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 an

The Sacramento Parks and Recreation department has responded to local calls for more community gardens by slating two new sites to be publicly cultivated , bringing the total number of city community gardens to seven. One of the fresh gardening plots is on the downtown grid - E and 8th in Zapata Park - and is planned to be opened to the public by the end of the year. The other is in North Oak Park and will be sprouting next spring. Locally grown produce is a burgeoning attraction for Sacramentans and Community Garden Coordinator Bill Maynard has taken note. "We've seen a dramatic increase in interest recently," he said. "In a 2008 Master Plan Development survey, more than 10 percent of su

Two weeks after taking office in December, Mayor Kevin Johnson launched a ballot reform initiative to expand the executive powers of the Sacramento mayor, suggesting that enhanced executive powers would make city government more efficient and accountable. It would also make him one of the more powerful executives in any California city. Throughout its short, tumultuous life, the so-called "strong mayor initiative" has been praised or criticized by citizen groups as either a democratizing modern reform or a gateway to tyrannical government. Last Friday, the primary group promoting the change, Sacramentans for Accountable Government, presented City Hall with a petition to put the initiativ

Kings fans welcomed their new players to Sacramento. This was in a small neighborhood Midtown park. Attendance was reported as a few hundred. Pretty low turnout for such an event. The event was arranged at the last minute and in a venue that had never been used by the Kings before.  Another regionally advertised event, The Block Concert Series, was occuring at the same time.  The neighborhood was freaked out when high powered pyrotechnics were illegally fired into the neighborhood at the end of this event. This was callous disregard for the safety of the lives and property of this neighborhood.  To understand the full implications of what occurred, speak with Niko King or Jim Doucette  in

Friday, the group organizing the campaign to provide Sacramento’s mayor with more power delivered to City Hall signatures of residents who favor a “strong mayor” city government. The paperwork that contained the signatures filled 13 boxes, said acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson. The idea of changing Sacramento’s current “council-manager” system to a “strong mayor” format continues to be controversial. The group, Sacramentans for Accountable Government, brought signatures to City Hall to meet requirements to put the “strong mayor” proposal on an upcoming ballot. Mayor Kevin Johnson supports the "strong mayor" campaign. At the same time, the city’s Charter Review Committee is exa

The Sacramento Bee reported on Wednesday, June 3 that Mayor Kevin Johnson is relaunching his campaign to change the city's charter from a shared governance model to a strong mayor model. Sacramentans for Accountable Government (SAG), the organization coordinating the campaign, intends to submit petition signatures to the city by June 28. Most likely, the issue will not make the ballot until June 2010. Sacramentans for Accountable Government was formed by Johnson supporters and is largely funded by local real estate developers. In January 2009, Kim Mack (who was the Director of Sacramento for Obama) received a great deal of flack for sharing contact information of Obama volunteers with the

 On Thursday, I'll be holding my third Town Hall meeting since being elected Mayor a little over 100 days ago. These sessions are designed to let you weigh in directly on the issues facing our city -- whether it's the city budget, the economy, homelessness, or a problem in your neighborhood. The first two Town Halls each attracted more than 300 neighbors -- an enthusiastic turnout. And while I do some talking, I'm mainly there to listen to you. Yes, your opinion really does matter. So join me: Thursday, March 19th 7 - 8 p.m. Msgr. Kavanagh Community Center (formerly St. Rose Social Hall) 5905 Franklin Blvd. I will be joined by Vice Mayor Lauren Hammond, who represents District 5.

The Neighborhood Summit 2009 On Friday March 6 Sacramento City’s Neighborhood Services Department sponsored a Neighborhood Summit in the Convention Center.  The slogan on the cover page was “Good Neighborhoods = A Great City. Neighborhood Services Director, Vincene Jones and staff did a highly commendable job of organizing and executing the event. Those attending the summit consisted of city staff, people from non-profit businesses, neighborhoods and neighborhood associations. Senator Darrell Steinberg was the Guest Speaker and delivered a short but inspiring summary of his history as a young man who lived in Tahoe Park Neighborhood starting with his neighborhood involvement where reside