This is not an easy piece for me to write as I have long been active in democratic and gay politics and am loathe to criticize my heritage; my affiliation with the Democratic Party started with my grandparents and parents. In the 90s, I was privileged to serve on the board and as chair of the River City Democratic Club (RCDC) which was the precursor to Stonewall. RCDC worked on a grass roots level to help elect officials who were supportive of LGBT issues as we didn’t have many opportunities to support LGBT candidates. Fortunately that has changed. Also, RCDC recognized our natural alliance with other minorities and formed relationships with many groups to fight for equality and represen

Consider the case of Republican mover-and-shaker Jon Bagatelos of Sacramento, who until recently was relatively unknown at City Hall. Bagatelos, along with his relatives and his family’s commercial glass businesses, has been particularly kind to Kevin Johnson – including sponsoring fundraisers and doling out $15,150 in contributions to his mayoral race. When Johnson launched his strong mayor power grab, the Bagatelos clan once again was generous, handing out $10,550 to the effort in December 2009. In January 2010 – a month after those strong mayor contributions -- Johnson smiled on Jon Bagatelos and made him a city planning commissioner. And now Bagatelos is back, part of a development t

On Saturday, over 30 Democrats and friends helped build a house for a Sacramento family. When the team arrived, they found an empty lot, with only a concrete foundation and piles of lumber that would soon become the walls of a home. By the end of the day, the structure of a home had replaced the empty lot. Event organizer, James Schwab said, "We helped to build a house but we also built friendships and relationships that will help us build a better Sacramento in the future." The cold, foggy morning did not dampen the volunteers' spirits. After touring a recently completed nearby home, the team received instructions from site supervisor, Terry Hardin and set to work building a new, LEED ce

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) voted to unanimously endorse a resolution in support of Safe Ground for Sacramento’s homeless community, urging an amendment to the city's anti-camping ordinance to create city-sanctioned campgrounds to provide safe, sanitary and regulated facilities. DPSC supports this measure to avoid forcing Sacramento’s 1,200 homeless men, women and children to fend for themselves on the streets.   "Homelessness in Sacramento is a crisis affecting working families hit hard by the recession," said DPSC Parliamentarian Alan LoFaso, "The community needs to rally in support of our most vulnerable residents and back innovative ways to help these families re

Sacramento Democrats Oppose Anti-Scavenging Measure and the Big Business Supported Bill on Accounting Peer Review   In addition, the DPSC voted to urge the City Council to repeal Section 13.10.160 of City Ordinance No. 2009-012 banning scavenging from solid waste receptacles. Kipp Mueller of the Sacramento County Young Democrats gave a stirring presentation on the issue, noting that homelessness is up 14% and this ordinance does not save the city money. DPSC member Devin Lavelle said, “With the current conditions of our economy, criminalizing poverty is unconscionable. If any American with the motivation to go out and dig through garbage is forced to, the crime is not that they choose to

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) will hold its monthly meeting today (July 14) at 6 p.m. in room 127 of the State Capitol Building. The DPSC will discuss furloughs for Sacramento County and State workers and their impact on families and the local economy. DPSC Treasurer, Guy Crouch will present Assembly Bill 138, which would enact a mandatory peer review requirement for California accounting firms that provide any audit, review or compilation services. The DPSC will consider taking a position on the legislation. Elk Grove City Councilmember and Congressional candidate Gary Davis will be at the meeting to discuss the Elk Grove City Charter. Finally, California Attorney Gen