This episode is just another example of the outsized political influence held by local police, fire, city employee and education unions. The ulitimate solution is Scott Walker / Wisconsin style public employee union reforms. Step one would be make union membership voluntary. Until Sacramentans come to this realization, our fortunes (or lack thereof) will continue to be driven by a very small select cadre of public employees, many of whom don't even live in the City.

KJ made the mistake of giving attention and legitimization to the selfish "SafeGround" PAC. These professional hobos have made a career leeching from Sacramento's public services and public open spaces. Now, in gratitude they are using lawsuits and media exposure to attempt to get Sacramento taxpayers to buy them free land for a more permanent hobo camp. Who on City Council is ready to stand up to these clowns?

Interesting attitude that theft is the fault of the victim, not the perp. A perfect example of the lack of faith in local law enforcement.

Felony grand theft is a non-crime in the view of SacPD. Felony thefts of 10s of thousands of dollars will only get the poor victim a call in police report (and a chance to interact with a cranky union laborer who would rather not be bothered). Calling the police to report thefts only results in another propety value sapping on the crime map.

Odd indeed

Great work Steve to pull this together. We have to question Phylis Newton's seriousness if she can't even answer a few questions for a local news source. All the candidates provided extremely cautious responses, with little differentiation. Is there a candidate who can actually speak their mind on an issue?: On the topic of leaf piles, interesting that none noted that street pickup was mandated by voters in '77, and any changes should take the public vote into consideration. On the topic of maijuana dispensaries, all the candidates seem to stay well clear of the obvious fact that the "medical" aspect of these dispensaries is mostly a sham.

Lisa Totally agree with you on the immigration reform. The reason you friend who is a US citizen is suffering from harsh working conditions is because she is attempting to work in a field over-saturated with illegal workers. Your friend employment problems will soon be over, since she will soon be unemployed. This bill provides a far greater increase in protection for illegal workers (who have almost none) then it does for legal workers like your friend (who can easily sue in court, organize, or use the media to go after bad employers). Thus, this bill just encourages more illegal aliens into the domestic workforce. The policy of the State of California is to leave the door wide open unfettered illegal immigration. Many Californians think that this is a "compassionate" social policy. But in truth, having an underclass living in the shadows wiill always lead to abuse of both the immigrant and the US citizens in that field alike. Band aids like this bill simply attempt to legitimize illegal workers. We all know the correct answer is for California to exercise state's rights and to put an end to our States illegal workforce.

Very informative. I learned that I can get my cat nuetered for free if I just cut the tip of hid ear off. And I learned that killing is not effective at controllong population (a point clearly disproven by Hitler and Poi Pot). I am surpised there is no concern raised about the thousands of rats and other rodents killed each year by these feral cats. Who is watching out for Sacramento's vulnerable rat population?

Maybe you didn't notice that California has one of the highest income tax rates in the nation, and about to go higher if JB gets his way. Our overall per capita rate of taxation from all sources is medium to high, depending on how one measures it. There is and always was enough money in the treasury to run the state and maintain public buildings. What we have lacked since the 70s is prudent use of these funds.

That is hilarious that a State employee thinks he will get fired if he highlights a safety issue. What possible evidence is the basis of this fear? Over at Caltrans you can falsify bridge test data and not get fired!

MikeM It actually is not even clear that redevelopment has been "very helpful". I think it is more correct to say that many of the redevelopment projects have been very tangible and visible, such as the R Street project that you cite. But we never really get to see what the positive impact on the community would have been if those incremental tax dollars had continued to flow into local police, education, parks and other city services.

Why wouldn't this school attract Oak Park residents? It seems a little condescending to imply that Oak Park residents are not interested or incapable of attending a school with a strong academic focus.

That's my point. She seems concerned with fairness to the staff, and her union minders. I am concerned about fairness to the taxpayers who have been funding this boondoggle for all these years and expect it to be shut down in the most cost-effective manner possible.

It is very telling that no city leaders quoted in the article show any concern for lessening the debt burden on city, county and state taxpayers. However Sheedy and Austin both have expressed their desire to keep a maximum number of staff on the payroll, whether that staff s needed or not. This attitude that government is a jobs program for the otherwise unemployable is a key component of redevelopments fiscal irresponsibility and subsequent downfall.

Wow... HUD "awarded" Sacramento by giving back some of our own federal tax dollars? How very generous. Thanks Doris, but when will you address the rest of federal tax imbalance that Californians continue to suffer from?

AB889 is just another dose of condescending liberal paternalism. The reason the women in the photo was able to be threatened with deportation was not because she lacked a so-called "domestic worker bill of rights", its because she is here illegally. An illegal immigrant will always be vulnerable. AB889 is an ineffective band-aid, the real solution is to end illegal immigration and illegal employment. Also, with California unemployment over 10%, shouldn't this be a job that legal US residents should be performing?

True, and this EIR requirement is still a bunch of wasteful BS. The environmental consultants that pad the pockets of state and local governments to keep these bureaucratic rules in place are the only ones that gain from this.

It is amazing how state & local governments moan incessantly about their budgets being "cut to the bone ", yet never challenge obvious waste like this. The bureaucrats are steering the ship while Taxpayers and common sense are locked away in steerage.

Geoff Thanks for taking a stand on this one. The other question that needs to be asked is why the current laws are not sufficient. Megaupload was taken down this week in New Zealand in an FBI coordinated operation, all without these SOPA powers. The bar should be set very high to justify limiting free speech and free commerce. Was good to see all 4 GOP candidates oppose SOPA in the debate Thursday night. Hopefully our president will likewise take a clear position on SOPA as well.

Well, The city has decided it has to work with a union approved list of contractors and pay the accompanying prevailing wage, and that it should give preference to minority and femaied owned contractors. And thanks to Rob Fong (is he gone yet BTW?) the city can't deal with any suppliers who are headquartered in Arizona. And meanwhile the city decides it must specify LED power saving stoplights despite the negative lifetime ROI, just to meet an arbitrary "Green Energy" goal. If the City continually short-circuits the laws of supply and demand with these artificial barriers to free and open commerce, then the result is $500K stoplights. Unfortunately this is pervasive across the city operations, not just traffic signaling.