Dear Council Members: Let me acknowledge the tough job you face addressing the financial challenges our city and our nation faces as we move slowly out of a massive financial melt-down.  Adding to our worries are continuing closures of our business, and those in neighboring areas, such as Campbell Soup, Comcast and Coca-Cola to name a few. Despite tough financial times, this council is poised to make monumental decisions in this budget that will affect quality of life for years to come.  In many cases, in well known dangerous areas, your decisions will truly be a matter of life and death. I have grave concerns about violent crime and police staffing and how we address both in this

     A couple of years back around the 4th of July, a Sacramento Bee article touted the virtues of voting and participating in government: it blasted Americans for a lack of civic engagement.  I agree that too many Americans foolishly ignore the privilege of voting, lazily observe what government is doing and blatantly fail to get involved.  But the article, like many people do, failed to address a very real and dangerous aspect of this predicament.  The problem is unofficial efforts to suppress citizen involvement and then minimizing their actions when they do engage in the political process.      Governing officials use a variety of strategies to achieve outcomes they want and the concer

Members of the local political watchdog group Eye on Sacramento filed a lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court Thursday seeking a court order compelling City Clerk Shirley Concolino to accept their ballot argument opposing the tax increase measure on the November ballot. The suit, filed by EOS board members Craig Powell, Greg Hatfield and Erik Smitt, claims that, when Mayor Kevin Johnson failed to submit an opposing ballot argument before the deadline, members of the public should have been allowed to submit their own ballot arguments. “No one dreamed that the Mayor might fail to discharge his official duty to submit an argument against Measure U," Powell said in a press release Fri

As a leader you have to stand for something.  There are times when ambiguousness, inaction and a soft voice are unacceptable – times when you can’t keep your head down hoping to emerge with no blood stains, scrapes or cuts. Our city is telling employees to start paying all of the employee portions of retirement or face deep staffing cuts.  According to one news report, “62 firefighters and 34 police officers face losing their jobs.”  Now, Mayor Johnson and council members need to tell us what they stand for.  Each council member should make some detailed comments on the current proposed cuts to the fire and police departments.  As of Sunday, May 20th, none of our elected had a position pa

"There is a black street. The road is black. The houses are black, and there are no lights on of any kind. A black car comes down the road with no lights on. A black dog runs in front of the car. The car swerves and misses the dog. How did the driver see the dog?" (The answer to this riddle will follow later.) I live in Sacramento, a city where politics and greed often overshadow life and freedom for our youth. When I receive literature pertaining to a council seat for the district I reside in, I prefer transparency and truth. The literature I received supporting District 8 candidate Betty Williams is alarming. To use our pain and suffering from youth death and youth arrest as a propaga

The phone rings a woman cries out. “Rhonda, is your son okay? I heard he was robbed at gunpoint. Was he shot?" "My son is on his way home from school. It must be someone else." I replied. I hung up the phone and I called the cell phone my sister had bought my son for Christmas. A voice I did not recognize answered. I asked, “Who is this?" I demanded, "Put my son on the phone."  The person responded, "You're son is dead" and then they hung up. I called back crying, "Please put my son on the phone." They replied, "He's dead." I ran to the car with no idea of where I was going. I decided to drive the route my son would have walked home from school. I was praying "Please God let me find m

An Open Letter to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson In Regards to you being "thrilled to announce - after much deliberation, prayer, conversation and discussion…” you are running for re-election: Mayor Johnson, many Sacramento residents are not so thrilled with your announcement. In fact, for many of us your announcement and words therein adds insult to injury. Mayor Johnson prayer is something many of us know so very well. Falling on our knees in pain we know all too well. Crying to the heavens for a change we know all too well. Screaming out in the middle of the night for comfort we know all too well. Sleepless nights concerned for the welfare of our teens to walk, ride in or play in t

 All you need is a partner, a mobile phone and a means of transportation. You can be on a bike, non-motorized scooter, roller skates, unicycle or you can be on foot, and you will be well on your way to possibly winning a diamond ring, among the many prizes, at this year’s Race for the Ring event. The annual fundraiser event takes place May 21 at 10 a.m. in downtown and Midtown. Race for the Ring was created by Rogers Jewelry Co. in 2009 as a way of fundraising and supporting the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). According to Calvin Curtin, 46, marketing director for Rogers Jewelry Co., the top 13 winners are eligible to win jewelry. First place gets a Hearts on Fire diam

An Open Letter to the Mayor and Council for the City of Sacramento As a resident of the City of Sacramento who has continuously stood before you begging, crying, pleading for you to address the violence, which has left our children dead on Sacramento city streets or leaving Sacramento to become the walking dead in California prisons, I have several questions regarding your position on surveillance cameras. In regards to Sacramento Press article: Police Working on Surveillance System http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/41637/Police_working_on_surveillance_system   Within the article it states: “There are many factors that will determine where the cameras will be placed...Among those

Denver's mayor was in town Tuesday to talk about downtown arenas and the need for strong mayors — two subjects close to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's heart. Building an arena downtown could help reinvigorate Sacramento's core, if the success of Colorado's capital city is an indication, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said during the Downtown Sacramento Partnership's annual State of Downtown Breakfast. Last week, would-be Sacramento arena developers outlined seven proposals for a new "sports and entertainment center" in response to Johnson's request for such proposals. All but two were proposed to be built downtown. The same day, a Sacramento Superior Court judge issued a tentative ruli

December 8, 2009 Interview with Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson Tonight, I watched the below Youtube clip and felt as though I was watching a Paid Public Service Announcement. Actually, I felt I was watching a Paid Strong Mayor Campaign Advertisement.  Who pays Graswich salary? Hopefully it comes out of the mayor's pocket since it seems Graswich isn't working to get the exclusive for the people of the city of Sacramento. I had high hopes for Graswich after reading the August 20, 2009 Sacramento Press article where he stated, "I'm getting paid by the people. I'm working for the people." http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/12383/RE_Graswich_on_why_he_left_journalism_for_City_Hall Below

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and Washington, D.C. Schools Chancelllor Michelle Rhee are engaged to wed. Few details were released, but the Mayor did issue a statement. "This is an exciting time in our lives and I feel truly blessed," Johnson commented in a public statement issued Friday. "Michelle is an amazing person, and I could not be happier." Rhee, who served on the Mayor's St. Hope Academy before leaving for Washington, D.C., is divorced and has two children. The Sacramento Bee reports Rhee was once on the cover of Time Magazine as a prominent education reformer. No wedding date has been scheduled as of yet. --- Matthew Keys is an online news writer for FOX40.com and communit

Mayor Kevin Johnson said Tuesday that he plans to deliver a proposal to the City Council in October that would lay out ideas for a “safe ground” site for homeless people. Johnson told reporters at his weekly press conference on Tuesday that he wants to suggest to the City Council three to five sites as possible locations for a future campground. The campground would be exempt from the city’s rules against outdoor camping. In recent weeks, advocates for the homeless have called for city officials to create a safe ground site. Johnson noted that possible locations for the campground would be controversial. “Everyone’s going to say: ‘We don’t want it in our neighborhood,’ ” Johnson said. Th