JWS comment-80468 2013-03-12T22:05:44Z 2013-03-12T22:05:44Z I think some people are being disingenuous here. TDA did in fact start out by framing the issue as a generational problem. Sorry but they started the blame game that they now insist is off limits. I agree it should have never been the focus. And hopefully everyone can move on. Try and listen instead of being all defensive and self-righteous about it. Chalk it as a learning experience. Hey I wish the group luck and hope they can accomplish something good cuz dtwn needs a lot of help. JWS 2013-03-12T22:05:44Z JWS comment-72590 2012-08-20T20:07:45Z 2012-08-20T20:07:45Z Well it sounds like he knows more than you do considering he was able to list several things besides paint. I don't think he said he was excited about a coat of paint- that's your issue. Besides you only cut & pasted a statement made by someone else regarding the foreclosure. How is that listing two facts? As for the foreclosure, it won't mean demise of the mall if that's what you are hoping for. I'm just wondering what you expect the new owners to do in the first couple of weeks. I guess I just don't understand why you are complaining, apart from that's what your gang does best. The rest of us see this as a positive thing. JWS 2012-08-20T20:07:45Z JWS comment-72585 2012-08-20T19:32:45Z 2012-08-20T19:32:45Z Nah the overkill parking restriction around Orphan is ridiculous too. JWS 2012-08-20T19:32:45Z JWS comment-72584 2012-08-20T19:27:52Z 2012-08-20T19:27:52Z Come on Ben at 2 am in the morning outside of a bar -it doesn't take much of an imagination to assume alcohol was invloved. It's pretty reasonable assuption if you ask me. JWS 2012-08-20T19:27:52Z JWS comment-71921 2012-08-03T20:51:31Z 2012-08-03T20:51:31Z There's something sleazy about the way the Christians handled themselves in all this. I don't think most gay people were shocked or outraged. I mean haven't they heard all this before? It was when the political left and right got into the middle of it that all hell broke loose. But the way that Christians went out of their way to support a junk food chain over this issue is shameful. JWS 2012-08-03T20:51:31Z JWS comment-71479 2012-07-26T00:35:31Z 2012-07-26T00:35:31Z What neighborhood are you trying build in? JWS 2012-07-26T00:35:31Z JWS comment-71425 2012-07-25T15:43:23Z 2012-07-25T15:43:23Z Yeah I've gone to city hall. By 'destroying city property' , the " once beautiful landscaping" - do you mean a small patch of grass? Sorry I don't think a small patch of grass is worth more than my civil liberties. Sorry I don't believe people when they say they support 1st Amend rights and then agree to destroy those rights. They have no shame and are complete hypocrites. Do you feel the same about the people who 'occupy' Chavez Park and have done so for years? Do you feel the same about the people there throwing their trash around and urinating in the park? What about the people who destroyed the newly seeded grass during the Friday Night Concerts? I am more offended that my tax dollars went to pay for the 'poop monument' across the street. JWS 2012-07-25T15:43:23Z JWS comment-71077 2012-07-18T16:08:10Z 2012-07-18T16:08:10Z You are exaggerating M@. I am on K Street nearly everyday and I have never seen someone throw up once let alone 10x. Tonight I went out to dinner at 18h and Capitol and found a parking space less than half a block away from were I was going. Some people just have no luck. Don't blame everyone else. JWS 2012-07-18T16:08:10Z JWS comment-70674 2012-07-10T16:13:17Z 2012-07-10T16:13:17Z Why should it cost so much money? It's a racket. JWS 2012-07-10T16:13:17Z JWS comment-70673 2012-07-10T16:03:49Z 2012-07-10T16:03:49Z This has been a complaint against Sacramento audiences for years. Not sure why we are not very demonstrative. It must be cultural because people in other cities are not so sedate. Lack of appreciation for talent is a real problem. Maybe it's self-consciousness? Maybe they think their home watching on the TV? JWS 2012-07-10T16:03:49Z JWS comment-70671 2012-07-10T15:47:55Z 2012-07-10T15:47:55Z This I agree with. JWS 2012-07-10T15:47:55Z JWS comment-70670 2012-07-10T15:45:34Z 2012-07-10T15:45:34Z @Rhys 02 of course WeSac would take a major league team over a minor one. As for WeSac "settling" for people going across the river to dine and party -- what do you think they do now? Besides they wouldn't have any of their development without Sacramento in the first place. Maybe it's not just the mayor who lives in a separate reality. Let's not get silly regarding WeSac' recent developments. They are not 'running rings' around Sacramento as the Sacramento haters like to believe. It's just that their development is far more dramatic/noticeable becuase its a small town. And again they have that development precisely because of their proximity to central Sacramento. JWS 2012-07-10T15:45:34Z JWS comment-70669 2012-07-10T15:29:24Z 2012-07-10T15:29:24Z Regionalism in the Sacramento Region has always been something of a joke so i wouldn't be worried about alienating our so-called "partners". And as you righty pointed out regionalism here only means Sacramento County and WeSac is in Yolo County. All these other so-called partners feed off Sacramento and would not exist without Sacramento. Cities like Roseville have shown their contempt for regional corporation for years -if you want to complain about this sort of thing go after them. JWS 2012-07-10T15:29:24Z JWS comment-70657 2012-07-10T02:41:04Z 2012-07-10T02:41:04Z Meh JWS 2012-07-10T02:41:04Z JWS comment-70656 2012-07-10T02:40:35Z 2012-07-10T02:40:35Z Jim is exactly right. You can't just compare population. JWS 2012-07-10T02:40:35Z JWS comment-70655 2012-07-10T02:39:15Z 2012-07-10T02:39:15Z Agreed JWS 2012-07-10T02:39:15Z JWS comment-70624 2012-07-09T16:23:59Z 2012-07-09T16:23:59Z Let's go with the very good plan we already have. If we want to use 'parking garage money' on anything how about making improvements to the existing core that will get the owners of the Railyards moving on developing it as planned. One thing we could do is buy the Westfield Plaza (at a discounted price since it's in such poor shape) and de-mall it -- open it up and make it look like a real street again (san the cars) and add housing - something like San Jose's Santna Row. JWS 2012-07-09T16:23:59Z JWS comment-70623 2012-07-09T16:13:48Z 2012-07-09T16:13:48Z I don't think people are as anti-business as you want to believe they are. I think it's more about what is appropriate for the site. Putting a Home Depot or Bass Pro Shop in the Railyards would be a foolish waste and make us even more of joke. Thank goodness there are people who have higher ambitions. JWS 2012-07-09T16:13:48Z JWS comment-70622 2012-07-09T16:03:42Z 2012-07-09T16:03:42Z I wish this was a joke. The mayor should explain why he wants to chuck the plans that the City and residents have spent a lot of time, energy and money developing. I don't understand how these 'Think Big' clowns can come in and completely change the direction/focus of the Railyards. They think they have found a way to wring money out of the publicly-financed parking garages and now are looking for ways to spend that money in order to line their own pockets. I would like to know who the 72 members of Think Big are. JWS 2012-07-09T16:03:42Z JWS comment-70492 2012-07-06T01:14:03Z 2012-07-06T01:14:03Z There was a canal element included in the early plans but locals with a fetish for the gridiron put the kibosh on it. Besides it did seemed a little cheesy. Don't think gas stations are really thinking 'big'. It should not be about catering to folks from Rose Ville or downtown workers but about ADDiNG downtown residents. Seeking corporate HQ's seems rather 1989. Creating a branch of UC Davis would be about the smartest move we could make - drawing in and keeping young talent and engery. JWS 2012-07-06T01:14:03Z JWS comment-69979 2012-06-24T15:38:15Z 2012-06-24T15:38:15Z What's with this local real estate guy using his company's church related deals to post ads in the form of a "news article"? Having been indoctrinated by referenced church I am none to pleased that they are going to get to continue to poison the minds of impressible youth. JWS 2012-06-24T15:38:15Z JWS comment-69606 2012-06-16T15:26:23Z 2012-06-16T15:26:23Z What are you smoking? Hum. Fairy Skyscrapers vs Fairy Gun Shops. JWS 2012-06-16T15:26:23Z JWS comment-69605 2012-06-16T06:16:44Z 2012-06-16T06:16:44Z Oh brother. Gun shops -fine. Location -not fine. See the difference? Nope I guess you don't. JWS 2012-06-16T06:16:44Z JWS comment-69591 2012-06-16T06:16:06Z 2012-06-16T06:16:06Z Or you can look to Canada, Sweden, France, Australia, UK, Japan, etc.... which don't have our holy 2nd Amendment and yet some how they are much safer than the USA. Guns clealy do not make a society safer. And real men don't need guns to make them feel safe. JWS 2012-06-16T06:16:06Z JWS comment-69602 2012-06-16T05:01:48Z 2012-06-16T05:01:48Z Wow outright name calling. Really? I thought Sac Press doesn't allow that? JWS 2012-06-16T05:01:48Z JWS comment-69592 2012-06-15T22:00:45Z 2012-06-15T22:00:45Z Great to see this -especially at Miller Park. JWS 2012-06-15T22:00:45Z JWS comment-69590 2012-06-15T21:52:56Z 2012-06-15T21:52:56Z Nice station. I'm assuming that the green line is a completely different train judging from the paint job and not an extension of the gold line? So where does it start and are there any other stops? This 'article' is short on details. JWS 2012-06-15T21:52:56Z JWS comment-69586 2012-06-15T21:22:40Z 2012-06-15T21:22:40Z Some people can do both. He probably far more engaged with his neighborhood than you are. JWS 2012-06-15T21:22:40Z JWS comment-69249 2012-06-11T02:20:50Z 2012-06-11T02:20:50Z Your loss. There's a lot you never see and you never seem to really know what's going in your own city. But i bet you can tell us the latest happenings in San Francisco. Because you are just so cool and hip. JWS 2012-06-11T02:20:50Z JWS comment-69055 2012-06-06T18:32:30Z 2012-06-06T18:32:30Z Of course there's no way of knowing that you are NOT the guy dss89 googled and you are lying about that now. But that is beside the point. So let's take a look at the issues you raised. Considering that Steve works for one of the largest biotech companies its not hard to imagine why he would get support from people he knows within the pharmaceutical industry. But since a city councilman has very little chance of voting on matters that concern pharmaceutical companies I don't see how that should matter. I would personally rather have someone who is involved in a future growth industry than a boring 'local boy' who just happens to be well-connected. I want change not the same old thing. As for being for or against the arena deal. Since I changed my mind on that one as the details came out to me this shows an open mind rather than one that is already made up before all the fact are presented. And so what Steve has only lived "downtown" for only 2 years (to sub-urbanites and SacBee all of the grid is downtown)? That's 2 years longer than any of the other candidates. All the others live in the suburbs south of central city. I don't know anything about 'fishy loans' and you probably don't either but I do know that Yee and not Hansen is supported by big local developers and labor groups and most likely the mayor though I don't believe he officially supported any candidate. So you can twist any 'facts' to suit your bias or just make things up. JWS 2012-06-06T18:32:30Z JWS comment-69070 2012-06-06T18:23:14Z 2012-06-06T18:23:14Z What is a bung? Just because you got a few flyers in the snail mail (a phone book worth is a tad bit of an exaggeration) doesn't mean his campaign didn't use social media rather it probably means you don't use social media and therefore have no clue what was done. JWS 2012-06-06T18:23:14Z JWS comment-69043 2012-06-06T16:18:37Z 2012-06-06T16:18:37Z How would a Pocket (Area) GOPer know what's good for D4? Really come on. You only support her because her philosophical views align more closely with yours and has nothing to do with her good grasp of the issues concerning a large chunk of the district. JWS 2012-06-06T16:18:37Z JWS comment-69058 2012-06-06T16:13:29Z 2012-06-06T16:13:29Z Hum. In most cases I would agree that outside money is not as good as inside money. But not in Sacramento. There is just too small of a group of moneyed people here and the relationships are a bit too tight to not have cronyism. That has been Sacramento's problem for decades. JWS 2012-06-06T16:13:29Z JWS comment-69046 2012-06-06T16:07:40Z 2012-06-06T16:07:40Z Evak wins the prediction prize! And on Yee I can agree with my Pocket Area GOPer friend. JWS 2012-06-06T16:07:40Z JWS comment-69057 2012-06-06T16:06:28Z 2012-06-06T16:06:28Z Haha. I assume from your screen name that you live in the Pocket Area and are a Republican. If that's true how the heck would know what's good for D.4? If I had any doubts your endorsement would make certain I didn't vote for Newton. Luckily people in my district are a smart bunch and didn't fall for her 'neighborhood voice' bull. JWS 2012-06-06T16:06:28Z JWS comment-69054 2012-06-06T15:25:39Z 2012-06-06T15:25:39Z Congrats to Steve and everyone who worked on his campaign. Now that the Land Park vote is not split it will be even harder to overcome the political weight and family connections and developer and labor money that will be going into Yee's campaign, but it can be done. Unfortunately, I think the hardest work for Steve's campaign is still ahead. JWS 2012-06-06T15:25:39Z JWS comment-69050 2012-06-06T15:11:48Z 2012-06-06T15:11:48Z Maintaining the myth that the poor deserve to be poor because of their actions, morality, or mindset and the wealthy deserve to be wealthy because of theirs helps to justify people's prejudices and lack of compassion. I'm think of a young women I know who grew up in a wealthy family in East Sacramento. Not so bright poor thing. She's abused drugs and alcohol in the past and now she is unmarried and pregnant. She 'works' but only because of her family connections and support can that girl make enough to live in East Sacramento and not in the 'ghetto'. I wish you all the best in your endeavors. Giving back or paying it forward is always a good thing. JWS 2012-06-06T15:11:48Z JWS comment-69047 2012-06-06T10:32:54Z 2012-06-06T10:32:54Z Not a very good prognosticator are ya? That's OK neither am I. JWS 2012-06-06T10:32:54Z JWS comment-68810 2012-06-01T09:54:56Z 2012-06-01T09:54:56Z Most of Land Park has different issue than the central neighborhoods. It would be far more effective to have council members that do not have to be familiar with and juggle so many diverse issues. Unfortunately, effective governance and fair representation was not what the redistricting was about - at least from the stand point of the powers that be. JWS 2012-06-01T09:54:56Z JWS comment-68515 2012-05-26T04:06:51Z 2012-05-26T04:06:51Z Do we really need a Denny's anywhere? I think not. Denny's was once cool when it served real diner food in a decor of orange starbursts instead of corporate geriatric cafeteria food it serves now. JWS 2012-05-26T04:06:51Z JWS comment-68493 2012-05-25T23:13:14Z 2012-05-25T23:13:14Z I agree with a lot of your points but number 4 really only speaks to a small minority of us. Most people in Midtown wouldn't want to live anywhere else in Sacramento. Well maybe a big home in Land Park or East Sac if they could afford it but most really like living here -even if we are sometimes annoyed by our unique (to the rest of Sacramento) set of problems. Just because people here want to make their neighborhood better doesn't mean they are unhappy living here. Just the opposite. And some of us enjoy hashing out the issues that concern us all instead of sitting on our collective lotus blossoms spouting high-sounding philosophy which basically just amounts to the old 'love it as it is or leave it' nonsense. JWS 2012-05-25T23:13:14Z JWS comment-68492 2012-05-25T23:08:10Z 2012-05-25T23:08:10Z Casey, Mark and William are all right. I think most Midtownies walk or ride their bike to the bars/clubs. But the problem is with the people (residents or visitors) walking home or to their cars who are piss-drunk, talking at the top of the lungs at 2 AM, past windows that are close to the sidewalks. Not to mention the weird and very annoying habit of Sacramento girls talking fast in a very unflattering high-pitch voice and screaming "Woo Hoo!!!" all the time. What's up with that? JWS 2012-05-25T23:08:10Z JWS comment-68491 2012-05-25T21:32:44Z 2012-05-25T21:32:44Z You hit on the solution! We need to build a whole lot of mid-to-high rise residential towers- ala Vancouver (rated the city with the highest quality of life) downtown. That means halting new suburban housing development within the city limits and subsiding moderate income housing downtown. Great idea Curmuge. You are brilliant! JWS 2012-05-25T21:32:44Z JWS comment-68489 2012-05-25T21:22:39Z 2012-05-25T21:22:39Z By charging reidents aren't you penalizing them for the lack of parking caused by people who not visiting said residents? Where would that money go and what would be the purpose of charging residents to have more than one visitor? Maybe to add insult to injury. JWS 2012-05-25T21:22:39Z JWS comment-68488 2012-05-25T21:08:59Z 2012-05-25T21:08:59Z You sir are being too generous. JWS 2012-05-25T21:08:59Z JWS comment-68152 2012-05-22T06:35:33Z 2012-05-22T06:35:33Z As far as my district goes it's clear that Yee and Newton are status quo candidates. If you want a boring stagnant city vote for one them. JWS 2012-05-22T06:35:33Z JWS comment-68154 2012-05-21T15:43:02Z 2012-05-21T15:43:02Z What nonsense it is to say if it's on NPR it must be false. And it's sad don't you think when one cannot tell when people are joking with them or pulling their leg- sort of speak? Bitterness and resentment is not very attractive. I would like to know what experience you actually have with these issues you seem to have an abundance of opinions on. Privatizing public services may or may not save the city money in the long run and it certainly does not guarantee that the quality of the service will be any better. My tolerance for the dogmatic and uncompromising ideologue has worn very thin. JWS 2012-05-21T15:43:02Z JWS comment-67919 2012-05-16T15:59:20Z 2012-05-16T15:59:20Z City parks belong to us, the people of Sacramento, and not to some independent and impersonal entity we call 'the city'. Therefore, we have a responsibility to take care of our parks. In the past we were financially able to hire enough people to do the work for us but times are tough so we are going to have start picking up the slack. This is nothing new. Even in wealthy cities like New York there was a time when park maintenance was so low that New Yorkers were forced to step up and step in to ensure that their great parks would survive into the future. Today we face comparably far fewer problems here in Sacramento. The question is are Sacramentans as good of citizens? JWS 2012-05-16T15:59:20Z JWS comment-67909 2012-05-16T01:38:04Z 2012-05-16T01:38:04Z Is it just me or are other people also embarrassed by the field of candidates for the mayor's office? I have nothing against Mr. Rewers and in fact voted for him (as much in protest of Mayor Johnson as anything else) but I don't believe he nor the current mayor have the qualities and experience that a city of our size needs. JWS 2012-05-16T01:38:04Z JWS comment-67716 2012-05-11T16:36:01Z 2012-05-11T16:36:01Z I guess it's better than a defunct tire store. JWS 2012-05-11T16:36:01Z JWS comment-67714 2012-05-11T16:33:48Z 2012-05-11T16:33:48Z Churchill also said "Keep England White" is a good slogan. JWS 2012-05-11T16:33:48Z JWS comment-67711 2012-05-11T15:45:33Z 2012-05-11T15:45:33Z Discussing democracy is always welcomed, although practicing it is preferable. I don't get the name? Why is this called Zocalo- which is the name of the famous plaza in Mexico City. JWS 2012-05-11T15:45:33Z JWS comment-67698 2012-05-11T01:44:24Z 2012-05-11T01:44:24Z Walked by on this block at around 3:00 this afternoon and there were several people eating at both Cafe Bernardo and Pizza Rock. Haven't seen a post lunch, pre dinner crowd on K Street for a long time, if ever. JWS 2012-05-11T01:44:24Z JWS comment-67697 2012-05-11T01:34:45Z 2012-05-11T01:34:45Z Gee do you have to take every opportunity to take a dig at the mayor? Enough already. He has been no worse or better than any other mayor as far as I can tell. JWS 2012-05-11T01:34:45Z JWS comment-67658 2012-05-10T18:52:57Z 2012-05-10T18:52:57Z Please clean up after Fido and FiFi. JWS 2012-05-10T18:52:57Z JWS comment-67654 2012-05-10T18:10:20Z 2012-05-10T18:10:20Z You are confused Rhys02. The millions of taxpayer dollars are going towards painting stripes on the freeways. Maybe the cub scouts should be out on I-80 this weekend? JWS 2012-05-10T18:10:20Z JWS comment-67650 2012-05-10T16:39:53Z 2012-05-10T16:39:53Z Awesome news. Thanks Randy for having faith in the K Street comeback! JWS 2012-05-10T16:39:53Z JWS comment-67608 2012-05-09T17:12:44Z 2012-05-09T17:12:44Z Well both Portland, OR and Vancouver, BC have proved that you don't have to follow that model to become a successful and prosperous city. BTW San Jose was a thriving county hub long before it became the epitome of post-WWII California suburban sprawl so it was never going to be just another little California suburb. I don't know anyone who seriously looks to that town for guidance about how to create a great city. San Jose and many other cities are now trying to duplicate the success of cities like Vancouver. The funny thing is that Vancouver achieved it's success by doing the exact opposite of what you are proposing. JWS 2012-05-09T17:12:44Z JWS comment-67605 2012-05-09T16:21:48Z 2012-05-09T16:21:48Z Are you forgeting that Los Angeles County has or at least used to have a lot of unincorpoated urbanized areas? I don't know how unique we are in that regard but if your point is that greater population generally equates to greater political clout I agree. Still, I am pretty sure that most people today understand that the old-fashioned San Jose-Phoenix-Los Angeles model of growth by ever-increasing low-density suburbs has not produced better cities. We need to grow up not out. JWS 2012-05-09T16:21:48Z JWS comment-67602 2012-05-09T15:44:25Z 2012-05-09T15:44:25Z I had heard that about LA too but that was not my experience there. I don't know if things have changed for the better or my visit was an aberration. "I'm not a big fan of the "special event" mentality in the first place. You shouldn't have to check a calendar to figure out whether something interesting is happening downtown." I understand what you are saying but we have a long way to go to produce the engery and foot traffic of Second Saturday every weekend. Obviously there's a lot of people here who want or maybe even need this sort of thing. That's why when I read that candidates who probably don't even participate in 2nd Saturdays talk about regulating an event that has already been regulated I cringe. JWS 2012-05-09T15:44:25Z JWS comment-67599 2012-05-09T15:00:14Z 2012-05-09T15:00:14Z It's a bit off topic but an interesting comment. Sacramento is indeed a fragmented metropolis with a split personally. Cities like Denver and Portland are their state's largest city so they draw in their state's best and brightest. The problem we have here is that San Francisco and the Bay Area have such an overwhelming gravitational force that it draws the creativity, talent and money away from Sacramento. And it's a process that's been going on since the Gold Rush days. But the biggest problem we have is a genuine resistance by many to accept the dichotomy that is Sacramento. Unlike cities like San Francisco, the majority of Sacramentans live in the suburbs. As such we have a more suburban 'culture'. Suburbanites here tend to dismiss the original city (it's all downtown to them) and many refuse to accept that Sacramento can be or should be a dynamic 'real city'. Or they just don't care. Why bother when they can just go to San Francisco for their weekend 'city fix'? Some of this is generational and many younger people would live 'downtown' if that were a viable option here as it is elsewhere. JWS 2012-05-09T15:00:14Z JWS comment-67597 2012-05-09T13:20:00Z 2012-05-09T13:20:00Z Great news! And a long overdue improvement. JWS 2012-05-09T13:20:00Z JWS comment-67587 2012-05-09T04:49:13Z 2012-05-09T04:49:13Z It's not entirely true to say that art walks in other cities are no longer about the art. I was in LA for their 2nd Thursday Downtown Art Walk and was really impressed by the scope and variety of art mediums. At times I am impressed by the creative expression at our own Second Saturday. But I agree with Mark that it tends to be something done without the knowledge or encouragement of any local 'art officialdom'. But Wlliam your critique of our lack of thoughtful and realistic planning is right on. JWS 2012-05-09T04:49:13Z JWS comment-67554 2012-05-08T16:34:47Z 2012-05-08T16:34:47Z Well said Julie. Now that we are all in one council district it's about time that the residents of the central city neighborhoods: Midtown, Downtown, Southside Park, and Alkali Flats-North End came together to elect someone who will represent our interests for a change and move this city forward. From what I've seen and heard so far Phyllis Newton is not the person to do that. JWS 2012-05-08T16:34:47Z JWS comment-67541 2012-05-08T05:28:49Z 2012-05-08T05:28:49Z What's clear in this article is that Newton doesn't know what she is talking about and that she will follow the typical pattern of reactionary local politicians catering to small but vocal not-very-special interests. JWS 2012-05-08T05:28:49Z JWS comment-67103 2012-04-28T03:48:48Z 2012-04-28T03:48:48Z Oh brother. Whenever there's public money (and often when private money for civic purposes) involved there's always a segment of the population that screams bloody murder -that the money could be spent on schools first and foremost. While I totally understand that a well-educated population is vital to the future of entire community I don't think we all share equal responsibility to fund schools. And there are plenty of people who prefer public money going for things open to all residents and for the benefit of all -not just kids and their parents. JWS 2012-04-28T03:48:48Z JWS comment-67102 2012-04-28T03:36:09Z 2012-04-28T03:36:09Z At this point, I think all the most die hard fans don't care about the Kings. JWS 2012-04-28T03:36:09Z JWS comment-67101 2012-04-28T03:31:04Z 2012-04-28T03:31:04Z Great group of young entrepreneurs. Good coffee and paninis. Go and support them! JWS 2012-04-28T03:31:04Z JWS comment-66903 2012-04-23T22:26:59Z 2012-04-23T22:26:59Z Thanks for the info and pics Michael. I enjoy your blog. As for the WFC - it always looked like a giant tombstone to me. Was this some kind of joke or a commentary on our downtown? After HOK's newest- the US Bank building down the street -with it's huge gawky billboard fixed atop a mediocre tower with glass that reflects down on the pedestrians like ants under a magnifying glass, i think we can safely say that these architects aren't the best for Sacramento. JWS 2012-04-23T22:26:59Z JWS comment-66851 2012-04-23T17:15:25Z 2012-04-23T17:15:25Z The hearings about the mobile food ordinance before the Sacramento City Council's Law and Legislation committee has been repeatly cancelled. Why? Excuses aside we all know it's to stop the ordinance from being removed or modified. The reasons against the food trucks are petty. A handful of people with a not so-hidden agenda are trying to find problems where none exists. Amazingly it's not the small restauranteurs that have been the most vocal in their opposition to the food trucks. Rather it's been the larger, well-established and well-connected restauranteurs like Randy Paragary and Mason Wong who have used their influence to keep in place an ordinance that very few people here want. It's time for a change. Once again a handful of little 'big fish' are keeping Sacramento behind the times. Too bad for them, the pond is growing. JWS 2012-04-23T17:15:25Z JWS comment-66847 2012-04-23T16:17:58Z 2012-04-23T16:17:58Z "Overall, I applaud the owners of these food trucks trying to gain local support for what they think is an unfair and troubling law. The public should always be given the choice in what happens in smaller, local rules like this because that is the people who are affected by those rules; locals. Some times when regulations are made, problems arise from them. I'm sure the people who wanted to ban these food trucks had good intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I would fully recommend people supporting these food trucks" Well said. The only thing I would differ with is assuming that the people who wanted ban food trucks had good intentions. They did not. JWS 2012-04-23T16:17:58Z JWS comment-66788 2012-04-20T18:28:55Z 2012-04-20T18:28:55Z Maybe if they had more daytime customers they could afford to stay open later for you. It's amazing how many of you are completely clueless to the reality of the local retail market. JWS 2012-04-20T18:28:55Z JWS comment-66726 2012-04-18T21:24:07Z 2012-04-18T21:24:07Z I bet most of the customers to Tres Chic shopped during the day or on Saturdays. Most people have things to do after work -like cook dinner or they just want to get home and relax - not shop. Besides keeping a shop open late usually isnt that profitable. Most people don't shop for clothes on the weeknights and you would have to pay for more employees. See William your simplistic solution is not a solution at all. Why not just get rid of the parking meters altogether? Or at least make parking free on Saturdays. JWS 2012-04-18T21:24:07Z JWS comment-66712 2012-04-18T18:05:19Z 2012-04-18T18:05:19Z Thanks for clarifying that Brandon. As someone who has had experience with this problem I can tell you that many customers find new meters confusing and are a deterrent to business. However, when we had the old meters it's was still a problem- it was just not as bad. I think we all generally accept an idea or practice until enough people realize the fallacy of the argument or 'logic' behind it. The arguement for metered spaces on designated city streets is that it encourages turnover, allowing more people access to high-demand parking spaces. But turnover can be achieved by having time limits. And if those parking meters are driving away customers and decreasing the demand then what's need for them- other than to collect revenue? Some cities have realized that a retail district can benefit without the use of on-street parking meters, that there's a direct positive correlation when potential customers aren't charged to visit a certain section of town. And many thriving cities around the world never had them to begin with. Of course, some dubious businesses like pay-parking lot operators would scream. But there is nothing in the constitution stating that every city must have metered parking. This may be a good time to consider the elimination of parking meters on certain streets as an incentive to stimulate retail growth during an economic recession. JWS 2012-04-18T18:05:19Z JWS comment-66707 2012-04-18T16:31:46Z 2012-04-18T16:31:46Z Who said anything about removing parking from the core? Didn't you read the above article which clearly states that many Midtown business believe that the new parking meters are driving away customers right now? Besides you could still impose time limits and ticket drivers. BTW i am a resident and have a small business in Midtown so I know what's going. If you remove parking meters everywhere how is that going to remove parking? Right now downtown office workers take advantage of unmetered parking spaces in the neighborhoods. I don't see how removing parking meters will make that any worst. In fact, it might improve the situation. I guess in an effort to keep the state jobs concentrated downtown the state was not required to provide adequate parking for it's employees. Maybe that's something that needs to be addressed but that's another topic. JWS 2012-04-18T16:31:46Z JWS comment-66703 2012-04-18T15:51:47Z 2012-04-18T15:51:47Z I agree about widening the appeal to more customers. Why not add a fresh fruit & veggie juice bar? Maybe they should start out as a business within a business first. Like partner with Sugar Plum or the Vegan shop. As for the landlord's supposed risk - I don't see how the landord is taking on much of a risk by collecting money every month for a space that has sat empty not generating any income for awhile. Any landlord assumes a certain amount of risk and responsibility in exchange for that rent. Unless the landlord agrees to pay for certain specific leasehold improvements and thinks they won't recover those cost because the tenant won't be around long enough. But that's what contracts are for. JWS 2012-04-18T15:51:47Z JWS comment-66700 2012-04-18T13:58:39Z 2012-04-18T13:58:39Z MyQuest why don't you enlighten me with your incontrovertible evidence of the DSP's remarkable achievements? Given the fact that most downtowns across the country have experienced something of a renaissance in the last couple of decades IMO they could not had done a worst job if they just sat around twiddling their thumbs all these years. Come on. Who in their right mind would think they've done a 'remarkable job'? Either you work for the DSP or are associated with them in some way OR you just have no clue what a quality downtown actually is... which I doubt. Even if the Micheal Ault is a good guy and has a better grasp on the situation than anyone at city hall the DSP still has been awfully ineffective in turning downtown around. JWS 2012-04-18T13:58:39Z JWS comment-66697 2012-04-18T07:23:46Z 2012-04-18T07:23:46Z Without a guaranteed NBA or NHL team there will be no new arena, period, end of discussion. Not that an new civic arena wouldn't be nice but there's just no credible way to finance it here without a team. JWS 2012-04-18T07:23:46Z JWS comment-66695 2012-04-18T07:13:59Z 2012-04-18T07:13:59Z It is fundamentally unfair to charge people to park on the streets in some areas of the city and not in others. According to Wikipedia parking meters have been challenged in court many times for many many years, but are considered legal if the parking meters are used for purposes of parking regulation and not for revenue purposes. Does anyone believe that the city is NOT using the parking meters primarily for revenue purposes? I think the Midtown/Downtown businesses should sue the city for loss of revenue and for the removal of the parking meters altogether. Why not start the parking meter revolt here in Sacramento? If the city is worried about losing revenue then let them find other ways to make up the loss rather than continue to impose a burdensome tax on only some of it's residents. JWS 2012-04-18T07:13:59Z JWS comment-66589 2012-04-17T01:23:54Z 2012-04-17T01:23:54Z I agree! JWS 2012-04-17T01:23:54Z JWS comment-66588 2012-04-17T01:22:12Z 2012-04-17T01:22:12Z Michael Ault said -“From day one this has not been about the Kings or the Maloofs” Really? That's a lie. We wouldn't be talking about a downtown arena if it were not for the Kings. Why would anyone take this guy serious? Michael Ault has failed at his job- which he has had for far too long. And the Downtown Sacramento Partnership is a failed organization. It's time to pink-slip Mr. Ault and/or reorganize the DSP. For the life of me I don't know why he still has that job. Maybe it's because he's tall? JWS 2012-04-17T01:22:12Z JWS comment-66523 2012-04-14T16:53:13Z 2012-04-14T16:53:13Z Another person who has no clue about what's going at the Railyards and thinks it all started with the arena. Jeezh. JWS 2012-04-14T16:53:13Z JWS comment-66522 2012-04-14T16:50:04Z 2012-04-14T16:50:04Z No it's not the best news for Sacramento. But maybe you are one of the many who are more worried about downtown traffic and finding a parking space than people losing their jobs/income? JWS 2012-04-14T16:50:04Z JWS comment-66516 2012-04-14T16:40:18Z 2012-04-14T16:40:18Z Do you remember my words a few weeks ago - " I am suspicious of STOP. Not because i support the arena deal but because these people will then take their database and use it to stop any and all future development/government expenditure that Julian Camacho and his friends deem unworthy. We need to be diligent in regards to public expenditures. The Sacramento city council and the mayor cannot be completely trusted to do the right thing. We must oppose a bad deal. But we should be careful not to create another problem (monster) in the process." Sacramento is full of bottom-feeders. Of course the Maloofs are parasites. JWS 2012-04-14T16:40:18Z JWS comment-66520 2012-04-14T15:20:42Z 2012-04-14T15:20:42Z Oh are you trying to say something relevant to the arena and use of public money and using a story about bounty hunter for mayor to do so? C'mon...really?! JWS 2012-04-14T15:20:42Z JWS comment-66517 2012-04-14T15:11:20Z 2012-04-14T15:11:20Z Huh. Who could have seen this coming? Oh yeah me. JWS 2012-04-14T15:11:20Z JWS comment-66514 2012-04-14T14:59:47Z 2012-04-14T14:59:47Z It was telling that the original owner and developers of the Railyards Plan was never keen on the idea of an arena at the Railyards. BTW a new intermodal transit center was part of the Railyards plan from the very beginning. The arena was very much an afterthought. And anyone who comes long and suggests that we should adopt ULI recommendations for a transit village obviously hasn't a clue about Railyards Project. Let us now 'think big' -- what else could go on this city owned land? Perhaps a downtown branch of UC Davis -ala UCSF Mission Bay in San Francisco OR some other educational facility such as a school of art and design? JWS 2012-04-14T14:59:47Z JWS comment-66512 2012-04-14T14:31:25Z 2012-04-14T14:31:25Z It is strange how you end up defending the Maloofs just because their position supports your opposition to the arena deal. It's possible that the deal was simultaneously a good deal for the Maloofs and the city -but that the Maloofs never wanted a deal in the first place. I think the other losers in this deal are those locals who for political expediency supported the Maloofs in this whole fiasco. JWS 2012-04-14T14:31:25Z JWS comment-66511 2012-04-14T14:18:21Z 2012-04-14T14:18:21Z From your and William's comments you both appear to be saying that the Maloofs had legitimate cause to back out of the deal because the city was not honest. Of course, we all should note that both of you were against the arena deal even before the details of the deal were disclosed. So we must take that into consideration. Are you so blinded by your outrage at the Mayor and council for voting for this deal that you don't see or want to admit that it was and always has been the Maloofs' intention to move the team and they were the ones who were foremost, dishonest? JWS 2012-04-14T14:18:21Z JWS comment-66493 2012-04-14T05:29:28Z 2012-04-14T05:29:28Z Well what a surprise! The bottom-feeders over at STOP will continue with their 'work'. Maybe we will end up hating them as much as we do the Maloofs. JWS 2012-04-14T05:29:28Z JWS comment-66464 2012-04-13T22:04:45Z 2012-04-13T22:04:45Z Either that or he is a good actor. Maybe Stern and the Maloofs are both playing us. So sorry Sacramento that the Maloofs won't play nice but what can we do about it? I suspect that Mike M might be right and this was all a play. JWS 2012-04-13T22:04:45Z JWS comment-66432 2012-04-13T21:23:48Z 2012-04-13T21:23:48Z Oh please it was not very hateful- only mildly so. Let's not be melodramatic. I would agree that if they were directed at anyone else they would be shallow and sexist comments but we are talking about the wife of Leonard "media whore" Padilla here. And of course, let's not forget that Tom is expected to say inappropriate things as it's part of his condition. Come on Sacramentans pull the stick out and have some fun. JWS 2012-04-13T21:23:48Z JWS comment-66439 2012-04-13T21:18:18Z 2012-04-13T21:18:18Z So do they stay or go? JWS 2012-04-13T21:18:18Z JWS comment-66433 2012-04-13T20:59:39Z 2012-04-13T20:59:39Z Come on. I am not a big fan of KJ but I won't use every opportunity to bash the man. Your bias is showing a bit too much. The mayor isn't the one with egg on his face this time- sorry to disappoint you. JWS 2012-04-13T20:59:39Z JWS comment-66237 2012-04-09T20:46:27Z 2012-04-09T20:46:27Z Old Sacramento is fine... lovely ...really? I guess if you've never been anywhere else it is. If you are easily amused or have little or no taste buds. If you like crowed, dusty, dirty, broken-down, traffic-clogged places full of sloppily dressed overweight people. If you are thrilled by candy stores and over-the-hill bikers. If you prefer the sights and sounds of freeways and cars to just about anything -including human conversation. Then yeah, Old Sacramento is lovely. I know a lot of city residents who would disagree with you. JWS 2012-04-09T20:46:27Z JWS comment-66235 2012-04-09T20:33:30Z 2012-04-09T20:33:30Z Hey that's been the idea I've been pushing on my blog and other forums for years. And it's a good one if I don't say so myself. JWS 2012-04-09T20:33:30Z JWS comment-66234 2012-04-09T20:27:55Z 2012-04-09T20:27:55Z For some reason I cringe at the sight of sixty year olds dressing up in Edwardian garb and pretending. I feel like am at Stockton's Ye Olde Hoosier Inn. I'll have the roastbeef with a baked potata please. JWS 2012-04-09T20:27:55Z JWS comment-66233 2012-04-09T20:20:24Z 2012-04-09T20:20:24Z If Old Sacramento is such a horrible place to take kids why are there so many of them? JWS 2012-04-09T20:20:24Z JWS comment-66169 2012-04-07T15:27:12Z 2012-04-07T15:27:12Z I hope the city officials come to their senses. JWS 2012-04-07T15:27:12Z JWS comment-66141 2012-04-06T05:31:38Z 2012-04-06T05:31:38Z So it's a chain restaurant? JWS 2012-04-06T05:31:38Z