A proposed measure to fund jobs and other services for young people in Sacramento is being supported by a coalition of labor and religious groups and some local elected officials. A $29 annual tax on parcels of property in the city would be set up to pay for programs provided through Youth Jobs and Opportunity Act. Property owners would be charged the tax. The proposed initiative could appear on the November ballot. Supporters say they intend to collect 30,000 signatures from residents. Proponents say several kinds of programs could be funded through the program, including after-school programs, apprenticeships and street outreach services. Groups supporting the proposal include the Yes

Councilman Kevin McCarty wants the city government to make it easier for residents to be environmentally conscious. Environmental programs — one program focused on energy efficiency measures and another on water conservation — are among his top three priorities for the year. At the same time, McCarty is emphasizing the importance of the city’s looming budget gap. He said the city budget will be his first priority for 2010. City leaders made major cuts to local services when they closed out last year’s $50 million budget deficit. “The budget is probably the single most important act that we do every year that affects ... the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” McCarty said. The city s

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 c

Severe budget cuts to Sacramento County programs and controversial layoffs for 186 employees in the Child Protective Services unit are part of the 2009/2010 fiscal year budget that was approved by the Board of Supervisors Friday. The county, which had faced an immense budget gap of $76 million, laid off 300 workers last month. The total budget the supervisors approved is $4.2 billion. Around $1.9 billion of that total is the county’s general fund. More than 700 county employees have been laid off since July. CPS has faced criticism from the county’s grand jury and MGT of America, Inc., a management consulting firm, over child fatalities. Ann Edwards-Buckley, director of the county’s Depa

The county’s planned budget cuts to local health services drew withering criticism Wednesday from a member of the public health advisory board and public interest attorneys. During the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors’ second day of final budget hearings, critics charged that the cuts were unlawful and decided in a “closed-door” process. The supervisors are planning more than 360 layoffs and cuts to numerous county programs to address a budget gap in excess of $54.5 million. Wednesday’s hearing addressed proposed cuts to health services in numerous areas including immunizations, California Children’s Services, Community Health Promotion & Infectious Disease Prevention, Community Di

California's air may start to look a little cleaner, thanks to the California Department of Transportation and its project partners. Caltrans's revolutionary "green locomotive" debuted Wednesday morning at the Amtrak Sacramento Valley station. Members of Caltrans and its project partners assembled within the train station at a press release to make statements regarding the new locomotive, considered a major step toward reducing California's carbon footprint. It is one of the 15 F59PHI model locomotives owned by Caltrans and operated by Amtrak that is now installed with a 710ECO Repower upgrade package. The package is said to consist of the latest microprocessor-controlled locomotive eng

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-re