Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "darrell steinberg"

Think Big 100-day report: Immigrant investors and parking potential

2011-09-09T05:17:02Z

A federal funding program allowing foreign investors to provide low-interest loans in return for green cards was one potential arena funding source highlighted in the long-awaited Think Big Sacramento Committee report, which was revealed to the public at a Sacramento Press Club luncheon Thursday.

The program, while not a solution in its own right, could buy time, allowing publicly owned land to increase in value for sale at a higher rate, according to officials. Both of those options are parts of the “menu of options” the Think Big Sacramento group was tasked with providing earlier this year.

More than 120 business leaders, a few Kings fans and most of Sacramento’s media gathered for the presentation of the 50-page report detailing financing options to build an entertainment and sports complex in Sacramento’s railyards.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and many of the 72 members of the region-wide committee known as Think Big Sacramento, including co-chairs state Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento and State Senator Ted Gaines of Roseville, were present to speak and to hear from arena finance expert Dan Barrett about various ways to build an arena in a challenging economy.

And Barrett had to do that within strict parameters set by the mayor to acknowledge that the public is in no mood for new, broad taxes.

The Nexus Report – so-named because each financing method on the menu has a direct connection to the new complex – identifies three main revenue categories: private investment, public participation and user fees.

Included among the many options discussed in the report are the sale of city property, the introduction of ticket surcharges and public-private partnerships for lease-back payments and private investment money.

None of that is new, though – Think Big has put out one report after another over the past four months describing those aspects of the project.

What was new Thursday was a proposed funding mechanism called EB5 – a federal program that allows foreign investors to provide low-interest loans in return for green cards.

The EB5 program has been around for 20 years, and it has been a successful means of getting up-front investment capital for public projects.

According to the U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services, the EB5 program is a pathway for an immigrant investor to “gain lawful permanent residence for themselves and their immediate family.”

The program requires a minimum capital investment of $500,000 to $1 million, and the projects funded must “create or preserve 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers” within two years.

“EB5 is a mechanism, not a source,” Jackson said. “Its a loan – the money has to be paid back, so it doesn’t really solve the problem.”

But it does buy time.

If the market isn’t quite right to sell public property, EB5 funding can bridge the gap until actual revenues start to flow from what is now being called the Entertainment and Sports Complex, or ESC for short, according to Chris Lehane, Think Big executive director.

“It allows us the flexibility to move forward with the project,” Lehane said.

EB5 funding works something like a “bridge loan” in residential financing: a short-term, low-interest loan that makes money immediately available for initial construction.

“It isn’t a silver bullet,” said Barrett, founder of Barrett Sports Group, a sports management consulting firm. “Multiple revenue streams are still going to be required to make (a new arena) a reality.”

One of those “multiple streams” discussed in Thursday’s report comes from the income potential of parking opportunities in the downtown area.

“The city has a few options (on parking),” Jackson said, “and depending on which way (City Council) decides to go, we could get a good amount of money from it.”

Parking options under consideration include selling the city parking inventory to a private party, or leasing the city’s parking assets to a third party and collecting lease payments.

“A public-private partnership with parking would give us money up front,” Jackson said, “and we could maintain control long-term. That puts less pressure on (the city) having to get bonds to help pay for the (sports) complex.”

Jackson said that, although the specifics of parking revenue options still need to be hammered out, “it does have a lot of potential to help solve funding issues.”

The Think Big Sacramento initiative was launched in June and includes a group of 72 business, community and public leaders from the Sacramento region.

The report released Thursday is the result of the committee researching financing options and gathering support for the project under a self-imposed deadline of 100 days.

Think Big Sacramento has until March to firm up a plan for a new arena or the Sacramento Kings will have another opportunity to file a request with the NBA to relocate the team.

Think Big Sacramento committee members will make a formal presentation to the City Council Sept. 13, setting the stage for the next step toward building a new entertainment sports complex in Sacramento.

“This is an innovative approach to financing a project like this,” said Jeremiah Jackson, Think Big Sacramento project manager.

“Other cities just pass a sales tax and pay for an arena,” Jackson said, “That’s simple, but it doesn’t have a direct connection to the facility.”

If the last attempt to get taxpayers to foot the bill is any indication, it’s not what the public wants, either: In 2006, a quarter-cent sales tax to help pay for an arena was overwhelmingly voted down by Sacramento county voters.

Still, public enthusiasm has remained solidly in favor of a new sports and entertainment complex in Sacramento.

“Five months ago, it was all but certain the Kings would be moving to Anaheim,” Johnson said. “But, the community stepped up and said, ‘We aren’t going to sit on our hands and do nothing.’ ”

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

Save Sunny's Campaign is About Restoring Fairness, Local Control to State Law

2011-08-26T01:26:04Z

Anyone who's been following the Save Sunny's Market campaign, might wonder how we got to this point. In short, state law allows the negligent actions of a previous business owner to impact the potential success of a new owner. After researching the legislative history, the answer to why this is the case is somewhat mysterious.

The legislation in question is AB 1042 (Chapter 538, Statutes of 1996), authored by Assemblywoman Dede Alpert, and came about to "reduce the number of applications for liquor licenses by premises who have continually been denied a license and thus reducing the impact that these 'unwarranted' applications have on communities."

Specifically, residents of the Linda Vista community in San Diego claim to have spent over 575 hours and given up $11,570 in wages fighting entities who repeatedly applied for an alcohol license without addressing the issues initially causing the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to reject their applications. This is a seemingly legitimate grievance, right?

Well, at the time, ABC already had an existing regulation in place that denied a license to any premises that had its application denied or license revoked in the preceding 12-months. But it was still possible for an operator to reapply for a license annually, even if their application was denied year after year. And the Linda Vista community was tired of fighting the same battles, so they contacted Asm. Alpert to rectify the situation.

But here's where things get really interesting. The ABC regulation also had a provision that allowed the Department to waive this rule "when the reasons that caused the denial no longer exist." In other words, prior to AB 1042, ABC had the authority to approve a new owner's application at the same premises if a transfer of ownership occured within the 12-month period.

Somehow, though, that regulation ended up becoming codified in AB 1042 without the clause granting ABC the authority to consider scenarios whereby "the reasons that caused the denial no longer exist." Remember, all of these restrictions are on the site itself, regardless of who is the operator. In reaction, the California Grocers Association stated their opposition to the bill as follows:

AB 1042 focuses on the premises rather than the operator. It is the irresponsible operator, not the premises, that causes a license to be revoked. If the irresponsible operator manages to get his/her license revoked twice within a 36 month period, the premises would be ineligible for a license for two years, no matter who wished to operate at that location.

Similarly, committee consultant Jim Branham wrote in his analysis:

The longer waiting period may cause economic loss to the owner of the property. It may be preferable to allow the ABC the flexibility to continue to deal with these requests on a regulatory, not a statutory, basis.

(Editor's Note: Statutes are authored by the Legislature and, therefore, trump regulations which are promulgated by state agencies.)

Translation: the current dillema faced by the Patel family was completely foreseen. But it's also a testament to the manner in which decision-making has moved away from local communities.

Yes, there are some residents who don't want Sunny's to sell alcohol. However, the vast majority of us do and we don't even have the opportunity to collectively decide the matter as a neighborhood because lawmakers decided that they know better than we do.

I realize most folks might have a hard time setting aside the issue of Sunny's acquiring a license from the fundamental unfairness in the law, but those really are two different things. In any application for an alcohol license, a transparent, public process exists for residents to voice their concerns and ABC must consider those concerns in determining whether or not to grant the license.

But AB 1042 took away our ability to even have that conversation in the first place.

Disclosure: I live one-half block from Sunny's as a renter and have no financial conflict of interest. I just want the Patel family to succeed. I'm managing the campaign through pro bono services.

Practical Solution to Save Sunny's Market within Sight

2011-08-23T17:11:35Z

Thanks to the support of so many Marshall School/New Era Park (MSNEP) residents, the Save Sunny's Market campaign was able to deliver eleven pages of petition signatures to the offices of Assemblymember Roger Dickinson and Senator Darrell Steinberg yesterday. The 165 signatures demonstrate broad-based neighborhood support for the new operators of Sunny’s Market to acquire a beer and wine license.

If you are just hearing about this issue for the first time, Josh and Monica Patel – the new owners of Sunny’s, are at risk of closing their doors due to the negligent actions of the previous owner who violated the law several times by selling alcoholic beverages to underage decoys.

Under current law, if there are multiple violations within a specific timeframe, not only is an operator’s license revoked, but the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control must impose a one-year cooling off period on the site itself, even if there is a transfer of ownership.

Upon acquiring the business, the new owners were unaware that the actions of the previous owner would impact their ability to successfully run a small business. This unfairness led to the formation of a grassroots campaign to save Sunny’s Market.

The campaign is asking lawmakers to approve a minor change in the law that would keep the mandatory one-year cooling off period in place, but also allow this provision to be overridden if a new owner acquires the business and a majority of nearby residents sign a petition in support of the new operator’s intent to acquire a license.

Existing law does not provide a way around the mandatory one-year cooling off period, even if a responsible owner takes over the business and neighbors support the new operator possessing a license. Midtown residents in support of the campaign are asking Asm. Dickinson and Sen. Steinberg to author the necessary changes in law to shift accountability from the state down to residents at the local level. Government works best when decisions can be made at a level that is closest to the people.

Because September 2 is the last day bills can be amended, the campaign is urging residents to contact their lawmakers. This goal, however, is completely within reach. We just need to show how much we support exists for the Patel family.

While the MSNEP Neighborhood Association recognizes that existing law was enacted to protect residents in a neighborhood where bad actors willfully violate the spirit and intent of the law, we also believe that it should not be so unduly burdensome that it restricts the ability of good stewards like Josh and Monica to successfully run a small business through the responsible sale of alcohol - particularly when there is demonstrated public support.

What You Can Do

1. Read the Fact Sheet

2. Contact our local legislators and tell them you support Sunny's Market:

Assemblymember Roger Dickinson

(916) 319-2009 // assemblymember.dickinson@asm.ca.gov

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg

(916) 651-4006 // senator.steinberg@senate.ca.gov

3. Stop by Sunny's and make a small purchase so that they can get throught this rough period.

Also, don't forget to "like" the campaign on Facebook:

facebook.com/SaveSunnys

Disclosure: I live one-half block from Sunny's as a renter and have no financial conflict of interest. I just want the Patel family to succeed. I'm managing the campaign through pro bono services.

State Controller and Sacramento Mayor celebrate non-profit’s decade of success

2011-08-05T18:31:54Z

Before guests could hit the dance floor and mingle with friends at a non-profit organization’s 10th Anniversary celebration, local community leaders gave a “Celebrity Show” posing to be celebrities of the last decade to say a few words.

The emcee introduced the first celebrity – Hillary Clinton. Walking and gracefully waving to “Stand by Your Man” by Tammy Wynette from the back of the ballroom to the podium is Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg’s (D-Sacramento) District Director Susan McKee.

Guests stood up from their seats to take videos and photos while others clapped and laughed.

“I told the President that C.C. Yin has always been my man and all of you know I stand by my man,” Clinton said. “I brought a special gift from the White House, but, because of budget cuts, it’s only a key chain.”

The room roared with laughter until the next celebrity was introduced.

Assemblyman Roger Dickinson played Jerry Brown, NAACP Sacramento Branch President Betty Williams played Diana Ross and former Sacramento Monarchs’ player Ruthie Bolton played Oprah Winfrey, just to name a few.

Over 700 guests attended the 10th Anniversary Gala celebration of non-profit, non-partisan organization Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association’s (APAPA) Saturday, July 31 at Sheraton Grand Hotel.

The celebration included dinner, several speakers, a video about the organization and lots of dancing.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson began the ceremony noting how thankful he is for APAPA’s contributions to the community.

“I’m so proud to have APAPA based in Sacramento,” said Johnson.

Founded in 2001 by C.C. Yin and fellow civic-minded community members, APAPA’s goal is to empower Asian Americans in civic and public affairs through education, active participation and leadership development.

Keynote speaker California State Controller John Chiang is grateful for APAPA and its effort in helping create leaders who are willing to make the tough decisions.

“What APAPA has tried to do in the last decade is to narrow the divide between research and knowledge and good public policy,” said Chiang.

A video showcasing APAPA's successes of the past decade was played. Check out the video.

APAPA has given over $50,000 in scholarships and over 80 State Capitol internships. In 2001, there were no API state and constitutional office holders. In 2009, there were 15.

APAPA helped bring about API leaders into our government system.

Looking back at the past decade, Yin had high hopes for the future.

“Ten years from now, led by the younger generation, APAPA will be taken to the national level,” said Yin.

APAPA currently has four chapters throughout California: Collegiate, Bay Area, Central Valley and Southern California.

Yin invited everyone to the dance floor with the final words.

“See you in October,” said Yin.

Every September or October since 2005, APAPA has put together Voters Education and Candidates Forum free for the public to become more aware of the democratic process, register to vote, interact one-on-one with candidates and watch debates.

Last year, over 30 state and constitutional candidates spoke and debated with opponents for the some 2,000 attendees at California State University, Sacramento.

On Saturday, October 22, APAPA’s 2011 Voters Education and Candidates Forum will be held in San Francisco.

For more information, visit www.APAPA.org.

'Here We Build' arena campaign announced

2011-06-01T00:35:54Z

A regional campaign to finance a new arena officially launched Tuesday.

A coalition called "Here We Build" will work within a tight, 100-day deadline to evaluate what kind of financing mechanisms, fees or taxes might be used. While the list of 60 leaders is still being finalized this week, the coalition is expected to meet for the first time within about two weeks.

The group will be co-chaired by state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat from Sacramento, and State Sen. Ted Gaines, a Republican from Roseville. Steinberg called on the region to unite behind the campaign to boost jobs, economic development and pride in the greater Sacramento area.

"It's time for everyone to get on board," he said in a press conference Tuesday. "It's time after a decade of talk and of work to finally get this done for the future of our great region."

Steinberg, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and nearly 20 supporters – including Gaines and many others who will serve in the coalition – gathered at the California State Railroad Museum to make the announcement.

The event was held in a cavernous exhibit hall with huge locomotives serving as a backdrop to symbolize the same attitude that built the first transcontinental railroad with Sacramento as the western terminus, Johnson and other speakers said.

Participants will be recruited from throughout the six-county region and represent a range of political, government and business interests on what Steinberg described as a nonpartisan issue.

"This is an issue that brings Democrats and Republicans together. That connects organized labor and business. That brings together the city of Sacramento and the six-county region – because it means something to all of us: Jobs, civic needs and sports, which brings us all together," Steinberg said.

San Francisco political strategist Chris Lehane, who co-chaired a mayoral arena task force, will serve as the entity's executive director. He'll oversee public outreach and organize community forums on the issue.

Regional supporters first gathered on the issue in April during Sacramento's effort to keep the Kings from moving to Anaheim. Those at Tuesday's press conference included Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, Yolo County Supervisor Jimmie Yee, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, Downtown Sacramento Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault, Pat Fong Kushida from the Sacramento Asian Chamber of Commerce, Willie Pelote of AFSCME International, arena task force co-chair Lina Fat, Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn and Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby.

On May 2, the Kings' co-owners, the Maloofs, announced they would give Sacramento until next March to make real headway on an effort to build a new arena.

The coalition's task will be to determine within about three months how to fund a new arena in order to keep construction on track for a 2015 completion date presented to the City Council last week.

The coalition will need to identify revenue streams and how much of a public contribution would need to be made, while staying away from any type of general tax increase, Steinberg added later.

Its members will work with an arena development team headed by ICON Venue Group and David Taylor, the National Basketball Association and the Maloofs, Johnson said.

"The clock is ticking," he said. "We know there is a deadline looming of March 1, 2012."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

DWB: OK, I get it

2011-05-12T00:04:26Z

I attended the Kings victory rally at Cesar Chavez Plaza last night, but I did so reluctantly. I am on record as being somewhat immune to Kings fever, to say the least. I appreciate them for what they do for the town, and I am sensitive to what their departure would mean for us as a city.

It wouldn’t be good.

But I’m not a fan. So I went grudgingly, mostly because I live nearby and it was on my way somewhere else. It was a news event regarding a crucial current concern. Why not?

I left, if not a believer, then certainly more engaged than I had been, and even a little moved.

I don’t love the Sacramento Kings, but I have loved the Giants of old, the A’s in their heyday and the 49ers when they were magic. I have tasted the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat – at least vicariously. I get it.

But I’d forgotten that feeling until Tuesday night.

That’s because Tuesday night’s rally, a high-tech extravaganza assembled by the NBA in a mere five days, starring all the major figures of the last month’s drama from mayor to Maloofs, former players to local rock stalwarts Tesla, did exactly what it was intended to do.

It made the case by speaking to the heart.

There was a stage, the likes of which Cesar Chavez Plaza has likely never seen (and which would be a terrific asset for the just-starting Friday Night Concerts in the Park series), with a huge video screen looming above it, below the antique clock tower of Old City Hall. There were impassioned speeches from professional commenters Gary Gerould and Grant Napear, appearances by former players Doug Christie and Scot Pollard, and shirt-sleeved fist pumping from amped-up pols Mayor Kevin Johnson and State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.

And throughout the crowd, there was a palpable sense of community, a shared interest that transcended the fact that it was, as I have said, “only a basketball team.” Rock bands, are, after all, “only rock bands.” It is what they evoke in us that matters. And in the depths of the worst economy this town has experienced in our lifetimes, we need whatever works to bring us together.

In the last month, through the efforts of everyone from our media-savvy mayor to little-known bloggers, a serious citywide effort was made to reach a seemingly unattainable goal. And the result surprised nearly everyone: The Kings are the Sacramento Kings for one more year.

While basketball doesn’t move me, music does, in ways hardly anything else can. So when Tesla took the stage at the end of the three-hour rally to play their hit “Signs,” backed by a video montage of 25 years of fans’ signs from Kings games giving a brief history of what is by any measure a powerful team/fan relationship, I was moved. When the band launched into its hit “Love Song,” and the video screens filled with clips of emotional, big-game moments, I have to admit that I choked up.

Sure, I was being manipulated – the high-quality production had NBA all over it – but it was a good kind of manipulation. It communicated the depth of the passion Kings fans have for their team, and underlined the history of this team’s time in Sacramento so well that even a fairly cynical, disinterested observer could FEEL it.

Now, feelings are not going to keep this team in Sacramento. And despite the mayor’s cheerleading, Chris Webber’s rich investor friends and the reluctant Maloofs’ reborn enthusiasm for Sacramento, keeping the team here seems like a long shot.

And the odds of the hard-pressed citizens of this city ponying up for the shiny new arena that the Kings require are not good.

But if the NBA and the Kings and everyone who really cares about the team can capture that lightning in a bottle and keep this fire burning until the March 1, 2012 deadline, I am not going to say it can’t be done.

Love and passion are powerful things. It’s going to be an interesting year.

Sacramento Kings to stay another year

2011-05-03T01:03:12Z

The owners of the Sacramento Kings announced Monday the team will stay put for at least one more season – giving the region and the National Basketball Association time for one final push to build a new arena.

NBA officials quickly announced a commitment to make one last effort over the next 10 months to pave the way to replace Power Balance Pavilion. The league is sending nine people to Sacramento Tuesday to provide expert support in the regional effort to construct a new arena and to help the Kings' owners, the Maloofs, lead the team to a successful next season, NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a teleconference Monday afternoon.

Kings fans, elected officials and business leaders reveled in the news after such an outcome seemed impossible roughly two weeks earlier, when Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson appeared before National Basketball Association team owners to argue the case for keeping the Kings here. At that time, the team's move to Anaheim seemed certain.

On Monday morning, more than 125 people turned out for a celebratory press conference outside City Hall.

"This is one of the proudest moments in my life because the community believed when no one else did," Johnson said. "This was our playoffs. And Anaheim: We won!"

Video by Brandon Darnell.

An outpouring of support for the team from Johnson, state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, regional elected officials, the business community and Kings fans convinced the NBA and the Maloofs to give the region until March 1, 2012, to make a substantial effort to provide a new home for the Kings, Stern said.

"We came away with a strong sense that this was worth the additional year because it seemed to us to be so important that the leaders of Sacramento ... would not allow the opportunity to pass without getting it done," said Stern, who had talked personally with Johnson and Steinberg about the current level of support for a new arena. "We are feeling pretty good about the prospects here."

Sacramento officials will need to present solid information about design, funding and timelines by then. However, if regional support for arena construction can't be galvanized and a plan isn't finalized by next spring, that will be the league's last effort to get an arena built here.

NBA officials, including members of the league's Relocation Committee, told the Maloofs the league would then support their decision to move "wherever they choose to go" in 2012/13, he said.

The Maloofs had a deadline to file a request to move the team by 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday.

In an announcement emailed shortly after 9 a.m. Monday, the Maloofs said fan support and Johnson's push to get a new arena built were instrumental in their decision not to ask the league for permission to move.

"The fans’ spirit and energy, specifically our season ticket holders, has been remarkable and we are truly thankful for their loyalty," they said in the prepared statement. "We also are greatly appreciative of the support from our corporate sponsors as well as other local businesses that have come forward in recent weeks."

The Maloofs weren't available to respond to questions following the announcement, a Kings spokesman said.

Local business leaders committed more than $10.2 million in financial support for the Kings if the team stayed another year.

The NBA didn't have to do any "arm-twisting" to get the Maloofs to stay one more year. Relocation Committee members suggested to the Maloofs that they'd support a move in a year if they agreed to stay but the effort proved unsuccessful, Stern said.

The decision to keep the team in the state capital came after an NBA fact-finding visit here in the last two weeks. Billionaire Henry Samueli, whose company Anaheim Arena Management manages Anaheim's Honda Center, upped the ante in his bid to lure the team to Anaheim.

He offered to provide a personal loan of at least $75 million to the Maloofs and personally invest more than $70 million for improvements at the Honda Center.

Officials with the city of Anaheim and Anaheim Arena Management, owned by Samueli, are disappointed by the decision. But they will continue their effort to bring the NBA there soon, they said in emailed statements.

“The bottom line is this: The final chapter has not been written," Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait said. "Anaheim will continue to move forward and we remain optimistic to one day welcoming professional basketball to Anaheim.”

Anaheim Arena Management Chairman Michael Schulman added, "We are continuing our pursuit of an NBA team for our venue.... We look forward to securing a franchise for area fans in the very near future.”

Billionaire Ron Burkle's interest in buying the Kings to keep the team in Sacramento – or buying another team if they left – helped keep the region in the game in the eyes of the NBA, Johnson said.

Burkle and the Burkle Group are still interested in being part owners of the Kings. No discussion has been set up with the Maloofs since the decision to remain in Sacramento was announced, but the family knows how to get in touch with the group, San Francisco investor Darius Anderson said following the press conference.

"We would love to be here as part of the ownership group," said Anderson, who took part in the press conference.

In one year, the Maloofs will want to see a "critical path" laid to build a new arena. But ground doesn't need to be broken by then, Johnson said.

Building a new arena for Kings games, big concerts and other events would be catalytic for development downtown, especially in the railyards, Westfield Downtown Plaza and K Street Mall, said Johnson, describing the issue as “bigger than basketball."

"If we go forward and build a sports and entertainment complex, it's going to prove to all of us that we can find a way to make big things happen," he said. "We always felt like this could be a turning point for our community and our region working together.”

Johnson wasn’t the only person who appeared to be all smiles at the press conference. Developer David Taylor, who is working on an arena feasibility study for the city, Assistant City Manager John Dangberg and Sacramento Metro Chamber President Matt Mahood also beamed.

Johnson described Steinberg, also at the press conference, as a “scrappy fighter” who worked “in the trenches with us all along the way.” The two leaders communicated constantly throughout the weekend.

Sacramento City Council members are ready to start meeting to determine how to build an arena, Councilman Rob Fong said at the press conference.

The Maloofs called Johnson early Monday morning to tell him about their decision and say they’re committed to working with the city for the next year. The mayor will meet with the Maloofs this week to talk about how to move forward.

The arena feasibility study is expected to be completed by the end of May. Officials will then present options for public/private financing of the arena to the community so an arena can be built and the Kings never leave, Johnson said.

Chris Granger, executive vice president of the NBA's Team Marketing and Business Operations, senior NBA communications advisor Brian McIntyre and seven others from the NBA will arrive in Sacramento by Tuesday. No meetings have been finalized with the mayor’s office, Johnson’s staff said.

They will provide all the support they can to the Maloofs. They will work in “all aspects” of team operations, including marketing, finance, ticket sales and corporate sponsorship. They’ll also work with politicians, planners and others during a campaign to build a new arena, Stern said.

Stern said he considers it a failure for the NBA to lose any market, especially one as supportive as Sacramento.

It would be fair if the Maloofs and anyone else who’s watched the team’s efforts to build a new arena over the last 10 years are skeptical that it can get done this time. Still, NBA officials and staff will provide all the support they can to see if this “shared vision” can become reality, he said.

"If not, then it will be our shared failure,” Stern said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Region asks NBA for another year with Kings

2011-04-22T01:35:14Z

Sacramento leaders asked National Basketball Association officials visiting Thursday to keep the Kings in Sacramento for at least another year while the region proves a new arena can be built – and an answer is expected May 2.

In a closed-door meeting at the state Capitol Thursday morning, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and other elected officials from the city and state asked the NBA to give the region a year to show they will be able to replace Power Balance Pavilion with a new home for the Kings.

Kings supporters also did their best to paint the town purple – waving purple-lettered signs outside City Hall, hanging Kings banners on buildings and dressing in the team's color. Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett, who chairs the NBA Board of Governor's Relocation Committee, even wore a purple tie to the NBA meetings in Sacramento.

An NBA delegation led by Bennett and Harvey Benjamin, an attorney, met with about 20 people, including Sacramento City Council members and state officials, in Steinberg's office. NBA officials, who will also be here Friday, didn't indicate which way they're leaning.

"We haven't got a commitment yet," Mayor Kevin Johnson said in a press conference outside the U.S. Bank Building Thursday. "The quicker we get word that (the) team is here for another year – that is a big statement. I think that will happen no later than May 2, as I understand it today."

In a second NBA meeting Thursday – this time with business leaders at the U.S. Bank Building – Bennett and Benjamin asked if the region's corporate community is ready to "sign on the dotted line" to provide $9.2 million in financial support if the Kings remain in Sacramento another year, Johnson said.

"Clay Bennett wanted to make sure these were hard commitments," he said, adding that corporate leaders responded, "Yes."

Pledges were raised in the last two weeks during an effort spearheaded by Sacramento Metro Chamber President Matt Mahood and the mayor. Businesses and corporate leaders came "out of the woodwork" to pledge money – including owners of small and medium-size businesses whose smaller pledges haven't been tapped into yet, Mahood said during the press conference right after the meeting.

ICON Venue Group President Tim Romani and others from the ICON-Taylor development team later gave NBA officials an update on the financial feasibility study they're doing for a new arena.

No Kings rallies were held Thursday, said Kings blogger Blake Ellington, who founded the Here We Stay movement to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

But he and other supporters of the effort to keep the team wore plenty of purple. Members of the SEIU labor union waved signs saying workers support the Kings being here at the corner of 10th and I streets, outside City Hall.

Artist Anthony Padilla spray painted a large statue of a book in Natomas with the words "Here We Build" in purple.

Tim Ahmadzai, owner of the Hometown Favorites sports store at Sacramento International Airport's terminal A, decked out the front of his store with purple balloons and Kings paraphernalia to welcome the NBA to town.

Renee Viehmann of Rancho Cordova and her weimaraner, Roxie, both dressed in purple and stood outside the U.S. Bank Building where they hoped to catch a glimpse of NBA officials.

"I just wanted to come down and show the purple and hopefully show the NBA we don't want them to go," she said.

About 20 people who were out and about on J, K and L streets in downtown and Midtown late Thursday afternoon were spotted wearing purple. There weren't many people walking around the grid at that time, but some Kings fans expressed their loyalty through purple shirts, ties and Kings jerseys.

On Friday, 28-year-old Alex Kramers, a financial analyst in New York, said he will lead 10 to 20 Kings fans to NBA headquarters at 645 Fifth Ave. at 1 p.m. EDT. Dressed in purple, they will rally outside and drop off letters asking NBA Commissioner David Stern to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

Kramers has never lived in Sacramento. He became a Kings fan in the early 1990s watching Mitch Richmond play. He's been a "fan correspondent" writing on the Kings website this year.

He discovered other Kings fans also live in New York when he showed up outside last week's NBA meeting at the St. Regis Hotel. They decided to rally together this week, he said.

"We've got some passionate fans," Kramers said.

West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon also said the meeting with the NBA went well.

"They were asking the right questions, and anytime they tuned in to the radio or turned on the TV or even went outside, they can't help but see the support for the team," he said as he stood inside Capitol Bowl in West Sacramento.

"They're here getting our business strategy.... We may not have our I's dotted and our T's crossed, but we know how to make this work, and they see that the whole region is coming together."

Bowling alley Manager Chris White said the Kings have always been part of this region and she will be sad if they go. Kings players have been loyal customers, she said.

"I bought size 16 and 17 (bowling) shoes because the Kings would come here and bowl," she said Thursday afternoon. "Mike Bibby and Bobby Jackson used to come here all the time and bring their friends and families."

But not everyone wore purple Thursday. Sacramento State student Jon Haas decided not to when he went into his internship at the Board of Equalization in the U.S. Bank Building Thursday.

"To be totally honest, I'd like the Kings to stay. But I'd like the Maloofs to go," he said, noting the Kings owners still owe the city millions of dollars. "It just seems like more trouble than it's worth."

After his morning meeting, Steinberg said NBA officials were "keeping their cards close to their chest" but he and others thought the meeting was very positive, said Steinberg spokeswoman Alicia Trost.

NBA officials are scheduled to do more fact-finding in town Friday, but no details were available.

Johnson and others appeared hopeful Thursday that the NBA wouldn't approve the Kings moving to Anaheim in early May.

"If we win today and if we get one more year, it's going to really boil down to our ability to build a new entertainment-sports complex," Johnson said. "People are going to want to know what's different. I think this is the beginning of hopefully something very positive going forward."

Staff reporters Brandon Darnell and Kathleen Haley contributed to this report. Suzanne Hurt is a staff writer for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Legislation could force Kings to pay

2011-04-12T00:20:36Z

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) introduced a bill Monday that would require professional sports teams to pay off all debt involving taxpayer dollars to the municipality in which they are located before signing an agreement to move to another California city or county. ~~bar one California city from issuing bonds to lure a professional sports team from another city in which existing bonds had not been paid.~~

It would effectively require that the Sacramento Kings repay the city $77 million before the bonds approved by the Anaheim City Council could be issued.

“It’s all about public dollars involved not just in the situation currently pending with regards to the (Sacramento) Kings, but any other pending or future similar situations,” said Mark Hedlund, spokesman for Steinberg.

“We’re not trying to stop business from moving,” he added, “we’re trying to protect taxpayer money – city bonds and loans are taxpayer dollars.”

The bill, SB 652, was authored by Steinberg and coauthored by Assemblyman Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento), Senator Ted Gaines (R-Fair Oaks) and Assemblyman Richard Pan (D-Sacramento).

It was introduced as an urgency measure, Hedlund said, meaning it requires a two-thirds vote, but would go into effect immediately upon passing, as opposed to other laws which are implemented at the beginning of subsequent calendar or fiscal years.

“We’re obviously trying to have it move as quickly as it can,” he said, adding that it will now have to go through the appropriate committees in both the Assembly and the Senate before it can be voted on and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.

“I don’t know if that means it’s going to take a few weeks or a couple of months or whatever,” Hedlund said, adding that it will affect any agreements made after Jan. 1.

According to a press release issued by Steinberg’s office, “SB 652 also requires any professional sports franchise previously entering into a financial agreement with a California local government entity to provide a ‘bond, undertaking or deposit’ adequate to ensure its obligations will be satisfied before that franchise signs an agreement to move to another California location.”

The bill includes all professional sports and is not specifically intended to target basketball, Hedlund said.

“Pro sports teams frequently create partnerships with local government, but let’s not forget these are tax dollars at work,” Steinberg said in the release. “No one is saying sports franchises, like any other business, shouldn’t be able to move to another city. However, taxpayers in one city shouldn’t be left holding the bag for the benefit of another city.”

Dickinson spoke with The Sacramento Press Monday afternoon and outlined the reasons for the bill.

“It’s hopefully a measure that would provide the assurance to any community in California that’s going to be put in a position of losing a pro sports team to another place in California would at least have any financial obligations by the team to the community taken care of,” he said.

The bill would essentially enforce contract language that is already in place in the case with the Kings as well as protect other cities in the future, Dickinson said, adding that he thinks it may be necessary with the Kings as well, despite the 1997 contract language.

“I think it’s unfortunate that we even have to contemplate legislation of this kind,” Dickinson said. “One would hope the statements by the Kings organization by this point would have been more clear and definitive, their responses to the city more straightforward, that it would not leave doubt in the minds of many people.”

Gaines and Pan expressed similar sentiments in the press release.

“Sacramento taxpayers can’t play second-string to Anaheim,” Gaines said. “Losing the team is bad enough, and there is no way Sacramento can eat the nearly $80 million owed by the Maloofs.”

The private sector is already gathering signatures in Anaheim to stop the bonds being issued before voters can approve them in an election. For more information on that effort, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

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

Community honors Grantland Johnson

2011-03-21T02:10:42Z

Close to 150 people braved the rain Saturday afternoon and came to the Hagginwood Community Center for the dedication of the Grantland Johnson Soccer Field.

“It’s quite an honor, I must tell you,” said Grantland Johnson to the crowd crammed inside the lobby of the community center.

A native resident of Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood, Johnson graduated from Grant High School where he played for the Pacers football team. He received his B.A. Degree from Sacramento State in Government and later received honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from both Sacramento State and Golden Gate University.

“I would not be the person I am today, had I not grown up in this great community of Del Paso Heights. I am so blessed and fortunate to have grown up in Del Paso Heights,” said Johnson.

Hagginwood Park was brought into the City of Sacramento when it merged with North Sacramento in 1964. It is where Johnson played baseball as a youth.

“A lot of folks I met, literally for the first time, out on the baseball field,” said Johnson.

Johnson went on to serve in offices at the city, county, state, and federal levels. He served as a member of the Sacramento City Council representing District 2 from 1983 to 1986. He then served as a member of the Sacramento Count Board of Supervisors representing District 1 from 1987 to 1993, when he was appointed by the Clinton administration as Director for the U.S Department of Health & Human Services overseeing Region IX from 1993 to 1998.

Johnson served as the Cabinet Secretary for the California Health & Human Services Agency during the Administration of former Governor Gray Davis from 1999 to 2003.

“It was a pleasure to work with Grantland,” said former Sacramento Mayor Anne Rudin. “I was so impressed with his understanding of policy issues, his ability to work with other people, his willingness to give and take a little.”

“His priorities were always right.”

When it was his turn to speak, Johnson returned the favor.

“She really reached out to me and worked with me to be an effective member of the council,” said Johnson. “Mayor Rudin is a person of supreme principle.”

“I learned from her the importance of building relationships to get things done. I want to say, Mayor Rudin, how much you mean to me, how much I respect you and honor you, but I think you’re much too modest in terms of the impact you’ve had on this community.”

“I can tell you personally the impact you’ve had over me, and I’m deeply grateful and I cherish your friendship.”

Johnson’s time serving the public allowed him to cross paths and influence several of today’s high-profile public officials.

“We take for granted that Sacramento has this great neighborhood-movement”, said State Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, who began serving as a Sacramento City Councilmember while Grantland served on the Board of Supervisors.

“We take for granted that the City and the school districts work together in the joint uses is the way we work together. We think the fact that we now connect economic development and job creation and the neighborhood movement. Back in 1992, none of that was really a reality, and wasn’t even the way of thinking, and the person who was really on the forefront of all of that was Grantland Johnson.”

“This recognition is not only very appropriate, but it’s necessary to recognize how far we’ve come as a community in 20 years and who was on the front-end and front-line when that happened.”

Assemblymember Roger Dickinson, who was Johnson’s successor as County Supervisor, reminisced about their work to bring light rail to Sacramento.

“I was privileged to join Grantland for a period of time on the Regional Transit Board in those early days of the 1980s when we were working to bring light rail transit, what was a new idea to Sacramento, which was really an old concept brought back to life,” said Dickinson.

“How far ahead of so many of us Grantland was with regard to making sure that we on the leading edge in transportation for those who most needed it and relied on it in our community.”

The soccer field is just one part of a planned makeover of Hagginwood Park to include a new play areas, an arbor structure, a skate park, a dog park, new basketball courts, and an outdoor theatre.

“Hagginwood was one of the focuses of a study that was done about two years ago about public safety in our parks and making parks like Hagginwood centers of our neighborhoods,” said City Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jonathan Rewers.

“The soccer field is another part to make this park a jewel within the city’s park system.”

Said Councilmember Sandy Sheedy: “It’s a professional soccer field, the first in this area. It’s already rented through the first of the year. It’s always going to be busy, and it’s always going to know the name ‘Grantland Johnson’ on it.”

City protests Brown's redevelopment plan

2011-01-22T01:58:59Z

Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to slash redevelopment agencies spurred a protest and press conference at the Convention Center Friday, bringing together Sacramento leaders and about 100 officials from cities throughout the state.

Chris McKenzie, executive director of the League of California Cities, said that cities may consider suing the state if it disbands redevelopment agencies.

Brown’s office contends that local services, such as schools and public safety, could receive the funding currently used by redevelopment agencies if the agencies shut down. But city leaders in Sacramento and throughout the state argue that ending redevelopment agencies would seriously harm jobs and local development projects.

McKenzie said the governor’s proposal was ”seriously flawed” from a legal perspective.

“We would hate to have to take the state to court in order to uphold the will of the voters,” he said. “But we will do it, if we are forced to do it.”

Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby presented figures on how Sacramento city and county would be affected if the two local governments no longer had redevelopment funds.

The city and county would lose 19,000 jobs, and $170 million in redevelopment project funds, according to Ashby and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency.

A loss of $1.3 billion in economic activity would also be incurred, Ashby said. Affordable housing projects would lose millions of dollars, she said, and the city and county would lose $129 million in state funds that were leveraged with redevelopment funds.

Ashby pointed out that the Boys and Girls Club in Alkali Flat and the McClellan Business Park in Sacramento County are redevelopment projects.

Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn, who also appeared at the press conference, said, “I understand what a tough job the governor and the Legislature have in balancing the state budget, but it is bad policy to cut the very programs that generate revenues for local and state government.”

In an effort to short circuit a possible state decision to cut redevelopment agencies, many California cities have acted to safeguard their redevelopment funds over the past several days, according to multiple media outlets.

The city of Sacramento has not taken any action to bypass possible state action on redevelopment, but Mayor Kevin Johnson said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday that the city should consider doing so.

Brown’s administration continues to voice its support of the proposal to throw out redevelopment agencies. It is time “for everyone to act as Californians first to address the state budget deficit,” said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the California Department of Finance.

He asserted that the governor’s proposal is “legally sound.”

In the first year of Brown’s proposal, $1.7 billion would help repair the state’s general fund, and the remaining $200 million would go toward local governments, according to Palmer and the text of Brown’s proposal.

In the second year of the plan, $1.9 billion would go to local entities, Palmer said.

Meanwhile, local players in Sacramento, such as the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, are worried that the proposal could stymie development close to home.

Michael Ault, the partnership’s executive director, said at the press conference that redevelopment funding has benefited Central City projects, such as the IMAX Theatre and the Citizen Hotel.

“We know first-hand the impacts that redevelopment has played in the progress in the Central City,” Ault said.

Mark Hedlund, a spokesman for California Senate President Darrell Steinberg, told The Sacramento Press that Steinberg doesn’t want to act on the governor’s proposal immediately, but the idea of stopping redevelopment funding is not off the table.

“He’s not going to pursue an immediate freeze on redevelopment activities,” Hedlund said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Fong, Schenirer sworn into office

2010-12-01T05:43:14Z

The Sacramento City Council underwent a makeover Tuesday night when two new council members were officially sworn into office. The swearing in of Jay Schenirer and Darrell Fong is the last step in the City Council’s changing of the guard.

Schenirer’s ceremony had an element of star quality because state Senate President Darrell Steinberg administered the oath of office for the new councilman.

Angelique Ashby, the other new council member, was sworn into office Nov. 23 to represent District 1.

Schenirer replaced Lauren Hammond as the District 5 council member, while Fong took the District 7 reins from Robbie Waters.

Also on Tuesday night, Steve Cohn was sworn in for a fifth term as the city councilman for District 3.

Schenirer thanked his family and his volunteers, among others, for their help with his campaign.

“I so appreciate all the work that you did. (And) all the sacrifices that you made, taking time away from your family to help me get here,” he said, addressing his volunteers. “And I promise not to let you down.”

After the swearing-in ceremony, Steinberg told The Sacramento Press why he read the oath of office to Schenirer.

“I’ve been a longtime friend and supporter of Jay,” Steinberg said. “He gave me the honor of swearing him in. I was just so thrilled for him; he’s going to be great.”

Steinberg mentioned that he served on the Sacramento City Council from 1992 to 1998. “I also came out (to the swearing in event) because, as a former city council member, this never gets old ... It’s a wonderful part of democracy and tradition. I just wanted to honor all the new members and returning members who are serving the city.”

Fong’s identical twin brother, Derrick Fong, swore in the new District 7 council member. Derrick Fong is the board chairman of the Mikuni Japanese Restaurant Group.

Darrell Fong thanked former City Councilman Robbie Waters after taking his new District 7 chair. Waters and Fong ran against each other in June, but Waters lost the race to a runoff between Fong and Ryan Chin. Waters supported Fong in the November runoff.

“I want to acknowledge Robbie Waters,” Fong said. “Without you, I wouldn’t be sitting here. So, thank you again for your public service.”

Fong peppered his speech with jokes, telling his aunt in the audience that she was not allowed to dance in front of the City Council members. She respected his request.

Derrick Fong said outside the meeting that he and his brother would have wanted their late father to be there. “He would have been so proud of my brother in terms of the service he’s going to render,” Derrick Fong said.

Cohn was sworn in for a fifth time by City Clerk Shirley Concolino. “I’m still very excited and very enthusiastic after all these years,” he said.

With Darrell Fong and Rob Fong in office, there are now two Fongs on the City Council. Darrell Fong recently said that people would be able to tell them apart because Rob Fong is “tall and better-looking.”

As he did last week with Ashby, Councilman Kevin McCarty required Schenirer and Fong to don propeller-head caps as a form of initiation.

All photos by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

New library opens in Pocket-Greenhaven

2010-08-29T07:10:12Z

Since 1958, Robbie Waters has served Sacramento as an officer with the Sacramento Police Department, as Sacramento Sheriff, and as Councilmember for District 7 for the last 15 years.

A uplifting seal of closure was given to his years of service at Saturday morning’s opening of the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library.

“The library is an accomplishment for the entire community,” said Waters to a crowd of approximately 500 people. “I have no doubt it will be well used.”

The $15-million library consists of 45 public access computers, a 72-seat capacity community meeting room, a teen room, a quiet room, two study rooms, and a Ready to Read room for kids. The library is designed for 67,000 books and materials.

Waters was very humble when referring to the name of the library.

“Other than the birth of three children and a marriage of 50 years, this is the most humbling thing that has happened to me,” said Waters. “It’s unbelievable.”

The Pocket-Greenhaven Friends of the Library group formed in 2005 to begin fundraising for the project and worked at getting the books for the library.

“Dolores (Nuse) and I have been members of the Pocket-Greenhaven Friends of the Library since 2005 and we were the only group to start without a building,” said board member Kathi Windheim. “Our group had the growing support of you, the community, and 20 blue portfolio folders containing letters of support from Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Assemblymember Dave Jones, (former) Mayor Heather Fargo, and Councilman Robbie Waters.”

“Today, we only have one of those blue folders left.”

Community groups such as the neighborhood Elks Lodge and Curves Fitness Center hosted book sales, and business such as the Pocket Rotary Club, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, Subway, and Hey Dude! Where’s My Yogurt also provided support.

“Thank you for showing what is possible,” said State Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg regarding the Friends of the Library and those who worked toward the construction of the facility.

“Thank you for never having the word ‘no’ in your lexicon,” said Steinberg. “This is a very happy day for Sacramento, but it is a happy day for the state as well because it shows what we can do.”

The Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library is the third library to open up in the Sacramento Public Library system over the past year. A new library opened in Valley Hi-North Laguna one year ago, and the Belle Cooledge library recently refurbished.

“This is an opportunity for us to just be thankful,” said Mayor Kevin Johnson. “We opened three libraries this year. That is a big deal.”

Various dignitaries attended the event including former Mayor Heather Fargo, former Mayor and current County Supervisor Jimmy Yee, County Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Don Nottoli, City Councilmembers Bonnie Pannell, Lauren Hammond, Sandy Sheedy, and Kevin McCarty, Interim City Manager Gus Vina, and City Attorney Eileen Teichert.

For Waters, it was about giving thanks to the community.

“I just want to thank you for the naming of the library and for letting me represent you for 16 year,” said Waters. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Hopeful homeless in search of a 'safe ground'

2010-07-23T03:25:42Z

Sacramento’s homeless are still searching for safe ground after the tent city was taken down in April 2009.

On Tuesday, homeless camper and SafeGround movement leader John Kraintz, Sacramento civil rights lawyer Mark Merin, State Senate President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg and activists from nonprofit organizations around Sacarmento marched from Friendship Park to Cesar Chavez Park in celebration of the SafeGround Movement.

They were joined by homeless men and women as they marched, sang, danced and spoke on behalf of the homeless.

Using a microphone, which echoed through speakers around the stage, musicians and speakers were heard loud and clear by the crowd of more than 100.

“People came together on Tuesday to celebrate the conclusion of a year, to celebrate life and a common goal, and to demonstrate to the city of Sacramento that we are a coherent force,” Merin said.

SafeGround Sacramento is a nonprofit homeless rights and advocacy organization founded by homeless people working to establish a safe and legal place for Sacramento’s homeless to stay and sleep.

Last August, Mayor Kevin Johnson camped out with Sacramento’s homeless community in efforts to find a legal place for homeless people to reside.

A month later, Johnson launched a plan to find 2,400 housing units for homeless people during the next three years.

Almost a year after Johnson’s camping with them, homeless people like Kraintz are hopeful, but still waiting.

“This is a movement for homeless people, by homeless people,” Krainitz said. “SafeGround is many things at this point; it’s a social justice movement trying to find equality for all people, it is a camping gear supply store for people that don't have anything and need to sleep outside.”

Food Not Bombs served tofu, salad, fruit salad, chocolate cake and iced tea and the line for food stretched across the park. Many local bands and musicians, such as Pinkie and the Blind Resistance, had the crowd dancing and singing along to their classical rock tunes and modern blues.

Since April 2009, advocates have been trying to move away from the notion of a “tent city.”

“We have been fighting to acquire and develop a piece of land that we can use, for about 60 homeless people hopefully, so that they can have a place to go at a time when the county has pretty much cut off all their shelters and there are only a few beds left,” Kraintz said.

Sacramento’s “camping ordinance” has made it illegal for anyone to camp on public property. At least 1,200 men, women and children sleep outdoors in Sacramento. More on this information can be found on the SafeGround website. (SafeGround)

Both Merin and Kraintz expressed a similar thought about the progress SafeGround has made in the past year.

“The principle progress made is in the organization of the participants, establishing a nonprofit organization and gaining respect and recognition from members of the community,” Merin said.

Kraintz added, “In the beginning of the movement, they started out to find a place where homeless people can go. What we have learned is that we are building a community, and that is something that is really lacking.”

Although SafeGround members are hopeful, locating land has proved to be a challenge. The proposed pilot site has yet to be determined, according to Merin.

It will take up to a year, hundreds of thousands of dollars, compliance with zoning laws and public support to get the project done.

“We need to think outside of the box in an economy that has been severely taxed,” Merin said.

Loaves & Fishes is one of the three nonprofit organizations supporting SafeGround.

“Once we get support of the city, county and neighbors to help find an adequate piece of land, we are going to be the biggest model for the nation by showing a way of providing a need for the homeless,” said Loaves & Fishes’ executive director, Sister Libby Fernandez.

SafeGround has received a $25,000 grant from Catholic Healthcare West and has been promised a $50,000 grant for development from HomeAid Sacramento.

Steinberg took the stage as the celebration drew to a close.

The crowd cheered as Steinberg advocated for combating homelessness.

“This is a human rights issue, and it begins with SafeGround,” he said. “It beings with everyone having their own little sliver or slice of safe ground to be able to create a new beginning.”

“I’m very proud to be here with you as we fight all kinds of demons over at the State Capitol. Being out here with you is grounding for me.”

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.

Mayor backs candidates Ashby, Cohn, Schenirer and Waters

2010-05-19T03:43:09Z

In a statement Tuesday on his blog, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson made his endorsements for candidates competing in the June 8 primary election.

A KCRA reporter asked Johnson at a Monday press conference if Johnson would endorse candidates who oppose a “strong mayor” form of government. Johnson is leading an effort to bring more authority to the mayor’s office.

In response to the reporter’s question, Johnson said: “I think that’s not really the issue before people. I don’t think that people have had to make a decision on that. So, there’s not a litmus, in general, for that right now.”

Johnson said the candidates he is supporting are not content with the status quo. He explained that he backed candidates with energy, problem-solving skills, “a sense of urgency to get things done,” and a vision for the “new Sacramento.”

However, the Sacramento Bee reported Tuesday that Councilman Ray Tretheway claimed he was pressured by unnamed Johnson supporters to back a strong mayor plan. Johnson is endorsing the following candidates:

Sacramento City Council

City Council District 1: Angelique Ashby

City Council District 3: Steve Cohn

City Council District 5: Jay Schenirer

City Council District 7: Robbie Waters

Sacramento County Board of Supervisors:

Board of Supervisors 1: Phil Serna

Board of Supervisors 2: Jimmie Yee

Board of Supervisors 5: Don Nottoli

Other County Races

Sacramento County Sheriff: Jim Cooper

Sacramento District Attorney: Jan Scully

Assessor: Kathleen Kelleher

State Legislature

Assembly District 9: Lauren Hammond

Assembly District 5: Richard Pan

State Senate District 6: Darrell Steinberg

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sac State College Democrats receive contributions from PG&E

2010-05-14T05:20:26Z

A student Democratic group at California State University, Sacramento, is more than just a club of like-minded young people — it’s a major political player that attracts thousands of dollars in campaign contributions.

The College Democrats group at Sacramento State both receives financial contributions from various interests and contributes to political candidates.

A few months ago, the student club received a hefty sum: Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation contributed $10,000 to the group Dec. 22, according to campaign records.

The student group is also a political player in advance of the upcoming June 8 primary: Just a few days after receiving the $10,000, the College Democrats contributed $7,800 to Chris Garland’s Assembly District 9 campaign on Dec. 28, according to campaign reports.

Garland is running against fellow Democrats Adam Sartain, Lauren Hammond, Kevin McCarty and Roger Dickinson. McCarty and Hammond are members of the Sacramento City Council; Dickinson is a county supervisor. The sole Republican candidate is Rick Redding.

PG&E spokeswoman Cynthia Pollard responded to the question of why the company donated $10,000 to the student group.

“PG&E’s contribution to the College Democrats of Sacramento State was for general support of the organization’s goals,” Pollard wrote in an e-mail Thursday. “It was not earmarked for any specific initiative or candidate. It is ultimately the recipient organization’s decision as to how to spend the funds.”

PG&E made the contribution to the College Democrats after the student group endorsed Garland Dec. 10. The student group's endorsement is online.

Pollard responded to a question asking if the company contributed to the College Democrats with the expectation that the College Democrats would give to Garland’s campaign.

“No,” Pollard said. “PG&E contributes to hundreds of committees and organizations throughout the state based on their programs and goals. Like many individuals and businesses, PG&E participates in the political process.”

Phil Giarrizzo, a political consultant for Garland’s campaign, said questions about PG&E contributions to the College Democrats after the students endorsed Garland assumes a “ridiculous nexus.”

There is no relevancy to the question, Giarrizzo said.

PG&E’s Pollard said that PG&E’s political contributions do not come from utility bills paid by the public.

“As an additional note, I would like to point out that PG&E holds itself to the highest standards of public disclosure and compliance with applicable laws and regulations and that our political contributions are paid for with shareholder funds, not utility customer dollars,” she said.

PG&E has put millions toward Proposition 16, which would establish that two-thirds of a local body's voting public must sign off on certain electricity service decisions made by a local government.

PG&E contributed money to numerous groups last year, including the California Democratic Party, the California Republican Party and an array of political candidates, according to campaign records filed with the California Secretary of State’s Office. Many of the contributions dwarf the size of the $10,000 contribution to the College Democrats.

However, the $10,000 contribution is a big one for the College Democrats at Sacramento State.

By contrast, Senate President Darrell Steinberg contributed $250 to the student group in February 2009. The next month, a sheet metal workers union gave $1,000 to the student club.

John Ryan, president of the College Democrats at Sacramento State, said the group endorsed Garland because he focused on higher education issues. “And that really resonated with us,” Ryan said.

In response to a question about PG&E’s $10,000 contribution, Ryan said: “We wouldn’t begin to have a kind of quid pro quo with anyone that donates to the campaign. There’s isn’t any kind of implied strings attached.”

See PG&E’s campaign contributions for last year here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

2010 Jewish Heritage Festival: Thousands Expected to Gather Sunday, May 2nd, 1:00 p.m. at the Capitol West Steps.

2010-04-16T19:55:51Z

(Sacramento, CA)--The Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region will commemorate May as National Jewish American Heritage Month by hosting the 2010 Jewish Heritage Festival. The Festival will celebrate the centennial founding of the Kibbutz movement and Israel's 62nd anniversary. It will include an expanded kid’s zone, an eco-friendly fashion show, and an acclaimed Israeli dance troupe from Los Angeles. This event is the largest Jewish celebration in Sacramento, is open to the public and is free.

"It is wonderful that so many people throughout our region attend this event and demonstrate their support for Israel,” says Skip Rosenbloom, President of the Jewish Federation, "you won't want to miss it."

This cultural event is headlined by acclaimed reggae superstar Matisyahu. Known for blending traditional Jewish themes with reggae, rock and hip hop sounds, Matisyahu has a large following as a Hasidic Jewish musician from New York City singing reggae songs about his religious devotion. Matisyahu's 2009 single "One Day" was chosen as the official theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
In addition to the live music and entertainment, there will also be cultural food, an artist street market, a mediterranean teen lounge, henna tattoos, storytelling and more.

In conjunction with the Presidential decree, Senator Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg has released a resolution as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proclamation reaffirming May as National Jewish American Heritage Month.

The Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region strives to serve and enrich the Jewish community and those who support and identify with it in the greater Sacramento region, Israel, and the world.

For more information and a full list of the sponsors, please visit: www.Jewishsac.org

Contact: David Goodman, Director of Communications
Office: 916.486.0906
dgoodman24@gmail.com

###

Events planner rolls with times

2010-04-09T03:56:23Z

Sharon Gerber has been planning nonprofit fundraising events in Sacramento for more than five years. And she's never experienced such a challenging climate for giving.

She started her business, Six Degreez, after working as a community development manager for Wells Fargo.

Gerber knew she could make more money if she arranged events for corporations. But she chose to work with local charitable organizations after becoming aware of the great need there.

"My passion, my heart, goes out to the nonprofit sector," she said. "That's where I feel like I can have the most impact on this community. And it makes me feel good at the end of the day."

Since then, Gerber has developed signature events like the "Suits & Slippers" breakfast for the Roberts Family Development Center and shows such as "Blues for Baby & Me" for the Mercy Perinatal Recovery Network. Her fee for an event usually ranges from $5,000 to $40,000.

With her buoyant personality, Gerber has also developed a reputation as a community development specialist and event planner no one can say "no" to. She persuaded Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn and Ken Larson of Hewlett-Packard to play the Blues Brothers and Sen. Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento to dress like Neil Diamond and lip-sync to "Forever in Blue Jeans" at the perinatal event in 2008.

"She has very unique events where she tries to have a lot of fun with so-called celebrities in town," said Cohn, who's volunteered at several. "She also tends to pick really worthy charities to help out with, so you're willing to embarrass yourself."

This year, Gerber and her clients have noticed a trend due to the continuing recession: Businesses haven't been able to provide the same size sponsorships. Corporations, developers, banks and law firms that have bought $10,000 to $25,000 sponsorships at an event — with a few reaching $50,000 to $100,000 — are now giving $5,000, $1,000 or nothing at all, Gerber said.

Big corporations are also getting more donation requests from struggling nonprofits. They're coping with the increased need by spreading donations out more. That sometimes leaves companies making the same amount of donations but in smaller amounts.

Wells Fargo, a regular sponsor at Gerber's events, expects to donate to more nonprofits this year after the number of requests has grown.

"At this time, we are receiving 20 to 25 grant requests a day from various organizations, which is a large increase from years past," said Julie Campbell, a spokeswoman for Wells Fargo in Northern and Central California.

However, the company is not cutting its charitable giving in 2010. The company will give away $3 million in its Northern California region — the same as last year — and more than $200 million nationwide, making it one of the largest corporate givers in the country, Campbell said.

Cécile Mouette Downs, executive director of the Sacramento French Film Festival, said many regular sponsors — a marketing firm that's given $2,500 and a travel agency that has given $1,000 to $1,500 for several years — can't support the festival in June. Her nonprofit is still waiting to hear from donors who would have already given answers by this time in years past.

"Last year was a start," she said. "This year's even worse."

Gerber said she has always kept event costs down for clients by recruiting local celebrities to star at events, rather than building events around a keynote speaker costing $25,000 to $100,000. She's now making other adjustments so clients' events can continue to draw people.

For example, she's keeping ticket costs down by developing more unique events around cocktail receptions, breakfasts and coffees, instead of more traditional lunches and dinners.

She's using unusual locations such as art galleries and courtyards rather than hotels. Normally, half of her events have been staged in hotels. Last year, she staged only 25 percent there. This year, only one event will take place at a hotel, Gerber said.

Gerber is also making events shorter and ending them earlier — by 8:30 p.m. instead of 10 or 11 p.m.

"People appreciate that, and in this economy, they want to be at home with family," she said.

Choreographed, musical shows continue to be her most popular fundraisers. Gerber's passion for putting on a good show hit her young. She and her sister sang duets in the garage for the neighborhood, and she later starred as the biblical Esther in her synagogue's annual performance of the Purim spiel. Every year for 10 years.

Gerber said she likes to create entertaining events so everyone walks out smiling.

"At the end of the day, I get to go to sleep knowing I made a difference," she said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

Successful Fundraiser Raises Awareness for VIBE Lounge

2010-03-03T07:22:13Z

The VIBE Foundation raised more than $22,000 for its upcoming VIBE teen lounge Monday at a fundraiser in The Verge art gallery. The lounge, which is planned to open in June, will be run by, and for, teens.

It will be the first of its kind in the world, said VIBE Foundation President David Schenirer. Schenirer said the inspiration came two years ago when he realized that there is nothing for teenagers to do in Sacramento.

"We decided to open a teen lounge - a place where teens can go have fun and get resources," said the 18-year-old.

VIBE co-founder Julian Nagler, also 18, said the two of them visited many teen clubs in Sacramento and found a recurring problem.

"Teens don't want to go there," he said. "After those places opened, they lost touch. They didn't evolve like teens do." Nagler said that's why it is so important that VIBE is run by teenagers.

Schenirer said the lounge will not be a place where teens are babysat, but rather a place where they can experience new things. He said that VIBE will provide games, smoothies and coffee along with free tutoring and SAT preparations. VIBE will be a safe place for teens to hang out in Sacramento, Schenirer said.

"VIBE is whatever teens in Sacramento need," he said.

The buzz for VIBE has been growing, and many city leaders have jumped on board to help with the effort, including Dan Schiele, who works with the Sacramento Police Department and also is on the board for VIBE.

"It's an organization that strives to be run by its participants," Schiele said. "It could be a nice model for other agencies and cities. It's exciting."

VIBE also has the support of California State Senator Darrell Steinberg and Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn, who serves as the chairman of the VIBE board.

"It's a real milestone for Sacramento that high school kids are putting this together," Cohn said. "This is really being driven by the high schoolers."

While the plan for VIBE is unique and ambitious, a critical component for its success is funding. Schenirer and Naglar said they have already raised more than $300,000 in in-kind donations from people and businesses and need to raise an additional $78,000 in cash to help get the lounge started after Monday's event.

The event was hosted by Steinberg and featured five segments that focused on what teens did during each decade from the 1950s to the 2000s. Each segment featured a different celebrity host, which included Cohn, who hosted the 1960s portion, to Schenerir, who hosted the 2000s portion.

Each segment started with the host describing what it was like being a teenager during that time period and ended with a performance by local teenagers. The performances ranged from dancing to popular songs of the era, such as the 1970s hit "Last Dance," to musical performances of songs from the era, such as Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind," performed by Rio Americano High School senior Nathan Swedlow.

The fundraiser -- attended by about 200 people -- was both fun and helped increase awareness about the VIBE lounge opening. Many teens in attendance are anticipating the opening of VIBE.

"We need somewhere to hang out," said Rio Americano freshman Courtney Bigelow. "I'm really excited."

"It'll be a nice place to kick back and meet new people," added McClatchy senior Brett Chance.

Cohn said he was excited about the opening of the lounge and was very encouraged by the outcome of the fundraiser.

"When I see things like this, it makes me very optimistic about where our city is going," he said.

Photos by Tia Gemmell
Riverfront Media Photography
www.phototia.com

Photo Captions

1. The Next Generation Dancers perform to that 70's hit, "Last Dance"

2. VIBE President David Schenirer shares with the audience how challenging it is for teens today and how much they need a safe place to hang out - thus the creation of the midtown VIBE Youth Lounge.

3. The VIBE teens pose before performing in Good VIBErations, an event that raised over $23,000 for the VIBE Youth Lounge.

4. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg hosted Good VIBErations

5. Lyn Corbett of the Youth Development Department was the celebrity host for the 1980s segment

Sacramento Celebrates Little Saigon at Tet Festival

2010-02-15T05:36:10Z

The annual Tet Festival was packed with more meaning than usual this year.

This year's festival, which celebrates the Vietnamese new year with food, dance and carnival rides, among other festivities, also featured the official designation of Little Saigon. The two-mile stretch of Stockton Boulevard between Fruitridge and Florin roads is home to a large Vietnamese community.

The official designation of the area came Saturday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Stockton Boulevard and Fowler Avenue. The title is the result of a recently passed City Council resolution.

More than 200 people attended the ceremony, including the Little Saigon Committee, City Councilman Kevin McCarty, and state Sen. Darrell Steinberg, who represents the area.

"Eighteen years ago, I started on the City Council in this area," Steinberg said. "I know I represent a rich community, a community rich in tradition, rich in culture and rich in pride."

A parade with dancers in costume, dragons and drums moved toward the Tet Festival on Florin Road.

The festival included a traditional Vietnamese New Year's ceremony, which featured dancers in dragon costumes moving to the rhythm of the drummers while firecrackers exploded all around them. There also was a carnival adjacent to the festival area, and even Mexican dancing horses.

There were many booths selling food, drink, gifts, toys and karaoke machines. Others represented businesses and community organizations, including the Sacramento Chinese Community Center and the Vietnamese Hope Baptist Church of Sacramento.

Thamh Nguyen, who helped plan the festival and emceed from the main stage, deemed the festival a success.

"We do the festival every year to remind our community to celebrate the freedom in this country," he said. "This year is special. The approval of Little Saigon adds a lot to it."

The Vietnamese Hope Baptist Church, which has participated in the festival for 10 years, sold food and drinks to help pay for the construction of a new church building. Pastor Tuan Phan, a native of Vietnam who has lived in Sacramento for 17 years, said he was excited about Little Saigon.

"I hear the words 'Little Saigon' and it reminds me of my country," he said.

Some of the younger generation wasn't as enthusiastic. Ousio Saeteurn and Alex Lee said it didn't mean much to them.

"They need to open up more stores and fill it out," said Lee, indicating a field nearby. "It's a little empty."

"It's okay," said Saeteurn. "It gives us kids something to do and a place to interact with people."

To those who came from Vietnam to the United States, however, Little Saigon has far more meaning.

Son Nguyen, a member of the Association of Former Vietnamese Political Prisoners, has lived in Sacramento 19 years. He is excited about Little Saigon, he said, because it represents what Vietnam was before 1975, when the country became a communist government. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City at that time.

"I'm very proud to be Vietnamese and to have this here in Sacramento," he said, through a translator.

Little Saigon is meaningful because many in the Sacramento Vietnamese community escaped from the communist government to freedom in America, said Thamh Nguyen.

"Saigon has a connection to this community, and that connection is freedom. It means a lot to a lot of people," he said. "Using the name 'Little Saigon' reminds them why we're here."

This year's Tet Festival coinciding with the designation of Little Saigon not only lent extra meaning to the festival, it increased awareness of this vibrant and diverse community.

"Having Little Saigon now brings a lot of understanding to the people outside of the Vietnamese community," Nguyen said. "It's great to have the community of Sacramento celebrate with us."

All photos taken by Jonathan Mendick

State turns over $31 million for RR tracks

2009-12-12T07:05:45Z

Helping to save $20 million in local federal stimulus money, the state of California on Thursday ponied up $31 million in Prop. 1B funding for projects connected to Sacramento's future regional transportation center.

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments and the city of Sacramento told the California Transportation Commission this week that the city would lose the federal stimulus funds unless the agency paid out the Prop. 1B money as promised, said Erik Johnson, SACOG spokesman.

The bulk of the $31 million will be used for a $60 million railroad track relocation, the first phase of the train station and public transit center being built in the 244-acre historic railyards adjacent to the Sacramento Valley Station downtown.

"In order to receive the $20 million, we had to have all of our funds to move forward," Johnson said. "Congress wanted to have the stimulus funding move quickly. They (the state) understood that need."

Darrell Steinberg, state Senate president pro tem, represents Sacramento and helped win state funding for the project. U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui helped land the federal stimulus money, according to SACOG.

The state allocated $25 million in trade corridor improvement funds to the city to help move the tracks and for tunnel work under the new tracks.

The state also allocated nearly $6 million in highway railroad crossing safety funds. The money will go toward the $12 million Sixth Street overpass to be built by Railyards developer Thomas Enterprises, Johnson said. The money was paid to Thomas on behalf of the city, which requested the money in August.

All the funds had been awarded but not turned over, he said.

Reconfiguring and relocating the tracks has been a SACOG priority for years, Johnson said.

The Sacramento Valley Station sits on a major national trade route, the Central Corridor, whose western junction is the high-volume Port of Oakland. Freight and passenger trains share three tracks, a configuration set up about the time the Sacramento station was built in 1925.

Track relocation work will include building tracks devoted to freight, allowing a higher volume of freight trains to move more quickly through Sacramento. Freight and passenger tracks will be moved at least 300 feet north and straightened to allow for longer trains.

SACOG helped the city apply for the Prop. 1B funding. SACOG also is responsible for the regional distribution of about $109 million in federal stimulus funds. The organization earmarked $20 million for the railroad tracks project, the largest single project receiving those funds, Johnson said.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said he was happy the California Transportation Commission has allocated the funding for the transportation center and the Railyards.

"This project is important to revitalizing our downtown and will be a tremendous regional asset as new residents, visitors and workers come in and out of this area," he said in a prepared statement.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

$10m Unity Center funding cut from water bond

2009-11-05T05:18:55Z

The California State Assembly stripped $10 million that had been earmarked for the future California Unity Center from an $11 billion state water bond proposal early Wednesday.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento had requested the money for the center to be built on 16th Street. He defended the provision Tuesday, but agreed to its being slashed from the water bond early Wednesday after its inclusion was stalling the bond from passing in the Assembly, confirmed Nathan Barankin, a Steinberg spokesman. Minutes later, the bond passed.

The session continued until nearly dawn. Later Wednesday, Steinberg told reporters he'd realized the $10-million earmark was threatening to derail the water bond.

"He said this morning that the inclusion of the money in the bond was just a mistake," Barankin said. "It was something that clearly became a distraction."

The bond was then sent back to the Senate for approval without the provision, which had authorized the California Department of Parks and Recreation to give the money to a Sacramento nonprofit that would teach Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) students about the watershed and other environmental issues, Barankin said.

Plans for a California Unity Center stem from a wave of hate crimes by two Redding-area brothers who firebombed three Sacramento-area synagogues and a women's health clinic, then murdered a gay couple in the summer of 1999.

Both devout Christians, 31-year-old Benjamin Matthew Williams and James Tyler Williams, 29, plead guilty to the bombings. The older brother committed suicide in jail. James Williams is serving a 50-year sentence.

The Capital Unity Council was formed in the wake of the violence. A three-story, 32,000-square-foot tolerance center has been proposed for 16th and N streets, which once housed the SCUSD headquarters.

Steinberg, who serves as the council's board president, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have been working with others in the community to raise funds for the $30-million project. To date, a little more than $11 million has been raised, but the recession has hurt fundraising, said Bob Harris, the council's executive director and the retired long-time president of Sacramento City College.

"We managed to skate through that (recession) at least good enough to still be here," he said last week. "What we're putting together is our effort to be building by next summer."

A design plan created by Studio Southwest Architects has been approved by the Division of the State Architect, which had jurisdiction because the facility is targeted for schoolchildren, he said. Most of the plan also has been approved by the city.

A warehouse once used for the school district headquarters was demolished about a year ago. The lease agreement originally called for the council to also use a Spanish-tile roof school that was one of the district's first, he added.

Plan drawings are being updated to reflect such changes as a projected 35-percent decrease in energy use. The building will seek gold-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The center will include interactive exhibits and displays that feature protests and other tools Californians have used to bring social change and stories about social justice heroes; an oral history alcove; a gallery that will take visitors through other people's real experiences with discrimination; community-building events that celebrate diverse cultural traditions and shared values and a three-story digital screen that honors each person who takes a unity and harmony pledge.

"The project is shovel-ready," Harris said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press.

What's happening at the Capitol: June 17, 18, 19

2009-06-17T01:58:20Z

Wednesday, June 17

11 a.m.-4 p.m. Comcast will be holding a high school recognition ceremony on the north steps of the Capitol. Last year the company gave out an average of $1,000 to over 150 12th grade students for higher education.

Noon-2 p.m. Ten people from the California Department of Public Health will be manning a public safety booth on the west steps of the Capitol. They will be passing out informational handouts.

Thursday, June 18

11 a.m-2 p.m. California Department of Social Services' Multicultural Commission will be holding a World Fair event in the Department of Social Services' quad area. 150 participants are expected to attend.

Friday, June 19

10:30 a.m.- Noon Hands in Peace, a children's peace festival, will be held on the west steps of the Capitol. "The event will celebrate diversity in Sacramento's children ages 10-20," said Inge Ring, a board member and organizer of Hands in Peace. "Kids of all ethnic and religious groups will be participating in a pentathalon over a four-day period from June 18 to June 21 as a vehicle for peace promotion." Senator Darrel Steinberg, Councilmember Rob Fong and the president of Hands in Peace will all speak at the Capitol in a press conference for the event. Around 200 children are expected to attend the press conference.

Noon-4 p.m. Fathers 4 Justice will be holding a rally and press conference on the north steps of the Capitol. The group uses direct action "done with humor" to spread their message according to their mission statement on their website. 25 people will gather for the event.

5:30-8 p.m. Three districts of the United Methodist Church will be eating dinner at different locations around the Capitol. 325 people will gather for the meal.

What's happening at the Capitol: May 30, 31

2009-05-30T02:59:09Z

Saturday, May 30

7 a.m.-1 p.m. The Kings of Queens motorcycle club will be holding a walk-a-thon fundraising event for breast cancer near the south steps of the Capitol. The event is expected to draw 500 participants.

10 a.m.- Noon Forty people will be participating in a prayer rally for California Department of Corrections prisoners, parolees and personnel.

11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Senator Darrell Steinberg's office will be holding a ceremony honoring graduates. 500 people are expected on the south steps of the Capitol.

According to a press release from the Senator's office:

"Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) will hold a special recognition ceremony this Saturday at 11 am on the South Steps of the State Capitol to honor graduates who have been nominated by their Sacramento area schools.

For this annual graduation event, Steinberg encouraged every high school and middle school in his Senate district, including charter schools, continuation schools and special education schools to nominate a “Most Improved” and “Most Outstanding” student to be honored. Each honoree received a personal invitation letter to attend the ceremony with their family, where they will receive special recognition and a Senate Certificate from Senator Steinberg.

“I look forward to spending the day congratulating and getting to know these hard working students and their families,” Steinberg said.

Sunday, May 31

Three private weddings are scheduled throughout the day.

Lots at Stake for Sacramento in May 19th Election

2009-04-29T22:49:35Z

It may be the best kept secret in politics: there's a statewide special election on May 19th that could have a greater impact on Sacramento's schools, fire stations, and budget than anything they're doing down at City Hall.

This special election is all about the state budget: the gaping $58 billion hole, and how the Governor and Legislature will go about fixing it. It includes new taxes, shifting of funds, the payback of funds to schools, and "modernizing" the state lottery so that it brings in more cash.

Led by Sacramento's own State Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, the California Teachers Association (CTA), and the California Professional Firefighters Association, the pro-reform forces http://www.cabudgetreformnow.com/splash.php?_c=xxzcw3j20w5zgp say these initiatives are a test of bipartisanship -- a compromise of both the left and the right that will keep the state afloat through tough times. Liberals won revenue increases, conservatives won a soft budget cap to prevent sharp rises in state spending, with the result being a balanced package that nobody seems to love but everyone can live with.

But there's plenty of opposition. On the right, the California Republican Party and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association say any tax increases are acceptable. On the ultra-left, the California Faculty Association and some other labor unions say any cuts and a spending cap are unacceptable.

Meanwhile, the voting public is caught in the cross fire. According to some Field Poll numbers out today, all the initiatives except one are trailing in the polls. But these numbers might well be skewed because of what is expected to be a record low turnout.

Pundits say the main reason voters aren't getting excited about this election is because the ballot initiatives are complex and confusing.

But this much we know: if the initiatives fail to pass, there will be some immediate dire consequences.

As the newly-minted State Senate Republican leader told the Bee today, he will advocate for sharp reductions in state spending across-the-board. The CTA estimates that 75,000 teachers will lose their jobs in August. The California Professional Firefighters Association says it will lead to fire station closures. And health care providers would also be expected to see major cuts in services.

Sacramento's pols are near-unanimous in backing the initiatives. Mayor Kevin Johnson is expected to lead a press conference next week where he'll endorse the initiatives. Supervisor Roger Dickinson was at the California Democratic Party convention in Sacramento where he joined the overwhelming majority of delegates in supporting the propositions. Assemblymember Dave Jones supported the plan when it came to a vote earlier this year.

The Secretary of State's website features a guide to each of the initiatives -- well worth reading if you need to catch up with what's on the ballot. /www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/title-sum/prop1a-title-sum.htm

(Full disclosure: I'm doing some work for the Yes! campaign)

A new beginning for Sacramento - Darrell Steinberg sworn in as Senate President pro Tem

2008-12-04T10:11:24Z

It was so packed at Social Night Club on Monday night that it was impossible not to rub elbows with a politician. 1,500 people showed up to celebrate and shake hands with one man, new Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.

On December 1, inside the walls of the Capitol, a Sacramentan was sworn in as the Senate President pro Tem. The last time the state saw a Senate President pro Tem from Sacramento was in 1882.

Caliph Assagai, who was a field crew chief for the Kevin Johnson for mayor campaign said, "I think people have a renewed sense of leadership in Sacramento, having the president pro tem of the Senate be from our city having a new mayor who's going to bring a lot of energy into the city and having new leadership in both of those key posts is going to be crucial to moving Sacramento forward so it seems like people are excited, I know I am."

Cosmo Café, the new Paragary restaurant adjoining The California Musical Theatre's Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 10th and K, hosted Steinberg's fundraiser. Crowds lined up around the corner to join the party upstairs at Social Night Club.

Despite the hazy fog outside and dim lights in Social Night Club, the warmth of spirit and bright future of political possibilities kept partygoers buzzing with excitement.

Rusty Areias of California Strategies, LLC commented on the energy of the evening. "I think it's fabulous, it's a new day, a new leader, a Sacramentan. I think Darrell knows Sacramento, he understands Sacramento. He's been a leader wherever he was, whether it was on the city council or the state assembly or here now in the senate. I think it's been what, more than a hundred years since someone from Sacramento was elected president pro tem of the Senate. It's a great thing not only for Sacramentans but for Californians."

The climate of Sacramento is rapidly changing with a new mayor, a new café, club and cabaret theater on K street and a new Senate President pro Tem. These new leaders and new businesses may breath new life into the worn out areas of Sacramento.

The hundreds of supporters from various political backgrounds and all different walks of life came to celebrate, proving Darrell Steinberg's ability to unite people.

Council Member Robbie Waters was in attendance on Monday and has known Steinberg since 1994. He said, "Darrell is a very understanding person. He's out there to try and bring people together. That's his whole motivation and he'll get it done. I'm still the only Republican today on the city council. Darrell and I became good friends, not agreeing on some things [which is] fine, but he's a fine gentleman."

Were you at the swearing in at the Capitol? Did you make it to the fundraiser or the party at Social Night Club? How do you feel about the new Senate President pro Tem? Are you excited to have a Sacramentan leading the Senate?

Please comment below.