Rich E. comment-59572 2011-11-03T14:55:57Z 2011-11-03T14:55:57Z Rhonda, it's been a while since I've sent you anything. I hope you and your family are doing well. I know this is a touchy subject for you and my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family on this issue. If more people had your energy and attention to this subject, our world would be a better place. The issue of youth violence stretches across so many spectrums of our society. From poverty to drugs to education and so on. I hope the gang violence initiative addresses the entire spectrum and not just one aspect. Like a starfish, there are many hands at play. By addressing only one hand, the rest of the creature is left untouched. I give credit to the mayor for addressing the issue, however until the entire issue is addressed, I fear we will continue to go around in the circle we've been on for quite some time. It starts with the community and people like Rhonda who care enough about the issue to make it personal (although her story is personal which is unfortunate). I have my first child on the way and I pray we can provide the tools for him to be a member of society and not one who takes from society as the gangs do to our communities. They are leaches that suck the good from communities. Rhonda, take care and continue your good work. Rich E. 2011-11-03T14:55:57Z Rich E. comment-54584 2011-08-05T22:27:03Z 2011-08-05T22:27:03Z Actions will speak louder than words Rich E. 2011-08-05T22:27:03Z Rich E. comment-53754 2011-07-22T12:43:26Z 2011-07-22T12:43:26Z manCaveman, what are the flaws? Rich E. 2011-07-22T12:43:26Z Rich E. comment-53632 2011-07-20T12:49:18Z 2011-07-20T12:49:18Z So the City gets nothing out of it? If these young professionals use this as "resume padding" and the City get some ideas and help accomplishing those things listed, how is that bad? Isn't it a win-win scenario if that happens? Rich E. 2011-07-20T12:49:18Z Rich E. comment-53631 2011-07-20T12:47:38Z 2011-07-20T12:47:38Z The mayor has open office hours, email, phone, a mailing address, etc. If locals want to talk to the mayor, there are plenty of ways to do so. Getting "outsiders" point of views isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is easy to get caught up inside of our own box. People from other areas may bring fresh ideas and ways of thinking to get some thiings done. Rich E. 2011-07-20T12:47:38Z Rich E. comment-50988 2011-05-23T13:12:06Z 2011-05-23T13:12:06Z lady gaga and brittney spears aren't using power balance because they want to, but because they have to. their shows are conducive to indoor arenas and not outdoor amphitheatres like marysville. they have to use power balance because they don't want to pass up a 2 million person area market. Rich E. 2011-05-23T13:12:06Z Rich E. comment-50987 2011-05-23T13:06:22Z 2011-05-23T13:06:22Z i am curious and since your are teacher i figured i would ask, but what are your thoughts on the CTA contributing $212 million to political campaigns since 2000? http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/03/teachers-union-tops-list-of-state-political-spenders.html Rich E. 2011-05-23T13:06:22Z Rich E. comment-50082 2011-05-03T12:45:28Z 2011-05-03T12:45:28Z it is so refreshing to have an insider's perspective. how is it working for the maloofs? Rich E. 2011-05-03T12:45:28Z Rich E. comment-49463 2011-04-21T12:45:12Z 2011-04-21T12:45:12Z rhonda, keep your spirits up!!!! may god bless you and your family. Rich E. 2011-04-21T12:45:12Z Rich E. comment-49409 2011-04-20T12:51:20Z 2011-04-20T12:51:20Z rhonda, i guess this is a perfect example of the times i say i believe sometimes you tend to make this personal towards KJ. for example, what did ms. harris say that was unique or plan-oriented towards preventing gang violence? she said nothing, yet you have singled-out KJ. why? i am a 34 yr old man and it wasn't too long ago when i was in jr. high and high school (late 80s to early 90s) and gang violence was a problem then. it has been 20 yrs since i first entered jr. high school and yet we have the same problems. intead of thes politicians (KJ included) getting up and making speeches that are empty and hollow, when will they give us a definitive plan? when will ms. harris, KJ, obama, governor brown, ANYONE standup and say "this is THE PLAN" that will stop gang violence"? stump speeches don't stop gang violence. politicians don't stop gang violence. news/press conferences stop gang violence. ACTION will stop gang violence and until all of the suits in society (male and female; politicians and business people; mom AND dad) standup and say "we aren't going to allow these thugs to run our communities" then the gangs will continue to win. and in my opinion, since they are still in existence, then they are winning. Rich E. 2011-04-20T12:51:20Z Rich E. comment-48769 2011-04-06T12:34:41Z 2011-04-06T12:34:41Z i wish i could have been there. go (stay) kings!!!!!!! Rich E. 2011-04-06T12:34:41Z Rich E. comment-48261 2011-03-29T18:24:11Z 2011-03-29T18:24:11Z rhonda, you are 100% correct. instead of building a "world class city" the mayor and the council are showing they are "world class children". our local government is showing the world how unprofessional they really are. Rich E. 2011-03-29T18:24:11Z Rich E. comment-48170 2011-03-28T18:44:14Z 2011-03-28T18:44:14Z rhonda, i like your thinking in the last paragraph and i would be 100% on board with that. basically a trial period. and you are right about KJ and his ego. he can rub people the wrong way and does. if it was a different type of mayor proposing the SMI, then maybe it would gather steam. KJ isn't the best salesperson on an issue. i was behind him when he ran, but right now i could give or take him. he hasn't impressed me with what he has been allowed to do. but at the end of the day, if he ruffles some feathers on the council, i am not opposed to that. it keeps them on their toes instead of becoming complacent (especially since it is a new council). as always rhonda, a great conversation. thank you. Rich E. 2011-03-28T18:44:14Z Rich E. comment-48143 2011-03-28T13:02:26Z 2011-03-28T13:02:26Z Rhonda, those are excellent definitions of a leader. At my office I have a document on my corkboard titled "Difference between Managers and Leaders". Some of the statements are: • Managers maintain the status quo, Leaders bring about change • Managers impose rules, Leaders provide examples • Managers think about realities, Leaders are obsessed with possibilities These are just a few of the sayings. We need to differentiate what we mean by leaders. We aren’t talking Cesar Chavez or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who were leaders of movements of people. They weren’t necessarily leading an organization or government; they were leading for a change. So they rallied thousands of people to force change. In my opinion, if the mayoral position (again let me stress, not KJ, I am looking at the position not the person) is going to affectively lead a city that we all agree is in disarray, then the position needs to carry more weight behind it than it does. No one on the council respects KJ not of the person he is, but because of the powers the position he holds does not have. The mayor does not propose a budget affecting a councilperson’s district or agency they support; the mayor does not have authority over any department so the council doesn’t need to worry about interacting with the mayor for any departmental reasons other than a vote; they see the position as a glorified secretary – someone who periodically gets up in front of a microphone to update the press on what is happening with the city; among other useless, meaningless responsibilities. If the position had additional powers, then the council would be forced to work with the position instead of bypassing the position, which it does a lot. The mayor is one vote out of nine; hardly enough power to worry a council. Let me clarify one other thing, I do believe in the checks and balance. I am not saying we should turn the mayoral position into a dictatorship. The budget would be proposed by the mayor to be approved by the council. Department heads hiring/firing would need to be brought before the council. I do like the idea of creating the ninth seat on the council that represents an area. There are too many unrepresented areas of Sacramento and with the growing population and the size there are voices that need to be represented on the council. The bottom line is, I believe we need to separate the mayoral position from the council creating checks and balances. However, if the charter stays the same, I wouldn’t mind seeing the City Manager’s position turn into a publicly elected position. It is scary to see how much power the City Manager really has and doesn’t have to worry about a public vote. This is the truest definition of power without consequences. Rich E. 2011-03-28T13:02:26Z Rich E. comment-48098 2011-03-27T16:23:13Z 2011-03-27T16:23:13Z rhonda, we have definitely had our discussions regarding this issue. and i agree, absolute power corrupts absolutely. however, if we wait until there isn't corruption in government, then we will be waiting a very long time. bottom line, the people aren't going to change so i say change the system. for the record, i am not saying i agree with the strong-mayor initiative because i am a huge KJ fan. from a distance, i think he is doing about as well as a mayor can do with the limited authority the charter gives him. as it stands now, i think a perceived "successful" mayor of sacramento has a lot to do with variables beyond that person's control. for instance, if the council seems to get along with each other, then the mayor benefits. if the economy is chugging forward and people are prospering (a la the 90s) then the mayor benefits. if the city has enough revenues to balance out its expenditures, then the mayor benefits. of course, the flipside is true. if the economy is crap, then people look at the mayor. frankly, my opinion is, you could put mother teresa as the mayor of sacramento, and if she were to go by the charter, she would have little to no affect on how this city performs. because the powers and direction of this city are in the hands of the city manager and the council KJ is by no means a great mayor, but he isn't horrible either. he inherited a tough situation and with the way the charter reads, there really isn't much he can do about it. and it looks like there isn't much this council is going to do about it. we had some turnover in the last election, but it looks like different people, same problems. i think the way this city is going to get out of the situation we are in is if more people act the way you act. an active person in society who attends council meetings, who is active in the community and who is active on sites like this. if people lead by your example, then that is how this city is going to change. i am not blowing smoke because honestly, i don't think we agree on too much and i think we are part of a different political spectrum. but i love your passion and enthusiasm and i love the "spirited" debates we have on occasion. i think if push came to shove, we could find a common ground. if only our government could learn from it's citizens :) Rich E. 2011-03-27T16:23:13Z Rich E. comment-48068 2011-03-26T18:22:35Z 2011-03-26T18:22:35Z I have been a proponent of the mayor's push for a change in the city charter to give the mayoral position more powers than it currently has. I didn't think his "Strong-Mayor Initiative" warranted the backlash it received from the public nor from the council. The situation with the City Manager and how the council has gone about finding a permanent person for the position is embarrassing. As has been typical of the council, they take too long to make a decision, or just continue to table the issue for another meeting. I am for a strong-mayor. Maybe not necessarily as it has been proposed by KJ, however I didn’t think his proposals were all that bad. And had I been a council member I would have voted for the last one. The current city charter provides too many powers to an un-elected position (City Manager). The City Manager proposes the budget, “administers and exercises supervision and control over all offices, departments and services of the city government…” among others. If the mayoral position is going to be taken seriously in this city (the capital of the State of California, arguably the most important state in the union) then some of the functions allotted to the City Manager should be transferred to the Mayor, such as those described above. As it stands now, the City Charter gives the mayor a glorified press secretary’s position. Some of the functions described in the charter are: 1. Shall be recognized as the official head of the city for the performance of all duties lawfully delegated to the mayor by this Charter, by action of the council or by other laws. 2. Shall provide leadership within the community in the sense that the mayor shall have the primary, but not exclusive, responsibility of interpreting the policies, programs and needs of city government to the people, and as the occasion requires, may inform the people of any change in policy or program. 3. Shall have the right but not the exclusive power to make recommendations to the city council on matters of policy and program that require council decisions. 4. Shall be included within the terms “council” and “city council” used in this Charter unless otherwise expressly provided. These are laughable. They are fluff and meaningless. The first “function” of the mayor is the “official head of the city”. How can the position be the head of the city when it doesn’t have the power to control certain functions of the city? More of the position’s functions can be found here: http://www.qcode.us/codes/sacramento/view.php?topic=city_of_sacramento_charter-iv-40&frames=on Compare the functions of the mayor to the functions of the city manager here: http://www.qcode.us/codes/sacramento/view.php?topic=city_of_sacramento_charter-v-61&frames=on And one can’t help wonder, why do we have a mayoral position at all? Also, another thing I hate about giving so many powers to an unelected position like the City Manager is it takes six votes on the council to remove the individual from office. It’s not up to the public and there aren’t provisions for a public recall. It’s not even a majority vote; it is one more than a majority vote. For obvious reasons, I don’t mind the 6 out of 10 votes, but I do mind the public is not even considered. At least the mayoral position is elected and can be publicly recalled as stated under Article XI, section 163 Recall where it states “The holder of any elective office may be recalled, in the manner provided by state law applicable to cities, by the electors after such person has held office six months”. In closing, give the mayoral position its rightful powers considering it is the “figurehead” of the City. Otherwise, get rid of the mayoral position all together and make the City Manager a publicly elected position. Rich E. 2011-03-26T18:22:35Z Rich E. comment-48054 2011-03-26T13:42:19Z 2011-03-26T13:42:19Z on the flip side of that coin, he does have to feel insulted in the delay in the process. in the private industry it would be like a position opening up at a higher level, i apply for it, they assure me they are interested but for the sake of the "legality" of the situation they need to put an ad in the paper and then continue to delay the advertisement of the job. what vina is basically saying is "it is obvious they don't want me, so i am moving on". unfortunately no one on the council has the coconuts to say they don't want vina so they are letting him flounder out there in the breeze. vina may or may not be the best person for the permanent job, but the council has yet again messed up another situation that shouldn't have received as much press as it has. Rich E. 2011-03-26T13:42:19Z Rich E. comment-47890 2011-03-23T22:03:24Z 2011-03-23T22:03:24Z wait, what? the city can't decide on something. i don't believe it !!!!!!!!! Rich E. 2011-03-23T22:03:24Z Rich E. comment-47675 2011-03-19T14:05:18Z 2011-03-19T14:05:18Z its not really a nail. it is protocol. the maloofs have to formally request a move with the NBA and the owners of the rest of the franchises. until they submit that formal request AND it is approved, they aren't going anywhere. but, things aren't looking good as the ball keeps moving towards anaheim. Rich E. 2011-03-19T14:05:18Z Rich E. comment-47648 2011-03-18T12:42:16Z 2011-03-18T12:42:16Z so i guess we should herd the different ethnicities and cultures into certain areas of the city and perform redistricting based upon the areas of ethnic concentration. it will be like our own middle east. the palestineans and the israelites can wage wars based upon territory within the sacramento city limits. "hey you!!! white guy, yeah you i am talking to you. get back to natomas. your kind isn't welcomed here in oak park." then the city council can act like the UN and pretend to care, but then really do nothing. Rich E. 2011-03-18T12:42:16Z Rich E. comment-47558 2011-03-16T22:53:56Z 2011-03-16T22:53:56Z if people only marched when the sun was out, then not many things would change in this country. Rich E. 2011-03-16T22:53:56Z Rich E. comment-47228 2011-03-09T19:08:09Z 2011-03-09T19:08:09Z as soon as you pay back your home mortgage in one payment, then i will support you call of the maloofs to pay their's. Rich E. 2011-03-09T19:08:09Z Rich E. comment-47221 2011-03-09T14:31:39Z 2011-03-09T14:31:39Z rhonda, i recommend checking out the sacramento business journal's article on how much the kings mean to the local economy: http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/print-edition/2011/03/04/who-gets-hurt-if-kings-leave-town.html if you can't access the article, i have made a copy of it and would be happy to scan and email it to you. in a nutshell, the kings mean $100 million to the local economy annually. i'd say that is a pretty good investment on $70 over "x" amount of years. i don't remember the length of the loan, but let's call it 15 years. the city gets back $70 over that time and the local economy gets back $1,500,000,000.00. i'd call that a pretty good return on the investment. for example, when visiting teams come to arco they take up hotel rooms. those teams spend $6K to $8K per night. this equates to approximately "$287,000 directly in room rents and additionally about $34,440 in transit occupany taxes" (sac business journal article, 3/4/2011 "who get's hut if kings leave town"). i highly suggest reading the article. there are other tidbits of info, for instance "The family says it has contributed $19million in cash and in-kind donations over the 11 years it has owned the team". i don't think any of those charitable organizations would say that $19 million isn't enough. and "Preliminary results indicate that two-thirds of those surveyed patronize other businesses each time they go to a kings game". this has been one of my stances since this issue has come up. the kings bring money from outside the city limits, into the city limits. and those businesses rely on those outside dollars coming in. there will be many affected if the kings leave. i submit the return on the investment is worth the price. Rich E. 2011-03-09T14:31:39Z Rich E. comment-47099 2011-03-08T13:49:47Z 2011-03-08T13:49:47Z rhonda, if you constantly had the door slammed in your face for a decade over the issue of an arena, i am sure the the personal and business would mix. if it was a purely business decision, the decision would have been made in '97 when they bought the team. they stuck around and had some great times here. the arena was packed, merchandise was flying off the shelf, they were in the playoffs and they were making money. if an arena was going to be built, it was during the good times. but similar to the river cats, the city council is playing chicken with a professional spots franchise and similar to the river cats, the council will lose. except, the river cats only moved across the river; the kings are moving out of the area completely. anaheim is 26 miles away from L.A., a city that already has two NBA franchises. LA has a hockey team and anaheim has a hockey team. there are four already established franchises in the area. now i am sure the economic reality of the situation is "yes" there will be more profit available, however, they will be the fifth wheel. its not like anaheim doesn't already have supporters of the lakers and the clippers (especially with the emergence of blake griffin as an exciting young talent). but anaheim is still more appealing that beating the head against the wall of sacramento or going to a similarly smaller market like kansas city (who already has an empty arena waiting for a franchise). but, if an arena was built 5-10 years ago when it should have been, the business side of things would probably not have been affected by the personal side of things. if i sit in my favorite restaurant for a 1/2 hour at the table waiting for my server to even take my drink order, then i am getting up and leaving and taking my business elsewhere. it won't matter how great the steak is, if they treat me like dirt, then i will take my business elsewhere. the city council and former mayor haven't exactly shown they cared about the kings. so the maloofs became tired of waiting at the table and are deciding on another restaurant. yes it is business, but the maloofs do care about this community (no matter how most feel about them, you don't have a business in a community for over a decade and not grow some attachment to the area). they have given this city every chance to understand the importance of their franchise, both economically and socially. i urge you to check out the sacramento business journal's latest edition. there is a front page article detailing how much the kings mean to this area economically. this city and surrounding areas will take a huge financial hit. all because the city council made it personal and took the business side of tihngs out of the equation. Rich E. 2011-03-08T13:49:47Z Rich E. comment-47031 2011-03-07T13:52:37Z 2011-03-07T13:52:37Z i have heard the sacramento business journal has an article that breaks down in monetary terms how much the kings are worth to the city of sacramento/greater sacramento region. unfortunately i am not a member of the journal, but i have heard the number was around $100 million. that's not tax revenue to the city, but rather local businesses, such as hotels, doctors, etc. many of the industries people generally don't think about when talking about the importance of a professional sports franchise to a city. if i can get my hands on the article, i will share it. Rich E. 2011-03-07T13:52:37Z Rich E. comment-47030 2011-03-07T13:48:52Z 2011-03-07T13:48:52Z unfortunately the worst thing for a resume is not being able to keep the franchise that was already in the city. also, the city council has probably developed a reputation for being difficult to work with. owners of professional sports franchises talk. i bet the maloofs say "we love sacramento and the people but we can't stand the city council". i hope i am wrong. Rich E. 2011-03-07T13:48:52Z Rich E. comment-46953 2011-03-05T17:58:32Z 2011-03-05T17:58:32Z cut their liftetime benefits, but keep the teachers!!!!! Rich E. 2011-03-05T17:58:32Z Rich E. comment-46739 2011-03-02T23:57:44Z 2011-03-02T23:57:44Z its not the salaries that matter. the knicks for most of the decade had one of the highest payrolls but some of the worst records. there is a transition that is almost complete from the webber/vlade days to the evans/cousins days. they have money under the cap. they are probably two years away from going to the playoffs and possibly deep into the playoffs. Rich E. 2011-03-02T23:57:44Z Rich E. comment-46612 2011-03-01T02:41:24Z 2011-03-01T02:41:24Z i don't doubt there is fraud happening in charter schools. and if oversight is needed, then it should be provided. but to lump all charter schools in with a few bad apples is like saying all tenured public school teachers don't care about their students. of course there are a few that seem to get all of the publicity. but i doubt KJ and Michelle got up one morning and said "i have a way we can make a ton of money, let's go into education". i don't think they are as bad as you make them out to be (my opinion) and i don't think they are as clean as i make them out to be. like most things, they are probably in the middle. i am sure they want to provide a good education for their students, but at the same time there are investors who want to make money off of their investments so they have that to look at as well. i agree there should be more regulation, but that is a governmental issue. i am sure if regulations were put in place, then KJ, Michelle and other charter schools would fall in line otherwise they would risk shutting down. but i have to be honest with you susie, i don't think they should be singled-out or blasted as much as you do. i don't think they are the devils when it comes to education. just my opinion. there are just as many "devils" who take advantage of the public educational system. where is that regulation? Rich E. 2011-03-01T02:41:24Z Rich E. comment-46602 2011-02-28T23:27:22Z 2011-02-28T23:27:22Z i would love to follow the money, however it is sucked by before it hits the classroom. unfortunately susie, the public education system has problems as well. albeit a different set of problems, but problems none-the-less. for instance, looking at this website: http://www.scusd.edu/BudgetServices/Documents/2010-11BudgetBook51-75.pdf you will see that SCUSD has budgeted for the 10/11 school year $20,510,000 in retiree benefits. that's right, retirees receive lifetime benefits. so the secretary who answers the phones for the school district gets lifetime benefits if she meets the criteria for retirement. someone please tell me how her job does anything for the education of today's youth? someone please tell me how that position of answering phones is a huge sacrifice that it warrants lifetime benefits? that is almost 5% of the entire expenditures budget and is almost $3million more than the second largest expenditure which is child development. so with all of the arguing, the bickering back and forth done here and on other sites about the perils of KJ, Michelle Rhee, Charter Schools, in black and white it appears the paying of lifetime benefits to the retirees of SCUSD is more important and requires more money than child development. someone tell me again how much better public education is from charter schools? until someone can prove to me that closing down charter schools and having ALL of the public funds redirected to the public educational system for EDUCATING the students, then i say let charter schools, KJ, Michelle Rhee, Santa Claus, Peter Pan, whomever have an alternative form to educating that gives the parents a choice on how and where their children are educated. at the end of the day, that is what i am about on this subject. not which form is better. but giving the parents choices. both systems have their pros and both have their cons, but only providing one form of education opens up a whole other world of problems. we expect parents to be responsible for the actions and their children, then give them the choices that best suits their children whom they know best. Rich E. 2011-02-28T23:27:22Z Rich E. comment-46581 2011-02-28T13:52:53Z 2011-02-28T13:52:53Z rhonda, thanks for the kind words. yes we can agree to disagree (and i think we do on a lot of issues) but we can continue to do it respectfully as you have always done. the loan, which is a hot topic on most websites these days, will be paid back in time. an analogy would be that i should pay my mortgage back before i donate to any chartiy. the maloofs have not missed one payment, so i would say they are doing what the loan requires of them. frankly, if the maloofs never paid a dime back but put the $70million towards local charities, i probably wouldn't have a problem with that (in a philanthropic manner). of course i am kidding, but the basis of that statement is at least the charities would use the money for their specific needs. whereas there are many filters in the city that would get their grubby-little hands on the $70million before it ever reached the public. another question i wish i could have any one of the anti-arena people answer is how will the city of sacramento be better off without the kings in the community? either finanically, emotionally, socially, etc, how would this community improve if the kings left? that is a question i have yet to see answered. rhonda, as always, many well wishes and blessings to you and your family. Rich E. 2011-02-28T13:52:53Z Rich E. comment-46505 2011-02-26T15:08:51Z 2011-02-26T15:08:51Z i am sorry you feel that way rhonda. i think if you were to research how important the kings are to the financial aspect of the city, the local charities they donate money and time to, as well as other community events, you may feel differently. Rich E. 2011-02-26T15:08:51Z Rich E. comment-46504 2011-02-26T15:06:56Z 2011-02-26T15:06:56Z yes, those are absolutely more important and honestly you will never get an argument from me. sports is a leisurely, relaxing activity. however, it is pretigious to have a professional sports franchise in a city (not every city has one, las vegas, albuquerque, boise, omaha and up until recently oklahoma city didn't have one and they are a city of almost 600,000 people which is more than sacramento, and these are just to name a few). number two, it will be extremely hard to fund any program related to those you mentioned if the kings leave. the kings provide a huge financial resource to the city. it would be like if the state government were to leave this city. both of those entities provide a large tax revenue for the city to spend on schools, the arts, etc. sometimes time needs to be spent on an issue like a new arena because it is extremely important to the wellfare of this city. Rich E. 2011-02-26T15:06:56Z Rich E. comment-46467 2011-02-25T23:35:19Z 2011-02-25T23:35:19Z they have been working with the city council for over 10 years on this. how much more loyalty should they show the city? this isn't a matter of loyalty to the fans. when the city you call home basically says you really don't mean that much to us, what do you want them to do? Rich E. 2011-02-25T23:35:19Z Rich E. comment-46461 2011-02-25T22:06:48Z 2011-02-25T22:06:48Z you are entitled to your opinion about the maloofs, but how will the city be better off without the kings here? Rich E. 2011-02-25T22:06:48Z Rich E. comment-46362 2011-02-24T13:37:17Z 2011-02-24T13:37:17Z what were the dollar amounts from local companies for the same services? Rich E. 2011-02-24T13:37:17Z Rich E. comment-46325 2011-02-23T22:25:27Z 2011-02-23T22:25:27Z so you want to play dictactor and dictate which jobs are meaningful and which aren't? frankly i would rather spend the money for an arena, keep the jobs that are there (with the possibility of creating more due to a larger venue) and help the local economy with construction jobs, restaurants and businesses that would be created to help people get away from food stamps, healthcare, WIC, etc. or we could not build an arena, watch the jobs arco wristband arena has go away, watch other businesses local to the existing arena who depend upon the arena for business go away, and the rest of the domino affect that would happen (and has been explained numerous times here and elsewhere). sounds to me like a new arena is a good investment. and we haven't even touched on the increased city tax revenues a new arena would create. i don't think it is as open and shut of a case as you make it appear to be. it sounds easy to say "let's not build an arena because the city is broke" or "let those rich, spoiled maloofs build it". there are too many portions of the spiderweb that would be affected if you elimate one side of it (i.e. an arena - new or existing). Rich E. 2011-02-23T22:25:27Z Rich E. comment-46271 2011-02-23T17:00:14Z 2011-02-23T17:00:14Z " I see a lot of low level stuff like janitorial, vending, usher, etc" - but there are people who need those jobs. according to varying sources, anywhere from 700 to 1000 jobs. how would you replace them? Rich E. 2011-02-23T17:00:14Z Rich E. comment-46258 2011-02-23T13:49:41Z 2011-02-23T13:49:41Z i agree with you completely except the mayoral position of sacramento does not hold the power to keep the kings here. i have no doubt he will do everything in his powers to keep the kings here, however the vote still has to go to the council where eight other personalities will weigh in. and like i said above, based on prior councils and their stubbornness, the river cats are in west sacramento Rich E. 2011-02-23T13:49:41Z Rich E. comment-46257 2011-02-23T13:47:25Z 2011-02-23T13:47:25Z one has nothing to do with the other. when the kings were winning in the late '90s and early '00s, a new arena was discussed under then-mayor fargo and nothing was done. also, the play on the court has nothing to do with the business aspects of the franchise or the city. the prior council had a reputation for being hard to deal with regarding sport franchises, which is why the river cats are in west sacramento and yolo county, not sacramento and sacramento county. Rich E. 2011-02-23T13:47:25Z Rich E. comment-45863 2011-02-17T13:47:52Z 2011-02-17T13:47:52Z except for the fact that the other seven council members, mayor and city manager have their own agendas for the monies received. the money may go to the city, but i don't think it will be for specific redevelopment funds. the city will get its hands on it, and before you know it, it will be dispersed among many different departments. so in essence, the $10million for example, the city receives, maybe only $5million reaches redevelopment. Rich E. 2011-02-17T13:47:52Z Rich E. comment-45644 2011-02-14T14:14:36Z 2011-02-14T14:14:36Z in my opinion, your fourth point isn't something that government should come in and legislate. where will it stop? your third comment also makes large assumptions, again something i don't want my government passing legislation on. i am not sure what you mean by "more subsidized medical care" in your second comment. if these are underage people, they should be covered under their parent's insurance. lastly, again, i am not sure what childhood type 2 diabetes will mean to an insurance company who is providing medical insurance to a group of adults at a business. if individuals have included their children under their insurance through their employer, then those individuals will pay the higher premium, at least that is my understanding. if your concerns are about the cost of medical coverage, i would suggest starting with finding a way to pay for the uninsured illegal immigrants using our medical system. i am not suggesting cutting them off, but that is a huge chunk of change that hospitals and doctors pay for, which we in turn we pay for with our premiums. those costs have to be absorbed somewhere and that is where our premiums come from. i don't think giving children coke or pepsi is the rout of premium costs. i agree with some of the other comments, this puts a band-aid on a broken arm. Rich E. 2011-02-14T14:14:36Z Rich E. comment-45508 2011-02-11T19:03:21Z 2011-02-11T19:03:21Z you are 100% correct. Rich E. 2011-02-11T19:03:21Z Rich E. comment-45505 2011-02-11T19:02:36Z 2011-02-11T19:02:36Z exactly!!!! the other issue is, where will it stop? today sodas, tomorrow fried chicken, the next day macaroni and cheese. there are numerous amounts of fatty foods. when will individuals step up and account for the decisions they make in life instead of the government deciding for the individual? and that includes eating... Rich E. 2011-02-11T19:02:36Z Rich E. comment-45504 2011-02-11T18:59:23Z 2011-02-11T18:59:23Z how do we all pay for a child who is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Rich E. 2011-02-11T18:59:23Z Rich E. comment-45403 2011-02-10T14:00:22Z 2011-02-10T14:00:22Z councilmember mccarty's intentions may be good, however i am not sold on the equation. the article says "McCarty is considering having the revenue go to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department for recreation programs." i am not sold that dumping more money into parks and rec will somehow make children go out and play. first off, he is "considering" having the tax revenue go towards P&R. he didn't say "definite" which means this could be another front to garner more taxes with the excuse of "the benefit to our children". its that whole "proceeds will go to..." mentality when in actuality the dollar amount that is given to the program is by not means equal to the price that has been paid. secondly, the article says "He said a tax makes sense because soda is connected to childhood obesity". so are video games, mcdonalds, heck school and homework. if a child is inside doing homework, then that child isn't physically active. i use the last absurd to make a point, when will it stop? there are many contributing factors to childhood obesity, should we tax them all? can he guarantee every single penny collected for this specific tax will go towards programs for childhood obesity? can he guarantee results? how will he measure the tax vs. the results? what happens if people stop buying sodas and tax revenues decrease after the P&R department has implemented programs that need funding to survive, how will he pay for that when the city is already in a $40million hole? lastly, this argument coincides with the entire "usage" argument. i don't have kids, but yet will i pay extra for a soda for someone else's kids to possibly not be fat? i am not sure that is fair. its like a new arena. one argument against it is, not everyone would use the new arena, so why should they pay for it with tax dollars, which is a fair argument. if anyone has answers to these questions, then i am all ears. but so far, there are too many unanswered questions. Rich E. 2011-02-10T14:00:22Z Rich E. comment-45102 2011-02-04T13:38:17Z 2011-02-04T13:38:17Z at what point is someone going to explain HOW the budget is upside down? for instance, are there voter mandated spending programs that force the city's hands (such as a proposition for the state)? i know i don't fully understand the budget and i would suspect there are others out there too. will interim city manager vina or finance director milstein explain the "how" of the budget? does anyone have a website that could break this down? Rich E. 2011-02-04T13:38:17Z Rich E. comment-44714 2011-01-31T21:16:44Z 2011-01-31T21:16:44Z wow, another original thought from naga. i am so glad he/she/it shows up when convenient. oh wait, here i go bullying naga for an answer again. when will i ever learn? Rich E. 2011-01-31T21:16:44Z Rich E. comment-44305 2011-01-24T23:14:28Z 2011-01-24T23:14:28Z so how would we prevent the same corruption on the city council? aside from the election process, since a lot can happen between election cycles. good description by the way. there were things you said that i didn't know or realize. Rich E. 2011-01-24T23:14:28Z Rich E. comment-44278 2011-01-24T19:46:25Z 2011-01-24T19:46:25Z cogmeyer, it is an excellent point regarding local governments funding the local projects. however, the only issue i can see with that is most local governments don't have the monies needed to fund the projects and need the additional statewide dollars to help fund the project. i do see your point though and it is well taken. how would the local governments get around the lack of funds issue? Rich E. 2011-01-24T19:46:25Z Rich E. comment-44261 2011-01-23T14:31:09Z 2011-01-23T14:31:09Z gotcha,you needed someone else's brain to come up with your solution. there were never any intentions in spite of what you may think. just say you don't have any specific plans and all you do is complain without an alternative solution. i never wanted to argue with you, only discuss the topic at hand. i asked susie how she would go about change and she gave an eloquent description, with some things i really hadn't thought about and i think she and i were able to find some common ground. if i think about things in black and white, its because they are explainable. if you want to write things in grey, then expect those of us who aren't in your grey area to ask for further explanation. if you don't have an explanation, just say it. you claim i wasted time and space, well i submit your most recent rant did the same. sounds like the pot is calling the kettle black (or white). show me my own quotation that i misquoted? if i wrote it differently, it was only to get an explanation from you figuring maybe i didn't ask the question correctly to garner one. again, susie gave specifcs, you haven't. saying "see what susie wrote" after our exchange and after she did all of the leg work tells me you don't have a brain of your own, all you do is complain without solutions and you are the one who wants to pick the fight instead of discussing the issue and trying to find some common ground, which there may not be any, but at least we would have discussed it like adults to come to that conclusion. even boxers hug each other after they beat their brains in for 12 rounds. i would have assumed we could have put our petty differences aside and try to act like adults. i am willing to, but it takes two to tango. you can think what you want of me, but trust me, i really don't care. i enjoyed my conversation with susie and i was hoping you and i could have had the same. but your insistence that i mold my way of thinking to yours when all i was doing was asking for clarification further exemplifies your lack of willingness to discuss your own thoughts. i have never met someone (well maybe bbbbmer) who when asked to elaborate on your thoughts, your first response basically says i am too dumb to even get your thinking. well, try me. but if you don't want to, all i can say is....whatever. i really don't care. i will continue to have my discussions and try to learn from others, such as susie. and i have learned from you, naga. i have learned what not to do. you are definitely a great role model when it comes to that. Rich E. 2011-01-23T14:31:09Z Rich E. comment-44250 2011-01-22T22:45:32Z 2011-01-22T22:45:32Z great conversation susie, i enjoyed it. i look forward to more. have a great weekend!!!! Rich E. 2011-01-22T22:45:32Z Rich E. comment-44233 2011-01-22T15:15:47Z 2011-01-22T15:15:47Z "the public school system has been impoverished by policies reducing public education funding PRIOR to the Giant Sucking Sound of charter/privatization" - so that's not your quote? huh, is there another naga posting here? the key word you used was PRIOR (in fact your quote had it in all caps just as i have shown, so you must have wanted to emphasize that word for a reason). the word PRIOR means before, i hope we can agree on that (if not then our public educational system is in worse shape than we are discussing). so your statement says the public school system has been improverished by policies reducing public education funding BEFORE the Giant Sucking Sound of charter...". so if they were impoverished before charters started to siphon some funds from the public schools, then a problem existed before the charters schools. so i am saying if the problem already existed, its not the charter schools fault. they may have made it worse, but you didn't say that. you said "PRIOR" and in all CAPS, remember? "'then one would assume the problems that are in the public school systems were also there before charter schools"'(black and white thinking, false assumption)" - prove it instead of just saying it. i can tell you the sky is green, but at some point i would have to prove it. you say "false assumptions" when i took the assumptions right from you own statement above. so if i am wrong, then describe how. stop with the one-word answers. this isn't a "true of false" comment site. if i am wrong then i will be the first to admit it. which is why i quoted you and addressed your statements. if i am wrong in my comments you are welcome to say "you are wrong" and leave it at the, but it really doesn't further a conversation nor are you educating me on your position. "I answered" - no you didn't. if you are claiming the public school systems have zero problems, then i guess you answered it. but you would be in the minority with that thinking. i suggest you read susie's comments. her's are well thought out and level-headed. if you aren't sayng the public schools have zero problems, then i am asking you what would you do to fix it? instead of blasting public schools for existing when you said the problems existed PRIOR to them (again assuming you think there are problems) then if you were president of the world, what would you do to fix it? i thought is was a middle-ground question and not attacking, but apparently i only read things in black and white, which appears to be offensive, for that i am sorry. Rich E. 2011-01-22T15:15:47Z Rich E. comment-44221 2011-01-22T01:07:58Z 2011-01-22T01:07:58Z susie, thank you for your reply. first let me say with every ounce of respect that i have, it was a pleasure reading your statements above. like you, i will try to tackle a few of the comments you made: "Because there are so many variables that contribute to poor education, I feel it's imperative to peel the onion because if we don't we won't know if it's actually rotten in its core. As we explore the layers, there are signs of decay. If we don't address this and find out why, it's just ignoring the problem and all you have is a rotton onion. There are parts that are salvageable and useable. " - i am not sure how the public educational system can go about doing the peeling. at what point does it become intrusive that public educators who's sole purpose is to provide the basic fundamental principles of math, english, science and history - and who are already overwhelmed with keeping up with the current times - would now be asked to take a more hands on approach with the other variables. the public schools are already overcrowded and the teachers are having a heck of a time giving the personal attention to the subject matter at hand, let alone dealing with the variables of the outside world. "The problem in schools today is that the educational system has inserted itself between parent and child and this causes many parents to feel they don't have a role in the education of their own children. This needs to change" - you are absolutely 100% correct in this statement and i would love to hear anyone's ideas on how to make parents accountable for their child's learning instead of holding teacher's accountable for parenting children. "I am not against the idea of choice per se, but I am against how easy it is to open a charter school in this state. I am also against independent charters because they burden school districts with providing facilities, special ed resources, ESL resources, speech resources, school board time dealing with charter issues, and having their funding tied to charter schools when they have no say in how they're run and they don't have the resources to police them. It has been proven, time and again, that independent charter schools lack accountability to the public. They have their own boards and rules. The system is so very easy to game and it's done again and again. " - i think this is a legislative issue. if what you say is true, then it is up to the state legislature to regulate the charter schools to provide equal (or better) education than a public school given the fact that public funds are contributing to their business. i have no qualms about holding charter schools accountable. but it is not the charter school's fault the government lacks the oversight. but yes, hold the schools accountable. i think the bottom line that we both can agree on is parents need to be more involved with their child's education. how that can be accomplished, i have no idea. but i do know the schools can't force the parents to be more involved and i would say we can't force the schools to force the parents to be more involved. in the movie parenthood (steve martin film) keanu reeves character makes this statement "you have to get a license to drive, but any a-hole can be a parent" (paraphrasing). this statement continues to be more true with every passing year. unfortunately it is the children who suffer. but if charter schools are held to the same accountability as public schools, then i see no reason not to have them. i like your ratio idea, i think it is a start. but the accountability has to come from the legislature. i have no opinion of ms. rhee. i don't know much about her, nor am i defending her. my sole argument has been for choice for those parents who are involved with the child's education. alternative forms of education should be an option to parents. that has and always be my argument. not that charters are better or that public schools are horrible, its that involved parents should be able to choose. susie, again thank you for the good conversation. i am up for more and am very interested in your views. this subject is near and dear to me as i volunteer at a continuation school and i see the affects the outside variables have on students who are just trying to find their way in life. thank you. Rich E. 2011-01-22T01:07:58Z Rich E. comment-44210 2011-01-21T23:35:10Z 2011-01-21T23:35:10Z actually, no, what helps is if you answer the question. its not that hard. you see you have an opinion, i have a question(s) regarding your opinion and am asking for further for clarification. what would help for me to understand your opinion is if you answered the question that was asked of you, which is: given in your own words, the public school system had problems before charters were an issue, what do you propose to do about those problems? let's say charter schools don't exist today, what (in specifics) would you propose to do to fix the problems of the current public school system? you see, it is easy to sit on the sidelines and claim to know how the game is played. however it is another thing to be thrust into the game and asked to perform. essentially, put your money where your mouth is. Rich E. 2011-01-21T23:35:10Z Rich E. comment-44157 2011-01-21T21:00:04Z 2011-01-21T21:00:04Z so if the public funding has been impoverished PRIOR to charter schools, then one would assume the problems that are in the public school systems were also there before charter schools. which would also lend creedence to charter schools really having zero bearing on how public schools perform. so again i ask, if the public school system already had problems, what would you propose to do about it? keep in mind, eliminating charter schools won't help poverty, drugs, parental non-involvement, etc. Rich E. 2011-01-21T21:00:04Z Rich E. comment-44145 2011-01-21T19:03:38Z 2011-01-21T19:03:38Z naga, see my comments below. feel free to respond with ideas instead of insults. if you want to know how i feel, see below. if you want to continue with the insults, feel free, but i am done. i would rather have a respectful, reasonable conversation with someone like susie who took a lot of time out of her day to write a thoughtful piece than to waste my time going back and forth with someone who uses the same "koolaid" garbage you continue to use. Rich E. 2011-01-21T19:03:38Z Rich E. comment-44143 2011-01-21T19:00:06Z 2011-01-21T19:00:06Z susie, that was an excellent description of your position. i honestly thank you for it and i wish other people would take the time to explain their one-statement positions as you have so eloquently done. i honestly respect you and your position. but please don't confuse me with a "rheeformer" as you put it. what i mean by reform is to take our public educational system and not be happy with it. to reform it from the top down and not the other way around. i honestly believe our school teachers (K-12) are the most underpaid, under-appreciated and most abused professionals in society. i have never had a problem with teachers themselves. i do have a problem with their union as i believe they are a trojan horse in their own right. true, some things they push for are good for education, but it is either by accident because it happens to coincide with some other selfish agenda they have or just dumb luck. the union isn't all bad, but the leaders are. whether you, naga or anyone else want to admit it, all unions are similar to corporations. they have a select few at the top of the pyramid who benefit from the blood, sweat and tears of others. i am pro-charter not because i think charter schools offer a better education to america's youth, nor do i think we should get rid of public education in its entirety. i am am pro-charter because it offers another option for a parent who can't afford private schools but can't stand the public school they would be forced to send their child to. parents' hands are strapped by regional restrictions. i am pro-charter as i am pro-homeschooling if it is possible. the parent and only the parent should decide how their child is educated (of course the exception would be if it is considered "abuse"; this scenario i am not addressing as i feel this would be in the extreme minority of cases and is covered under child protection laws). the quote regarding the cancer that could be an idea, albeit sometimes true (see hitler) can also be harmful. nothing good starts without an idea. if we didn't have ideas, then we wouldn't have cars, computers, space travel, medicine, etc. i am reminded of a frank zappa song "trouble everyday". in this song frank uses the following lyrics: 'Cause the fire in the street Ain't like the fire in the heart And in the eyes of all these people Don't you know that this could start On any street in any town In any state if any clown Decides that now's the time to fight For some ideal he thinks is right And if a million more agree There ain't no Great Society like all lyrics, they can be intrepetted in so many ways. my interpretation is sure there are dummies in this world who can convince people about bad ideas, but there are those who can get millions of people to start with one idea and improve upon society. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was that type of man. he saw society and said "wait a minute, something is wrong here. we are suppose to be a free country where all men are created equal, yet i am not equal in my brothers' eyes. how can that be?" so he took an idea of equality to the streets and made positive changes. teachers aren't bad, public schools aren't bad. yes there are multiple variables that contribute to poor education (poverty, lack of parental involvement, drugs, etc.). we can continue to peel the onion and i am afraid we may never reach "the core". but the educational system needs to deal with the cards they are given. and those cards involve all of which you and i have described. so i will ask you, are you in favor of having only one form of a public educational system and given all of the variables we know, what would you do to improve the public educational system? keep in mind that as of the '06/'07 school year, 1 out of every 4 student dropped out of school (http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr08/yr08rel94.asp) - so its not like our public education system is succeeding - and i think we both know that rate is even higher in impoverished areas. why not give parents another public option? Rich E. 2011-01-21T19:00:06Z Rich E. comment-44102 2011-01-21T17:02:07Z 2011-01-21T17:02:07Z apparently the quotation wasn't from susie. my mistake there naga. i guess i will go back to quoting you, although that would mean you would have to defend your statements. and we all know that won't happen. come on naga, say it again like you have said a thousand times "where is our high school" or something to that affect. i am actually suprised you are saying that regarding an article that has something to do with education. usually you break that out when talking about parks or the environment. i guess i should praise you for being on topic this time. Rich E. 2011-01-21T17:02:07Z Rich E. comment-44073 2011-01-21T13:58:43Z 2011-01-21T13:58:43Z "KJ is hoping to make Sacramento the education reform capital of the nation " - i can't believe anyone would use this statement in a negative term, but you did. if we never had education reform, we would all still be skipping to school with our book-bands and going to a classroom in a steepled building with chalkboards. KJ may not have all of the answers, no one does, but it takes people willing to try things so that we as a society can move forward. i wish there were more people who want to make sacramento "the education reform capital of the nation". Rich E. 2011-01-21T13:58:43Z Rich E. comment-44072 2011-01-21T13:53:41Z 2011-01-21T13:53:41Z here we go again...yawn!!!!! Rich E. 2011-01-21T13:53:41Z Rich E. comment-44056 2011-01-20T23:54:23Z 2011-01-20T23:54:23Z ugh, here we go again!!!! Rich E. 2011-01-20T23:54:23Z Rich E. comment-43302 2011-01-07T23:04:27Z 2011-01-07T23:04:27Z darn copy and paste. sorry if i quote you, it won't happen again. i thought we were in a debate and i was suppose to refute what you say. gosh, i wish i could live in fantasyland like some do. please show me where i lie? this should be interesting.... Rich E. 2011-01-07T23:04:27Z Rich E. comment-43277 2011-01-07T22:09:52Z 2011-01-07T22:09:52Z lie? gotcha i guess facts are lies. have a nice life.... Rich E. 2011-01-07T22:09:52Z Rich E. comment-43270 2011-01-07T21:12:44Z 2011-01-07T21:12:44Z naga, do you know how to read? the point is kerridge left not because he lost an election, he left on his own. whether it is through scandal or cleanly, who cares? he was the city manager, a non-elected position, and he chose to leave. please tell me you really aren't that dense? but in true, typical, naga form, your hypocracy shows. in this statement you talk about moneybags, but above you think CTA isn't part of the same moneybags. wow, talk about blinders. Rich E. 2011-01-07T21:12:44Z Rich E. comment-43269 2011-01-07T21:08:54Z 2011-01-07T21:08:54Z lies huh? try going to this website: http://maplight.org/content/california-prop-24-nov-2010 funny how CTA contributed 4 times the amount of money than the next closest contributor. and this isn't even part of the topic we are trying to discuss. but you called me to the carpet, so i answered your call. CTA is a major contributor to not only this measure but many other campaigns and they are widely regarded as one the most powerful unions in the state. you don't get power without money and spending money. so please naga, show me my lies. provide supporting documentation that says CTA does not contribute to campaigns. or are you goint to do what you typically do? call me on the carpet, when i backup my claims with facts, you then mysteriously disappear. Rich E. 2011-01-07T21:08:54Z Rich E. comment-43245 2011-01-07T13:42:33Z 2011-01-07T13:42:33Z no we don't, but he wasn't voted out nor was he removed by the council. he left by his own free will. and how do you say its not related at all? please don't tell me you are wearing the same brand of blinders that naga wears? Rich E. 2011-01-07T13:42:33Z Rich E. comment-43244 2011-01-07T13:40:20Z 2011-01-07T13:40:20Z naga, are you really trying to say labor unions don't contribute to campaigns or influence who wins? i have three words for you "California Teachers Association". i think you just showed your lack of intelligence. "The city manager is appointed by a council of elected officials" - do you see the key word? "appointed". i never said it wasn't appointed by elected officials. but it is harder to stage a coup and get rid of a group of elected officials as opposed to getting rid of one elected official, i.e. the mayor. Rich E. 2011-01-07T13:40:20Z Rich E. comment-43226 2011-01-06T22:36:05Z 2011-01-06T22:36:05Z P.W. you are entitled to your opinion, but let's clear a few things up. first, sacramento is not a "hospital-haven". the hospitals you mentioned must be getting serviced already otherwise they wouldn't exist, and i am sure there are some local companies providing the products and services. second, how much money stays in the community? i suggest going to this link: http://www.arcoarena.com/default.asp?lnopt=4&pnopt=0. even if only half of it is true, that is still $6.5million in charitable donations alone (and some of those donations provided local companies with construction jobs, which led to employment and tax revenues, etc). also a lot of players who have come through sacramento have started charities and community projects (bobby jackson, chris webber and vlade divac to name a few). i wouldn't consider those programs to be useless, nor measured on the city budget bottom line. we aren't even talking about employment, taxes paid to the city among other things. third, yes restaurants are closing in natomas, but i would think that would have something more to do with the economic times the area is in more than how the kings are performing on the court. sure, their poor play doesn't help, but i have never argued that people will go to a new arena because the kings are a winning team. does anyone remember the late 80s to the late 90s? the kings were a horrible team, but yet the arena was sold out almost everynight. why? because they were an attraction. a new arena would be sold out everynight for the first few years just because of the attraction. besides, the kings won't always be non-competitive which will also help with the attendance. lastly, can you provide a firm definition of "a more diverse economic force"? that is such an ambiguous statement that we may never meet your expectations. what exactly do you want and when will you be satisfied? Rich E. 2011-01-06T22:36:05Z Rich E. comment-43210 2011-01-06T17:32:04Z 2011-01-06T17:32:04Z naga, its funny how you say "follow the money" when it comes to a political party or business you don't agree with, however when labor unions or environmentalists dump millions into campaigns to influence an individual or a business you happen to agree with you don't echo those same sentiments. Rich E. 2011-01-06T17:32:04Z Rich E. comment-43209 2011-01-06T17:21:35Z 2011-01-06T17:21:35Z the mayor would propose the budget. according to the "Accountability Plan of 2010" as drafted by Kunal Merchant, Mayor's Chief of Staff, on May 25, 2010, one of the additional responsibilities given to the mayoral position would be to propose a budget which would then be approved by the council. right now the city manager proposes the budget (as outlined in the current city charter, under the city manager's functions, subsection j). to bring things full circle to my discussion with naga, the city manager has an awful lot of responsibility for an appointed position, whereas the mayoral position, typically the fall-guy (including former mayor fargo), takes the hits come election day when this site and the bee report the city is upside down regarding the budget. who gets voted out? the mayor or a councilperson. who typically keeps their position? the un-elected city manager. that is how it is related to the SMI. Rich E. 2011-01-06T17:21:35Z Rich E. comment-43208 2011-01-06T17:11:51Z 2011-01-06T17:11:51Z apparently you don't understand the democratic process. appointed does not mean voted in by the public. at least the mayor would be voted in (democratically) by the public. THAT is the democratic process. and yes more power = more accountability when it comes to how the sacramento mayor's performance is judged. read the charter. the mayor is a press secretary. if we are judging the mayor based on his press conferences, then he is doing an outstanding job. but you and i both know he isn't. by giving the position defined powers, then you can absolutely judge whether he/she has used the powers given to him/her in the best interest of the city. and if he/she hasn't, then you vote him/her out. sounds democratic to me. Rich E. 2011-01-06T17:11:51Z Rich E. comment-43179 2011-01-06T14:00:08Z 2011-01-06T14:00:08Z no one is saying the area couldn't benefit from either of the industries you mentioned. however, why, in your mind, would it be ok for the city council to bend over to a medical supply company or a high-tech facility as opposed to an entertainment industry? and what medical supply company or high-tech facility would want to come to sacramento considering they would also have to pay the outrages business taxes the state of california mandates? the national basketball association is a multi-billion dollar industry and according to forbes magazine (http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/32/basketball-values-09_Sacramento-Kings_327146.html) as recently as 2009 the kings were valued at $300million dollars. what medical supply or high-tech industry with the same value would come to california, let alone sacramento? let's not forget the hastle the city council has recently put nestle through because of their water consumption. why would we want to take the chance, and possibly overpay, to get industry here when an industry is already here? Rich E. 2011-01-06T14:00:08Z Rich E. comment-43178 2011-01-06T13:50:09Z 2011-01-06T13:50:09Z so naga, you feel safer having the possibility of the "presumed representatives of the public" possibly forming teams that could appoint a powerful position? you understand it would be more difficult to oust 5 people as opposed to one mayor, don't you? considering the mayoral position is a city-wide elected official however each representative is elected by their district. Rich E. 2011-01-06T13:50:09Z Rich E. comment-43177 2011-01-06T13:47:36Z 2011-01-06T13:47:36Z william, as i stated above, if the emergency funds have been made available by prior saving, then those funds would be used to meet any gaps in a program that would have resulted in layoffs. however, there would still be a line-item which mandates the savings under the current budget, so savings funds would be available at a later date and the "rainy day funds" are bled dry. "the richest man in bablyon" is a principle of savings and not strictly a retirement funds book. the principles can be extrapolated into other realms. Rich E. 2011-01-06T13:47:36Z Rich E. comment-43150 2011-01-05T19:04:09Z 2011-01-05T19:04:09Z how do you measure it directly? by building an arena other businesses will crop up bringingi income to those areas, plus jobs, plus bringing out of city limits dollars into the city. so could it? yes. would it be measured correctly to show that it is, probably not. case in point: an arena is built and the need for a local restaurant arises to cater to those fans before the game or event that is happening. people who would ordinarily not care to drive from auburn to go to crappy arco arena and would have nomally spent their money at a restaurant in auburn, now decide they want to make the trip inside the city limits to spend their money. so the restaurant profits which in turn allows the city to profit from tax revenue. on the way they stop at northgate blvd. to fill up the car at the arco station, so that money is now brought into the city. the kings revenues are increased because naturally ticket prices and concession prices increase, thereby increasing tax revenues. mikem, i am sure you are smart, just follow the snowball down the hill. the alternative is the kings leave and whatever revenue the city accrues from the maloofs is now gone because you have an empty arena for 50 nights out of the year. also, name concerts bypass sacramento because the facility sucks, plus they can play in s.f. or reno or fresno at nicer arenas and those acts know they will pull from the sacramento market that way. so now the city has lost revenue which now snowballs into more cuts or higher taxes anyway to cover the shortfall. pick your poison. frankly, i would rather be entertained if i am going to get hosed by taxes rather than have zero entertainment and still get hosed. sacramento is different from a place like cincinnati because they have multiple professional sports (baseball and football). ask seattle how they are feeling without the revenues from their basketball team and ask oklahoma city how they are feeling over receiving seattle's basketball team. their arena is packed every night which generate the revenues i have described above. Rich E. 2011-01-05T19:04:09Z Rich E. comment-43149 2011-01-05T18:51:06Z 2011-01-05T18:51:06Z actually no, i get a penny for 50 years. that's why banks have so much money. its called a loan which is paid over time. you can spend you dollar in one fell swoop. i will have steady income over time. Rich E. 2011-01-05T18:51:06Z Rich E. comment-43143 2011-01-05T14:11:58Z 2011-01-05T14:11:58Z no one "conveniently overlooks that the city manager is hired/fired by the city council". i suggest you read my comment from january 4 at 5:48AM. what i specifically say is a NON-ELECTED official has more power than an ELECTED official and in my opinion that is bad for this city. where is the accountability to the public when that position has so much power yet the public has zero say as to whether that individual should hold that position. at least with the SMI, by giving additional powers to a publicly elected position, then every four years the public can decide whether that person has used those powers to benefit the city or to benefit themself. naga, what position is the "moneybag godfather"? i don't recall seeing that position either elected or appointed in the city charter. Rich E. 2011-01-05T14:11:58Z Rich E. comment-43142 2011-01-05T14:04:49Z 2011-01-05T14:04:49Z william, what i am saying is the emergency funds should be a function of the budget, a percentage (essentially like a savings account for an individual). whatever the city revenue is, then a percentage goes into savings. but to say "whoa, we have more money so we have a surplus" is wrong, in my opinion. whether the city budget increases or decreases, the emergency fund should not fluctuate (i suggest reading "the richest man in babylon" as a reference point). if the budget is $100million in 2011, and the city saves 2%, then $2million goes to the emergency fund. in 2012 if the budget increases to $150million, then the city still saves 2% ($3million). but if the cities budget falls to $75million in 2013, the city still saves 2% ($1.5million). you build up the emergency funds over time. if the budget falls below a level that forces the city to cut extremely important programs, then you have that "rainy day funds" available, but they continue to save, not profit. so if in 2013 they the savings account has $150million in it and the police/fire department needs $50million, the funds are there, but still as part of the budget, the $1.5million still goes into savings as a line item in the budget. like i've said above, i don't want my government to spend and then if they have money left over they have a profit (surplus) and that is what is saved. that is basically living paycheck to paycheck. the savings should be a budget line item and the expenses and revenues should be equal at the end of the cash flow spreadsheet. Rich E. 2011-01-05T14:04:49Z Rich E. comment-43118 2011-01-04T22:50:39Z 2011-01-04T22:50:39Z do you want the penny for 50 years or do you want nothing for 50 years? that is the real question. Rich E. 2011-01-04T22:50:39Z Rich E. comment-43116 2011-01-04T21:55:11Z 2011-01-04T21:55:11Z william, are you saying corporations are the way to run government? frankly, i don't want my government to be run like a corporation. most corporations are profit generating machines. i don't want my government being a profit center. i want them to spend every dime they take in, no more, no less. Rich E. 2011-01-04T21:55:11Z Rich E. comment-43107 2011-01-04T19:15:37Z 2011-01-04T19:15:37Z "We do that every four years at the national level...why not here?" - exactly!!!!! what a great point. Rich E. 2011-01-04T19:15:37Z Rich E. comment-43103 2011-01-04T18:38:05Z 2011-01-04T18:38:05Z if you can't wait to see the explosion of arco arena, imagine the sound of the explosion to the local economy if the kings were to leave. now THAT will be loud. Rich E. 2011-01-04T18:38:05Z Rich E. comment-43091 2011-01-04T17:12:11Z 2011-01-04T17:12:11Z how does it weaken the democratic process? the mayor is an elected official. i believe as it stands now, the democratic process is weak because an extremely powerful position, the city manager, is an appointed position. it is very easy for a group to form on the council and appoint an unqualified person into the city manager's office. as for the big money people, i think bill camp and his union lackies are some pretty big money and they are opposed to the SMI. Rich E. 2011-01-04T17:12:11Z Rich E. comment-43082 2011-01-04T13:48:11Z 2011-01-04T13:48:11Z as i am sure it is not lost on many, i am for the SMI. the main reason is: why do we have a mayor considering how our current form of government is structured? like the article says above, currently most of the so-called "powers" are in the hands of the city manager. this means the mayor is essentially one voice out of nine, instead of one voice working with nine. if we don't have a strong mayor, then get rid of the mayoral position all together. why have it? the position is a glorified press secretary. the city could save a six-figured salary by having the city manager, who holds more responsibility than an elected official yet is not elected by the public, hold the press conferences and update the citizens on what is going on with the city. also, make the city manager's position an elected position. otherwise, a party of nine is appointing an extremely powerful position without the public's approval. Rich E. 2011-01-04T13:48:11Z Rich E. comment-43000 2011-01-03T13:47:46Z 2011-01-03T13:47:46Z i have a couple of questions for the anti-arena people: to get your support for a new arena, are you saying only private funds should be used and not public funds? if the maloofs said "we will 100% fund the arena if we get 100% of the profits" you would be ok with that? Rich E. 2011-01-03T13:47:46Z Rich E. comment-41954 2010-12-08T21:38:08Z 2010-12-08T21:38:08Z nice response to someone who is just doing her job naga. you continue to show your true colors. will do casey and i apologize if anything was over the line. Rich E. 2010-12-08T21:38:08Z Rich E. comment-41899 2010-12-08T19:45:34Z 2010-12-08T19:45:34Z whatever, keep dodging the real issues which are the surveillance cameras and the fact the council did this without public discussion or input. if you think my comments above are bullying, then you need to get a webster's dictionary and actually look up the definition. oh wait, now you are going to say i am forcing you to get a dictionary. uh oh, maybe you are right? maybe i am a bully? oh great now i am bullying myself into being a bully? would you like to actually discuss this article or am i bullying you into that now? Rich E. 2010-12-08T19:45:34Z Rich E. comment-41885 2010-12-08T14:04:37Z 2010-12-08T14:04:37Z rhonda, i am tired of discussing naga. he/she has nothing to do with the crux of this article, which believe it or not was the topic i would have liked to have stayed on. regarding surveillance cameras, here are a few items i think are very important but i haven't seen discussed yet: 1) Can someone come up with multiple cities, preferrably of similar size to sacramento, where surveillance cameras were used and the crime rate actually went down? 2) According the this SacPress article http://sacramentopress.com/headline/41637/Police_working_on_surveillance_system it appears our brilliant city council has decided to go out of the area and hire a southern california firm for this project. Nothing like spreading the wealth to the local economy and helping local companies. 3) Has anyone truely examined what the costs are for this project? First the cameras will run at least $1,000 per camera, maybe more. A quick search of a Pelco product brought me to this website http://www.provantage.com/~56CSURV_PELC.htm. If these cameras will truely be used for crime prevention, then most likely the camera with the most features will be required for criminal indentification, pan-tilt-zoom capabilities, outdoor rating, probably bullet-proof, etc. Also, do the trailers (and they say multiple, how many is multiple?) come equpped with the recording equipment and processors required to monitor and store the information gathered by the cameras? there will also be designing of the system, installation, startup, testing, configuration of the recording equipment, etc. the bottomline is the grant is for $615K and i am not sure that grant will cover the entire expenditure for a complete and operable surveillance system. If this is the case, where will the extra funds come from? Lastly, how will our return on this investment be measured? can it be measured? are we looking for crime rates in a specific area? if crime goes down, what happens if arrests go up, how will the city pay for incarceration of the criminals who are arrested? i honestly think someone, maybe even the mayor, heard about this and thought it was a great idea, but not enough research and discussion, including public, was done for this. notice how i haven't even brought up the privacy issue which is just as important as all of the tangible dollars and cents and logistical information i have brought up. does someone know, have any of these issues been addressed in a public session by the city council? Rich E. 2010-12-08T14:04:37Z Rich E. comment-41839 2010-12-07T23:55:01Z 2010-12-07T23:55:01Z actually what sacpress is great for is for people to come on here without alternative ideas to the ones proposed in the article being commented on. at least rhonda backs her statements up with ideas, facts, etc. naga, dshore and the other nay-sayers who claim others are "forcing people into opinions" never seem to back up their statements with any facts or figures. dhsore loves to show up either at the beginning of a discussion to rant and rave all of his negativity or show up towards the end of the discussion and call everyone names. never has he shown up, or continued a conversation and offered alternative suggestions to any proposed idea. naga loves to run his/her mouth about forcing people to do this, or challenging people to do that. if you have an opinion, hold to it. just back it up with sources or reasons why you have those opinions. calling KJ a molestor doesn't exactly fair well in an argument about how the city is being run. do we want to continue to rehash old and tired discussions which don't affect how the city is run? discussing camera surveillance is a HUGE issue for this city. not the misc. B/S some what to continue to drag in. it appears the ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL (including the mayor) have gone down a path that the majority of us feel is wrong. so i ask this question to all of you: what are you going to do about it? Rich E. 2010-12-07T23:55:01Z Rich E. comment-41838 2010-12-07T23:46:56Z 2010-12-07T23:46:56Z so anyone who holds different opinions are morons or bullies? hey pot, this is kettle..... Rich E. 2010-12-07T23:46:56Z Rich E. comment-41819 2010-12-07T19:45:45Z 2010-12-07T19:45:45Z rhonda, i know why and what you responded to. naga, where down below? Rich E. 2010-12-07T19:45:45Z Rich E. comment-41817 2010-12-07T19:42:40Z 2010-12-07T19:42:40Z actually, no that is not what i agreed about. this is a council issue NOT a mayoral issue. have you opinions about KJ, which is fine, but the entire council is at fault, not one member of it, and the mayoral position (KJ) is only one member of the council. Rich E. 2010-12-07T19:42:40Z Rich E. comment-41798 2010-12-07T12:45:26Z 2010-12-07T12:45:26Z yes, i did challenge rhonda comment, not rhonad and not you. but in typical naga form, you defend something that never needed defending. as i stated on December 6, 2010 | 01:20 PM, the city council acts as a whole and decisions regarding the direction of the surveillance cameras had to come from the group, not the individual. but yet an individual was singled out. that was why i challenged the comment. i never challenged her prerogative to call our KJ, she is entitled to. however it was never followed up with blame towards the entire council. " you challenged her lack of "venom" directed at them which you demand she do or explain herself." - i don't demand. please show me in my initial comment where i demanded or elluded to a demand? you just don't get it, do you? these comments are meant to be a form of discussion. if you want to take a certain "tone" out of them, go ahead. i don't believe i was rude or got personal with my initial comment, but yet you felt compelled to shove your nose where it didn't belong. now you are in the middle of what was going to be a civil discussion. yes, hurricane did ask for KJ's take, however, again naga here are those words again, IN MY OPINION, leaving out the city council in all of this and only singling out the mayor does not put the blame in the correct direction. and that direction is the council as a group. they ALL had to approve the expenditure, not just KJ. and that is why i asked "where is the venom towards them". and thanks for not addressing this comment and continuing with a discussion that has nothing to do with the article itself: are you disagreeing with my initial comment which tried to ask why was the city council excluded from her comment? Rich E. 2010-12-07T12:45:26Z Rich E. comment-41776 2010-12-06T23:15:27Z 2010-12-06T23:15:27Z whatever naga, 1. it was you who challenged me first claiming i am forcing mrs. erwin to agree with my opinion. 2. yes i know it is my opinion, that is why i capitalized MY. but thanks for pointing out the obvious. 3. see my response in No. 1. this site is a discussion forum. are you disagreeing with my initial comment which tried to ask why was the city council excluded from her comment? Rich E. 2010-12-06T23:15:27Z Rich E. comment-41773 2010-12-06T21:20:46Z 2010-12-06T21:20:46Z naga, quit with this "who do you think you are" crap. no one is telling rhonda how to think. i am merely pointing out that NOTHING moves in this city without either the city council approval or the city manager's approval. as it stands now, and as you support, the mayoral position is only one voice on a council; not a dictarorial position. to single out the mayor, in MY opinion, is irresponsible considering the city council, including the mayor, did this behind closed doors. but mrs. erwin chose to only point at the mayor, when the EIGHT other members of the council also had something to do with this. basically, put the blame on the ENTIRE city council and not just the mayor. is that so hard to understand? Rich E. 2010-12-06T21:20:46Z Rich E. comment-41770 2010-12-06T18:41:01Z 2010-12-06T18:41:01Z what i meant was if the grant is strictly for cameras, the city can't get the $650K and then spend it on cops. it has to go towards cameras. Rich E. 2010-12-06T18:41:01Z Rich E. comment-41765 2010-12-06T17:56:50Z 2010-12-06T17:56:50Z rhonda, this is by far your best article. i have nothing but praise for you and i 100% agree with EVERYTHING that you have written. and not that it matters, but i am so glad to see you address the city council as a complete unit instead of singling out any individual. it is the council as a group that did this behind closed doors, and that included the mayor. thank you again for a rousing article and i hope someone sends it to the council. Rich E. 2010-12-06T17:56:50Z Rich E. comment-41757 2010-12-06T13:41:43Z 2010-12-06T13:41:43Z the city council had to approve this as well, where is your venom towards them? Rich E. 2010-12-06T13:41:43Z Rich E. comment-41756 2010-12-06T13:39:47Z 2010-12-06T13:39:47Z rhonda, this isn't a mayoral issue and you know that. like everything that happens in government, the federal government dictates how the money can be spent. they can't spend the $650K on anything else because it is homeland security funds solely for the purpose of surveillance cameras. Rich E. 2010-12-06T13:39:47Z