Yes! Congrats to Sheriff's and Sac PD grant writers for the effective pitch.

Given the high number of taxis per capita in the city it would make sense the price of a ride would go down compared to bigger cities like San Francisco. I can't tell if that's the case from this article. If "right-sizing" the number of taxis in the city is the goal, then the council should pass an ordinance that sets a yearly or biannual expiration date on taxi permits and then raise the cost of the permits with each new cycle until the extra infrastructure required by the taxis is paid for and tensions between drivers and local businesses have chilled out. Or why set the price of the permits by auction and invest the proceeds in infrastructure and mitigating the taxis' environmental impacts? Then 'the market' would set the permit cost and desirable outcomes could be achieved all around. As an aside, I don't know when the "lull of the week" is that Mr. Gamble speaks of. I regularly see cab drivers downtown just leaning up against their cabs chatting with other drivers and hanging out at night and on the weekend. That makes me think there is a surplus of drivers. Last Sunday, one cab driver even called out to me and said I looked like I needed a ride when I had less than half a mile to travel. I ignored him, but the encounter didn't improve my image of cab drivers. Also, as a pedestrian, I find cab drivers are some of the more flagrant traffic scofflaws. They need to be taught how to follow the state's motor vehicle code. Maybe the answer includes a recertification of their drivers' license along with the renewal of their operator's permit. That could also thin the herd.

What's stopping Sacramento from claiming the Kings by eminent domain? The city did that with much of the lower part of K street? If it's good for the region, why can't the city make that argument for eminent domain over the Kings given the money the Maloofs owe the city on the arena? I wonder what the Kings valuation would be if the team were to be used for collateral for that debt? From all accounts it sounds like the Maloofs are in default.

The solution to getting Second Saturday back to its "roots" may be for the city to take a less active roll and have the galleries and businesses pick up promotion and organization. I don't believe crowds of people can't fill downtown in a civilized manner -- just look at the Mexican independence celebrations in midtown. Those were great!

Sounds respectable, but it will likely close too early in the evening to be any real use downtown. That's too bad.