Category: Politics

Homeowner refunds

If you’re a homeowner in city limits (on or before 1/1/06), make sure to check the Assessment District Refunds page at the city’s Website to see if you’ve got a refund coming your way. The county assessor’s site has a parcel viewer tool to look up your parcel number (if’n you ain’t got that memorizized. Something about dealing with the local gub’mint makes me want to talk like a hillbilly.) so you can look up your refund on a PDF document. (Ahh, technology–a super high tech asp.net web app to look up your number, but for the refunds info you need to Control-F on a PDF file.)

I didn’t get one, but there’s some pretty sweet government cheese to be had.

Getting informed

Sac Rag contributors and commenters certainly have a variety of opinions, and it seems most have fairly strong feelings regarding how local government should be run. My stance has always been to encourage people to learn as much as they can, to get in touch with their decision-makers to voice their opinions, write letters to the editor of newspapers, or possibly run for office themselves.

There are also courses offered through local jurisdictions and organizations that give citizens an up-close look at how things are run, why they’re run that way, and what it would take to make improvements. Here are three such programs for which you may consider applying:
Continue reading “Getting informed”

Joe Sun in the house (for now)

Apparently the City’s push to “revitalize” by marginalizing lower income folks extends beyond the arena deal. The city is attempting to push out Joe Sun, a longtime fixture of the K Street mall, so that the entire block can be sold to Joe Zeiden, owner of Z Gallerie, for redevelopment into high-end retail. (Note for the literal-minded: the patrons are “lower income,” not the owners: “Joe Sun & Co. has sold blue-collar work clothes to Sacramentans for 88 years”)

Now, I have no clue what commercial real estate is worth, so to me $15 million for that plot does seem ridiculously high. But I think it’s more ridiculous that the city, which has let K street stagnate for years, suddenly wants to force out a 30-year old family business to bring in a high end chain store. With blocks and blocks of empty storefronts down the street. It’s just really sad, is what it is.

Also, this must mean that Zeiden already owns “Records,” the used record store next door to Joe Sun. How sad!

You want me to vote where?

greenfair.jpg
Greenfair HOA building,
my old polling place

I’d like to open up this forum for people to bitch and complain about their polling places. Mine was moved from its usual location at the Greenfair community room on Broadway, a tranquil, tree-covered setting with ample parking, to the County primary care center on the corner of Stockton & Broadway.

Any other Tahoe Parkers out there ready to write to the local officials and ask for Greenfair back?
Continue reading “You want me to vote where?”

An endorsement with teeth

Politicians love endorsements, and I’d guess that supervisorial candidate Larry Carr is no exception. But I can’t imagine he’s feeling all that excited about having locked up the dog vote.

In fact, the news that he has came not from his campaign (which doesn’t even mention this on a rather long list of supporters), but rather from the Sacramento Dog Owners Group, which endorsed Carr because he “used to have a dog” and because he showed some support for SacDOG’s ongoing push for more off-leash recreation areas.

Still, with County dog owners likely outnumbering Bee subscribers — Carr picked up The Bee’s nod, too — maybe it’s not that bad an endorsement after all.

In defense of exit exams

I have a policy that I don’t lose my patience with people that serve me. Whether at the grocery store, a fast food joint, or even my dear La Fiesta, I understand that most jobs in the world suck. This afternoon, however, my patience was tested.

I phoned in a “to go” order to the Chili’s on Howe Avenue (’bout Arden, in the news by the way) this afternoon on my home from work. I arrived a bit early so I stood and people watched for the better part of 10 minutes. A nice, young girl came up to me and asked if I was waiting for my order. I nodded my head and she informed me it would be about 5 more minutes. No big. So then proceeded to ring up my order. “$21.83, please” she said.
Continue reading “In defense of exit exams”

Heckasac on Fargo

Beckler’s comments on the newest proposal for K street revitalization are spot on. I wholeheartedly endorse her use of the F word. Fargo is endorsing making K street “unique,” and here’s what Beckler has to say about that:

Well, if by “unique” you mean “copying another city’s idea” I guess you could say it’s unique to try to make our town look like the Holy Grail of revitalized downtowns.

You know what was unique? That mural on the inside of the entrance to the Tower Records on K Street. I haven’t been down there much lately–is the mural still there?

Republicans Thinking Sacramento in ’08?

The GOP National Committee wants Sacramento to put in a bid for the 2008 convention. Depending on your political persuasion, possible punchlines include:

  • “Hide the gays and environmentalists.”
  • “Are there enough cameras in town for both John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger to attend?”
  • “Why are we being punished?”

(Note: I’m actually militantly moderate to a fault. But you can’t ignore partisan set-ups like that.)

Will pump iron for cash

AP reported today that Governor Schwarzenegger will need to do some serious heavy lifting over the next year if he will stand a chance of re-election. While Phil Angelides and Steve Westly have $17 and $24 million (respectively) in their warchests, the Governor is in the red with a negative balance of more than $300,000. Over the next year, we can expect Arnold to spend more time passing the hat than passing ideas to the legislature, which might just be a good thing for California. I personally believe that the answer to his financial troubles lies in a little known script called “Junior, junior.” Pure gold!

Vote for Pete

Some of you may have heard that former congressman Pete McCloskey, 78, is coming out of retirement to challenge Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, for Republican nomination for the congressional seat. While it’s cool that this dude is fired up enough at 78 years old to get back in the ring to right some wrongs, what I found especially compelling about this story is the way he’s going about it. If anyone saw this piece on the news the other night, you’d know what I’m talking about. His signs, for example:

“In my campaign, we don’t pay very much. My mother-in-law made up these posters last night. I think there are other things than money that win elections,” McCloskey said.

You can get an idea of what he’s talking about in this photo I “borrowed” from KCRA (expressed written consent be damned, the Rag keeps it real, too!).

Oh, and did you read Pete’s quote closely? His mother-in-law whipped those signs up for him…dude is 78! Now that’s something to vote for…