KJ: SACRAMENTO CAN"T AFFORD WORLD CLASS
It’s far less contentious than another idea to boost working families – raising the city’s minimum wage. A task force launched last week by Mayor Kevin Johnson is studying the pros and cons, but business groups are warning of disaster if Sacramento follows the lead of Los Angeles and San Francisco, both headed to $15 an hour.
“Friday Night Lights” is one of my favorite TV series of all time. Don’t get me started on how it didn’t get the audience or critical acclaim it deserved. If you’re a fan as well, you’ve memorized the rallying cry of the fictional Texas high school football team: “Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose!”
It’s a pretty good philosophy for life – and for public policy. “Clear eyes” means having a vision, but also recognizing reality. “Full hearts” means having compassion for the less fortunate, but also the courage to do big things. “Can’t lose” means overcoming hurdles to accomplish important goals.
I’ve been thinking that Sacramento City Hall could do a lot worse than follow the motto. The city is showing “full hearts” by helping poor families pay higher garbage fees. To partly offset increases that hit customers July 1, the city is expanding an assistance program that will reduce solid waste charges by $12. A family could save $156 a year on its utility bill – not a ton, but better than nothing.
It’s far less contentious than another idea to boost working families – raising the city’s minimum wage. A task force launched last week by Mayor Kevin Johnson is studying the pros and cons, but business groups are warning of disaster if Sacramento follows the lead of Los Angeles and San Francisco, both headed to $15 an hour.
“Clear eyes” is especially important when it comes to two big-dollar projects on the horizon – a new performing arts center and a convention center expansion.
Though boosters hope the city will build both, there’s no firm plan to pay for either. I’m skeptical that Sacramento can afford them, and I’m not convinced they’re needed.
First up is a decision on whether to build a brand new arts center – or renovate the 41-year-old Community Center Theater. Because the city is basically tapped out, that determination will depend on whether there’s enough private money out there.
A task force is working with the city’s staff and the mayor’s office to produce a financing plan to build a $200 million arts center, plus cover a $1.4 million annual operating subsidy. In May, the task force presented a preferred design for a 2,200-seat theater and identified sites near Memorial Auditorium and near Crocker Art Museum.
Most arts groups say a modern center is far better than spending as much as $50 million to fix the Community Center Theater, which critics call an ugly relic. It certainly isn’t as glitzy as the Mondavi Center at UC Davis or the Harris Center at Folsom Lake College.
Sacramento’s ballet, opera and philharmonic hope a sparkling new venue will help reverseFoon Rhee: ‘Clear eyes’ on big projects | The Sacramento Bee:
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