Let's try to park the pat ideological answers at the door and open our minds to pragmatic solutions to a worsening problem. Outsourcing is neighter a panacea nor a scourge. It is a tool. Academic studies have shown that outsourcing typically works very well to reduce government costs when the services are rendered by those with relatively low to modest job skills. That's because pay and benefits levels of city workers with low/moderate skills tend to be significantly higher than comparable workers in the private sector. For services that require higher skills or complex collaboration between private contractor and government, outsourcing is usually not a major cost-savings solution. That's because salaries and benefits of city workers with higher skills are not substantially out-of-line with comparable workers in the private sector, providing less opportunity to realize cost savings from outsourcing. The NPR show on the experience of Colorado Springs showed that outsourcing in that city was very much a mized bag. I suspect that the City of Sacramento's labor costs are higher than Colorado Springs' costs and that Sacramento, with higher unemployment than Colorado, probably has somewhat lower market labor rates for those low/moderate skill workers, resulting in a larger differential in public vs. private sector labor costs in Sacramento than in Colorado Springs. It's worth taking a closer look at the facts. It's time to have the consersation.

Rhys02, the city should pursue both opportunities to save money : outsourcing park maintenance AND outsourcing the ambulance service. I agree with you that the city's current practice of sending a fire truck along with an ambulance on every medical call is immensely wasteful, putting two vehicles and six firefighters on the scene of every medical call. The savings from ending that practice would be very substantial. The city has to seize upon every single available opportunity to save taxpayer money so that it can begin to restore tattered public services and avoid burdening its citizens with more taxes that they cannot afford to pay.

Actually, Melissa, the work of the Land Park Volunteer Corps's in William Land Park has been steadily expanding, not dwindling, and its roster of volunteers and donors has grown to more than 450 people. The challenge, however, is that the city has cut the park maintenance crew in Land Park rapidly and deeply, from 19 full-time workers in 2005 to just three full-time workers today to handle the care of 215 acres of fully developed, mature parkland. While the Corps is keeping the bushes trimmed, cleaning the ponds and keeping planters maintained, almost all of the parks drinking fountains are now broken, irrigation breaks are not repaired, watering is spotty, restrooms are poorly maintained , garbage cans are too often overflowing and the grass is mowed infrequently. Jonathon Rewers' statement on prior experience with park maintenance outsourcing involves, I believe, a single park in N. Natomas, a case in which city managers failed to put in place a competent system of contract oversight. and management.. Successful outsourcing of park maintenance requires a city commitment to conscientious contract administration. Private contractors can be easily placed on a 311 call list to respond to park maintenance emergencies in the parks that are assigned to them. If they fail to respond on a timely basis, they can be quickly replaced for poor performance, an option that is not available when grossly understaffed city maintenance crews fail to respond to maintenance needs as is the case today. As far as cost, William, City Budget Director Leyne Milstein has consistently estimated that the city would save 50% of its current park maintenance budget (around $9 million) if it outsourced park maintenance to private firms.

"$5,000 per-person" for Netto's fundraiser, Matt? I just checked the link you included in your story. It lists the ticket price of the fundraiser as $250 per ticket?

Outsourcing park maintenace has to be on the table. To its credit, the city council approved outsourcing city golf course maintenance last fall for a projected annual $500,000 savings. Outsourcing basic park maintenance will save many times that amount. In William Land Park we have seen the park maintenance crew reduced from 19 full-time park workers in 2005 to just three workers today, all of whom are over 60 and nearing retirement. Despite monthly park clean-ups by 50 to 90 volunteers of the Land Park Volunteer Corps, we can barely hold back the tide of mounting neglect. Outsourcing has to be considered and very soon. Raising taxes to fund park care before trying outsourcing maintenance is simply nuts. Why should city taxpayors pay higher taxes for services that could be provided less expensively by private contractors who will do the work while creating twice the number of current jobs, particularly for unemployed young people. Does McCarty seriously believe that 2/3rds of recession-slammed Sacramento voters will vote for such a tax hike?