John Schmidt comment-46159 2011-02-22T19:17:04Z 2011-02-22T19:17:04Z Nice job, Zephyr. John Schmidt 2011-02-22T19:17:04Z John Schmidt comment-42673 2010-12-23T07:12:27Z 2010-12-23T07:12:27Z Now THAT's what I call an egg nog! Yum. Oh, and the Paesanos photo is awesome. John Schmidt 2010-12-23T07:12:27Z John Schmidt comment-37735 2010-09-23T20:50:11Z 2010-09-23T20:50:11Z Thanks for this article, Chris! Very well written and informative. Sounds like it was a great event. John Schmidt 2010-09-23T20:50:11Z John Schmidt comment-22566 2010-02-23T19:42:43Z 2010-02-23T19:42:43Z Lucky you, Allison! That Mulvaney's beer dinner seemed to sell out quickly. I'll be at Pangaea Cafe enjoying The Bicycle Chef's handmade sausages and moule frites with Odonata's Belgian-inspired beer selections. John Schmidt 2010-02-23T19:42:43Z John Schmidt comment-22502 2010-02-21T21:11:49Z 2010-02-21T21:11:49Z Thanks for writing about the Beer Week scavenger hunt, Greg. Sounds like fun! John Schmidt 2010-02-21T21:11:49Z John Schmidt comment-21550 2010-02-01T02:55:24Z 2010-02-01T02:55:24Z Thank you, Rene! John Schmidt 2010-02-01T02:55:24Z John Schmidt comment-21273 2010-01-26T05:43:17Z 2010-01-26T05:43:17Z Cool! Uh, I mean hot! Is SCI a Sacramento area company? John Schmidt 2010-01-26T05:43:17Z John Schmidt comment-17410 2009-11-06T21:48:37Z 2009-11-06T21:48:37Z Jim: Sounds like a great idea! Are you volunteering? =) John Schmidt 2009-11-06T21:48:37Z John Schmidt comment-16615 2009-10-28T23:20:03Z 2009-10-28T23:20:03Z Ladies and Gentlemen! I now present to you... YOUR HUMBLE PRESIDENT OF THE METRO CHAMB... oooops, I mean MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO! Enjoy. http://www.sacfortourists.com/post/226275672/k-j-cares-more-about-nestle-than-sacramentans John Schmidt 2009-10-28T23:20:03Z John Schmidt comment-16560 2009-10-28T07:07:53Z 2009-10-28T07:07:53Z I was there, Tony, and your guess is as good as mine as to how supportive the individual councilmembers are of the project. Based on what was communicated at the meeting, both verbally and non-verbally, I would say that Vice Mayor Hammond is the only councilmember who objects to the idea of the City selling its public water to be bottled and sold for profit. Councilmember McCarty, of course, has also expressed concern, and did so again tonight. He said he thought the Council owed it to the public to get the issue right. Councilmember Pannell expressed confusion at why the Council had not been informed by Community Development Department about the project before things progressed so far, and she warned Dept. Manager Kwong not to "do this in my district." Councilmember Sheedy spoke up only once to question Save Our Water Sacramento's Evan Tucker when he claimed City staff, upon being asked for more information on the project, had told him to speak to Nestle's PR firm. Councilmembers Tretheway, Cohn, and Waters, and Mayor Johnson were very concerned that the City had stopped work at the plant and they wanted answers from Development Dept. Manager Kwong right away as to how much longer Nestle would have to wait. After Nestle got everything it wanted, Mayor Johnson apologized to them. I don't recall Councilmember Fong saying anything. John Schmidt 2009-10-28T07:07:53Z John Schmidt comment-16502 2009-10-27T21:58:09Z 2009-10-27T21:58:09Z Thanks, Suzanne! John Schmidt 2009-10-27T21:58:09Z John Schmidt comment-16499 2009-10-27T21:40:17Z 2009-10-27T21:40:17Z fargo: My point was that Nestle isn't being given any limits or restrictions in the amount of water they buy. Yes, I know they have a projected water budget for themselves, but frankly, who cares? It is just bad policy for any local government (our public servants) not to put some restrictions on a business who will use one of our public resources as their for-profit end product. I completely agree with your other points. Fantastic comments! John Schmidt 2009-10-27T21:40:17Z John Schmidt comment-16498 2009-10-27T21:28:59Z 2009-10-27T21:28:59Z Matt: Yes, but it has to be "fair" to everyone, not just to businesses. The promises of jobs and investment should not be substitutes for an open, fair, public review. Who decided that it was "good policy" for Nestle to come to Sacramento and bottle public water? The mayor? The Chamber? The City Development Department? We don't really know, and that is one of the problems in this case. Who decided that it was "bad policy" to put a pause on the project and discuss it? Apparently you did. "Political whim?" Really? From what little information has come out, it would appear the City Council was all too willing to completely ignore this project, even after having been informed about it. The only reason this has been agendized for a Council meeting is because a bewildered and agitated public has demanded input. Would this situation be better if the project had been subject to Council (public) review from the start instead of in midstream? Of course. I don't want to see businesses promised one thing only to have the rug pulled out from under them any more than you do. But this is the situation we find ourselves in. No one wants to hang a "closed sign" over Sacramento. But Sacramento residents are not going to be told to "take our 40 jobs and shut up" either. John Schmidt 2009-10-27T21:28:59Z John Schmidt comment-16479 2009-10-27T17:40:10Z 2009-10-27T17:40:10Z I hope that EVERY one of you, regardless of your opinion on this issue, will come to the City Council meeting tonight. We the people finally have a chance to get this out in the open and discuss it with the policymakers. The fact that this project went ahead with no public input at all is at the crux of our concerns. It was never about "NIMBY" or simply a "knee-jerk" reaction as some here have claimed. John Schmidt 2009-10-27T17:40:10Z John Schmidt comment-16478 2009-10-27T17:35:10Z 2009-10-27T17:35:10Z fargopentameter wrote: "Even moderate reductions in per-household water use in Sacramento residences can add up to water savings that will dwarf the Nestle plant's entire water budget." But Nestle doesn't have a "water budget." THAT'S THE POINT. John Schmidt 2009-10-27T17:35:10Z John Schmidt comment-16038 2009-10-22T16:36:55Z 2009-10-22T16:36:55Z Huh? Why wouldn't one have to pay money to see a film in a theater? Crazy? Maybe you could explain what you mean, Reno. John Schmidt 2009-10-22T16:36:55Z John Schmidt comment-14855 2009-10-02T20:02:09Z 2009-10-02T20:02:09Z Great article, Colleen. I am so psyched to be doing the Big Nosh. Can't wait! John Schmidt 2009-10-02T20:02:09Z John Schmidt comment-14724 2009-09-30T20:26:55Z 2009-09-30T20:26:55Z Yes, 'bbbbmer,' unfortunately it would appear that the Mayor hasn't given this much thought beyond: "Nestle Waters' desire to do business in Sacramento is more proof that we are on our way to becoming a world-class city." (I am paraphrasing). John Schmidt 2009-09-30T20:26:55Z John Schmidt comment-14723 2009-09-30T20:12:12Z 2009-09-30T20:12:12Z Great question Anthony. According to Nestle's press release, the plant will initially provide 16 on-site jobs with additional work being provided for contractors, delivery personnel, etc., and that the plant will eventually provide approximately 40 jobs once it is working at full capacity. In addition to the point 'President1' makes above, someone at the Save Our Water Sacramento meeting pointed out that Nestle is making the claim that this plant will provide 40 jobs for Sacramento. The reality is, of course, that Nestle can't legally make any guarantees as to who will get those jobs. They are posted on the web for anyone who is qualified. "Approximately 40 jobs" doesn't sound to me like something we should be willing to accept in trade for a company to bottle our public water and sell it back to us. John Schmidt 2009-09-30T20:12:12Z John Schmidt comment-14648 2009-09-29T15:22:03Z 2009-09-29T15:22:03Z Great article, Suzanne. I was at the meeting too, and you did a good job here in accurately describing the events. I would like to emphasize one of Save Our Water Sacramento's main points. As far as anyone knows, the relationship between Nestle Waters and the City's (our) municipal water supply is not defined. That is, there are no limits set on how much water Nestle can purchase. (Some, like Zeidner, have claimed that Nestle would be subject to drought restrictions like anyone else- But if not now, when?) Save Our Water Sacramento believes this is not wise because the water is itself the end product for Nestle, and they will consequently have an incentive to take as much as they can get. John Schmidt 2009-09-29T15:22:03Z John Schmidt comment-8239 2009-05-24T03:18:06Z 2009-05-24T03:18:06Z Please forgive me, I neglected to include a few important points in the article. Among the film’s more disturbing images are those of factory farm animals and their treatment: Chickens bulked up so quickly they cannot even stand and cows shoved to the slaughterhouse with a forklift. Jennifer Fearing, Chief Economist for The Humane Society of the United States, was also on the discussion panel. The Humane Society was a sponsor of the film screening. For more information visit: http://www.hsus.org/farm/ John Schmidt 2009-05-24T03:18:06Z John Schmidt comment-7636 2009-05-14T18:18:17Z 2009-05-14T18:18:17Z Thank you, Monique, for giving me hope and lifting my spirit today. John Schmidt 2009-05-14T18:18:17Z John Schmidt comment-6339 2009-04-17T22:03:13Z 2009-04-17T22:03:13Z Great article, Casey! I am glad to see the City is making an effort to make it safer for pedestrians to walk our streets and raise some cash at the same time. I think that most drivers just aren't paying close enough attention much of the time, and they may need a reminder every once in a while. John Schmidt 2009-04-17T22:03:13Z John Schmidt comment-5576 2009-04-04T21:54:34Z 2009-04-04T21:54:34Z Yay, Earth Fest at the zoo! I went to this a couple of years ago and had a great time. I learned about worm composting (something I do now), solar ovens, and beneficial garden insects, among other things. Looks like you had nice weather, too. John Schmidt 2009-04-04T21:54:34Z John Schmidt comment-5574 2009-04-04T21:49:44Z 2009-04-04T21:49:44Z Any word on whether or not the robot will be claiming overtime for this assignment? (sorry, couldn't resist). You guys obviously scooped this one, and you didn't have to go very far, did you? John Schmidt 2009-04-04T21:49:44Z John Schmidt comment-5573 2009-04-04T21:40:11Z 2009-04-04T21:40:11Z This wonderful crop swap idea combines two things I believe we need more of: ways to make our food system more direct from grower to eater and ways to foster more community/neighborhood cooperation. My wife introduced me to Bill Maynard a couple of years ago at Soil Born Farm. He really knows A LOT about growing food! John Schmidt 2009-04-04T21:40:11Z John Schmidt comment-5181 2009-03-28T19:07:56Z 2009-03-28T19:07:56Z Steve: If you want to call it outlawing instead of restricting, that's fine with me. However, when I read your article I was shocked at the idea that lap dancing had been outlawed throughout Sacramento County with little or no public input. That would put hundreds of people out of work at the worst possible moment. Not to mention, I, like you, believe (in most cases) that when there is demand for a good or service in a free-market economic system, that it should be allowed to exist. But that doesn't mean that it should be allowed to exist without regulation or restriction of any kind. All societies walk a precarious balance between liberty and order. After some research, I found that yes, Sacramento County has outlawed lap dancing ["No entertainer shall have physical contact with any patron or customer"] UNLESS the business has a valid general license to provide adult live theater and is located in an industrial zone. Why does your article make no mention of these important facts? If you want to be angry at the government for taking away your and my right to enter into a contract with another consenting adult to provide "boobs-in-face" for 20 bucks, I am on your side brother! But when you are on the right side of an argument, as I believe you are here, it greatly strengthens your case to gather and provide all of the facts that you can. And I am interested to read more about how the Sheriff's Department claims this new restriction will help the neighborhood. I hope that you will continue to follow this story and keep us readers in the know about what happens next! :) John Schmidt 2009-03-28T19:07:56Z John Schmidt comment-5157 2009-03-28T07:07:36Z 2009-03-28T07:07:36Z Wait a minute. The County did not "outlaw" lap dances. From News10.net: "Sacramento County supervisors voted to restrict lap dancing to adult live theater businesses holding valid general business in county industrial zones only." This was a measure targeted specifically at the Auburn Boulevard bars (where liquor is served) that provide nude entertainment (The Body Shop and Ember's, I believe). The juice bars in industrial zones are not affected. Whether or not this restriction will indeed lower the crime rate in the area as the Sheriff's Department hopes is another question. John Schmidt 2009-03-28T07:07:36Z John Schmidt comment-3114 2009-02-05T04:42:55Z 2009-02-05T04:42:55Z Great, great, great article Dave. I was sitting here reading this and wondering why I didn't know about "Off Air." I listen to KXJZ a lot! I remember hearing Nick's spot teasing "something new" coming in January, but I never heard what that was. Guess I need to check on CapRadio.org more often! Thanks so much for bringing me up to speed on this really cool development. You make a great point about the flexibility created by the ability to stream or download. I would add that it also makes for a rather large potential audience! I am going to make sure my music fanatic brother-in-law, a Bay Area resident, knows about this. John Schmidt 2009-02-05T04:42:55Z John Schmidt comment-2677 2009-01-25T00:13:24Z 2009-01-25T00:13:24Z Thanks Leslie! I agree (with both of your points). As for the point about our agricultural system (although I believe, as Michael Pollan does, it is important to start refferring to it as a food system), educating our children about where real food comes from and how it is grown is SO important in this process. I hope that the Mayor has some ideas about how we can do more of that in Sacramento. If not, there are many people who are ready to advise him if he would like to make it a priority. Mayor Johnson: I came across this fantastic article at Grist.org, and I hope you will read it. It is about Dr King's legacy, community gardens, and where we might go from here: http://grist.org/comments/food/2009/01/23/index.html John Schmidt 2009-01-25T00:13:24Z John Schmidt comment-2703 2009-01-24T08:55:34Z 2009-01-24T08:55:34Z Sounds like you had a great time, Mr Mayor. You raise many important issues here, and I would be interested in reading more about your thoughts on how to move forward. I am especially intrigued by your discussion with Alice Waters. It is absolutely imperative that we begin the process of rebuilding a food system that is truly sustainable, and I believe this process starts at the local level. Where our food comes from, how it is grown/processed, and how it gets to us affect our soil, air and water, and must be considered in any plan to combat global climate change. Our health is directly affected by what we eat, and too many of us, particularly low-income people, have little in the way of healthy "real food" choices. I would be very interested to hear from you any ideas or discussion regarding how we might begin to make Sacramento's food system more sustainable. John Schmidt 2009-01-24T08:55:34Z