Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "budget"

Council: Parking lease issue won't reach June ballot

2012-02-08T22:01:48Z

The push to put a city parking lease to a vote fell flat Tuesday as the City Council rejected a motion to put the question on the June ballot.

It was City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy who first suggested in November that the voters should have a say in whether the city leases its parking inventory to an outside company.

She conducted a city-wide poll on her website in October, which indicated that
70 percent of respondents favored a public vote on a potential 50-year lease, according to Sheedy.

“The (arena) plan hinges on leasing the city’s parking for 50 years,” Sheedy said Tuesday. “I think such a massive public investment warrants a public vote.”

Still, after almost an hour of public discussion, the council voted 5-4 Tuesday not to place the issue on the ballot.

Sheedy and Council members Kevin McCarty, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted in favor of the measure.

Council members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn, Rob Fong and Jay Schenirer and Mayor Kevin Johnson voted against it.

The City Council is pursuing the possibility of leasing the city’s parking assets as part of a financing plan for a new entertainment and sports complex.

Opponents of a public vote on the issue said a ballot measure would occur after the March 1 deadline for the city to have a solid arena plan – without one, Sacramento Kings’ owners have threatened to relocate the team.

“We owe the NBA an answer by March. The election is in June. In the effort of being timely, I don’t think we should send it to ballot,” Ashby said.

Another point of opposition was the message a possible vote would send to the 13 companies that have expressed interest in leasing the city’s parking inventory.

“If the leasing of parking assets is put on the ballot it would send a signal to the NBA, AEG, and to the business community across the country that this council is indecisive and it would sabotage efforts to this point,” said Sacramento resident James Battle during public comment.

“It’s impossible to separate this issue from the impact of the vote,” City Councilman Steve Cohn said. “Let’s be clear: it would kill the arena deal in its tracks. If that’s what you want to do, then vote for it.”

Johnson said the list of 13 interested lessees would be reviewed and narrowed down to three or four before a financing agreement would be created.

“The goal is to have that term sheet in place before the March 1 deadline,” Johnson said at his weekly press conference Tuesday.

“We are doing all we can to make that happen,” he said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Police union halts labor talks with City Hall

2012-02-08T15:27:42Z

In the the wake of the City Council’s 5-4 vote Tuesday blocking the strong mayor initiative from going to the November ballot, police union leaders halted labor contract discussions with City Hall.

Mark Tyndale, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association told City Manager John Shirey in an email just hours after the final council vote that he was “suspending all discussions between the city and the SPOA negotiations team.”

After voting down the strong mayor initiative, council members approved a ballot measure to create an elected 15-member charter reform commission.

Calling the cost of a charter commission “fiscally irresponsible,” Tyndale said in the email that he “can’t help but feel this was nothing but a tactic by some of them to once again publically (sic) display their contempt for the Mayor.”

Although the SPOA had engaged with city labor representatives in a series of “off the record” discussions, Tyndale said in the email, the council’s decision to create a charter commission caused him to reevaluate his position.

“I refuse to consider further concessions that will only be used to fund the Commission,” Tyndale said.

The cost of a charter commission is largely unknown, according to the City Clerk’s office. In a staff report to council Tuesday, a portion of the cost – the cost of putting the question to the voters of rather to create a commission – was estimated at more than $127,000.

Assistant City Attorney Matt Ruyak said Tuesday that the additional costs of staffing and maintaining a commission – beyond the cost of the election alone – were unknown at this early stage.

Tyndale asked Shirey and City Finance Director Leyne Milstein for a written estimate of the costs to the city for an elected charter review commission.

Neither Tyndale nor Shirey were available for comment at press time for this story. The Sacramento Press will give updates on the situation as they become available.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Del Paso Boulevard to get a makeover this summer

2012-02-04T02:52:45Z

The Del Paso Boulevard corridor between Globe and Baxter avenues will be getting a makeover this summer in a $1.5 million dollar streetscape project set to begin in May.

The project will include safety improvements at intersections and new on-street parking to the 1000-block of Del Paso Boulevard, according to city Department of Transportation Assistant Engineer Matthew Johns.

The city received federal community development grant funds in 2009 to construct streetscape improvements between Arden Way and State Route 160.

Before construction could begin, the project had to go through various stages of planning, design and environmental review. The project got the final go-ahead from the City Council Tuesday.

Johns said the project includes removing and replacing sections of curb and sidewalk, enlarging the wells surrounding trees along the boulevard and adding an irrigation system to promote growth of the trees.

“One day it’ll have something of a shade canopy from those trees, similar to what you see in Midtown,” Johns said Friday.

The street improvements will also address safety needs along that corridor, Johns said.

There will be a new traffic signal system at the intersection of Southgate Road, Colfax Street and Del Paso Boulevard, on the corner in front of the Sacramento News & Review building at 1124 Del Paso Boulevard.

Currently, there are stop signs at the side streets (Southgate and Colfax) and a marked crosswalk, but Johns said the improvements will include a traffic light and pedestrian controls at the crosswalk.

“Pedestrians will be able to cross when traffic is completely stopped instead of trying to judge when it’s clear,” Johns said. “It will make the intersection safer and hopefully will prevent accidents.”

Fran Barker, a member of the Del Paso Heights Improvement Association and a longtime community advocate, said that the planned improvement project will be a benefit to the area.

“We definitely appreciate whatever improvements can be made to our environment,” Barker said Friday. “Especially safety improvements.”

Barker said that, over her more than 50 years of advocating for her Del Paso Heights neighbors, she has watched many improvement projects go in – but not the ones she feels are most important.

“Beautification seems to come before safety,” Barker said.

One concern for Barker is the lack of lights on the smaller residential streets that tend to get very dark, making it difficult for people to navigate the streets at night.

“With the crime rate where it is, safety is so important,” Barker said. “We should have streetlights. That’s elementary, Dr. Watson.”

Additional streetlights are part of the upcoming project, Johns said, although they will not be installed on the smaller residential streets. They will be put in along the southern end of the corridor, nearing State Route 160.

The project is expected to take nearly four months to complete, Johns said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Bagatelos may take on McCarty for District 6 council seat

2012-02-03T05:20:22Z

When it comes to talking about how to run a city, local developer and City Council District 6 candidate Jon Bagatelos is all business.

Bagatelos, co-owner of Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems and Bagatelos Development, LLC, was recruited to join the City Council race by business, community and public safety groups who are “tired of the way things are going with the city,” Bagatelos, 44, said Wednesday.

Bagatelos has not officially filed notice of his candidacy, but said he expects to select a campaign manager within the next couple of weeks. He will be running against incumbent Kevin McCarty for the City Council District 6 seat.

One of the main reasons he decided to consider the council seat, he said, is McCarty’s position on charter reform – more commonly referred to as “strong mayor.”

“I’m disappointed that he won’t vote to put it on the ballot,” Bagatelos said. “I would say he’s wrong on some of his positions, especially the strong mayor issue.”

Bagatelos said he supports a strong mayor system of government – not because of any loyalty to Mayor Kevin Johnson – but because he wants an accountable city council.

“I’m for (strong mayor) because the executive should have his authority, and the council – the legislative body – should have its authority,” Bagatelos said. “The city should not be run by an unelected city manager. That’s not accountability.”

Bagatelos has a self-described “one-track mind” about Sacramento that hinges on creating a business-friendly environment to create jobs and boost the local economy.

“We’ve dug a hole, and we have a lot of city services that we take for granted but we can’t afford,” Bagatelos said. “It’s going to take time to build the revenue to pay for those things. That’s just the truth of it.”

That’s not to say he’s against social services, Bagatelos was quick to point out – but he believes spending decisions need to be made carefully.

“The people on (the City) Council think money grows on trees and – they’re the government – they think they can spend what they don’t have,” Bagatelos said. “I don’t believe in that. If that makes me a radical, well, OK.”

The key to providing services such as transportation and utilities and homeless programs, Bagatelos said, is fostering an environment where companies want to come to Sacramento – and bring employment opportunities with them.

“That creates jobs for people who pay taxes, and taxes provide revenue for those needed services,” he said.

If the key to providing city services is tax-producing businesses, then the key to drawing them to the city, Bagatelos said, is the proposed entertainment and sports complex.

“The arena is a major opportunity. It will create jobs for the city,” Bagatelos said. “To have (the arena) happen would be instrumental to the growth of this city.”

Bagatelos has been criticized in the media and by some in McCarty’s camp for not living in the district – questioning both his eligibility for the race and his commitment to the district.

He and his family currently live in East Sacramento, but they also own a home in Campus Commons which was drawn into council District 6 through the recent redisticting process.

“I own a house in the district, my business is in the district, and over the years we’ve employed hundreds – if not thousands – of people,” Bagatelos said.

“If the biggest complaint against me is where I live, that’s not much of a complaint,” he added.

Mark Friedman, president of Fulcrum Group development company, worked alongside Bagatelos as co-chair of Johnson’s finance committee when Johnson ran for his mayoral seat in 2008.

“(Bagatelos) is deeply engaged in local politics and has been (politically) active for many years,” Friedman said Thursday.

“He’s focused on building the economy and creating jobs,” Friedman said. “If the economy doesn’t improve, then his district doesn’t improve – no district will.”

Friedman said he will be an “enthusiastic” supporter of Bagatelos’ campaign because he feels Bagatelos will bring a “fresh, business-friendly perspective” to the City Council.

The upcoming City Council election will not be Bagatelos’ first foray into the political arena: In 2002, he unsuccessfully ran for the 8th Assembly District seat shortly after starting Bagatelos Development, LLC, with his brothers, Chris and Nick Bagatelos.

When McCarty spoke with The Sacramento Press Sept. 26 about his intention to run for re-election, he said that he welcomes a challenge in the upcoming race.

“Elections are supposed to be about democracy,” McCarty said in the interview, “that means choosing the best candidate in a competitive race.”

McCarty’s campaign consultant, Andrew Acosta, said Wednesday that McCarty has been fighting for his district since he was first elected in 2004 and will continue his work for the people he represents – despite any challengers for his seat.

“If the mayor’s (political) machine intends to run someone against (McCarty),” Acosta said, “then we’ll have a campaign and we’ll discuss the issues.”

Bagatelos said his campaign will be based on asking people, “Do you think things are getting done right in the city? If not, vote for me.”

“It’s really that simple,” he said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

McKinley Park Rose Garden: Getting closer to completion

2012-02-02T02:35:21Z

The long-awaited renovations at the McKinley Park Rose Garden are nearing completion, and the garden is expected to be open by April – just in time for spring weddings in the park.

“The process feels like it’s taken forever,” University of California Master Gardner Ellie Longanecker said Wednesday.

The rose garden was scheduled to be closed from September to mid-February for renovations, including a new irrigation system, accessible walkways, planter curbs, new signs and handicap-accessible parking spaces near the garden entrance.

The work has been extended until the end of March or early April, Longanecker said, because of problems with the new irrigation system that created delays in completing other work, including more plantings.

Longanecker, a rose specialist and one of the many volunteer coordinators responsible for much of the recent work on the garden, said the project has been on the neighborhood’s radar for a long time.

“We initially brought a proposal to the city for this work to get stared in 2009,” Longanecker said. “For three years it’s been one step forward, two steps back.”

Once the work got under way in September, however, it’s been full steam ahead for city workers and volunteers, she said.

Since 2009, more than 400 new rose bushes have been planted in the garden on the southeast side of McKinley Park.

Thanks to a generous donor, Longanecker said, an additional 465 new rose bushes were recently given to add to the garden.

A “plant-a-thon” to get those additional bushes in the ground was originally planned for Saturday, but it has been postponed. A new date has not been set yet.

Longanecker said the planting day was postponed because the city needs to put in new sod around the planting beds, and it would be easier to get that job out of the way first.

It is also important to make sure the new water system is fully up and running before putting in new plants, she added.

“I’m glad it’s finally coming together,” Longanecker said. “It has taken a very strong volunteer effort.”

Longanecker said volunteer workers – including groups of Americorps volunteers, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department work crew and many neighbors and residents – put in about 1,500 hours of labor working on the garden in the last four weeks alone.

“That’s spading, weeding, pruning and wheelbarrowing in 100 yards of topsoil to spread throughout the garden,” Longanecker said. “(It’s) not easy work at all.”

The effort to refurbish the McKinley Park Rose Garden has been supported by donations including money, gifts of roses and numerous donations of tools and materials.

“It seems to be going well,” East Sacramento resident and garden volunteer Lisa Schmidt said Tuesday. “There’s a lot more to putting in roses than people think.”

Schmidt said that, despite the long wait and all the work that has been necessary, it will be worth it to see the result when the first roses bloom.

“It’ll be like brand new – irrigation, beds, plants, everything,” City Councilman Steve Cohn said Wednesday.

The garden’s new irrigation system will use water more efficiently, Cohn said, and the planter curbs will make the beds easier to maintain.

“The beautiful thing is, we’ve kept the original design (of the garden),” Cohn said. “It’ll really ‘pop’ once spring hits.”

Cohn said that the city didn’t put in the investment it should have in the rose garden over the years.

“Over time, the roses started to lose their vibrancy,” Cohn said. “They were looking sad, really.”

Now, Cohn said, the rose garden will have “new life” and will be more enjoyable for visitors – especially the many couples who have their weddings in the garden each year.

“I’m excited about it,” Cohn said. “We want to save it for future generations and enhance the appearance for everyone who comes to see it for years to come.”

Cohn said a ribbon-cutting and grand opening will be planned when the rose garden is finished, but a specific date has not been set.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Mid-year city budget update

2012-02-01T06:12:16Z

The city is spending more than it is bringing in, and even though that’s normal for this time of the year, officials need to make changes to keep spending under control and keep the budget on target.

According to the mid-year budget report presented to the City Council Tuesday, expenditures are at 50 percent of projections, and revenues are at 36 percent – about 14 percent less than anticipated.

This is typical for this point in the fiscal year, Finance Director Leyne Milstein told council members Tuesday – but adjustment is still necessary.

“Without these recommendations, we will not be able to balance our budget,” Milstein said.

It’s not all bad news, though.

The 2010-11 fiscal year ended with an unexpected $5.1 million surplus – largely due to savings from cutting back on expenses in a variety of city departments during the year, according to a city staff report.

That $5.1 million will be used to address a variety of budget needs including:

* $1.2 million to backfill General Fund revenue shortfalls;
* $1 million to the Police Department to cover a holiday pay budget shortfall
* $715,000 for unbudgeted utilities in the Department of Parks & Recreation
* $285,000 for payouts related to contracting out golf maintenance operations
* $750,000 for deferred maintenance projects at city-owned facilities

Another $3 million – left over from capital improvement projects that have been funded and completed ahead of schedule – will go into the General Fund Economic Uncertainty Reserve, bringing that “rainy day fund” balance to $20.7 million.

“Putting money into the reserve is wise, I think,” City Councilman Jay Schenirer said.

Staff also recommended adjustments – both up and down – to citywide revenues to keep the city budget balanced through the end of the fiscal year, including:

* $3.6 million reduction in property tax revenues, due to a greater-than-expected decline in property tax values
* $2.8 million increase in sales and use tax budget, due to a fourth consecutive quarter of sales tax growth

One adjustment to projected revenues comes from the closure of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

With eight of 33 dispensaries in the city now closed, business operating tax revenue from the dispensaries – initially estimated in the city budget as $1 million – will be reduced by $250,000 to $750,000.

The actual reduction amount will depend on how many more dispensaries close before the end of the fiscal year, June 30.

The City Council began the budget process for the 2012/13 fiscal year with a workshop Jan. 24. The city manager will present his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year on May 1.

The Sacramento Press discussed the first quarter budget report HERE.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A spelling correction was made to this story after it was published.

City Council begins 2012-13 budget process with workshop

2012-01-25T05:13:57Z

As Sacramento gears up to face a $16.5 million budget gap in the next fiscal year, consultants from Colorado met with City Council members to outline a new approach to budgeting that focuses less on dollar amounts and more on top city priorities.

The council budget workshop held Tuesday at the main branch of the Sacramento Public Library was designed to help council members refine fiscal priorities for the city and discuss ways to reshape the budget process.

Significant cuts to resolve a $39 million budget gap last year resulted in layoffs from the police force and rolling brownouts at city fire stations – actions that brought weeks of public outcry at City Council meetings.

The city charter requires the city manager to present a proposed budget to the City Council by May 1 for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. The deadline for a finalized budget is June 30.

Budget consultants Jon Johnson and Chris Fabian were brought in by the city’s Finance Department to introduce details of “priority-based budgeting” – a method that focuses on matching funding decisions to predetermined city priorities, instead of on prior years’ spending patterns.

City Manager John Shirey said Sacramento, like many local governments throughout the nation, typically rely on such “spending-based budgeting” – that is, making spending and cutting decisions based on how much was spent last year with last year’s revenue levels.

The result, Shirey said, is recurring budget gaps and employee layoffs.

Fabian said the key to priority-based budgeting is having clearly defined priorities.

“Across the board reductions is egalitarian – there is a sense of fairness about it,” Fabian told council members, “but it doesn’t reflect priorities.”

In one budget exercise at the workshop, council members ranked providing a safe community, economic vitality and youth and education as top priorities.

In a detailed staff report presented to council members, 16 city departments – including Community Development, Parks and Recreation, Transportation, Utilities and others – were reviewed to sort programs and services into “mandated,” “essential” and “existing” categories.

As council moves through the budget process, Shirey said, the reviews will be part of the criteria to determine how city resources should be distributed across city programs.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Shirey told council members. “You’ve given us some direction on the focus areas that are important to you. Now we need to go back and apply it.”

The workshop was designed as a starting point for discussion for City Council members as they approach the 2012/13 budget year.

“We definitely need more time to dig into this information,” City Councilman Darrell Fong said Tuesday. “I get it – now I want to look at it closer.”

City spokeswoman Amy Williams said the City Council generally holds one workshop prior to developing the budget, but more could be scheduled if the council feels it’s needed.

Although the council does not make final budget decisions at workshops, the meetings are an opportunity for council members to work with and give direction to staff and the city manager as he begins to prepare the annual budget.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Amazing Adventures in the Greater Sacramento Area

2012-01-24T07:25:42Z

Like most families around the country, here in the Sacramento area we’re all watching our budgets very closely. I didn’t want that to stop me from having fun with my family during the weekends and our off-time from school and work. My initial inclination was to share many of the spots I had visited with my friends while we were teenagers growing up in this great area. Now that I’m older and going back to these fun places, I’m reminded how entertaining and enjoyable they are.

It’s great to start with some of the more obvious attractions like the California State Capitol. My daughter loved walking the big stair cases, sitting in the senate chambers, exploring the museum rooms, and of course browsing through the gift shop. You can spend hours exploring the California State Railroad Museum and then ride the Sacramento Southern Railroad on the River Route down the historic Baths. Then have lunch visiting with the turtles overlooking the Sacramento River just yards south of old town. You’ll have fun at Sutter’s Fort while docents reenact early Sacramento history and even shoot off a canon. During a recent Sacramento Archives Crawl event, we were able to “Explore History” at four great locations packed with interesting and nostalgic finds. Don’t forget the Historic Governor’s Mansion. From the outside it didn’t seem that big to me, but once you’re inside it’s enormous. The staff there takes you on a great tour, and when we went, there were lots of children on the tour who really enjoyed it too. There is so much to do in downtown Sacramento that we’ve barely touched the surface.

Heading East from Downtown on 80, be sure to check out the Aerospace museum of California near the former McClellan Air base. It’s hard to say it better than they do when they say this museum “…captures all the marvels of flight for visitors to experience firsthand.” You’ll get to sit in the cockpit of large historic aircraft, explore space exhibits, and so much more.

Further east, I really wanted to take my family to the Griffith Quarry in Penryn, and we were not disappointed. We learned that much of the granite for the California State Capital building came from this quarry, as well as granite for other historic buildings. Then we spend hours walking the quarry nature trails with their numbered points of interest through-out. One of our favorite areas is in Auburn. We of course had to snap a picture of our daughter sitting in the mining pan of the Dr. Fox’s famous Miners statue the graces old town Auburn. I remember seeing other unique statues created by Dr. Fox, still located near his offices in Auburn. They’re huge and amazing, and they’ve stuck in my mind since I saw them as a child. I had to take my family to see them. A visit to the Placer County Courthouse is well worth your time. The historic carousel horse exhibit was really interesting and there are many historic rooms to explore as well as several other interesting exhibits. While in Auburn we love to go to the Auburn Drug Store old-time soda fountain, sit at the counter and enjoy a delicious milkshake. There is so much to do not too far up the 80 and 50 East corridors - including North and South on Highway 49. You can spend many afternoons in Grass Valley, Nevada City, or over in Coloma, where you can visit the Historic Sutter’s site. My family loves Coloma. We went Gold Panning, watched the Blacksmith docent work his iron, and spent the whole day there exploring this great area.

East of Sacramento on Highway 50 my family and I visit Lake Natoma and the Fish Hatchery several times a year. You can feed the salmon and steelhead fish in the raceway ponds and check out the learning center. This area has great trails, lakes, and so much nature to discover. You can continue east on 50 up to the wonderful historic town of Folsom. There you and your family can spend many afternoons in the antique shops, candy stores, fun boutiques, and great eateries. A bit North-West from Folsom, over near Ancil Hoffman park in Carmichael there’s a great area called the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. It’s an award-winning environmental and cultural education center located along the beautiful American River Parkway. There is a fascinating American Indian exhibit and wonderful artifacts. You’ll find hours of enjoyment exploring this attraction. My daughter keeps asking to go back for more fun.

It’s so appealing to have attractions that are in our community and don’t cost an arm and a leg to experience. Some of these great venues may seem obvious because we live and work around them each day. None the less, I would imagine you and your family might fill a day with smiles as you rediscover some of these local attractions in our wonderful greater Sacramento area.

Article by: Ron Maltase

Ron Maltase has lived in the Sacramento area his entire life and has worked for a major healthcare provider for over 16 years. He is also the Author of the Gordon the Scarecrow children’s books.

Traffic signals: Long waiting list for city intersections

2012-01-14T02:30:01Z

On a sunny afternoon in August, a group of kids made their way to Valley Hi Park to play. As they crossed the intersection of Arroyo Vista and Center Parkway, a vehicle driving through the intersection clipped the leg of a 4-year-old walking in the group.

The little girl was left with a fractured leg, and neighbors were left wondering if the accident could have been prevented if there had been a traffic signal in place.

What does it take to get traffic signals installed in Sacramento – especially if residents are seeing safety issues in neighborhood intersections?

Sacramento currently has approximately 800 signals in intersections, including nearly 50 flashing beacons, according to Shad Bennett, a technician in the signal operations division of the city Department of Transportation.

The cost of installing a traffic signal – including equipment, labor and materials – varies depending on the complexity of the project, Bennett said.

“They can be anywhere from $500,000 to a couple million dollars,” Bennett said. “Even the smallest signal is in the range of $200,000 to $400,000.”

Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the city Department of Transportation, said traffic signals are prioritized according to several criteria, and the city can afford to install typically only one per year.

“If a citizen believes a traffic signal is warranted,” Tucker said in an email Friday, “they can contact 311 and request an investigation, and a traffic investigator will look into it and then determine if it does or doesn’t make the list.”

Some of the criteria needed to install a traffic signal include the impact of school crossings on the intersection, the amount of pedestrian activity and the number of vehicle crashes – fatal and injury-only – at the location.

City transportation engineers evaluate approximately 10-15 new intersections each year for traffic signals. Potential signal locations are suggested through a variety of ways, including traffic investigations, resident requests and council member requests.

Bennett said that, once an intersection is determined to qualify for a traffic signal the location is added to a waiting list.

There are more than 100 potential locations on the list of city intersections currently waiting for some form of traffic-calming measure – and it’s growing.

“Things change, circumstances change,” Bennett said, “so the list changes a bit, too. They try to narrow the list to the top 10 most qualified when it’s time to put in a new signal somewhere.”

The waiting list doesn’t apply to new developments, however, Bennett said.

New development projects that drastically change traffic patterns may require a signal installation, but each new development project typically has funding for the signals included, so those signals are not competing with the signals on the city waiting list.

In 2010, according to the program guide, only one new project was added to the city’s traffic signal list: 29th Street at R Street. Ten other intersections were evaluated, but not included in the list.

According to the Transportation Programming Guide – the document prioritizing the city’s transportation projects, the city first looks at an intersection to determine whether there might be ways, other than a traffic signal, which would improve safety at the intersection.

There are three lead traffic investigators in Sacramento who respond to requests for traffic-calming measures, and each investigator is assigned a territory covering roughly one-third of the city.

Investigation may take two to four weeks to complete, depending on complexity.

What can residents do to speed up the process of getting a traffic signal in a neighborhood intersection where they feel there are safety issues?

Tucker said that, for residential streets, the city offers a neighborhood traffic management program that allows neighbors to collect petitions and start the process of adding any number of traffic-calming measures to their neighborhood.

Speed bumps, new traffic markings or adjusting speed limits may be other ways to make an intersection safer, Tucker said.

Once an intersection is selected for a new signal and funding for the signal is in place, the installation – from groundbreaking to up-and-running, Bennett said – takes about six to eight months.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A correction was made to this article after it was published.

Sac Parks Examine Parcel Tax Possibility

2011-11-21T10:32:10Z

A new tax could be on the horizon for Sacramento property owners, as the Sacramento Parks and Recreation Commission begins plans for polling voters on their support for a parcel tax that could appear on the November 2012 ballot.

The parcel tax, a form of property tax, requires a two-thirds approval from the voters. The tax is a flat fee for property owners in the district, rather than a property tax that is based on the assessed value of the property.

The money will not replace contributions from the General Fund. Currently, the general fund provides 3.9 million for park maintenance costs.

The Commission considered a parcel tax between $25 and $30, a number they believe voters will view as acceptable and a good investment in Sacramento parks. Overall, this will generate approximately $5 to $6 million in revenue for park sustainability.

In the current economy, gathering support for a tax increase from city councilmembers and the public will be a tough feat by the Parks Department.

“We can’t live with ourselves as park supporters and say that we didn’t try everything we could,” Cindy Cooke, District Four Parks Commissioner, said at the November Commissioners meeting.

The polling will begin in mid to late January of 2012 and the results presented to city council around February or March.

“We must ask questions about priority of choices, because there are certain things that can kill this before it even gets launched,” Jim Combs, Director of Parks and Recreation, said at the November Parks and Recreation meeting. “It has to come back with a strong two-thirds. We also have to look at our competition on the ballot.”

Combs pressed the importance of prioritizing services based on the polling information. The results of the poll will reflect what aspects of Parks the public is most concerned about: community centers, recreational programs for senior citizens, youth programs, park maintenance, planting or keeping pools open in the summer. This will determine where the tax revenue derived from this parcel tax will fund, if passed by the voters.

“People want to see what they’re getting in the parcel tax. Park maintenance is not sexy, you can’t sell it in a picture or on a brochure,” Jonathan Rewers, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, said at the October Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. “We need to figure out what people are most interested in funding, something tangible.”

A Sacramento County Regional Parks Phone Poll conducted in February of 2011 found that 74 percent of the respondents were willing to pay a tax increase of $19 per year, while 46 percent of the respondents were willing to pay $49 per year for park improvement.

Finding money to sustain parks has been a challenge for the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation Department, which has seen a steep decline in funding from the city’s general fund.

The Sacramento’s Department of Parks and Recreation has a budget of just over $37 million for the 2010-2011 fiscal year to sustain 207 parks and 8 parkways.

Meeting minutes from June of 2004 stated that the Department had a budget of $75 million inclusive of all funding sources. The Department has been stripped of $38 million in the last six years.

Annually, the department reports a total of 5.1 million visitors to the Sacramento parks each year. Finding sufficient public support for the tax measure will be crucial in the spectrum of improvement and maintenance the Department of Parks and Recreation will be able to provide.

Property owners in the North Natomas area currently pay a tax for park maintenance. If the parcel tax is passed, deciding whether areas like these will be asked to pay an additional amount, a lower amount or be dissolved of the prior tax obligation is still up for debate.

“People don’t generally make change until it’s right in front of them. This summer, that might become very evident to people,” Jeff Harris, District 3 Parks Commissioner, said at the November meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Marijuana by the numbers

2011-11-15T04:47:14Z

Under heavy scrutiny from the federal government and an administrative freeze on the city’s permit program, medical marijuana dispensaries in Sacramento could face a full ban – but if Sacramento’s dispensaries are shut down, what happens to the city budget bottom line?

In total, the city has received approximately $1.4 million since the start of the permit process for medical marijuana dispensaries – nearly $1 million from one-time fees – according to Maurice Chaney, Economic Development Department spokesman.

If the city were to ban medical marijuana dispensaries, they could see a potential $528,000 budget shortfall from reduced or eliminated marijuana business operations taxes in the 2011-12 fiscal year.

The rate of the business operations tax levied on dispensaries in the city is 4 percent. This is in addition to California sales tax that all businesses are required to pay to the state franchise Tax Board.

The total amount of revenue projected in the FY 2011-12 city budget from medical marijuana business operations taxes was $1 million. Taxes are paid quarterly, so the Finance Department estimated $250,000 in revenue each quarter of the current fiscal year.

The total first-quarter income to the city from medical marijuana business operations taxes was actually $361,000 – a surplus of $111,000. This reflects revenue received from July 1 to Sept. 30. Data for October is not available yet, Brad Wasson, revenue manager for the city Finance Department, said Monday.

Although the city has recouped the costs of the dispensary program for the initial year, possible budget impacts from a full ban – if one should be instituted in the near future – are hard to speculate, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

“If budget adjustments need to be made in the mid-year,” Williams said, “city staff will make recommendations to the City Council, and they will decide (how to proceed).”

Let’s take a look at the numbers across the board.

How many dispensaries are we talking about?
There were 39 registered medical marijuana dispensaries in the city in 2009. Only registered dispensaries were eligible to apply for the first phase of dispensary operations permits under a city ordinance passed in November 2010.

Each permit cost $5,000. This was a one-time permit application fee and it was only collected until February 2011. After the February deadline, no more initial permit applications were accepted.

The actual number of eligible dispensaries that applied for Phase 1 permits was 35 – bringing in a total of $175,000 in application fee revenue for fiscal year 2010-11, according to Wasson.

There are two phases in the city’s dispensary permit process and the second phase was only open to dispensary operators who satisfied the requirements of Phase 1 – no new applicants could come into the process at that time.

Finance Department staff estimated that, of the 35 dispensaries eligible to apply for the second phase, 25 would complete the application.

The actual number of Phase 2 permit applications received by the Oct. 11 deadline was 29.

How much money does the city receive from dispensaries?
The city Finance Department is responsible for the city’s medical marijuana dispensary operations program at a cost of $315,000 for a single fiscal year, according to Wasson.

Each dispensary pays an annual program fee of $12,600, starting with the submission of the Phase 2 permit application.

With 29 Phase 2 applications submitted, the actual amount of program fee revenue collected so far in FY 2011-12 is $302,000.

In addition to Phase 1 and Phase 2 operating permit applications, medical marijuana dispensaries in Sacramento must also apply for special use permits through the city Zoning Department.

Each special use permit application fee ranges from $15,000 to $22,000, depending on the proposed location for the business and other determining factors, according to Wasson.

Thirty-eight dispensaries applied for special use permits, resulting in $651,000 of one-time application fee revenue for the city so far in FY 2011-12.

Because special use permit applications are one-time costs and this is the first year medical marijuana dispensaries have been allowed to apply for special use permits, Wasson said there was no projection for that revenue in the city budget.

“It’s a process that is already in place in the Zoning Department,” Wasson said. “Every business requiring a special use permit pays these fees, so the budget projection for that department isn’t specific to dispensary special use permits.”

The Finance Department prepares a mid-year budget update for the City Council in February, Wasson said. At that time, the department will make recommendations for any necessary adjustments to the city budget.

“It would be nice to report that we had a surplus (from business operations taxes),” Wasson said. “But at this point, we really don’t know what is going to happen.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Hanging with Hatch: Parking enforcement 101

2011-11-09T03:05:43Z

Recently, A&E launched “Parking Wars,” a reality series chronicling the parking division in Philadelphia and Detroit and their encounters with the parking-impaired. I admit, I’m hooked. As I watched episode after episode, I found myself in awe at the sheer amount of rage that one dreaded slip of paper can instill in someone.

As someone who has dumped my own fair share of hard-earned dollars into parking citations, I can understand why the ticketed become irate; times are tough and tickets are expensive.

Curious why anyone would subject themselves to a job where harassment is guaranteed, I set my bitterness aside and asked the city if I could hang out with a parking enforcement officer. I mentally prepared myself for a deluge of verbal abuse, and hoped I didn’t get anything thrown at my face.

At 8:30 a.m. Friday morning, I met with Officer Hatch, one of 50 full-time parking enforcement officers patrolling the city.

In January, Hatch will have been ticketing for five years. He previously worked as a Downtown Guide for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. The experience actually comes in handy in his current role, since officers are regularly approached by tourists asking for directions and information.

Even if others don’t, Hatch loves his job. While many nine-to-fivers are tied to their cubicle and have supervisors breathing down their necks, parking officers get to roam free. Hatch says that he loves the freedom.

This freedom includes roaming 22,000 on-street parking spaces, broken up into 23 “beats.” This includes two neighborhood beats and three street-cleaning beats in additional to 20 regular.

Since non-city employees aren’t allowed in the official parking enforcement vehicles (a Prius or those odd-looking “carts”) we set out on an improvised walking beat starting at City Hall on 9th and I Streets, up to N and 16th streets and back.

Before I arrived, Hatch had already issued three citations since the start of his shift at 7 a.m. A quick mental calculation told me that meant Hatch had already generated a good chunk of revenue for the city.

The average ticket for an expired meter costs around $50, including a recently-added $12 "pass through fee” imposed by the state. The city is required to pass this on to citizens.

Thanks a lot, California.

More serious infractions such as altering residential permits or parking in designated handicap spaces can burn a hefty $500 hole in violators’ wallets. This might explain why the 235,196 citations issued in the 2010 fiscal year generated a stunning $8.3 million in revenue.

I asked Hatch about a recent story I read about a disgruntled former parking officer. The officer claimed, among many other allegations, that officers are given quotas.

Hatch dismissed this, explaining that setting quotas is actually illegal. He continued on to say that supervisors do, however, know the average number of tickets that should be issued for each beat.

So technically, an officer could be reprimanded for not issuing enough tickets, right?

It seems like a gray area but since Hatch was adamant about not having quotas, I later checked with Linda Tucker, Media and Communications Specialist for the Department of Transportation.

Tucker explained, “We do not and never have set quotas. The average would just mean what historically that particular block or block(s) might yield in terms of violations, but this is in no way tied to the rating of an officer’s overall performance. There may be many reasons why an average may fluctuate: weather, special events, the economy...”

Quota or not, I was surprised that by 10 a.m. Hatch still hadn’t issued a single ticket in my presence and the tally sheet in my notes remained blank. I was even more surprised, disappointed even, that there wasn’t a single insult yelled at us by an angry passerby. I started to feel slightly let down by "Parking Wars."

However, as the clock ticked on, we gained some momentum and Hatch began doling out an occasional citation. On the third ticket, the vehicle owner, who hadn’t even bothered to pay, walked up mid-ticket and I braced myself for an exchange of words.

“He’s just doing his job,” the driver said to me. He took the ticket, thanked Hatch and went along on his way. I couldn’t believe that a driver expressed appreciation for being cited! Hatch was surprised too and told me that it is far from a common reaction.

“I’m the guy everybody loves to hate,” said Hatch, half smirking.

Desperate for something juicy at this point, I asked him about any run-ins with ticketing “victims” gone mad. Hatch told me that while he hasn’t experienced any bouts of extreme ticket rage himself, his colleagues have had coffee thrown on them and been spit on more than a few times.

He gets yelled at two to three times per week, occasionally being “flipped off” for good measure. The most common insult he hears?

“Get a real job!”

“I’m still wondering what a ‘real job’ is,” Hatch laughed, obviously unfazed by the harassment as if it's all just part of the job.

Not surprisingly, he recounted many situations when drivers accused Hatch of targeting them or issuing a ticket for no reason.

“There’s a lot of people that will hate us no matter what, even if we’re right,” said Hatch. “You just have to stay calm, that’s the important thing.”

In addition to arguments, he said he gets a healthy helping of excuses. One of his "favorites"?

“I was just inside for one minute!”

Both the officer and the violator know dang well it takes more than a couple of minutes to order coffee, pick up dry cleaning, etc. so you’re better off feeding the meter than using that line.

On the flip side are those that have a "bring on the tickets" attitude. Hatch said there are definitely repeat offenders within some beats. One of these offenders is a local nightclub owner who is repeatedly cited for the same infractions, even having his car booted at one point for too many citations.

“Some people just don’t care,” he said.

While the harassment doesn’t ruffle his feathers, Hatch has a couple of parking pet peeves. The first is drivers who expect him to stop writing a ticket because their meter “just expired.” Hatch explained that this means nothing to the officer. “I have no way of knowing if they put any money in the meter at all.”

Admittedly, I have done this myself and I found myself feeling apologetic for blaming the officers. He’s right; they really don’t have a way of knowing.

However, this isn’t the case for “Pay and Display kiosks,” which give a more accurate readings of exactly when a driver put money in the machine. Hatch has a little more sympathy here.

“If it’s one or two minutes [expired] it’s not a huge deal,” Hatch said.

He’s also sympathetic to responsible drivers who opt to leave their vehicle in place while enjoying a few adult beverages. If a vehicle-owner approaches Hatch mid-ticketing and explains that they left their car instead of drinking and driving, it’s likely they will be sent on their way sans ticket.

I was happy to hear this, as most will likely agree that sometimes finding Tylenol and a Gatorade becomes a priority over getting to your car at 10 a.m. on the dot. One point for the parking enforcement team!

Hatch earned even more points for the parking division when he told me he will usually wait by a freshly-expired meter for a few minutes, giving the driver the benefit of the doubt.

Don't get too excited though.

If it’s twenty minutes? You might as well start writing out that $52 check.

Currently the city has 3,600 single space quarter-only meters and 300 kiosks, which accept multiple tenders. Those who have frantically searched in every nook and cranny of their car for quarters while running late for a meeting certainly understand the convenience of this.

Convenience and longevity (kiosks have an average lifespan of 10 years) seem like a win for both the city and the residents. Tucker said transitioning over to kiosks completely isn’t too far off.

“We are looking at phasing [in] single space meters that can accept credit cards in the not-so-distant future.”

In addition to pay kiosks, the city decided to make drivers’ lives even easier when they implemented the ability to contest tickets online.

I asked Hatch how he feels about making it easier to contest the tickets he writes, and I caught another glimpse of his soft side. Hatch said he’s all for the system, since people don’t have to stand in line at Revenue Services, which can be a lengthy process.

As we continued on our beat, roaming the perimeters of the State Capitol, I noticed a trend. It seemed like more than half of the vehicles belonged to disabled drivers.

“Generally, any government building has a ton of placards,” Hatch explained. I was astounded. Hatch, obviously used to the placard-mania, explained that there are so many placards that the city created an undercover “Disabled Placard Task Force” dedicated to regulating abuse of them.

While not a part of this task force, officers are responsible for confiscating expired and illegally-modified placards. During one shift, Hatch issued 14 tickets for expired placards.

From using markers to modify temporary residential permits to “posing” vehicles in photos to fight legitimate citations, Hatch’s stories proved Sacramentans are quite the sneaky (and crafty) bunch. He recalled one violator cutting the entire bottom portion off of a disabled placard, claiming it was issued to him that way. Another instance that stood out was the placard-holder who extended his own permit, punching a hole in the current year and taping the punched out circle into the expired year.

However, thanks to new photo-ticketing technology, it is more difficult to pull the wool over the city’s eyes. Officers’ ticketing guns now have cameras built into them, proving that a vehicle was in violation.

Oddly enough, I found myself grateful for a feature that makes officers' jobs easier.

When I first met up with Hatch, I have to admit I was a disgruntled victim of the parking system. While it’s certainly a possibility that he was on his best behavior in the presence of media, this good behavior nonetheless melted my bitterness away and replaced it with a bit of unexpected sympathy.

Like the guy said, “He’s just doing his job.”

Visit the City of Sacramento’s Department of Transportation website here.

10 additional tidbits I learned while hanging out with Officer Hatch:

1) Owning two wheels can save you money on parking: “Piggy-backing” is a completely legal practice: This is when motorcycles park in a stall paid for and parked in by another vehicle. The practice is okay as long as they fit within the white brackets painted on the street.

2) Sometimes owning two wheels can cost you too: Paid-for parking receipts are often stolen from motorcyclists, who are forced to display them out in the open. One local motorcyclist got smart and began autographing his.

3) Owning a Zipcar is good for your wallet: Hatch has only ever cited one Zipcar and, although there are designated single Zipcar spaces, officers won’t ticket Zipcars if they are on the same block as the parking space. This is in case another car illegally parked in the Zipcar space, making it unavailable.

4) Your money goes further on pay and display kiosks: If you pay at a pay stall on one block and still have time remaining, save the receipt! You can use that same receipt while you finish up your errands. The time you paid for isn’t just valid on the one block.

5) Officers aren’t intentionally parking that way to be rude: Many of us like to think officers park in red zones and double-park just because they can. An ordinance allows officers to park in red zones and double-park, mainly for safety. When retrieving VIN numbers, they often have to stand in traffic and parking their car as a buffer is a safety measure.

6) Complain to the business owner, not the officer: Business owners have the ability to change and set restrictions in front of and around their establishment.

7) Old Sac is not just a “hot spot” for tourists: In order to encourage turnover of vehicles in this tourist area, regulations are enforced seven days a week. Hatch told me this area has one of the highest volumes of tickets issued.

8) Evening shifts are where the money’s at: Officers make five percent more for working after 6 p.m.

9) Street cleaning is the parking enforcement jackpot: Hatch said in almost five years, the day that he recalls giving out the most tickets was during a street cleaning beat. He issued 100 tickets within three to four hours.

10) Land Park loves parking enforcement: Hatch told me his favorite area to patrol is Land Park because the residents actually want officers there, even thanking officers on a regular basis.

City first quarter finance report: revenues down, expenditures up

2011-11-08T05:38:45Z

After the first quarter of the fiscal year, city revenues are only about half of what was projected, but city finance officials said they aren’t ready to panic yet. The negative balance for the city budget is not just related to lower-than-anticipated revenues – a large part of the imbalance is due to greater-than-anticipated expenditures.

The $812 million city budget is running negative at the moment – “typical” for the first quarter of the fiscal year, according to the most recent report from the city Finance Department.

The first quarter financial report will be presented to the City Council Tuesday.

Of the six main sources of revenue for the city – property tax, utility user tax, sales tax, business operations tax, public safety tax and transient occupancy (hotel) tax – two sources have not been on par with projections made when the budget was approved in June.

Property tax – which at 34 percent of all general fund revenues is the largest source of revenue for the city – appears to be at about 2 percent of projections, but that number can be misleading, according to Dawn Holm, acting budget manager for the city Finance Department.

Property tax revenues are received by the city in late January and late May, so the current report doesn’t reflect revenue beyond June.

Once the city receives property tax revenues in January, the general fund ledger will be adjusted to reflect a new balance.

The new result still may not be as good as was expected when the budget was passed in June, however.

Property values continue to decline at a higher-than-expected rate throughout the state, according to a County Assessor’s Office property tax update given to the city Finance department earlier this month.

Initially, property tax revenues for Sacramento for fiscal year 2011-12 were projected to be close to $126 million – about 1 percent less than the totals received in 2010-11.

Taking into account the county assessor’s projections, though, the actual year-end number could wind up being down 2 or even 3 percent, Holm said.

“It’s really too early to tell with any precision,” Holm said.

The good news is sales tax revenues may take up the slack and balance out the potential property tax shortfall.

According to a city staff report, taxable sales in California are expected to increase by 1.7 percent in 2011, and Sacramento is currently projecting a 4 percent increase over the 2010-11 budget.

Sales tax results that come in better than anticipated will offset the decline in property taxes, according to the staff report.

Four areas of general fund expenditures that are already in the red – and may go deeper – include department spending for fire, police, convention and leisure, and parks and recreation.

The Sacramento Fire Department is facing a projected $2.3 million shortfall by the end of the year due to overtime spending required to restore two formerly browned-out stations and the costs of hiring 27 people as part of a federal grant program.

The city accepted a federal grant that will pay for the new staffers, but grant money doesn’t come in until the positions are filled, Holm said, and when the money does come in, it cannot be used to reimburse overtime spending.

One option the department is considering to manage the budget shortfall is potential funding from Medi-Cal transport reimbursement, which is allowed by the recently passed AB678.

“The alternative would be to direct the department to implement the two additional brownouts again,” Holm said. “We’d still be in the hole, but not as much as we look to be in right now.”

Fire department representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

The police department’s projected deficit of $3.1 million is due to unfunded employee services benefits, additional overtime because of staffing reductions and unexpected reductions in grant and contract service reimbursements, according to the staff report.

When the Convention, Culture and Leisure Department transfers golf maintenance to a private contractor in January, the city will incur one-time expenses associated with the transfer that had not been budgeted, according to the staff report.

“Part of contracting out (golf maintenance) is going to be letting go of some staff,” Holm said. “When we let go of any employees, we have to pay for unused sick leave, vacation and overtime.”

Holm said those costs are paid out as lump-sum payments to employees when they leave city service.

“That is never budgeted for,” Holm said, “so when you have a large group leaving, it’s a hit to the department.”

In this case, it is a $229,000 hit to the Parks Department budget, according to an Oct. 25 report to the City Council.

Golf maintenance included 58 positions, and contracting out the service eliminates those positions.

Fifty of those positions were filled at the time that the City Council approved contracting out the service.

The city’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. Until this year, the City Council received semi-annual reports from the Finance Department: a mid-year update and an end-of-year final report.

Since coming to the position in September, City Manager John Shirey has instituted a quarterly report to council members to provide the most timely information regarding the city’s current financial condition, Holm said.

“He felt that every six months was just too long,” Holm said. “He wants everyone to have an understanding of where things are going on a more regular basis.”

The next quarterly financial report will be presented to the City Council at end of January or first week in February. Meanwhile, Holm said, department staff will continue to work toward meeting budget goals.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Cell Towers to Create Revenue for Sacramento Parks

2011-11-08T00:40:50Z

Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation has proposed a city code amendment that encourages telecommunication companies to lease cell towers on city owned property as parks face severe financial cuts to services and programs.

The new proposal advises the city to generate revenue through damage to public property and contract benefits for private telecommunication corporations.

The proposal for increased private-public partnerships with companies such as At&t Wireless Services Inc., American Towers Inc., Sprint Spectrum, LP, Pacific Bell Wireless, Verizon Wireless and numerous others is an example of the efforts Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation has taken to sustain parks on a limited budget.

“Our budget is just decimated. It’s been cut 62 percent over the last four years,” Recreation Superintendent Greg Narramore said. “Mowing of park grass, which was once done once a week, is now done once every 14 days. There is no more trash pick-up on weekends, one of the most popular times for park use, and 13 operating swimming pools have been reduced to just three this season. We just don’t have the resources.”

At the September monthly meeting of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation, the commission signed a proposal to amend City Code Section 3.76.050.

The proposal could potentially reduce fees and restrictions for private telecommunication companies leasing city property.

Park Planning and Development Manager J.P Tindell, who signed the new proposal, declined to comment over the phone.

In late April, Jonathan Rewers, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, asked Jay Schenirer, Chair for the City of Sacramento Law and Legislation Committee, that all revenues generated through operations and leases in parks be placed in a fund for parks and recreation use only, in a letter.

Budget challenges forced the City Council to change policy with regard to cell tower funds this year, Lisa Nava, District Four Director, said in an email. The council voted to move revenue generated from cell towers back to the General Fund in May.

“We do the best we can but things take a little longer and we just can’t do some of the extra things that we have been able to do in the past,” Nava said in the email.

Before May, cell site revenue would be allocated to a Neighborhood Enhancement Fund, where a city council member could allocate the money back to park improvement within the district.

The proposed amendment recommends eliminating the current revocable permit for wireless telecommunication facilities, WTFs.

The Revocable Permit allows the city of Sacramento to terminate an agreement at any time, while the lease holder may not terminate an agreement until after the first five years.

“Nextel Wireless made it a policy not to do business with the City of Sacramento at all because of the
one-sided nature of the Revocable Permit,” read the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation meeting minutes in September.

The company purchasing the lease is responsible for all costs of installation, maintenance, removal and damage to both the telecommunication equipment and city property.

The Revocable Permit has a 10 year initial term and one 10 year renewal option. The fees stack up for the lease holders starting with a $5,000 application fee, $30,000 removable bond deposit, $30,000 one-time initial fee, a $150 inspection fee per hour that cannot exceed $10,000, along with the annual Permit fee.

The cost of the annual fee is dependent on equipment and space utilized for wireless telecommunication
facilities.

Since August of 1997, the city classified WTFs into three categories: microcells, minicells and
macrocells. They create a starting annual revenue of $15,000, $18,000 or $21,000, depending on cell
classification.

The new proposal increases the initial fee to $24,000, $28,000 and $32,000. The proposal includes a
3.5 percent adjustment rate on that fee for the first five years. By 2015, costs for cell sites could jump to
approximately $27,541, $32,131, and $36, 721.

After the first five years, annual fee rates will be based on the Consumer Price Index.

Sacramento Dept. of Parks and Recreation conducted a survey that averaged out costs of other large urban
areas with similar demographics to adjust the outdated fee schedule.

The new fair market rental rates will factor in cost of living, inflation, location value and other fluctuating
economic factors.

The proposed adjusted rates also take into account health of the telecom industry. As new devices and
mobile gadgets develop wireless service providers face increased service demands from their customers.

The amendment proposes implementation of a 5-year fixed-term lease, two-time renewal options and
an administrative amendment fee that eliminates the removal bond and inspection fee.

One-time initial fees could potentially be based on accrued benefits and adverse impacts of the leased
property.

One-time fees are packed in contract benefits such as low cost construction, unique location, extended
term limits, and simultaneous location approvals.

Other benefits include simplified and expedited processes for company approval requests like co-location
or increased antenna height.

The lease holder’s cost can rise with adverse effects to property as well. Adverse effects include lost
abilities to use the city property for intended purposes or reduced visual attraction and esthetics of the
surrounding area.

“I don’t think I would mind it (a cell tower) if I couldn’t notice it, but if it was really noticeable and
ugly I don’t think I would want that,” Andrew Kruschel said, a frequent visitor of Portugese Park in
Sacramento’s Greenhaven District.

While the city’s general fund temporarily collects cell tower revenue from leased towers on city
property, uncertainty remains for the level of cell tower encroachment Sacramento parks will face.

“We are confident in our Park and Recreation Commission’s ability to address the encroachment issue to
the benefit of the City and the surrounding Neighborhoods,” Director of Sacramento Parks and Recreation
Department Jim Combs said.

New mayoral candidate plans to bring 'fresh leadership' to Sacramento

2011-11-05T00:23:24Z

The 2012 race for Sacramento mayor just gained another candidate: Edgar Hilbert.

Hilbert, a tax preparer in Oak Park, said Wednesday that he was motivated to run for office by a desire to serve the Sacramento community in a meaningful way.

“It will be my duty and goal to not just protect the quality of life in Sacramento, but to improve it,” he said in a press release Tuesday.

Hilbert, 45, is married and has three children. He was born in Mexico City and moved to the United States in 1993. He has lived in Sacramento since 2001.

Hilbert’s wife, Leticia, ran for City Council District 5 in the 2010 election, and Hilbert acted as his wife’s campaign manager.

One of the biggest issues that Hilbert said he sees in local government is the need for “fresh leadership” and leaders who listen to the ideas of the people more than simply doing things their own way.

“It is clear to me that the need for a new leadership focused on people is more important now than ever,” Hilbert said.

The city budget, economic development and infrastructure are the three big-ticket items that Hilbert said he wants to focus on as mayor.

Hilbert said his experience on the Oak Park Redevelopment Advisory Committee has given him a good perspective on housing issues in the area, as well as new ideas about how to enhance the economic development of the city.

One idea that Hilbert expressed is turning some of the downtown corridor into a miniature version of Venice, Italy – water, gondolas and all.

“There are a lot of restaurants along there,” Hilbert said. “Wouldn’t it be nice to draw visitors to something interesting like that?”

Hilbert is also no stranger to volunteerism.

For the past nine years, he has been actively involved in raising money for homeless services in his Oak Park community, and he is the coordinator for a youth group at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.

Hilbert has also served as the executive chairman of California for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) in 2007 and 2008, assisting low-income individuals with tax preparation, and he is the co-founder of the Stop Human Trafficking Today Pronto effort in Sacramento.

Hilbert is building a campaign support team with an international flair. His team will include advisers from San Diego, Mexico City and Madrid.

“These are cities that are similar to us in a lot of ways, and we can learn a lot from them,” Hilbert said.

“I think people want someone to lead the way,” Hilbert said. “The mayor is there to see that the people are represented.”

“I always try to be balanced and honest and just,” Hilbert said. “In the end, it comes down to what the people want. My goal is to listen to them.”

Marichal J. Brown, co-owner of Master Barber and Beauty Shop in Oak Park, said he has known Hilbert for nearly nine years and he has a lot of respect for him.

“Edgar is an excellent person – a trustworthy person,” Brown said. “When you are in need, he would be the person to call.”

Brown said he and Hilbert worked together on a variety of community projects, including writing for a community newspaper that Brown publishes, The Master Report.

“We have done a lot of advocacy together,” Brown said. “If (Hilbert) is mayor, I think he’ll bring community issues to the forefront.”

Calling Hilbert a “fighter for the people” and “a dependable individual,” Brown added that he has “nothing but praise for him.”

Hilbert will be running against incumbent mayor Kevin Johnson. Johnson’s campaign manager, Steven Maviglio, said Friday that the Johnson camp is ready for the competition.

“The mayor will run a campaign at full throttle no matter who the opponent is,” Maviglio said. “We welcome debate about the issues facing Sacramento.”

Maviglio said that Hilbert will not have an easy race, however.

“Every poll shows that the mayor is extremely popular, and (he is) off to a very strong start in this race,” Maviglio said. “Any candidate will have an uphill battle running against (Johnson).”

Hilbert said that he does not support the notion of a “strong mayor” initiative, preferring instead to negotiate and work with others on the City Council.

“Every one of (the council members) represents a different area of the city, and they know what their area needs,” Hilbert said. “I prefer to talk to (them) about the people in their areas and see how we can work together.”

Another opponent that Hilbert will face is longtime Sacramento resident and previous mayoral candidate Leonard Padilla.

Padilla, owner of Lorenzo Patino Law School in Sacramento, said Friday that he is happy to hear that there will be another candidate in the race for mayor.

“The more the merrier,” Padilla said.

The candidacy filing period for the 2012 city elections opens Feb. 1. Edgar said he will have a campaign kickoff in the coming weeks and then will focus his energies on fundraising for the campaign.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

A letter to Jerry Brown

2011-10-26T00:51:27Z

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capital, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

Mr. Matthew James Fitzgerald
Alameda, CA 94501

August 26, 2011

Dear Governor Brown,

My name is Mr. Matthew James Fitzgerald.

I had a job on the janitorial crew at Stepping Stones Center. The executive director at Stepping Stones is Mr. Jerry Joseph and the deputy director is Mr. Vic Entrikin.

I found out from deputy director Entrikin that this janitorial work program was cut because of the budget crisis in California.

I have Downs Syndrome, and it is very hard to compete for jobs. The work I did at Stepping Stones was a good opportunity to earn money and contribute to my family or even friends. I need to work and I need to pay my own way.

Please consider reinstating the funding for my work at Stepping Stones Growth Center.

I also found out from Natashia that supervisors and art teachers were cut too.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Matthew James Fitzgerald

cc:
Senator Ellen M. Corbett
Mr. Vic Entrikin
San Leandro City Council

Thank you very much.

Sacramento gets $19.4 million from feds to rehire peace officers

2011-09-30T01:37:48Z

Sacramento city and county were awarded a total of $19.4 million in federal funding grants Wednesday – enough to put 25 police officers and 25 sheriff’s deputies back to work for the next three years.

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program is a competitive grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice that provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire, rehire, or retain police officers.

This year, 2,712 law enforcement agencies requesting more than $2 billion to fund the hiring of 8,999 officers were considered for COPS Hiring Program funding, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Selection for awards was based on an applicant agency’s overall need for federal assistance, local crime rates, current commitment to community policing and their proposed community policing plan.

The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department received an award of $11,306,450 – the largest single award in the nation under the COPS program this year.

The Sacramento Police Department received $8.1 million in grant funds. It is the largest COPS grant the city has received in the three years that Sacramento has been selected for an award, and was the third highest COPS grant awarded in the nation this year.

Each grant provides funding for the salaries and benefits of officer positions for three years, with the requirement that agencies maintain the positions for one additional year at the end of the grant funding period.

The Sheriff’s Department grant will fill 25 deputy positions, department spokesman Jason Ramos said Wednesday. Those deputies will be assigned to a new youth and gang violence unit in Sacramento county.

Sheriff Scott Jones said in a press release Wednesday that his department plans to take a “comprehensive approach” to combating youth and gang violence by expanding enforcement efforts of gang unit detectives, adding a school component with school resource officers and partnering with youth-focused community organizations.

“It feels like Christmas in September,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said in a press release Wednesday, referring to the $8.1 million grant award to the Sacramento Police Department.

Huge budget cuts to the police department forced the city to lay off 46 sworn officers in July. The new COPS grant will allow the city to rehire 25 of those officers.

Representatives for the police department and the Sacramento Police Officers Association could not be reached for comment.

"We had to watch officers turn their badges in for the first time in our city's history,” Johnson said. “Now we have an opportunity to pin those badges back on our officers and get them back on the street."

Johnson declared the award “a big win” for Sacramento and emphasized that public safety must continue to be the top priority for the city.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) called the grants “wonderful news” for Sacramento residents in a statement released Thursday.

“This federal funding will strengthen our community’s law enforcement’s ability to keep us safe, and ensure that budgetary shortfalls do not eliminate these critical positions,” Matsui said.

Only 238 of the 2,712 grant requests were ultimately funded – roughly 9 percent of the total number of applications – for a total of $243,398,709 in grants, funding 1,021 officer positions nationwide.

In all, the Sacramento region – including $19.4 million for Sacramento city and county and a $2.58 million award for Placer county – was awarded the largest combined dollar amount in the nation.

Grant funds will be available to the Sacramento Police Department after the City Council formally accepts the grant at the next council meeting.

The Sheriff’s Department grant is expected to receive formal acceptance by the County Board of Supervisors in early October.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

New Political Party Hosts Happy Hour Discussion Thursday

2011-09-27T19:24:59Z

Did you know that 57 percent of California voters want a third party alternative? While the idea may seem pie-in-the-sky, it's not. Just like the dot-com and housing bubbles that suddenly popped without warning, it can be difficult to grasp where we are at our current point in history.

I'm here to tell you that there's a revolution coming, but it's not going to be of the Arab Spring sort. Instead, it's going to come from people like you who decide that even though they have a viewpoint, collaboration is better than competition. Our political system - whether in Congress or the State Capitol - has simply lost the capacity to solve problems. And it's no coincidence that it seems like things are getting worse.

Even if you agree with one party or the other, you also probably recognize that neither side has all of the answers. There are 3.5 million voters in California who have declined to affiliate with any political party at all. That's more than one in every five voters. But who represents them? Who stands for tough choices and political courage even when that threatens the chances of a politician's reelection?

Voters aren't stupid. They know that we've put off the tough choices for long enough. And they're yearning for political leaders to simply tell them the truth so that they know what to expect.

If you think our current system is going to fix itself, I can tell you it's not. There are political startups launching everyday to tackle our most pressing problems and while you may not be aware of them yet, they're led by folks who are willing to take a risk because they know that nothing less than our future is at stake.

I recently launched the California Moderate Party out of my Midtown apartment. If you want to learn more about this project and other similar efforts, we're hosting a Happy Hour this Thursday at 5:30pm that will begin with drinks and socializing, followed by a brief presentation and open discussion. Although I sometimes feel like I'm promoting Scientology, I can assure you that this is about as authentic as it gets.

Lastly, I should note that this is less about getting folks involved than it is about soliciting honest feedback. This is an open invitation and I hope to see you there.

Join the Meetup group and RSVP at Meetup.com/Sac-Moderates.

Learn more about the California Moderate Party at CAMod.org.

Crime rate down 18 percent in Sacramento

2011-09-22T00:50:50Z

Despite budget reductions and recent layoffs in the police department, serious crime in Sacramento has dropped 18 percent over the last three years – the second largest decline in California among cities of similar size – according to a report that Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel presented to City Council Tuesday.

Braziel told council members that the core mission of the Sacramento Police Department hasn’t changed since 2008 when he took charge. The mission, he said, is still “reduce crime, engage the community and provide excellent service.”

What has changed, however, is the number of police personnel – 81 sworn officers were laid off in July – and a department budget reduced by $12.2 million this year.

Over the past four years, police department budget reductions have resulted in $35 million in cuts and a loss of 372 positions, according city staff reports.

Still, Sacramento crime rates have been on a downward trend since 2007, Braziel said Tuesday.

Braziel’s report to the City Council included crime rate information compiled from department records and annual crime statistics from the FBI.

Braziel attributes the numbers to a “more focused effort” to achieve department goals, and an emphasis on working as efficiently as possible with the resources available.

“We have really focused on our 911 (call) center and operations in the field,” Braziel said. “We actually have more people answering the 911 line than (we had) three years ago.”

Braziel said staffing for field resources – patrol officers, traffic officers and officers on the streets responding to calls for service – has gone down 15 percent since July.

The investigations staff has been reduced by 35 percent, Braziel added.

“Those reductions are what necessitated a change in our dispatch protocols,” Braziel said.

In his last report to City Council in June, Braziel told council members that, with such a reduction in staffing, the department would no longer respond to some types of service calls, such as “cold” burglaries, where the suspect was no longer on the scene and the victims weren’t in danger.

“However, if we find a pattern or a series (of incidents) or something unique about an incident,” Braziel said, “we dispatch reports out to officers in the field and a patrol will go out to the scene to follow up.”

By prioritizing responses to nonviolent crime calls, Braziel said he is able to streamline operations and focus personnel where they are needed most at any given time.

Councilman Jay Schenirer told Braziel he was pleasantly surprised by the report.

“With budget cuts and an economy that is bad as it’s been in 40 or 50 years,” Schenirer said, “to see crime (in Sacramento) go down, that’s great.”

Schenirer said he would chalk it up to how well Braziel is running the department, and the continuous development of new ideas to reduce crime that are coming from the department.

Braziel told council members that violent crime is down 20 percent, and property crime is down 17 percent over the last year. All crimes together – excluding homicides – year-to-date crime rates are down 12.5 percent from last year.

“We are definitely continuing to trend down,” Braziel said.

The police department was able to bring back 35 laid off officers due to a grant waiver the department received in July.

One more grant request is pending, Braziel said, and he expects to have a result by the end of September or early October. If the city receives the second grant, it will restore another 35 officers to the police department.

“It’s a credit to the (police) department, and to the men and women on the front lines, so to speak, working every day and doing more with less,” Councilman Rob Fong told Braziel after hearing the report. “We obviously have very good people working on the force.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Former interim city manager Edgar shifts focus to other endeavors

2011-09-13T00:51:39Z

Now that a new city manager has taken the helm, Interim City Manager Bill Edgar is ready for new things. But “greener pastures” is not necessarily where Edgar says he’s headed.

“Plans for me aren’t really set,” Edgar said in an interview last week. “I have plenty to do, so retirement isn’t exactly in my future.”

Edgar took over as interim city manager after the previous interim city manager, Gus Vina, resigned in April.

When the City Council appointed Edgar to the position, he was joined by Betty Masuoka as assistant interim city manager. Together, Edgar and Masuoka took on the responsibilities of preparing a difficult city budget and navigating some tough union contracts.

Edgar’s role was temporary – just long enough for the city to recruit a permanent city manager – an assignment that turned out to last six months.

The newly hired city manager, John Shirey, officially took over on Sept. 1. He will pick up where Edgar and Masuoka left off and move forward with many projects that they started.

“I told (Shirey) I’d be available for specific projects if he wanted me (to help),” Edgar said. “But he hasn’t really had a chance to talk with me about any of them.”

Once Shirey came on board, Masuoka was able to leave on a long-awaited three-week visit to Europe.

Edgar, however, said he hasn’t yet had “a down time.”

“I have a lot to catch up on,” Edgar said.

In addition to acting as interim city manager for the past six months, Edgar has maintained his responsibilities as executive director of the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency, and running the tax preparation business he’s owned since 1999.

The Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency (SBFCA) was formed in 2007 by the counties of Butte and Sutter and the cities of Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak and Yuba City. The agency has the authority to finance and construct regional levee improvements.

Now that there is less pressure from his duties at City Hall, Edgar will spend more time working on projects with SBFCA.

The SBFCA passed an assessment last year, Edgar said, that allows for the rebuilding of the west bank of Feather River – a project that has been anticipated since 1997 and is now in the design stage.

“It’s at about 60 percent (completed with the design stage) now,” Edgar said. “We anticipate construction beginning in spring, 2013, and construction should take two or three seasons.”

Edgar said the transition away from interim city manager has gone well, particularly since he has had to juggle outside responsibilities at the same time.

“Since I’ve had to do (everything) at the same time,” Edgar said, “now it’s just a little pressure off. It was very busy for me during the time I was interim city manager. That’s why it was necessary for (Masuoka) and I to do the job together.”

Edgar said that, during his time in City Hall, he enjoyed working with the mayor and City Council “most of all.”

“When I first went in (to the position), people told me it would be hard to get council members to work together,” Edgar said. “I didn’t find it that way at all, though.”

During his tenure, Edgar said he and his staff worked hard to accomplish some important things – such as putting together a “very difficult” budget at a very difficult time.

“We were able to finally get some concessions from one of the major unions,” Edgar said, “and to bring on a qualified city manager – those were big things.”

Edgar said he and Masuoka also set the stage for what’s coming down the road: restructuring the budget and making the organization more efficient.

There will be a lot of challenges for Shirey in the coming year, Edgar said, most notably the next budget and upcoming labor negotiations. But “there are always a lot of challenges,” Edgar said.

“The arena is coming up, and economic development is always an issue,” Edgar said. “And, a lot of restructuring has to happen.”

It won’t happen overnight, and Shirey won’t be doing it alone, Edgar said.

“The employees, the department managers and staff are committed to really working hard,” Edgar said.

During the last two weeks of Edgar’s transition out of the interim position, Edgar said he and Masuoka and their staff made sure that what they were setting in place was in line with Shirey’s own goals for the city.

“As focus areas (for changes in city organization) are brought up to council, not everything will be implemented,” Edgar said. “Still, there will be a lot to discuss, and (Shirey) will take the lead in that.”

As Edgar moves away from the responsibilities of interim city manager, he said he is looking forward to giving more focus to other interests.

“I think my family is happy to get me back doing tax returns,” Edgar said. “It’s good (for me) to be there for the family business.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Solving budget problems by 'getting our house in order'

2011-08-26T05:14:31Z

City staff members want to fix Sacramento’s budget problems by revamping the city’s current organizational structure – and they want to do it by February.

Northern California still struggles to recover from one of the worst recessions in more than 75 years, and the city of Sacramento has been hit especially hard.

Interim City Manager Bill Edgar reminded council members Tuesday of the reality of the city’s fiscal situation: A budget that is $39 million less than it was the prior year; 141 city employee layoffs, including 41 sworn police officers, and a $26 million structural imbalance expected to extend into 2016.

“The impacts (of the current budget structure) have been noticeable and significant,” Edgar said.

Speaking at a budget workshop at City Hall Tuesday, Edgar said that, in order to turn things around, the council will have to make some difficult policy choices and take a “longer-term strategic approach” than they have taken in recent years.

Due to years of worsening economic conditions, Edgar said, the city’s current organizational structure needs to be “re-sized” to fit available resources.

That is the aim of the restructuring project that Max Fernandez, director of the Community Development Department, and his staff will be working on over the next six months.

Fernandez told council members Tuesday that the goal of restructuring is to “achieve significant cost savings” and make the city more efficient wherever possible.

“Nothing is ever easy,” Fernandez said. “It will be difficult and take a lot of thought and processing by the right people, and I think we have a lot of the right people on this.”

Edgar said department staff has developed a three-pronged approach to improving the way the city works by restructuring budget and labor processes and streamlining organization in five areas:

* Department of Utilities and Department of Transportation
* Public safety
* Citywide contracting and purchasing
* Parks and Recreation Department and the Convention, Culture and Leisure Department
* City Clerk’s Office and Mayor/Council Administrative Functions

Fernandez will be taking a close at each of those areas to identify specific ways to reduce costs, including finding “any potential for consolidation.”

The city has already consolidated several departments in the past year, including the Code Enforcement and Community Development Departments and the Human Resources and Labor Relations Departments.

As Edgar and Fernandez began to organize the project in June, they asked department leaders in the focus area to put together teams that include talented people currently working with the city.

“We’re getting experts in the various parts of the operation that will be affected by this work plan,” Fernandez said. “We are going down as deep in the organization as we need to to get the right people.”

By bringing in people who have first-hand understanding of the focus areas, Fernandez said, the teams can draw on their expertise and skills to find “new, better, more efficient” ways of delivering city services.

Fernandez said it’s important to work quickly so the project can be completed by February to give City Council time needed to implement cost-saving measures before the next budget is complete.

“The No. 1 goal here is saving money,” Fernandez said.

Councilman Jay Schenirer disagreed, however, saying the “No. 1 goal” for the city should be to “provide all the services we can using the resources we have available.”

“This (budget restructure) is going to be one of the most important things that we do for a long time,” Schenirer said. “We don’t want to face down another $26 million budget shortfall anytime soon.”

Restructuring plans are in the “infancy stages” Fernandez said, but he assured council members that the process is under way.

“We have a very aggressive timeline,” Fernandez said, “and a good support team working to get the job done.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday that the idea of restructuring is a “step in the right direction” for the city.

“I think it’s the first step,” Johnson said. “I think we can be a lot smarter. There’s plenty of economic development opportunities, but the first thing we need to do is get our house in order.”

“(The City Council is) committed to having a balanced budget,” Johnson said.

Fernandez and other city staff involved in the project will return to City Council with a progress report in late November.

The final report – including staff recommendations for council action – is expected to be completed in February.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. FOllow her on Twitter @MeilssaCorker.

State budget brings good news and bad news for Sacramento

2011-07-14T01:39:44Z

The new California state budget reduced spending by $15 billion and potentially includes an additional $2.5 billion in cuts – but it’s not all bad news for Sacramento.

Some of the impacts of the state budget on Sacramento were outlined at the City Council meeting Tuesday, most notably problems stemming from changes to redevelopment, realignment and motor vehicle license fees.

“The best thing I can say is that it was an on-time budget,” said David Jones, lobbyist for the city of Sacramento.

The budget was balanced using $4 billion in projected revenue increases, Jones said, and about 40 percent of that is “just hopeful thinking and subject to litigation or challenges.”

That’s good news for the city, Jones said, because some increases in the budget would result in significant revenue loss for the city if they remain in place.

One aspect of the state budget that will have a deep impact on the city is the restructuring of redevelopment agencies.

According to Jones and Leyne Milstein, city finance director, redevelopment funds from tax increment funding through the state bring approximately $3.5 million to the city and county each year.

Under the state’s new Voluntary Alternative Redevelopment Program, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) will have to come up with an initial $22 million “continuation payment” to continue its operations, or it will be dissolved.

If that happens, said La Shelle Dozier, executive director of SHRA, numerous Sacramento redevelopment projects in the works will be stalled unless alternate financing is identified, and some projects would never come to fruition.

Jones said the California Redevelopment Association is filing a lawsuit to stop the new redevelopment agency legislation but, until that litigation is resolved, redevelopment agency activities in Sacramento are on “uncertain ground.”

Another item in the state budget that will impact the city comes from the realignment of public safety programs from the state to local governments.

Senate Bill 89 (SB89) diverts 100 percent of motor vehicle license fee revenues from cities to counties, using it to fund public safety activities that have been realigned from the state to the counties.

Until last year, Sacramento received approximately $1.7 million from vehicle license fee revenues annually.

“Realignment is one of the major features of the governor’s budget,” Jones said. “There will definitely be an impact (to local government) down the line.”

The governor’s realignment strategy involves shifting low-level offenders from state institutions to county institutions and local government programs.

“We’re going to see offenders crowded out of from our county jail and possibly onto the streets,” Jones said.

Other realigned programs, according to the governor’s budget summary, include local public safety programs, mental health, substance abuse, foster care, child welfare services and adult protective services.

“The measure passed in the very last hours of budget talks,” Milstein said. “If this legislation stays on the books, it will be a real hit to the city.”

The state budget isn’t all bad news, though, said Jones.

The Community Oriented Policing Services public safety grant has been approved, Jones said, and that means $763,000 in funding to the city.

Assembly Bill 678 (AB678), which provides reimbursement to local fire departments for emergency medical transport, is progressing through the Legislature and may be out of committee and onto the governor’s desk by the end of August, Jones said.

Additionally, transit agency funding has reached a higher funding level this year – the second-highest in its history.

“We’ve seen better-than-anticipated sales tax from the first quarter,” Milstein said, “So we’re keeping an eye on it, and it looks like a positive trend. Then we can adjust for it later in the year.”

Read the governor’s budget summary here.
Read the text of SB89 here.
Read the text of AB678 here.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Keeping community centers open without city funding

2011-07-06T01:49:43Z

When City Council members approved the 2011-12 budget in June, they said that the city’s community centers would not be closed – but the centers won’t receive any city funding to keep them open, either.

Now, a team of people at the city’s Neighborhood Services Department, along with the Department of Parks and Recreation, are trying to keep the 15 community centers in Sacramento open by partnering with nonprofit and community-based organizations.

Late last year, Neighborhood Services had already begun looking for ways to make the idea work when it sent out “requests for proposals” seeking groups interested in overseeing the centers and providing the financial backing needed to operate them.

But the responses the department received weren’t quite what staff had hoped for, said Vincene Jones, a director with Neighborhood Services.

Some of the responses involved a single organization taking over, while others were just not financially feasible, Jones said.

“We want an organization to take the lead, perhaps a (nonprofit),” Jones said, “but we also need other partners who will bring additional services to the centers. No one group can do it all for any center.”

Jones said the department has had to review its criteria and “be more specific” about what it is looking for in public-private partnerships for the centers.

“It’s not an easy process. There’s a lot of pieces necessary to make it work,” Jones said.

Jones said she and Sylvia Fort, parks and recreation program manager, and Dave Mitchell, parks and recreation operations manager, are reviewing the proposals received so far, and they will continue to look for “innovative” ways to save the community centers from closing.

“We want it to be a success,” Jones said, “not hurry into something that just falls flat later on down the road.”

Jones said the centers may end up with reduced hours or fewer open days each week, but the goal is to continue providing services as they have always been delivered at “the same or better” level.

Some of those services include after-school tutoring, computer training, classes and social opportunities for seniors and facilities for neighborhood gatherings.

According to Jones, the community centers in the greatest danger of being closed are George Sim, Hagginwood, Oak Park and Southside Park centers because of challenges in finding either enough support – or, in the case of George Sim center, finding properly skilled support.

George Sim is a difficult center to find community partners for, Jones said, because the center is has a lot of new equipment and systems in the facility that require specialized training.

“It’s not a center that we can send just anyone into and expect them to know how to do things,” Jones said.

So far, though, Jones said efforts to keep the centers open are progressing well, and the department has “good prospects” for volunteer involvement that will make continuing services more likely.

“We’ve found some good (partners), and everyone is hopeful,” Jones said.

In Oak Park, Pastor Jones and the Oak Park Methodist Church have come forward to help the center in that neighborhood remain open.

“(Pastor Jones) has strong ties to the community,” Jones said, “and he’s well-respected. (Oak Park Methodist Church) may not be a leading (support), but they really want to help, and they can do a lot for the center and the people there.”

No permanent agreements for operating the community centers have been made between any of the interested organizations and the city, Jones said, but “we’re all working together and we will see what can be done.”

Keith Hart, chief service officer for Mayor Kevin Johnson, said that when it comes to projects involving public and private collaboration, a volunteer effort is going to be essential.

“It’s not so much about money,” Hart said. “It’s about new ways of working together. (It’s about) private citizens (and) nonprofit organizations volunteering their time and energy and talent to help keep (community) centers going.”

With so many budget cuts and the shifting around of staff positions that came with it, Jones said she is uncertain “who will be where” until “the dust settles from all the changes.”

For Jones and volunteer coordinators working with the community centers, this means July will be a month to “reset” and take stock of what the city and the parks department have to work with before they really see what they will be able to do with the centers.

Hart said there is not a timeline in place for reorganizing the way the centers are operated, but without any collaboration with outside sources, a decision will eventually have to be made.

“If nothing happens soon, there will be a time when we have to say, ‘The doors are closed,’ ” Hart said. “But right now, the city is keeping as much open as they can.”

See a map of community center locations here.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

New county executive steps up to the plate in August

2011-07-05T02:21:35Z

As Steve Szalay prepares to leave behind the position of county executive for Sacramento County, current Riverside City Manager Brad Hudson is gearing up to step into his shoes.

Hudson accepted a five-year contract with Sacramento County after spending nearly 35 years in county government in Kings and Riverside counties before becoming city manager for Riverside in 2005.

Hudson talked to The Sacramento Press about his upcoming move in an interview Thursday.

SP: You’ve been in city government for a while now, and prior to that you worked in county government. How will your experiences in the city of Riverside and the counties you administered translate to your work here in the north-state?

BH: Riverside county has about 18,000 employees, a $4.5 billion budget and covers 7,200 square miles. (The) city of Riverside has about 2,400 employees, and a budget of about $1 billion. Sacramento County has roughly 11,000 employees and a $3.5 billion budget.

So, I’ve worked in a bigger organization, and I’m currently working in a smaller organization. (The city of Riverside) is a very complex organization, too, as far as the services we provide.

The dynamics are still the same: We have budget issues, pension reform issues. The same general things that any government has to deal with are present no matter what the size of the organization.

SP: Besides starting out on a large-scale public improvement program during strained fiscal times, what was your greatest accomplishment as city manager in Riverside?

BH: What I’m most proud of is that we saw this recession coming in 2007. We right-sized through attrition very quickly. We’ve had a balanced budget, including a surplus, over the past several years despite the recession.

Even though we have fewer employees, the amount and quality of services has improved. I attribute that to our hard-working workforce as well as an awesome technology effort that has allowed us to become more efficient overall.

We’ve done a lot of special training to help our managers be great managers, too, despite supervising a reduced workforce.

I’m also proud that Riverside is one of two “emerald cities” in the state – so, very good environmental leadership. We were also named one of the top seven cities in the world in terms of using technology. I’m pretty proud of that major initiative over the past six years.

SP: What do you see as your greatest challenge in coming to Sacramento County?

BH: If you look at any of the opinion polls, the thing that people are most-concerned about is the economy: having a job, being able to make their mortgage payment, or being underemployed and having to look for a job that pays enough. It really is the same everywhere, even Sacramento.

The essence of our budget is sales and property taxes and development. If the economy wasn’t so heavy at the moment, people would have other things on their mind. So, working with the budget will be something to really focus on.

SP: What will be your first priority when you walk in the door at the Sacramento County offices?

BH: Spending time with members of the board, understanding their districts, understanding what their priorities are for the organization, how to deliver services.

Really, the key to the job is knowing the board well and knowing what their key issues are and how they view those issues.

SP: It’s been reported that you have a reputation as a “Renaissance man” for initiating more than $1 billion in public projects in Riverside, but also as “heavy-handed” and “frequently ruffling feathers.” How do you take those assessments of your work style?

BH: I think I’m very collaborative in my approach. I do like to move quickly, and sometimes, when you move quickly, people feel left behind, and I understand that. I think it’s always important to reach out to those who are affected by the decisions you make. Ultimately, you work for an elected body, and you work at their pace. You try to match their pace.

Another aspect is accountability. I’m big on holding people accountable, and sometimes when folks fall short, they may not like my response. But that’s the price you pay for holding people accountable.

I think I’m fair and even-handed. I have an open-door policy and a good work ethic, and I’m pretty accessible. Some criticism may be justified in terms of my fast-moving approach, but for the most part I try to be collegial and work as a team player.

(Chuckling) Once in a while, I get accused of being irreverent, but it’s just a well-developed sense of humor.

SP: Since beginning the interview process for the county executive position, you’ve had plenty of time to scope out the territory. What do you see as Sacramento’s advantages?

BH: For me personally, (Sacramento) is similar to the area I grew up in. You have wonderful cultural amenities, it’s the capital city – which is very alluring, the river, parks. My grandfather had a boat on the delta when I was growing up, and I like to boat a little bit. I love the mountains, I ski a little bit and you’re close to Tahoe, so that’s something nice.

I am a pretty big NBA fan, though not necessarily a Kings fan.

SP: Uh-oh. We may have to do something about that.

BH: (Laughs) Yeah, that may be the hardest thing about coming to Sacramento: giving up the Lakers! I might do it. I might.

I’m already a 49ers fan and an Oakland A’s fan, so I’m good to go in those ways.

Kings? I’m not quite there, but I’ll get there.

SP: Have you and your family started making the transition to being in Sacramento?

BH: We’ve been up to Sacramento a few times, looking around, getting to know the area. My wife is excited about the move. She enjoys downtown and the Fab 40s and river parkway. She enjoyed Folsom. We drove all around when we visited. We even went down to Galt. (Galt) reminds her a little of where she grew up in Tulare. You know, a little more rural lifestyle. You can certainly see a lot of different lifestyles in a short drive. (Sacramento) is very diverse.

SP: Have you decided where you’ll settle in?

BH: We’re zeroing in on a few areas. We have a house in Riverside that we still need to sell, and then maybe we’ll find a loft in Midtown just to get started.

We’ll get to know the area a little better before we decide where to buy a house. We’ve been researching the area since February, and we’ll be there Aug. 14 to start, so we have time to figure it all out.

SP: Do you see yourself as staying around a while?

BH: I see this as a career-capper for me. It will be good to see us through these difficult times, change the trajectory skyward.

It’s all about looking in the right direction. I think it’s important that, even if you’re not moving in the direction you want to go right now, you can still be looking to the direction you want to be in and work toward that.

SP: Are you looking forward to being “the new guy”?

BH: Yeah. I’ve done this a few times, so I’m ready for it. I actually look forward to meeting the team there and getting to know the employees.

SP: Szalay says he gets a couple of days with you before he steps down. What do you think you’ll talk about?

BH: (Szalay) and I started in the same place, a little different time though. He was (in Kings County) about five years before I was there. We’ve worked for and with some of the same people, (so) we have some common associations.

And there’s the budget and other business... I’m sure we’ll have a lot to talk about.

Hudson begins his new position with Sacramento County on Aug. 14.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Start of fiscal year means end of jobs for some

2011-07-01T01:04:59Z

Friday marks the first day of the new fiscal year for the City of Sacramento – and the last day of work for more than 200 city employees, including 42 sworn police officers.

The final city budget, which passed on June 21, included deep cuts to parks, libraries and public safety agencies and filled a $39 million budget gap.

The budget did not pass without contention, however.

Council members Angelique Ashby and Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson each went against the budget, calling the cuts to public safety “drastic” and creating a 6-3 split vote.

“These cuts to public safety are too big. They’re way too big,” Ashby said. “Why would we cut more than we have to?”

During the proceedings at the June 14 council meeting, Cohn proposed a motion to use nearly $4 million earmarked for other purposes (including shoring up the city’s anemic reserve fund), in return for matching concessions from police and fire unions to restore cut positions.

That proposal failed 3-6, with the only “aye” votes coming from Ashby, Cohn and Johnson.

Critics of the new budget, particularly the Sacramento Police Officers Association, (SPOA), have said that Cohn’s motion was an effort at showing good faith toward the labor unions and would have eased the way to talks between union and city representatives for alternatives to layoffs.

Ashby, Cohn and Johnson agreed.

“We found a way to save as many (positions) as possible,” Ashby said during the council meeting. “I don’t understand why this council would walk away from that opportunity.”

Johnson said he feels the city has done everything it can up to this point.

“We’ve cut $200 million from our general fund over the past four years, and we can’t keep cutting,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday.

Johnson encouraged police and fire unions to consider concession discussions and said that “if some of our (police) officers can be saved, we should look at (Cohn’s proposal).”

Cohn said he believed his proposal was “reasonable and necessary” to restore dangerous cuts to public safety without jeopardizing the city’s contingency reserve funds.

“(It) also called for shared sacrifice,” Cohn said, “by making these funds contingent on permanent, ongoing labor concessions.”

Cohn added that his proposal relied on “added savings” developed during the budget process including keeping management staff on furloughs to pay for the public safety restorations.

“Unfortunately, a majority of the council did not agree, so I was on the short end of (the) vote,” Cohn said.

“Our police department is comprised of intelligent, compassionate people. They know how much we value them,” Johnson said. “We’re reaching out to them to have real discussions going forward.”

Although Ashby, Cohn and Johnson were not supportive of the final budget, Johnson said at the press conference that, now that the budget is in place, “We are all committed to find solutions.”

The city faces some serious financial problems over the next few fiscal years, according to a city manager staff report, including a “structural deficit (that) will persist unless additional permanent corrective actions are implemented.”

A structural deficit is when the budget has more expenses than income.

2011-2012 will be the fifth year in a row that the city has faced a budget shortfall, despite major reductions in prior years to services and personnel.

Cohn, however, is trying to stay positive.

“I’m encouraged by possible talks with SPOA and local 522 (the firefighters union),” Cohn said. “Stay tuned.”

Szalay prepares to say good-bye to top county spot

2011-06-30T00:58:46Z

As Steve Szalay prepared to hand over the reins to the top spot in county government, he talked about his experiences as interim county executive and sent a message to his successor: “Don’t screw it up.”

Szalay came on board with the county in December of 2009 when County Executive Terry Schutten retired. It was a temporary assignment that would bring Szalay out of retirement just long enough to put the county back on track while the Board of Supervisors recruited a permanent county executive.

With more than 40 years’ experience in California government, including work in the administration of four counties and as executive director for the California State Association of Counties, Szalay was ready for new challenges.

“(Sacramento County) was in bad shape, and it needed to be ‘repositioned,’ ” Szalay said. “We’re not ‘recovering,’ we’re positioning in a different direction. This is what I enjoy most. I’m happiest when there are problems to solve.”

He wanted problems to solve, and he got them.

For starters, the county budget was in need of a serious overhaul.

Sacramento County has a budget of $3.5 billion, Szalay said, and the general fund makes up $2 billion of that amount.

When the county supervisors approved the 2009/2010 budget, it was balanced with $80.2 million of one-time resources and internal borrowing – which damaged the county’s credit rating.

“When I walked in the door, they’d had a budget in place for five months, and they already knew they were about $15 million out of balance,” Szalay said. “The consistent one-time fund use took (the county’s) credit rating from A-minus to triple B-plus.”

The previous year, the budget gap was smaller ($123.7 million), but the board used more one-time resources that year ($103 million) to plug the hole.

“They were in denial about the recession and getting further and further behind,” Szalay said.

In addition to a runaway budget problem, the county was working with labor contracts that created havoc with the balance sheet.

Szalay said Schutten and the board entered into five-year labor contracts in 2005/2006, when times were good – contracts that included cost-of-living increases and equity increases for every bargaining unit for every year.

“While revenues where going down, expenses were going up,” Szalay said. “What wizard decided that was a wonderful thing? I don’t know what they were smokin’ when they came up with the idea.”

Despite the continual downturn in the economy since 2006, the labor contracts stayed in place.

The first order of business as “ICE” (the acronym-turned-nickname was effective almost immediately, Szalay said) was to set up a plan focused on four key areas of improvement: budget/fiscal, labor, debt and efficiency.

“You want current revenue to pay for current services,” Szalay explained, “and then you want a small contingency to take care of unexpected things that happen in the year, and you want managers on top of things to make adjustments quickly when it’s needed.”

To solve fiscal challenges, Szalay said he worked with management and the board to make “reasonable and necessary” cuts and to reduce the amount of one-time funds used to fill budget shortfalls.

Through those efforts, county supervisors cut more than 1,000 positions, streamlined some services and reduced the budget gap by almost $130 million over two years.

“We’re now within $19 million of having current revenue pay for current services,” Szalay said. “That’s huge.”

Next, he worked to negotiate labor contracts that didn’t undermine the budget.

What the county ended up with were new labor contracts that had no increase the first year, no increase the second year, and the third year, “we’ll talk,” Szalay said.

The new contracts also included lower-tier retirement for new employees and stopping heath care stipends previously given to retirees.

“All 26 unions agreed to the terms,” Szalay said. “That was a real accomplishment.”

Of everything he has worked on as interim county executive, though, the work that really ignited a fire in Szalay was what he calls “new efficiencies.”

“This is the fun stuff,” Szalay said. “This is where you get things done.”

The “new efficiencies” are composed in a list of 56 projects that Szalay and county management worked on for the past 21 months to save money, increase revenue and enhance services throughout the county.

Some projects changed policy to direct new revenue into the general reserve fund every year and not pull from the fund to fill budget gaps.

Other projects created new contracts with private nonprofit and corporate entities to take over services previously operated by county staff.

“This county has one service delivery policy: Hire a bunch of civil service workers and put ’em to work,” Szalay said. “What we need is a mix. We should (also) have some contracts with the private sector, some contracts with (the) nonprofit sector, some joint services with the city.”

Reorganization projects were also part of Szalay’s plans.

Szalay took the “three-legged stool model” of county services that includes municipal services, countywide services, and internal support operations, and looked for ways to combine operations or reorganize to eliminate redundancy.

Szalay estimated that the changes will save the county between $10 million and $13 million each year in operating costs.

When asked if he feels he’s accomplished what he set out to do for the county, Szalay was emphatic.

“Yes. Definitely.” he said. “We’ve adopted two budgets, gone through negotiations of labor contracts, worked on 56 efficiency plans and started working on marijuana permitting,” Szalay said.

“The time is good for a hand-off,” he added.

As Szalay returns to retired life, he said he and his wife, Diane Cummins, a special advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown, will spend time relaxing with family in the days to come, and they are planning a month-long trip to Italy in September.

After that, Szalay said, he will probably do some independent consulting work or focus on projects for the county on a contract basis.

The new county executive, Brad Hudson, is expected to take over on Aug. 14, and Szalay said he has every confidence in Hudson’s abilities.

Hudson’s background is in economic development, Szalay pointed out, so when the county experiences new growth – “and it will,” Szalay assured – Hudson will have plenty of opportunity to “show his stuff.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of being able to make some changes at the top of this organization, and there’s an excellent management team that I’m turning over to the new guy,” Szalay said.

Does he think Hudson can keep things going in the right direction?

“He’d better,” Szalay said. “He knows that, for the next few years, fiscal stability has to be the No. 1 goal.”

Szalay said he’ll have two days to brief Hudson about the position before stepping down, and he’ll have one last comment before handing over the keys to the office:

“Now, don’t screw it up! I’ll be watching you!”

Mayor talks about pension reform as budget solution

2011-06-29T01:08:49Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson spoke about the need for representatives of the Sacramento Police Officers Association (SPOA) to meet with the city to explore ways to save police officers from impending layoffs at a Tuesday press conference.

“All of us on the council – the six that voted one way and the other three of us that didn’t – are reaching out to the SPOA asking for a meaningful dialogue,” Johnson said.

The City Council passed a budget on a 6-3 vote on June 21 that included more than $12 million in cuts to the Police Department and paved the way for more than 40 sworn police officers to be laid off July 1.

“We are at a difficult crossroad,” Johnson said. “(The City Council) said public safety is a priority ... and here we are now in a position where 108 (officers and civilians) are being laid off.”

Johnson said the city is not asking for SPOA to open up its contract, rather to “reboot and recommit to looking at opportunities that we have before us.”

The greatest of those opportunities, Johnson said, is for SPOA and the city to come to terms with a pension imbalance and make gradual changes to the current system that will lead to cost savings for the city in future years.

“We have to acknowledge that (SPOA) were the first ones to come to the table before,”Johnson said. “They gave us labor concessions, and they feel the city didn’t do its part, and I can respect that.”

Still, Johnson said the need for discussion about pension reform cannot be ignored, and the City Council has opened the door to discussion once again, if the union is interested.

“If (SPOA) are having honest discussions with their membership and no one is interested (in coming to the table), then we have to just cut officers and move forward and talk about pension reform next year or the year after,” Johnson said.

For most city employee positions, contributions to the employee retirement system come from both employers and employees.

Currently, however, city police officers do not have to pay a percentage of their earnings to their retirement benefits. Instead, the city picks up the full cost.

Johnson said that “pension reform is not the end-all,” however.

“If the police contributed 9 percent, that’s a $5.2 million savings (to the general fund). That doesn’t solve all of our problems.”

While noting that changes to pensions are necessary, Johnson emphasized that the city is not looking for the SPOA to “contribute it all back at one time.”

“If SPOA contributes their share, over time, we believe as a city we can still do our part and continue to be fiscally smart and move forward where everyone wins,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the City Council sent what it felt were “key points of discussion” to the SPOA, and he hopes the union is considering those points and talking to its membership about engaging in discussions about pension reform.

So far, Johnson said, he’s waiting for a response from the SPOA.

“I think it’s unrealistic to think that, in this economy, that there’s not going to be real discussion about pension reform,” Johnson said. “There HAS to be.”

Det. Mark Tyndale, SPOA representative, responded in a telephone interview Tuesday, saying that the SPOA is “constantly in conversation” with its membership, but the relationship with city leadership is strained right now.

Tyndale said the council members made their intentions toward the SPOA clear with the vote on the budget, and now there is a real sense of mistrust from the police union toward the council.

“We’re not unwilling to go (into a discussion),” Tyndale said. “We just don’t feel like we will be treated with good faith.”

It’s going to take more than a simple “please come talk” invitation from Johnson to bring the SPOA to the table, Tyndale said.

If the City Council as a whole – and Interim City Manager Bill Edgar – were to come together to discuss pensions with the SPOA, “I’d be in that room,” Tyndale said.

Sacramento Public Library to hold community forums in July

2011-06-28T03:28:55Z

When the Sacramento City Council passed the budget last week, funding for the Sacramento Public Library system was cut by nearly $800,000, and that means the possibility of reduced branch hours and even branch closures.

But deciding just what to cut is a challenge that library staff wants the community to help with.

“We want to talk to the community to see what’s important to them,” said Brenda Haggard, Strategic Communications Officer for the Sacramento Public Library. “We want to make decisions based on what’s important to the people we serve.”

Haggard said the desire is to keep public service intact as much as possible, despite the cuts to funding.

Library staff members are inviting people to attend one of three community forums being held at Sacramento Public Library branches in July.

The forums are offered at the following dates and times:
Wednesday, July 13
6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
McKinley Branch, 601 Alhambra Blvd.

Thursday, July 14
6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
North Natomas Branch, 4660 Via Ingoglia

Saturday, July 16
10:30 a.m. - noon
Southgate Branch, 6132 66th Ave.

The forums will include a brief discussion of what has happened to the library system over the past few years and an outline of the current financial situation.

An open question-and-answer session will follow, giving attendees the opportunity to brainstorm with library staff about what’s most important to library users.

“We need to find ways to take the funding that we have available to us and make the most effective and efficient use of those dollars,” Haggard said.

A public library system has been part of Sacramento since 1857, and residents have come to rely on their neighborhood branches as resources for information, quiet places to study, and even as hubs for community activities and children’s programs, Haggard said.

“I was raised up with the Dewey Decimal System,” said Leonard Robinbson, a Sacramento resident.

“Unfortunately we are in tough economic times, and everyone is feeling it,” Robinson said. “The library system needs to look for other ways to generate revenue to keep afloat.”

Anthony Neves, a frequent library user from Sacramento, said the biggest priority for the libraries should be keeping computers and books updated.

“Give people a reason to keep going back to the library,” Neves said.

“We’ve made drastic cuts. Painful cuts,” Haggard said. “Branch staff has taken on a great deal more work – everyone is doing a LOT more with a LOT less,” Haggard said.

The system is governed by an elected 14-member Library Authority, which operates 28 libraries in the system including a Central Library in downtown Sacramento.

Library staff will take all of the information they gather at the forums and present recommendations to the Library Authority In September.

Any changes resulting from public input and from staff recommendations will take effect in late September or early October.

For more information about the forums, email Director@saclibrary.org

City Council passes final budget

2011-06-22T06:51:12Z

More than 300 city positions will be eliminated in the coming year after the City Council passed a finalized city budget Tuesday night.

Despite impassioned pleas from members of the Sacramento City Crime Scene Investigation unit and local union representatives, the 14-member CSI unit and 45 sworn police officers are on the chopping block.

The budget passed on a 6-3 vote, with Council members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson each voting against the measure.

The new budget incorporates $4.6 million in one-time resources to close the gap for fiscal year 2011-12. It also funnels $3.36 million into the city’s economic uncertainty reserve fund.

Betty Masuoka, assistant interim city manager, noted that discussions with labor organizations to work toward concessions are under way, however no concessions have been formalized that would impact adopting the budget.

“The budget before you is balanced, and we are asking the council to adopt it tonight,” Masuoka told council members.

According to city manager staff reports, the budget meets the City Council’s goals of developing a sustainable budget plan, carefully using one-time resources and balancing the impact of any layoffs with the benefit of service level decisions.

Masuoka said the city manager and the finance department staff will meet with the council over the next few months to discuss policy questions and strategies that arise from implementation of the budget.

The nearly 70 people in the audience were silent when the council took the final vote.

“I’m just appalled,” said Marcia Mooney, representative from the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 39. “This really hurts our CSI people and, in the end, the City is going to be worse for it.”

City Council, police union at a standstill

2011-06-21T00:55:36Z

Approval of a final city budget that includes $39 million in ongoing cuts and the elimination of 320 city positions is expected at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, but Police Department personnel aren’t holding out hope for an 11th-hour save from potential layoffs.

“The council is firm on its decision,” said Det. Mark Tyndale, Sacramento Police Officers Association (SPOA) vice president. “And we are firm in ours.”

On June 7, City Council members urged SPOA representatives to consider contract concessions for its members in an effort to relieve the burden of deep budget cuts that will have a significant impact on the Police Department and public safety personnel.

The SPOA has not made any move toward the negotiating table, however, and, according to Tyndale, union representatives have no desire to do so.

“We expect a last-minute call from the council or the city manager’s office, but it’s a not a phone call that we are going to make,” Tyndale said.

Referring to concessions the Police Department made during budget negotiations in 2009, Tyndale said that, “two years after the fact, the council has shown that they aren’t going to back up what was promised back then.”

In 2009, the union made concessions on delaying raises for department personnel for three years. Those concessions resulted in approximately $12 million in savings for the city, Tyndale said.

“We don’t believe the council will approach us (now) in good faith, and we aren’t going to open our contract to be betrayed again,” Tyndale said.

During discussion of potential department cuts at the June 7 council meeting, Councilman Steve Cohn offered a motion that would allow the City Council to use one-time funds from the Economic Uncertainty Reserve (EUR) to match pay and benefit concessions from the police and fire departments up to a total of $4 million.

The motion failed on a 6-3 vote.

“It wouldn’t have solved the problem,” Tyndale said of Cohn’s motion, “but (SPOA) would have seen it as a good-faith effort.”

Tyndale said that union members were more disappointed in how the vote was divided than the fact that the motion failed.

“Council Member Darrell Fong’s vote stings the most,” Tyndale said. “He came from our department. He knows us. He said he’d be there for us.”

Fong, the District 7 representative and a former police captain, responded in an interview Monday that, although he understands that SPOA members are upset, he stands behind his vote against the matching funds motion.

“Cohn’s motion was to give both police and fire money from the emergency reserves fund,” Fong said. “Hitting the one-time reserves isn’t something I want to do. We have to show some restraint.”

Fong, who said he will direct his City Council salary for the 2011/2012 fiscal year to the Police Department’s budget, ~~declined his $60,800 city council salary when he was elected to the council in 2010,~~ was quick to point out that both civilians and sworn officers will be laid off if this budget is approved.

“It was a tough decision I had to make,” Fong said. “I made it clear that everyone – not just police, not just fire, but everyone – needed to come together to resolve the deficit we face.”

Fong said that, going forward, he’s looking for changes that will restructure the city and avoid future deficits.

“Services have to survive, even if they’re reduced,” Fong said.

The City Council will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 915 I St., to finalize the budget for 2011-2012.

Read the City Council meeting agenda here.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

McCarty reflects on tough budget choices

2011-06-09T01:13:18Z

In an unparalleled move, the Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday night to move forward with cuts that will drastically change the scope of its public safety departments. Eighty sworn officers are on the chopping block, and there is a plan to brownout four fire stations on a rotating basis.

“I said in January there would be a day of reckoning,” Councilmember Kevin McCarty told the packed council chambers. “Today is that day.”

After the council meeting, I spoke briefly with McCarty to get his thoughts on the night’s historic events.

Isaac Gonzalez: You didn’t agree with Councilmember Cohn’s idea to add ask for concessions from the Police and Fire Departments and to match those amounts with one-time funding. (1)

Kevin McCarty: I agree we should try to put more money in, but taking it from our reserve just put us in a precarious financial situation, and it wasn’t the most prudent thing to do. But I do hope that we can use the fire and police’s concessions to buy down some of their effects.

Fire, I said earlier, they have a lot of stuff on the table. (A) measure by (State Assemblyman) Dr. Pan could bring in $1 or $2 million by mid-year. Right now they have two brownouts. We’re proposing to go to four. For fire, for example, each brownout is 1.4 million, so 3 and a half (million) would cover two brownouts. So if they do a concession, let’s say, of $1.5 million, and we get a million and half from this measure, we could go back to two within a year. So there’s a path to get there, with those revenues. But the answer to the question, I just didn’t think it’s the prudent thing to do.

IG: With the $4 million reserve currently, that would only cover two weeks of payroll. That’s a very slim margin.

KM: That’s a 4 percent reserve. It’s dangerously low.

IG: And with the city’s practice of borrowing money and lending it every night…(2)

KM: You can go back and ask our treasurer. He did a report three or four weeks ago how it just puts us in a difficult, very tough position.

IG: Tonight you talked about keeping the city swimming pools open this year but maybe not for next year.

KM: I think that we decided that we would have a commitment to do it. We don’t have to deal with that problem today. Bottom line, I think the council is committed to keeping the keeping the pools open, but the decision was [not?] necessary to make, not today. The pools are tricky in the summer, the middle of the budget year. We have enough money from last year’s budget to keep the pools open this year.

IG: A lot of passionate people here tonight, a very passionate debate. It must be hard to see people whose responsibility it is to protect the city to ask for council not to cut to the bone.

KM: Well, the math really speaks for itself. There’s only so much you can do. When you spend, for example, on public safety — as much as it pains me to make these tough cuts, public safety makes up as much as 85 percent of our general fund. You can’t bridge a $39 million gap by not taking a look at that 85 percent. It’s very difficult and painful, but I think the math speaks for itself.

IG: I think in past years council has dipped into the one-time funds and also eliminated vacant positions, and now that we’re past that…

KM: We’ve essentially cut to the bone and now all there was is amputations. That’s what we had to do. Some people say that we need to make sure public safety is our top priority. I would argue that they are. They’ve become even more of a priority. In 2008 public safety received 73 percent of the budget. Now they receive 85 percent of the budget, so they’ve actually gone up in that direction.

IG: Thank you, Councilmember.

KM: OK, thank you.

(1) Cohn proposed enticing the Police and Fire Departments to make labor concessions by offering additional budget funding in match amounts, up to $2.5 million and $1.5 million, respectively. The motion was rejected by the council.

(2) An example of how the city invests and borrows money on the long and short term can be found here: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/treasurer/Investment/Monthly%20Investment%20Report_April2011.pdf

Retention of jobs and public safety are priority for Mayor Kevin Johnson

2011-06-08T02:41:36Z

Despite reports of the city’s proposals to lay off more than 350 jobs, including 80 sworn police officers, during Tuesday’s press conference, Mayor Kevin Johnson said that avoiding such layoffs will be a priority.

Throughout the conference, Johnson said he wanted Sacramento to remain a full-service city and that he hopes to alleviate any distrust between police officers and the city by playing a more active role in addressing the interests of both parties.

“We’re trying to preserve as many jobs as we can and keep public safety at the top of our priorities,” he added.

“We’re about to pass and adopt a budget in about three weeks or so, and we do not want to be in a position where our community, our constituents and the greater Sacramento area are impacted because we can’t create an environment where our streets are safe.”

The weekly press conference was supposed to address city business and the future of an entertainment and sports complex in Sacramento via the “Here We Build” arena campaign, but when the floor opened to questions, the discussion quickly became centered on the current budget situation and, consequently, what Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting might entail.

Tuesday’s council meeting agenda was set at the end of May to address all the controversial potential budget cuts to the Parks and Recreation, Police and Fire departments.

When asked about concerns and potential alternatives to the current budget proposals, the Mayor said that it depended on the discussion that would occur during the council meeting.

He provided three possible outcomes of the upcoming meeting: 1: Tentative decisions will be made on whether the current proposals for each department will occur, 2: Time will run out and the vote will carry on to Thursday or 3: Possibly vote on two of the three departments and keep one floating for discussion again later.

During the conference, Johnson also mentioned the city and state of California’s interest in a high-speed rail due to its long-term cost-effectiveness, decreased carbon footprint and its potential to be an “unbelievable job creator.”

Police move could save money after initial cost

2011-06-03T05:06:31Z

If the Sacramento Police Department headquarters moves from Freeport Boulevard to Richards Boulevard, it could save $500,000 per year, but with it comes an up-front moving cost of $1 million, according to a report released Wednesday afternoon.

This would force other city departments – community development, parking services and code enforcement – to relocate from the building at 300 Richards Blvd. to City Hall, according to City Councilman Steve Cohn.

The idea stems from the Police Department, which has been looking at moving its headquarters from the Public Safety Center on Freeport Boulevard for the past three years to save money, police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said.

Being closer to the central city gives the Police Department numerous benefits, Leong added.

The proximity to downtown would allow police to cut gasoline costs for business conducted with the courthouses or the city, and it would be more centralized to the whole city, which would make it more convenient for the community to come for business with reports, citations, fingerprinting and similar activities.

Cohn added that it’s only feasible if there is a net savings, as the city faces a $39 million budget gap for the coming fiscal year. (To read about the budget, click here, and for more information, click on the "Storyline" tab in the linked article.)

“If we can save that kind of money, I think we need to do it,” Cohn said. “Whatever we can do to prevent layoffs, I’d support, but only if it’s an overall savings.”

With a continued structural imbalance with the general fund – having more expenses than revenue – the long-term savings are attractive, but the initial hit to the general fund would add to the current crisis.

“The costs to move would come out of the general fund,” said city spokeswoman Amy Williams. “Any savings we get later on would help the general fund.”

That move would not save any money in the coming fiscal year.

“No savings could be achieved, however, in FY2011/12 given the time needed for evaluation and implementation and the initial costs for moving,” according to the report.

Moving the majority of police operations to Richards Boulevard would fill the entire building, which would mean the other departments have to move.

Cohn said there is room at City Hall to accommodate them, but there isn’t a final plan as to where they would go yet.

“It’s taking a while to figure out all the logistics,” he said.

According to the report, a more detailed analysis will be delivered to the City Council at a later date.

A City Council budget meeting involving multiple city departments – including police, fire and parks – will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the council chambers in City Hall, 915 I St.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Extra funds for R Street improvement project

2011-05-19T04:53:44Z

The R Street improvements currently under construction from 10th to 13th streets are getting a few more amenities, as construction left extra funds in an approximately $1 million ~~$1.5 million~~ federal grant allocated to the project.

The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to approve 13 more pedestrian benches, 13 banners affixed to streetlights and a decorative arch that spans R Street at 10th Street and a pedestrian arch over the sidewalk on 12th Street and R Street, to be constructed by Teichert Construction, the main contractor for the project.

“This will be the icing on the cake to R street and will make the area more pedestrian-friendly,” Sacramento Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker said.

The R Street improvement project will add uniformity to the area that currently lacks consistent curbs, and it will also add parking spaces and street lights as well as restore the area’s mixed-use industrial, business and residential buildings.

Adding the new benches, banners and archways was an extension of federal funds already dedicated to the project.

“We got the go-ahead from Caltrans to make use of federal funds already budgeted for the project,” Tucker said.

According to Department of Transportation Project Manager Zuhair Amawi, a lot of thought went into the improvements.

“The selection of the concepts and design of the items in the change order was the result of many months of R Street stakeholder meetings organized by CADA (Capitol Development Area Authority) and approved by the City Preservation Commission,” Amawi said.

The project had a 36-week construction timeline and is still on-target for a summer finish.

Ground was broken last September.

“We can expect an opening event to celebrate R Street’s new look sometime this summer,” Tucker said.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

County cuts could cause more layoffs

2011-05-14T01:40:46Z

Sacramento County’s budget situation for the 2011/2012 fiscal year could be described by the grammatically incorrect but accurate phrase “less bad.”

In other words, the county’s budget gap of $90 million is less severe than the $181 million shortfall it faced last year. But the current gap, which is likely to result in a wave of layoffs, is still grim.

County Interim Executive Officer Steven Szalay laid out budget details in a Friday morning press conference at the downtown county building on H Street. The county plans to cut 321 employee positions in its budget process, Szalay said.

“I’m very sad to have to have these service-level reductions,” he said. “They’re definitely going to hurt in all sectors of the county.”

The county expects to face cuts in nearly all departments, he added.

County officials said they have not yet calculated how many of the positions are currently filled by employees and how many are vacant. The number of filled positions, which will help the public understand how many layoffs there may be, will be released with the budget proposal in two weeks, Szalay said.

The county’s drop in revenues since the 2007/2008 fiscal year has been a central reason for the county’s poor financial state, Szalay said. Since then, the county’s revenues from property, sales and motor vehicle taxes have dropped by more than $100 million, he added.

The 321 positions do not include any positions from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office, according to Szalay.

The $90 million gap consists of a roughly $70 million gap in the county’s general fund and cuts to the county from the state, according to county spokeswoman Chris Andis.

Szalay said the Sheriff’s Department will need to make $26 million in cuts. However, Sheriff Scott Jones said he is examining several funding sources and is confident he can pare down that number. He said he hopes to not make layoffs.

“All facets of the county have been devastated by cuts,” Jones said. “We are not alone in that.”

There is a bright spot in this year’s budget, according to Szalay. “We are making progress towards the goal of having current revenue pay for current services,” he said.

While Szalay proposed the budget, the Board of Supervisors will make all final budget decisions.

The number of actual layoffs that could result from the budget crunch may not be known for some time. The county applies a complex demotion process when it makes layoffs that can change the final number. Some workers may decide to retire.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors’ chambers at 700 H St. will be the site of the budget hearings, which are scheduled to begin the week of June 6. The hearings will be open to the public.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Guide to city budget hearings

2011-05-05T00:25:51Z

Sacramento city officials have scheduled 10 public meetings on the city budget over the next seven weeks.

The City Council is wrestling with a $39 million budget gap and is considering recommendations from the city manager’s office to lay off hundreds of municipal employees.

The public is welcome at the budget hearings, which will be led by the City Council.

“It’s important that the public’s voice is heard,” city spokeswoman Amy Williams said. “These are hard decisions that lie ahead.”

During the next few weeks, Williams said she aims to keep as much budget information as possible on the city’s website.

A link to city budget documents is on the front page of the website.

All of the budget meetings will be held at Sacramento City Hall at 915 I St. The budget schedule may change, Williams said. Citizens can check the city’s website for updated information throughout the budget process, she said.

Here is the list of hearings on the 2011/2012 fiscal year budget:

When: Thursday, May 12, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Parks and Recreation Department, budget assumptions, planned budget cuts

When: Tuesday, May 17, 2 p.m.
On the agenda: Convention, Culture and Leisure Department; Community Development Department

When: Tuesday, May 17, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Police Department

When: Tuesday, May 24, 2 p.m.
On the agenda: Economic Development, General Services, Support, Transportation, Utilities, Charter Offices (City Attorney, City Clerk, City Treasurer)

When: Tuesday, May 24, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Fire Department

When: Tuesday, May 31, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Library, agencies that partner with the city

When: Thursday, June 2, 6 p.m. (Tentative meeting)
On the agenda: Budget options

When: Tuesday, June 7, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Facilities and infrastructure budget (known formally as the capital improvement program), discussion of budget cuts

When: Tuesday, June 14, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Update on city labor unions, finish plans for budget cuts

When: Tuesday, June 21, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: The City Council will approve the budget.

Source: city of Sacramento

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

One-on-one with Gus Vina

2011-04-08T02:05:57Z

Much has been written about Gus Vina in the press over the past 14 months. After becoming Sacramento’s interim city manager, Vina faced a multitude challenges on various fronts. Budgets shortfalls, permit controversies, and varying levels of support from the City Council were just some of the hurdles Vina had to bear.

In the end, Vina tendered his resignation, effective today. I met with him late Wednesday afternoon as he finished cleaning out his office to talk about his time as interim city manager, his plans going forward and the possible future of Sacramento. Here’s what we spoke about:

Isaac Gonzalez: You took the position of interim city manager after Ray Kerridge resigned in February 2010. Mr. Kerridge was quoted in The Sacramento Bee saying Sacramento "isn't a good environment to be working in, and I need to get out." Now that you've tendered your resignation, would you say you agree with your predecessor’s remarks?

Gus Vina: I don't agree. A lot of the things that transpired over the last year or so, not the council’s fault. The Prop. 218 issues that put us in the grand jury, the permits that were issued up north, we just have had a number of issues that put council on the hot seat. And so, I never viewed it that way and I'm not leaving on a bitter note.

For me it's pretty simple. For me the issue is that I was given sort of the test run as city manager. I was obviously hoping to be appointed. The process itself, and the decision, which is council's prerogative, to do the search, also meant that I couldn't put all my eggs in one basket. I can't rely on, oh you know, I love to be that confident and just say, "Well, I'm going to apply here. I know I'm going to get it." But I don't know if that's the case.

So from a very personal perspective I had to keep my options open. So I've been applying at other places. Yes, I will say that there are some dynamics politically right now, a division if you would, on the council, that does make it a little trickier of an environment. Those issues are actually known. So for me to interview successfully and kind of move on, resigning is the right decision for me.

IG: You've worked for the city for over a decade, and I've heard you say that you enjoy civil service and had even dreamed of having this position. Any regrets on taking on the role of city manager in an era of year-after-year budget deficits, which, while of course being out of your control, are less than an ideal economic situation for any city manager?

GV: No. When you decide that that's the career you want, then you have to be willing to face whatever the challenge is or that come your way. It is unfortunate that, as a nation and beyond, we're in this slump economically. I was hoping obviously to stay here long enough to help the city get through that, and then maybe enjoy a different kind of agenda in the future years.

IG: So much of what has been written about you in the press over the last 14 months focuses on controversies and council difficulties. However, you've worked for the city of Sacramento for 12 years. Tell me about something that most readers may not know about your career here, particularly, if you don't mind, something you're personally proud to have been involved with.

GV: I will tell you that, for me, at the very top of the list, as far as proud moments, is I created what I call "Direct Connect." Once a month — actually at the beginning when I was launching the program and kind of feeling it out to see how it was going to work, I did it more like three or four a month. I go out to work sites and it's my opportunity to spend an hour with employees. So they're invited, we post the location and the time. They get supervisor approval, but they could come. And I spend about a half-hour making sure they're current on city issues so they're up to speed, not just reading things in the paper, because they are a part of this organization.

Then I would give them a free-for-all Q&A. I told them from the very beginning: "Don't hold back." I'd rather hear the questions. It's given me great connection with employees, the Q&A especially. You get to manage rumors, and they feel like they're part of something. It really helped to build morale.

So I would say I was very successful at improving the morale in the city, in spite of the difficulties with the budgets and cuts and layoffs. I'm still trying to respond — I've got over 800 e-mails from the workforce saying, "Hey, best of luck, we're sad, we wish you would stay." That's huge. That's significant.

IG: You must have been disappointed when, after your one-year interim run as city manager was completed, not to have been immediately offered permanent placement. Was it difficult to continue to fulfill your duties knowing that you had less than the full support of council?

GV: I will say for any city manager, you want to know that the entire council has trust and confidence in your abilities. And, for a variety of reasons, I don't feel that way. It is a struggle to manage if you feel you don't have that confidence for all nine. Maybe it's well placed that they feel that way, I don't know. But it still makes it difficult to manage.

IG: The Jan. 25 meeting in which the council voted 5-4 not to promote you to the permanent position was closed to the public. City Attorney Eileen Teichert says that "personnel discussions" can be held in closed session without public oversight. However, the city can open these meetings if they choose, as some have even gone as far as to say that the public has a right to know the reasons behind the decision to retain or remove the person who is the most influential individual in the city structure.

Do you believe that this meeting and other closed-doors meetings like it deserve more transparency, or do they require to be held in closed-door sessions to protect the privacy of the individuals involved?

GV: That's a great question, and it's really both. You do have to take into account the privacy of the discussion for the sake of the individual. That's why closed sessions are actually allowed under the laws, so that you can evaluate, without embarrassment, if you will, evaluate the candidate, or the employee. All four charter officers are afforded that opportunity when they are evaluated. They go into closed session.

Like any other personnel issue, when you're evaluating a employee, you don't put it on TV. Once you've decided to recruit, this is what I would offer, if then they decide as a group, "OK, we're going to do a national search," they do always have an opportunity to involve the public in what they would like to see in their next city manager.

So that's maybe a better way to talk about transparency in what the community would like to see in a manager. If you think about that for a minute, the timing of that's important. If council would have decided, as an example, to invite the public in, to ask, "How is this guy doing? Would you do a search or is this the right candidate?" That's a nice little step.

IG: City accountants have to stay creative to keep the coffers flush with cash for payroll and payments on debts. Much of this is due to the fact that the city gets most of its money only twice a year, when property taxes are collected. Do you think that the city has a handle on its cash flow difficulties, and do you foresee any problems going down the road?

GV: The first answer is yes. Our treasurer has a responsibility in managing cash flow. They have a handle on cash flow and have made it very clear that we need these interim loans in order to keep up with all of our obligations, which is new to this city. We used to have plenty of cash flow.

Is it a concern in the future? Absolutely. We still have a $43 million deficit next year, and we have to reduce our costs. I think that pressure on cash flow will stay here for a few more years.

IG: KOVR Channel 13 in Sacramento ran a piece last February where they criticized you for giving out raises to three high-ranking city employees to the tune of $38,000. You were quoted as saying that the raises were part of an attempt of "employee retention."

Councilmember Sandy Sheedy criticized the raises, saying that the budget problems in Sacramento weren't conducive to giving out the pay increases. However, just a few weeks before, Sheedy voted to conduct a nationwide search for potential city manager candidates, a search that would have cost the city an estimated $35,000.

Does it upset you, or make your job harder, when news outlets promote sensational stories like this and fail to place them in a broader context?

GV: Sure. That's extremely frustrating. The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say, is that I did a number of consolidations in the current year to save $4 million. Part of the consolidation meant that Max Fernandez, who was one of the people I gave the raise to, took on an additional 107 positions. He had a department of 90. He now has almost 200, with all kinds of issues related to the audit and the permits that were issues in Natomas, etc. Same thing with Gery Hamby ~~Jerry Handbe~~ . That was a consolidation.

I could have, in a very non-transparent way, combined the departments as part of the budget and put a raise in there for those two people. I chose to do two things. One, finish the consolidation, really make sure that the level of responsibility merited the increase, and then tell council about it.

IG: Did you tell that to the KOVR reporter?

GV: Yeah, they left a lot of stuff out. Even in the private sector, they've gone through difficulties no different than the public sector. I can give you plenty of examples, not from memory, but from having seen it, where they'll take their finance top person, because that's the focus right now, and give them a big bonus and a big raise, because those are the people you don't want to lose right now. Those are the people that have so much institutional knowledge. Our finance director was making $30,000 a year behind any other director. So now you're putting yourself at risk of losing somebody.

IG: And you didn't give any one person a $30,000 raise. So they're...

GV: ...still the lowest paid finance director. And you know what else I didn't talk about? There was a demotion that Ray Kerridge — he took one of our assistants of the city manager and sent him out as a director, and he never did what he should have done, which is to take the pay away. Now you're a director again. It was truly a demotion. That was part of my calculation, so that the net impact of all those raises versus the reduction was like $19,000 a year.

IG: And the overall hit to the budget then was kind of infinitesimal.

GV: Exactly. You can't even calculate it: $19,000 in a year on an $800 million budget.

IG: But it makes a nice blurb on a news promo.

GV: Exactly.

IG: Sacramento has faced a multitude of problems over the past few years: the housing-market crash, job losses due to the recession, state worker furloughs lowering the pay of the city's No. 1 employer, the Kings having one foot out the door, and an arguably dysfunctional city council.

What is it going to take for the capital of California to turn the tide of its current dilemmas, and does it take a "strong mayor" to get it done?

GV: (chuckles) Well, it takes leadership. Whether that's in the strong mayor form or the entire council, it includes the city manager. It really takes the absolute best leadership from all of us.

This is a serious problem. This is global. It's not unique to Sacramento. This state, unfortunately, is like one of five that's in the worst shape in the United States. And then Sacramento, as a region, is worse than the rest of California, with 13 percent unemployment.

This is a time for leadership to really stand up and stand out. Time for creative thinking. We can't wait for the feds or the state to offer some sort of solution. We're going to have to figure this out ourselves.

IG: Wow. OK, last two questions I have for you today are softballs.

GV: (laughs) Alright. Thank you!

IG: What does the future hold for Gus Vina?

GV: I am a finalist, like "final final," one of three, in two locations. I really can't give the locations out because I want to honor the fact that city council like to make those announcements themselves, but it is at the city manager level, which I hope to retire from that. I feel like I've got another eight or 10 years of it. I really enjoy the role and the job. So I have seven active applications, and of the seven, three have netted interviews, and two of three are "final final." So I'm hoping within a few weeks here, I'll have a choice.

IG: In between now and then, what are you going to do? What about for fun?

GV: For fun? I have some "honey-do's" at home to catch up on. I got a granddaughter to go visit. I've got to kind of reorganize and re-prioritize myself a little bit. Chances are the next move will be out of Sacramento, so logistically I have to think about that.

IG: Last, what advice do you want to share with you successor?

GV: Don't be afraid to lead. Be confident. It's hard work, but you've got to remember to keep your balance. It takes a lot of hours to do this job. People sometimes don't know or appreciate that. Whether you like to work out or play softball or what have you, do it. Don't leave family behind.

IG: Thanks a lot for your time.

GV: No problem.

Isaac Gonzalez is an independent writer who can be reached at sacramentoisaac@gmail.com

School superintendents urge lawmakers to put tax extensions on June ballot

2011-03-29T01:39:38Z

School superintendents from across the state convened on the west steps of the Capitol on Monday to urge lawmakers to get tax extensions on the ballot in a June special election, which they said is necessary to avoid a $4.6 billion reduction in public school funding.

Sacramento City Unified Superintendent Johnathan Raymond said time has run out and that legislators need to get the tax extensions put on the ballot this week, since county clerks need 88 days to prepare for an election.

“We are here because we represent children in California, and that, I think, is a point getting missed in our message,” said Raymond.

“I look right in front of me and I see two yellow school buses. We all know what that means, a field trip to the state Capitol. Well, what's the most important civic lesson that we can possibly tell them? That a government for the people, by the people is truly representative,” Raymond said.

He urged legislators to put the measure on the ballot and let the people of California decide the future.

“It's not a Republican issue. It's not a Democrat issue. It's a basic issue of representation and democracy,” Raymond said.

If the tax extensions don't make it on the ballot, Gov. Jerry Brown has said he will move to an “all cuts” budget to address the state’s $26 billion shortfall.

An “all cuts” budget would devastate K-12 funding, triggering massive layoffs, a loss of programs such as sports, summer school and bus transportation and hurt schools in low-income areas,

“This is not a new tax. It is one we already pay, and a successful ballot measure would not increase it, only allow us to pay a bit longer with the belief that we will exit from this budget chaos,” said Riverside Unified School District Superintendent Rick Miller.

Extensions placed on a November election rather than June, don’t hold any water said Fresno Unified School District Superintendent Mike Hanson.

“Frankly, November does us very little good,” he said. Hanson said districts will spend the 2011-12 school year decimating programs for students across the entire state. To imagine a November election with tax extensions passed, districts would then have to attempt to rebuild what they tore down.

Moreover, Hanson said districts have exhausted the one-time money that has been kept in reserves to get them through tough times.

Some districts have eliminated home-to-school transportation, summer school programs, adult education and programs such as: sports, drama, yearbook, and speech and debate. Moreover, it's common to see class sizes of 40 students or more.

In addition, school years have become shorter, where students aren't guaranteed 180 school days a year anymore. Some districts have not been able to adopt new textbooks at the time when standards have been updated.

The worst-case scenario budgets will trigger massive layoffs, and districts have been taking those steps already. Thousands of teachers were pink-slipped earlier this month. About 300 (of the nearly 1,100) statewide districts have reported a total of 19,000 teacher pink slips.

In the past, districts have used pink slips for temporary teachers and then hired some back, but superintendents now are saying these pink slips are basically to keep the balanced budget in place they’re required to have by law, Hanson said.

Earlier this year, the Natomas Unified School District announced that a state takeover would be imminent if concessions weren't made by unions and if the tax extensions weren't passed. (http://sacramentopress.com/headline/46012/Assemblyman_Pan_leads_Natomas_Unified_town_hall_meeting)

Meanwhile the SCUSD board voted to balance the district's projected “worst-case” budget shortfall of $22.35 million by eliminating financial support for extracurricular activities and reducing the district’s counseling staff by 37 percent, eliminating one assistant principal position at each high school and raising K-3 class sizes at two grade levels. They previously approved raising class sizes for all other grades – including 40 students per teacher at the high school level.

At a glance (courtesy of the Education Coalition, www.protectourstudents.org):
-California has cut $18 billion from K-12 public schools in the last three years
-A reduction of $1,900 per student has occurred over the last three years
-If taxes are not extended, Brown has said he will ask for an “all cuts” budget
-An “all cuts” budget could lead to $4.6 billion reduction in public school funding
-That amounts to an additional $754 cut per student in 2011-12
-A $19,492 cut per classroom
-Statewide teacher layoffs of 52,874
-Class size increase of 18.2 percent
-California already ranks 43 in the nation in per-pupil spending
-California ranks 50 in staff-to-student ratios

Citizens attend volunteer forum

2011-03-27T04:01:56Z

Local residents seeking information about forming their own neighborhood volunteer groups convened at the Clunie Clubhouse at McKinley Park this past Saturday Morning. The informational event, held by coordinators from the Land Park Volunteer Corps, drew over 30 individuals ranging from concerned citizens, past and present city employees, and representatives of various community organizations.

Craig Powell, lead coordinator for LPVC, passed out an detailed guide outlining the “nuts and bolts” involved in forming a successful city park volunteer group. Staff from the cities park department summarized the resources available to groups interested in volunteering, and how to coordinate with various departments. Curious residents asked provocative questions, and suggested new methods of community involvement. In just under two hours, a wide range of ideas, topics, and examples of past efforts were discussed between the attendees and speakers.

Julie Meir, Volunteer Services Coordinator for the Department of Parks and Recreation, encouraged attendees to take advantage of the tools and support the city can extend. “Our volunteers really kick butt.” Meir told the group. “They really help out, especially now with all the cuts our maintenance department are dealing with.”

The difficulties caused by the city’s budget woes loomed large over the days conversation. Many participants spoke about watching their parks slowly deteriorate, and about feeling powerless to do anything about it. However, a genuine feeling of self-responsibility and civic pride was in noticeable in the room. Almost every comment from the participants began with some variation of, “I love this park” or “I’m concerned about keeping our park great.”

As the meeting started to wind down, the creation of a park advocate group was proposed. Attendees surmised that without continuing collaboration and coordinated pressure on our city leaders, Sacramento’s parks may face even more hardships in the future.

“Without an active advocate group, our parks could face further neglect.” Powell reiterated. “It’s up to us to tell our council representatives how important of parks are to our community.”

Anyone who was unable to attend Saturdays meeting should email Powell at ckpinsacto@aol.com. At request, electronic copies of the workshops handouts can be made available, as well as information about future clean-up events and advocacy gatherings.

Isaac Gonzalez is the Lead Coordinator for Beautification Events for the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association, and was a speaker at this meeting.

Associated Students President gives address at CSUS

2011-03-09T05:50:46Z

Student involvement at a commuter school like Sacramento State has given the Associated Students, Inc. president, Terry Martin, an added task of making the student government organization visible.

ASI members have gone to residence halls to promote their organization. They have gone to local businesses to offer discounts to students who have their student identification, known to students as the OneCard. And they have helped raise funds to keep the Hornet bus line going.

From fees, class sizes and campus life, to the future direction of ASI, Martin addressed student concerns Tuesday in the University Union lobby and suggested that students get involved if they want to see a change. He said students have complained about “poor academic advising,” which has kept students in school longer.

He said the college has begun a course on public advocacy, which teaches students how to get their message across to legislators. “Even though students can vote, they don't have a lot of money, so the class helps give them political power,” Martin said.

The State Hornet, Sacramento State's student newspaper, reported that currently programs that are impacted include graphic and interior design, nursing and business courses and that, next year, the school will be further impacted in psychology, health science and criminal justice. The article states that, currently, psychology classes are set to max out at 25 students, but some professors are seeing up to 44 students in a course.

http://www.statehornet.com/news/impaction-set-to-affect-more-majors-1.2040841

Martin suggested that students join school committees and clubs and noted that the California State University Board of Trustees is looking for student representation on its board. He also noted that in response to Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget of slashing $500 million to CSUs, and students from around the state will converge on the Capitol on March 14.

The ASI office encouraged students to participate and “express their disappointment.”

Organized by California State Association and Student Senate for California Community Colleges, student leaders will lead students on a march from Raley Field to the West Steps of the State Capitol, where a press conference will take place. Buses will be available at Sac State to transport students to Raley Field for the start of the march. Students will meet at Raley Field, and the march will begin at 10 a.m. The march will end at the west steps at 11 a.m., and a press conference will be held at noon.

Monica Stark can be reached at monica.stark@sacramentopress.com

Crash tax could be repealed

2011-03-02T06:06:54Z

Sacramento’s controversial “crash tax” might come off the books as early as next week.

Councilman Jay Schenirer, who initially voted for the fire cost recovery ordinance that would bill non-resident drivers for emergency responses to accidents in which they are at fault, called for the ordinance’s repeal Tuesday night.

He took advantage of a scheduled vote to approve a contract with outside billing company Fire Recovery USA and said he wanted to change his vote.

“I do think at this point it’s the wrong ordinance for the city,” he said, adding that he has taken time to reflect on his previous decision, and said the recent awarding of $5.6 million in federal grants puts the Fire Department in “slightly better shape” financially.

Councilman Steve Cohn disagreed with Schenirer.

“Our budget situation is not better,” he said. “Let’s be honest about that.”

The city is projecting a budget shortfall of $35 million - $40 million.

City staff and Fire Recovery USA projected the Fire Department would recover about $300,000 annually through the ordinance.

Roseville’s city council recently repealed a similar ordinance because it did not provide as much funding as anticipated in the year and a half it was in effect.

Mike Rivera, chief business development officer for the Roseville-based Fire Recovery USA, said Tuesday he considered the $300,000 projection for Sacramento to be conservative.

He said the shortfall in Roseville’s funding outcome was due to projections within the city that did not pan out.

“They didn’t receive the funds forecast, but that was internal,” he said.

One of the vocal opponents of the original ordinance in Sacramento, Councilman Darrell Fong, told The Sacramento Press before the meeting Tuesday that he was going to vote against the contract with Fire Recovery USA, which needed a two-thirds majority vote to pass.

That vote, however, was shelved, pending the outcome of the ordinance’s possible repeal.

“I certainly support the notion of revisiting this, frankly, to kill it,” Councilman Rob Fong said. “I just think it’s bad policy.”

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said she still supports the ordinance.

“I just don’t think it’s wise to take any funding stream off the table,” she said. “For me, the fire cost recovery has always been about protecting our residents.”

She added that some areas in North Natomas have a response time of more than 10 minutes due to station brownouts.

Despite being on the consent calendar, where non-controversial items are typically placed, Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jonathan Burgess said he wasn’t surprised by the outcome, as the issue has been controversial at every step.

“With the budget that we’re looking at facing in the next fiscal year, yeah, every amount of money that we can recover will definitely help in the event of potential possible brownouts,” he said.

The vote to bring the ordinance back to the City Council for repeal was a 5-4 decision, with Schenirer switching his vote to join Rob Fong, Darrell Fong, Bonnie Pannell and Sandy Sheedy in opposing it.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Author to Discuss New Book on Water Fluoridation Dangers

2011-02-21T19:09:52Z

Paul Connett PhD will be in Sacramento Febuary 23~24th to discuss his new book The Case Against Fluoride: How Hazardous Waste Ended Up in Our Drinking Water and the Bad Science and Powerful Politics That Keep It There. Learn how this relates to Sacramento, as new found dangers of water fluoridation continue coming to light.

There will be two events in Sacramento:

ARCADE LIBRARY - Wednesday Feb 23rd 7:00-9:00pm 2443 Marconi Ave Sacramento. It is a free event. For more info go to FluorideFreeSsacramento.org
WHOLE FOODS - Thurs. Feb. 24th 7:00-9:00pm 4315 Arden Way (Eastern and Arden Way) Seating is limited at this event. For reservations at Whole Food call (916) 483-1155 For more info go to FluorideFreeSsacramento.org

Over the past 23 years Dr. Paul Connett's research on waste management has taken him to 49 US states and 50 other countries, where he has given approximately 2000 pro bono public presentations. He has co-authored 6 peer reviewed articles on dioxin and numerous other articles on waste management. He is the main author of the new book The Case Against Fluoride: How Hazardous Waste Ended Up in Our Drinking Water and the Bad Science and Powerful Politics That Keep It There

Ralph Nader said "He is the only person I know who can make waste interesting."

Dr. Connett has researched the literature on fluoride¹s toxicity for 12 years. He helped found the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) http://www.fluoridealert.org for which he is the Executive Director. He has given presentations at the International Society for Fluoride Research conferences in New Zealand, Germany and China; the Japanese Society for Fluoride Research; the American College of Toxicology; the US EPA; the US National Research Council; the CDC in Nanjing, China; the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Health and Children in Ireland, a parliamentary committee in the Knesset, Israel as well as to many citizens¹ groups in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, the UK and the US.

Of particular concern is a growing body of research indicating fluoride's ability to damage the developing brain, including 24 studies associating fluoride exposure with reduced IQ in children, 6 studies linking fluoride to other neurotoxic effects in children, and over 100 animal studies reporting that fluoride directly damages the brain.

Assemblyman Pan leads Natomas Unified town hall meeting

2011-02-19T01:04:24Z

Assemblyman Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) led a town hall meeting for the Natomas Unified School District community at Inderkum High School on Thursday night where he and Superintendent Bobbie Plough laid out a plan to help the district prevent a state takeover, or “receivership.”

The town hall meeting came on the heels of a prediction made by County Superintendent David Gordon that NUSD would end up with a negative fund balance in the coming years.

If that projection comes true, then the district would lose local control with a state-appointed receiver in place and a disempowered school board.

As the state legislator for the governing district, Pan said he is required to ask the Legislature for a “take-over bill,” which he called a “holding position for right now.” Pan recommended that unions and staff make concessions three years out.

NUSD management and the Natomas Teachers Association have already agreed to a 7.9 percent pay cut for the 2011-2012 school year, and the district is hopeful that classified staff will agree to similar cuts.

In addition, NUSD, like many districts across the state, has responded to the fiscal crisis by working on two budgets of its own – one that hinges on the hope that tax extensions make it on the June ballot and pass, and a second budget that doesn't. Plough said the second budget would reflect a $350 cut per student or, in other words, a 6 percent additional cut.

“If tax extensions pass and we get agreements from (the) teacher’s association and classified for the 2012-2013, we will make it as a district,” she said. “We need to look at cash flow, and we need to maintain it over the next two years.”

Pan said the state Legislature's goal is to pass a budget at the beginning of March in order to get the tax extensions on the ballot in June. While Pan said the Republicans have not been supportive of putting measures like these on the ballot, he said that doesn't mean Democrats won't be able to find two Republicans who would break from their caucus.

“I'm hopeful colleagues on the other side of the aisle will step up and recognize what impact (the state budget) will have on their school districts,” he said. “We're not the only district having challenges.”

Assuming the extensions are put on the ballot, Pan noted the added difficulty of requiring a two-thirds vote.

NUSD is in a unique and more dire situation than most because it is experiencing declining enrollment due to the economy, and because students are leaving the district schools for charters. Plough said that 300 leave per year to charters, and 100-125 leave because of the economy. District-wide, there are 12,000 students; 3,000 of them have opted for charters.

At the meeting, Assembly Appropriations Committee staff member Kimberly Rodriguez said that because the cost in education is “90 percent people,” NUSD will have to suffer further layoffs or get concessions from unions.

“Savings is going to be people,” she said.

According to the district website, there will be a budget workshop on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. at the education center located at 1901 Arena Blvd.

Monica Stark can be reached at monica.stark@sacramentopress.com

Big plans for River District

2011-02-16T06:21:01Z

Major changes are in store for the city’s River District, as the Sacramento City Council approved a set of future development plans Tuesday night.

The planning documents set a path for development of the area over the next 25 years, according to a report from city staff. The city’s plans for the River District, a 773-acre swath between the Sacramento Railyards and the American River, focus on ramping up residential, commercial, office and hotel development and moving away from industrial development.

Council members approved the plans in a 8-0 vote. Mayor Kevin Johnson did not attend the City Council meeting because he was out of town, said Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek.

The city wants to remodel the River District area into a “transit-oriented mixed use urban environment,” according to the Feb. 15 city staff report. The refashioned district would feature 8,144 homes, 3.9 million square feet of office space, 854,000 square feet of retail and wholesale, 1.4 million square feet of light industrial and thousands of hotel units, according to the report.

The plans would be a major change from the district’s current developments, which are mostly industrial.

City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby praised city staff’s development plans for the River District, noting that planned projects for the area would involve redevelopment funding. Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed disbanding redevelopment agencies and using redevelopment money on other local services. The city hopes to use $25 million in redevelopment funds on the River District in the future.

“One thing I do want to point out is that this is a really great example of why cities need to have control of ... redevelopment dollars,” Ashby said. “These are exactly the types of gems and pearls we’re trying to bring into our cities.”

Infrastructure upgrades, public resources and administrative costs for the River District remodel over the next 25 years will cost an estimated $323 million, according to the report. Fees paid by developers would cover $180 million of the amount.

If Brown throws out redevelopment agencies, work on the plans will slow, said Rachel Hazlewood, a senior project manager for the city’s Economic Development Department.

In addition to development, the city is also designating nine sites in the area as historical landmarks and setting up a North 16th Street Historic District. Sites that will be identified as historical landmarks include the PG&E Sacramento River Power Station at 400 Jibboom St. and Fire Station No. 14 at 1341 N. C St.

Read the city staff report here.

View River District Landmarks in a larger map

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Drinking Water Fluoridation - A Roadblock to Greenness?

2011-02-14T22:38:28Z

We keep hearing about our greenness. Here in Sacramento we have a tree program, various recycling programs, and other earth friendly initiatives. But can one policy trump all this? Can a city be truly green when it knowingly adds toxic chemicals imported from China to its drinking water? And to top it all, 99.99% of it is wasted. Lets look at the facts as the Sacramento Department of Utilities has presented them.

Questions came up at a June 22, 2010 Sacramento City Council budget hearing. This resulted in a request for additional information regarding the city's water fluoridation program. On July 1st Marty Hanneman, Director of Utilities sent the Mayor & City Council members a memorandum. It detailed the costs, chemicals used in, and ongoing maintenance related costs among other things, of the Sacramento Water Fluoridation program. This memorandum also highlighted the vast waste inherent in the delivery of the fluoride drug. Members of Fluoride Free Sacramento obtained a copy of this memo.< 1 >

The memorandum detailed the approximately $1 million annual cost to the department. Part of this cost is purchasing is the chemicals use, namely Sodium Fluoride & Fluorosilicic Acid. Another aspect is how the corrosive nature of the fluoridation chemicals are literally dissolving away very expensive equipment. This necessitates ongoing costly equipment repairs and replacement of the drug dosing equipment. For example, the E.A Fairbairn Water Treatment Plant currently required a $450 million infrastructure upgrade, and the Sacramento River Water Treatment Plant's fluoridation system will be due for replacement as well in 2014.

Now about those chemicals. The California Code of Regulations, title 22 < 2 > lists 791 chemicals as "Hazardous Waste," 39 of these are fluoride compounds. The memo lists two of these chemicals that are used for drinking water fluoridation in Sacramento; Hydrofluosilicic Acid and Sodium Fluoride. These are also not to be confused with the pharmaceutical quality fluoride in products, such as toothpaste, and mouthwash. Fluorosilicic Acid is a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry. It contains levels of lead, arsenic and other heavy metals.< 3 > This is very toxic stuff by any standard.< 4 > Recent studies of fluoride use indicate a link to bone cancer, bone fractures, thyroid disorder, lowered IQ and more.< 5 >

With regards to the waste factors involved, consider where the drug ends up. The sole intended target group is defined as children under five years of age. Parents please see note below. According to city calculations, less than 0.009% of fluoridated water produced is potentially consumed by this target group. In other words, over 99.99% of the fluoride is not even used by those that are supposed to need it, but is wasted by watering the lawn, dish washing, flushed down the drain, etc. In the memo, the Mr. Hanneman makes the analogy of taking one gallon of milk, using six drops of it and pouring the rest of the gallon in the sink. This waste process has also been shown to negatively effect life downstream.< 6 >

The sourcing of the chemicals is also not green at all, as in they are routinely shipped in from China and Japan.

To recap the whole process: Ship in toxic chemicals from outside the country, then dump down the drain. This is water fluoridation in a nutshell. Is there a green option? You tell me.

Note to parents; For health reasons, babies one year and under are to avoid all fluoride as recommended by the the American Dental Association and the Center for Disease Control.< 7 > This would mean avoiding all processed food and juices, as these are commonly made with fluoridated water.

<1> http://fluoridefreesacramento.org/JULY_1_MEMO.pdf
<2> http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/LawsRegsPolicies/Title22/upload/Appendix-X_Ch11_ready-to-post.pdf - & - http://www.keepers-of-the-well.org/product_pdfs/Fluorides_Classified.pdf
<3> http://www.fluoridealert.org/phosphate/overview.htm
<4> http://www.fluoridation.com/poison.htm
<5>http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/
<6> http://www.earthislandprojects.org/eijournal/fluoride/fluoride_salmon.html
<7> http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/infant/
< * > http://FluorideFreeSacramento.org

The reality of budget cuts in Children's Services

2011-02-03T02:51:16Z

My name is Melissa Mendoza, and my family and I live in a lovely neighborhood called Woodlake in Sacramento. We are your typical family of four, married for eight years with two beautiful children, a daughter and a son. Our lives seemed typical and ordinary until two years ago when our son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 ½. We were thrown into a world of psychologists, neurologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists and so many unanswered questions.

My husband and I had just started our own web and database design business and were now spending countless hours in doctors’ waiting rooms and searching for answers to why our son was still not talking at the age of 2. Why was he spinning in circles and flapping his arms? Why would he entertain himself by slamming a cabinet door over and over? Why did his words stop? Why wouldn’t he answer to his name? The answer was autism.

We were shocked! We told the psychologist, “But he’s a loving kid. He loves hugs, he loves to be touched. He loves to be with other people. How could it be autism?” We didn’t know anything about an “autistic spectrum.” We learned that his diagnosis placed him somewhere in high-functioning but not Asperger’s syndrome, and that many kids with autism love hugs and squeezes and attention. We bought countless books on Sensory Processing Disorder and autism trying to understand our son and the new world we had entered.

We began therapy that was funded through Alta Regional Center right away at JabberGym in Downtown Sacramento. He began with speech therapy twice a week for 45-minute sessions and occupational therapy for 45 minutes a week at their facility. He also had a developmental therapist visit our home once a week for 45 minutes. The results were not immediate, but Mateo began to say more words, and he really enjoyed playing with his therapists each week. They would write up his progress, and each week there were more results. I could see things slowly clicking for Mateo, but we had a very long road ahead of us.

At the age of 3 we began ABA therapy with Capitol Autism Services in Sacramento. These services are also funded through Alta Regional Center. ABA therapy stands for Applied Behavior Analysis program and takes place in our home. Mateo was receiving over 30 hours a week of services, including full-time support at a “typical” preschool. At the age of 3, speech and occupational therapy are no longer provided through Alta Regional Center; families must receive services through their school district. So Mateo began speech therapy at Woodlake Elementary School and was cut to 30 minutes a week, the maximum the district would provide for a 3-year-old who barely spoke. Occupational therapy was now 45 minutes a week at Vineland Elementary School in Rio Linda. Services through the school district are not enough!

To receive ABA Therapy that is funded through Alta, someone must be in your home during the 30-hours-a-week program, and at least 60 percent of the time it needs to be either a parent or grandparent. On top of this we must transport our child to and from preschool, to therapy and whatever appointments he needs. This does not leave much time for running a business and finding quality family time for us all, but we find a way for Mateo.

And it has paid off because the hours and hours of therapy and interaction with typically developing children at preschool with the assistance of an aide has made all of the difference. I strongly believe that Mateo receiving therapy immediately through Alta Regional Center and the dedication and work of his home program tutors from Capitol Autism Services has made it possible for him to attend a typical kindergarten this fall.

Running our business means a large amount of expenses, health insurance, medical expenses, taxes and so much more. It gives us the flexibility to help our son, but there are no tax breaks for middle-class families trying to raise a child with special needs. And now those very services that have made all of the difference for Mateo are proposed to be cut.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget cuts would cut the Lanterman Act’s promise that people with developmental disabilities will get the services and support they need to live full lives in the community.

It would be on a sliding scale, and a middle-class family could be expected to pay up to $6,000 a year to cover services. There is no way our family could afford that. Our son would have to go without.

Autism diagnosis is growing more each year. Currently 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys are diagnosed each year. Autism receives less than 5 percent of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases. There are no answers to what causes autism, but there is one thing that we know: Early intervention and services make all of the difference. I know without the early speech therapy, home ABA program and occupational therapy, Mateo wouldn’t be developmentally where he is today.

When we started therapy, Mateo could only repeat one word at a time and hardly spoke on his own. This morning Mateo said to me, “Mama, watch cartoons with me!” He has made huge strides in the past few months. I don’t think it would have been possible without the therapy and support we have received.

If the cuts happen, my son could lose many of his services, and children who are newly diagnosed with autism would definitely be missing out on the most important years of therapy. I know the cuts need to happen, but taking away from children who already receive so little is not the answer.

Thank you for the time to listen to Mateo’s story and how important it is that these services continue for our children. If you would like to hear more of our stories, follow our blog at mateosstory.wordpress.com.

If you are interested in attending the hearings, the information is as follows:

Thursday, Feb. 3
WHO: Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health & Human Services
WHEN: Approximately 10 a.m. or upon adjournment of Assembly floor session
WHAT: Hearing on Developmental Services proposed cuts
WHERE: State Capitol in Room 4202
NOTE: There is a Senate Budget Subcommittee hearing at 9:30 a.m. this same day focusing on the governor’s proposed cuts to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and SSI/SSP, and the proposed elimination of the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP)
CAN PUBLIC TESTIFY?: Yes – very brief (can also can submit longer written comments)

Thursday, Feb. 10
WHO: Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health & Human Services
WHEN: 9:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of the Senate floor session
WHAT: Hearing on Developmental Services proposed cuts
WHERE: State Capitol in Room 4203
CAN PUBLIC TESTIFY?: Yes – very brief (can also submit written comments)

City Council discusses closing next years projected budget gap

2011-02-02T08:29:47Z

Sacramento is facing a $35 million - $40 million budget gap next year, according to city officials who gave an update to the City Council Tuesday night.

The city must reduce expenses by 20 percent to close the gap for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, according to city staff.

Interim City Manager Gus Vina, who held a financial recovery workshop for the council recently, characterized the budget gap as “ugly and persistent.”

City Council members were in agreement about the desperate budget situation. They emphasized how hard it will be to cut more than they already have in the last several years.

“We’ve been squeezing and squeezing and squeezing,” said Councilman Kevin McCarty.

Mayor Kevin Johnson pointed out just how severe the cuts have been.

“(We’ve had) 191 million in cuts over the last four years,” Johnson said. “We have a serious commitment to be actively involved to solve this.”

Councilman Steve Cohn echoed Johnson’s sentiments, saying, “It cannot be business as usual for us, employees or the public.”

Leyne Millstein, director of finance for the city, said, “This is the most significant policy decision the council hears every year.”

Over the last five years, more than 900 positions have been eliminated, she added.

The rollover from last year’s budget shortfall, renegotiated labor contracts, public employee retirement system cost increases, new facility staffing costs and Proposition 218 corrections contribute to the projected budget gap Millstein reported.

Staffing for new facilities includes two libraries (Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library and Valley Hi-North Laguna Library), Fire Station 43 in Natomas and a commitment to the Crocker Art Museum to staff the expansion.

Millstein presented guiding principles for the effort to balance the budget: maintain current core service levels while decreasing the cost of delivering services, avoid using one-time funds to pay for continuing expenses and rebuild the uncertainty reserve for emergency needs.

“We need to ask ourselves as a council how disciplined we’re going to be,” said Councilman Rob Fong. “We need to bind ourselves to these principles. It’s not going to get fixed in a year, and (it’s) not going to get fixed by building revenue.

“One thing we should also be thinking about is how we’re going to bring our services,” he added. “Given our revenue projections how would we run our city?”

“The economic cycle will come back. It’s going to take us a long time,” Councilman Jay Schenirer said. “We have a lot of education work to do, people are still in disbelief, they think there’s still 40 million in waste.”

The proposed budget is scheduled to be presented to the City Council by May 1.

According to Tuesday’s presentation, the city should be on track to a sustainable budget by the 2014/2015 fiscal year.

Vina details financial recovery plans

2011-01-26T03:18:49Z

Addressing an estimated $35 million-$40 million budget gap for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Interim City Manager Gus Vina hosted a special workshop on economic recovery for the City Council.

He presented a variety of plans to bring in more revenue, including enhancing the city’s parks with tourist attractions, providing incentives to businesses and creating a mix of opportunities in the city’s job market.

Vina urged City Council members to move quickly on the economic recovery plan so the city can begin to see results.

“I don’t expect the benefits in 2012 and 2013 to be huge, but it will be a good beginning,” he said.

He told council members that unemployment in 2011 is expected to remain between 11.5 and 13.5 percent. Vina said he wants to apply incentives toward small and medium-sized businesses, which make up 96 percent of the employers in the Sacramento region.

“We need to focus on small, medium businesses (and) what we can do for them,” Vina said. These businesses have 500 or fewer employees, he added.

Vina also said the city needs to broaden its employment market, a point that Mayor Kevin Johnson often makes at his press conferences. The city can’t rely overly on its government workers to keep the local economy working, Vina said.

He said he wants to focus on the sectors of green and clean technology, heath and medicine, higher education and agriculture.

“You need to diversify to avoid risk,” Vina said.

Another idea discussed at the workshop is to upgrade regional parks so they draw more visitors. To beckon tourists, the city could explore adding attractions such as museums, aquariums and centers for competitive sports, said Jim Combs, the city’s Parks and Recreation director.

Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell said the city could create skate tournaments as an attraction.

Combs also presented the idea of hiring youth part-time and paying them minimum wage to help maintain city parks.

Combs acknowledged that the department will likely face layoffs as part of budget cuts. “We probably will lose some of our workforce,” he said.

Public hearings on the city budget will begin on Feb. 1.

Vina has taken the lead on the economic recovery plan. The City Council voted Tuesday night in a private meeting not to promote Vina to the permanent city manager position. In a 5-4 vote, council members decided to hold a national search for a new city manager. The council members who voted to conduct the search and not promote Vina were Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Bonnie Pannell, Darrell Fong and Kevin McCarty.

It’s unclear at this point how the City Council’s decision not to promote Vina will affect the economic recovery plan.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Juvenile Hall Tour Focuses On Services, Challenges

2011-01-24T03:12:05Z

The Sacramento County Probation Department held an open house event at their juvenile hall Saturday afternoon. The facility, originally built in 1964, recently underwent an impressive renovation and 210-bed expansion to bring it up to current standards. The new state-of-the-art design allows officials to use an “Evidence-Based Curriculum,” which focuses on improving the quality of life not only for the inmates but hopefully for the surrounding communities as well.

On an average day the probation department says there are over 200 inmates in the facility, with an average length of stay of 24 days. Of that population, about three quarters are boys and the rest are girls. The typical juvenile offender under the county’s supervision in this building is 16 years old. Over 260 probation officers and other agency staff oversee the day-to-day operations at the hall.

The probation department places an emphasis on reducing recidivism and building positive social skills in its inmates. Juveniles are offered classes on anger control, conflict management and moral reasoning.
Educational opportunities for the incarcerated include year-round schooling on site, GED programs and a link to furthering their education after release at Sacramento City College. Offenders with children are encouraged to take part in the “Baby Elmo Project,” a 10-week intervention program intended to improve the parent-child relationship while the youth is in custody.

When speaking with Don Meyer, the chief probation officer for Sacramento County, one begins to see that this model for incarceration is a product of the conditions at this time.

“Because of ongoing delays in the court system, some of our inmates can spend up to three years or more in this facility,” Meyer said. “It’s important to make sure that, during that time, the individuals are receiving an appropriate education and the social training they need so that when they reenter the community they’re poised to become a positive member of society and less likely to reoffend.”

The future of these programs is uncertain in these tough economic times, and current funding could suffer large cutbacks if the vehicle license fee (VLF) rolls back to pre-fiscal emergency levels. Currently the probation department relies on the VLF for half its juvenile hall funding. Gov. Jerry Brown has said he plans to hold a special election to ask voters to keep the current VLF fees at their current rate through 2016. Without voter approval, funding from this source will expire in June of this year, forcing up to four units of the recently remodeled juvenile hall to close entirely.

For the time being, the Sacramento County Probation Department intends to continue to work with members of the community and officials from various governmental and private agencies to provide a suitable detention facility for minors in Sacramento. Navigating the difficulties that come from working within the confines of reduced annual budgets has been the norm for at least the past three years. In that time, the department has seen a 37 percent reduction in staffing. They have also had to deal with the closing of both the County Boys Ranch and the Neighborhood Alternative Center, another proactive program with a focus on crime prevention. Hopefully any further cuts, if enacted, do not come at the price of reduced public safety.

More information about the Sacramento County Probation Department can be found at www.probation.saccounty.net.

Vina wants permanent city manager job

2010-12-15T06:29:27Z

Interim City Manager Gus Vina said Tuesday that he would like to serve as Sacramento’s next permanent city manager.

The City Council held a private meeting on Tuesday to discuss the council’s plans for hiring a city manager. The council did not discuss the details of the private meeting at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. It’s unclear at this point if the council will search for a city manager outside of City Hall. The timeline for the council’s hiring process also remains unclear.

Meanwhile, Vina is expressing his interest in the permanent job.

“When I took the position, I understood it was interim and that they can discuss the interim status and appointment at any time up to March of next year,” Vina said in an e-mailed statement. “Should mayor and council decide to launch a recruitment effort, there’s no question I’ll apply.”

If selected for the permanent job, Vina said he would like to focus on recovery in the city. “That means focusing on three things: achieving long-term budget sustainability, pursuing economic recovery and keeping the community safe,” he said.

Former City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned in February, and the City Council selected Vina for the interim post in March.

Photo by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Treasurer: City must borrow cash

2010-12-08T05:54:18Z

City Treasurer Russ Fehr explained the city’s cash flow problems to the City Council Tuesday night, noting that the city’s general fund will need to continue to borrow cash.

The city has a $90 million cash flow gap, Fehr said. To address its cash flow troubles, the city recently borrowed $40 million, he said.

The city’s cash situation changes throughout the year, according to a report by Fehr. That’s because the city receives property tax revenues during the second half of the fiscal year, which begins Jan. 1, Fehr said.

The heart of the problem is the cash situation with the general fund, he said.

“I want to emphasize that the cash flow issue in first half of the year is not new,” he told the City Council. “Nearly all cities, counties, districts (and) school districts that receive property taxes face this problem. It’s sort of generically known as ‘the dry period.’

“Why it’s become a new issue for us in recent years, is that the general fund is now having to borrow for cash flow purposes,” he said.

The general fund has had cash flow troubles since Fiscal Year 2008-2009, according to Fehr’s report. “It’s certain that the general fund is going to have to borrow cash for the foreseeable future,” he told the council members.

Fehr urged the City Council to minimize and then stop using unsustainable solutions to balance the budget.

City Councilman Rob Fong was the only council member who commented after Fehr’s presentation. “It is a critical situation,” he said. The City Council and city staff must work on the cash flow problem together during budget season, Fong added.

Mayor Kevin Johnson commented on the situation at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “When times were good in the Sacramento economy, we spent more than we should,” Johnson said.

Fehr said last week that the city is not at risk of bankruptcy.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Treasurer: City running out of cash

2010-12-02T21:37:07Z

The city is in serious trouble because it is nearly out of cash.

City Treasurer Russ Fehr made that dire prediction in a report released Thursday afternoon. He wrote that the city faces a major problem with its cash flow.

“Due to the differences in timing in General Fund expenditures and revenues, there is a cash flow gap of approximately $90 million in the first half of the fiscal year,” Fehr wrote.

The City Council is expected to discuss Fehr’s report at its Dec. 7 meeting.

“If the City's discretionary cash holdings fall below the needs of the General Fund in the first half of a fiscal year, then the City will assume an appalling new risk level,” the report said. “If the City cannot borrow from internal sources for cash flow needs, then the City will be absolutely
dependent on short-term borrowing on the financial markets. The City will lose control of its financial destiny. There is no guarantee of success in borrowing in the future. Even with a balanced budget, the City could run out of cash before property taxes are allocated in late December.”

The Sacramento Press will provide more coverage of Fehr’s findings shortly.

Read the full text of the report here.

Photos by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Lesser lights shine brighter at Perspectives

2010-10-16T01:16:33Z

Despite nationally known speakers Sarah Palin and Howard Dean headlining the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives 2010 forum, it was the lesser-known speakers who had a greater effect on the audience.

Terrence McNamara, a Sacramentan in the construction industry, said he found management consultant and author Marcus Buckingham to be the most interesting.

“I’ve been coming to this for seven years, and it’s always the speaker you’re not interested in seeing who has the biggest impact,” he said.

Buckingham offered his views on dealing with strengths and weaknesses. Traditionally, Buckingham said, people tend to think that weaknesses need to be worked on.

According to Buckingham, however, strengths should be reinforced.

“Strengths are your areas of opportunity – not your weaknesses,” he said, adding that “a weakness is an activity that consumes us, even if we’re good at it. Strength is an activity that makes you feel strong.”

In figuring out how to enhance performance in areas where people feel strong, Buckingham said they will be better at their jobs and more fulfilled in life.

The second speaker of the day was Food Network personality Chef Jeff Henderson.

Henderson told his story – how he went from being poor in Los Angeles to building a $35,000-per-month drug empire to being thrown in prison and eventually reforming and attaining the American Dream through hard work.

“I wasn’t arrested, I was rescued,” Henderson said.

After thrusting himself into the lives of the successful, Henderson found that “the only difference between the haves and the have-nots are the ones who have the knowledge and information and the ability to do something with it.”

Dean, a former Democratic Party presidential candidate, said the biggest threat to the United States is the budget deficit.

“Great countries collapse and die not because of external threats,” Dean said. “They do it because they lose the will to fight internal threats, and that makes them unable to deal with the external threats.”

Dean advocated stopping government growth and increasing taxes, as well as creating more manufacturing jobs in America.

In the upcoming midterm elections, Dean predicted that, of the contested seats, the Democrats will hang on to four seats in the House of Representatives and three to four seats in the Senate.

“Our candidates are better than the Republican candidates,” Dean said, referring to their political skills as much as his thoughts on their views.

On the subject of health care, Dean said that he views the current national health care plan not as reform, but as an extension of a system that was already in place.

“This bill was not groundbreaking. It was not reform,” Dean said.

Palin, former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, disagreed with Dean on how to generate wealth in the economy, calling for permanent tax cuts to spur investment and business growth.

“My kid is not your ATM,” Palin said, referring to a sign she liked at a tea party gathering. “I love that message sent to Washington, D.C.”

Where Dean had forecast the health care system evolving to a system similar to government-run ones in Canada and Europe, Palin said a free-market health care system is the only way to be successful.

The health care bill is “the mother of all unfunded mandates,” she said. “It’s gotta go. It’s gotta be replaced by true, free-market (reform).”

During her speech to the mostly full house of about 2,000 people at the Sacramento Convention Center, Palin applauded Republican Senatorial Candidate Carly Fiorina and questioned if incumbent Democratic candidate Barbara Boxer has done anything to earn votes.

“She spent 28 years in Washington to show...what for it?” Palin asked.

Palin also said California has the opportunity to lead the United States in government reforms by figuring out a way to deal with the state budget. She compared California’s budget problems to those of the federal government, and she said that Gubernatorial Candidate Meg Whitman is the woman to do it.

“We can, we should do all that we can to make America remain that shining city on a hill and know that our best days are yet to come,” Palin said.

Audience members interviewed by The Sacramento Press after the event said it was a good experience.

“I thought it was terrific,” said John Frisch, a commercial real estate manager in Sacramento who has come to Perspectives for 14 of its 16 years. “One thing I love is there’s always surprises – one to two speakers you’ve never heard of, and they turn out to be nuggets.”

For Frisch, Henderson was that nugget.

“He was terrific,” Frisch said.

DeAnna Mackensen, an interior designer from Yuba City, said she thought Buckingham’s tips on focusing on strengths were very informative, and she plans to put his tips to real-world use in her business.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County made about 340 fewer layoffs than predicted

2010-09-02T04:48:17Z

Sacramento County has made about 340 fewer layoffs than it had predicted it would make as a result of June budget cuts.

County officials in June estimated that at least 725 employees could be laid off. The county resolved a $181 million budget gap in June when it passed a first draft of its budget.

But County Budget Officer Tom Burkart said in an interview Wednesday that the county ended up laying off about 380 people, instead of 725.

“The 725 actually was an estimate,” Burkart said. “And we did cut 700-plus positions, but they weren’t laid off.”

Retirements, demotions and vacant positions kept the number of out-the-door layoffs down,
according to Burkart.

The county’s layoff process is lengthy, so it is not immediately clear how many people will be laid off when officials provide an estimate for the number of layoffs.

In its layoff process, the county follows certain civil service employment rules and takes employee seniority into account, said county spokeswoman Chris Andis. This complex process results in some employees being demoted instead of laid off, according to Andis.

The Board of Supervisors is holding a hearing on Sept. 8 to approve its final budget and vote on adjustments the county has made to its budget since June. As part of the adjustments, the county is planning to cut additional positions in the Engineering Department and in the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a document written by Interim County Executive Steven Szalay for the Sept. 8 meeting.

The budget hearings may continue on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, according to Andis.

But the Sept. 8 meeting won’t provide a finalized county budget picture. While the board will approve the budget for the 2011 fiscal year next week, the county’s budget could change again when the state budget passes. Sacramento County administers state programs and is affected by state budget cuts.

The board’s Sept. 8 budget meeting begins at 2 p.m. at 700 H Street.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City to cash in if state issues IOUs

2010-08-18T22:14:08Z

If the state issues IOUs again, Sacramento plans to cash in.

The City Council gave the nod Tuesday night to the treasurer’s office to use $20 million to purchase IOUs – officially known as “registered warrants” – as an investment opportunity for the city.

If the state does issue IOUs, Sacramento Chief Investment Officer John Colville said recipients can take them to the treasurer’s office along with identification and a voided check, and the city will wire the money directly into the recipient’s bank account, with a $2 processing fee.

Last year, the city set aside $10 million, of which $6.92 million was used to buy IOUs, and the city cashed in for $29,650, Colville said.

“It was successful last year,” Colville said. “We only ran it for a little over 40 days, and we took in 338 warrants from 69 businesses and individuals.”

With the state paying an interest rate of 3.75 percent, Colville said the city received about three times what it otherwise would have.

“If we weren’t doing this, we’d be buying treasury bills or commercial paper from organizations, and as bad as it is right now, I’d be earning 0.19 percent on a six-month treasury bill,” Colville said. “A one-year treasury bill is only paying 0.24 percent. Even if they come out with 2.5 percent, I’m still destroying any other opportunity I have on the marketplace.”

Colville called it a win for the city and a win for the people and businesses issued IOUs.

Mayor Kevin Johnson characterized last year’s program as “very successful” at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, in which the measure was unanimously passed.

Colville told the council that about 85 percent of those who took advantage of the program were businesses that otherwise would have had trouble paying for day-to-day expenses and payroll.

While the state has not issued IOUs at this point, Colville said he anticipates seeing them by the end of the month if no state budget is passed.

The city will be able to redeem the IOUs once a budget is passed.

The program is open to all city residents, businesses and nonprofits, as well as businesses in nearby cities that employ a significant number of city residents.

“We’re pretty flexible,” Colville said.

“No cash is given from our office,” Colville said.

The $20 million is already on hand and comes from the general fund, city bond proceeds and outside agencies including the library, Colville said. All of it is already allotted for future uses such as payroll, but not for at least six months, which frees it up to be invested until then.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Community Conversations talks budget

2010-07-15T01:32:54Z

Sacramento residents meeting at the second session of Community Conversations Tuesday night gave their suggestions for dealing with the current Sacramento budget crisis, with ideas ranging from eliminating parks and recreation programs to more spending on prisons and education.

“Budget Cuts: What are we willing to do without and what are we willing to do about the rest?” was the question posed for the second of eight Community Conversations - one in each City Council district - sponsored by The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Region Community Foundation and Capital Public Radio. It was a striking question that produced several different thoughts from members of the Sacramento community.

Ten Sacramento residents joined in this week’s conversation, held at the Starbucks on 6013 Florin Road.

Under the direction of Oak Park resident Brian Fischer, the conversation about budget cuts led to talk of more being spent on education and prisons, with less money spent elsewhere.

Activities in the parks department could be cut, said Oak Park resident Amy Byerhoff, adding that volunteers could possibly replace those who would be laid off.

Some residents participating in the conversation disagreed, insisting on keeping certain activities alive to keep children out of trouble as well as hiring more police officers.

“If there is nothing else to do but get into trouble, then young people are going to get into trouble,” said Josh Francois, an Elk Grove resident.

Several attendees agreed.

“There’s a lot of young people who counted on the pool, and now it’s gone,” said Ron Cooper of Access Sacramento. “We created a storm for them to get into trouble. And where do they go? Prison.”

Discussing the budget and where its primary focus should go is a difficult topic, said Fischer, but with help from those who are directly affected by the budget cuts, citizens become more informed about the issues their community face.

Lasting about an hour and a half, the residents participating in the conversation provided personal opinions and insight of how residents of different communities in Sacramento feel about the new budget cuts and the affects they are having, including the loss of activities in K-12 schools and the possibility of more layoffs.

Community Conversations meetings are held every two months. The date for the next meeting is not set yet, but more information can be found here.

County slaps SMAC with budget cuts

2010-06-18T05:07:34Z

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission banded together Wednesday afternoon, bringing nearly a dozen arts supporters to a public County Board of Supervisors budget meeting that discussed funding cuts from the county's Transit Occupancy Tax, a hotel tax. It was the last day of public hearings on the county budget before deliberations.

Rob Leonard, the director of the county's Department of Economic Development gave a report on the cuts. Among organizations facing cuts from the TOT budget were the Sacramento Tree Foundation, the Sacramento Sports Commission and Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

Despite their efforts to oppose the cuts, which included public service announcements and several petitions, SMAC's funding from the TOT budget was cut Thursday afternoon from $309,655 to $175,000. That funding is allocated among SMAC's operations budget and Cultural Arts Awards.

"In the past, the board has given us some discretion to work with staff to allocate that amount as needed," director Rhyena Halpern said.

After Leonard's presentation Wednesday, nine people spoke in support of SMAC, for several minutes each. These included SMAC commissioners Dan Gorfain, Carlin Naify, Linda Cutler, Sid Heberger, as well as artists representing the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, La Raza Galeria Posada, and the Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association. Gorfain presented the board with a petition opposing cuts with more than 600 signatures.

"Over the course of the last three years, I lost my job, (my family) lost our house, we had to file for bankruptcy, and for a while we didn't know where we'd be living," said the vice president of the Sacramento Women's Chorus, Rebecca Wall, who brought her young daughter Audrey to the podium. "Music itself has been a wonderful thing for me during our situation. I'm honored to be able to be a part of the Sacramento Women's Chorus and I know that this funding is central to us to be able to do that in our community."

Sinag-tala CEO and artistic director Sonny Alforque said that SMAC funding is crucial to arts organizations, artists and the community.

"Many artists are the very same busboys, waitresses, janitors and retail clerks who serve us all for minimum wages," he said. "And yet most of us will tell you that without the generous assistance that SMAC provides to the arts and community with a small budget it now operates on, many of us would not be able to sustain our services to this community."

SMAC also receives funding directly from the city. After SMAC presented nearly 1,000 signatures in a petition opposing cuts Tuesday, the City Council decided to restore a proposed $150,000 in cuts to SMAC's Cultural Arts Awards Program.

"We are pleased by this development," Gorfain said in a prepared statement. "However, the cuts are steep. Rhyena Halpern says that the best way to think about these cuts is this: SMAC cuts for fiscal year 2011 will bring our total SMAC budget, excluding Art in Public Places, down from about $2.6 million in fiscal year 2008, to about $950,000."

The City Council must vote on its budget by June 22.

Photograph depicts painter David Garabaldi, the recipient of a SMAC scholarship to attend the California State Summer School for the Arts.

Sacramento County animal shelter faces budget cuts

2010-06-08T01:47:40Z

Visiting the Sacramento County animal shelter used to be so depressing. Dogs were in small, dirty kennels with a chain-link fence on every side, and concrete above and below. The cats fared no better, in crates that resembled cat carriers. It was hard to find a happy feline among the bunch. Horses were in small holding stables and had to be covered with blankets in the winter to protect them from the cold.

With the opening of the shelter’s new facility in October 2009, things improved greatly for furry guests. The main building takes up five acres, so the facility has a lot more to offer.

“It has habitat rooms in the front area; you can see cats in what we call their natural habitat, lounging on couches, hanging out, scratching on scratching posts,” said Annie Parker, county communications media officer. “It helps people really envision what the cat would be like in their home and puts the cats at ease. Nothing sells itself like a big pile of kittens on a couch.”

Horses are housed in a barn with heat, electricity and running water. There’s also a two-acre dog park, one of the few in the county.

The shelter provides adoption counseling, so families can ask questions and discuss their household with an expert to find the right pet match. All of the adoptable pets are evaluated for a day or two in order to determine their temperament and what kind of household they’d best fit into.

There's also a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, in conjunction with the Sacramento SPCA, that performs about 1,000 surgeries a month. A rabies clinic is held on the third Thursday of the month, where vaccinations cost $6.

“The entire reason that animal control was conceived in the first place was rabies control,” Parker said. Rabies was a real problem in the early 1900s, so the state mandated that every county have its own animal control department.

For those who like to shop for their precious pets, there's a boutique store run by TEAM, the shelter’s nonprofit organization. It stocks everything from pet toys to cute tags. The shelter is also a gold-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) facility, one of three in the nation.

Parker said adoption rates have risen about ten percent since the new shelter opened. Euthanasia rates have dropped significantly, and there has been a decrease in the number of stray animals picked up. “We’re getting more business overall because it’s not the nasty, gross shelter it used to be,” she said. The shelter also has information and photos of adoptable or lost animals online.

But with county budget cuts, the shelter is in danger of losing many of its services. “We expect that we will sustain some losses in animal care regulation,” said Carl Simpson, interim director of animal care and regulation.

The shelter already has eliminated 40 percent of its staff, with volunteers stepping in to fill the void. This means longer wait times when licensing a pet or adopting an animal. The shelter is now open Tuesdays through Saturdays rather than Wednesdays through Sundays, and hours have been reduced.

Animal control officers also have taken a hit. “There has been a decrease in investigating things like barking dogs or feral cats,” Parker said. “We need our officers to be investigating serious cases.” The officers now concentrate on animal neglect or abuse and aggressive animals.

Further cuts would reduce shelter services to the bare minimum, Parker said. Animal control officers may be able to respond only to aggressive animals and emergency responses could take longer. Services such as adoption counseling could be cut. “We’ve really come a long way from just pointing at the animal and getting it,” Parker said. “We worked so hard to get these standards in place and work for the community.”

In order to save the shelter from cuts, the shelter has started an SOS, or Save Our Shelter, campaign. Simpson said they received some funds for advertising on county buses and have placed stickers that promote SOS on many county vehicles. The shelter is seeking donations, and Simpson said the response has been impressive, with some giving as much as $1,500. The county also is also trying to increase the number of adoptions. “We’re trying to be more aggressive to get dogs adopted out to rescues, and we try to get people to come in to visit our shelter and adopt,” he said.

The shelter has introduced a licensing amnesty program: Instead of paying a $100 late fee, people who have not licensed their pets will pay the normal $15 fee. Dogs and cats in the county are required by law to be licensed, but Parker said that only 14 percent have been. “If every household licensed at least one of their pets, we would raise over $2 million,” she said.

And licensing comes with a whole set of perks for owners. If an animal control officer picks up a lost licensed animal, they try to reunite the pet with its owner before taking it to the shelter. That saves the shelter and the owner impound and shelter fees. If the owner can’t be contacted, the $40 fee to recover the pet will be waived the first time. Licensed pets are held in the shelter for 10 days instead of the normal three. After that, the animal becomes shelter property and can be adopted or euthanized. If a lost pet is injured, a license helps shelter employees take it to the owner’s preferred veterinarian. And finally, when Fluffy dies, animal services will help with arrangements through its connections with area pet cemeteries.

Clearly, people are concerned about the shelter. Simpson said he’s received about 500 e-mails in the past month from people worried about its future. “The animal-advocate community are very in tune and very concerned about the future of the shelter,” he said. “I’ve had an opportunity to see what kind of impact the shelter has in the community. Folks are able to come in and adopt an animal and leave with a smile on their faces.”

Johnson releases more information on strong mayor plan

2010-06-02T03:36:46Z

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has released a new chart on his “strong mayor” proposal, which includes plans for changes to the city budget and the veto powers of the mayor’s office. But local labor leader Bill Camp is saying the chart should not be considered a draft of Johnson's proposal.

Johnson is referring to the new chart as a draft proposal, while Camp said it contains "ideas that we ought to talk about." In the lawsuit over the first strong mayor proposal, Camp was the plaintiff.

The City Council will weigh in on Johnson’s new plan June 15. Johnson’s office hopes the City Council will vote in mid-July to place the new proposal on the November ballot.

Read Johnson’s new chart on the proposal here.

Camp said in a phone interview Tuesday that people have told him they have seen a 10-to 12-page draft of the proposal. He claimed that the draft is being kept from the general public.

“Why are they hiding the 10-to 12-page document people have told me exists?” Camp said.

But Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek said there is no current draft circulating in addition to the chart and outline available online. The proposal's language will be based on the new chart, he said.

There was, however, an old draft of the proposal dated from three or four months ago, McPeek said. The old draft will not be used to write the proposal, he said.

At his Tuesday morning press conference, Johnson addressed a question on why the new chart is not in the form of a written report. If the proposal is placed on the November ballot, Johnson said, then City Attorney Eileen Teichert’s office will need to be involved in the drafting of the plan’s language. For that reason, the draft has not yet been written in the form of a report, he said.

City Attorney Eileen Teichert's office has not received a written draft report of Johnson's proposal, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

The new chart — which has been released to the general public — said the city’s budget would be proposed by the mayor 90 days in advance of July 1. This marks a change from the city’s existing charter, or constitution, which says the budget must be released 60 days ahead of July 1 by the city manager.

Johnson’s plan would also enable the mayor to veto budget decisions and ordinances approved by the City Council.

Some types of ordinances, including those that state law mandates, cannot be vetoed by the mayor, according to the chart.

The proposal envisions that the city’s chief executive would be the mayor, instead of the city manager. There would still be a city manager, but he or she would be hired by the mayor. The mayor would also hire department heads, according to the proposal.

An ethics program and term limits could be implemented as part of the new plan. The new form of government would last eight to 10 years, the proposal said. Voters could decide to keep the government system in effect after that period of time.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Health professionals urge city to keep fluoride in water

2010-05-19T05:28:39Z

Fluoride in Sacramento’s water was a hot topic during a Sacramento City Council budget discussion Tuesday night. Several members of the public, including dentists, a school nurse and local public health officer urged the City Council to keep fluoride in the city’s drinking water supply.

Management Partners, a consulting group hired by the city, suggests that the city stop fluoridating its water supply. The firm states that if the city cuts water fluoridation from its budget, it could retain $836,000 each year.

The city has a $43 million budget gap.

Glennah Trochet, a health officer with Sacramento County’s Public Health Division, told the City Council that water fluoridation is “one of the great successes of public health.”

Pauline Tracey, a school nurse at Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento, said fluoridating water helps protect young people’s teeth. “This is an effective, beneficial...way to prevent both decay and promote the dental health of our students and the community at large.”

Read a list of upcoming city budget meetings here.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

SOS! Save Our Shelter!

2010-05-01T00:25:43Z

The Sacramento County Animal Shelter needs your help! Some of you may have been familiar with the old county shelter... built in the 1960's. You may have adopted an animal there or had to take an animal there, either way, you probably remember it as an old, dirty shelter. I myself, having volunteered there, remember it, and all animals who crossed my path there fondly. This year, the new and vastly improved county shelter opened up right near Safetyville off of Bradshaw Road. The new shelter is quite innovative and green! If you have not been there, it is definitely worth the visit. Due to County budgets though, it might be facing problems. The county has come up with a licensing amnesty program for county residents - if you have penalties piling up on your pet licenses, they will be waived and you can purchase a license for the normal price - $15. The greater Sacto area will be able to take advantage of this program, while helping to keep the shelter bustling. This shelter has the most amazing staff and volunteers, and successfully adopts out many animals a day - I really can't stress enough how much this shelter is needed in our community. Please share this information with your families and friends!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 29, 2010

County Contact:

Zeke Holst 916-875-4047
holstz@saccounty.net

City Contact:

Rhea Serran 916-808-1869 1869
rserran@cityofsacramento.org

Amnesty Offered to Sacramento City and County Residents for Pet Licensing

Program drops penalty; Citizens save $100 through June 30

Sacramento, Calif. – In an effort to get pet owners to license their pets, Sacramento County Animal Care and the City of Sacramento Animal Care Services is removing the late license penalty fee of up to $100 now through June 30, 2010.

“A licensed pet provides many benefits. Most importantly, it will allow Animal Care to return your pet home without you having to come to the shelter”, stated Pat Claerbout, County Animal Shelter Director. “All it takes is an unopened gate for your pet to get out. Licensing is a cheap, efficient way to be quickly reunited with your pet.”

“Licensing your pet is an inexpensive insurance policy for their safety and protection. Even indoor-only cats or pets confined to fenced yards get loose and their licenses help assure you can be reunited with them,” stated Penny Cistaro, City of Sacramento Animal Care Services Manager.

If your pet is licensed, Shelter staff will be able to contact you that they are holding your pet. Licensed pets are also held for 10 days as opposed to a four day hold for other animals.

County Residents:

To license your pet you will need current a rabies certificate and proof of spay or neutering to purchase a reduced fee license for one-year at $15, two years at $30 and three years at $45 at the following locations:

Online through the Animal Care website at http://www.msa2.saccounty.net/acr/Pages/OnlinePetLicenseRenewals.aspx
At the Animal Care Facility at 3839 Bradshaw Road, Wed-Fri, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sat and Sun, 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Cash, debit or Visa or MasterCard accepted.
At Animal Care’s low cost vaccination clinic held at the shelter the third Thursday of each month from 5-7p.m.
The North Area Service Center at 6015 Watt Avenue or the East Area Service Center at 5229-B Hazel Avenue. Payment by check only. Make checks payable to: Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation.
Participating veterinarians. Check with your veterinarian to see if they participate.
By mail – Print out a licensing application form available at www.saccountyshelter.net and mail completed form with check, proof of rabies and spay/neuter information to the Animal Shelter. Make checks payable to: Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation.

City Residents:

To license your pet you will need current a rabies certificate and proof of spay or neutering to purchase a reduced fee license of $15 for dogs and $10 for cats for a one-year license or $35 for dogs and $25 for cats for a three-year license. Licenses can be purchased at the following locations:

At the City Animal Care Services at 2127 Front Street, Tuesday-Friday noon to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Cash, check, debit, Visa and Mastercard accepted.
At City Animal Care Services low cost vaccination clinic held at the shelter the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
By mail – Print out a licensing application form available at http://www.cityofsacramento.org/generalservices/animal-care/ and mail the completed form with check, proof of rabies and spay/neuter information to the City Animal Shelter. Make checks payable to: City of Sacramento Animal Care Services
At the Sacramento SPCA at 6201 Florin Perkins Rd . Check and money order accepted.

Revenue from licensing helps support the care of more than 25,000 homeless animals each year, funds the animal shelters in investigating hundreds of animal neglect and abuse cases, provides low cost spay neuter clinics, provides food to pet homes in need through the City and County’s Pet Food Bank Program and protects our community from dangerous animals.

PLEASE PASS IT ON!

Democratic Party of Sacramento County Responds to Governor’s State of the State and Budget

2010-01-11T06:33:32Z

The six years of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration have not treated California well. We have lost our jobs, lost our houses and lost the services that were supposed to protect us and build a stronger state. While Governor Schwarzenegger has read a well-written script about post partisanship and teamwork, he has consistently failed to deliver on these promises – siding time and again with conservative interest groups that do not represent California’s values and proposing quick fix paper solutions instead of doing the hard work and showing the real leadership that is necessary to achieve real progress.

While it is laudable that after years of cutting education budgets and increasing prison populations, the Governor has come to realize this is not a sustainable, wise or just course of action, we need to see actual leadership to reverse the course the Governor has set and to overcome the numerous shortcomings of years one through six of his administration. There are hard decisions that need to be made and important values that need to be protected. To date, Schwarzenegger has not shown the ability or desire to fight for Californians.

We are particularly concerned with the Governor’s proposals for closing the budget gap. Funding he has predicted from the federal government is unlikely to materialize. Further cuts to our social safety net are unethical and irresponsible and will prove a further drag on our state’s fragile economy. His call for prison privatization shows a profound lack of understanding for the complexities of the issues affecting our state, “kicking the can down the road” to leave the problem for another Governor, while failing to address the real policy problems that are causing the crisis. The DPSC will consider a resolution to address this issue at its February meeting.

Our top priorities need to be jobs and education. The Governor claims these are his priorities, but his actions speak differently. While the Governor gives speeches about jobs, his furlough program deprives Californians of thousands of jobs, leaves hundreds of thousands more under employed and stops the government from effectively using stimulus funds and other available tools to help build the economy and create new jobs. While the Governor hosts elaborate press conferences on “Education Reform”, he has repeatedly cut education budgets, ignoring the state’s need to build a stronger workforce and shifting the burden to the poorest among us.

Arnold Schwarzenegger promised to bring change to Sacramento – to “blow up boxes” and embolden “girly men” in the name of fiscal responsibility and more accountable government. After six years, the truth is clear. Arnold Schwarzenegger is not a real leader; he merely played one on the silver screen. Instead of leading the state through this fiscal crisis, he has consistently resorted to “kicking the can down the road.” California’s best days remain ahead of us – but we will not get there without leadership and a willingness to go beyond ideological dogma to build consensus and a stronger future. After six years, there is no doubt; the state of the state will be much stronger when Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to Hollywood.

A Christmas Story at the Crest

2009-12-14T23:15:38Z

Downtown's Crest Theater will screen A Christmas Story, the retro comedy classic based on Jean Shepherd's novel, in the third annual Christmas Story at the Crest event Saturday, December 19. Beginning at noon, guests will enjoy several tables of home-baked sweets and hot chocolate in the lobby of the gorgeous art deco theater, while awaiting their turn to meet a real-bearded Santa, available to take gift requests and photos with hopeful children and adults. The film begins at 1 p.m. Ten dollar tickets will benefit Jesuit High School.

For the uniquely uninitiated, A Christmas Story is the campy cult classic about 1940's school kid, Ralphie Parker, who wants nothing more than for Santa to deliver an "Official Red Ryder, Carbine-Action-Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle" on Christmas morning, in spite of all the tyrannical, short-sighted adults who can only obsessively respond "You'll shoot your eye out!"

En route to this goal, of course, hilarity ensues. Ralphie is regularly chased by the neighborhood bully, watches his buddy freeze his tongue to the school flagpole, and has his own mouth washed out with soap (Lifebouy, to be exact) for uttering words he learned from his father, who "wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan."

The film, which airs on television throughout the holiday season, is only seen once a year locally on the big screen, and then at the only local theater with the proper historical street cred to do it justice. The Crest lobby and big theater set the right tone -- a little bit old fashioned, a little bit edgy, a little bit sweet, a little bit tongue-in-cheek.

Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office or online at tickets.com.

Sac State Tuition Increasing, Classes and Professors Decreasing

2009-10-15T02:27:08Z

I am upset and I am tired. I am upset that my generation is complacent. I am upset that me and my fellow students so easily accept things going on in the world that are not right. Well I do not want to be complacent anymore. I am tired of it.

Alex Gonzalez Jr., son of Alexander Gonzalez Sr., President of Sac State, received a marketing position at Sac State making $83,000 annually. The marketing position would require Alex Jr. to promote "Destination 2010," a campaign to turn Sac State into a traditional campus rather than a commuter school.

Now, to be fair to the Gonzalez, Alex Jr. may be very qualified for the position. The problem is that no other candidate was interviewed and the position was never posted publicly.

Nepotism?

In regards to the salary, I have good news about this and bad. The good news is that Alex Jr. is not receiving a pay increase for his promotion. The bad news is that he isn't receiving a pay increase because he was making the same salary as a Sac State fundraiser. I never realized fundraising was such a highly paid position. Isn't that like raising money with the right hand to pay the left hand?

This semester Sac State tuition went up by about 30%. Increases are expected to happen again. Not only did tuition go up, but faculty have been laid off and Sac State now has "Furlough Fridays." The situation is outrageous really.

I can not accept paying $6.00 daily parking passes and 30% more tuition when my professors are being laid off and the ones still there are asked to take pay cuts. Classrooms are over filled to where there are no more desks and many classes are no longer available.

How can I or any other Sac State student speak proudly of our Sac State degree and our school when ethics and integrity our questionable within the Administration?

What would our fore fathers have done if this happened to them? What would Rosa Parks do? What would Mario Savio say?

I propose that Sac State students and students across California speak loudly and say "NO MORE" or carry a really, really big stick.

CSUS Budget Rally

2009-09-03T23:45:51Z

The California State University system faces a $1.27 billion dollar cut in its 2009-10 General Fund Budget from one year ago. While total enrollment is up 4,000 students across the CSU system, budget outlays are 55 percent less than they were in 2008-09.

To balance the CSU budget, the CA Board of Trustees has enacted a three prong approach. Teachers will be furloughed twice a month in order to save jobs, classes are being cancelled to save cash, and students will see a 32 percent increase in their student fees. This is the seventh time in eight years that student fees have gone up, and students are finding it very difficult to graduate because the classes they need have either been canceled or are completely full.

Ten years ago (1999-00), the California State University system had a General Fund Budget of $650 million more than it does today. From that same fiscal year, CSU enrollment is up over 80,000 students and student fees have increased 263 percent.

Video by Adam Christy

Rally for Budget Change at Capitol

2009-08-20T03:45:22Z

Members of The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Drug Policy Alliance, ACLU of Northern California and Families to Amend California's Three Strikes gathered on the south steps of the Capitol on Tuesday, August 17, to speak in opposition of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts to the state prison budget.

Zachary Norris, director of the Books Not Bars campaign, hosted the rally and introduced the members of the coalition.

"We must address this elephant in the budget," Norris said before leading the crowd in chants of "books not bars" and "schools not jails." Norris and his fellow speakers urged legislators to rethink their policies on incarcerating petty criminals. California's 75 percent recidivism rate for convicts was a primary concern.

"Wake up, California," said Natasha Minsker, death penalty director of the ACLU of Northern California. "It's time to stop imprisoning people for petty crimes."

"If you don't go to prison in the first place, you don't have to worry about recidivism," said assembly member Jim Bell. "I'd like to send people to get their Ph.D.s in the UC system rather than in prison.”

The coalition stressed the importance of rehabilitation programs in the place of imprisonment for those found guilty of drug-related crimes.

“Drug treatment works, and we know it works," said Laura Thomas, a representative of the Drug Policy Alliance.” We could use the $1 billion for drug treatment instead of sending people to prison for petty drug crimes." She closed by saying, "Keeping people in the community works."

While Norris agreed with some of the governor's decisions, such as "converting some felonies to misdemeanors," he and the other groups were against all juvenile correctional facilities. "The average cost of one juvenile detainee is $234,000 per year,” Norris said. "We are wasting our money on recidivism."

"Waste is not a noun, it is a verb," said assemblywoman Nancy Skinner. "Something doesn't become waste until you waste it. We are wasting people."

More information about the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights can be found here.

City plants seeds for new gardening opportunities

2009-07-10T08:07:20Z

The Sacramento Parks and Recreation department has responded to local calls for more community gardens by slating two new sites to be publicly cultivated , bringing the total number of city community gardens to seven. One of the fresh gardening plots is on the downtown grid - E and 8th in Zapata Park - and is planned to be opened to the public by the end of the year. The other is in North Oak Park and will be sprouting next spring.

Locally grown produce is a burgeoning attraction for Sacramentans and Community Garden Coordinator Bill Maynard has taken note. "We've seen a dramatic increase in interest recently," he said. "In a 2008 Master Plan Development survey, more than 10 percent of suggestions were for new community gardens." The Sacramento Parks and Recreation department responded to these suggestions by evaluating potential plots and eventually settling on the two most viable. There still remains a waiting list of roughly 40 other potential gardens.

The Zapata Park garden was originally a planned expansion of the J.Neely Johnson garden on 11th Street, but has now developed into a project of its own. It measures about 40 feet by 60 feet. The actual development of the park will be going out to bid and will be adopted soon.

The site in North Oak Park lies between Martin Luther King Boulevard and 12th Street and is significantly larger than the Zapata garden. It's about 150 ft by 250 ft, so there's space for a good number of garden plots. The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency donated the land and funds for cultivation.

Once they're opened, the two new community gardens will offer chunks of land for low annual prices. Available plots range from 10 feet by 10 feet to 20 feet by 20 feet and prices run from $25 to $50 per year. Aspiring gardeners are limited to one plot per family, but even then the space is expected to sell out quickly. "There's only one or two plots left in all other community gardens," Maynard said, "so we don't really have to worry about unused garden space."

As reported earlier this week, Parks and Recreation has experienced an $8.3 million budget cut, but this doesn't hinder community gardens. "We don't have much budget to cut," Maynard said, "our budget is very low, and after the gardens are built, they're basically done." Aside from tools and small repairs, community gardens have an extremely low maintenance cost.

Funding for gardens comes from various sources, one of which is the Community Development Block Grant. More resources come from the little-known California Quimby Act. The 1975 act requires developers to set aside land or money equivalents for every project they undertake, and the donations scale up with the size of the project. This is intended to counterbalance buildings with attractive public spaces to be enjoyed by the community.

Community gardens are maintained entirely by volunteers. Plot-holders come by the gardens regularly, so gardens are usually watered twice a day. Second Saturday Art Walk volunteers also take part in garden upkeep during their bimonthly activities.

Garden operations place an emphasis on organics and conservation. "Gardeners don't take any more water than they need," Maynard said, "so very little is wasted." Small-scale fruit and veggie plots will of course not be treated with synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, meaning growers will end up with much healthier produce.

The recent upswing in community garden interest comes at a ripe time - Saturday is Sacramento's first 'Urban Agriculture Day,' as recently introduced by City Council. Festivities will be held tomorrow at several existing community gardens during Slow Food Sacramento's AgFest.

Also, the present economic slump has strained everyone's food budget, so a low-cost garden plot could well be an answer to some grocery worries.

Gardens can provide innumerable benefits to the community at large. "They can get neighbors to know each other, so it builds a stronger community," Maynard said, "and parents and kids will be working side by side, so it's an educational venue as well."

The problem with community gardens? "Some people still don't know about them," Maynard said.
For more information, check out the community gardens website or contact Bill Maynard at wmaynard@cityofsacramento.org

Councilmember Steve Cohn's Monthly E-newsletters - July 2009

2009-07-06T22:21:29Z

INCLUDED IN THIS E-NEWSLETTER:

• City 2009/2010 Budget Adopted
• Sidney Pope Memorial Orchid and Onion Awards Presented at Pops in the Park
• Screen on the Green – August
• McKinley Rose Garden Proposed Enhancements Update
• Free Hours of Bike Rentals
• SHPS/ Mercy Construction Update
• Sacramento Fire Department Open Houses

UPCOMING EVENTS
• Neighborhood Services Department Community Hours
• July 4th Fun and Run in River Park
• Friends of the River Event- July 11th
• Taste of East Sacramento – July 12th
• Friends of McKinley Park Tennis Tournament – August 1st and 2nd
• National Night Out – August 4th
• Blood Drive in River Park, August 9th
• St. Mary’s 78th Annual Festival – August 16th
• SOCA Home Tour – September 20th

NEIGHBORHOOD & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION NEWS

City 2009/2010 Budget Adopted

The City Council adopted the final budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2009. In closing a $50 million gap, the Council reduced expenditures by $41.7 million, used $8.3 million in one-time resources, and reduced staffing levels by 383 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. By reaching agreement with the Sacramento Police Officers Association to extend their collective bargaining agreement by 3 years, the City was able to close its funding gap in the Police Department without reducing any police officer positions. Also, on July 3rd the Sacramento Firefighters, Local 522 approved a deal to freeze their salaries for 30 months and delay a 5 percent raise scheduled to take effect July 14 until January 2012, by doing this, they will save the city $10.8 million. Unfortunately, attempts to do likewise with the other union representing most non-safety departments, including Parks and Recreation, were unsuccessful, and as a result the City will be instituting layoffs.

Sidney Pope Memorial Orchid & Onion Awards Presented at Pops in the Park

We enjoyed unseasonably cool temperatures at the first three Pops in the Park concerts this year. Held each Saturday in June, record numbers of people enjoyed free family events with four different genres of music including oldies, blues, swing and country rock. The East Sacramento Improvement Association (ESIA) announced their annual Sidney Pope Memorial Orchid and Onion Awards at the Bertha Henschel concert on June 20th. The Orchid Award was given to 38th Street Neighborhood for their work on the new Setback Ordinance and their “diligence” in maintaining the historical context of the East Sacramento community. In the fall of 2008, a proposal was submitted to demolish an existing home on 38th Street (south of Folsom Blvd) and replace it with a new home that would have extended significantly closer than virtually all of the houses on the street. The new language proposed by the 38th Street neighbors and adopted by Council will trigger design review whenever a house is proposed to be built or expanded in East Sacramento that would be closer to the street than the average setback of the two houses on either side. Also nominated for the Orchid Award were the Neighborhood Retail Center at Alhambra and Folsom Boulevard, home of Peets Coffee and FedEx, which closely followed design guidelines and historical context for this boulevard, and the beautiful new townhomes that Dyer Construction built at the corner of Mission and J Streets, which look like they were built in the same 1930s era as the quads along I and J Streets.

The Onion Award was given this year for the third time to the blighted site of Express Furniture at 5108 Folsom Blvd. Also nominated was the site of Luis Mexican Restaurant building at 1218 Alhambra Blvd. This award is meant to be a good-natured nudge to folks to spruce up their properties.

Screen on the Green - August

Mark your calendars for Screen on the Green free movies in August at four of our District 3 parks.

August 1, 2009 – East Portal Park, 51st & M Streets - Babe
August 8, 2009 – Grant Park, 21st & C Streets – Bee Movie
August 15, 2009 – Babcock Park, 2498 Cormorant Way – Beauty and the Beast
August 22, 2009 – Glen Hall Park, Carlson Drive and Sandburg Drive – The Parent Trap (1961 version)
All movies begin at Sundown
For Details visit: www.sacscreenonthegreen.com

McKinley Rose Garden Proposed Enhancements Update

A second community meeting was held at the McKinley Rose Garden on Saturday, June 20, 2009, to present the proposed enhancements to the McKinley Rose Garden. The enhancements shared by Parks Staff were the result of suggestions and feedback received to date from a previous community meeting as well as many emails and calls. The plan will preserve the Frederick N. Evans Memorial Rose Garden as closely as possible to its existing, historic condition while updating the irrigation system, improving accessibility, and removing diseased or dying roses. The proposed enhancements include an accessible walkway from H Street to the Tiny Tots building, a new rose garden map (accessible), accessible benches with center armrest, wheelchair spaces, an additional (accessible) drinking fountain, concrete planter curbs, bubbler irrigation system and a new brick entry sign. Located in one of the most heavily used parks within the city, the last major known renovation to the garden was in 1973. After an initial meeting generated controversy, I was very pleased to see a renewed spirit of cooperation among neighbors, the City staff, families of memorial plaque holders, and the Sacramento Rose Society. I look for this to generate a renewed volunteerism to help restore the Rose Garden’s luster. Of course, we’ll need to raise most of the money for the renovations from private funds, including increased wedding fees. For more information, contact Jonathan Rewers at 808-7590 or jrewers@cityofsacramento.org

Free Hours of Bike Rentals

Bikes and Bites located at 1013 12th Street, rents bikes to locals and out of town guests to ride around and enjoy Sacramento and all it has to offer. Recently, the Sacramento Air Quality Air District agreed to underwrite 1000 hours of bike rentals. Renters will now receive one hour of free bike rental, when they rent a minimum of two hours. The bike rental programs will lower Sacramento's carbon footprint while creating economic stimulus in the local businesses. For more details go to www.BikesandBites.com

SHPS/ Mercy Construction Update

Soil remediation on the school site continues and is nearing completion. Upon completion, foundational footings will be dug for the new buildings. Tunnel work between the Medical Plaza and Hospital is expected to be complete by August 2009. This month the hospital intends to go out to bid for the structural steel to be used for the Heart Center building and this fall some preliminary foundation work is expected to begin. Future Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) meetings are scheduled as follows: August 18, and November 17.

For updates on the Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan (NTMP) visit
For more information on the NTMP, visit www.cityofsacramento.org/transportation/traffic-engineering/mercy-ntmp.html or contact Debb Newton at 808-6739 or dnewton@cityofsacramento.org. For questions or concerns regarding construction, please feel free to call the construction hotline at 552-6931.

Sacramento Fire Department Open Houses

The Sacramento Fire Department invites you to come by to meet your firefighters and take a station tour. They are holding several open houses throughout the city. Open Houses still to be held for District 3 residents are:

August 29th – Station 4, 3145 Granada Way (off Alhambra)
September 12th – Station 19, 1700 Challenge Way
September 19th – Station 8, 5990 H Street, 2pm-5pm

For more information call 808-1347 or visit www.sacfire.org

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Neighborhood Services Department Community Hours

For your convenience, Neighborhood Services continues to hold community hours in the neighborhood. Feel free to drop by to ask questions, raise concerns and discuss city issues. The following dates and times are scheduled:

Tuesday, July 14th
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Clunie Clubhouse, 601 Alhambra Blvd.

Tuesday, August 11th
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Hagginwood Community Center, 3271 Marysville Boulevard

For more questions, please contact Janine at 808-8193 or jmartindale@cityofsacramento.org

July 4th Fun and Run in River Park

Start your morning with the 33rd Annual Free 4th of July Fun Run in River Park. This is a 5-mile run that winds its way through the River Park neighborhood. The runs starts and ends near Glen Hall Park. There is a half a mile kids run (under 10) that starts at 7:45 a.m. and then the 5 mile runs begins at 8:00 a.m. Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. Then mid-morning enjoy the Fire Cracker Parade, the Mere Mortals band, food, games and prizes from 10:00 a.m. until Noon. The parade begins at Caleb Greenwood School at 10:00 a.m. (arrive at 9:30 a.m. to line up). Hot dogs, ice cream and sods will be sold. RPNA is still looking for volunteers for that day. If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information about the event, contact lcortez916@yahoo.com.

Friends of the River Event – July 11th

Friends of the River Banks sponsors a gathering at the American River each Second Saturday at 9 am at Sutter's Landing to encourage people, especially families and children, to enjoy and appreciate the wildlife and to spend a little time with nature. On Saturday, July 11th, Greg Kareofelas will lead a “Dragonfly Walk” where you may also see damselflies and butterflies. Binoculars and insect nets will be available for use. Greg will give pointers on how to use nets properly – a useful skill for budding entomologists of all ages. Recommended pre-walk reading: the “California Natural History Guide on Dragonflies” by Tim Manolis. For more information, contact Laurie Litman at llitman@pacbell.net

Below is an inspiring piece written by one of our 10-year old Midtown neighbors:

Come With Me
by Paloma Freitas

What are you doing on this hot summer day? If you like exploring and having fun, get off that couch and come with me to the American River.

We can swim in the cold water, take a hike, play on the beach, and look for baby clams. If we go on a hike, we can look at all of the beautiful plants. If we go at night, we may spot a coyote, if we are lucky. If we take a hike in the daytime, we might see otters, turtles or birds.

If you go swimming, you will have a lot of fun, but you'll have to be careful. Some parts of the river are deep. If we play in the shallow water, we can look for clams under the sand.

The American River is a great place. It's the best place in Sacramento to have fun. So what are you waiting for? Let's go.

Taste of East Sacramento – July 12th

The East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce presents “Taste of East Sacramento” on Sunday, July 12th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center. The event will feature wine tasting along with a taste of some of the best food East Sac has to offer. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Selland’s Market Café, 5340 H Street for $25 or at the door for $30. Proceeds will benefit Pops in the Park. For more information call 452-8011. (note: Limited tickets are available for the event)

Friends of McKinley Park Tennis Tournament, August 1st and 2nd

Support efforts to raise funding for the resurfacing and upgrades to the McKinley Park Tennis Courts. A tournament will be held on August 1st and 2nd at the McKinley facility. Your $75 tax deductible donation includes tournament fee, lunch and a shirt. Checks should be made payable to Friends of McKinley Park Tennis and mailed to PO Box 19463, Sacramento, CA 95819-0463. For more information about the tournament call (209) 483-8430.

National Night Out – August 4th

Join your neighbors and be a part of a nation-wide event against crime on August 4th. National Night Out is a community-police partnership held the first Tuesday of every August. It aims to increase awareness about police programs in communities, promote neighbor to neighbor interaction, and send a message to criminals that they are being watched! If you would like to organize a celebration with your neighbors, please contact Officer Alana Henley, Crime Prevention Specialist, at ahenley@pd.cityofsacramento for more information.

Blood Drive in River Park – August 9th

A Blood Drive will be held in River Park on Sunday, August 9th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 5458 Carlson Drive across from the school. Join the group for coffee, donuts and a BBQ.

St. Mary’s 78th Annual Festival – August 16th

St. Mary’s 78th Annual Festival will take place on Sunday, August 16th from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. with lots of attractions for the whole family including arts and crafts, festival booths, bingo, rock climbing, laser tag, water slides, shopping mall, chicken/pasta dinner and other great foods as well as two popular bands, the Q-Balls and Miller Hi Lites.

SOCA Home Tour – September 20th

This year’s SOCA home tour will be held in historic Boulevard Park on Sunday, September 20 (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Tickets may be purchased in advance at several local businesses ($18.00) or at the street fair on the esplanade on 21st Street between F and G Streets on the day of the tour ($20.00). Bicyclists will get a dollar discount ($19.00). Ticket-holders will be given an illustrated brochure with detailed information about the homes and the neighborhood. As in past years, the street fair will feature artisans and information booths. Restored antique cars will be on display throughout the tour’s neighborhood, courtesy of the Sacramento Capitol A’s Model A Club.

The Boulevard Park neighborhood incorporates a mix of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century homes, ranging from single-family residences to the distinctive courtyard-style arrangement of cottages that can be found throughout the city of Sacramento. The homes also vary in size, having served a wide cross-section of Sacramento society, ranging from railroad and cannery workers to doctors, bankers, and businessmen. The core of the neighborhood is a development by a local building firm, Wright and Kimbrough that was constructed on the former site of the city’s race track in the early 1900s. In fact, 2009 marks the centennial for many of the houses in the original Boulevard Park neighborhood, which was bordered by B, H, 22nd, and 20th Streets. The greater Boulevard Park neighborhood also includes some handsome Victorian and Queen Anne residences from the late 1800s. Several homes from the original and greater Boulevard Park neighborhoods have been selected for the 2009 tour. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Joann's Elegant Gifts (1019 L Street), Collected Works Books & Other Fine Gifts (4524 Freeport Blvd.), 57th Street Antique Mall (875 57th Street), and The Avid Reader (16th & Broadway). For more information visit http://sacoldcity.org/?cat=10

NEIGHBORHOOD & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION NEWS

Alkali & Mansion Flats Historic Neighborhood Association. Meetings are held on the Second Thursday of each month, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Boys & Girls Club, 1117 G Street. For more information contact Sean Wright at (916) 806-8198.

East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce: Second Wednesday of each month at various locations, 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Cost $15. For details call Lisa Schmidt at (916) 457-2721.

Hagginwood Community Association: Celebrate National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4th , location tba. Next meeting: Wednesday, September 2nd at Joe Mims/Hagginwood Community Center, Tower Room, Meeting Room 1. For more information contact: Bill Maynard, Chair, 508-6025, sacgc@ulink.net or Barbara Stanton, Vice Chair, 927-7446, barbs992@earthlink.net.

McKinley East Sacramento Neighborhood Association (MENA): Board meeting open to the Public, First Wednesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. at Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park. Contact: Joe Chavez at chavezjoseph@comcast.net

Midtown Business Association (MBA) Board Meeting – Third Wednesday of each month - 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – 1400 29th Street. For more information, call 442-1500.

River Park Neighborhood Association – Third Thursday of each month, Block Captains 6:30 p.m., RPNA Board 7:30 p.m. at Geneva Room in the Fremont Presbyterian Church at Carlson Drive and H Street. See www.riverparksacramento.net

Midtown Neighborhood Association (formerly WPCANA) – For Updates visit www.sacmidtown.org

Area 1 NRT – Next meeting: Monday, July 20th, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (preceding NAG) at Hart Senior Center, 915 27th Street.

Area 1 NAG – Next NAG meeting: Monday, July 20th, Pizza at 6:15 p.m. at Hart Senior Center.

Area 4 Community Partnership Meeting – Next meeting: Monday, July 13th, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Robertson Community Center.

Area 4 NRT – Monday, July 13th, 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (preceding Community Partnership meeting) at Robertson Community Center.

SEIU Rally Brings Thousands to Capitol

2009-07-02T06:06:58Z

On Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., approximately 2,000 members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) gathered on the west steps of the Capitol in a powerful end to Tuesday's outcry rally over the state’s budget decisions, which would cut the salaries of state workers by 15 percent.

A giant screen was set up to project the image of the speakers. Tents were scattered providing first aid, food and information on how to contact the governor. Participants sat on the grass and milled around, but once Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker took the stage, most remained standing to listen intently to her words.

Walker addressed SEIU's grievances with the state legislature's handling of the budget. She spoke about the issues that have not been taken into consideration by the state, such as SEIU's proposed contract that would have saved $340 million, or their identification of the 34.7 million dollars allocated for private vendor contracts. She reminded the crowd that all departments have been cut by 10 percent, yet people continue to return to work and provide the same services. She also reminded the crowd, to loud cries of indignation, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's announcement of a third furlough day.

"The only thing I have to say is, 'Governor, you were elected to do a job, you have failed, you are not providing leadership to California and today Local 1000 is putting you on notice, and we're not going to take it anymore,'" Walker said.

Speeches finished, members of SEIU took to circling the west steps in a slow march, chanting various slogans of empowerment such as, "We've had enough, we won’t take it no more," "Union power" and the Bob Marley lyric, "Get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights."

The sizable turnout featured SEIU members from all over California including Fresno, Redding, Rancho Cucamonga and Oakland.

Lesley Wong, a writer for Caltrans and Oakland resident, noted that the sheer number of bodies the event drew contributed to its success.

"I've been to past rallies, ridden the bus up from Oakland," Wong said. "This one, by far, has been the biggest one we've had that I've been to."

She also expressed that the governor's announcement of the implementation of a third furlough day was a deal-breaker for many state workers.

"It's the final 5 percent extra that pushed everyone over," Wong said. "It's an absolute breaking point. I've got people working with me who are making less money than they were 15 years ago."

In Walker's final address to the members of SEUI, she looked toward the future.

"The next time we come out, I hope to see 20,000 state workers," she said.

The response of the crowd could be heard a block away on L Street.

Firefighters' jobs likely to be saved

2009-07-02T03:28:31Z

The Sacramento City Council is about 99 percent sure that no firefighters will be laid off this week.

The local firefighters’ union and city officials reached a breakthrough in negotiations Wednesday and have made a tentative agreement to not lay off 68 firefighters. The last step will be for Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 members to vote on the agreement this week. It is likely that Local 522 members will vote in favor of the agreement because they proposed it to city officials.

While dozens of firefighter jobs are likely to be saved, about 180 city workers in other departments still face layoffs on Thursday, according to Assistant City Manager Gus Vina.

Several councilmembers returned from vacation Wednesday afternoon to approve the firefighters’ deal in a private meeting at City Hall. Mayor Kevin Johnson and six councilmembers talked to reporters after the private meeting.

“It is a very good day in the city of Sacramento,” Johnson said.

City officials wanted to balance the budget and protect public safety, and it’s likely that those goals will be met, Johnson said.

David Dolson, a firefighter and representative of Local 522, said union members are very happy that they’ve been able to both provide high quality public safety and save firefighters’ jobs. Ensuring that the community has the best fire protection has been “our main goal the whole time,” Dolson said.

The union will recommend to its members that they vote in favor of the contract, he said.

The council’s unanimous approval of the deal marks the end of this year’s highly controversial negotiations between Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 and city managers. The Wednesday agreement came back from the dead: The city and Local 522 had ended negotiations last week.

City officials said last week that up to 68 firefighters were scheduled to be laid off. The union had also threatened to file a lawsuit against the city, claiming that city officials had engaged in “unfair bargaining practices.”

The deal means that firefighters would give up salary increases over the next 30 months, according to Local 522 and city officials. The agreement also states that the city would promise to not lay off firefighters for one year, union representatives and city officials said. Firefighters will give up the 5 percent increase scheduled for this month.

The city will save about $10.8 million as a result of the deal, according to Vina.

The Sacramento Press was not able to obtain a copy of the agreement, and cannot independently verify the details of the agreement until it is public.

Councilmembers Bonnie Pannell and Steve Cohn did not attend the closed session. The members who attended formed the required quorum.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Balancing the budget topples hopes

2009-07-01T19:16:00Z

On Tuesday evening, hundreds of workers with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) congregated at the steps of the Capitol to voice their frustrations with how the state legislature is handling the budget.

Yvonne Walker, President of the SEIU, opened the rally with a fiery speech about how state workers “are on the tipping point,” with the continued proposals to cut state workers’ pay and adding a third furlough day.

Walker described the two-day furlough already in place for state workers as “the equivalent of one month’s pay.” She explained an additional day of unpaid leave would increase the financial burden on state workers, causing some to lose their homes.

Workers were well aware of this possibility as they walked circles around the Capitol lawn, some waving signs that read, “The future face of poverty.”

The impacts of pay-cuts have had severe effects on the lives of the workers.

“I have two children and I cannot afford a fifteen percent pay cut as a single mother,” said Kendra White, a tax technician. She added, “I already can’t pay my bills,” though the further proposed cuts have yet to be implemented.

Richard Wilcox Jr. is an employment program representative who processes employment insurance claims forms. He attended the protest in solidarity for his fellow workers.

“Some of them are at a point where they are actually filing for unemployment insurance claims forms,” seeking the exact help they provide as a part of their job, he said.

Some of the rally attendees held up signs that referenced the safety and well-being of their children. “I’m having to make choices about my kids being in daycare, and in a potentially dangerous situation” said Angela Ramirez, a DMV employee.

“I had to actually check with child services to see if it was okay to leave her home for a few hours out of the day until the lunch hour when I could come home,” Ramirez said.

She touched on current situations at her office that reflect the effects of the budget cuts on the community as a whole. “We’re backlogged, and customers are disappointed that the services are taking a lot longer.”

These services include filing paperwork dealing with DUI offenders. “Getting drunk drivers off the road is getting longer. The paperwork is taking longer,” she remarked.

“We’re doing a disservice to the community, not only the workers but the state of California,” Ramirez said.

Members of the SEIU have pin-pointed many ways to re-direct pressure off of state workers. “We’ve identified $34.7 billion in private outsourced contracts,” Walker said, hoping that the amount of money pouring into private contracts is reduced.

“One idea which I have,” said Wilcox, “is basically we start taxing oil companies for the oil that they drill out of ca public land.” The same is currently done in Alaska where they “actually make enough money where every year the Alaska state government sends its citizens checks.”

While he does not think the possibility of drilling an equivalent amount of oil in California is possible to generate that income, “it could at least offset the hurt.”

The SEIU planned to have a candle-light vigil and spend the night on the Capitol lawn, but some of the coordinators called it off because it looked like the legislature was not going to be in session that evening.

The protest at the Capitol Tuesday evening was a precursor to today’s rally. The SEIU expects over 2,000 workers to convene at the Capitol around noon to rally against the projected cuts.

Advisory Committee Meets to Protect Community Interest

2009-06-19T05:55:31Z

The members of Facilities Re-use/7-11 Committee left their three-hour meeting having reached enough consensuses to fill a PowerPoint presentation for the Sacramento City Unified School District’s Board of Education.

On Wednesday, June 17, 11 community members met for the third time at the Serna Center to discuss potential re-uses for six school sites within the Sacramento City District that have been closed due to dilapidated enrollment and budget shortfalls.

The meeting was facilitated by Sacramento Mediation Center Director Ellen Taylor and UC Davis Mediator and Facilitator Mary Madison. The committee was founded with the intent of advising the Board of Education’s decision based on a community perspective.

The final verdict for the re-use of the recently closed Genesis High School, Lisbon, Alice Birney, Thomas Jefferson, Marian Anderson and Bear Flag Elementary Schools will be decided by the eight members of the board.

The meeting focused on developing criteria for possible re-use, the preferred uses for the sites and potential partnerships, and a review of public requests for the spaces.

The group created a checklist of concerns involving the potential re-uses. General consent was reached on matters such as leaving the option for the site to be re-used as a school again or keeping future uses consistent with community needs. Organizations such as Parks and Recreation and Sacramento Office of Education were deemed preferred partnerships and prospective uses such as child care, fee-based adult education training, and senior care were approved as positive ways to occupy the sites.

Despite the cohesive progress made by the Committee, there was still a question hanging over the various discourses: How much impact will their efforts have on the Board of Education’s decision making processes?

According to Second Vice President Board Member Patrick Kennedy, the committee will have “a tremendous amount of impact.”

“These aren’t just school decisions, these are community decisions,” Kennedy said. “The role of a board member is to take community values and turn it into policy at the level of the board. This committee is important because it provides the voice of the values.”

Committee Member and Chairwoman of Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education Heidi McLean voiced her concern over the board’s considerations of the group’s efforts, “I just want the board to welcome input from the community. Communication is the hardest thing for the district.”

The meeting’s close, however, brought a sense of gratitude for the efforts of the dedicated community members and facilitators, as expressed by SCUSD’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Barentson.

“On behalf of the District, we are very pleased with the work of this Committee. We need this information; it is so important to the decision making process and I want to thank the public for their support,” said Barentson.

“It has been a wonderful meeting with wonderful people,” Taylor said, “Everyone has shared ideas and has the same goal, and there have been no issues of contention.”

“I was very thankful for the mediators and facilitators,” McLean said. “The fact that they were here to move the process along allowed me to be at a sense of peace with the end product.”

More information on the Facilities Re-Use/7-11 Committee can be found on its website: www.scusd.edu/operations_support/7-11%20Re-Use.htm

Sasha Abramsky: On Hunger in America

2009-06-18T04:28:12Z

Sasha Abramsky, an accomplished author, teacher, and senior fellow at Demos think tank in New York City, posed a tough question yesterday at his book launch party for Breadline USA: The Hidden Scandal of American Hunger and How to Fix It, hosted by the UC Center of Sacramento. "How do you feed people who are hungry in a country with an abundance of food?"

The question is one he explores in Breadline USA. Abramsky's book documents the stories of several American families and their struggle with finances and food.

During the late years of the Bush administration, Abramsky described an increase in attendance at breadlines, lines of people waiting to receive food from a charitable organization. Companies were deliberately going bankrupt in order to avoid pension payments, Abramsky said. Angst developed as working class people were falling into poverty.

This paradox of working class America, not "hoboes and vagrants," gradually falling into despair and scrounging for food was what inspired research for his book. Abramsky describes the new working poor, "men and women who have played by the rules their whole lives," as frequenters of food pantries and soup kitchens across America.

The reality: Approximately 25 million Americans depend on food pantries and charities for sustenance. Millions still need access to such programs, but are not getting help because of a lack of knowledge, or embarrassment. A hefty portion of those at risk for hunger every day are children, says Abramsky.

Moreover, the food that many of the underserved have access to is not the most nutritious. He raises Pollan-esque concerns about the food production industry and the output of unhealthy foods. What Breadline USA does, Abramsky asserts, is extend the dilemma of "what food to eat" to the wallet — how to afford healthy food, and how to afford enough of it.

In order to fully grasp the hardships of working-class individuals, Abramsky constructed a budget and expenditure list of a McDonald's employee for two months. At $8.23 an hour for 40 hours a week, he subsisted on a working-class budget.

Every week would bring a different imagined obstacle to the budget, from a doctor's bill to a rise in gas prices. Abramsky found that he was often left with less money for food than those on food stamps. His budget and transportation capabilities limited him to cheap and filling food from stores in impoverished neighborhoods.

"The working poor are more vulnerable than people on food stamps at this point," Abramsky said in a phone interview with The Sacramento Press. "In that kind of situation, the default is to do what's quick and easy. You fall back on food from a local corner store. People end up eating terrible food. At a certain point if you run out of options, you have to fall back on charities."

Abramsky pointed out the policy decisions that have institutionalized poverty in America and the need for reform at a federal level. Though he commends charities for their efforts to alleviate hunger, the model is no longer as effective in the current economic atmosphere. He says, "charities rely on surplus and we just don't have that now."

The American Dream, according to Abramsky, is in reverse. The narrative is now of "diminishing possibilities and increasing obstacles to success, a saga of exodus rather than influx." He hopes the chronicle of families' struggles in Breadline USA sheds light on hunger in America.

"As long as there is a growing degree of hunger, there are two ways to tackle this," Abramsky said. "One way is through the government, one way is through charity. They work in cooperation. What I document in this book is you can't approach the problem simply by a food program, you actually have to approach it sideways on."

Abramsky remarked, "When people go hungry, it has profound effects on many aspects of their lives. I want people to get a sense of empathy, this is something that's out there."

You can read Sasha Abramsky's blog here: http://www.sashaabramsky.com/

Budget Update: City layoffs to occur in about two weeks

2009-06-17T20:59:59Z

The City Council has changed its original plan to lay off 168 workers Friday, and now layoffs are expected to take place in about two weeks, according to acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson.

The number of layoffs is in flux and may soon change depending on negotiations with five city unions.

On Tuesday, the city adopted its 2009/2010 fiscal year budget and closed out a gap of more than $43 million. The budget that was approved comes with major cuts to city services. Changes to the budget will be amendments because the budget has been adopted.

City officials continued to say Tuesday that many cuts and layoffs could be averted if the unions make concessions.

Negotiations between city managers and Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 continue to be controversial. The City Council did not approve the latest agreement with the firefighters’ union, Klock-Johnson said.

The layoff dates are being extended to allow the city more time to come to concessions with unions, she said. The city is lengthening the deadline for layoffs to all 168 workers, including those who are not represented by unions.

SCUSD Board of Education approves drastic reduction of summer school

2009-06-12T15:09:40Z

The SCUSD Board of Education voted 5 – 1, with 1 abstention, to drastically reduce summer school programs for the next two years - effective immediately. The decision eliminates all programs for elementary and middle school students, and reduces summer school for high school students. In addition, special education programs will be reduced and adult school programs will either be reduced or converted to a fee based system. The decision will also impact almost 300 district employees, some of whom planned to report to work as early as today.

In her opening statements, Interim Superintendent Susan Miller stressed that the budget for this and next fiscal year was balanced as of May 14th, but then “the bottom fell out” and the district was forced to use stimulus funds. She added that they were leaving “no stone unturned” but that after years of “cutting to the core of instruction” vital services including employee contracts, support staff and transportation were being considered for cuts.

Ellyne Bell (Area 1), the only member to vote against the decision, asked what resources the district would provide to schools who will now be charged with the difficult task of bringing students up to grade level without summer school programs. Miller had no clear solutions to offer and stated only that it would be “reasonable to expect that (schools) will have to lead the charge to work (extra instruction) into the school year” and that the district would make “assisting them a high priority.”

Bell expressed deep reservations regarding the suggestion and reminded the board that they “made a commitment to keep cuts as far away from kids as possible.”

Board Member Diana Rodriguez (Area 5) raised questions regarding alternative options, such as charging a small fee for summer school. While SCUSD counsel suggested this might violate the K-12 constitution for California, district staff admitted the matter had not been researched. No other alternative options were presented to the board. The proposal also contained no information on the long-term impact of eliminating summer school programs for below grade level students.

With most summer schools slated to begin on June 22 and some beginning as early as today, the board had little time to consider researching other options.

Nine members of the community spoke publicly against further reduction of summer school programs, urging the board to “just say no, for a change” and expressing frustrations about the lateness of the proposal.

Supt. Miller addressed the crowd directly, urging them to understand that there were no ulterior motives behind the lateness of the special meeting. Current budget conditions left the district with no choice but to take immediate action.

Donald Terry (Area 3) also spoke frankly to the audience. He applauded his colleagues for making tough decisions in a difficult budget year and encouraged attendees to “pick up a newspaper and look at what other districts are doing.”

Jerry Houseman (Area 2) was the last to address the crowd. He admitted making the suggestion to Supt. Miller after he discovered that the Los Angeles Unified School District, which “represents ¼ of the students in the state,” was forced to cut summer school. “We need to join them,” he added. Houseman also stressed the importance or renegotiating union contracts and pointed out that salaries comprised 88% of the existing budget.

Roy Grimes (Area 6), Patrick Kennedy (Area 7), Houseman and Terry voted for the reductions. Gustavo Arroyo (Area 4) abstained from voting and Bell was the only “no” vote.

Program Reductions Defined (taken from the SCUSD proposal)

Eliminate Summer School Programs

Elementary and Middle Schools (for 2 years)
Adult Education (ESL, GEB, ABE, Distance Learning, Older Adults)

Convert Adult Education CTE Classes to Fee Based

Shift Cost of PACE/HISP/IB to Site & Grant Funds

Maintain Special Populations Programs to Close the Achievement Gap

Culturally & Linguistically Reponsive Pedagogy Programs
Hmong, Mien, Lao Program
Refugee Student Assistance Program
CSUS Math/ELA Academy

Maintain High School Programs with Modifications

Eliminate On-line Credit Recovery
Concurrent Enrollment with Adult Ed.

Budget cuts puts summer school programs at risk

2009-06-11T19:04:14Z

As their peers celebrate the last day of school, many Sacramento students will head home facing an uncertain summer. With only a one-day notice, SCUSD called a special Board of Education Meeting to be held on Thursday – the last day of school. The Board will consider a staff suggestion to eliminate summer school programs district wide.

Due to budget constraints, enrichment programs have already been stripped from the district’s summer school agenda. Kara Broderick, a first and second grade teacher at David Lubin Elementary, said that teachers were asked “only to recommend students that were below basic or far below basic” grade levels. The Board will decide Thursday whether or not to eliminate the program entirely.

Eliminating summer school programs for students who are below proficiency levels will have a far-reaching impact. A 2006 study of high school dropouts, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, found that 45% of students who dropped out of high school stated that “they started high school poorly prepared by their earlier schooling” and emphasized that many “likely fell behind in elementary and middle school and could not make up the necessary ground.”

As adults, these students are far more likely to be “unemployed, living in poverty, receiving public assistance, in prison, on death row, unhealthy, divorced, and ultimately single parents with children who drop out from high school themselves.”

Additionally, the study listed summer school as a supplemental service that “schools need to provide” in order to reduce drop out rates in the future.

The National Association of School Psychologists agrees, stating that summer school programs play an essential part in facilitating academic development and eliminating ineffective practices such as social promotion and grade retention.

For students struggling to meet grade level standards, summer school provides the opportunity to catch up prior to the start of a new school year. Linda Lane has enrolled her daughter Eva, who will enter the first grade at David Lubin next year, into the district’s summer school program.

As one of the youngest children in her class, Lane says that Eva “got off to a really rough start” but has been steadily making improvements. Lane believes that “summer school will help her achieve proficiency by the start of her first grade year.” She added that Eva “is finally enjoying the learning part of school, so she is ripe for leaning!”

SCUSD’s own proposed frameworks for academic achievement explicitly state that academic success can not be achieved “for every student by name” unless those below grade level are afforded the resources to meet minimum proficiency levels. By eliminating academic programs for the most vulnerable children in our district, the district will fail to live up to its own standards and frameworks.

The Board of Education will meet Thursday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Serna Center, 5735 47th Avenue, Sacramento. The meeting begins with a closed session and opens to the public at 8:00 p.m. The agenda can be viewed here.

Second Saturday Needs Volunteer Crossing Guards

2009-06-04T03:09:35Z

Second Saturday has grown in popularity during the past few years, to the point where Sacramento police have asked for citizens' help. Because of declining budgets and the growing crowds at Second Saturday, there are not enough police available to perform crossing guard duty. To that end, Midtown Business Association Executive Director Rob Kerth sent out the following email:

"Hi Folks,
Our Sac PD Captain, Dana Matthes, is looking for a few good people to do crossing
guard duty on 2nd Saturday. If you've got the urge to help out, or know someone
who might, please give her a call at 808-4511. They have a training program to
get you all ready.
Thanks!"

Sacramento Regional Transit's continuing budget woes

2009-05-29T06:24:21Z

In January 2008, Sacramento Regional Transit cut bus service 5 percent in order to balance the 2008 fiscal year budget. To balance the 2009 budget, RT eliminated the free rides for Paratransit-qualified riders, raised the price of monthly passes from $85 to $100, daily passes from $5 to $6 and single fares from $2 to $2.25.

Now for 2010, RT is again standing in a budget hole looking for a way out.

Monday evening, RT staff will present its proposals for balancing the coming year's budget and get some direction from the district's Executive Board Committee on whether any of these ideas will fly when the issue gets a public hearing before the full board on June 8.

The fare increases that took effect in January aren't generating as much cash as staff had hoped. It is now estimated that fare revenues have fallen $2.6 million below the levels anticipated when the fare increases were adopted. Fare revenue in 2010 could be as much as $3 million below earlier projections.

The decline in RT's share of Measure A sales tax revenues combined with the fare shortfalls has dug a $9.0 million hole in the coming 2010 budget.

What to do? Fare hikes and other potential changes are in the works, including the possible elimination of the lifetime pass, the free ride RT offers to residents who are age 75 and older.

First the handicapped and now the elderly. Children next?

Actually, RT hasn't given up its efforts to balance the budget on the backs of the handicapped. Staff are suggesting that the monthly Paratransit pass either be eliminated or the cost significantly hiked. Staff point out that the Paratransit monthly pass is not required by federal ADA regulations. And in the 18 years that the Paratransit monthly pass has been offered, there has been just one price increase – from $80 to $100 in 2003. During the same period, the single Paratransit fare has risen from $1 to $4.50. It's no wonder sales of monthly Paratransit passes have quadrupled since 2003.

I admit it's a cheap shot to suggest RT is picking on the handicapped and the elderly. None of RT's riders will be spared as staff look for ways to fill the budget hole. Well, that's not completely true either. Staff haven't tried to resurrect the twice-rejected parking fee proposal. But everyone else will have to contribute if RT is going to balance its budget.

Staff are proposing single fares increase from $2.25 to $2.50 and the discount fare from $1.10 to $1.25. The daily pass would go to $6.50. Only the monthly pass would remain unchanged. RT wants to encourage riders who stopped buying the monthly pass after this year's price increase to start buying the monthly passes again.

But even those fare increases won't be enough to cover the 2010 shortfall. RT estimates $7.2 million in service reductions and other cost-containment options – a continuing hiring freeze and no wage or benefit cost increases in pending union contracts – will still be necessary.

The service cuts proposal deserves a separate discussion. Staff are proposing some interesting choices for the board.

Here's the staff budget report to the board

Disability Capitol Action Day reflects on Olmstead case 10 years later

2009-05-28T06:58:04Z

"We're here to fight! Day and night! For our basic human rights!"

That was just one of the chants shouted by both the disabled and their caretakers and supporters on their march from the U.S. Bank Building to the Capitol for today's sixth annual Disability Capitol Action Day.

Coordinated by the Disability Action Coalition, the gathering of more than 2,000 people was held on the 10th anniversary of the Olmstead Court Decision, a landmark case involving plaintiffs Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson that set a precedent of helping the disabled to live in community settings as opposed to confined in homes and institutions.

Despite being highly functioning and capable of living in a community, both women were kept in institutional settings. In 1997, the court deemed this a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Judge Marvin H. Shoob suggested the women were being unfairly segregated. The state appealed the decision but lost, and in 2000, the case came to a close in favor of the plaintiffs.

This year's Action Day theme was "Where is California 10 years after the Olmstead Decision?" and speakers and legislators as well as Lois Curtis, a plaintiff in the Olmstead case, took the stage to let the crowd know that California has plenty of room for improvement in its programs for the disabled as well as funding and accessing those programs.

Serving as a message of empowerment as well as a backdrop to the stage was a flag made up of more than 700 handmade "story sticks" with feathers and pictures of individuals who have contributed to a nationwide tour of creating a video archive of stories of both struggles and accomplishments of the disabled.

The state's recent budget woes have led to cuts of essential programs such as in-home support services, supplemental security income, and Medi-Cal that are necessary for the disabled to be able to live and thrive independently. February's budget led to two cuts to SSI/SSP grants, which help to support more than 1.1 million low-income seniors and people with disabilities. By July 1, when the second cut is scheduled to take place recipients will only be receiving a maximum of $850 per month.

Signs posted around the grounds reading "Can you live on $850 a month?" conveyed the sense of frustration felt by many relying on the funding. During intermissions between speakers, attendees danced together on stage and chanted messages of hope and a shared understanding for one another.

Reflecting on her frustration after struggling to find assistance for her son more than 15 years ago after his ADHD and bipolar diagnoses, Misunderstood Einsteins founder and Action Day attendee, Cheryl Maxson, said, "It's gotten a little better, but not much."

She started the company after searching through the Yellow Pages and only coming up with two organizations that could help her son. She recalls being sent in circles in a territory that was new and unknown to her. She said she was given many "politically polite" reasons as to why agencies couldn't help her and wasn't sure where she could turn. Maxson's mission is to fill in the holes in the system and to provide assistance to all.

"If I have to turn someone away, I turn them to someone," Maxson said.

Misunderstood Einsteins is just one organization that showed up to provide information and education at the event. Programs like AT Network, which provides technology to assist people with disabilities, and the California Association of Family Empowerment Centers provided resources to attendees as well.

Reminder: VOTE!

2009-05-19T02:57:17Z

Tuesday, May 19th, polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. for a statewide special election for six budget-related propositions. For those Sacramento Press readers who already registered, the following is a resource guide to make sure your vote gets counted:

Statewide, the Official Voter Information Guide is a great place to read a summary of the issues 1A-1F in a number of different languages, and it includes the following forward from Debra Bowen, Secretary of State:

Dear Fellow Voter:

By registering to vote, you have taken the first step in playing an active role in deciding California’s future. Now, to help you make your decisions, my office has created this Official Voter Information Guide that contains impartial analyses of the law and potential costs to taxpayers prepared by Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, arguments in favor and against all ballot measures prepared by proponents and opponents, text of the proposed laws proofed by Legislative Counsel Diane F. Boyer-Vine, and other useful information. The printing of the guide was done under the supervision of State Printer Geoff Brandt.

Voting is easy, and any registered voter can vote by mail or at a polling place. The last day to request a vote–by–mail ballot is May 12.

There are more ways to participate in the electoral process. You can:

Be a poll worker on Election Day, helping to make voting easier for all eligible voters and protecting ballots until they are counted by elections officials;

Spread the word about voter registration deadlines and voting rights through emails, phone calls, brochures, and posters; and

Help educate other voters about the issues by organizing discussion groups or participating in debates with friends, family, and community leaders.

For more information about how and where to vote, as well as other ways you can participate in the electoral process, call (800) 345-VOTE or visit www.sos.ca.gov.

It is a wonderful privilege in a democracy to have a choice and the right to voice your opinion. Whether you cast your ballot at a polling place or by mail, I encourage you to take the time to carefully read about your voting rights and each ballot measure in this information guide.

Thank you for taking your civic responsibility seriously and making your voice heard!

See if you are registered in Sacramento.

Find your local polling place.

You can track the election night results for Sacramento County.

You can also track the precincts in Sacramento.

Don't Put the River in a Cage

2009-05-18T03:50:53Z

Once again the warm weather has snuck up on us. Soon we’ll be experiencing those magnificent Sacramento nights. Many of us like to take an evening stroll along the levee after dinner with our spouse or partner. Some of us enjoy walking with our children and teaching about the various constellations.

Well that may be all in the past, if the River Park Neighborhood Association is allowed to push their proposal to build a steel, tubular fence along the top of the levee with an “exit only” turnstile.

At the neighborhood association meeting (4/18) the problems were laid out – groups of teens drinking, and carrying on at Paradise Beach, using foul language, driving out of the parking lot recklessly and sometime intoxicated and yes even a reported rape in the public bathrooms – right here in River Park.

Although summer weekends can draw a crowd, River Park still remains one of the most crime-free neighborhoods in Sacramento. Crime statistics do not support the assertion that we are plagued with a huge problem. While there are some appropriate measures that can be taken to minimize infractions, the fence proposal is not the answer. It is an extreme, ineffective, over-reaction.

Most of the problems mentioned occur in the day. The fence is designed to keep people from entering after sunset (all of us, no matter how peaceful our romantic walk may be). As for the reckless or drunk driving and the rape, the proposed fence would have no effect because these all occur outside of the barricaded area.

Aside from being a useless eye sore along our beautiful levee, the fence proposal uses up much needed resources that could be used for more productive solutions, such as: random police patrols, perhaps a life guard to keep order at the beach (and maybe save a life in the process), perhaps an attendant at the parking lot to stop the people from bringing alcohol down to the river.

We have laws against alcohol at the beach, rowdy behavior and of course, drunk driving. We need to enforce those ordinances instead of caging in our beloved natural river like it’s part of some artificial zoo exhibit. The fence proposal punishes us all for the sins of a few – and I mean a few. It’s easy to spot the troublemakers. The majority of the young people are just trying to enjoy the beauty of the river.

We criticize our youth for living behind their computer screens. We tell them to get out and get some fresh air. Now, we’re telling them to go somewhere else. The problem is - there is nowhere else. The river is one of the few natural spaces left. Don’t take that away.

River Park doesn’t own the river and we should not be able to block access any more than a neighborhood at one of the ends of the Golden Gate Bridge should be able to control access to the bridge.

The American River is a treasured resource for all of Sacramento and the Paradise Beach area is arguably the finest expanse of the entire river parkway. A decision to block that access is a decision that effects all of Sacramento. All neighborhoods should be given a chance to make their voices heard, not just the River Park neighborhood. Remember, it’s easier to stop the fence before it’s built than to tear it down after the fact. Stop the fence proposal!

City's development department consolidated, renamed

2009-05-02T20:45:28Z

The city’s Development Services Department has a new name. It’s now known as the Community Development Department (CDD).

City records manager and acting spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson explained that the new department brings together long-range planning staff and development services staff. The administrative change is an efficiency, she said.

The city’s 2009/2010 proposed budget includes a plan to move Planning Department employees. Under the plan, the Planning Department would move 26 full-time positions and $2.4 million to the new CDD “as part of the consolidation of planning services,” the budget states. Of the 26 positions, one is not funded and the remaining 25 are funded.

The new CDD includes the following services: planning, administration, customer service, building, infill and new growth.

Sacramento's City Council will address the proposed budget at its May 19 meeting.

Read more of Sacramento Press' budget coverage here.

Budget to close in on mental health

2009-04-08T00:49:25Z

Nearly 100 people stood outside the County Administration Center at 700 H Street on Tuesday at noon, while the County Board of Supervisors Meeting had its lunch break. Consisting of mental health patients, mental health clinicians, and their supporters, the gatherers protested proposed mental health budget cuts being discussed in the meeting.

"We have 2,400 clients, and by June 31, we have to cut our number of clients to 1,000; it's kind of hard to let go of all of those mental health patients," said Marilyn Washington, a member of the regional support team for Turning Point Community Programs, a mental health agency.

"It's going to cost the city more money, since we are the ones who help [the patients figure out their] SSI, medicare, and everything else, but the biggest issue is people ending up without mental health services," she added.

"Because of the impact on people receiving services, the county will lose more money since it will cost more for hospitals, law enforcement, and ER — some patients may even risk dying," added Amedu Kyubwa, a case manager for Turning Point. In addition to being a case manager, Kyubwa helped start a petition against cutting funds for mental health services which has gathered a total of 1200 signatures - 500 online, 700 by hand.

Kyubwa, who helped create the website savementalhealthservices.org, said that there was a good turnout at the rally by people who were in mental health services.

There was also a big turnout of mental health patients, like Lilian, who did not give her last name. "They cut services to people who need it most, like the mentally ill, disabled, and homeless, because they are not a large enough group," said Lilian, who lives in Cardosa Village, an apartment complex which provides transitional housing for the homeless who are diagnosed with a mental illness.

By 1 p.m. the crowd had thinned to several dozen people, and the crowd dispersed completely at 1:30, half an hour before the scheduled end of the rally, due to rain.

What's one percent?

2009-03-31T18:47:41Z

When you go to purchase something on April 1, 2009 and see that the sales tax has gone up by one percent, don't expect to hear "April Fools!" come out of the cashier's mouth.

Beginning on the first day of April, as part of the state's budget, sales tax will increase by one percent throughout California.

Sacramento County will now have a sales tax of 8.75 percent; Placer County and El Dorado County 8.25 percent; with the city of Placerville at 8.5 percent. San Francisco will have a 9.5 percent sales tax; Stockton will be at 9 percent. Davis, West Sacramento and Woodland will be at 8.75 percent as well, despite Yolo County being at 8.25 percent due to voter approved increases.

According to the Board of Equalization's website, the sales tax increase will be in effect until July 1, 2011, or July 1, 2012, depending on the result of the vote in May for the Budget Stabilization constitutional amendment.

May 11, 2009 will see another increase in postage. The first class rate for stamps will increase two cents from $0.42 to $0.44.

For more information on sales tax increases, visit the Board of Equalization's website.

NAST caught in state budget process, but wins mitigation for Highway 50 expansion

2009-03-04T01:20:11Z

As everyone who reads the news or watches TV knows, California’s budget process has been a disaster. This is not too surprising considering the state of the economy, the fact that it takes a two-thirds majority to pass the budget, and the inability of the Democrats and Republicans to work together on anything. But what was surprising was that a recent transportation lawsuit won by Sacramento neighborhood and environmental groups was unexpectedly caught up in the middle of it.

In June of 2007, Neighbors Advocating Sustainable Transportation (a coalition of Sacramento neighborhood and community groups, and the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS)) filed a lawsuit over Caltrans’ inadequate Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for widening Highway 50.

Caltrans plans to add an additional lane to Highway 50 in both directions between Sunrise and Watt Avenue; the lanes would become high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes) also known as carpool lanes. In July 2008, Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley agreed that Caltrans had not complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and ordered Caltrans to complete a new EIR.

One of his requirements was that the new EIR include an alternative that could reduce traffic congestion on the Highway 50 Corridor without adding lanes to Highway 50. In other words, a mass transit alternative. In addition, the judge ordered Caltrans to analyze the greenhouse gas emissions that would result from more cars using the widened freeway.

NAST and ECOS were starting to look into such a transit alternative when Governor Schwarzenegger announced that he planned to exempt Highway 50 and ten other highway projects from CEQA. His reason: without CEQA, all 11 projects could begin construction immediately and thus qualify for federal stimulus money. The unsavory catch for legislators and the public: the Governor was asking the legislature to use its powers to overrule the court's decision on the Highway 50 CEQA lawsuit, a very worrisome precedent.

Budget negotiations dragged on. There was a lot of lobbying about CEQA: Democrats wanted no changes to CEQA; Republicans wanted to get rid of it completely, not just exempt 11 projects. State and national environmental organizations weighed in. As the state’s economy continued to worsen, Democrats were under increasing pressure to compromise in order to get a budget passed.

Finally NAST and ECOS were asked if they were willing to negotiate with Caltrans for projects that Caltrans could do to address the problems found by the judge and mitigate the negative impacts of widening the freeway.

After much soul searching, NAST and ECOS agreed. They did so for two reasons: First, it was quite possible that the legislature would simply override their lawsuit and they would be left with nothing. Second, winning an EIR lawsuit doesn’t stop a project, it just means that a new EIR must be done. Hopefully, the new EIR will result in an improved project that fully addresses negative impacts. But, no matter how compelling the new EIR’s findings, the agency in charge of the project, in this case Caltrans, can still ignore them, claim “overriding considerations," and build the project without addressing the public’s concerns.

The NAST/ECOS negotiations were attended by representatives from Regional Transit (RT), Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), the legislature, and state environmental organizations, all of whom had an interest in the outcome for their own reasons. In the end, NAST/ECOS agreed to ask Judge Frawley to vacate his ruling (which he subsequently did) in exchange for major project mitigations that CalTrans would not otherwise have provided: 1) Three years ($3.6 million) of RT’s operating costs for double tracking light rail from downtown to Folsom (this money will leverage construction funds and mean that the double tracking can occur sooner than would have otherwise been possible); 2) $3.9 million in signal improvements that will increase frequency of service from Hazel to downtown and allow for additional peak period express trains from Folsom to downtown and 3) find $820,000 for construction of a bicycle pedestrian crossing over Highway 50 near Mather Field Road to provide better access to the Mather Field light rail station.

Budget negotiations are now over. California has a new state budget. Unfortunately, it is one that leaves much to be desired in terms of neighborhoods, the environment and transportation.

RT’s Folsom line is better off because of NAST/ECOS’ lawsuit and negotiations. But 11 major highway projects, all with the potential to increase green house gas emissions and increase the number of cars on our roadways, will soon be under construction.

The new state budget eliminated all state money for public mass transit. The Highway 50 HOV project will cost $145 million, money that could have been used to give Sacramentans real alternatives to their cars. Hundreds of millions will be spent on the ten other, now CEQA exempt, highway projects.

The Highway 50 project goes as far Watt Avenue. SACOG and Caltrans still want to bring the widening downtown and also add HOV lanes to I-5 and I-80. And Sacramentans who want to use transit are still left with very few alternatives. NAST and ECOS aren’t going away and neither is the fact that Judge Frawley’s ruling was the first time that a judge said that a freeway project EIR needs to look at greenhouse gases and transit alternatives for relieving highway congestion.

The bottom line for NAST is that no additional money should be spent on expanding streets and highways until our region has built a transit, bicycle and pedestrian transportation system that provides people with real alternatives to cars. Such a system would reduce traffic congestion on our existing highway system so that, when you need to use a car, you still can. For more information about NAST and to get involved, go to www.nastsacramento.blogspot.org.

Rep. Doris Matsui On Mayor Johnson’s Volunteer Initiative

2009-03-02T20:07:54Z

The following is a news release from the office of Congresswoman Doris Matsui:

Calls for Renewed Commitment to Service in Wake of Recession

Sacramento - Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-05) renewed her call today for Americans to participate in community service in the wake of challenging economic times. As a Co-Chair of the National Service Caucus, Rep. Matsui has been an advocate and leader on national service issues. Congresswoman Matsui has continued to promote service locally, participating in numerous events with service members who build homes, tutor children, clean parks and assist first responders during fires and other natural disasters.

Congresswoman Matsui also introduced House Resolution 43 earlier this year, which recognizes the efforts of those who serve their communities on Martin Luther King Day and promotes the holiday as a day of national service. As the Honorary Chair of Volunteer Sacramento, Rep. Matsui released the following letter today in support of the Mayor Kevin Johnson’s initiative:

Dear Friends,

As your representative in Congress and as Co-Chair of the Congressional National Service Caucus it is an honor to support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s efforts to increase volunteerism in our city.

From our nation’s beginning, Americans have always valued service and giving back to the communities that we are from. Sacramento is no different, as the spirit of volunteerism has always defined our city. We are privileged to be home to AmeriCorps*NCCC’s western headquarters, hundreds of community based non-profits and countless individuals that are committed to improving the lives of others. I am confident that this new initiative, which is designed to further enhance that spirit of volunteerism, will enjoy your support.

I look forward to working with you to help this initiative be a resounding success, a success that our city can be proud of.

Best regards,

DORIS O. MATSUI

Governor Celebrates Lincoln's 200th Birthday

2009-02-14T00:30:53Z

February 12th marked the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States. Governor Schwarzenegger and Mayor Kevin Johnson were the featured speakers at The California Museum's celebration event.

An Abraham Lincoln impersonator led the educational program, giving a chronological history of his personal life and political career to an audience of elementary school children and students from Sacramento High. He finished the segment with a question and answer period.

Governor Schwarzenegger then took the podium to a round of applause with Mayor Johnson standing by his side. After complementing the Mayor's tie, he saluted Lincoln, stating, "President Lincoln is an inspiration for me and so many people like me who have made the American dream a reality. He was a dreamer and a leader with fierce determination. And, two hundred years later he lives on through his message of equality for all and his preservation of our nation's unity under the greatest of pressure."

The Governor proudly announced that The California Museum will be hosting an exhibit titled, "With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition." The exhibit opened yesterday at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. and will make its only west coast stop in Sacramento from June 24 through Aug. 22.

It will display items such as the bible he and President Obama used during their inaugurations, the chair from his private study, and the contents of his pockets the night he was assassinated.

Mayor Johnson followed the Governor and reiterated the importance of Lincoln's legacy, as well as the upcoming museum exhibit. He praised the nation as a whole, stating, "This is a great time for our country. We have an African American president, an African American mayor, and we have a governor who was not born on our soil."

After the Mayor's speech, Honest Abe took the stage again to recite a portion of the Gettysburg Address to a standing audience.

Following the celebration, Gov. Schwarzenegger fielded questions from the press concerning the state's budget situation.

When asked about cuts in education, he responded, "We will cut as little as possible," insinuating that there will be at least some cuts. He also explained that he has received threats of a recall if some aspects (he did not specify) are not adjusted, but that the legislature is close to approving the final draft.

Hundreds of construction workers protest budget impasse

2009-02-10T20:58:35Z

Several hundred hardhats gathered at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds this morning to protest the budget deadlock that has thrown hundreds of labor brothers out of work.

In fact, said Jarad Donabedin, a member of Laborers Local 185, “Everyone here is out of work. This is real life.”

Called by the California Alliance for Jobs, speakers from operating engineers, carpenters and laborers locals spoke in a highly-charged atmosphere to repeated cheers from those gathered.

The most common chant was “What do we want?” “A budget!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” chanted as the protesters circled around the area, holding picket signs reading “LEGISLATORS DO YOUR JOB SO WE DON’T LOSE OURS!”

Carl Goff, the vice president of the Operating Engineers Local 3, noted that “CalTrans has announced they’re shutting down 140 road projects in the state of California,” and one speaker later added that work on the Lincoln Bypass project was stopping.

Goff also noted that construction workers and engineers were suffering a double whammy in this dire economy, saying that his local had an 18 percent unemployment rate, more than double the statewide average. The drop off in jobs from the slowing of new housing construction had made things bad, but the evaporation of infrastructure jobs due to the tied-up budget made the financial hurt much worse.

Jim Earp, executive director of the California Alliance for Jobs confirmed that, saying, “Our industry is already on the rocks - the only game in town now is public works projects.”

The biggest construction projects in Sacramento’s central city the new Bank of the West office tower at 5th and N Street, and the new central plant for heating and cooling many of the state buildings downtown. The latter was still under construction as of yesterday, but workers there are unsure how long the project, due to finish in May, will continue. And Donabedin said that many at the Bank of the West project have been let go.

Donabedin also said that CalTrans work on the Sheldon Road bypass in Elk Grove had stopped for lack of funds, and that he and his friends were feeling the pain.

“My wife has a state job, and she’s been furloughed,” he said. “But at least she still has a job, and benefits. I don’t, and I have 30 friends in construction who are sitting home with no work. It’s bad.”

Donabedin also noted that he had looked on craigslist at job listings for construction, and while few were listed for Sacramento, Tennessee had lots of jobs listed, he said, “And you can buy a house there for $130,000. People are going to start leaving Sacramento if this continues.”

“Just last month, we had 800 people out of work,” he added. “People have to support their families. This is bad times.”

A member of Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg's office distributed a statement saying in part, "We are on your side and we will not let another week go by without action from the legislature. I am committed to bringing a vote to the floor this week."

Meanwhile, Governor Schwarzenegger's office announced just before 1 this afternoon that he would have to lay off more than 20,000 state workers this Friday if the legislature failed to reach an agreement on the budget.

Furlough Friday in Sacramento

2009-02-06T21:37:30Z

From under a tent erected to protect them from the rain, three state workers addressed the media as nearly 30 Service Employees Union International (SEUI) members stood behind to show solidarity, and answer questions.

A few dozen state workers gathered on the steps in front of the Department of Social Services in downtown Sacramento on the first-ever "Furlough Friday."

State worker Rod Gonzalez, a Geographical Information Systems Analyst for the Department of Fish and Game said, "the Governor wants to save $1.3 billion, but [furlough days] will have a negative impact on the economy, costing nearly $3 billion to the state. It's like taking one step forward and two steps back."

One of the keynote speakers, Bridget Jacobo, a Department of Social Services Disability Evaluation Analyst, noted, "I work for a federally-funded program, and the furlough is wreaking havoc on my department because we are forced to take the day off."

DMV worker Roland Becht, who also addressed the public audience, added that "there's no cost saving for the state" in furloughing workers.

"250,000 licenses and registrations will not be processed today," said Becht. "You won't want to go to the DMV on Monday."

Besides, Becht added, "That's going to create a whole lot of overtime. There's another problem created that we didn't even have before."

Judge OKs governor's furlough plan

2009-01-29T19:07:19Z

In a ruling that will have immediate impact on the economy of Sacramento, Superior Court Judge Patrick Marlette ruled Thursday that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is within his legal rights to furlough state workers.

The governor issued an executive order in December proposing to reduce state workers' hours by two days per month. Workers unions immediately sued in response, and today's hearing was meant to resolve the issue.

"I cannot help but recognize the huge impact this will have on state workers," Judge Marlette said.

Judge Marlette also noted that it was not his job to rule on whether the furloughs were the right solution to the problem, but only that the governor had the legal authority.

Attorneys for state workers unions and State Controller John Chiang argued that the governor's order violated collective bargaining agreements, and said that they would seek further legal remedies.

But for now, the ruling means that state workers may lose nearly 10 percent of their monthly pay.

Judge Marlette's ruling will be posted on the Superior Court's website this afternoon.

David Watts Barton reported and wrote this article.

California's Budget Cap

2009-01-29T04:33:49Z

While riding through the downtown area today I spotted a group of people walking down the street heading toward the plaza. After following them around for a few minutes to investigate, I quickly realized that they were protesters.

This small group of 8 was heading for the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza in downtown Sacramento this morning, chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, budget caps have got to go.” I followed these protestors for a block or so, before they finally stopped in front of the conference room at Holiday Inn.

Apparently the legislature was having a meeting in this hotel working on ways to cap California’s budget. There I found out that the protestors were actually part of the SEIU of California. The SEIU says “Don’t lock out our future!”

The Governor and legislative leaders are continuing to deliberate on proposed solutions on our State’s $40 billion shortfall in the budget. The SEIU protestors that I spoke with this morning say that The Governators proposal is for more drastic budget cuts on top of $10 billion in reductions that have already been made to schools, health care, social services, as well as countless other vital programs this year. Adding a rigid budget cap will only force more cuts to education, health care, and other critical services year after year.

“California has been hit hardest by the economic meltdown. Unemployment is skyrocketing, food prices are up, and wages are down. More then ever, we need to protect the vital public safety net that keeps our kids our grandparents, people with disabilities and our communities safe.

”The Governor’s proposed cuts and spending cap unfairly target low and moderate income families, and set the stage for perpetual cuts to schools, health care, and public infrastructure that will damage our economy and quality of life for generations.” said Ben Mendoza

Community members discuss budget, possible school closure

2009-01-23T07:42:50Z

About 150 worried parents crowded into the Washington Elementary School auditorium Wednesday night to voice their concerns to the school board over the possible closure of their children's school.

The meeting was held by the Sacramento City Unified School District and was open to the community to discuss options for the usage of the school, as funds dry up and the State Legislature looks to make deep cuts into schools.

Superintendent Tom Barrenston and Assistant Superintendent Nancy Purcell addressed the crowd and explained that they were there to gather input and suggestions on not only facility use, but revenue generation.

The meeting started with the grandfather of a student asking about whether or not the school's budget crisis was Gov. Schwarzenegger's fault. He also suggested that the school district could not afford to pay for so many superintendents.

"The budget crisis is due to the fact that there is more unemployment and less taxes," Barrenston said.

Many parents and one of Washington's own teachers were concerned over rumors that 18 months ago a dance company toured the school with the intention of closing down the school. This was denied by Barrenston, who explained that although a dance company did tour the site, it was only to hold an after-school and summer program, which would bring in revenue.

Matt Mitchell, president of the River Park Neighborhood Association, stood up and explained that closing down a school like Washington elementary that was built in the 1950's would destroy community. Mitchell also said he had to worry about his own neighborhood school, Caleb Greenwood, being closed down.

The responses that were given all night mostly consisted of a "Thank you" for the concern and a redirection to the district's website for a better answer. Purcell had a list of vague possible short- and long-term lease/rent opportunities, such as colleges, government agencies and private sector. A parent quickly questioned this information, wondering how the university she attended could afford to rent out space from the district when its administrators, too, announced they had a budget crisis.

Before the meeting was over, unhappy parents started to slowly leave as Purcell reminded everyone that if they didn't get to ask their question, they could fill out a suggestion card.

Parent Vanessa Bautista was not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.

"It just seemed like the answers they gave me were very bureaucratic," Bautista said. "I just hope they don't close down the school after open enrollment ends. Then where will my daughter go?"

Bautista lives two blocks from Washington elementary. The school closing will not only affect how far she will have to travel to another school, but her 5-year-old daughter as well.

"She has already made friends here that live close by, and I would like her to build lasting friendships with [them]," Bautista said.

The school district's next meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 26 at Alice Birney Elementary, 6251 14th Street in Sacramento.

Meetings will continue until Feb. 11 and go from 6-8 p.m.

SEIU Protest

2009-01-16T02:31:43Z

Thursday, less than two hours after Governor Schwarzenegger finished his State of the State address, a few hundred members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 gathered to protest on the south steps of the State Capitol.

The SEIU, whose mission is to improve the lives of workers and their families, held seven simultaneous protests against budget cuts for state workers, including gatherings in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

For many California families, problems with our national economy compounds the problems within the state's budget.

Although the crowd was roughly half the size of the previous day's protest, today's chants were louder and led by several protesters using megaphones. The protesters nearly all wore the same purple t-shirt and held the same SEIU sign which read "Value Us".

Tensions seemed to be escalated because of the Governor's presence in the Capital Building, and a handful of police officers on bicycles circled the group.

Yvonne Walker, President of the SEIU Local 1000 was the first of three speakers to address the audience.

When asked when she lost faith in Governor Schwarzenegger, she said, "I lost faith when he stopped governing California, and started governing sound bytes." She made it clear that the SEIU would do whatever they could until the governor fixes the state of the California.

"We can eliminate contracts for private employees who do the same job as state workers do for twice the price" she said in her speech. Her statement "We, are not a strain on the state budget, we are value added," drew loud cheers from nearly everyone present.

Meanwhile, another protester, Tom Stroud, said that recent budget cuts had affected "continuing training for teachers, cut funds to buy new textbooks, and eliminated other education programs entirely."

Stroud, a teacher in the state prison system, explained that he lost faith in the governor in 2005 when Schwarzenegger backed propositions 75 and 76 aimed at cutting state workers' pensions.

Proposition 75 passed, effectively prohibiting union members such as teachers, nurses, and law enforcement officers from voicing opposition to budget cuts. He promises to attend more SEIU protests whenever he could.

As the speeches neared the end, organizers led the crowd into spirited chants such as "Furlough Arnold", "We need California Safe", and "Value Us".

As the crowd dispersed, many stopped by a table where a few organizers handed out sack lunches and soda, a reimbursement to members for spending their lunchtime to protest together.

SEIU came about in the year 1921 when a group of janitors and security officers joined smaller unions in the Chicago area. In addition to being the most diverse union consisting of 56 percent women, the SEIU also represents the largest group of immigrant workers, more than any other union. They are the largest healthcare union in the U.S. and the second largest public services and property services union.

Was anyone there? Did you feel that the crowd was different from Wednesday's protest? Are you a state worker, and how is the budget affecting you? How can we solve the budget?

Full text of the Governor's State of the State speech

2009-01-15T18:29:46Z

Lt. Governor Garamendi, Chief Justice George, President pro Tem Steinberg, Speaker Bass, Senate Republican Leader Cogdill, Assembly Republican Leader Villines, Members of the legislature, ladies and gentlemen, we meet in times of great hope for our nation.

Although we hear the drumbeat of news about bailouts, bankruptcies and Ponzi schemes, the nation with great anticipation is also awaiting the inauguration of a new president.

Our nation should be proud of what President-elect Obama's election says to the world about American openness and renewal.

President Reagan used to tell about the letter he got from a man who said that you can go to live in Turkey, but you can't become a Turk. You can go to live in Japan, but you cannot become Japanese. And he went through other countries.

"But," the man said, "anyone from any corner of the world can come to America and become an American."

And now, we know that any American child, no matter what corner of the world his father or mother comes from, can even become President of the United States.

What a wonderful national story for us. This nation rightfully feels the hope of change. Californians, of course, desire change here in their own state as well.

Yet they have doubts if that is possible.

For months, in the face of a crisis, we have been unable to reach agreement on the largest budget deficit in our history.

We are in our third special session and we've declared a fiscal emergency - and every day that goes by, makes the budget problem that much harder to solve.

As a result of all this, California, the eighth largest economy in the world, faces insolvency within weeks.

The legislature is currently in the midst of serious and good faith negotiations to resolve the crisis, negotiations that are being conducted in the knowledge we have no alternative but to find agreement.

The importance of the negotiation's success goes far beyond the economic and human impact.

People are asking if California is governable. They wonder about the need for a constitutional convention. They don't understand how we could have let political dysfunction paralyze our state for so long. In recent years, they have seen more gridlock in Sacramento than on our roads, if such a thing is possible.

I will not give the traditional State of the State address today, because the reality is that our state is incapacitated until we resolve the budget crisis.

The truth is that California is in a state of emergency.

Addressing this emergency is the first and greatest thing we must do for the people. The 42 billion dollar deficit is a rock upon our chest and we cannot breathe until we get it off. It doesn't make any sense to talk about education, infrastructure, water, health care reform and all these things when we have this huge budget deficit.

I will talk about my vision for all of these things... and more... as soon as we get the budget done.

So, no, I did not come today to deliver the normal list of accomplishments and proposals. I came to encourage this body to continue the hard work you are doing behind closed doors.

There is a context and a history to the negotiations that are underway. It is not that California is ungovernable. It's that for too long we have been split by ideology. Conan's sword could not have cleaved our political system in two as cleanly as our own political parties have done.

Over time, ours has become a system where rigid ideology has been rewarded and pragmatic compromise has been punished.

And where has this led? I think you would agree that in recent years California's legislature has been engaged in civil war.

Meanwhile, the needs of the people became secondary.

Our citizens do not believe that we in government are in touch with their needs. These needs are not unreasonable.

At the end of the day, most people do not require a great deal from their government. They expect the fundamentals.

They want to live in safety. They want a good education for their children. They want jobs. They want to breathe clean air. They want water when they turn on the faucet and electricity when they turn on the switch. And they want these things delivered efficiently and economically.

One of the reasonable expectations the public has of government is that it will produce a sound and balanced budget. That is what the legislative leaders are struggling to do right now.

There is no course left open to us but this: to work together, to sacrifice together, to think of the common good - not our individual good.

No one wants to take money from our gang-fighting programs or from Medi-Cal or from education. No one wants to pay more in taxes or fees.

But each of us has to give up something because our country is in an economic crisis and our state simply doesn't have the money.

In December, we even had to suspend funding that affects 2,000 infrastructure projects that were already underway.

So, now, the bulldozers are silent. The nail guns are still. The cement trucks are parked. This disruption has stopped work on levees, schools, roads, everything.

It has thrown thousands and thousands of people out of work at a time when our unemployment rate is rising.

How could we let something like that happen?

I know that everyone in this room wants to hear again the sound of construction; No one wants unemployment checks replacing paychecks.

So, I am encouraged that meaningful negotiations are underway. And, as difficult as the budget will be, good things can come out of it.

Because, in spite of the budget crisis, when we have worked together in the past, we have passed measures that moved this state - and even the nation - forward.

When a budget agreement is reached, when some of the raw emotions have passed, I will send to the legislature the package of legislative goals and proposals that a governor traditionally sends.

These proposals are sitting on my desk. Let me tell you, I have big plans. They include action on the economy, on water, environment, education, health care reform, government efficiency and reform, job creation.

But, our first order of business is to solve the budget crisis.

And I have an idea going forward.

As you know, in the last 20 years of budgeting, only four budgets have been on time.

So, if you don't mind, let me make a little suggestion.

We should make a commitment that legislators - and the governor, too - lose per diem expenses and our paychecks, for every day the budget goes past the constitutional deadline of June 15th.

You have to admit it is a brilliant idea.

I mean, if you call a taxi and the taxi doesn't come, you don't pay the driver. If the people's work is not getting done, the people's representatives should not get paid either. That is common sense in the real world.

And I will send you some other reforms, too.

Let me close by saying something about the fires of 2008.

At one point, I got a phone call that we had 875 wildfires burning all at the same time.

I said to myself, how do we deal with this?

The next morning I get a call, "Governor, there are now 2,014 fires burning all at the same time." The largest number on record.

Imagine, 2,000 fires, a huge challenge and every one of those fires was put out.

You know why? Because we have the best trained, the most selfless, the toughest firefighters in the nation.

Thirteen of whom lost their lives.

They gave their lives for this state. Think about that, they gave their lives for this state.

Ladies and gentlemen, the courageous examples of those firefighters should not be lost on us. In our own way, we, too, must show courage in serving the public.

Ladies and gentlemen, let this be a year of political courage. Let us be courageous for the people. Let us be courageous for the common good of California.

Let us resolve the budget crisis, so that we can get on with the people's work.

Thank you.

Sacramento City Schools Facing Major Budget Crisis

2009-01-13T02:02:08Z

SCUSD to Meet with Residents In Lincoln Village

Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), which includes the schools of Abe Lincoln, AM Winn, Einstein, and Rosemont, has been facing serious budget problems this year. The district has already cut over $20 million from this year's budget and may be looking at mid-year cuts of up to $30 million more. The district is even looking at closing some school sites in an extreme effort to cut costs.

A special community meeting is being held by SCUSD officials on Tuesday, January 13th, at AM Winn Elementary School located at 3351 Explorer Drive. This meeting is being held to inform the public about options the district is considering and to seek community input. The meeting is scheduled to last from 6 pm to 8 pm. Although the district has scheduled meetings at other schools in other parts of the district, this will be the only meeting in the Lincoln Village, Countryside or Rosemont areas.

Even if you do not have children currently enrolled in SCUSD schools, this is an important meeting to attend. The quality of local schools are an important factor in the value of nearby homes and in the ability of the next generation of young people to gain the skills they will need to be productive members of our communities.

This article brought to you by the Rancho Cordova Post

The Governor uses twitter to help pass the budget

2008-12-31T01:29:55Z

As my discussion about our marketing campaign continues I will also point out locals using the same tools and take a closer look at how and what they are achieving.

Read a neat piece on mashable.com below

http://mashable.com/2008/12/30/california-budget-crisis/

The Governor both use this tool to push out policy and breaking news about the administration. This tool was also used by President Elect Obama in his bid for the White House.

twitter.com/schwarzenegger