Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "policy"

Organization monitors government actions

2011-05-18T07:12:17Z

Eye on Sacramento, a nonprofit Sacramento-based government watchdog organization, has recently been launched in the city of Sacramento to maintain a watchful eye on the policies and actions of the city government.

“We formed EOS because we believe that too little attention is paid to the broad public interest and too much attention is paid to special interests,” said EOS President Craig Powell. “The public has little inside knowledge of what really goes on in city government. We hope to change that.”

“Eye on Sacramento was started by a core group of about nine people who were active in the Campaign for Common Sense Utilities Rates (the group that sponsored Measure B on the November 2010 ballot),” Powell said.

Powell currently serves as the vice president of the Sacramento County Taxpayers League and is the league’s point person on city government issues. He is also the president of the Land Park Volunteer Corps (which cares for William Land Park) and writes the monthly “City Hall” column for Inside the City magazine.

“Six more individuals have joined the effort over the past five or six months, so the 15 key participants now comprise the initial Board of Directors of EOS,” Powell said.

Powell said EOS was formed for two reasons: to “shine a very bright light” on the actions and policies of local government in Sacramento and to develop and promote local government policies that advance and protect the broad interests of the general public.

“The three functions that form the core of Eye on Sacramento’s work is the watchdog unit, our policy incubator and our community unit,” Powell said.

The watchdog unit is composed of about half a dozen people amongst whom are several board members and whose responsibilities entail monitoring the role of the city government.

Powell explained that the watchdog unit is responsible for attending all City Council meetings, monitoring the actions of all City Council members and being able to follow up with the council by asking questions during public comment.

“We are actively recruiting volunteers who wish to serve in our watchdog unit, either as regular monitors of government actions, investigators of particular issues or government actions, researchers and writers,” Powell said. “Volunteers expand our capacity to scrutinize local government.”

The policy incubator is the process in which the board will review current policy issues on a regular basis in order to make a final agreement on creating a new policy.

Once the board has created a policy that they all can agree on, a recommendation of the policy will be proposed to the City Council.

“Sacramento residents should have every opportunity to feel confident in their local government. I appreciate anyone who sees priority in the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency throughout government offices,” said City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby.

Powell added that EOS is now focusing on the cellphone tower and billboard policy and recommendations to the current budget crisis within the city.

“Outsourcing is an alternative budget solution to mass layoffs and public service-level cutbacks, which have been the primary budget-balancing tools of the local government in the past few years,” Powell said.

The implementation of presenting awareness to the public about the actions of local government will be done through the EOS community unit.

“The city not only welcomes but encourages public input and participation during the budget adoption process,” said city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

“We want to create a strong communication system between ourselves and neighborhoods,” Powell said.

These efforts will be performed through the EOS representatives, whose role is to watch over particular communities within the city of Sacramento and attend neighborhood meetings.

“By attending neighborhood association meetings, EOS representatives will be able to connect with members of the community and report back to the EOS board as to what the issues or concerns of the community are,” Powell said.

He added that EOS will assess public priorities by receiving feedback from local communities and periodically conducting polls within particular areas of Sacramento that question residents on their attitudes toward government.

“Right now, improving the local economy is critical and ensuring that we don’t make cutbacks in the city’s public services,” Powell said.

“(On May 12), City Council directed staff to explore ways of restoring community centers and staff is working at reviewing all feasible options,” said Williams.

EOS will use email alerts, newsletters and TV interviews to voice to the public the actions of local government as it pertains to the concerns of the residents of Sacramento.

“The government performs better when they’re being scrutinized than when they know that no one is looking, “Powell said.

The members of the Board of Directors of Eye on Sacramento include Craig K. Powell, Greg Hatfield, Lisa Garcia, Carl Burton, James Felton, Ray Garcia, Diane Schachterle, Erik Smitt, Arnold Duplantier Sr., Karen Klinger, Sarah Foster, Katy Grimes, Phil Nails, Dennis Kellogg and Adam Willoughby.

Next year, EOS plans to focus its attention on the city’s school, park and fire districts, as well as the cities of Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova.

The Race to Nowhere in Sacramento

2010-04-07T23:16:11Z

Disclaimer: the contributor of this and his wife run Movies on a Big Screen, Sacramento’s weekly screening series of documentaries, general independent film, classics and cult titles. The following is blatant self-promotion of a MOBS event .

On Sunday, April 11, 2010, at 4:00 PM, Movies on a Big Screen will present Race to Nowhere, a feature length documentary examining pressures faced by children and teens in today’s achievement-obsessed culture. Director Vicki Abeles will be in attendance for a discussion and Q&A.

The film premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October, 2009 and has been screening around the country in theaters, cultural centers and schools.

About the film:
Race to Nowhere is a close up investigation of the pressures American schoolchildren and their teachers face in our achievement-obsessed education system and culture.

Director Vicki Abeles takes viewers to schools across the country to feature the stories of students who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burnt out and worried students aren't learning anything substantive, and college professors and business leaders, concerned the incoming young people lack the skills needed to succeed in the 21st century. The stories of several young people, parents and a teacher are intercut with scenes of family life and in-depth interviews with top experts in education, medicine, and psychology – providing a deep and varied context that underscores the enormity of a potentially looming crisis.

Today, competitive, self-assured, achievement-oriented, young people prepare relentlessly to enter a culture that demands nothing less than their personal best, all day, every day. From preschool through college, children are pressured, pushed, coached, sculpted, scheduled and reviewed, running a never-ending gauntlet towards adulthood.

What happens when personal best is not good enough? What happens when personal best changes into personal nightmare? The unintended consequences of an achievement-obsessed culture can be catastrophic for families and children alike. The mental health of young people may suffer, leading to depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, self-mutilation, and suicide – not to mention binge drinking, self-medication and drug abuse.

"If you care about the future of our country, you are going to want to see this provocative film." - Huffington Post

“[Race to Nowhere] should be required viewing for every parent, teacher and school policy maker.” – Marin Independent Journal

Sunday, April 11, 2010
4:00 PM
Admission: $12.00 general; $10.00 students through 12th grade
Location:
Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild
2828 35th St, Sacramento
Advance tickets can be purchased at http://www.rtnsacramento.eventbrite.com
Tickets will also be available at the door (cash only)

http://www.moviesonabigscreen.com

Young artists transform communities

2009-07-03T01:07:54Z

For the past three months, young people from 10 to 21 years of age have come together in Sacramento once a week to discuss their role in their physical environment.

As part of the Youth Voices for Change initiative, the group called the Sactown Heroes collaborated with UC Davis scholars, artists and graduate students to explore their community, what they like about it and what could change. The culminating event on Tuesday was a presentation of their findings to the community.

14-year-old Bradly Palmer said he would change "where youth are welcome and where they are hired for jobs. Some places discriminate against youth because they think they're trouble-makers."

He is a student at West Sacramento Early College-Prep Charter School, and is able to explore his surroundings with cameras, video and audio equipment that he is trained to use.

"I set up a lot of the Google maps, the graphics, and I took videos of my favorite places and what I dislike about the community," Palmer said.

The Google maps have digital, color-coded thumbtacks on local businesses and parks that the students have explored with their equipment. They are later able to add audio commentary about what they like and dislike about the areas.

"They are the people that are using the spaces the most often. It's really important what those people using the spaces think about those places," said Patsy Eubanks Owens, an associate professor of landscape and architecture.

"I think what's key about this is you have young people who care enough about their communities to spend every week learning what's out there," said Diane Littlefield, a senior program officer with the Sierra Health Foundation. She continued to say that students are "willing to roll up their sleeves and take action and improve the environment in which they live."

Jessica Rice, a future ninth-grade student at River City High School, recounted a beautification project she took part in, "We planted flowers in front of the preschool, we decorated the benches with decorative rocks and it's really nice."

The Youth Voices for Regional Change is part of a larger crusade called Healthy Youth Healthy Regions program at UC Davis. Jesikah Maria Ross, director of the UC Davis program the Art of Regional Change, said the program poses the question, "How is the impact of how youth perceive their places related to the well-being and prosperity of the region?" She concludes, "By studying this, we can give policy makers some recommendations for change."

The Sierra Health Foundation and the California Endowment are funding this program as part of a policy program. "What we're hoping to do is understand better the conditions that affect young people in terms of their health, economics, environment and education," said Littlefield.

West Sacramento Mayor, Christopher Cabaldon, was also in attendance and he encouraged students, "Make Facebook comments on my page," to further stimulate dialogue on their insights.

The program is funded as part of a two-year study with findings projected to be public in fall of 2010 that will inform grant making and the allocation of resources. Littlefield emphasized, "This is real data, this is research done by young people."

After the two-year study is completed, the students and program advisers hope to continue the spirit of this organization in other neighborhoods, and even nationally. "It kind of might change the social norm by looking to young people for some of the solutions," said Littlefield.

For more information, click the following links:
The Art of Regional Change
Healthy Youth/Healthy Regions