Arcade cityhood.

Over a 25-year period, the county would lose nearly $217 million since it would no longer receive Arden Arcade’s revenues, according to a May 18 county document.

Agreements for two cities that incorporated in the past said the county should receive yearly payments from the new city each year for 25 years, the document states. But the document explains that the Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees the creation of new local governments, does not expect Arden Arcade to be able to pay 100 percent of its property taxes to the county each year for 25 years.

So, the commission called for Arden Arden to pay 90 percent of its property taxes to the county every year over an unlimited period of time, the document states. The commission also bumped up the amount that Arden Arcade would owe the county – the city would owe the county $219 million instead of $217 milllion, according to the document.

It’s estimated that it would take between 30 and 40 years for Arden Arcade to pay the total amount to the county, Leonard said.

“You’ll pay that for however many years it takes you to get to that 219,” Leonard said.

The financial terms were hashed out between the Arden Arcade city supporters and the county, but they were approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission, Leonard said.

The Arden Arcade city proponents worked with the county on the financial terms, but the city of Arden Arcade will be the entity required to pay back the county, according to Leonard.

If the city of Arden Arcade cannot make its payments, the two parties could end up in court, Leonard said.

Arden Arcade and Sacramento: A dispute over annexation

Those in favor of Arden Arcade cityhood believe Sacramento will try to annex Arden Arcade in the future. Supporters have made this one of their main points to try to sway voters.

But city officials strongly disagree with the campaign’s claims.

The debate centers around Sacramento’s general plan, a long-term planning blueprint.

The March 2009 version of Sacramento’s general plan says a possible annexation of Arden Arcade should be studied at some point over the next 20 years, Sacramento’s New Growth Manager Scot Mende said. To date, the city has not studied the possibility of Arden Arden annexation, he said.

In bold type, a page on the city’s website states: “The City of Sacramento has no plans to annex Arden Arcade.”

But the Yes on Measure D campaign claimed in a Sept. 18 blog entry that the city of Sacramento wants to annex Arden Arcade in the future.

“Despite phony claims by lobbyists and the anti-reform radicals opposing Measure D, OFFICIAL documents – including the City of Sacramento General Plan – have targeted the Arden-Arcade area for annexation,” according to the campaign’s blog post.

Archer, an Arden Arcade City Council candidate, called annexation “a huge concern” and said he opposed it because it would result in “another broken government” for Arden Arcade.

Meanwhile, Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn said he simultaneously supports the idea of annexation, and the right of Arden Arcade voters to decide how to govern themselves.

The city of Sacramento has said it wouldn’t annex Arden Arcade without a vote from the community’s residents, Cohn said.

In his personal view, Cohn said he thinks annexation of Arden Arcade would make for a more efficient government system and consolidate layers of local government.

If Measure D does not pass, Cohn said, there is an opportunity to discuss future annexation of Arden Arcade by the city of Sacramento.

As for the debate over annexation in the current Measure D campaign, Cohn said: “I think they’re using the city of Sacramento as a bogeyman.”

Photos by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Signs spark campaign fight

2010-10-20T01:20:55Z

A fight over campaign signs broke out Tuesday between supporters and opponents of a measure to cut city utilities rates.

The group that backs Measure B sent out a news release that claimed campaign signs have been stolen and hidden in Natomas.

Measure B would cancel a 9.2 percent utilities hike that started in July, and connect the Consumer Price Index to utilities rates.

Craig Powell, chair of the group that supports Measure B, accused the measure’s opponents of stealing 30 signs and hiding 27 others behind other signs. Powell claimed that his group’s signs are hidden from view because “No on B” signs have been installed in front of them.

He further claimed that the problems with the signs are “an effort to suppress the citizens’ campaign to roll back city utilities rates and reform Sacramento’s city utilities.”

Andrew Acosta, a campaign consultant for the No on Measure B campaign, responded to Powell’s claims.

“We understand that in the last weeks of a campaign emotions can get the better of folks, but we take these allegations seriously and have reminded all opponents of Measure B to refrain from such activities,” Acosta wrote in an e-mail.

“We have also received several reports from opponents of Measure B who have had their signs stolen and would urge all supporters of Measure B to likewise refrain from these activities.”

Read the arguments for and against Measure B here.

The supporters of Measure B sent out the above photo.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Profile: Assembly candidate Andy Pugno

2010-10-15T23:58:25Z

Andy Pugno drafted the California law that prohibits gay marriage, but his Assembly campaign website does not mention Proposition 8.

Pugno, a Republican and the attorney for Prop. 8 supporters, is competing in a tense race with Democrat Richard Pan for the District 5 Assembly seat. Read a profile of Pan here.

In an interview on Friday, Pugno said he’s not running on the issue of same-sex marriage. Rather, the Folsom resident said he is focusing on the issues of state spending, job creation and local governments’ relationship with the state.

The Sacramento Press asked Pugno if he’s trying to distance himself from Prop. 8 by not mentioning it on his campaign website.

“I’m not trying to distance myself at all,” he said. “Prop. 8 is an issue that has already been decided, and now ultimately rests with the courts. And so, it is not one of the top issues the Assembly is facing. And it is not the purpose of my campaign.”

While he said Prop. 8 is not central to his campaign, he added that his views on Prop. 8 are in line with the views of his district.

Pugno, 37, said he wants to spur job creation in the state by lessening government regulation that hampers employers. He said he wants to “get government out of the way of an economic recovery.”

He criticized wage and hour laws and environmental rules, saying that they hamper businesses. When companies consider whether to buy new equipment, “they can have almost no confidence that the government won’t tell them to replace it next year at great expense,” he said.

Pugno supports Prop. 23, which would overturn the state’s climate change law, AB 32, until the state reaches an unemployment rate of 5.5 percent or lower for four consecutive quarters.

He said it “makes sense to wait until we have a healthier economy to be imposing new mandates on the California businesses.” That could take a long time – California’s unemployment rate was at 12.4 percent in August, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In addition to job creation, another one of Pugno’s priorities is limiting state spending. California’s spending is “out-of-control,” he said, adding that the state needs to “get real” about its revenue projections.

Pugno also wants local governments to have more decision-making power than the state. Decisions are “better made when they are made locally,” he said. He contended that the public has more direct access to local leaders than to state leaders.

The contentiousness in the fight for the District 5 seat is apparent in the two campaigns’ views of Pan’s television ads.

The television ads make comments about Pugno’s views on abortion that Pugno said were “outright lies.” Pugno said the claims used in the ad were not true. He does, however, acknowledge his pro-life position on abortion.

For example, an ad claims that Pugno “spent years working to outlaw” abortion, according to the text of the ad. While he takes a pro-life position, he said he did not work on the abortion issue. The ad also claims that he’s opposed to stem-cell research. He told The Sacramento Press that he is not opposed to stem-cell research.

“I am 100 percent pro-life and I’ve always been very clear about that,” he said. “But the other claims in the ad are false and are designed to portray me as some kind of an extremist.”

Photo courtesy of Pugno's campaign.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Profile: Assembly candidate Richard Pan

2010-10-15T01:51:44Z

Physician Richard Pan supports gay marriage.

Attorney Andy Pugno is the author of Proposition 8, which prohibits gay marriage in the state.

Democrat Pan and Republican Pugno, the top two California Assembly candidates seeking to represent Sacramento and its surrounding areas, don’t have much in common.

Voters will go to the polls Nov. 2 to choose a winner for the District 5 seat. Roger Niello, who formerly held the District 5 seat, is now a candidate for state Senate.

Pan, a North Natomas resident and pediatrician at the University of California, Davis, Children’s Hospital, sat down with The Sacramento Press last week to explain his ideas and priorities. The Sacramento Press will feature a profile of Pugno on Friday.

Pan, 44, said his top three priorities in the Legislature would be jobs and the economy, access to high-quality education, and access to high-quality and affordable health care.

He said he wants to see investment in public schools, colleges and universities in the state.

“The community college system is the one I’m most concerned about,” he said.

Pan said community colleges are crucial because they simultaneously provide a path toward an associate’s degree, entry into the University of California and the California State University systems, and retraining opportunities for working people.

Pan’s campaign website says he would “strongly oppose” hikes in college tuition.

Green jobs are a central part of his economic strategy.

He opposes Proposition 23, which would overturn AB 32, the state’s climate change law. In Pan’s view, AB 32’s focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions helps the development of green jobs.

“We’re going to try to develop the green jobs of the future. We need to have a stable market for those jobs,” he said.

Californians have the potential to create and sell environmentally friendly technologies that could spur the state’s economy, he said. “When we develop those technologies, those will be technologies that the rest of the country and the rest of the world will want,” he said.

Pan also wants to pursue health care coverage for all of the state’s children, according to his website.

The tone of the race between the two candidates has been controversial. Pan’s recent television ads on Pugno’s pro-life stance on abortion came under fire from Pugno’s campaign, according to an Oct. 5 Sacramento Bee article. The Pugno campaign called the ad’s examples “bogus,” the Bee reported.

But Pan said that Pugno’s views on Prop. 8 and abortion are “things that characterize his work and his career.”

Photo by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Johnson, SMUD official protest Prop. 23

2010-10-15T01:16:13Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson and representatives from public agencies and small businesses said Thursday that ballot measure Proposition 23 would harm the environment, green businesses and air quality.

The November ballot measure would overturn the state’s climate change law, AB 32, until the state reaches an unemployment rate of 5.5 percent or lower for four consecutive quarters. AB 32, which the California Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger passed in 2006, aims to cut California’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Backers of Prop. 23, officially called the “California Jobs Initiative,” argue that AB 32 hurts businesses that must pay the expense of making mandatory changes to comply. The Sacramento City Council, which includes Johnson, unanimously opposed Prop. 23 in a symbolic vote in August.

Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro are high-profile financial contributors to Prop. 23.

“We don’t want to be addicted to oil,” Johnson said at a press conference on Thursday.

Josh Daniels, who owns an environmentally friendly home materials business called Green Sacramento, also spoke with Johnson. “We’ve definitely benefited a lot in (the green building) industry from AB 32,” Daniels said.

In her comments, Genevieve Shiroma, president of the board of directors for the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District, said the utility helps to advance economic development and create jobs through its environmental programs.

Larry Greene, executive director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, said that passage of Prop. 23 would be the “wrong thing to do for air quality and public health.”

Meanwhile, the Yes on Prop. 23 campaign contends that an overturn of AB 32 would maintain jobs. The campaign’s website says the measure focuses on “protecting jobs, preserving environmental protections, and holding the line on costs for California’s struggling families.”

Photo by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor releases Nov. 2 endorsements

2010-10-12T00:56:32Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson released his endorsements for several Nov. 2 political races on Friday. He named his candidates in local, state and federal elections in a post on his blog.

In the Sacramento City Council runoff in District 5, Johnson endorsed education policy consultant Jay Schenirer. He had endorsed Schenirer for the first time in May, when the City Council candidate was running against four other candidates. Schenirer is competing against attorney Patrick Kennedy in the November runoff.

The winning candidate will replace current City Councilwoman Lauren Hammond.

Johnson decided not to endorse a candidate in the District 7 runoff. Ryan Chin, a communications director at Sacramento State is running against retired Sacramento police captain Darrell Fong for the seat. Outgoing City Councilman Robbie Waters lost the seat in the June election.

“Either candidate will serve the best interests of Greenhaven, the Pocket and Valley Hi,” Johnson wrote about the District 7 race.

By contrast, the mayor did not take a position on Measure B, one of the most controversial measures on the ballot. Measure B would halt a 9.2 percent utilities rate increase and restructure how the Utilities Department manages utilities rates.

“I voted against the last rate hike, have concerns about utilities operations, and am still gathering information,” Johnson wrote on his blog.

Johnson did not respond to a request for further comment Monday.

Councilman Kevin McCarty, a leader in the No on Measure B campaign, said the good news is that Johnson is still studying the issues relating to the measure. The position of the No on B campaign is that it would harm the city’s budget.

McCarty noted that every other member of the City Council opposes the measure.

Craig Powell, chairman of the campaign supporting Measure B, said he respects Johnson for “taking the time” to learn about the facts. The text of Measure B claims that utilities rates in Sacramento are unaffordable.

While Johnson has released endorsements for many races, he wrote that he will endorse education races in a separate announcement. Here is the list of endorsements Johnson released Friday:

U.S. Senate: Barbara Boxer
U.S. House of Representatives: Doris Matsui

Governor: Jerry Brown
Lt. Governor: Gavin Newsom
Attorney General: Kamala Harris
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen
Controller: John Chiang
Treasurer: Bill Lockyer

State Senate District 1: Roger Niello
State Senate District 6: Darrell Steinberg
Assembly District 5: Dr. Richard Pan

Sacramento County

Sheriff: Jim Cooper

City of Sacramento

District 5: Jay Schenirer
District 7: No preference.

Roseville City Council

Dr. Tim Herman

State Propositions

Prop. 22: Yes
Prop. 23: No
Prop. 25: Yes

City Measures

Measure B: “Still gathering information.”

Measure C: “Yes, but only if statewide initiative Prop. 19 passes.”

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Oct. 18 deadline to register to vote

2010-10-12T00:33:38Z

Monday, Oct. 18, is the last day to register to vote for the Nov. 2 general election.

Citizens can find the voter registration form here.

People who have moved, changed their names or selected a new political party must re-register to vote, according to the Sacramento County Register of Voters.

Photo by Suzanne Hurt.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.