The City Council will be discussing the latest version of an executive mayor initiative Tuesday, opening the door to putting charter reform on the June ballot. A strong mayor initiative has been an on-and-off topic of discussion in Sacramento political circles since it was first brought up by Mayor Kevin Johnson shortly after his election in 2008. The executive mayor version was introduced at a press conference Dec. 21 by the mayor’s chief of staff and a group of supporters ranging from faith community leaders to the head of the local police union. How is an “executive mayor” different from a “strong mayor”? Strong Mayor Initially – in a 2008/09 version of the strong mayor initiative

Whatever your particular creed or faith, most people regard this time of year as a season of peace — a time to reflect, count blessings, maybe offer a little prayer for better days ahead. We suffer the coarseness and indignities of a saturated consumer market to enjoy the time with family and friends, and work for better days in our communities. That is why it was so appalling that a recent trip to an area Sam’s Club for supplies for a holiday party became an occasion for outrage. Sam’s Club (a division of Walmart) often has vendors set up special displays of merchandise that might not be part of its regular lineup of products. Megawine Inc., a liquor distributor from Van Nuys, had an ent

With an 8-1 vote Tuesday, the City Council put a nine-month hold on the application and permit process for medical marijuana dispensaries, bringing everything to a standstill. City Councilman Darrell Fong was the only dissenting vote, citing concerns that proximity of dispensaries to schools and parks is not adequately addressed in the ordinance. The freeze left some dispensary operators and medical marijuana patients concerned for the future of dispensaries and of the ability to access medicine. The Sacramento Press asked people for their opinion of the current state of limbo that medical marijuana dispensaries are in. Reactions from Sacramentans ranged from mild to animated – one thin

In doing research to better understand the Occupy Wall Street movement, I have come to realize a few things. One is that though I feel the movement may not be as organized and direct as other movements, their cause is respectable. Two, it is still early for our brothers and sisters taking to the streets, so only time will tell whether or not the movement did anything more than cause some chaos. And three, there is at least one guy who stands firmly behind the OWS movement with his mind, body, and penis. That's right. Billy D. (if I had to guess that is not his legal name nor his Christian name) claims to have had at least 5 sexual encounters that were facilitated by OWS demonstrations. He

I turned on the news tonight. I like doing that now. That and talk radio. I have only been 30 for a week and a a few days and already I am watching more news, listening to am radio stations, forgetting a lot of things, and wearing church socks with shorts in November. This whole occupy something movement really has caught my attention. When it first got off the ground I had no real interest in it but now that it looks like it has no plans on dying down, it has sparked my curiosity. What I am curious about is how attacking businesses and interfering with people who have a job to do benefits the cause. I understand that corporate greed is the enemy, but people need to realize that these co

I've changed lately into recognizing the value of my college education. I've even been faced with the realization that someone with a college education should know more about 7th grade mathematics than what I remember, and tutoring has already taught me more about myself than I expected to learn this soon in the experience. I've got some homework to do. That said, I wanted to share the way tutoring middle-school students feels and looks in Sacramento, from the point of view of a rookie looking to make an impact.  (I've changed names, just to be safe, and will not mention the name of the school for the same reason). Tutoring Day Two: I'm asked to introduce myself. “I graduated from Sonom

The next workshop hosted by The Sacramento Press will be on opinion writing. It will be held at our office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Feb. 24. Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton will discuss the importance of backing up your opinion, doing reporting and keeping your column focused. Barton worked at The Sacramento Bee from 1985-2007. He was the pop music critic until 1994 and in addition to writing reviews, he wrote weekly columns called Poplife and The Beat. As editor in chief of The Sacramento Press, Barton writes editorials on a regular basis. Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a governm

If you have lived in Sacramento for any length of time, you will know that Arco Arena (excuse me, Power Balance Pavilion) is on borrowed time. Though it is only 25 years old, the arena was built "on the cheap" - a short term solution for the Sacramento Kings while the city could figure out a long-term solution. Well, my friends... that day is here. The City Council is trying to devise a way to pay for a $600 million arena in a faltering economy. No small feat, but it's not impossible. What's Wrong With Arco Arco Arena, while acceptable for many fans - is not acceptable by modern standards. Several notable event promoters such as Beyonce and the NCAA March Madness tournament committee have

I felt compelled to write this after reading Brandon Darnell’s report on the Sacramento’s City Council’s 5-4 decision in favor of requiring non-resident drivers to foot emergency bills. You can view his article here I find this to be complete nonsense (not the article, the decision). Especially when reading some of the responses from the City Council and others. The Fire Chief states that it’s not to bring in revenue, but to recover costs? He’s joking right? What else is this but a new revenue stream? Top that off with the old school mentality of budgeting, especially in a government environment. Towards the end of each fiscal year budgets are reviewed to ensure all monies in the budget

My, it was a busy weekend around Sacramento. And I'm not talking about the holiday. People were shot, people were killed and people (and homes) were robbed. And there was all the other horrible stuff that happens daily. I took the four-day weekend off from news consumption. Monday morning, I remembered why. Much of it, especially the crime news, is depressing and does nothing to improve my life. Worse, some of it is not even entirely true. But confronting it now gives me the opportunity to ask Sacramento Press readers a question about the future of this website. But first, as they say, the news: The big news that I missed until Monday was that a group of four people – described in The

Walking into the newly-expanded Crocker Art Museum will be a moment any smart Sacramentan will remember. I’ve visited a few times now, before and during the construction, and at Tuesday’s media preview. And each time, I said what I think a lot of people will say: This is in...Sacramento? What that says about our ongoing and really pretty dumb inferiority complex is beside the point. Let’s focus on the positive: Sacramento is about to get a gorgeous, and dare I say it, “world-class” new museum, full of beautiful art, exquisitely displayed, with a “backstage” infrastructure that is just as impressive. For a detailed look, visit Brandon Darnell’s story here.  Great museums help make great

Today is “mini” Super Tuesday – Election Day. And in California that means it is time to vote in the primaries to determine who will represent each party in the general election next November. It also means that we will determine the outcome of a number of initiatives that we, the people, supposedly put on the ballot in an effort to do what the legislature cannot or will not. Of course, there is very little of the “people” involved in the initiative process anymore. For some time it has been an instrument of special interests to get custom tailored laws on the books that are portrayed as benefiting the general good, but in reality specifically target a much narrower interest. Among the mos

Sacramentans should be enjoying a sigh of relief today, and a swell of pride. After months, years, even a decade of back and forth, conflict and aimlessness, there is finally some movement forward on a sports and entertainment complex. Yes, forward. Thursday morning's decision by the Sacramento First Task Force to recommend - if just recommend - the complicated but far-reaching "land swap" proposed by Gerry Kamilos' and David Taylor's organizations, and supported by the NBA and other crucial organizations, means that we are moving forward. Finally. There will be a lot of arguing about this for some time. As an assistant to Mayor Kevin Johnson, who is to be praised for making progress on

Today the Mayor pushed the City Council to put a new Strong Mayor Initiative on the ballot within the next two weeks. Rushing a proposal to the ballot without time for vetting or community involvement is bad government and bad politics. If we change the way our government operates, it should be focused on more community involvement and more open, transparent government. The process through which we pursue change should reflect those values. Changing our City’s Constitution is not something we should take lightly. The process matters. An open, transparent, process that involves the community and all stake holders will lead to a sound, responsible policy that reflects our community and our

A controversial draft? Check. An over-the-hill coach? check. Taking gambles witha possible bust? check. Time after time Oakland Raiders franchise owner Al Davis proves that he has lost his uncanny touch with the game of football. With his 17 hall-of-fame inductees, including himself as a franchise owner, and three super bowl titles, he has, or at one time, established himself as one of the all-time best to ever do it. But maybe its time to pass the baton to the next person. The No. 7 overall draft pick in the 2009 NFL draft may serve as perfect evidence. Passing on the two highest ranked wide outs in this year's draft, including one of the most explosive players to come out of college in

Living in the Community of Greenhaven in Sacramento, I’m 6-8 minutes away from Alice Birney Elementary school. I was completely horrified to hear that the school could close by the end of the 2008-2009 school year. On April 15, there was a board meeting where parents and the community could voice their opinion on the closure of the school. There were poster boards hanging from the fence that surrounds the campus that read “Kindergartners Love Alice Birney” or “Help save our school.” There was also another poster that informed all the neighbors around the area what time the meeting was going to be and asked them for support. If the school were to close by the end of the year, students wou

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

Former Sacramento Bee "three-dot" columnist R.E. Graswich was an early supporter of Kevin Johnson's campaign for mayor of Sacramento. But recent events have caused him to reconsider his support. This column was written specifically for SacramentoPress.com.   King Kevin? By R.E. Graswich Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson promised to be different. Yet his first two months have featured one stumble after another. The collapse of Johnson’s self-indulgent “strong mayor” scheme proves Johnson has much to learn as he fills the vacuum of leadership at Sacramento City Hall. Sorry, Kevin wasn’t elected to be our king. The mayor’s failures have been self-inflicted. Kevin has made the quest for more

Time for a Change I’m not the typical mom. I don’t have baby weight to lose. No.1 she’s seven and No. 2  I lost all the weight within a year after I had her. My problem is I always wanted to be there for my daughter, she has been my #1 priority, while I dropped to #55 on a growing list. I started working at home to be with her. I stopped doing all the things that made me feel good, inside and out: Hair, nails, social time with friends, etc. I’m heavier, now, than I’ve ever been and totally out of shape. A flight of stairs makes me lose my breath. I tried to do something for my mental fitness (went back to school), which still was doing nothing for my physical fitness. Needless to say “goi

On New Year’s Eve a few friends and I went to Social nightclub to see the ball drop on 10th and K. The place was packed, the streets were packed (12,000 to 20,000 people) and there was a seriously festive atmosphere. But the ball was small. And it wasn’t really a ball, more of a diamond inside a round cage. The ball didn’t drop very far. It dropped maybe ten feet. The whole thing got plenty of media coverage. There were complaints the day after about all sorts of minor incidents. But really who could have expected a crowd of 20,000 people to show up to 10th and K? I started thinking, without any tradition or expectations all it took to get 20,000 Sacramentans to go party in the streets