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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Sacramento Press / Mayor Kevin Johnson's use of private/public partnerships raises questions about transparency

Sacramento Press / Mayor Kevin Johnson's use of private/public partnerships raises questions about transparency:


Mayor Kevin Johnson's use of private/public partnerships raises questions about transparency

I'm just taking out the trash

Sacramento Democratic party chairwoman Kerri Asbury's call for city probe into use of office space in City Hall by nonprofits run by Mayor Kevin Johnson started a predictable row between the two, but it also raised important questions about the role these nonprofits play in public policy and the degree to which they are subject to the same type of transparency and accountability we expect from government.
That at least, was my take away after taking to Sacramento Bee Reporter Ryan Lillis (@Ryan_Lillis) and City Councilman Steve Cohn in Wednesday's Sac Press Live chat.
The mayor has organized a group of nonprofits to focus on areas he has designated as priorities, with Think Big, a nonprofit focused on the search for a downtown arena and promoting downtown development, being the most visible example. Others include Greenwise, which focuses on developing clean technology and For Arts Sake, a