bldrbuz comment-45181 2011-02-06T00:05:41Z 2011-02-06T00:05:41Z St. Hope touts Choice, but when Sacramento Charter High School is not the choice of the majority of students from the surrounding neighborhoods, they cry foul and try to find someone to blame. Sorry. Why can't you hang on to the students you have. AT least 200 students leave the school each year for other schools. If it is truly such an outstanding school, parents and students would be busting down the doors to get in--not transferring out. bldrbuz 2011-02-06T00:05:41Z bldrbuz comment-41195 2010-11-23T23:37:45Z 2010-11-23T23:37:45Z Love that old buildings are being revived and rehabbed. The Central City needs more housing and more affordable housing. Just wondering why the letter "N" is backwards in the tile? bldrbuz 2010-11-23T23:37:45Z bldrbuz comment-40460 2010-11-13T00:15:41Z 2010-11-13T00:15:41Z In this instance, the better man may not have won. Sacramento's loss. bldrbuz 2010-11-13T00:15:41Z bldrbuz comment-39594 2010-10-27T05:11:00Z 2010-10-27T05:11:00Z This book should be on the high schools required reading list like "Native Son" was when I was in high school. bldrbuz 2010-10-27T05:11:00Z bldrbuz comment-36263 2010-09-07T22:23:27Z 2010-09-07T22:23:27Z A diverse community is an interesting and vibrant place to live. That the members of the oldest mosque west of the Mississippi are getting more involved in their community is a very good thing. bldrbuz 2010-09-07T22:23:27Z bldrbuz comment-34177 2010-08-03T23:06:55Z 2010-08-03T23:06:55Z Congratulations to these guys. I wish them all the success. Sounds like a great place. Will definitely check it out. bldrbuz 2010-08-03T23:06:55Z bldrbuz comment-31948 2010-07-01T05:25:26Z 2010-07-01T05:25:26Z isn't there any other pressing business before the mayor and the city council? I don't think the Strong Mayor initiative is at the top of the list for the vast majority of Sacramentans. This initiative is not something we are clamouring for. No one I personally know sees it as either necessary or critical at this particular time. Can our elected representatives PLEASE address the many other crucial issues at hand and put this aside for the next year at least! ENOUGH all ready!!! bldrbuz 2010-07-01T05:25:26Z bldrbuz comment-31758 2010-06-29T17:00:55Z 2010-06-29T17:00:55Z To Mr. Knapp: You are so badly misinformed regarding his "running" of Sacramento Charter High School that I am finding it hard to take any of your other remarks seriously. FYI I am not a union member. I am in business for myself-struggling in this terrible economy like many others. I do agree that Dems and Reps both have dirty hands. That said, I applaud the vote and hope this mayor got the message. bldrbuz 2010-06-29T17:00:55Z bldrbuz comment-31529 2010-06-26T02:05:21Z 2010-06-26T02:05:21Z I am offended by the word "pee." Just kidding LOL bldrbuz 2010-06-26T02:05:21Z bldrbuz comment-31444 2010-06-25T16:20:31Z 2010-06-25T16:20:31Z This is my last comment on this subject. Those whose comments are lewd, who blatantly lie, or use racial slurs, etc. only demean themselves. They effectively demonstrate that they are not to be taken seriously by the rest of the community. I take note of who posts in this manner and skip over their comments, as well as the comments of those who chose to engage them. They are not worth my time because they have nothing of substance to say. SacPress can choose to delete individual comments that violate their use agreement. This is their site. But beware the slippery slope. I would not have chosen to ban bbbmr. We will just agree to disagree on this issue. bldrbuz 2010-06-25T16:20:31Z bldrbuz comment-31402 2010-06-25T07:28:12Z 2010-06-25T07:28:12Z I recently watched a PBS documentary on Jefferson. Talk about some poison pens. Terrible things were written about him and his wife. Our country has a history of personal attacks and bullying-yet that has not stifled our democracy. I am not intimidated by what someone may post on a website. My ancestors, who arrived with the Mayflower and who fought in successive wars to insure the freedoms I hold dear, would scoff at so called "blogger bullies." When did we get so whimpish?! Really Ben, we can handle the "bullies." We don't have to stoop to their tactics, but we don't need to silence them either. bldrbuz 2010-06-25T07:28:12Z bldrbuz comment-31390 2010-06-25T05:39:32Z 2010-06-25T05:39:32Z Ok. Thanks for the clarification. Don't agree with the premise in this situation, because Sac Press seems to want to appeal to the community as an open forum. If they truly want that, then there will be bbbmrs and others who will participate. If they want to censure and limit the type of participation they will tolerate, I believe that will not serve either their purpose or that of the wider community in the long run. So we respectfully disagree. bldrbuz 2010-06-25T05:39:32Z bldrbuz comment-31384 2010-06-25T05:18:36Z 2010-06-25T05:18:36Z Sorry-the above is a reply to Tony. bldrbuz 2010-06-25T05:18:36Z bldrbuz comment-31383 2010-06-25T05:17:37Z 2010-06-25T05:17:37Z Don't get your mashed potatoes analogy. But that's ok. I appreciate you contribution to the conversation. bldrbuz 2010-06-25T05:17:37Z bldrbuz comment-31372 2010-06-25T03:58:00Z 2010-06-25T03:58:00Z Much of what I read from Sac Press in defense of their position to remove bbbmer reminds me of those who believe that they should remove books from libraries that they find offensive. I don't need to be protected from what others find offensive. I can choose to read or not read-participate or not participate. Our judicial system says that you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The burden of proof is on the prosecution, even if it means that sometime the guilty go free. I feel the same about an open forum where there is free and open discourse. Some may take advantage of the opportunity to post vitriolic and offensive diatribes. When they do, they only reflect badly on themselves. I chuckle, shake my head and move on. Or just skip them all together because they have made themselves irrelevant. But, other than some pornographic tirade, I do not want to censure them. bldrbuz 2010-06-25T03:58:00Z bldrbuz comment-31368 2010-06-25T03:22:17Z 2010-06-25T03:22:17Z Mayor Johnson has the right to pursue his vision of how Sacramento should be governed. Where he errs is when he berates and disrespects the duly elected representatives of the citizens of this city, who also are entitled to vote their conscience and reflect the wishes of those they represent by their vote. This is how a representative democracy works. I applaud my councilman, Mr. Cohn, for showing independence, and voting in a manner that reflects his constituents views. If Mayor Johnson wants to play on a bigger stage, he should work to build consensus, and show respect for those who take a position that is in opposition to his. bldrbuz 2010-06-25T03:22:17Z bldrbuz comment-31260 2010-06-24T20:46:53Z 2010-06-24T20:46:53Z Personally, I will miss bbbmer. I enjoy lively content. If I want boring, I can read the Bee. I hope that doesn't put me in violation of your new rules. I don't like censorship. Off topic, personal promotion, petty name calling, do not make for lively content, however. But if I don't care to read a particular comment, I can always just skip over it. Remember, unpopular speech is the speech that is in need of the most protection. bldrbuz 2010-06-24T20:46:53Z bldrbuz comment-25752 2010-04-27T19:34:25Z 2010-04-27T19:34:25Z I think someone should send a copy of Diane Ravitch's new book "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education." to Arne Duncan. Policticians and Corporations should not be running our schools. Their motives are profits and votes, not education. bldrbuz 2010-04-27T19:34:25Z bldrbuz comment-24660 2010-04-13T21:32:25Z 2010-04-13T21:32:25Z There was already a plan in place-one which had been worked on for more than a year, to reform the school under the E21 plan. The teachers were on board to go ahead with that plan. In fact, the plan did go forward at the other comprehensive high schools. But before implementing the plan, the Board,instead, and with little notice to the public, decided to close the school and then turn it over to a non-profit organization which had NEVER run any high school, let alone a large one with many problems. Additionally, the students which had been on the receiving end of more intensive reading and math education, starting in elementary school, had not yet reached high school. Those students were still in junior high. As the test scores have shown at all the comprehensive high schools, the scores rose when these kids entered high school, So, the school board, led by Jay Schenirer prematurely closed the school before giving it a chance to improve using E21 and before the first class of students with stronger math/language arts reached high school. My daughter in that class of students. She would have attended Sacramento High School. She graduated in 2009 from McClatchy. bldrbuz 2010-04-13T21:32:25Z bldrbuz comment-24468 2010-04-09T16:08:57Z 2010-04-09T16:08:57Z If you are a supporter of Public Education, please look up Diane Ravitch and check out her website. She was a former supporter of No Child Left Behind and Charter Schools, but has changed many of her positions after an avalanche of data from schools around the country did not support her former views. She has had the courage to speak out publicly about the failures of the current ed trends. I am reading her new book "The Life and Death of the Great American School System." I highly recommend it. Should be required reading for all teachers, administrators and superintendents. She is speaking at Stanford on April 14th and Berkeley on the 15th. Free and open to the Public. bldrbuz 2010-04-09T16:08:57Z bldrbuz comment-24429 2010-04-09T02:54:24Z 2010-04-09T02:54:24Z The illegal closing of Sacramento High School and the ensuing community unrest and upheaval it caused and is still causing to this day is something I cannot forgive Mr. Schenirer for. The arrogance and disdain he displayed at SCUSD School Board meetings does not recommend him as someone who should be given another public office. He lost his seat on the School Board for very good reasons. The people of this District are wise to who he really is and I trust will not elect him to another office. bldrbuz 2010-04-09T02:54:24Z bldrbuz comment-2533 2009-01-20T17:35:37Z 2009-01-20T17:35:37Z There are a lot more changes to the charter than just those you have mentioned. According to the new charter, Mr. Johnson would be able to continue to vote on the council on his own proposals, until a new council seat is created in 2010. This appears to be a huge conflict of interest. There would most likely be legal challenges to the charter changes, costing the city of Sacramento even more money at a time when budgets are being slashed and workers let go. The changes to the charter make our city government bigger. They add to the beauracracy, and do not in and of themselves make for better government. Concentrating more power in the hands on one person does not make for more democratic governance. It reduces it. bldrbuz 2009-01-20T17:35:37Z bldrbuz comment-2182 2009-01-13T00:24:29Z 2009-01-13T00:24:29Z I completely agree with klenox. I have also received emails from people who have been told that when they sign the petition they are signing for more accountable government and/or an independent audit of the city finances. They are not told that it is the "strong Mayor" petition. I would advise people to call their city council member and complain that they have not heard enough debate on the merits of this change to the city charter, before being asked to sign petitions. I also believe that people are not aware of the cost to the city for this special election. And, I think that Sacramentans should be suspicious as to who exactly is paying the cost for collecting the signatures to put this on the ballot. How will they benefit from the changes in the city charter? It may well be that special interest groups will benefit immensely, while the average citizen will not, and may in fact, be harmed by the changes. bldrbuz 2009-01-13T00:24:29Z