Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "budget cuts"

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.

Letter to Sac State: Cuts Punish Students Seeking Higher Education

2011-12-07T08:06:40Z

Disappointment and frustration were the only feelings that came to mind when registering for classes this year.

December 1, the first day I could begin enrolling, remained the chaotic race and hunt for available classes it has been every year.

As fourth-year students, we generally (and understandably) have high expectations that we can get into the classes we need to graduate.

In prior semesters, those classes seemed to fill up days before we ever had the chance to enroll.

This semester, we won’t even have the “opportunity” to be waitlisted for many of these classes – as they are not being offered this semester (and likely the next.)

I realize Sacramento State University is not the only one taking a financial hit.

Student sit-ins, Occupy protests, numerous letters and phone-calls later, it still seems students of higher education are at the forefront of these budget cuts.

While students continue to languish, the question one asks, “Who is there, with influence to affect real change, to stand up and defend our education?” Certainly not the CSU Board of Trustees.

Recently, Trustee Herbert Carter attempted to justify a $100,000 salary increase.

That increase alone could pay for 15 years of undergraduate college education at Sac State.

Decision making like this supports the notion that student education is not the true priority of our CSU administrators.

The lack of quality education in public colleges will certainly have a trickle-down effect.

When a prospective employer sees a student from a California State University, the stigma will likely be that the students are less capable and not prepared or provided with the same number of classes or same quality of resources as other students.

They will likely consider that the students have been instructed by overwhelmed part-time faculty in a department that has diminished greatly as a whole. All of this equates to a hindrance of our career prospects after college.

Slightly over 54 percent of the journalism classes offered in the Sac State University Catalog are being taught this semester.

Moreover, several of those classes are not even taught by faculty members; they are internships or “related work experience.”

I am not saying internships are not useful, I currently have one myself; but I am saying they provide the experience and not the academia.

My point is, a multitude of interesting and important information will be missed out on because Sacramento State continues to offer a major that it does not have the resources to fund.

I eagerly waited to register for 'Women in Media' and 'Writing for Broadcast News,' a class taught only in the spring, to find out that neither would be offered, along with another 13 other electives.

Over 200 journalism students will have just three full-time journalism professors at Sac State in the Spring 2012 semester.

Because there are few elective classes being offered by the journalism department, students are forced to scrounge for classes in other areas of Communications.

As electives are shaved off the curriculum, I cannot feel confident in the level of education I am receiving as a student at this university.

Registering for classes, I realized how unfair it was to continually ask low-income students to pay more for less.

Undoubtedly, it is unfair to sell students an education in a subject that the CSU system can no longer follow through on.

Barring scheduling overlaps, closed classes, long waitlists and classes simply not being offered, we are forced to maintain hope that those classes will be available next semester, or atleast before we graduate.

Disclosure: As a Sac State journalism student, I have a personal connection to this story. This letter is a condensed version of one sent to the Communications Director at Sac State, voicing the consequences of cuts to students of higher education.

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.

Education Coalition warns of Impact of further budget cuts

2011-10-19T19:48:20Z

Like schools around the state, Sacramento public schools continue to suffer from the impact of budget cuts and must get more funding to provide our students with the quality education they deserve, local Education Coalition stakeholders stressed in a news conference here today.

Speakers explained how California’s K-12 schools have been decimated by more than $18 billion in cuts in the last three years alone, and how this affects a generation of students. They discussed the new California Budget Project report ranking the state 46th in both per-pupil spending and the number of students per administrator (301), and worst in the U.S., in the number of students per teacher (20.5) and per school librarian (5,489).

The news conference was held at Washington Elementary School in Sacramento, which is struggling to maintain support services including school nurses and teachers’ aides in the face of budget cuts. Despite strong community partnerships in place, the entire staff at the school has agreed to minimize school supplies to fund basic educational programs.

“This school remains a great place for kids to learn and prepare for the future because the teachers, staff, parents and community partners work hard to provide students with the best educational experience we can. But maintaining our commitment to our students has become more and more difficult because every year we are faced with more and more budget cuts due to the state's underfunding of education,” said Principal Marilyn Garcia Collins.

Although Washington Elementary School is bolstered by a strong PTA and several community partnerships, students there are feeling the impact of budget cuts, like so many students across the state. Funding is only available for the school nurse to visit one day a week, while Collins takes on some of the work that would have been done by teachers’ aides or resource teachers. She worries that class sizes will further increase next year and that other vital staff will be cut, further impacting students.

“Our students cannot be the canary in the coal mine when it comes to the future of this state,” said Scott Smith, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association. “Educators in Sacramento and throughout California are struggling to do more with less. Lawmakers must commit to reversing this downward spiral and find the ongoing, stable revenues needed to invest in our schools and provide our students a quality public education,” Smith said.

“As PTA members, we see firsthand the effects of budget cuts. And we are stepping up as never before to help in our children’s schools,” Lily Williams, president of the Sacramento Council of PTAS said. “We are also stepping up to make sure our elected leaders understand that we must make an investment in all our children. If we don’t, we will shortchange an entire generation and jeopardize California’s chances for a prosperous future.”

Priscilla Cox, CSBA Region 6 Director and Elk Grove Unified School District board member said, "The cuts we've been forced to make in recent years to school programs and services have been painful and devastating. It's very difficult to continue providing the high-quality education our students need today and on which our future depends. The state must stop shortchanging the future and provide sufficient revenues to support our students and ensure their success in school and in life."

"By perpetually underfunding public education, the state is putting California's future at risk,” said Jonathan P. Raymond, superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District. “The 6.3 million children who rely on public schools to ready them for careers and college deserve much better than this. Without strong, well-supported schools, California will not continue to shine as the Golden State."

Disclosure: Dina Martin is a communications consultant with the California Teachers Association, a member of the Education Coalition.

Education Coalition Addresses Impact of School Cuts in Sacramento on Wednesday

2011-10-18T21:53:55Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 18, 2011

Contact: Dina Martin, CTA
650-552-5491
415-710-6794 (cell)
dmartin@cta.org

Sacramento Teachers, Parents, School Leaders
to Highlight Continuing Impact of Budget Cuts on Education Wednesday, 10 a.m. at Washington School

SACRAMENTO – Along with the enthusiasm and promise of a new school year, California continues to faces serious challenges to delivering a quality public education after year upon year of budget cuts to our schools – and it is true for schools in Sacramento as well.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, teachers, school and district officials and parents from the Sacramento area will call attention to the impact of these cuts and the need to prevent the further erosion of funding to education.

Educators will explain how schools have been decimated by more than $18 billion in cuts in the last three years alone, and how this affects a generation of students.

WHAT: California Education Coalition news conference calling attention to the ongoing impact of budget cuts on our schools. Tour of a classroom will follow.

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Washington School, 520 18th St., Sacramento, CA 95811.

SPEAKERS: Marilyn Garcia Collins, principal, Washington Elementary School;
Jonathan P. Raymond, superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District;
Scott Smith, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association;
Lily Williams, 2011-12 president, Sacramento Council of PTAs;
Priscilla Cox, CSBA Region 6 Director and Elk Grove USD board member.

Disclosure: The Education Coalition represents more than 2.5 million parents, teachers, school board members, school employees and administrators. Dina Martin is employed by the California Teachers Association.

Sacramento Public Library asks participation in community survey

2011-08-02T01:51:25Z

In light of the most recent cuts to its operating budget, the Sacramento Public Library system is conducting an online community feedback survey to receive input on what programs and services the community values most.

The goal is to make the “best possible decision we can with the least amount of impact,” said Denise Davis, deputy library director of the Sacramento Public Library.

The Sacramento Public Library system held three community forums in mid-July to address the 10 percent cut in its general fund, which came out to about $800,000.

Sixty-five people in total attended the three meetings, most attending the McKinley Library forum. In order to receive the input from those who weren’t able to attend, an eight-question survey is now available on the library’s website.

Shortly before the community forums began, library staff also learned about an additional $600,000 in cuts to be made from the county level, bringing the total reduction in the library operating fund to $1.4 million, which could mean a loss in branches, programs and staff.

With the addition of three new libraries to the system from August 2009 to August 2010, the system is “currently operating using the ‘reserve’ fund,” meaning you are spending more then you receive each year, said Rivkah Sass, director of the Sacramento Public Library.

Both directors agreed that the community forums gave much input to work with, and they will consider all input for their proposal to the Sacramento Library Authority in September.

“We want to try to make the best decisions we can, and we hope the community is aware of the challenges we have,” Sass said.

The survey asks the community which branches may be used the most, which days of the week and hours of the day are the most important to members and which programs and services have the highest value to the community. The survey also asks about the possibility of voluntary fees for some services to remain.

The community feedback survey will remain open through Aug. 15. Any changes will take effect late in September or early October. The survey can be taken here.

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.

Local libraries to face budget cuts

2011-06-01T05:27:58Z

The Sacramento City Council is likely to make major cuts to local library services, according to a preliminary vote by council members Tuesday night.

Seven of the nine City Council members voted that they intend to cut the Sacramento Public Library Authority by nearly $800,000 when they approve the city’s budget in June. The authority runs 28 libraries in Sacramento County and its proposed budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year is $35.7 million.

Councilwomen Sandy Sheedy and Angelique Ashby voted against the plan to make $792,121 in cuts to libraries next month.

The City Council is expected to make widespread cuts to services to resolve a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. Tuesday’s budget hearing addressed the city’s funding for its partner agencies, including the library and the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Sacramento Public Library Authority has several government agencies on its board, including officials from the city, the county and other cities in the county.

“You’ve been cut past the bone,” Sheedy told Sacramento Public Library Director Rivkah Sass at the City Council meeting. “I think we’re in the marrow.”

The council made its decision after library supporters made public comments arguing against the cuts.

“It’s really the young people that really need us in the neighborhood,” Pauline Grenbeaux, president of Arden-Dimick Friends of the Library, told the City Council.

Allison Yamamoto, a sophomore at C.K. McClatchy High School, told council members that a library staffer sent her information on how to apply for a summer program focused on international leadership. Yamamoto said she applied and then received a scholarship to attend the program.

“Without the library, I would have never even had this opportunity,” Yamamoto said.

Meanwhile, city budget cuts planned for the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau would shut down a visitor center in Old Sacramento and dissolve the Sacramento Film Commission.

However, no one spoke at the City Council meeting about cuts proposed for the bureau.

Read the city staff report about the proposed library cuts here.

The Library Authority’s proposed budget is here.

Read the city’s schedule for budget hearings here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Firefighters protest proposed budget cuts

2011-05-25T03:49:35Z

About 150 firefighters and their families protested the city’s budget proposal Tuesday night to cut $9.1 million from the Sacramento Fire Department. As part of press conference held to protest the cuts, the fire department staffers stood in a large group outside City Hall to show their opposition.

The city is facing a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The idea to make cuts to the Fire Department is included in the budget plan proposed by Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka. Final decisions on the budget will be made by the Sacramento City Council next month.

A group called Protect Sacramento, led by Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 and the Sacramento Police Officers Association, held a press conference Tuesday evening to protest the proposed cuts. The press conference was held shortly before the start of a City Council budget hearing on the Fire Department.

The proposed cuts “will put neighborhoods at risk, lengthen response times, and stand in the way of our ability to deal with real life-and-death emergencies,” said Jaymes Butler, vice president of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522.

The proposed budget cuts to the department could increase the number of alternating closures of fire equipment and staffers. The number of these proposed closures was unclear at press time because the City Council on Tuesday night may approve a $5.6 million federal grant for the department. The grant may lessen the Fire Department cuts. The money comes from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The Sacramento Press will provide an overview of the Fire Department budget hearing Wednesday morning.

Read the budget schedule here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

SMAC supporters band together against budget cuts

2011-05-19T05:20:23Z

Around 20 supporters of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission attended the City Council budget hearing Tuesday afternoon wearing buttons emblazoned with the SMAC slogan: “Arts Open Daily” in response to a proposal to cut arts funding.

Barbara Bonebrake, director of the Sacramento Convention, Culture and Leisure Department, presented a proposal to reduce the city’s general fund contribution to SMAC by $152,855 for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

As a result of these cuts, funding for SMAC’s Cultural Arts Awards, a program that provides grants ranging from $1,000-$25,000 to nonprofit arts organizations, would be reduced by $64,000.

During the public comment section of the Convention, Culture and Leisure presentation, seven of SMAC’s supporters took the podium to address the council about SMAC’s impact on the health of the city.

Jan Geiger, chairwoman of Friends of the Arts Commission, the non-profit arm of the Sacramento Arts Commission responsible for increasing arts funding and arts advocacy, was the first to address the council. Geiger argued that a city’s arts are what make it viable as a long-term place to settle.

“The arts as we know them make the difference between a place you’d like to invest in versus a place you’re in temporarily until you move on,” she said.

SMAC Chairwoman Carlin Naify urged the council not to approve the proposed cuts. Naify indicated that in the past year, SMAC has leveraged its allotted funds to help over 200 arts organizations and artists.

Citing the “intrinsic value” of art, Naify argued that SMAC should have the same funding priority as transportation, safety and libraries.

Marie Acosta, director of cultural art center La Raza Galeria Posada, reiterated Naify’s point that SMAC beneficiaries, such as La Raza Galeria Posada, are fiscally efficient organizations, leveraging funds to make the most impact in the community. Acosta said that the stable, ongoing funds from SMAC are what keep the arts going long-term.

Roberta McClellan, executive director of the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, told the council that SMAC funding has been instrumental in financially stabilizing the orchestra and supporting community events like its Instrument Petting Zoo and Free Family Concert Series.

Barbara Kado, chairwoman of the SMAC-supported Japanese Film Festival, explained the stringent process that potential SMAC grant recipients must go through before securing any funds. SMAC makes absolutely sure that the funds it allots are going to organizations that “address community needs,” she said.

Sonny Alforque of the Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association echoed Kado’s point about fiscal responsibility, saying the Filipino Arts Association is frugal and resourceful when it comes to meeting its operational budget, and in an effort to stay afloat despite budget cuts, makes sure not to rely entirely upon SMAC funding.

“All funding sources are significant because our budget is so small,” he said.

After the public’s address, Councilwoman Angelique Ashby explained to SMAC supporters that, as an art lover herself, she is sympathetic to their cause, but with a budget as tight as Sacramento’s, everyone is suffering cuts.

“It’s not a matter of arts versus no arts,” she said. “It’s a matter of arts versus everything else.”

After the conference, Muriel Johnson, former director of the California Arts Council and SMAC supporter said, “I know (City Council members) are in a tough position – they don’t want to make these cuts. But we’re going to fight hard to keep Sacramento a vibrant and wonderful place to live.”

The council voted unanimously to adopt an intent motion to approve the budget cuts, but Cohn alluded to an arts stabilization fund worth $700,000, some of which may be directed to cover cuts to SMAC.

At last year’s budget hearing, the Arts Stabilization Fund was able to restore $150,000 to SMAC’s reduced budget.

Councilman and the day’s stand-in mayor Steve Cohn suggested that the missing three members of the council (Mayor Kevin Johnson, Councilman Robert Fong and Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell) would be interested in the issue of SMAC budget cuts and that a final decision will be made at the next budget hearing, when the full council will be present.

City Council aims to lessen police budget cuts

2011-05-18T15:46:54Z

The Sacramento City Council members made it clear Tuesday night that they do not want to make the $12 million in cuts to the Police Department recommended in the proposed budget. But it’s unclear at this point how the council will lessen the cuts to the department.

A crowd of police staffers and supporters, which swelled to about 400 at its high point early Tuesday evening, turned out for the City Council’s budget hearing.

The city is grappling with a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. A total of 149 department staffers, including 80 sworn cops, would be laid off in the proposed budget, according to police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

The city currently has 701 sworn cops.

“Twelve million (dollars) in cuts is too much for public safety to share this burden,” Councilman Darrell Fong, a retired police captain, said.

At the end of the City Council meeting, which ran longer than four hours, six City Council members voted not to move forward with the current proposed budget of $12 million in cuts proposed by Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka.

The city manager’s office is responsible for proposing the amounts of budget cuts, while Police Chief Rick Braziel is responsible for divvying up how to make the proposed cuts at the department.

The City Council makes final budget decisions.

Six of the nine council members rejected the proposed budget because three were absent.

Mayor Kevin Johnson was at the NBA draft lottery in New Jersey, representing the Sacramento Kings. Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell was mourning the recent death of her mother and Councilman Rob Fong was in Los Angeles on a business trip, according to Councilman Steve Cohn.

RE Graswich, the mayor’s special assistant, presented the following statement on behalf of Johnson:

“In Sacramento, we’re in the fourth year of a devastating budget crisis and we continue to face difficult challenges. When I ran for mayor in 2008, I said public safety would be my top priority.

“That continues to remain true today,” Graswich said. “Public safety is a core function of city government. It plays a critical role in how we operate as a full-service city.

“It’s critical that as we move forward, we continue to practice fiscal responsibility, eliminate wasteful practices, capitalize on efficiencies and make collective sacrifices to provide the service our residents expect and deserve. I look forward to continuing to work with my council colleagues and finding the best solutions to solving the budget crisis.”

Greg Galliano, a 25-year-old Sacramento police officer, was one of many department staffers who urged the council not to make the cuts. He said the department is currently dealing with “massive call volumes.”

“If we take these cuts,” Galliano said, “we’re going to experience something that we’re not going to be able to protect you from.”

Leong explained the breakdown of the proposed layoffs: Sworn cops, 80; Community Service Officers, 38; Crime Scene Investigators, 14; Supervising Dispatchers, 6; Records Supervisor, 1; Administrative and Clerical, 10.

At a press conference before the City Council meeting, police staffers held up numbers that signified they could be among the numbers of people laid off.

Read the schedule of budget hearings here. Learn about the debate over cuts to the Parks and Recreation Department here.

The City Council is scheduled to adopt the city’s budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year on June 21.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City grapples with pool closures, parks decline

2011-05-13T22:27:47Z

Sacramento City Council and hundreds of residents Tuesday night listened to details of a $1.8 million general fund cut to parks and recreation that would leave only three of the city’s 13 swimming pools open by Summer 2012 and area parks in a state of decline amid reductions in park maintenance, trash pick up and general repairs.

Pools and green spaces are two potential casualties of a $39 million city deficit that could impact residents in large and small ways, including a swim on hot day or a drink of water from a park faucet.

Parks and recreation director Jim Combs said six area pools would remain open this summer including George Sim, Clunie, Pannell Meadowview, McClatchy, Johnston and Doyle. Only half of these pools are expected to be open by next summer. The department reported a cost of $100,000 per pool to restore operation.

Combs also outlined park maintenance for 2011/2012 that would reduce mowing to every 12-14 days and trash pick up and restroom cleanings to two times per week. Broken or damaged drinking fountains, benches and play structures would be removed in lieu of repairs. Combs said there are more than 50 drinking faucets currently out of service in city parks.

Residents from neighborhoods throughout Sacramento turned out to deliver impassioned pleas for community resources and protest cuts to the parks and recreation budget, which would also close all but three community centers by July 1.

Among those voicing concern about the loss of safe places for kids was Rev. Tony Sadler of Shiloh Baptist Church. “We need community resources just to survive in these times,” Sadler said.

Jane Adams of District 4 waited in a long line to address City Council and said the city would pay dearly for the proposed cuts.

“Overflowing trash cans, weeds and broken drinking fountains will do nothing to attract business to our city. It will not keep the Kings here,” she said. “I am willing to pay more for safe and clean parks and pools and community centers for our seniors, youth and veterans.”

Cuts to local children's services

2011-05-12T01:26:55Z

A Sacramento County commission that provides funding for local children’s services suffered severe cuts earlier this month.

The First 5 Sacramento Commission cut $43.7 million from its budget May 2. The cuts were ordered by the state, which is using funding from First 5 programs to pay for Medi-Cal children’s services.

The local First 5 cuts reduced funding for a county program that assists women with breast-feeding and for a program at nine school districts that helps young children transition into school, according to Toni Moore, executive director of the First 5 Sacramento Commission.

Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Glennah Trochet said the cuts were painful.

“We are a very resilient society,” Trochet said. “I’m hoping in better times, some of these programs will be restored. Or, as a society, we’ll make sure to give importance to the youngest and most vulnerable in our community.”

Trochet is a First 5 commissioner, but she did not vote on the budget cuts. Trochet’s department includes programs that receive First 5 funding, and it would have been a conflict of interest for her to vote, she said.

More cuts to the commission are still to come. The commission expects the state will require $4.8 million on top of the $43.7 million in cuts, according to a news release.

California Assemblyman Roger Dickinson of Sacramento commented on the First 5 cuts during a meeting with The Sacramento Press Wednesday. “I’m hopeful we’ll get back to restoring First 5 as we go,” he said.

Budget cuts totaling $43.7 million will be distributed until the 2014/2015 fiscal year, the news release said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

4 Sac State student protesters get disciplinary actions

2011-05-06T01:36:23Z

Four Sacramento State University students are facing disciplinary actions from the college for their participation in the three-day sit-in sy Sacramento Hall, which ended April 16 at 3:30 a.m. with police in riot gear.

Last Thursday, the students – Nora Walker, Yeimi Lopez, Amanda Mooers and Mildred Garcia – had their first hearing inside Lassen Hall with a disciplinary officer, as many of their supporters stood in front of the building wearing tape across their mouths and carried signs with messages like “Defending education is not a crime” and “Silence is the quest before the storm.”

In recent weeks, the protesters ignited a proverbial flame on campus that spread across an estimated 1,500 supporters who participated in rallies, the sit-in and a mock funeral, which proclaimed the death of education but the rebirth of the student movement.

The students refused to go on record as to what resulted from their hearing or what the charges entailed, and their supporters suggested they keep silent to the press while their hearings are under way, but it was suggested that a “no camping on campus” ordinance was violated.

Supporters marched behind the four students from the University Union Forest Room, where beforehand they discussed the aftermath of the student protests and the university's decision to call the police to break up the sit-in early that Saturday morning.

Mooers said they weren't given a reason from the campus administration why the four of them were selected when there were 27 students who spent the night inside Sacramento Hall. There were no arrests, and demonstrators maintained peaceful the entire time. They left Sacramento Hall upon request that Saturday morning, and it wasn't until then that they were told to leave. When the police moved in to take action, students said there were four students awake out of the 27.

Protest leaders have asked people to sign letters to Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez, showing their support for the students organizing and calling the administration's actions “unnecessarily aggressive.”

The students felt that the situation escalated when it didn't need to. For police to come in like that was a miscalculated use of force and a gross insult to those who were sleeping, they said in the forum.

Lopez, the designated police liaison for the protesters, said that when she approached police with questions on that Friday night/Saturday morning, she was told that they could no longer release information, that they were following the orders given to them.

Student Pat Pavlovich said he was studying in the Arc but was asked to leave by police even though he wasn't part of the protest. Asked why, the police said — according to Pavlovich — well, what if the protesters came in and destroyed the computers?

“They were shutting down other areas of study,” Pavlovich said. “That's when I decided to join the protesters. Doors were locked. I thought that was pathetic that (administrators) were going to starve students.”

The university has stated in media reports that it spent $14,000 in police overtime during the occupation and gave health and safety reasons as to why they locked Sacramento Hall with protesters inside, stating that all the people inside were affecting the air quality.

Forum panelist Lindsay Curtis said she found it ironic that administration had a concern with air quality, but they didn't leave the doors open. And Kevin Wehr, president of the capitol chapter of the California Faculty Association, said while there was insinuation that students were costing the university the police overtime, there were other pathways campus officials could have taken to avoid the
costs.

There seemed to be a basic message throughout the forum – that administration didn't do enough to prevent the sit-in and protests from escalating. Protesters said they had no idea that the protest was going to continue as long as it did. They just wanted the administration to take a stand, one way or another, on their demands – which has included stopping management during the fiscal crisis and for a promise from campus President Alexander Gonzalez to support Assembly Bill 1326, which calls for a fee on oil and gas extraction to support higher education.

While Gonzalez did post his response, Mooers said protesters asked him to be their leader and take their demands to the California State University Board of Trustees.

Curtis said California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed has been against those demands, so it would have taken a lot for Gonzalez to publicly support the protesters.

“Many have suggested we take our demands to the capitol, but if the system is broken, going to the capitol won’t help much,” Curtis said.

A week after the sit-in, some of the Sac State protesters joined other similar protests at Fullerton and Northridge State Universities.

The Fullerton administration made peace with the students, but Esteban Hernandez said the demands of students there were unlike those of the Sac State protesters. Fullerton protesters, he said, came up with a “watered-down resolution” that said something like “every person is entitled to equitable education ... but the administration took it as an opportunity to do good for the school.”

Wehr said response from the state legislature has been positive for the student protesters. Leland Yee called in his support on speaker phone and Assemblyman Richard Pan came down to the protest showing his support. His press secretary said Pan would find it very troubling if disciplinary action was taken against any of the students.

While other media reported the protests were organized by CFA, Wehr said that was not the case.

“The campus administration has made some insinuations both to the press and in their own communications to the campus that the students were put up to this by the faculty union,” Wehr said in a letter to all union members. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

In fact, he said the union was as surprised as anyone when the students decided to stay in Sacramento Hall. But once this course of action was taken, Wehr said CFA provided some support to the students by sending e-mails to the campus community and providing some food, water and art supplies.

Wehr said the union found it “offensive to suggest that students are not capable of undertaking their own political analysis and moving to take direct action based on what they see going on around the world and in their own backyard,” he wrote.

Intense city budget talks begin

2011-05-04T06:09:21Z

Sacramento City Council members began discussions Tuesday on the city manager’s recommendation to cut as many as 366 jobs in the budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

One city union protested the proposed layoffs at City Hall before the City Council meeting, and representatives from two other unions expressed their opposition to the cuts during the meeting.

City officials presented the budget recommendations from the city manager’s office at Tuesday’s meeting and summarized the budget document.

As part of the meeting, Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka explained a chart on the job cuts recommended by the city manager’s office.

The city would need to slice 250 full-time positions to gain the $39 million in savings. But Masuoka and Interim City Manager Bill Edgar are making recommendations for cuts on top of the $39 million in light of the city’s ongoing financial woes.

City officials project that the city will continue to face budget gaps until fiscal year 2015/2016.

The gap for fiscal year 2012/2013 is $11.7 million and is expected to rise to $22.9 million in fiscal year 2013/2014. In fiscal year 2014/2015, the city expects to be $18 million in the hole. The gap drops to a $13 million deficit predicted in fiscal year 2015/2016.

If the City Council decides to cut all the positions that Masuoka and Edgar have suggested, 366 positions would be lost, according to page 28 of the chart Masuoka referenced.

It’s unclear at this point how many actual layoffs would result if the City Council decided to cut the 366 jobs. The numbers may change during the budget process. Plus, the city uses a process of demoting some employees while laying off others that can change the numbers.

Regardless, the City Council could decide to make hundreds of layoffs in the next few weeks.

“This budget is very painful,” Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell said.

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby indicated she would make efforts to avoid layoffs to police and fire employees. As many as 80 sworn officers could be laid off in the proposed budget, according to the Sacramento Police Department.

Ashby said the citizens she represents are concerned about police and fire staffing and levee improvements.

“I’ve got to find ways to make those my top priority,” she said.

Councilman Kevin McCarty asked city staff to prepare an alternate budget that would show the city’s financial situation if the City Council made no public safety cuts.

Mayor Kevin Johnson said he was concerned about the layoffs.

Marcia Mooney, business representative for Local 39, said there could be about 150 layoffs of members of her union, who work in city services including parks maintenance, utilities and solid waste, she said. Local 39 is pressing the City Council to not put the brunt of layoffs on rank-and-file workers.

Representatives of the Sacramento Police Officers Association and Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 addressed the City Council during the meeting.

“You’re making life-and-death decisions,” said Detective Mark Tyndale, vice president of the police union.

The police department, he said, has already been “cut to the bone.”

Jaymes Butler of the firefighters’ union said Fire Department cuts could hurt communities. The proposed budget would ramp up the number of Fire Department “brownouts” from two to six.

The city fire department has two rolling brownouts in effect, which means that certain fire trucks and engines are out of service at various times, according to former Fire Department spokesman Jim Doucette.

The next public budget meeting will be held Thursday, May 12. The Sacramento Press will publish the time and place of the meeting as soon as it can obtain that information.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Proposed budget would cut 100 cops, 50 fire staff

2011-04-29T00:39:05Z

Layoffs of about 100 police officers and nearly 50 Fire Department staffers are listed as possible budget cuts in the city’s proposed 2011/2012 budget, scheduled to be released Friday.

The city released a summary of the budget recommendations from Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka late Thursday afternoon. The budget was largely put together by previous Interim City Manager Gus Vina, who resigned last month.

The city manager’s office recommends that police officer cuts should be made in the department’s special units. The summary said that 167 full-time employees would be cut in the police department. Of the 167 employees, 98 are sworn police officers, the summary says.

“This reduction will result in the loss of the special units in order to protect patrol (units) as much as possible,” the report said.

The proposed budget would also ramp up the number of Fire Department “brownouts” from two to six, and lay off 49 full-time Fire Department employees. However, the suggested cuts to the Fire Department were unclear at press time because the city has been selected to receive a federal $5.6 million grant earmarked for firefighters.

Parks and Recreation is slated for major cuts, as well. “All but three community centers will be closed, and all but three swimming pools will be closed starting the summer of 2012,” according to the budget summary. The budget recommendations also said that youth and senior programs will face “significant reductions.”

While the city manager’s office has released budget cut plans for the police, fire and parks departments, it’s unclear how many people will actually be laid off. The City Council is responsible for all final decisions on the budget, and the numbers of proposed layoffs often change during the city budget process. Union negotiations can change the numbers. When the city cuts positions, it uses a process of demoting employees that can also change the number of layoffs.

Read the summary of the proposed budget here.

The full proposed budget is expected to be released Friday. The Sacramento Press will cover the budget in depth on Friday.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Police chief plans to reopen top positions

2011-03-09T06:06:54Z

Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel received support from the City Council Tuesday on a plan to bring back three or four job openings that have been eliminated in the department as part of budget cuts.

Braziel told the council and Interim City Manager Gus Vina that he must reopen some key positions because nine of the department’s top 11 officials, ranked captain and higher, will be eligible to retire within three years.

The city is facing a $35 million - 40 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. Braziel said he would be able to open the positions without asking the city for additional money.

“It’s not the right time, but we have to do it,” Braziel said. “We don’t have a choice.”

Braziel said he would pay for the top positions by moving over money currently saved for refilling other positions in the department. By moving the funding in this manner, he would be able to open the positions within his existing budget and not lay off anyone, he said.

The department could promote from within if it opens up top management positions, he said. The newly promoted staffers would gain executive experience, which is necessary because many executives serving in the department could soon retire, he said.

“I am shocked that nine of the command staff are basically aging out in the next three years,” Councilman Rob Fong said in response to Braziel’s comments.

Braziel asked the council and Vina for the authority to revive three or four executive openings during a presentation on succession planning at the department. The City Council did not make a formal decision on Braziel’s request, but voiced support for his plan.

“On behalf of all of us, I think we are very excited about you being proactive so we are aware of what’s going on,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said. “We do not want to be caught flat-footed.”

Vina also indicated that he supported Braziel’s plan.

“We can certainly work with the chief on that,” Vina said.

The Police Department has sliced its executive positions in recent years in response to budget cuts. Braziel said that before he became police chief in 2008, the department had 19 executive positions. The number has since dropped to 11, he said.

Vina said Braziel's plan should be part of the city budget, indicating that the positions could be reopened before the next fiscal year begins on July 1.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

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)

Q&A with 311's Gina Knepp

2010-10-10T17:22:45Z

Gina Knepp has worked in high-stress city government jobs for more than two decades. But even though she spent nearly 20 years at the city’s 911 call center and now heads the 311 call center, her sense of humor remains intact.

Knepp, 48, is the division manager of 311. She reflects her humor in certain activities – designating a day to wear tin foil hats – and in her office décor, which includes a sign that reads: “Dumb should hurt.”

The 311 center, which handles a wide variety of queries about city services, has lost about 65 percent of its budget to cuts in the last couple years, she said.

Though her division is understaffed and 311’s budget is tight, Knepp conveyed great enthusiasm about her work in a sit-down interview with The Sacramento Press on Friday.

SP: What are some of the key differences between 911 calls and 311 calls?

GK: Oh gosh, they’re huge. Although, from the customer’s perspective, whether they’ve just been in a car accident or their water pipe broke, it’s an emergency to them. We speak to a lot of the same kind of excited people.

At 911, you’re in a hurry. And you need to get the immediate facts as quickly as you can to get an officer started, or a paramedic started. So, it’s quick. It’s in, it’s out. There’s not a lot of time to have social amenities with your caller ... The average 911 call doesn’t last more than 60 seconds. People don’t realize that.

Here, our average talk time is 2.5 minutes. And we have some customers that require five minutes of our time. Here, we’re given the opportunity to spend a little more time with the customer, which is kinda cool – which they don’t get to do at 911.

The multitasking and (the) quick, prompt decision-making is much more challenging at 911 than it is here. We do have a dispatch position, but typically, no one is dying. So the sense of urgency is different.

SP: Why spend more time with the 311 callers?

GK: Your average customer/constituent really only calls the city once a year. Most people only call 911 once in their lifetime. So, we know that we’re going to talk to every single customer at least once a year. That should be a good interaction.

Because it’s not just about the stray dog; we’re representing the city of Sacramento. And we get an opportunity to show that customer what the city is about. And my goal is always that it be very professional and friendly.

They’re the ones that decide our fate. They approve ballot measures. They vote our elected officials in and out. And we work for them. We are public servants. So I just think it’s really important to give them that little bit of time.

SP: What are some of the things you really like about 311? What are some of the things you really liked about 911?

GK: 911: It’s exciting. You get to know everybody’s business firsthand. Most people read about it in the paper. The dispatcher is actually present, at least in an audio fashion. When someone calls and says – “I just shot my wife” – you can’t get much closer to the scene than that.

You’re the first person in the chain of evidence ... (In) most domestic violence cases, the audio tape is played in the courtroom in prosecution. I mean, how cool is that? To be part of that? You’re the link between the victim, or the criminals, and the responders. It’s just an amazing job.

Despite the sad, tragic things that I heard when I was there, it’s an amazing feeling, I think, to know that you ... improved someone’s life or you saved someone’s life.

311 was like starting all over for me. It was a whole new profession with a whole new set of people. Because unfortunately, at the police department, you’re kind of sequestered. And your world really involves the police department. And you forget that there are other people and other things going on in the city of Sacramento.

So, it was kind of a like a rebirth coming out – and getting to know and understanding all the different departments and what they do and how everybody’s really interconnected. I love the fact that I get to have conversations with practically every division manager in the city, and know what’s happening in their respective units, because we touch it. I think the citizens are fun – but I’ve always liked talking to people on the phone, even the mad ones.

It’s challenging. It’s never the same. At 911, you had one topic. Here, we’ve got cats and dogs and potholes and Fairytale Town and broken water mains and shoes on phone lines and craziness. People call about the craziest things.

SP: Are there any (crazy calls) that you can share?

GK: This lady called because she wanted to know if you could get rabies from eating the tongue of a dead raccoon. Because her son and his little friends did. They actually ate the tongue — I don’t know why. But she was panicked, obviously. They were like 10 (or) 12 – little kids. Yeah, that’s a weird one.

SP: Can you get rabies that way?

GK: Well, you have to test it for rabies...but most likely, you could, yes.

SP: What are some of the most common 311 calls that you receive?

GK: The No. 1 thing has to do with solid waste. And the No. 2 issue in the city of Sacramento, across all districts, is animal control. Primarily strays.

SP: You used to work for 911 and now you work for 311. What is it like to be the ultimate “go-to” person?

GK: Sometimes I feel like (the advice columnist) Ann Landers. I do. People will come to me with the wildest things that they haven’t been able to figure out, even in other departments ... I like it. For whatever reason, I kind of get stoked figuring things out. Being the one who can put the last puzzle piece together to solve something. It makes my job interesting. And everybody wants to be wanted, right? So, it’s cool.

Photos of Knepp by Brandon Darnell.

Photo: Knepp's office is short on space but big on zaniness.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City's youth development office gutted by cuts

2010-08-22T17:24:00Z

The city’s youth development programs are diminishing after a slew of budget cuts.

The Office of Youth Development was one of many city programs that suffered from cuts when the city resolved a $43 million budget gap in June.

The office, which launched in 2007, was gutted. It is no longer an office — its programs are now part of the Parks and Recreation Department.

An Aug. 8 document on the city’s website said the Office of Youth Development is not looking for new funding. And the position of director and two neighborhood youth resource coordinator jobs were chopped, leaving only one remaining staffer from the office.

“It’s not going to be the proactive group that it was,” Lori Harder, administrative manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, said. “And we did eliminate nearly the entire office.”

The city maintained the position of youth resource analyst. “With this multitude of grants, there’s a significant amount of accounting and fiscal work,” Harder said, explaining why the city held onto the analyst job.

Lyn Corbett, the former director of the office, resigned from the City of Sacramento, Harder said.

The office’s purpose was to address a range of youth issues including gang violence, positive adult role models, education, essential needs and positive family life, according to the city’s website.

Harder repeatedly praised the office’s work.

“It’s not to say we don’t think youth are important, it’s just general fund reductions are so severe,” she said.

If the Parks and Recreation Department decides to apply for any new funding for youth development programs, it would not make the effort that the Office of Youth Development did, Harder said. That’s because Parks and Recreation does not have the capacity to reapply for youth development funds and maintain all of the youth services.

While future fundraising efforts for youth development programs at the city look dim, Parks and Recreation is continuing to administer those that already have grant money, Harder said.

But when the grant funding ends, the city will talk to the outside agencies and groups it works with and ask them if they would like to take over the programs, Harder said.

Vincene Jones, head of the neighborhood services division of Parks and Recreation, said the Youth Commission will continue under her division.

David Schenirer, the chair of the Youth Commission last year, expressed disappointment over the cuts to the office.

Schenirer, who is now a first-year student at American University, said he was sad about the cuts because the city had taken a “major step forward” with its prior work with the Office of Youth Development.

Photo of the Youth Commission courtesy of the city of Sacramento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City asks nonprofits to manage community centers

2010-08-17T02:23:55Z

Three community centers will close Nov. 1 if nonprofit groups are not interested in managing them, said Parks and Recreation Department Director Jim Combs.

City officials are looking for groups to run the Southside Clubhouse at Southside Community Park, Robertson Community Center in North Sacramento, and Elmo Allen Slider Clubhouse near Power Inn Road.

Without help from nonprofits, these centers will shut down in November, according to Combs. However, the centers would be open for rentals, he said.

The city also wants a nonprofit to operate two rooms at George Sim Community Center on Logan Street.

Summer programs were held at Robertson and George Sim centers, among other locations. For example, a “Teen Unity” program was offered at Robertson Community Center from June to early August. Robertson also recently held a children’s summer camp.

Sylvia Fort, a division manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, said a city partnership with nonprofits to manage the centers would be “outstanding.”

A city document lists several tasks that the nonprofit must carry out to operate a community center. These tasks include janitorial work; opening, closing and securing the center; reporting graffiti and theft; and reporting illegal or suspicious conduct.

City staffers will host a Tuesday meeting on the topic of working with nonprofits to run the centers. The “pre-proposal” meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in the Historic City Hall, 915 I St. second floor hearing room.

In a formal document on the city’s website, the city asks nonprofits to apply to run the centers. Read the document here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Exhibit Reveals Sacramento's Arboreal Love Affair

2010-08-13T04:34:19Z

Sacramento has been called “The City of Trees,” a city with more trees per capita than Paris, a place known for its romantic, tree-lined walkways and thoroughfares.

Each tree in Sacramento has a story to tell. This is the theme of “Living With Trees,” a new art exhibit that opened in City Hall Aug. 4 featuring 17 historical photographs selected from the Center for Sacramento History’s archives, each telling a small piece of the decades-old romance Sacramento has had with its trees.

There are images of automobiles smashed by broad tree trunks flung down in the windstorm of 1950, costumed children playacting in a shaded grove and an ordinary Sacramento man sweeping a front yard enveloped by countless leaves.

But, it’s about more than just the trees, said Coloma artist Cheri Ibes. “It’s about our relationship with nature.”

Ibes’ installation is in the center of the exhibit – a tangled arrangement of pruned brambles from a manzanita shrub enclosed in a glass case.

“The spectrum of the human relationship with nature runs between fear of an unbridled, uncontrollable force of nature – things like hurricanes and earthquakes – to wanting to control and own nature ourselves in the form of something like a potted bonsai plant in your backyard,” Ibes said.

Her installation, she said, embodies that spectrum of human interaction with nature, as do all the photographs in the exhibit.

Since 1849, the people of Sacramento have cherished the benefits of having lots of trees around. But with the city’s budget cuts reducing the workforce of Urban Forestry services from the equivalent of 57 full-time employees to about 36, there is concern about what the future holds for Sacramento’s urban canopy.

Despite having fewer employees, a recent upgrade to a Google Earth-style tree mapping system that tracks data for about 100,000 public trees in Sacramento has made preservation efforts easier for the city, Sacramento Urban Forestry Manager Joe Benassini said.

“There’s a real protective tendency people have toward trees, ” said Lisa Prince, curator of this exhibit and curator for the Center for Sacramento History, which is presenting the exhibit in conjunction with The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

Trees give us shade from the scorching summer sun, clean air to breathe, and promote mental and emotional well-being, Prince said.

Prince said she wants people to walk away from the exhibit having found some way to connect with the history of Sacramento and develop an appreciation for the urban forest.

Some have. The exhibit includes a cork board where visitors can tack up an index card with their tree stories. The cards are full of stories: about weddings, sad memories of trees now gone, happy childhood memories of climbing trees and building tree houses.

The exhibit can be viewed at 915 I Street in the Robert T. Matsui Gallery on the first floor of the new City Hall building until Jan. 15. The viewing hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History. Photos 3 and 4 by Colin Wood.

Photo 4 is of Joe Benassini, Sacramento Urban Forestry Manager.

City doles out pink slips

2010-07-22T01:17:05Z

The city of Sacramento sent out pink slips to about 90 employees Wednesday because city management and two unions have not yet found common ground in their contract negotiations.

However, Interim Assistant City Manager Patti Bisharat said city officials have not given up on efforts to resolve their differences with the unions.

In June, the city closed a $43 million budget gap for the 2011 fiscal year.

The two unions that have not made concessions are Stationary Engineers Local 39 and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447. Local 39 represents employees in numerous city departments, including Utilities, Transportation and Community Development.

Bisharat said Tuesday that the city was still actively negotiating with the unions and “still hopeful” for an agreement to avoid layoffs. But the city sent out layoff notices in order “to pull the trigger if we need to,” Bisharat said.

If the negotiations end successfully, then city management will retract the pink slips, she said.

But if talks do not improve soon, the laying off of about 90 employees will go into effect Aug. 6, according to Bisharat.

Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Local 39, said it was “very disturbing” that the city sent out layoff notices Wednesday. The union has faced layoffs of more than 200 workers in the past two years, she said. The union represents about 1,500 workers locally.

“The city has an obligation to cut its spending and stop cutting workers at every turn,” Bryant said, “because pretty soon you’re going to have no one to cut.”

She claimed that the city is laying off workers to put pressure on the union to accept the city’s demands.

Local 39 is continuing to negotiate with the city, she said, but noted that the city’s specific requests are “not something that we will likely jump into.”

The city is asking Local 39 to sign off on a three-year contract that would end in June 2013, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams. A 4 percent pay cut would go into effect now with the proposed contract, Williams wrote in an e-mail. Starting in June 2012, employees covered under the contract would receive a 5 percent raise.

Among other details, the contract would include a monthly furlough day throughout the three-year period, Wiliams wrote.

When the City Council balanced Sacramento’s budget on June 22, it extended negotiation talks with three unions for 30 days. One of the unions, the Auto, Marine and Specialty Painters Local 1176, made concessions to the city last week, Bisharat said.

The city had hoped to use savings from labor concessions to balance its budget. But when city managers didn’t gain concessions from unions by June 22, the City Council decided to allow an extra month for negotiations.

Since the city didn’t have the savings from concessions in June, the City Council moved $648,000 in other funds to help fill the budget hole.

The layoffs of about 90 employees would mark a second group of layoffs for the city this summer. About 50 employees worked their last day on July 16, Williams said.

Harry Rotz, the business manager for Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447, could not be reached because he was out of town Wednesday, according to the union’s office.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Neighbors pitch in to maintain swim hours at pools

2010-07-15T05:51:35Z

For a second consecutive summer, Sacramento residents are dealing with limited hours at local swimming pools. But the situation could get a lot worse next summer, when the city is planning to close seven pools.

Community groups are already brainstorming ways to keep their neighborhood swimming pools open in 2011. To counter a $43 million budget gap in June, city leaders made numerous cuts to city departments and services, including the rollback of pool services next summer.

Pools also received cuts last year. Residents must work around the city’s tight schedules for recreational swimming. At many pools, recreational swimming is only available for only two hours at a time, Mitchell said.

But there is hope for the pools. They could remain open if the city receives adequate financial contributions, according to Dave Mitchell, operations manager for the Parks and Recreation Department. Even though the city has planned to close pools, “we have a year now to try to find additional funding,” Mitchell said.

But the costs to keep them open are steep. The city needs $85,000 per pool from outside donors to keep them open next summer. With seven pools scheduled for closure, that means the city needs a total of $595,000, according to Mitchell.

In addition to contributing to keep the pools open next year, some neighbors are working to maintain swimming hours.

The River Park Neighborhood Association intends to spend about $15,000 this year to maintain hours of swim time at Glenn Hall Pool, said association member Jeff Harris. The association has raised large sums for Glenn Hall, Harris said.

The seven pools scheduled to close next summer are Glenn Hall Pool on Sandburg Drive; Natomas High School Pool on Fong Ranch Road; Cabrillo Pool & Wading Pool on 65th Avenue; Mangan Pool on 34th Avenue; Southside Pool & Wading Pool on 6th and U streets; Oki Pool & Wading Pool on Wisseman Drive; Tahoe Pool and Training Pool on 59th Street.

The city will keep six pools open: Pannell Meadowview Recreational Pool and Wading Pool on Meadowview Road; Clunie Pool and Wading Pool on Alhambra Blvd; Doyle Pool and Wading Pool in Northgate Park; McClatchy Park Pool and Wading Pool on 35th Street; Sim Pool and Wading Pool on Logan Street; and Johnston Pool and Wading Pool on Eleanor Avenue.

Here is information about hours and services for some of the city’s pools:

Clunie Pool:
Recreational swimming: 2-4 p.m. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/ Friday, and 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Glenn Hall:
Recreational swimming: 3-5 p.m. Monday/Wednesday/Friday and 1-5pm Sundays
No recreational swimming Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Natomas High School Pool:
No recreational swimming. The following services are available as scheduled: swim lessons, swim team and Jr. Lifeguard Academy

Southside Park Pool:
Recreational swimming: 2-4 p.m. Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday
No recreational swimming on Thursdays.

Tahoe Pool:
Recreational swimming: 2-4 p.m. Monday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday
No recreational swimming on Tuesdays.

Source: City of Sacramento

HOW TO DONATE

Parks and Recreation Operations Manager Dave Mitchell can make arrangements to help neighborhood associations and other groups donate to city pools. To learn how to donate to local pools, contact Mitchell at dmitchell@cityofsacramento.org

The photos show the recreational swim hours at Clunie Pool and a wading pool at Southside Park.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County sued over cuts in health care

2010-07-15T05:25:21Z

On July 23, The Sacramento County Superior Court will hear a team of attorneys argue that the recent budget cuts made to the County Medical Indigent Services Program are in violation of the California Welfare and Institutions Code.

Lead Counsel Stacy Wittorff from Legal Services Northern California and Abbi Coursolle from the Western Center on Law and Poverty will represent the petitioners in the case of Poole v. County of Sacramento in an effort to maintain what medical services the County offered prior to the recent passage of the 2010-2011 county budget.

At least 725 county employees will be laid off, and program budgets will be heavily reduced as a result of the county budget approved by the Board of Supervisors on June 17 in a 3-2 vote. With that vote, the county balanced the budget, closing a $181 million deficit.

The petitioners in the case include two chronically ill recipients of county health care and Sacramento homeless services provider Loaves & Fishes.

Once Executive Director Libby Fernandez of Loaves & Fishes learned of the budget cuts, she sprung into action.

“When I heard they were going to cut 50 percent of primary care and two of the clinics, I called Legal Services of Northern California,” she said.

Loaves & Fishes has been working with the homeless in Sacramento since 1983. The organization provides many services to the homeless, including health and legal services and a school for homeless children.

“We have a pretty good sense of what the needs and lack of services are out there,” Fernandez said.

Wittorff said that the county has specific obligations to provide last-resort medical care for those who can not otherwise get it.

“They have absolutely fallen below the line of their legal obligation,” she said.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Allen Sumner issued a temporary restraining order on July 1 that blocks the cuts from taking effect. The July 23 hearing will decide whether Sumner issues a preliminary injunction. This would extend a hold on the cuts until the fall, when the case can be heard in full.

“The cuts in medical services may have a significant impact on the county’s ability to provide medically necessary services promptly and humanely as the Legislature has required by sections 17000 and 10000 (of the California Welfare and Institutions Code),” Sumner said.

Sumner’s order also puts a temporary stop to five-week waits for active dental abscesses and reducing the number of physicians on staff. Without the restraining order, patient appointments would have been reduced by 100 per day, with delays of several months, according to a press release from LSNC.

“We would concede that there is a legal obligation to provide medical services to our indigent population,” County Counsel Bob Ryan said.

The county is arguing that how these services are provided is open to interpretation, especially in these fiscally troubling times, and that the new budget does meet the obligations of the county.

The County Medical Indigent Services Program is for seriously ill residents who are uninsured, do not qualify for Medi-Cal or other programs, and cannot otherwise afford medical care.

Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Roger Dickinson voted against the budget’s general fund allocations. Supervisors Don Nottoli, Susan Peters and Jimmie Yee voted in support of passing the budget.

Dickinson objected because he said he thought it did not make social services a higher priority.

“We have an obligation, a duty, particularly as a county, to address those who are the least among us,” he said.

Supervisor Don Nottoli said he felt a responsibility to pass a budget for the county, even with the included compsomises.

“The bottom line is that there’s not sufficient funding,” Nottoli said. “Yes, we prioritize, and we make decisions.”

Staff Reporter Kathleen Haley contributed to this report.

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.

Veteran teacher hosts Wake for Public Education

2010-07-01T02:52:54Z

Close to 60 people converged on a home in the River Park neighborhood of East Sacramento Tuesday evening to mourn the reductions in the public education budget in the Sacramento area and to discuss what can be done to prevent further cuts.

Educators, students, parents, political figures and concerned members of the public were all in attendance to listen to speakers, hear poetry and voice their concerns and opinions on the state of education in the community.

The wake was hosted by Jim Harper, a teacher of American government and history at Laguna Creek High School and an occasional instructor at California State University, Sacramento. Harper has been teaching for 23 years and was involved with education at the state level prior to that. He said he has seen the cuts in education firsthand and wanted to do something about it.

"I'm not just going to go home for the summer and be on vacation," Harper said of his idea to have the wake.

In an interview after the wake, Harper said he thinks there needs to be three elements to promise a better future to public education in Sacramento and across the state: first, a zeal for reform in government and the community; second, using test scores and data appropriately; and third, connecting the school community with the surrounding community.

Those attending were encouraged to wear either pink or black to commemorate the California teachers that have been pink slipped this year and to symbolize the proverbial death of public education. A coffin filled with education paraphernalia resided in the front lawn as another symbol of education's grim future.

Towards the end of the wake, those in attendance brainstormed ideas to alleviate the issue and raise awareness. They consolidated these ideas into a compact of five points, which they are sending to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, members of the State Legislature and candidates running for statewide office.

You can read the compact and see more photos of the event on the Wake for Public Education's Facebook page.

Other community members included political staffers, teachers recently laid off and political candidates.

The current budget crisis does not hold a lot of promise for education funding, according to David Gonsalves, a staffer for Assemblyman Dave Jones.

"This being a year when we're $20 billion in the hole, everything is on the chopping block unfortunately," Gonsalves said. "Events like these help us to understand what the priorities of the community are," he said.

When asked if Jones has any plans to protect education funding in the state budget, Gonsalves said that while it is important for the Assemblyman, his influence only goes as far as expressing his priorities to the legislative leadership.

Ryan Chin, who will compete in a runoff election for City Council, said education has always been a priority for him in his District 7 race and he would look to local businesses to alleviate the funding shortfalls.

"You have a greater influence as a City Council member to reach out to (private business) and say, 'Come to the table. Education is important to the work force of Sacramento, so step up and help us fund it,'" Chin said.

Susan Cooper, education consultant to State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, was the first to address the audience about the budget crisis and education.

"We need to raise taxes," Cooper said.

Cooper added that new taxes will be a critical source of revenue for an educational budget, but that it's not the only source.

"It would be a really smart thing to convince our friends on the other side of the aisle to extend some taxes that are about to expire," she said.

An audience member asked if there was sufficient political will for special taxes for educational funding.

"There is an appetite, but it's a partisan appetite," Cooper said.

Cooper encouraged members of the community to contact their legislators often and voice their opinions.

"You got Steinberg's vote, so work on the other (legislators)," Cooper said.

Ken Poppers from the Elk Grove Education Association spoke after Cooper with a message of solidarity for the teachers in attendance.

"We're all in this together, we're here to serve our students," Poppers said.

My Story

2010-06-23T03:29:46Z

So, it is after 1 in the morning and I haven't slept in the last three days. Not good for someone with bipolar disorder. I am scared I might have a psychotic break and end up in the hospital. After all, with all the budget cuts and my psychiatrist leaving my clinic, I am deeply saddened. I really liked my doctor and it is so hard to find a doctor who you trust and is easy to talk to.

I just moved into my own little apartment, and I am making friends with all my neighbors. My next-door neighbor even brought me a stuffed animal and shared his Father’s Day cake with me. I worry that I am going to have an episode and act strangely, and my neighbors may not understand. In addition, I could be “asked” to leave my apartment and become homeless.

Thanks to the media, the mentally ill are portrayed as deranged people who are serial killers and outright dangerous to everyone. This is untrue. The mentally ill are more likely to be a danger to themselves than anyone else. People who have a mental illness are no more dangerous than the general population.

I have bipolar disorder with psychosis and take my medication faithfully. However, since there is no cure for bipolar, I still have episodes. My last one was two and a half years ago. I was ill for six weeks and I did all kinds of things, like rented a hotel room for five days (which I could not afford), gave all my savings away to perfect strangers, and forgot who I was. I do exhibit some forms of dissociative disorder as well, which is where I sometimes lose time, forget who I am and become lost.

In my past, dangerous things have happened. One time I “woke up” to find myself inside a dirty white pickup truck, and all the handles were removed inside the vehicle. I couldn’t get out. I don’t remember how I got out, and the next thing I remember is I was at Sierra Vista Hospital.

I have had this mental illness for over 20 years now and decided that it is OK to talk about it. I am using my real name and it is time people educated themselves about mental illness and to not rely on the media to give an accurate portrayal. We deserve respect. We are not less than, and our illness does not have to define who we are.

I know God is looking out for me, and I believe I am supposed to educate others on mental health and will dedicate my life to doing so.

City budget, strong mayor debate at Tuesday meetings

2010-06-22T04:50:09Z

With the city budget and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s updated strong mayor proposal on the City Council’s agenda, the public is likely to see political fireworks at two meetings Tuesday.

During the first meeting, at 915 I St. at 2 p.m. the City Council will discuss key issues related to the city’s budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The city must settle a $43 million budget gap.

Council members will consider whether to scale back proposed cuts to the city’s fire, parks and police departments. Read the report on some of the planned budget cuts here.

Another issue on the council’s afternoon agenda is the Utilities Department budget. Find information on that budget here.

The City Council will also decide whether to extend city management’s negotiations with three unions for 30 days. The unions are Stationary Engineers, Local 39; Auto, Marine & Specialty Painters, Local 1176; and Plumbers & Pipefitters, Local 447. A document from the interim city manager’s office on the issue can be readhere.

In addition, council members will discuss their views on a possible ballot measure which would tax local medical marijuana dispensaries. Learn more about that discussion here.

At the evening meeting, to be held at 915 I St. at 6 p.m., the City Council will make a final decision on the budget and then discuss Johnson’s new strong mayor plan.

The City Council is discussing, but not voting on, Johnson’s plan. Johnson aims to ask council members to vote in mid-July to put the plan on the November ballot. Read a report on the issue from Johnson’s office here.

City Council meetings are open to the public.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County to slash health and veteran services

2010-06-17T01:17:11Z

The Board Chambers were filled to capacity Tuesday afternoon with dozens more awaiting entry in the lobby as the County Board of Supervisors began their hearing for proposed budget cuts to the Departments of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Human Assistance (DHA) for fiscal year 2010-11.

As a primer for the impending bad news, Bruce Wagstaff, the Interim Administrator of the Countywide Services Agency, emphasized that though these proposed cuts were the result of hours and hours of hard work from department staff, they will most likely result in "tremendous negative impacts on county residents" and health services consumers in particular.

The director of DHHS, Ann Edwards-Buckley, presented the cuts to her department and the Acting Director of DHA, Paul Lake, presented the cuts for his.

A common theme heard by the board in the public comments was that if the proposed cuts were implemented the county would see a sharp rise in the costs to taxpayers in the long run and a step backwards in providing services to our most vulnerable residents.

Dr. Tracie Harris M.D., who is the Director of the Residency Program at the County Primary Care Center, emphasized to the Board the low cost of seeing patients in a primary care setting.

"Instead of going to me, they go to the emergency room for ten times the cost," Harris said.

Joseph Cullo D.D.S., a dentist at a county dental clinic, reminded the Board that this cost is billed partly to the county. Cullo said he sees about a dozen patients a week who have been billed several thousands of dollars by a hospital, only to be referred to him to care for the patient.

Particular attention was paid to Mental Health Services, which actually won't see a reduction in care provided, but will have changes made in how that care is delivered to patients.

Leslie Napper, a services consumer, implored the board to maintain the Regional Support Teams (RSTs), a program used to care for the mentally ill, to avoid wide scale relapse in patients.

"With the decision to close the RSTs, relapse is imminent," said Napper.

The chair of the county's Public Health Advisory Board, Scott Seamons, claimed that the cuts to DHHS are "just as reckless as closing most of the fire stations."

Among the programs and services being reduced or cut in DHHS include: the reduction of the service capacities of the dental, chest, radiology, and primary care clinics; the closure of the Del Paso and South City Health Centers; immunization assistance will be reduced and the Public Health Laboratory - responsible for testing for disease outbreak potential in the community - will be staffed at the minimum level. Other programs being reduced are Child Protective Services and Behavioral Health Services.

The DHA cuts proved equally unpopular.

Wanda Ellis, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and current employee of DHA commented on the cuts to the Veteran's Services. "We served our country first, and all we ask is that we have a way to access the services there for us," she said.

DHA is currently recommending a $100,000 cut to the Veteran's Services program. DHA's biggest cuts will be to Homeless and Senior Nutrition Services

After the meeting had been in session for four and a half hours, Supervisor Don Nottoli of District 5 attempted to remind those in attendance of the reality of the budget problem.

"We got to find a way to save as much money as we can…," he said. "We've all worked very hard and frustration's building."

Edwards-Buckley defended the budget cuts but sympathized with the patients and consumers.

"I realize that any change in service delivery is stressful to the patients," she said about the changes in mental health services. "I believe (this is) the best we could have done with the budget resources that were given and existing civil service limitations."

Animal lovers speak out for the Sacramento County shelter

2010-06-15T02:04:36Z

With megaphone in hand, Jennifer Fearing of the Humane Society of the United States led a crowd of over 50 animal lovers in chanting “No more cuts, save our pets!”

Fearing facilitated the rally Monday for the Sacramento County animal shelter, who positioned themselves on the steps of the Sacramento County Administration building to raise awareness about the cuts the shelter faces. Participants dressed in red with the message of “stop the bleeding.”

Amy McMullan encouraged members of her group of pit bull owners, called Sacramento Responsible Pit Bull Lovers, to come to support the shelter. The group has about 400 members, with about 15 in attendance at the rally.

“Pit bulls aren’t just the bane of the shelter, they’re actually owned family pets,” McMullan said. “We’re really trying to keep the dogs out of the shelter system, since the shelter is so overrun. We feel like we can create more foster families around Sacramento.”

The group has worked in the past with the Bad Rap pit bull organization in San Francisco (http://www.badrap.org) and hopes to reach non-profit status in the future.

“We’re really just trying to help refurbish the image of the breed and work with all kinds of demographics to bond together and have better recognition of what a pit bull is,” McMullan said.

The group did a vaccine clinic in Oak Park on Sunday and handed out free spay and neuter vouchers.

“Bad Rap said we handed out more spay and neuter vouchers yesterday than they’ve almost ever seen at a vaccine clinic,” she said.

Carrie Fleig from the group was there with the pit bull she adopted from the shelter to show her support.

“We know that a majority of the dogs at the shelters are pit bulls,” Fleig said. “If the shelter goes down, it’ll affect pit bulls the most.”

“We are the only voice the animals have,” Fearing said. “We have to make them realize that we need more time to find solutions, that right now is not the time to cut this. Allow us another year to find more solutions.”

Fearing stressed the importance for the community, including the Sacramento SPCA and the HSUS to unite in discovering how the budget problems of the shelter can be solved.

As the Capital of the most animal-friendly state in the country, the county has one of the largest spay days in the country, according to Fearing.

“It makes no sense to me that this county would make these kinds of choices and relegate us to the bottom of the pile,” she said. “When it comes to animal care, we belong at the top.”

Right now, the shelter is one of the largest in California, housing about 15,000 animals a year.

Celeste Ingrid, volunteer coordinator for the Sacramento County shelter, gave a short talk to the concerned citizens about the problems that the shelter currently faces.

“We’ve gone through about two years of budget cuts,” she said. “We’ve lost 44 percent of our staff and we’re looking at losing about six people soon, which brings us down to two animal care attendants and six officers to care for more than 15,000 animals a year."

The cuts only make up an eighth of a percent to the overall budget.

“That .08 percent doesn’t mean a lot to the county, but those six positions mean a lot to the shelter,” Fearing said.

Ingrid hopes the board will restore some funding to the shelter but acknowledged that many other departments in the county are fighting for the same money.

“There are a lot of very viable departments that we need that are looking for the same dollars, so the board of directors has some very difficult decisions to make this week,” she said. “It’s a big juggling game with a pot of money. Unfortunately, the pot of money is very small.”

The shelter will host a community engagement meeting on Tuesday evening, Fearing said.

“We’re going to start the first meeting by dreaming of what animal care would look like in Sacramento if we didn’t have the rules that we have and if we had unlimited resources,” Fearing said. “We want to just free our minds from some of the limitations and try to imagine what we might do and then figure out a way, as we go forward over the next six months, how to map that to reality and end up some place a whole lot better.”

For more information on the Sacramento County shelter, please visit saccountyshelter.net or sacanimalshelter.org.

County budget hearings next week, 725 planned layoffs

2010-06-11T02:35:29Z

Sacramento County officials plan to lay off 725 employees in response to the county’s budget hole.

The Board of Supervisors will discuss the county’s $181 million gap and planned layoffs at budget hearings next week. Board members may approve the budget for the 2010/2011 fiscal year next Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, according to the county’s schedule of budget hearings.

The proposed budget figures released by officials Thursday include major cuts to programs as well as the planned layoffs.

Interim County Executive Steve Szalay said at a Thursday morning press conference that the proposed budget was the third consecutive county budget containing deep cuts.

“This is a sad day in the history of Sacramento County,” he said.

If the board approves the layoffs, they would go into effect July 3, Szalay said.

The Sacramento Press will post the proposed budget as soon as it is available online.

Here is the schedule for next week’s budget hearings:

Monday, June 14:

The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. Departments and programs that will be discussed include Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Correctional Health Services, District Attorney, Probation, Public Defender, Engineering, Planning, Animal Care, Regional Parks, Finance, General Services and Personnel.

Tuesday, June 15:

The meeting will start at 2 p.m. and cover cuts to the county’s Medically Indigent Services Program, Health and Human Services and Human Assistance.

Wednesday, June 16:

The meeting will start at 2 p.m. and include discussions on the In-Home Support Services Public Authority, Retiree Health and the Transient Occupancy Tax.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

West Sacramento City Council discusses public safety cuts

2010-05-21T04:44:42Z

More than 300 West Sacramento residents rallied in support of public safety at Wednesday's City Council meeting. Cuts were made, but police and fire were spared at least until June 2.

With the City Council chamber full and 150 seats filled in the downstairs galleria, many were left standing to hear the latest in budget cuts. West Sacramento council meetings typically see around 60 participants.

The crowd met to voice opinions and band together in support against the proposed cuts, most notably the West Sacramento Fire Department's loss of one engine and the police department's loss of five employees.

In anticipation of cuts firefighters were out holding signs Monday night that said, "Save YOUR engine." Local firefighters and community members fear the loss of the single fire engine could mean a substantial decrease in response time.

Of the 40 speakers, consisting of fire and police department employees, union representatives and residents, the theme throughout the night remained clear: The City Council should not make hasty decisions. West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said the meeting was the first time he and City Council had reviewed the proposed budget cuts, which totaled about $1.5 million.

Cabaldon described the current state as "the worst budget ever for the city. We've made all the hard decisions. Now we're at the impossible ones." Cabaldon pointed to the city's loss of $10 million to the state of California as largely responsible for the deficit.

About halfway through the scheduled speakers, the mayor and police threatened to close the session to residents, as many people ignored the strict "no response" rules to clapping.

"Even if all 140 (proposed cuts) were approved, there would still be more to do," Cabaldon said. "But just because it passes doesn't mean it can't continuously be evaluated."

City Manager Toby Ross pointed out that each resolution was made in collaboration with employees, department heads and union representatives. However, no specifics regarding who and which positions would be cut were originally discussed. "(Recommendations are made) not because we like them, but because we have to," Ross said.

The issue of using the city's reserves was brought in to question as an option as well. Currently, the city policy states 20 percent of funds must remain in reserves. The current reserves lie between 15 and 20 percent.

"If this was a one-year problem, we could use the reserves as a stop-gap," Cabaldon said, "but using reserves as a long-term solution is too risky." He added that increased furloughs also were not a viable source of a long-term solution.

City Councilman William Kristoff, a councilman for 20 years, said this was the most difficult decision he has ever had to make. "The scary part for me is I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, I can't find the end," he said.

Of the $1.5 million suggested cuts, all except the fire and police department's portions were approved. Cabaldon and the City Council will revisit the advised reductions at the June 2 City Council meeting. In the meantime, City Manager Toby Ross will attempt to find the $1 million elsewhere. As for the approved savings, areas affected will include: highest city officials including the city manager taking an additional two furlough days per year, now up to 10, and recreation fees from sports to aquatics, recreation center passes to community group facility use will rise.

For more information on upcoming City Council meetings or a recap of Wednesday night's meeting, visit the city of West Sacramento website.

Is Sacramento County CPS really in danger due to recent funding cuts?

2010-05-12T18:59:56Z

There have been many articles in the Sacramento Bee recently about the fact that CPS is losing all of their funding, the State of CA is not giving them money, and terrifying people by telling them children will be in more danger because there won't be enough people to ensure child safety. However, after researching statistics, it became clear to me that Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Child Protective Services (CPS) are crying wolf just so they have another excuse for their incompetency. CPS is in desperate need of a "way out". They are blaming their failures on a lack of money because of recent funding cuts instead of taking responsibility and being accountable for the failures, incompentantcies, and issues relating to cover-ups. These issues of unaccountabililty, failures at every level of CPS, incompetancies, secrecy, and cover-ups are well documented through several investigations into Sacramento CPS.
The Child Welfare League of America provided the following numbers for the most recent studies:
California received $1,795,256,381 (nearly 1.8 BILLION) in federal funds divided into the following categories:
70.8% was from Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance
13.9% was from TANF (a.k.a. WELFARE-food stamps, cash aid)
9.9% was from the Social Services Block Grant
4.2% was from Title IV-B CWS Promoting Safe & Stable Families
1.8% was from Medicaid
1% was from other federal services
That means that the State of CA received $1,271,041,517 (nearly 1.3 BILLION) in federal dollars from Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption assistance. To fully understand the problematic issues with this, you would need to understand how States qualify for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance funds. A bill was passed in 1997, which provides this money to the Department of Social Services in the amount of $4000- $6000 for each child they get adopted out. But wait...there’s more. In the book WARNING! The Truth about CPS, Don Lyons explains that it’s “just a starting figure in a complex mathematical formula in which each bonus is multiplied by the percentage that the state has managed to exceed its baseline adoption number. The states must maintain this increase in each successive year. [Like compound interest.]”. Basically it means that each year the state has to exceed the number of adoptions from the previous year in order to receive these funds. What?
When I first began to understand how it worked, I had to sit back and let it settle with me. I had such a hopeless feeling and the only thing flashing in my mind was the old quote "Money is the root of all evil.". Well yes, of course it is. Then I realized our government is not immune to greed, especially during tough economic times when funding for programs is dramatically cut. Another quote came to mind soon after that. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". I have no doubt that this bill was passed with good intentions. The need to get children adopted into permanent families is very important for a child instead of rotating them from numerous foster homes, group homes, etc. For children that were removed from their homes because legitimate allegations, finding them a permanent home and family is an amazing thing. However, in my opinion, nobody really looked at the huge holes in this bill. The simple fact that they need to exceed their baseline adoptions for the fiscal year, creates a child mill in which more and more children must enter the system each year in order to increase the number of adoptions out of foster care.
The bill that was passed includes a technical support assistance section "to assist State and local communities to reach their targets for increased numbers of adoptions”. It goes on to say the support is for “the development of best practice guidelines for expending the termination of parental rights…the development of special units and expertise in moving children toward adoption as a permanent goal; [and] models to encourage the fast tracking of children who have not attained one year of age into pre-adoptive placements without waiting for termination of parental rights.” By implementing these policies they are putting a bounty on the heads of American children…your children! CPS and DHHS are denying parents rights and setting parents up for failure before they walk out of your home with your child in hand. Without knowledge of their rights, parents have no chance to protect themselves and their children until it’s too late.
The Nation Center for Policy Analysis says it best: “The way the federal government reimburses States [actually] rewards a growth in the size of the program instead of the effective care of children.”
I often hear people upset about “lazy parents” that don’t take care of their kids and live off the “system” with taxpayers’ dollars. However, it is clear by the funding figures I provide above, that only 13% of funding is from TANF (aka Welfare). It is also amazing that 70.8% is for foster care and adoption assistance, but only 4.2% is to promote safe and stable families. Perhaps if our government promoted family preservation instead of family destruction, it would make crime rates go down, decrease inmate population, decrease the homeless population, decrease unemployment rates, and decrease the amount of welfare recipients. This in turn would probably decrease the amount of children that are abused and/or neglected.

Regional Transit lays off 37 employees

2010-04-20T02:42:41Z

If you're wondering how budget cuts go from abstract accounting to real life, read on: Below is the list of local Regional Transit bus routes that will cease to operate in June.

As part of its response to a budget crisis, Regional Transit laid off 37 employees Monday. An additional 14 employees accepted retirement incentives instead of layoffs, according to RT spokeswoman Alane Masui.

Monday's layoffs are expected to be followed by further job cuts; transit system officials plan to lay off about 200 employees in the coming months, Masui said. All told, RT is carrying out $11.7 million in cuts.

RT has not laid off employees since the early 1980s, Masui said, noting that the current and upcoming layoffs are "unfortunate" and "sad."

But it's not just jobs. Services will also be cut, which means fewer buses and slower light rail pickups. And nearly four dozen different RT bus lines will cease to operate on June 20.

Put simply: There will be a lot fewer buses running, and after the budget cuts are administered fully, the transit agency will no longer offer light rail and bus trips after 9 p.m. The cuts after 9 p.m. apply to trips that begin after 9 p.m., Masui clarified. Some trips that start before 9 p.m. will still finish their routes after 9 p.m.

RT will stop the following weekday bus routes: 4, 8, 9, 10, 18, 20, 36, 50E, 63, 73, 83, 89, 94, 95, 100, 101, 102, 104, 106, 107, 141, 142, 200, 201, 210, 226, 251, 261

The following Saturday bus routes will be cut: 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16, 24, 28, 54, 61, 65, 74, 143

RT is slashing the following Sunday bus routes: 8, 13, 14, 22

Photos by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Tretheway Denies Impact of RT's Bus Service Cuts on Natomas Residents

2010-04-03T01:02:40Z

As of June 20, weekend bus service in Natomas will be reduced dramatically. North Natomas loses all of its weekend bus service and South Natomas loses much of its weekend bus service, despite false assurances from incumbent city councilperson Ray Tretheway.

This week, in response to a fiscal emergency caused by reductions in state funding, the Sacramento Regional Transit District Board of Directors voted to cut bus and light rail services throughout the region, effective June 20. Tretheway is also on RT's Board of Directors.

According to RT's northwest route map, Natomas currently receives weekday service on Routes 11 (Truxel Road) and 89 (Gateway Oaks), with service 7 days a week on Routes 13 (Northgate), 14 (Norwood), 86 (San Juan - Silver Eagle), and 88 (West El Camino). Based on service reductions described in RT's published summary, bus routes 13 and 14 are losing their weekend service, and bus route 89 is being eliminated altogether.

Routes 13 and 14 were the only routes that included any North Natomas stops (see maps for Route 13 and Route 14), so this has the effect of cutting North Natomas off of weekend service entirely. South Natomas loses its critical Northgate weekend service, although routes 86 and 88 will continue their weekend runs -- at least for now.

Considering where all of the city's low income housing was constructed in the past several years (much of which is concentrated near Del Paso and Truxel Roads) and the economically challenged Northgate corridor, it appears Natomas residents with the least amount of resources were disproportionately impacted by these transit service cuts. These are our neighbors who are more likely to depend on public transit, many of whom have varying work schedules and are more likely to rely on weekend bus service to get to their jobs.

Candidates for the June 8 city council election responded to constituents’ concerns about these service cuts at a debate hosted by the Natomas Community Association Wednesday night, moderated by the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County.

Angelique Ashby responded with concern that Tretheway did not advocate for Natomas residents with the greatest need. “RT has been cut, and this week we took another huge disproportionate hit,” Ashby said. “I don't understand -- and Ray is on that board.”

Tretheway claimed that the bus service cuts would not have much of an impact on Natomas. "I'll assure you that no [bus] lines in Natomas, South or North, were cut, with one exception, for weekends at all," Tretheway said. "One goes through North Sacramento, ends up to Natomas Marketplace and out, so it's got, the last leg is Natomas. That one was cut on weekends. All the rest I fought to restore. They were on the cutting block a week ago Monday -- every one was restored."

However, upon carefully reviewing RT route maps, RT's Issue Paper, and the bulletin posted on RT’s home page, the only Natomas route that was restored from the original proposal was Route 13 (Northgate), and that restoration only applies to weekdays, not weekends. All of the other proposed Natomas service reductions were voted into effect, in spite of Tretheway's assurances to the contrary.

Either Tretheway is quite confused and does not know what he voted for this week in his capacity as an RT Board member, or he is being dishonest to his constituents. Neither is acceptable.

Residents throughout Natomas are tired of paying for services and not receiving their fair share. Many in North Natomas are sharing the same frustrations of broken promises that residents in South Natomas have been feeling for decades. In just two months, voters will have the opportunity to elect an intelligent and articulate leader who is willing to work together, build partnerships, listen to the community, and advocate for the region – someone who will fight for the people of Natomas and help our region and Sacramento as a whole meet its potential.

Keith Sharward is a Board member and co-founder of Witter Ranch Community Alliance and a member of the Natomas Crime & Safety Leadership Team. He endorses Angelique Ashby in her campaign for Sacramento City Council's District One (Natomas/Downtown).

Regional Transit board cuts: slower light rail, fewer buses

2010-03-30T05:48:05Z

Dozens of bus routes in the Sacramento region will vanish and light rail will slow down on the weekends as a result of sweeping Regional Transit budget cuts. The agency’s board of directors slashed bus, light rail and paratransit service Monday night to resolve a $10.6 million deficit.

One of the major budget fixes scales back night service seven days per week. The RT board decided that light rail, bus and paratransit trips that now begin after 9 p.m. will cease.

Public transportation will also be slower on weekends. Right now, light rail picks up passengers in 15-minute cycles during the weekend. The cuts mean that riders can catch the light rail every 30 minutes on weekends, explained Mike Wiley, RT’s general manager and CEO.

Cuts will take effect June 20.

While the board cut paratransit trips that begin after 9 p.m., that decision could be changed. Board Member Don Nottoli asked RT staff to look into ways that paratransit riders could take later rides.

Some paratransit riders expressed concern at the Monday meeting that they could be left on the street if they were out late.

Pamela Ross of Sacramento said that she takes paratransit late at night when she comes home from summer vacations. Ross, who uses a wheelchair and has two service animals, was worried that she wouldn’t have a paratransit ride home from the train station. She said she “really didn’t want to sleep in the train station at night.”

RT works with a private firm, Paratransit, Inc., to provide transit service for disabled residents.

The cuts yield $11.7 million, nearly $1 million more than the deficit, Wiley said. That extra million provides “wiggle room,” he said.

Wiley said that million-dollar cushion could be necessary because there are many assumptions in RT’s budget plans. The agency previously had a $25 million deficit, he said. The deficit number changed because recent state legislation moved $11.8 million to the agency. Before Monday, RT made more cuts and also found some new revenue opportunities, Wiley said. The state money, new revenue possibilities and new cuts brought the deficit down to $10.6 million, he explained.

However, the numbers are not set in stone, Wiley said. The new revenue possibilities — which include funds RT is hoping to receive from the federal government — will need to pan out.

An RT report for Monday’s meeting said the following weekday bus routes will disappear: 4, 8, 9, 10, 18, 20, 36, 50E, 63, 73, 83, 89, 94, 95, 100, 101, 102, 104, 106, 107, 141, 142, 200, 201, 210, 226, 251, 261

The report states that the following Saturday routes will end: 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16, 24, 28, 54, 61, 65, 74, 143

The following Sunday routes will stop service: 8, 13, 14, 22

Some bus routes will also have slower service on weekends.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

More Budget Cuts for Mental Health

2010-03-27T01:17:11Z

Once again, it seems the mentally ill do not matter. The Sacramento News & Review reported Thursday that the remaining clinics in Sacramento County that offer psychiatric support and medication may close July 1 because of budget cuts. They include El Hogar, HRC, Northgate Point, TCore, Visions Unlimited and the Wellness and Recovery Center. Thousands of clients will be affected.

A client who receives services at Northgate Point expressed this view: “I am so angered by the prospect that my mental-health clinic will probably be closing. I keep my doctor appointments and take my medication like I am supposed to and now none of that will matter. If my clinic closes, I do not know where I will go to get these services as I rely on the county to provide me with them. If I am not able to get my medication, I fear that I will be hospitalized and even may end up homeless.”

This is heart-wrenching news. Left untreated, many clients will end up in an emergency room, a psychiatric hospital, jail or on the street. Some may even DIE!

In what kind of world are we living?

I encourage people to call or write to their representative in Congress. Go to www.congress.org and type in your ZIP code to learn who your representative is.

For more information about the clinic closures, visit www.sacdoc.org/help.

Join Other Advocates in calling to Save Community Mental Health Care in Sacramento County

2010-03-24T21:25:26Z

Lend your voice today to remind the county Board of Supervisors that further cuts to mental health services will not solve the County's budget crisis as it will further hurt our communities. You can sign the petition in less than 30 seconds by clicking the link below:

www.change.org/actions/view/join_us_in_calling_to_save_community_mental_health_care_in_sacramento_county

Disabled residents urge RT to save paratransit services

2010-03-09T04:36:32Z

Many disabled local residents who regularly ride paratransit buses were among the approximately 250 people who turned out for a Monday afternoon public hearing on proposed cuts to Sacramento’s Regional Transit.

The disabled transit riders — which included many people in wheelchairs — urged the RT board of directors to maintain paratransit services.

In the 2011 fiscal year, RT predicts it will have a $25 million budget gap according to a statement on the RT website. The statement notes that RT has been hammered by low revenues from state and local taxes, as well as by the state’s discontinuation of State Transit Assistance funding. In addition, the statement points out that furloughs and the high unemployment rate have resulted in RT taking in less money from fares.

The board is analyzing nine different ways it could make cuts to balance its budget. RT is planning for layoffs to be part of the budget cuts.

RT’s board of directors will make a decision on budget cuts at its March 22 meeting. The cuts would take effect June 20.

At Monday’s hearing, many people waited in line outside the RT building at N and 29th Streets to enter the meeting rooms. Once the hearing room was filled, RT officials opened up several nearby rooms so that people could watch the hearing on televisions. At least 250 people attended the meeting, according to Mike Mattos, RT’s chief of facilities and business support.

Beverly King, who has used paratransit since 1979, said she started crying when she addressed the RT board. She said outside the meeting that she appreciates the service, and does not have an alternate transit service that she can use.

“We won’t be able to do things on the weekends,” King said.

Lilyann Mitchell told the board that the late civil rights activist Rosa Parks would have wanted the board to maintain services for disabled transit riders.

Mitchell was a personal friend of Parks — their friendship was the subject of a 2005 Sacramento Bee article.

Mitchell said that Parks, if she was still alive, would have said to the RT board: “Please do not deny the services of all these handicapped people.”

RT works with a private firm, Paratransit, Inc., to provide transit service for disabled residents.

There are no proposals to cut all paratransit services, according to Alane Masui, assistant general manager of marketing and communications for RT. While cuts are planned, the entire service would not be shut down, Masui said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sacramento school board approves layoffs to help solve budget deficit

2010-03-05T05:53:53Z

Sacramento school board approves layoffs to help solve budget deficit
About 430 teachers and other school staff, 125 central office workers would lose jobs

By Maria L. Lopez

March 4, 2010 – Elementary class sizes will be larger and about 430 teachers and other school staff would lose their jobs under a plan approved by the Sacramento school board Thursday night for millions of dollars in spending cuts to close a $30.6 million budget deficit.
The Sacramento City Unified School District board voted unanimously Thursday night to approve the cuts to take effect in the next school year unless the district’s unions join the administration in agreeing to concessions to stave off some of the cuts.
Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond said the school district must close a $30.6 million deficit for the 2010-11 budget. The board approved Raymond’s plan to lay off about 340 teachers, 60 counselors, social workers and psychologists, about 38 school administrators and five school clerical workers.
Class sizes in kindergarten through third grade will be increased from about 25 students per class to 30 students under the plan. An agreement by employee unions to accept concessions is still in discussion and could help save jobs and keep class sizes smaller.
“These cuts in the budget definitely will impact our ability to educate children. Class sizes would be larger and good teachers would be lost. But we are hopeful that our continuing discussions with our employee bargaining units will be successful and we will be able to avert some of the job losses and some of the class size increases,” Superintendent Raymond said.
Employee health care benefits have skyrocketed 50 percent over the past five years. Teachers pay virtually nothing for health care. If the employee bargaining units would agree to a $50 per month insurance premium and three furlough days, the same number of furlough days as Superintendent Raymond and other unrepresented employees, the district could save $5.1 million and save up to 68 teachers’ jobs. Teacher jobs saved means smaller class sizes.
SCUSD has cut spending or enhanced revenues by $144 million since 2002, including deep cuts in administrative budgets as enrollment has declined and state revenues have been slashed.
In the new budget, the administration will make even deeper cuts, saving $5.95 million by eliminating 87 central office jobs. About 63 central office administrative employees, in addition, will receive layoff notices. Another $15 million savings will come from spending cutbacks for such state programs as assistance to struggling students, supplemental school counseling, regional occupation programs, adult education and school and facility maintenance funds.
Raymond said the district will save another $950,000 by making buildings more energy efficient, $253,000 in an across-the-board cut of 10 percent in central office budgets. $170,000 by reducing the number of high schools offering summer school from five to two, $30,000 by eliminating some district employee cell phones, $47,000 in computer software reductions, $15,000 in lower storage costs, and $85,000 in special education reductions.

Central administration makes more budget cuts
Savings
Central office layoffs                                    $5.95 million
Central office 10% budget cut                   $253,000
Energy efficient buildings                           $950,000
Eliminating some district cell phones     $30,000
Eliminating storage sites                           $15,000

The superintendent said laying off teachers, counselors, custodians and other school workers, and packing more children into every classroom in kindergarten through third grade are the last things he wants to do.
“I am still hopeful that we will be able to reach an agreement with our employee unions and together we can reduce some of the impact of this very dire financial situation,” Raymond said.
California school districts are required under state law to notify teachers and other employees by March 15 of expected layoffs. School districts also are required on that day to report to the county offices of education their plans to balance their budgets for this year and the following two years.

Sacramento City Unified School District Web Site

This meeting of the Sacramento City School Board is videotaped in its entirety and will be cablecast without interruption on Metro Cable 14, the government affairs channel on the Comcast and SureWest Cable Systems. Today’s meeting will be replayed Sunday,

Or go to the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education Meeting Web Site to watch the archive video of the meeting

Sacramento Small Business Celebrate the Holidays in a BIG Way!

2009-11-29T07:29:42Z

There is no doubt that businesses in general have suffered through our ever-changing economy. Businesses on multiple levels have had to make sacrifices; downsizing, cutting salaries, furloughing, laying off, and certainly cutting expenses.Small business, especially in Sacramento, is no exception. One expense that seems to be a commonality, is the Company Holiday Party.

Historically, no matter how large or small an office or business is, company's have celebrated the holidays and their accomplishments with their partners, employees, and sometimes, vendors and customers. It is a time when people put work aside, and come together over food, drinks, entertainment and memories that often survive the company itself.

This year, small and medium sized businesses, consultants, solopreneurs, coaches, recruiters, relators and attorney's are all invited to participate in Get Networking Now's inaugural "Sacramento Region Company Holiday Party"! On Thursday, December 17, business owners, their employees, their vendors and key clients will enjoy a "BIG" celebration on a small business budget! Part of the proceeds will also benefit a local childrens' arts organization, Chalk It Up!

Chef Simon Mandell, co-owner of Courtyard D'Oro a new restaurant and banquet faciliaty in Old Sacramento, is preparing a "feast" for these hardworking entrepreneurs consisting of four cuisines, followed by dessert, dancing, music, entertainment. and "swag bags" with special offers, samples and promotions from local businesses. The event is scheduled from 6-10 pm at Courtyard D'Oro, which is located at 1700 Front Street under G Williker's Toy Emporium.

Ticket prices are $40 at the door, $35 presale. Special Pricing is available for small businesses with profiles on www.sacgnn.com and is FREE with paid monthly membership to Get Networking Now. Tickets may be purchased at: http://sacareacompanyparty.eventbrite.com/

Get Networking Now (SacGNN) is a local networking resource assisting small and medium sized businesses to grow "small talk" into "BIG Business" through education, training and networking events. SacGNN offers a free online community for local business owners to exchange leads, information, and resources and assist one another in growing their businesses in Sacramento.

For more information on this event, or Get Networking Now, please contact Rebecca Johnson 916-868-7562 or rebecca@sacgnn.com

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

A day in the boots of Sacramento's heroes: Oak Park's Station 6

2009-08-24T02:17:53Z

To call them simply “firefighters” is an understatement. The men of Station 6 of the Sacramento Fire Department in Oak Park do more than put out fires.

Out of more than 20 stations within the Sacramento Fire Department, the station is the busiest. Year after year, the station has also been ranked as one of the busiest in the nation.

During their time at the house, firefighters are on-call to respond to a wide range of calls. Many are legitimate life-threatening emergencies, but a number of them don’t necessarily warrant a 9-1-1 response. A faked seizure, a man unconscious in the bushes covered with ants and foaming at the mouth, a woman who claimed she had been assaulted by six men and a man in cardiac arrest while his young children looked on: These are the types of calls that I saw as I rode along for 24 hours with the firefighters from Station 6.

A typical day at the firehouse begins around 8 a.m. The firefighters must arrive ready to work, since the first call can come in at any time. The men (there are no women currently at Station 6) prepare for their shifts by checking out the rigs, making sure tools are running properly and discussing the types of calls that came in during the previous shift. Also, because of recent budget cuts and the resulting “brownouts,” the firefighters must know which engines might be out of service at nearby stations, which can result in additional calls for them to pick up.

The station works in three different groups (A, B and C) with each shift lasting 48 hours, with four days off in between. They work with the same crew each rotation, which creates a strong camaraderie among them.

The firehouse serves as a sort of home away from home for the firefighters. A dormitory room has mattresses and storage cabinets lining the walls and is generally only used when sleeping. The day room houses recliners and a TV and is located directly near the kitchen, where the firefighters take turns cooking each shift - and they certainly know their way around the kitchen. They are given set a budget for grocery shopping at the beginning of each shift and also contribute out of their own pockets.

"When we go to the store, people will joke and ask what they are buying us today, but people don't realize that we will actually put in money from our own pockets as well...," said firefighter Jeff Switkowski.

On the day of our visit, the firefighters dined on homemade bacon cheeseburgers and fruit for lunch, and carnitas, rice and beans for dinner. At any given moment, a call can come into the station and the firefighters have to leave their meals half-eaten.

In between calls, the members of the crew stay busy watching movies, reading, exercising or fine-tuning their job skills with drills. Typically, they will practice one drill a day to stay efficient for situations they might not regularly encounter. On my visit, the crew demonstrated their rescue skills with an elaborate ropes and pulley system while Switkowski, the youngest of the firefighters, played the “victim” and was “rescued” from the roof of the station and lowered to the ground in a metal gurney.

Station 6 is home to Truck 6, Engine 6 and Medic 6, as well as Battalion Chief Niko King‘s red SUV. Depending on the type of emergency, either one or a combination of the vehicles will respond to the call. There are six different panels located around the house with four differently colored lights that give information as to the type of call and who needs to respond. White signals King, blue signals the medic, green signals the engine and red signals the truck.

Both the truck and engine hold rescue equipment and tools, but the main difference between the two rigs is that the engine holds 500 gallons of water and the truck has a ladder.

When someone calls 9-1-1, the dispatcher will determine which station should answer the call, and an alarm is sounded at that particular house. A printer automatically feeds out information about the call and location and more information about the call is provided on the computer screen in each rig.

Two engineers, Eric Munson and Robert Knaggs on this particular shift, are responsible for navigating the truck and engine through the narrow streets of Oak Park. Unfortunately, many drivers give little regard to the blaring sirens and fail to pull aside as required by law. The engineers often have to drive down the center of the road or weave in and out of traffic because of uncooperative drivers.

Of around 20 calls (not including canceled calls) that came in throughout the 24 hours, only two were actual fires. The first, at around 9:30 a.m., was a grass fire on 65th Street and Folsom Boulevard that had to spread to several storage units. The second fire, also a grass fire, came at around 10 p.m. and was behind Cal Expo near the levee.

The response to fires is organized chaos. To the untrained eye, it might seem like a lot of men running around spraying hoses, but there is actually a precise chain of command and specific protocol during each call. Upon arrival, the battalion chief surveys the situation and the best way to go about putting out the fire. Each firefighter has someone to report to. The battalion chiefs are responsible for two captains, who are each responsible for several firefighters.

Rather than fire, most calls are from people who require medical attention because of either accidents or illnesses. Upon arriving to a call for a medical emergency, each firefighter is responsible for a specific duty. Vital signs are checked and medical history and health insurance information is gathered while the firefighters wait for the medics to arrive. If the patient or victim can't communicate, medical history is taken from family members or anyone else present. Information is then transferred to a computer and then input to yet another computer system at the hospital.

The computers, which were installed in medic vehicles around a year ago, are supposed to streamline the emergency room process, but seems to instead slow things down as medics have to wait in line to check their patient in.

On some calls, the firefighters provide more medical attention than the medics might. This was the case Saturday morning, when a woman was unresponsive due to low blood sugar. After administering IV dextrose, the firefighters transported her to the hospital for further treatment. The firefighters saved her life, as she could have slipped into unconsciousness were it not for their quick actions.

Many people often wonder why so many firefighters are required to respond to certain calls. The importance of manpower was clearly demonstrated by a call that came Friday evening for a man in cardiac arrest. There were six different medics and firefighters attempting to revive him, and it was necessary for multiple people to administer CPR, monitor his heart and lift him onto the stretcher for transport.

While many of the calls that come into the department are from people who actually need emergency medical attention, many others abuse the 9-1-1 system and use the ambulances as a sort of Golden Ticket into the emergency room in hopes of being seen sooner.

"Many people are trained to think that if they see blood, they should call 9-1-1," said one firefighter.

Calls such as the woman who was dehydrated at a Church’s Chicken, the man who had back pain from his sciatic nerve or the woman who was intoxicated and fell from her front porch can seem like a waste of the firefighters’ valuable time when there are actual emergencies to be attended to. Still, the firefighters treat all of their patients with the utmost decency and respect. They talk to victims and patients as if they are friends, genuinely concerned with their well-being.

A call early Saturday morning brought them to an unconscious man laying in bushes, covered in ants, and paramedics tried to coax him awake. "Hey buddy, can you open your eyes for me? There are ants all over you, you don't want to lay out here," a paramedic said. He had most likely overdosed on drugs and was incoherent, yet they spoke to him politely, as if he could hear and understand.

Stories are often exchanged, whether around the firehouse dinner table or riding to or from a call, and it’s clear that the firefighters have seen more than their fair share of disturbing and gruesome scenes. Over dessert, Capt. Michael Wolfe recalled a gunshot wound that went in through a man’s groin and came out the other side. Firefighter Jeff Klein recalled a time he entered a car after the driver shot his passenger, who was also his brother. Upon pulling his hooded sweatshirt down from his head, the man’s brain fell from his skull.

Calls like these are shocking to hear discussed at the dining room table casually as if they are discussing weekend plans. However, such disturbing calls are a daily occurrence for the crew. To be able to continue with the job, they have to be able to downplay the shock and use coping mechanisms like humor after witnessing horrific accidents.

"We are exposed to some pretty awful things at times. There are definitely some triggers that will require a supervisor to put together a critical incident stress debriefing, such as an infant death or traumatic injuries," King said. "Most firefighters will joke about the things that stress us out as a way to not just keep it bottled up inside...We deal with the stresses of the job along with our successes as ups and downs within the team."

Another challenge the firefighters face is sleep. Getting quality sleep in a firehouse is almost impossible, and a night's sleep becomes a series a short naps. When a call comes in, the lights in the dorm immediately turn on, and the firefighters must load into the rigs just as if they had been awake. On Friday night, there were a total of 10 calls after midnight, which is more than the average of six for the weekend.

False alarms are common, and two came during our stay. The firefighters got out of bed, dressed and loaded into the rigs only to make a U-turn minutes after pulling out of the station driveway. Even more frustrating was when, on returning from a call, the battalion truck was flagged down by a man claiming to have been held up at knife point. After determining that they could return to the firehouse and return to sleep, a call came in around an hour later, only for the firefighters to arrive and realize the same man had called again and did not actually need any sort of medical attention.

While the crew is used to the constant waking and sleeping routine, it is a huge adjustment for someone used to uninterrupted sleep. As King explained it, to cope with the constant interruptions, it is common to only fall into shallow sleep patterns. Subconsciously they know that on a minute’s notice they could be fighting a fire or saving a life, which requires their alertness, so it is perhaps imperative that they don't sleep deeply.

At the end of an exhausting 24 hours, the firefighters are revving up for the next 24, never knowing what the day will bring. Their lives could be threatened in a massive structure fire, they could save numerous lives or they could be roused from their sleep to answer a call for someone with a simple earache.

But they are ready to go wherever needed and so they wait, with smiles on their faces, for the alarm to sound.

To see the rest of the photos from our 24-hour ride along, click here

For more information about Station 6, visit the station's website.

All photos taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography

Editor's Note: The Sacramento Press editorial department made corrections to this story after it was published .

Residents seek ways to maintain parks services

2009-07-01T04:18:42Z

For residents who care about their local parks, the city’s budget cuts to parks maintenance could mean that volunteering may become a necessity instead of an occasional activity. A few neighborhood groups are now talking to city staffers about how they can volunteer to maintain parks, according to Parks and Recreation Director Jim Combs.

In one of its many budget cuts, the city slashed the parks department by $8.3 million for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. Pink slips were sent to 65 workers in the department; they are scheduled to be laid off Thursday. The total number of parks workers to be laid off this week was unclear, but acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson said the layoff figures are “moving numbers” at this point.

The handful of groups interested in maintaining parks to address budget cuts are a small number of volunteers amid the thousands of volunteers the department sees each year. About 11-to 12,000 volunteers give their time to the department each year, according to Combs.

The Sacramento United Soccer Club is interested in enhancing field maintenance at parks they use for soccer games, Combs said.

A group of senior residents in North Natomas is also contacting the city because they want to be in charge of upkeep at their local Willow Park, Combs noted.

Parks and Recreation has posted on its website information about how budget cuts will limit services at summer camps and community centers, on park maintenance, pools and park restrooms.

In a related development, Mayor Kevin Johnson is promoting Volunteer Sacramento, his volunteering program. The HandsOn Sacramento group and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) are working with Johnson on the program.

“It’s incredibly important to remind everyone that we have down times in terms of our economy, [and] you need everyday citizens to play a role and help out,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday.

He said he wants to see Sacramento lead all cities in the state on the number of volunteer hours from citizens.

Information on how to volunteer with Johnson’s program is available here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

2nd annual California Children's Rally

2009-06-24T21:53:25Z

A swarm of children took over the Capitol Tuesday to defend education in the face of massive budget cuts.

Ranging in age from eight years old to 18 years old, students from all over California sought to answer the question, "What is the purpose of public schools?"

The Children's Rally, coordinated by Sandra Tsing Loh, an author and member of the Burning Moms organization, is a congregation of young students as participatory citizens in the political dialogue of their state legislature.

The Burning Moms originated as a group of parents, fathers included, who had frustrations about the education system in California. “I'm a Proposition 13 baby, and my children continue to be affected by the way funding is done in California,” said Loh.

The purpose of the event was to, “Get our children in the habit of coming to the Capitol and meeting with their legislature,” Loh added.

The style of activism is “more hands-on, more creative, and uses what we know about the Internet,” she said. The Burning Moms work in a Burning Man spirit, the week-long annual event in the Black Rock desert of Nevada that celebrates art and community, and commissioned students to install a giant, interpretive art piece on the Capitol steps.

This year the Children’s Rally coincided with Senator Gloria Romero’s informational hearing on SB 604, which would obtain input from students, parents, teachers, and members of the public about the mission of public education in California, and include a preamble to the Education Code.

Senator Romero, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, highlighted the purpose of the hearing in an interview, “We want to hear from students; they are rarely represented in California.”

In the span of an hour and a half, several elementary, middle and high school students took the stand to testify on their school experiences and to provide feedback for reform measures. Almost every student addressed increasing sizes in classrooms and a general lack of funding.

“It is important that a classroom has proper equipment, but equipment is nothing if there isn’t a teacher who has a good salary,” said 11-year-old Amira Telloch.

Telloch continued to express her hopes for the future of education, “It is also important to have a fun, nice, clean and safe school system that celebrates diversity, encourages ideas, is open to change, listens to all ideas from adults and children, and provides a good education for all children who seek one.”

Heather Wiley Cox, a soon-to-be fifth grader in Burbank County, was deeply concerned about the trouble students will have as a result of bigger classrooms. “There will be more children that will have trouble focusing and will be getting less assistance from their teachers,” she said.

She touched on Proposition 13 and addressed the legislative body saying the proposition, “corrupted your inability to balance our state’s budget,” and she demanded, “Roll up your sleeves, drop your agenda, and take a good look at what our state needs.”

The audience was taken aback by the passion and eloquence in her speech, as with many other young students, hearing the word "wow," circulate the room quickly.

After the hearing the children and their parents convened on the West Steps of the Capitol for a kazoo parade. State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, led the tune, "Saints go Marching In," for the kazoo parade and expressed his gratitude for student participation in the day’s events.

Assembly woman Julia Brownley also made an appearance at the event. Sandra Tsing Loh led her to the interactive art installation equipped with a spinning wheel to see what will be cut next from the budget. The installation was political in nature, commenting on legislation that “goes nowhere” at times, said Assembly woman Brownley.

Senator Romero said she is trying to combat this by focusing the Education Code with a mission statement, “If we had a clear direction and purpose, I think we could begin to answer the question and to provide for stronger certitude as to what we expect from our public school system.”

This direction begins with the students themselves. The diversity in their backgrounds, coming from magnet, public, and technology specific schools showed the solidarity among young people in regards to the future of education. “You talk about how if you do this you will be saving the future of the state, but you are cutting the education of the children that are the future of the state,” said Wiley Cox.

Students from Los Angeles to San Francisco were able to mingle with important state figures yesterday, and their voices were heard. In these trying times, young students are recognizing the difficulty of looking to the future of education, and they are doing something about it.

For more information, click the following links:
California Children's Rally
The Burning Moms
Senate Bill Number 604

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.

Demonstrators ride across state, protest HIV cuts

2009-06-11T06:09:08Z

Carla Tuff rode one of 12 buses that departed Los Angeles at 3 a.m. today to join an estimated 1,500 people protesting statewide HIV service cuts at the Capitol. The "Fight for Your Life" rally was organized by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation along with other HIV and AIDS awareness organizations.

Tuff said she was one of 58 other protestors who rode a bus from the Tarzana Treatment Center in Los Angeles, where she has received medical and mental treatment as an HIV-positive patient for the past several years.

"If they stop our medications ... I won't be able to raise my kids," Tuff said.

Now 44 years old, Tuff said she was 26 and pregnant with her first child when she was diagnosed HIV-positive. The father of both her children died from the disease. Her children, who are 16 and 17 years old now, are HIV-negative because of treatment she has received.

"Thank God that they are negative," she said.

Chris Vigiano, a social worker who participated in the rally on behalf of the Tarzana Treatment Center, explained that the $80.1 million cuts from public health care will curb AIDS and HIV programs such as HIV counseling, epidemiology studies, case management, surveillance and AIDS drug assistance programs.

"The proposed budget cuts are basically jeopardizing services for our clients," Vigiano said. "If state funds won't be able to support guidelines of federal grants, [it will be] detrimental to the HIV community."

For more information on the statewide rallies against HIV cuts, visit the following link.

*Author’s notes: All photos courtesy of Ed Fogle; click the following link to view website: Maverick Photography.

District Attorney: budget crisis means justice won't be served

2009-05-14T03:02:32Z

Elder abuse. Major narcotics. Community prosecution.

These are just a few of the key units in the county district attorney’s office that would be eliminated if the office has to make $13.1 million more in cuts to help balance the county’s budget.

Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully gave the Board of Supervisors a dire outlook Wednesday of how the public would suffer from proposed cuts to the D.A.’s office.

The county’s most recent figure for its budget deficit is $180 million, said Kerri Aiello, a county public information officer.

“Rest assured, with these kind of cuts, if I have to close a $13.1 million gap, justice is not going to be served in this community,” Scully said.

The department would need to make 109 layoffs and remove entire units to fill the $13.1 million hole, she said.

Units that would be entirely removed include major narcotics, community prosecution, special investigation, statutory rape, elder abuse and child abduction.

Scully said other units that would not be eliminated but have already been cut or will be cut include homicides, gangs, domestic violence, adult sexual assault, victim witness advocates, juvenile hall, and special assault and child abuse.

“It’s not a pretty picture,” Scully said.

She explained that the D.A.’s child abduction unit prosecutes cases in which a non-custodial parent violates the law by taking a child from the custodial parent. The proposed budget cuts mean that those particular child abduction cases “likely would not be prosecuted,” Scully said.

She told the county supervisors that serious or violent cases under the major narcotics unit would still be prosecuted by the D.A.’s office. However, she noted that cases involving major narcotics would be folded into a “general felony” category. This means that a major narcotics case “now becomes one case in a caseload of a smorgasbord of crimes,” she said.

Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan asked Scully if she has reason to believe the D.A.’s office would receive federal stimulus funding.

Scully said the office has applied for $10 million in federal stimulus dollars. However, she explained outside the meeting that the she didn’t think it was likely the office would be awarded the entire amount for which it applied. She said the stimulus funds were “too uncertain.”

Two more workshops on the county’s budget crisis will be held this week at the Board of Supervisor’s chambers at 700 H St. Workshops on both Thursday, May 14, and Friday, May 15, will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Here’s a breakdown from Scully on the 109 layoffs:
46 attorneys

18 investigators
6 victim advocates
12 investigative staff
3 criminalists
24 support staffers

Firefighters dispute city's argument on layoffs; others fear planned cuts

2009-05-05T03:17:51Z

The local firefighters’ union is objecting to city management’s comments about Sacramento's budget crunch and possible layoffs for fire department staff.

At the same time, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership and Sacramento’s neighborhood services department both expressed concerns Monday about the potential budget cuts being considered by the city.

The proposed 2009/2010 city budget, released Friday, seeks to address a $50 million deficit. The City Council will address the proposed budget at its May 19 meeting.

Among other cuts, the budget proposes to lay off 189 city employees. The budget calls for 387 positions to be slashed. Because 198 of those positions are vacant, the city would need to lay off 189 staffers, according to a city spokeswoman.

Chris Harvey, spokesman for the Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522, said he disagreed with the way the city is framing its argument that firefighters need to give up scheduled pay increases.

The city is arguing that there must be concessions from the union or there will be layoffs.

“That argument is disingenuous,” Harvey said, adding that the city can choose how it spends its general fund monies.

Still, Harvey said that the union’s current negotiations with the city are going well.

Wendy Klock-Johnson, city records manager and acting spokeswoman, responded to Harvey’s criticism. She said Harvey is correct, in the sense that the city does not have a set plan that says it must reduce staff when it is in a difficult financial situation.

The city works very hard to minimize reduction of staff whenever possible, Klock-Johnson said.

Sacramento’s budget document states that the fire department would lose 50 positions and $5 million. Gus Vina, a Sacramento assistant city manager, said last week that if the firefighters’ union gives up scheduled pay increases for firefighters, the city would not need to make the cuts.

Meanwhile, Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, is concerned that the proposed budget cuts could damage the quality of life downtown.

He raised concerns about possible impacts to downtown parks.

“We need to be careful that we’re not reducing to the extent that we lose the ability to maintain the environment down here,” he said.

The budget proposal is also worrisome to the city’s Neighborhood Services Department. Vincene Jones, the department’s director, said every department is going to have to make hard decisions about its budget.

She said she’s afraid that if her department loses one or two people, it will affect the department’s “personal touch” in its work. Jones noted that the department works with many groups outside of city government, including SMUD, Home Depot, PG&E, and Loaves and Fishes. Neighborhood Services also supports every city department, she said.

Jones said she hopes the community will work with the department, understand the city’s tough financial situation and adjust to the “missing pieces.”

Vina said last week that the city wants all of its unions to make concessions. The sole union at this time that has made concessions is the Sacramento Police Officers Association. The union ceded July salary increases for its members so police department positions would not be cut.

At this point, several other unions have not made concessions.

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.

A 'March in March' for education

2009-03-12T06:02:34Z

A march for education will begin at Raley Field March 16 and end at the Capitol, where a crowd of thousands of students, teachers, administrators is expected to recognize the importance of affordable education for all.

Students and teachers are hopeful their voices will be heard. Instructors throughout the Los Rios Community College District are encouraging their students to get out there on Monday at 10 a.m. for the beginning of the march.

“Community colleges are the backbone, especially in a bad economy, for students,” says Sacramento City College political science professor Paul Frank. “If community college students stop being political, they’re going to lose whatever they have or want. By going to this march, they are [saying] very loudly ‘We want a strong community college system in California.’”

This will be one of many concerns voiced at this colossal march to the Capitol. Estimates for the upcoming school year show that the upcoming budget cuts will be at the expense of thousands of incoming freshmen at UCs and CSUs. This makes them turn to the community colleges, where they will also have difficulty. The March in March Web site www.iwillmarch.com says "the State must more realistically plan for and fund our Community College safety net, so education standards are not compromised."

The students will not be alone in this fight. Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, Assemblymember Sandré Swanson, and Assemblymember Warren Furutani are among the guests expected to speak at the Capitol.

Student Senate of California Community Colleges Vice President Troy Carter says that Sacramento students will be directly affected by this march because the people participating in it are "maintaining access to a quality higher education throughout this economic recession," which is essential during the recession.

SSCCC President Richael Young, who will be one of the speakers at the Capitol, suggests that it is in the best interest of the state to invest in students.

"We are asking our legislators to fund higher education," Young says. "They sometimes ask us, 'Where's the money to come from? What's your solution to this fiscal crisis?' Well, we are the solution. We are their best investment. For every dollar invested in education, three are returned in the form of increased tax revenues and economic activity. That's what the rally is about-- financially supporting the state's most valuable assets: its students."

Fear of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's possible budget cuts looms over students. Supposedly, the word from the Capitol is that by next semester, tuition costs for community college students may increase from $20 a unit to $40. Even if it doesn't go up that high, students won't want to pay any more than they already do.

Marchinmarch.com recalls a similar circumstance: "When fees were raised from $11 to $26 per unit, community colleges lost over 300,000 students."

A decrease in attendance at community colleges would be detrimental to Californians because they allow them the chance to pursue a degree that they could not afford elsewhere. If people weren’t earning as many degrees, they would have no chance to get jobs in this competitive economy.

The pursuit of accessible education is a necessary fight. The state needs to listen to the needs of its students because they are its future. March 16 will be the chance for their voices to be heard.

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