One Wednesday every month, if you drive down J Street, you will see hundreds of people lined up outside of Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. New Americans born all around the world are waiting to celebrate one of the proudest days of their lives. Once inside, these patriots will take their oaths and be sworn in as new citizens of our great country. If you look closely, you will also see a number of folks going through the line, carrying clipboards. These hardworking volunteers are helping the new citizens register to vote, so that they can fulfill one of their core civic responsibilities. Engaged citizens taking part in the process, helping to elect our leaders and making decisions on impor

 On Saturday a broad coalition of local Sacramento, state and federal elected officials, community leaders and government entities held a press conference to make a call for Asian & Pacific Islander Americans to complete and submit their Census form. Speakers discussed the importance of a complete count of Asian & Pacific Islander community members in the 2010 Census. Although this coalition’s efforts are targeted at Asian & Pacific Islander Americans, it is critical that all residents of our City and our region complete the Census. Being counted ensures our region receives its fair share of Federal funds. In addition, promptly returning the form, so that the Census does not have to follo

On Friday, February 26, First United Methodist Church welcomed in seventy five people for the very first “deep well” experience. The group was eclectic in age, culture and circumstance but the common bond was a willingness to dive deep into a spiritual journey through the season of Lent.  Pastor Kathi McShane described it, "We're seeing Deep Well as a pause just in between the end of the work week and the weekend, for everyone who feels like they're pouring themselves out into whatever work they're doing--whether it's public service, non-profit, volunteer service, parenting--whatever. The music, the silence, the opportunity to reflect deeply, should feel like a long drink of cool water, s

Today the Mayor pushed the City Council to put a new Strong Mayor Initiative on the ballot within the next two weeks. Rushing a proposal to the ballot without time for vetting or community involvement is bad government and bad politics. If we change the way our government operates, it should be focused on more community involvement and more open, transparent government. The process through which we pursue change should reflect those values. Changing our City’s Constitution is not something we should take lightly. The process matters. An open, transparent, process that involves the community and all stake holders will lead to a sound, responsible policy that reflects our community and our

 “Aardvark, also called antbear, stocky African mammal found south of the Sahara Desert in savanna and semiarid areas. The name aardvark—Afrikaans for ‘earth pig’—refers to its piglike face and burrowing habits.” Michael Nava was fascinated by the set of encyclopedias set on a high shelf of his grandparents’ home. The Mexican immigrants did not have many books in their house, but they had purchased the set from a traveling salesman, perhaps hoping that one of their grand children would be inspired to pick up a volume or two. Michael took it one step farther. Early in elementary school, he climbed the back of his grandfather’s armchair, careful not to knock his grandmother’s plant from th

The Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento’s voter forum on the Strong Mayor Initiative served as the unofficial kickoff to the 2010 June Election season. Monday, over one hundred Sacramentans listened as the pros and cons of the Strong Mayor Initiative were debated and the majority and minority perspectives on the Charter Review Commission’s report were discussed. “I’m ecstatic about the turnout. It once again shows Sacramentans are committed to civic engagement," Stonewall President Chris Moore said. "Far too often very substantial changes to public policy are made via the ballot box without appropriate vetting. Tonight we’re trying to give more opportunity for folks to conside

The six years of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration have not treated California well. We have lost our jobs, lost our houses and lost the services that were supposed to protect us and build a stronger state. While Governor Schwarzenegger has read a well-written script about post partisanship and teamwork, he has consistently failed to deliver on these promises – siding time and again with conservative interest groups that do not represent California’s values and proposing quick fix paper solutions instead of doing the hard work and showing the real leadership that is necessary to achieve real progress. While it is laudable that after years of cutting education budgets and increasing p

Midtowners walking by the corner of 21st and J on the last two Sundays of the month will see as many as 200 of our hungry neighbors lined up, eager to share in a warm, hearty breakfast offered to any of our community members in need of a meal. Sacramentans of all ages, from small children to senior citizens, many of whom spent the previous night without a roof or a bed are greeted with a hot cup of coffee and a warm smile from members of the First United Methodist Church of Sacramento’s congregation. “I think many of our guests on Sunday morning feel cared for and honored by the way they are treated here," Pastor Kathi McShane said. "We try to make them feel like they're in a restaurant r

On Saturday, over 30 Democrats and friends helped build a house for a Sacramento family. When the team arrived, they found an empty lot, with only a concrete foundation and piles of lumber that would soon become the walls of a home. By the end of the day, the structure of a home had replaced the empty lot. Event organizer, James Schwab said, "We helped to build a house but we also built friendships and relationships that will help us build a better Sacramento in the future." The cold, foggy morning did not dampen the volunteers' spirits. After touring a recently completed nearby home, the team received instructions from site supervisor, Terry Hardin and set to work building a new, LEED ce

A second consecutive perefect season slipped through Purple Reign's fingers in their second to last game of the season. The defending champion's seventeen game winning streak was snapped on October 28, falling 4-3 to Midtown Division champions, Beans and White Rice. These strong and well tested teams join undefeated top seed and Old Sacramento Division champions, Out Like a Fat Kid as the favorites entering tonight's season ending tournament. Out Like A Fat Kid's only loss in their last seventeen games came in the Semi-Finals of the summer dodgeball season, losing in overtime to Balls Deep in a hard fought game. The Fat Kids' perfect season leaves some questioning how prepared they enter

A coalition of business and community leaders, Labor, and the Democratic Party of Sacramento County announced today that they are joining together to preserve and protect Sacramento’s community-oriented government structure and stop the poorly-drafted, so called Strong-Mayor initiative that, if passed, would give Sacramento a Boss instead of a mayor. The coalition will use the name SAVE Sacramento, an acronym for Support Accountability, Voice, and Ethics in Sacramento. SAVE Sacramento will launch its new website, www.bossmayor.com, today at 4 pm. It will enable Sacramentans to learn the truth about the initiative drafted in secret by the attorneys for Sacramentans for Accountable Governme

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) voted to unanimously endorse a resolution in support of Safe Ground for Sacramento’s homeless community, urging an amendment to the city's anti-camping ordinance to create city-sanctioned campgrounds to provide safe, sanitary and regulated facilities. DPSC supports this measure to avoid forcing Sacramento’s 1,200 homeless men, women and children to fend for themselves on the streets.   "Homelessness in Sacramento is a crisis affecting working families hit hard by the recession," said DPSC Parliamentarian Alan LoFaso, "The community needs to rally in support of our most vulnerable residents and back innovative ways to help these families re

Opponents have argued that one of Mayor Johnson's ultimate goals is to move Sacramento's public schools under the control of the city's mayor, however, the Mayor has consistently insisted that this is not the case. In Inside City Hall, Ryan Lillis gives us some insight into Mayor Johnson's intentions. The mayor maintains that he does not wish to take control of the schools, clarifying, "what's on my radar is the mayor playing a critical role in our schools." Fair enough, complete control and "a critical role" are two very different phrases. The Mayor then expands on what he has in mind. While he notes that he does not like the term education "czar", the Mayor confirms that he would like

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) voted to endorse a resolution opposing West Sacramento’s “Gang Injunction” because it permits law enforcement authorities to act without evidence of wrongdoing. The “Gang Injunction” allows West Sacramento police to arrest individuals for associating with gang members – even their family members. It also allows West Sacramento police to abuse Sacramento’s sovereignty and arrest people in Sacramento who have violated no Sacramento law. DPSC member and California Democratic Party Executive Board member, Christine Thomas said, “Wrongful prosecution, accusations, and tracking individuals in databases for the rest of their lives without providin

Megatron's Jock Strap finished off a perfect season on Wednesday night, the second perfect season in XOSO history. Despite being short handed all night, MJS defeated Beans and Rice in the opening round, in a harrowing victory that took the favorites to the bring of elimination in overtime before they were able to finish strong and secure the victory. In the second round MJS had an easier time with Ball Sac who had dispatched Team America in their opening round match. On the other side of the bracket, top seeded Out Like a Fat Kid cruised past Your Mom in the first round before running into division rivals, Balls Deep. In the hardest fought game this dodgeballer (and Fat Kid) has ever play

Sacramento Democrats Oppose Anti-Scavenging Measure and the Big Business Supported Bill on Accounting Peer Review   In addition, the DPSC voted to urge the City Council to repeal Section 13.10.160 of City Ordinance No. 2009-012 banning scavenging from solid waste receptacles. Kipp Mueller of the Sacramento County Young Democrats gave a stirring presentation on the issue, noting that homelessness is up 14% and this ordinance does not save the city money. DPSC member Devin Lavelle said, “With the current conditions of our economy, criminalizing poverty is unconscionable. If any American with the motivation to go out and dig through garbage is forced to, the crime is not that they choose to

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) will hold its monthly meeting today (July 14) at 6 p.m. in room 127 of the State Capitol Building. The DPSC will discuss furloughs for Sacramento County and State workers and their impact on families and the local economy. DPSC Treasurer, Guy Crouch will present Assembly Bill 138, which would enact a mandatory peer review requirement for California accounting firms that provide any audit, review or compilation services. The DPSC will consider taking a position on the legislation. Elk Grove City Councilmember and Congressional candidate Gary Davis will be at the meeting to discuss the Elk Grove City Charter. Finally, California Attorney Gen