Bill Albertson comment-53108 2011-07-09T21:30:45Z 2011-07-09T21:30:45Z No. People who want to be cool do the vampire thing. Anybody can be a zombie, just gargle some fake blood and spit. Its an excuse to get together and have some fun. Bill Albertson 2011-07-09T21:30:45Z Bill Albertson comment-16769 2009-10-30T01:14:26Z 2009-10-30T01:14:26Z Um, I think that this behavior by the district toward your charter appears possibly persecutory to me. First, they move you over the summer. Then they break your agreement to use that property, and move you in the middle of the year to a location that had a school that they....*drum roll*.... closed down last summer?! Moreover, the location is exactly the *worst* choice for parents from midtown to commute their kids to. It is in the middle of a neighborhood that is far from transit and freeway access, along THE most congested freeway corridor in Sacramento. It seems clear to me that someone wants to make it difficult to send CMP's existing kids to school. Let me add that the parents around this school were also dropkicked by the District- their school was shut down last spring, after the district handed down a report that stated the District would work to improve the school in a School-Based Coordinated Program (SCCP) found here: http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:0m_Vpe2cx5QJ:schools.scusd.edu/jefferson/Thomas%2520Jefferson%2520School%2520Plan%25202008-2009%2520school%2520version.pdf+scusd+jefferson+school&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AFQjCNE6bfLsc1F9BPUkkolA5NznHNZFtA More information on the school can be found at google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:unofficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=jefferson+elementary+school+sacramento&fb=1&gl=us&hq=jefferson+elementary+school&hnear=sacramento&cid=7584962875910411078 This raises questions about how the District is spending its money, because it had expended funding on coming up with this plan, allocated further tens of thousands of dollars to this school in the plan, and then shut it down with no notice. I don't know what else to make of this, because I would need a lawyer to work out all of the bureaucratic chicanery and shell games that I have seen so far. Bill Albertson 2009-10-30T01:14:26Z Bill Albertson comment-16739 2009-10-30T00:02:21Z 2009-10-30T00:02:21Z Wow. Just... wow. After reading the other article, and this one, the only question I have is why haven't the parents contacted an attorney to represent their interests and have an injunction filed by the court (if possible)? Springing something like this in the middle of the year with no notice seems irresponsible at best, especially since there is no legal *requirement* forcing them to do this immediately. Bill Albertson 2009-10-30T00:02:21Z Bill Albertson comment-16604 2009-10-28T21:51:22Z 2009-10-28T21:51:22Z I spent the past year looking for a school for my kindergartner in the SCUSD. I went to lots of meetings with staff and administrators from various standard public, magnet, and charter schools, and I even went to a few school board meetings. My impression, and this is just MY impression, is that the traditional SCUSD hierarchy is the 300 lb gorilla in the room, with everyone else afraid of making it upset. The charters and magnet schools, while being quite excellent, are sometimes seen by the larger SCUSD as drawing away students from the standard school system. It was a refrain I heard at several charter and magnet campuses that made me realize just how threatened the larger bureaucracy feels, "...we are not here to replace the existing system. We don't want to make waves. We are here to offer an educational option for committed parents." Bill Albertson 2009-10-28T21:51:22Z Bill Albertson comment-16336 2009-10-26T03:25:43Z 2009-10-26T03:25:43Z One of the local bike advocacy orgs in Sac needs to get together with the Sheriffs and SacPD to put together a bait bike program. Same thing as a bait car, but with the bait bike you can track the thieves to where they are pawning their goods to and take down the whole theft chain. All they would need is a small GPS and $500 hidden in the frame of a Cannondale to take the penalty well beyond the threshold of grand theft. I normally wouldn't be so irate about this, but I get to work, school, and the store on my bike. It isn't just my ride, I use it to get my daughter around too. It is my primary form of transportation, and when it is gone it is just as devastating as losing my only car. A "decent" bike will set you back almost $500 new, and a really good bike will easily be worth more than $1200 to outfit it for specific use. I've had two bikes stolen, and property damage due to bike thieves trying to take out structural supports to get at a bike. I'd love to see these punks get some jailtime for taking away people's work rides. Bill Albertson 2009-10-26T03:25:43Z Bill Albertson comment-16258 2009-10-24T20:07:47Z 2009-10-24T20:07:47Z The irony, Steve, is that if the speech you were referring to were really legally defined hate speech, no online moniker would give any protection. There are specific remedies in place where someone clearly breaking the law will lose any anonymity from using a pseudonym. After working on tier 1 and tier 2 networks for the last 10 years or so, I have found that nobody is anonymous on the internet. I personally don't say anything to anyone online that I wouldn't say in person, face to face. I would suggest the same to yourself and anyone on this forum- please never presume you are anonymous, or that what you say online doesn't have real life implications. The old rule of presuming that you will meet someone you replied to within 5 min of leaving your home should always apply. I agree that people who are consistently rude shouldn't have a forum here, but once that becomes a forum policy it becomes very difficult to draw the line, and set who it is drawn for. There are other mechanisms in place to warn folks about the trolls (like people who get consistent thumbs downs in posts). I would also refer you to the comment above by Casey Kirk. There are hecklers everywhere, and in your role as a political consultant I'm sure you have encountered plenty in real life. I'm sure that you will be able to adapt to the online world of public forums in no time. Bill Albertson 2009-10-24T20:07:47Z Bill Albertson comment-15734 2009-10-17T19:59:49Z 2009-10-17T19:59:49Z I'm glad Old Soul will be taking over that spot. They have an excellent track record of taking over unlikely or failing locations and turning them into community hotspots. The owners are very friendly, and have a deep love for finely crafted food and drink. Not only that, but their prices are better than national franchise chains. I think they will do just fine, and without subsidies, as they have been doing in the past. That spot, btw, has had plenty of foot traffic and daily visitors- the downside has been that Starbucks was overpriced, closed early, and didn't offer freshly prepared food (which is a recipe for disaster in any food service in Sacramento). Bill Albertson 2009-10-17T19:59:49Z Bill Albertson comment-15712 2009-10-17T03:33:43Z 2009-10-17T03:33:43Z True S, sometimes I think of the way things were here before I took off to find work, rather than after I returned. I stand corrected. Bill Albertson 2009-10-17T03:33:43Z Bill Albertson comment-15587 2009-10-15T03:49:06Z 2009-10-15T03:49:06Z I would like to echo W Burg's assessment of rental rates, but also state that it would be more reasonable to expect 2 and 3 bedrooms to go for *around* $1000, as any family on a median income will not be able to spend much more than that, and most will go out of their way to spend less at that wage range. Bill Albertson 2009-10-15T03:49:06Z Bill Albertson comment-15290 2009-10-11T23:53:15Z 2009-10-11T23:53:15Z I'm glad that another quality school is moving into the area, but at $18,700 per year, I don't think many midtowners will be able to afford it. Well, maybe the parents will stick around and spend money in the area. One can hope. Bill Albertson 2009-10-11T23:53:15Z Bill Albertson comment-15121 2009-10-08T20:07:46Z 2009-10-08T20:07:46Z So... if water is that plentiful here, that we can go bottling it and selling it, then there should be no issues with me watering the lawn, flushing the toilet every time, and taking really long showers- because we have no water SHORTAGE, right? Right? All anyone needs to do is take a look at our surrounding reservoirs to know that bottling up our potable water and shipping it away in massive quantities for private gain is a bad idea. Because it is not just the water IN the bottle, it is the water that is taken to make the bottle, which is something like 50 times over what the bottle actually will end up holding. Bill Albertson 2009-10-08T20:07:46Z Bill Albertson comment-14804 2009-10-01T19:53:13Z 2009-10-01T19:53:13Z Wow, after reading some of the comments here, I am glad I'm not the editor. People commenting here need to understand the difference between community and conventional journalism. I don't expect the quality of the stories to be "higher" here than in traditional paid media. On the other hand, I do expect to find oft undiscussed perspectives and points of view that I had not considered- these things I do find. I also find the "chaff" that comes with the kernels of wonder, but I expect that. If anyone wants "traditional media", then all they have to do is browse over to the daily in town previously owned by a national conglomerate. I don't read it, because while they have a supposed journalistic "standard" in checking some facts, they also OMIT a considerable amount of information that often turns the facts on their heads. I've caught this enough times to become displeased with the coverage offered in general, and I am often suspicious of what I do find interesting on that site. I find the sacpress to be a breath of fresh air. It may be going through growing pains right now, but the staff running it are being completely open and honest about those pains, and are asking for advice from readers on how they would best like to see fixes implemented. That takes a considerable amount of maturity and courage to do. Even if you don't respect the authors and their stories that you read here, please respect the effort of the people who make that forum for free speech available. For the sacpress staff, consider looking at what digg.com has done regarding inaccurate story postings. A user based flagging system already exists at sacpress, so posting a "conflict of interest" or "innacuracy statement" at the top of an article due to meeting a number of user submitted flags would not be out of line. It would probably be a good idea to filter this method of flagging through an actual editor until the algorithm is clear of people gaming it. This is not the same as yanking a story, and it leaves it up to the reader to determine the truth of what they read with the additional editorial disclosure. I would also enable an Op-Ed tag of some kind for stories, either actionable by the submitter or the editorial staff. This is important, because often times people will confuse their op-ed piece with what would really be considered news. Third, I would suggest making your basic journalism class (which is free) a requirement for story posting rights. I know that this might slow down the amount of stories presented, but in reality when someone submits a news story here they legally MUST meet minimum journalistic standards, and whether the submitter understands those standards or not, they can be held legally accountable for not meeting those standards (recent cases vs bloggers reflect this sentiment in the courts, I am only repeating this here, please don't blame the messenger). Having the class as a requirement would cover the basic needs of everyone involved. Fourth, I would also suggest that there be a ranking system enabled for your citizen journalists, based on ratings, flaggings, submission frequency, and how many classes have been taken to confirm their level of understanding of the requirements of good journalism. Trusted people with higher rankings can start handling some of the flagging, abuse, and other editorial issues you have been discussing as editorial moderators. This puts ownership of these issues back in the hands of people who are both accountable and have a strong affinity for citizen journalism. Best wishes in your efforts, and good luck. Bill Albertson 2009-10-01T19:53:13Z Bill Albertson comment-14666 2009-09-29T21:29:34Z 2009-09-29T21:29:34Z Well, it is interesting that Leong was willing to lie to the ACLU about the usage of the cameras. The federal grant states how the cameras will be used- failing to do so will get the feds asking for their money back once the cameras are installed. Second, Leong obviously knows nothing about surv. camera work, because citing shop cameras as an example of success is apples and oranges compared to the kind of system needs required for a wide ranging CCTV surveillance system. Third, Leong clearly has no idea what kind of expense is going to be incurred in storing all of that data long term- its not just the storage, its maintaining legacy systems to access that data as formats change (or data migration costs to migrate to new storage and access systems, it is REALLY expensive). That is just from my initial perusal of the docs referenced here, and my experience putting together CCTV security surv. proposals and co-writing the I.T. design portion of a CCTV trailer patent proposal. The city already has a lousy track record with camera installations. I remember the cameras they put up over K Street, and how anybody was able to access them from the internet. Also, those cameras were utterly useless for collecting criminal conviction data due to lossy image quality and lack of autoadjustment features to compensate for lighting and climate conditions. Several issues arise in using surveillance cameras for gathering crime data, and all of those issues involve spending lots of money. First is the issue of image quality in uncontrolled environments- cameras with that kind of resolution and reliability are very expensive, and that is still no guarantee that you will get a good enough image quality to be useful in court. Second, data retention becomes another issue, as all data collected is public records information and usually needs to be kept for, what, 20 years or more? Think about not just the disk space that will require, but also the expense of maintaining backups in a climate controlled storage facility, and migration of media when new storage and access methods become preferred (see data rot). Third, there is the matter of software which needs to have some automated features for this tool to be useful in any real sense. Applications like this are often heavily customized and require support contracts with the vendors which are also costly. Fourth, there is the training and retention of quality staff who are going to specialize in monitoring and responding to suspicious activity- they will have to be sworn officers (court cases regarding speed cameras already have set this precedent) which will be another expense that I don't think the city wants to pay for. My biggest concern is that the City govt will cheap out on maintenance for this purchase, and then drop the issue once expenses start snowballing, but still have to maintain and make available all the data they have captured up to that point (which would be an endless money pit). However, if they are making an intelligent commitment to this, then I would like to see the budget estimates on per incident cost for retrieving data on a year by year basis over a period of 0 to 20 years from the date of the incident. If they don't have that, then they have no clue what they are doing. Bill Albertson 2009-09-29T21:29:34Z Bill Albertson comment-14291 2009-09-24T21:07:19Z 2009-09-24T21:07:19Z When hasn't Midtown been a "Target Rich Area" for the crooks from the 'burbs? Every summer when school lets out, you need to tie down everything that can be picked up because of the bored 'burb teens coming through trying to play wannabe thug. Every one I have caught wasn't from Midtown, it was always some other part of town they were from. But I also tire of people who pine for "safer days". They never existed in Midtown, but I will say that some things have improved. People watch out for each other with a great deal more care- remember the beatings that were happening down in the pink triangle? Or the artist that was murdered outside of his studio? Nobody ever saw anything way back then. Contrast that with the rapid response on these incidents. And on other incidents as well- I reported a burglary in progress about a year ago, and the cops were there in under 3 minutes. They had the guys in under 10 (sure enough, they were headed out of midtown back to their 'burb). Bottom line is that we simply need to watch out for each other with a real sense of care and community in this town, and especially in Midtown. That is what differentiates us from places like SF and LA. I don't have a problem with more consumer traffic in Midtown- more business is important if we want to maintain our public services and infrastructure. How we deal with that growth as a community effort, that is what is important. Bill Albertson 2009-09-24T21:07:19Z Bill Albertson comment-13769 2009-09-15T22:48:45Z 2009-09-15T22:48:45Z I like that the designers were able to come up with a plan that transitions from open drainage ditches to plantbeds used for filtering wastewater along with sidewalks. It sounds like a well thought out design, and hopefully the money spent experimenting on that will pay off as we expand the use of such a system elsewhere in the city. Bill Albertson 2009-09-15T22:48:45Z Bill Albertson comment-13244 2009-09-04T03:42:02Z 2009-09-04T03:42:02Z I thought that the latin reggae show was the last one, until I heard at the show that the series would continue under a new name. Since that was how I found that out, I can imagine that a lot of other people who didn't go to that last Concert in the Park show would have guessed the season of shows was over. Bill Albertson 2009-09-04T03:42:02Z Bill Albertson comment-13005 2009-09-01T21:19:42Z 2009-09-01T21:19:42Z @advocate- I believe that L&F kicks everyone out at 3pm because they are required by the City to do so, or they would be operating 24x7. Bill Albertson 2009-09-01T21:19:42Z Bill Albertson comment-13004 2009-09-01T21:15:11Z 2009-09-01T21:15:11Z I and my family go to that branch at least once a week as well. Its not just the smoking- the benches require a sniff test prior to usage. Human feces, urine, and vomit often cover some of these benches. This is in addition to dog and pigeon leavings. Then there is the trash. And, yes, I and my wife have also been aggressively panhandled at the benches. There is also the matter of some people fighting, violently cursing, and, um, handling themselves in public. This is not something my kid should have to deal with in order to get a copy of Curious George Goes to the Beach. I would have a different perspective on this issue if the Library had been maintaining and cleaning the benches (they have not), and if security or police monitored activity there (they do not). I have no problem with homeless or any other people sharing a public resource, but I do have a problem with people who abuse a public resource even if they have serious mental issues (which does not necessarily equate to homelessness). Bill Albertson 2009-09-01T21:15:11Z Bill Albertson comment-12914 2009-08-30T19:16:03Z 2009-08-30T19:16:03Z My comment had to do with you casting aspersions as to whether someone was a plant on this thread. I've been on plenty of story sites where paid commmenters come in and act like they are locals or like they are active in the community, including banding together, bantering with one another on the boards, only to disappear once their issue disappears. Your account activity and commentary fit the profile, and since YOU brought up the issue of "plants", I thought people should know who was new here, and who wasn't. If you are insulted, then maybe you should consider your audience before insulting other commenters and the author of the story. If I was wrong about you and others being plants, then I apologize. I hope to see comments by you in other stories and welcome your reasoned and polite input. Bill Albertson 2009-08-30T19:16:03Z Bill Albertson comment-12903 2009-08-30T08:43:34Z 2009-08-30T08:43:34Z Actually, advocate has had an account with activity on sacpress prior to today- unlike yourself (tpierce2), aticama, czfuller, and artsydee47. You need to work on your banter and astroturfing scripts a bit, maybe appear to be involved in the community (other than mentioning the Bee), before you start casting aspersions as to who is a "plant", ok? Bill Albertson 2009-08-30T08:43:34Z Bill Albertson comment-12784 2009-08-28T04:00:38Z 2009-08-28T04:00:38Z The new GI Bill only covers up to a certain amount. Drexel is saying they will find a way of covering the rest, and make sure the veteran is not burdened with ANY costs. That is pretty impressive, and much better than I received when I got out in 1990. Here is a link with the analysis by DVA: http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Post-911.htm Bill Albertson 2009-08-28T04:00:38Z Bill Albertson comment-12721 2009-08-27T04:15:07Z 2009-08-27T04:15:07Z Well, I went to the meeting. The proposal was interesting, but the presenters couldn't quantify how they would determine success of the first phase. Also, it seems some planning considerations and alternate concepts had never been given consideration. Regardless, it appears they will be going through with their recommendation to the City Council, because this is what they have to offer. I must say that, unfortunately, I didn't have much to chime in with by the Q&A session, and kind of rambled on a bit. And, no, being hungry and tired I didn't take notes, so I won't be the one submitting the story for this meeting. Bill Albertson 2009-08-27T04:15:07Z Bill Albertson comment-12709 2009-08-26T23:19:48Z 2009-08-26T23:19:48Z I know that the Sac Press has been doing a great job on following this issue, but I have read some really uninformed reporting and commentary on other news sources. I'll be heading down tonight to speak my piece. Bill Albertson 2009-08-26T23:19:48Z Bill Albertson comment-12512 2009-08-24T05:35:58Z 2009-08-24T05:35:58Z Oracle, of the people on my block, "white" people make up only 30% of the residents. The neighborhood I live in is fairly diverse, and mostly crime free. People here watch out for each other, check on odd noises, and in general make it fairly difficult for criminals to cause problems here without running into the police. My wife walks out at night, and feels safer than in the 'burb we used to abide in. We haven't had any drive-by's, malicious vandalism, our vehicles stolen, or our house busted into like we did in the 'burbs (in a supposedly "good" neighborhood). You can judge by what wish to perceive, that is your call. You see a lot of "dirty" and "pierced freaky" people here. I have friends here with families- we go out together at night with our kids, we work here, we shop here. Please don't conflate what you see and think I accept, with how things really work or how people here actually live their lives. If you want to live in the 'burbs, that is your choice, but don't presume my choice is inferior because you can't see the value of it. Bill Albertson 2009-08-24T05:35:58Z Bill Albertson comment-12314 2009-08-19T19:47:28Z 2009-08-19T19:47:28Z So, where is this center? How big is it? Is there an address, phone number? How many youth from what neighborhoods are they expected to serve in a year? What programs are offered specifically? What does the probation office have to do with it? Do they run it? Bill Albertson 2009-08-19T19:47:28Z Bill Albertson comment-12313 2009-08-19T19:43:21Z 2009-08-19T19:43:21Z Wow, half a million in owed and overdue fines. Maybe the city council should consider passing an ordinance permitting the use of empty residences with multiple violations and unpaid liens as interim homeless placement. That should solve several problems very rapidly- those banks that care about reselling will take care of the properties or price to sell quickly, and those banks that don't care can alleviate our homeless issue due to the banks' evictions. Bill Albertson 2009-08-19T19:43:21Z Bill Albertson comment-12258 2009-08-18T08:42:56Z 2009-08-18T08:42:56Z I live three blocks from that center, and I still had no idea what they do there until I read this article. Maybe some of the kids that go to the center could have left flyers on peoples' doors, so we know that KRS-One was rocking the house, and maybe we might have shown up with some of those much needed dollars? I only heard about the show after it was reported here. I think people would love to support the Center, but maybe they need to start doing some more community outreach to their neighbors and through PSAs so we know what is going on. Bill Albertson 2009-08-18T08:42:56Z Bill Albertson comment-12256 2009-08-18T07:16:20Z 2009-08-18T07:16:20Z Oh, this is wonderful news! I dreaded biking across there in the dark, always wondering if somebody hidden in the dark wasn't going to roll in their sleep directly into my path. I hope more people start using it- it is one of two safe routes to cross with a bike to/from Old Sac (the other being through the rail terminal). Bill Albertson 2009-08-18T07:16:20Z Bill Albertson comment-12182 2009-08-15T18:46:01Z 2009-08-15T18:46:01Z Love the site. Have you considered doing a facebook connect so that we can more easily share stories we post and comment on with our network of friends there? Bill Albertson 2009-08-15T18:46:01Z Bill Albertson comment-12180 2009-08-15T18:31:24Z 2009-08-15T18:31:24Z I HATED this survey. It SUCKED. Ok, well, I am being polite here, I would have several more choice things to say about it. The people who put it together first asked for free form feedback. That was fine. Then they asked questions about trees, parking, seating space, and valet/dropoff space. NOTHING about pedestrian access, expanded bike parking, or maintaining things as they are. The second question asked which blocks you wanted opened up- nothing about not wanting them opened up at all. It is VERY clear that the people running this "survey" have ONLY one goal in mind- repaving K Street. And I was pretty blunt about my thoughts about repaving. I am against it. The reason nobody shops there is because the property owners have not been maintaining their properties, the frontage is completely uninteresting to anyone, and they have not been pricing their retail space competitively for what they are offering. Maybe if they fix those things, they won't have businesses and customers alike treating them like something smelly. I had also commented in the survey that city parking is mostly under-utilized in the parking structures surrounding the mall, and that there is not enough signage guiding cars to the right entrances, and there is not a partnership plan to validate parking (AFAIK). If they fixed the things I mentioned, and added some bike parking, they would have plenty of business, without spending millions of dollars repaving something that was paved over because it was (gasp) losing business. Bill Albertson 2009-08-15T18:31:24Z Bill Albertson comment-11996 2009-08-13T09:29:33Z 2009-08-13T09:29:33Z Um, the link goes to a Google mail login page for the Sacramento Press? Possibly someone needs to change sharing settings on PDFs from their Google Office site? Bill Albertson 2009-08-13T09:29:33Z Bill Albertson comment-11995 2009-08-13T09:14:38Z 2009-08-13T09:14:38Z "The “Gang Injunction” allows West Sacramento police to arrest individuals for associating with gang members – even their family members." Wow. Violation of the freedom of speech and the right to assemble peacefully. Probably several other guarantees both within and without the Bill of Rights and the California Constitution being trampled on if that statement bears out. "It also allows West Sacramento police to abuse Sacramento’s sovereignty and arrest people in Sacramento who have violated no Sacramento law." This is something that definitely pertains to maintaining clear boundaries as to how law and order are to be administered here within Sacramento. It is NOT ok for one city to ignore another city's boundaries and charters in order to enforce their laws outside of their jurisdiction. Anybody who understands how important jurisdictional precedence is can clearly see how attempts at enforcing the West Sac Gang Injunction can end badly. Bill Albertson 2009-08-13T09:14:38Z Bill Albertson comment-11994 2009-08-13T08:54:55Z 2009-08-13T08:54:55Z I would love to see something like this go on down at 3rd and P around 4 pm. I've nearly been killed every time I have walked across that intersection. Heck, they could probably pay the city's bills for a month with the tickets from a day's work at that intersection. Bill Albertson 2009-08-13T08:54:55Z Bill Albertson comment-11955 2009-08-12T07:11:34Z 2009-08-12T07:11:34Z This article makes me curious now- what IS the plan if the levees break in the city? Bill Albertson 2009-08-12T07:11:34Z Bill Albertson comment-11951 2009-08-12T04:42:51Z 2009-08-12T04:42:51Z I agree, Mr. Mohana doesn't need to be paid TWICE for that property. Bill Albertson 2009-08-12T04:42:51Z Bill Albertson comment-11936 2009-08-11T21:49:56Z 2009-08-11T21:49:56Z Wow, I wish I had heard about this before the event, I live just a few blocks away! Bill Albertson 2009-08-11T21:49:56Z Bill Albertson comment-11748 2009-08-08T06:06:47Z 2009-08-08T06:06:47Z I'm glad they did it. Accessing the bike racks has been an issue for myself and my family. Also, the smells coming from those benches were pretty horrendous, and if they weren't going to be able to keep the benches free from pigeon droppings, vomit, and other matter then it is best to be rid of them. Bill Albertson 2009-08-08T06:06:47Z Bill Albertson comment-11747 2009-08-08T05:57:45Z 2009-08-08T05:57:45Z No, but since you seem to need things spelled out, I am saying you would rather poison the well of open discourse with invective and rhetorical games than actually have a reasoned discussion. Your post appeared deliberately crafted to start a fight on your terms, but I wasn't sure and wanted to find out if you were simply impassioned or just a political troll. I took your bait to see if you would rise to the occasion and proclaim your accomplishments and your love for our city, or just turn it around, make it more personal, and attack, attack, attack. You could have gone the other direction and told me what you HAVE done instead. It might have even opened some doors, possibly convinced me that Mr. Maviglio's behavior on this site was the exception, rather than the rule for your cause, but that wasn't on your mind, was it? From this thread and others, I can see that the best I can do at this point is only wish you a nice weekend. Bill Albertson 2009-08-08T05:57:45Z Bill Albertson comment-11735 2009-08-08T02:10:13Z 2009-08-08T02:10:13Z I remember living in SF during Willie Brown. The public transit system started falling apart then, and crime was unbelievable. I watched as two old ladies on different occasions were attacked in broad daylight, both of which were less than two blocks from city hall. I chased off the attackers on both occasions, incidentally, with no help from anyone else- including the police. I got mugged twice (once around the corner from the police station), and watched cops drive by auto thefts in progress and in general do as little as possible. Meanwhile, retail started fleeing "the City" in droves. By the time the mayor was done, more than a third of the street level businesses surrounding Union Square were either empty, in dire financial straights, or closing down. Nobody wanted to shop there, and even fewer wanted to try and opening new businesses there (and, yes, I did find this out from actually going out and talking to business owners down there, or were prospective renters, when I saw it happening). Yeah, he was great for San Francisco. His legacy serves as a shining example of why having a single point of authority with few regulatory controls can be a really BAD idea. Bill Albertson 2009-08-08T02:10:13Z Bill Albertson comment-11731 2009-08-08T01:57:46Z 2009-08-08T01:57:46Z "Sacramento will never evolve into a “real” city until we have strong & accountable leadership with the power to make substantive change." Spoken like someone who fears and loathes Sacramento. We already have a "real" city, its one of the oldest ones on this coast. Please respect it, its traditions, and the people who are actually showing up to try and make things work. Democracies are only ratified by those that vote- they are run by those that show up. If you don't like the process, then show up and work with other people to change it. Bill Albertson 2009-08-08T01:57:46Z Bill Albertson comment-11705 2009-08-07T22:08:05Z 2009-08-07T22:08:05Z Moonfaeries is part of MSN, and they are the same location, yes. Bill Albertson 2009-08-07T22:08:05Z Bill Albertson comment-11704 2009-08-07T22:04:33Z 2009-08-07T22:04:33Z For me, this is absolutely not about whether or not I find the current mayor likeable. He is a driven and affable man. We need someone like that in government. What I have a problem with is how this campaign is formulated (see Mr. Maviglio's current and past comments when confronted with sometimes valid criticisms- he is the architect of this whole shebang), and what will happen when Kevin Johnson vacates office. People may like Mr. Johnson now, but what happens when he is gone? What happens when some total tool comes in, and has the chartered capactiy to effectively block any restraint upon his or her own power? We have to live here, and live with the rules we make, once the well liked mayor is gone. Would you have trusted Heather Fargo, Anne Rudin, or Joe Serna with this much power? What about someone worse than any of them? I wouldn't have trusted ANY of them with this much power, and to be honest, I felt their power as mayor might have needed to be curtailed while they were in office. The current position is very powerful if you know how to use it (just ask Leonard Padilla, or other previous mayoral opponents). In the end, for me, it was Mr. Maviglio's comments that drove me to change my mind about the Strong Mayor initiative, to oppose it. He is basically the architect behind this, and he represents what this is truly going to be about. Don't believe the hype that people are being negative about Kevin Johnson. Read up on the background of the people who are pushing this change forward. They will be effectively in charge once Mayor Johnson runs for governor or senator. Bill Albertson 2009-08-07T22:04:33Z Bill Albertson comment-11403 2009-07-31T21:19:26Z 2009-07-31T21:19:26Z And when I say "now", I literally mean that. I was on the fence until I read your responses to this article. Bill Albertson 2009-07-31T21:19:26Z Bill Albertson comment-11402 2009-07-31T21:18:36Z 2009-07-31T21:18:36Z Mr. Maviglio, your response clarifies for me why I now oppose the strong mayor initiative. This person took the time to relate facts and figures to correct statistical mis-statements in your article. Your response is to instead divert attention to the initiative's opponents, rather than discuss (hopefully) the facts presented. Admittedly, the person relating this effort had some sharp things to say about the strong mayor initiative, but your response could have taken any number of roads. It could have taken the high road, admitted a mistake, and apologize. It could have taken the middle road, and discussed why you feel the need to represent the numbers that way. But it took the low road, which was to bring your opponent down to the level they painted you in. That is disappointing to me. As someone who has lived here most of my life, I have seen enough of smearmongering and power brokering from the jokers in the big round building in the middle of our city. I don't need to see it here, in my city, in my local government, and I will not approve of any attempt to centralize power by people who use smarmy methods to gain power from the consent of the governed. Bill Albertson 2009-07-31T21:18:36Z Bill Albertson comment-11393 2009-07-31T20:36:29Z 2009-07-31T20:36:29Z Three reasons why cameras are a bad idea- 1. It is proven by more than one study that cameras do not deter crime. 2. Cameras are rarely instrumental in convictions. 3. Our existing cameras are so poorly configured and secured, they can be used by criminals to determine what are safe areas for them to commit crimes in or be used in escaping from police, if they were so inclined. That, and the grant only covers installing the cameras. It does not cover paying for staff to maintain and secure them, much less review footage or investigate potential crimes. Since money will have to be spent on headcount somewhere that comes from inside the city, I would rather it be spent on more investigators than on camera babysitters. Bill Albertson 2009-07-31T20:36:29Z Bill Albertson comment-11304 2009-07-30T13:56:30Z 2009-07-30T13:56:30Z If you want a cat, I have one available to a good home. Just reply to my profile. Bill Albertson 2009-07-30T13:56:30Z Bill Albertson comment-11240 2009-07-28T22:17:05Z 2009-07-28T22:17:05Z This guy is one of the reasons that I love Sacramento. Bill Albertson 2009-07-28T22:17:05Z Bill Albertson comment-11190 2009-07-27T03:53:55Z 2009-07-27T03:53:55Z When I was in the military, I worked as a legal assistant at the Presidio. The largest non-trial case file we ever had was for a simple dog bite- it was 6 inches thick. I would take the officer's advice to heart if you love your dog. Bill Albertson 2009-07-27T03:53:55Z Bill Albertson comment-11157 2009-07-24T23:37:08Z 2009-07-24T23:37:08Z No, I agree. I am not saying we should pay less, or that cutting is acceptable in my book. But this city historically has not put a great deal of emphasis on funding infrastructure when it comes down to making hard choices, and I am not expecting any new changes in behavior on the part of regional governnments that are supposed to support RT. My question about running smaller busses is that during the day, outside of rush hour, relates to these busses are usually running empty or nearly so. Personally, I think that the city should raise some tax to fund transit, but people already whinge on about how horrible the existing city tax is on business. I know my business had to pay $35 dollars this year for a tax permit... I'm sure others must be facing the poorhouse in order to deal with such burdens. However, I would be HAPPY to double my business tax if that meant I could use the bus more often and my family wouldn't be shelling out $350 a month in passes (two adults and a child). Bill Albertson 2009-07-24T23:37:08Z Bill Albertson comment-11140 2009-07-23T21:38:11Z 2009-07-23T21:38:11Z The staff's preferred option seems fair, if there is no other way of dealing with the shortfall. It bothers me that local governments haven't been able to step up to the plate to help an essential infrastructure service, but I know they are strapped as well. I know that we seem to run a lot of empty busses during the day on certain routes- would smaller busses have been cheaper in the long run? Are there any other options that people know about? Bill Albertson 2009-07-23T21:38:11Z Bill Albertson comment-11058 2009-07-21T20:38:26Z 2009-07-21T20:38:26Z I wonder- has anybody considered whether or not the city's response to the increase in its displaced citizens is in any way exemplary of what it would be like in a more immediate emergency? I mean, if the city is overwhelmed by homelessness now, and wants to make the issue just disappear with only a few people, what happens when a levee or a dam breaks? Maybe if people looked at this problem (gradual displacement due to regional economic collapse) instead as an opportunity to practice our response to emergency situations, it may be more likely we, together, will fare much better rather than worse in a more immediate displacement problem, like a massive fire or flood. FYI- Sacramento has been destroyed by both in the past, so its likely either will happen again. Its only a matter of time and whether or not we are prepared. Bill Albertson 2009-07-21T20:38:26Z Bill Albertson comment-11056 2009-07-21T20:29:21Z 2009-07-21T20:29:21Z Thank you for a reasoned reply to this issue. I have lived in or around midtown (just south of the Bannon Street camps) for years, and this is the worst I have ever seen the homeless issue. A lot of the new ones are either displaced or recently homeless. I and my wife regularly talk with these people as they walk past our apartment, or when we ride the train. These aren't the serious mentally ill basket cases that get abandoned around here- but you can see living in fear of being rousted is having a similar effect on their outlooks. Bill Albertson 2009-07-21T20:29:21Z Bill Albertson comment-10915 2009-07-17T23:00:20Z 2009-07-17T23:00:20Z Oh, that is FANTASTIC news! This is the first and only place I have heard of this- going to tell all my friends now, I think some more roto-tillers are about to get rented! Bill Albertson 2009-07-17T23:00:20Z Bill Albertson comment-10913 2009-07-17T22:42:12Z 2009-07-17T22:42:12Z Its not so much what I know now as what I have experienced in the past. I was assigned to a US Army unit in Honduras in 1987-88. I learned a lot about the politics of their country and ours from the experience. What I have been seeing in the press has been a big effort on the part of certain segments of Honduran society to color the event in a very specific way. Its something I have seen before. The excessive comments pushing discussion specific ways in article message boards, the persistent behavior of some news organizations to not mention or analyse the text of the law or how it has been used in the past, and the disjointed coverage of events separating reasons from behaviors has all made me concerned that pieces were missing from the whole story. This story was unique in that the people interviewed had access to several different levels of Honduran society and had an understanding of the people they were dealing with. The article gave perspective to an outsider where perspective was missing. It made it easier to explain what is going on to my family and friends. The discussion of handouts of pieces of the law used to justify the coup, and the machine gunning of bus tires were events I had not seen in print, but it read like the kind of thing the power elite in Honduras would do, given the kind of help they have received from our government in the past in learning counter-insurgency and psyops techniques. Overall, the article comes across as very well informed and does a good job at bridging the perceptive differences arising between how US citizens would view these events and how Honduran politics work. Bill Albertson 2009-07-17T22:42:12Z Bill Albertson comment-10883 2009-07-17T06:06:09Z 2009-07-17T06:06:09Z Here is a link for those who actually want to participate and maybe show off their latest hobby. I wonder why this wasn't in the story? http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/third_saturday_design_downtown/event Bill Albertson 2009-07-17T06:06:09Z Bill Albertson comment-10881 2009-07-17T05:44:47Z 2009-07-17T05:44:47Z Looks like Mo is at it again. I almost respect his business skills, except those skills seem to be in fleecing my tax dollars out of the city council... Bill Albertson 2009-07-17T05:44:47Z Bill Albertson comment-10877 2009-07-17T05:02:11Z 2009-07-17T05:02:11Z I agree. Its the speculating building owners on those blocks who aren't maintaining their properties and are driving away business that are probably the biggest part of the problem. That, and the draconian treatment of anybody who does anything close to a "street performance" on that strip. City needs to lighten up and start promoting open air booths and street markets in the area until the building owners come around. That, and quit arresting violinists and harmonica players for practicing in public. Bill Albertson 2009-07-17T05:02:11Z Bill Albertson comment-10876 2009-07-17T04:51:52Z 2009-07-17T04:51:52Z This is a really excellent article on what went on down there, no bias or bs. Thank you for taking the time to research and write it! Bill Albertson 2009-07-17T04:51:52Z Bill Albertson comment-10875 2009-07-17T04:46:31Z 2009-07-17T04:46:31Z I am very gratified to see Sacramento's Poet Laureate in a weekly column. It will be yet another great reason to come back to this news site over and over again. Having a poetry column says "Sacramento" all over it. Thank you! Bill Albertson 2009-07-17T04:46:31Z Bill Albertson comment-10503 2009-07-09T21:57:20Z 2009-07-09T21:57:20Z A link to the event and registration would be nice in an article like this. http://www.lgc.org/events/completestreets09.html Bill Albertson 2009-07-09T21:57:20Z Bill Albertson comment-10494 2009-07-09T21:37:18Z 2009-07-09T21:37:18Z We actually get a lot of eastern European tourists here in Sacramento. The Capitol Park is full of them. We also get tourists from other countries as well throughout the year. Though most Sacramentans don't see it, we have an incredibly diverse and inclusive culture here that you can't find anywhere else. We have over 800 houses of worship, but no religious conflicts. We have 50 cultural cuisines in less than 30 blocks on Broadway, but no significantly "ethnic" parts of town. We have *year round* local fresh produce and meats which are considered the finest in the world, but we just think of ourselves as just another farm town. Some of the finest prize fighters and martial artists in the world make their retirements here, open studios, and we don't think anything of it. We have more body mod shops per capita than anywhere else in the US, its considered "not unusual" here, yet Sacramento thinks of itself has horribly awfully normal. Walk around in any supermarket, and its almost impossible to walk out without hearing three different languages spoken before you reach the door. Sacramento is unique, both extremely diverse as well as integrated, and we are the only ones who don't seem to notice. Personally, I think that a lot of the issues with promoting our uniqueness and diversity lie with the city government, and its lack of understanding of the above traits I mentioned. I think that it perceives things that its own citizens do which attract attention (Sam's Hof Brau, Thursday Market, cruising on Broadway) as a potential black eye rather than something to get excited about. It would be nice if the govt could separate the concept of a good idea/event from some of the negative things that ultimately rise up as an indicator of success. Maybe then we would have some of our more visible cultural uniqueness intact. Bill Albertson 2009-07-09T21:37:18Z Bill Albertson comment-10496 2009-07-09T20:16:14Z 2009-07-09T20:16:14Z I've been a commute rider for about 15 years now, and a bicycle has been my primary and often sole source of transport for about a decade. I don't get the fixie thing, but maybe that is because I have been hit 4 times during that period by car drivers, and honestly, it was my brakes that saved me from hospitalization twice. I understand the allure of "doing it different", but the fixie hipsters need to realize that the CVC that protects the cyclist also applies to the cyclist. That means brakes. Bill Albertson 2009-07-09T20:16:14Z