Podcasts about sacramentans

Send us a textIn this episode, Bailey and I talk about how much we appreciate Sacramento. A lot of people give Sacramento a lot of crap, especially the people we grew up with in high school, but it's got its quirks and perks. So, we'll share some of our favorite things, but some of our gripes as well. We both moved here when we were really young but have been here so long that we consider ourselves as true Sacramentans. All the good stuff: https://linktr.ee/thetalkativeintrovertTheme Song by Eugene (Mikie) Manalo: https://soundcloud.com/mikieika

What the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump says about political violence. How California is struggling to ensure guest workers have safe housing. Finally, Evangeline's in Old Sac celebrates 50 years of business. Trump Assassination Attempt and Political Violence The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania is not the first instance of political violence in the United States. But nearly one-third of Americans believe such violence is justified. Dr. Garen Wintemute, emergency medicine physician and Director of the California Firearm Violence Research Center joins Insight to talk about the implications of political violence, and what the weekend's shooting could mean for the country's future. California Guest Worker Housing Violations is a CalMatters California Divide Reporter covering inequality. Her latest piece found that the number of agricultural guest workers has risen dramatically in California. But state regulators have struggled to ensure that farms are providing safe housing to their workers. Felicia is joined by Antonio Bravo, an agricultural guest worker from Mexico who detailed unsafe conditions while working in Salinas. CalMatters is a nonprofit newsroom that partners with public media stations across the state. Evangeline's Turns 50 A famous gift and costume shop in Old Sacramento is celebrating 50 years of business this year. Evangeline's Costume Mansion first opened in 1974, and has provided generations of Sacramentans with eccentric novelties, toys, Halloween costumes and more. Evangeline's owner Deborah Chaussé talks about the story's history, and how they're celebrating this anniversary throughout July.

Benjy Egel became the The Sacramento Bee's food and drink reporter in 2018. For the next five years, he watched the city's culinary scene blossom, attracting Michelin stars and James Beard Award nominations. Egel's reporting drew more than 1,000 new subscribers to The Bee who wanted to learn the latest about Sacramento's new cultural heartbeat.Sacramentans' love for the city's local restaurants inspired Egel to write “Sacramento Eats: Recipes from the Capital Region's Favorite Restaurants." The cookbook not only highlights the city's award-winning chefs, it also includes their recipes so that readers can prepare their favorite dishes at home.Egel recently wrote a piece for Better News on how other news organizations can create a regional keepsake that drives revenue toward their newsroom. Egel discusses that with host Michael O'Connell on this week's Better News podcast. Read the full study.The Better News podcast is a partnership between It's All Journalism and the American Press Institute to a) showcase innovative/experimental ideas that emerge from the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and b) share replicable strategies and tactics that benefit the news industry as a whole. Sign up for the Better News newsletter to receive news about the latest resources, case studies, and insights. For more news about the IAJ podcast, sign up for the weekly IAJ newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Benjy Egel became the The Sacramento Bee's food and drink reporter in 2018. For the next five years, he watched the city's culinary scene blossom, attracting Michelin stars and James Beard Award nominations. Egel's reporting drew more than 1,000 new subscribers to The Bee who wanted to learn the latest about Sacramento's new cultural heartbeat. Sacramentans' love for the city's local restaurants inspired Egel to write “Sacramento Eats: Recipes from the Capital Region's Favorite Restaurants." The cookbook not only highlights the city's award-winning chefs, it also includes their recipes so that readers can prepare their favorite dishes at home. Egel recently wrote a piece for Better News on how other news organizations can create a regional keepsake that drives revenue toward their newsroom. Egel discusses that with host Michael O'Connell on this week's Better News podcast. Read the full study. The Better News podcast is a partnership between It's All Journalism and the American Press Institute to a) showcase innovative/experimental ideas that emerge from the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and b) share replicable strategies and tactics that benefit the news industry as a whole. Sign up for the Better News newsletter to receive news about the latest resources, case studies, and insights. For more news about the IAJ podcast, sign up for the weekly IAJ newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the episode you've all been waiting for, maybe.    Join the co-hosts as they get into the already spicy 2024 mayoral race. Who's running? Who's making the establishment start in their britches?   Thanks to Be Brave Bold Robot for our theme tunes, may you hum it whilst showering.   Thanks for listening, defund the police, and, as always find the hosts tweeting on the X bird @ShanNDStevens & Gabe (go ahead and try to find him).   Thanks for supporting us, or whatever.    Support us on Patreon to help us keep the lights on: Patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ on Thursday at 6 PM, and again on Fridays at 8 AM.    If you require a transcript of our show, please reach out to shannon@voicesrivercity.com, and we'll make it happen.

We are in our changing era, it's true, but some things will always stay the same, so here we are to talk about balls.    In this episode, we talk about Supervisor Phil Serna's recent Facebook rant & Councilmember Sean Loloee's laundry list of malfeasance. We love to see elected officials having a normal one all the time.    Thanks for listening, and, as always: defund the police.    Twitter: @ShanNDStevens & Gabe (who is not on the bird).   Support us on Patreon to help us keep the lights on: patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ on Thursdays at 6 pm, and again on Fridays at 8 am.   If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to shannon@voicesrivercity.com, and we'll make it happen.

Today we're discussing Sacramento City Council's undemocratic processes in the form of their subcommittees. We're taking a look at the Law and Legislature Committee, and how conservatives like council members Lisa Kaplan and Eric Guerra can throw a wrench into the process of helping renters thanks on their funding from real estate and landlord interests. Thanks for listening and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen.

It's a big ol' brand new season of VOICES: River City, and we are feeling so good.  Today we're talking about some interesting new battles in Sacramento, with District Attorney Thien Ho threatening to put Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Councilmember Katie Valenzuela in jail because they're not being cruel enough to our unhoused neighbors near his courthouse and jail. Poor fella. On the other end of the spectrum Sacramento Homeless Union leader and friend of the show Crystal Sanchez successfully sued the city of Sacramento to cease its violent homeless sweeps until mid-August, due to extreme heat conditions and the city violating their "bodily integrity." The city, of course, ignored the federal court order and performed at least two sweeps after the ruling.  It's shaping up to be a litigious autumn at city hall this year, which is perhaps why city council decided to pass the buck on homelessness to City Manager Howard Chan, who is totally trustworthy and doesn't have a long history of violence against the unhoused community.  Thanks for listening and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen.

On today's episode, Mario rants about how small Sacramento is and how you can end up dating you exes co-worker. your reputation is important, the dynamic in all relationship are important personal or professional. Remember to comport yourself knowing that all actions have consequences. Mari speak on her up and coming Europe vacation, instructions on never touch the kings guard, learning temporary French. Thank you Josh Jorin and cheat codes for the audio and video edit. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wearesacramento/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wearesacramento/support

In this episode. we feature an interview with our guest Dr. Cheryl Croshere.  Join us as we dive into the world of sustainable transportation with Cheryl, an advocate, researcher, and consultant. With a diverse academic background spanning women's studies, transportation planning, and cultural anthropology, Cheryl brings a unique perspective to the table.   Cheryl discusses her lifelong passion for sustainable transportation. Discover how she combines the power of data, storytelling, and genuine human connections to inspire individuals to envision a future with alternative modes of transportation.  As the Executive Director of the non-profit Sacramento and 50 Corridor Transportation Management Associations (TMA), Cheryl's current focus is on creating a groundbreaking travel behavior change program. Tune in to hear her vision of helping 100,000 Sacramentans drive a little less and experience a whole lot more joy and well-being. Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy! 

It's our last ep of the season! Beyond that, today we're discussing the rising concerns with Florida governor Ron Desantis sending undocumented folks to California, and our officials' responses. We also talk about the ridiculous right-wing frets over the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Are they really that bad? Thanks for listening and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen.

Today we do a fun little recap of the nazis who had been showing up to Sacramento City Council meetings in recent weeks, such as religious zealot Ryan Messano, Proud Boy Jeffrey Perrine, and "Scotty" from the dumbest white nationalist group in history. Oddly enough, when Sacramento community members showed up to remind the nazis that they weren't welcome in our city, they stopped coming to the meetings. We take a moment, however, to discuss how their hateful messaging has been popping up all around California, and how a woman associated with the far-right Moms of Liberty has been on a mission to put an end to rainbow crosswalks in Davis, CA, in anticipation of Pride Month. Should we expect more hatred in the coming weeks? Finally, we discuss an anachronistic piece written by former cop/former state assembly member (and current sheriff of Sacramento County) Jim Cooper, arguing for a redux of the drug war. Haven't we all been through enough? Thanks for listening and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen.

Today we discuss the massive win for unhoused Sacramentans in the Camp Resolution lease and, hopefully, how we can move with municipalities moving forward.   We also acknowledge the violence the county levied against our friends on the same day of this win, and what needs to be done about that.   Sacramento City Council's Law and Legislative Committee met this week to discuss further protections for tenants, and it went... okay.   Out in Chicago, leftist Brandon Johnson was elected mayor on an impressively progressive platform. We discuss the potential outcomes.   Thanks for listening and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we've got an incredibly long intro, wherein we revisit Dr. Flo's unorthodox approach to her friend's dating app strategy. We then dive into the horrible streak of deaths of unhoused Sacramentans taking place over the last few days during a time in which city council and--in particular--City Manager Howard Chan refused to open up respite centers during a horrific timeline of inclement weather. Will anyone be held accountable? Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

A lot is happening right now in Sacramento regarding trans rights, and not in a good way. On Friday, March 10, a group run by far-right Canadian Jordan Peterson and Chloe Cole is holding a "detransition" rally alongside the California Republican Convention. In response, Sacramento residents will be showing up to let them know that anti-trans folks are not welcome in our streets. And on Tuesday, March 14, UC-Davis will be hosting Charlie Kirk, the far-right founder of Tea Party USA who recently said of the trans community that "someone should have just took care of it the way we used to take care of things in the 1950s." Chancellor Gary May believes Kirk should be allowed to speak on campus on First Amendment grounds. Others disagree. We're talking with friend of the show Evan Minton on these concerning local events, and on what Sacramentans can expect later this month on the Trans Day of Awareness.  Want to support the trans community in Sacramento? Now's a great time to start! Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Every couple of months or so, a rich person in California decides "enough is enough" on our homelessness crisis, and believes that they will be the one to spur the state into action.   Last month, that rich person happened to be billionaire partner at Sequoia Capital/San Francisco resident Michael Moritz, who has thrown millions of dollars into local elections to hamstring progressive initiatives to get folks into housing and connected to services. For some reason, his gripes about San Francisco ended up in print some 3,000 miles away, in the pages of the New York Times.   In the coming days, a number of Bay Area outlets wrote deft take-downs of Moritz's fact-free missive. Our favorite was the one by Joe Eskenazi in Mission Local. We take a moment to discuss this tired trend of billionaires spouting the same nonsense ad nauseam.   Oh, and did you hear? Sacramento's District 5 city council member Caity Maple held something of a town hall in response to residents' anger over the fact that she ran for office on a platform of demilitarizing the police, and then upon gaining office promptly voted to give Sac PD a tank.   There's no video available of the meeting, but journalists Tess Townsend and Robin Epley covered the bases quite well on Twitter.   We also take a moment to discuss the second failed recall attempt against District 4 council member Katie Valenzuela by angry rich folks. Funny how they tried to bury the lede by announcing their candidate to run against her in 2024 the day before news of the lame recall effort dropped.   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we're discussing a phenomenon we've noticed in recent weeks since business ghouls and their East Sacramento toadies began to publicize an ADA lawsuit against the region's unhoused community, wherein they are attempting to pit folks with disabilities against folks without homes (as if there isn't a massive overlap between the two communities). We discuss the potential effects of that, as well as another new tactic for the state to commit violence against residents who have next to nothing: Government officials are now regularly using inclement weather as a reason to push unhoused folks out of the places they've come to call home. This week, park rangers are pushing folks out of the "island" encampment in Sacramento--without offering any semblance of shelter--under the guise of public health. The crew ends the episode with Dr. Flo sharing her expertise on what it means for Californians now that state and federal COVID emergency declarations are finally coming to an end. Is it time to celebrate? To hide? Tune in to learn more! Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Longtime California Senator Dianne Feinstein has finally announced that she will not be running for reelection in 2024.   And it's no surprise. Folks around her have for years whispered concerns over the 89-year-old senator's "rapidly decreasing" memory and increasing "befuddlement."    We take a moment to discuss Feinstein's long political career, that included nearly a decade as mayor of San Francisco, the trauma of finding her colleague Harvey Milk after he was shot by a disgraced politician, and working diligently to make public the CIA's illegal torture techniques in the Iraq war.   So what's next? We take a look at the three biggest contenders for California's open Senate seat: representatives Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.   Oh, and remember when Sacramento City Manager Howard Chan tried to shut down an 80-person Safe Ground site for unhoused folks in vulnerable situations, seemingly out of spite?   He was forced to take an L on that this week, reopening the site with 15 trailers with heating and air that will serve 45 people in need of housing.   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

If you follow Sacramento politics, you likely saw the backlash to Councilmember Caity Maple's vote to give the Sacramento Police Department a tank just two years after she launched a run for office on a platform of demilitarizing the police. In response, V:RC host Dr Flo wrote a brilliant, personal op-ed in the Sacramento Bee on the collective trauma that tanks in our police force can have on the community. And, of course, progressives and leftists were not happy with Councilmember Maple's vote. This week a group of people managed to shut the city council meeting down, sparking outrage from Sacramento's Very Serious People in the political consulting class. Rather than take accountability for her awful vote, Councilmember Maple this week published her own op-ed in the Bee, arguing that the tank she voted for was, in fact, a "tractor," and claiming that she was the true victim in the situation. Does that take hold any water? Put this episode in your ear-/eye-holes and find out. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we're turning to Dr Flo to give us the lowdown on the FDA's change in blood donation rules, and how they've loosened restrictions on gay and bisexual men. It's a good step forward on an archaic screening system. But they still haven't gone far enough. We then take a moment to discuss former Sacramento resident Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who was beaten and killed by police for no reason in Memphis, TN. How many times do we need to grieve these deaths before real systemic change takes place? How many more lives will be lost to murderous cops? Here in Sacramento, it appears that things have not changed at all, despite elections yielding a majority-women city council. Just one day after council members attended a vigil for Nichols, they proceeded to vote for the police to receive a $400,000 tank. Only council members Katie Valenzuela and Mai Vang voted against it. We recorded this episode a day early, so we did not know the result of the vote quite yet. You'll notice that we were far too optimistic in our guesses of how it would pan out. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.  

Today we discuss a couple of homelessness bills state Republicans are pushing forward, such as Roseville's Josh Hoover's push to make it illegal for just about anyone to sleep just about anywhere in a city or town in California.    We also take a moment for Robin Swanson, a conservative Democratic operative from East Sacramento who is quoted in the above story, and who appears to be pushing for some truly fascist policies against our unhoused neighbors.   We highly recommend a scroll through her tweets the last couple days: https://twitter.com/robin_swanson/with_replies   Is Robin really a concerned mother, or is she running a public campaign to rally folks for a challenger against Sacramento's current District 4 incumbent? One cannot trust these operatives.   Finally, we host a reading series on a baffling Fresno Bee editorial that tell us nothing and everything all at once.   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

It's the final V:RC episode before our winter break! To celebrate, we sat down at Bottle & Barlow to enjoy a few Tecates with lime and reflect on a very topsy-turvy year for progressives and leftists alike in the Sacramento region. The good: A massive showing of solidarity throughout leftist spaces in the region, a markedly more progressive city council, and Flo's hilarious tattoo story. The bad: Sacramento County's carceral system won out and will be funding a new downtown jail. The ridiculous: (You'll just have to tune in to find out.) See you Jan. 19, 2023, when we start up our fourth year of recording! Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we're discussing the new city-county agreement on homelessness that all the Very Serious People of Sacramento appear to be crowing over. But we've got a few questions. First of all, did we truly need an unconstitutional local measure to get the city and county to agree that they needed to work together on homelessness? Second, how much can we expect in the realm of 600 new shelter beds while over 9,000 of our neighbors are experiencing homelessness? Third, will our business "leaders" in Amanda Blackwood of the Sacramento Metro Chamber and Joshua Wood of Region Business be held accountable when their vile measure fails to do any good in the community? And what can we expect in a new Sacramento city council that appears to lean much further left than the one that pushed this measure onto the ballot just a few months ago? Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we're joined by the founders of Decarcerate Sacramento, Tifanei Moyer and Liz Blum, to discuss Sacramento County's proposed $250 million annex to the internationally despised downtown jail. Our cohost Flo actually co-wrote an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee with Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela on why this annex was shortsighted and wrong for the community. Before that, we talk with Tifanei about another fight she's been waging with the city of San Francisco. Turns out they want to have killer robots on staff in the police department. Because of course they do. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

A Sacramento man was arrested over the weekend for leveling serious threats against three young politicians--all women of color. Thankfully, councilmembers Katie Valenzuela and Mai Vang, as well as District 3 City Council Candidate Karina Talamantes, are all safe today. But this incident raises serious questions. This man was already on probation. So what took so long for our legal apparatus to respond? He was also clearly--and publicly--suffering from severe mental health issues. So where were the services he needed before he became a threat to these officials? Before we discuss that, however, we go over the win for the 50+ unhoused folks living in Sacramento's Camp Resolution. They'd been facing a Nov. 16 eviction, but thanks to community showing up at this week's city council meeting, they appear to be safe from sweeps for the time being. Special shout to the progressive council members who helped open the platform for commenters on Tuesday. Speaking of council members, Sean "Baby" Loloee visited Camp Resolution on Wednesday, vowing to come back around 10:30 am Thursday morning to have a chill little chat with the residents. But before doing that, he accused local journalists of being "guilty of crime," and claimed that they had "blood on [their] hands." So much for the tolerant grocer. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Happy election hangover.   If the NYT's Needle of Death is any indicator, the Republicans' much anticipated "red wave" did not materialize this year.   In fact, other than a GOP rout in Florida (which we should all come to expect at this point), Democrats appear to have kept their hold on the US Senate. They can thank progressives for that, with John Fetterman winning the Pennsylvania seat. Beyond that, the Squad added four new members in Congress, and four state governments are now in complete Democratic control.   Some folks like to get their election results in a timely manner. But not Californians.   Nevertheless, we take a moment to discuss the wins, losses and remaining questions for both California and Sacramento as the results continue to roll in.   What does it portend for us if Republican Patrick Hume defeats Jaclyn Moreno in the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors race? What does a potential majority-women city council mean for the city?    And--now that the elections are over--what's next for Sacramento?   We're joined by our friends Mack and Joyce to discuss the wonderful work being done at Camp Resolution, and why we need to defend it at all costs. Our unhoused neighbors are fighting back against violent sweeps, and they could use your help.   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we're discussing a very important election in California's District 8 state Senate race. In particular, we're looking at how awful of a candidate Angelique Ashby is proving herself to be: Just this week Ashby found herself facing a corruption scandal for gifting city-owned Roger Waters tickets to union leadersin what appears to be a bid for their favor in her race. Ashby fashions herself a feminist, but has a peculiar history of not supporting Black women running for office. When a woman came forward saying that former Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson had sexually abused her as a child, Angelique kept quiet. And when more allegations rolled in? Crickets. We also discuss Ashby's opponent, Dave Jones, and why he is the one fit for the Senate job. Unlike Ashby, Jones doesn't have Big Oil spending millions in the race. He's also endorsed by Planned Parenthood, and has a proven record of working to find housing for unsheltered Sacramentans. The choice is clear for us. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes  

Last year, Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg and his council members approved a comprehensive homeless shelter siting plan that included 20 sites to be located throughout the city. Today? Not a single one of those sites is in operation, and the region's unsheltered population is at unprecedented levels. One silver lining is that the city appears to be pivoting from its failed shelter plan to a renewed focus on building affordable housing with the help of state and federal funding. Just this week they approved some 820 affordable units to be built throughout the city in the next two years. Could it be that the city is actually listening to advocates? Likely not. On Monday, officials swept some 1,000 people from their campsites without offering shelter or services. And they've got plenty more punitive measures in the works. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we're joined by our friend Keyan Bliss to discuss the racism ingrained in the halls of the City of Sacramento, and the ridiculous games that take place to preserve it. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Hey listeners/viewers!   We're discussing California and local elections, using the Sac Sister Circle/BWOPA Voter Guide as our cornerstone.   We'll go from national to state to local. Enjoy:   "They Already Won" Speed Round (national and statewide) National - US Senate - Alex Padilla (Loser: Mark Meuser - GOP) - US Rep D6 - Ami Bera (Loser: Tamika Hamilton - GOP) - US Rep D7 - Doris Matsui (Loser: Max Semenenko - GOP) One national race worth discussing - US Reps D3 (D-33.28%, R-38.09%, NPP-19.57%) DEM - Kermit Jones (underdog) GOP - Kevin Kiley Statewide - Governor - Gavin Newsom (Loser: Brian Dahle - GOP) - Lt Governor - Eleni Kounalakis (Loser: Angela Underwood Jacobs - GOP) - Secy of State - Dr Shirley Weber (Loser: Rob Bernosky - GOP) - Treasurer - Fiona Ma (Loser: Jack Guerrero - GOP) - Insurance Commissioner - Ricardo Lara (Loser: Robert Howell - GOP) - State Superintendent of Schools - Tony Thurmond (Loser - Lance Ray Christensen) Maybe close, maybe not? (State) - Controller  DEM - Malia Cohen GOP - Lanhee Chen (Chen, oddly, has a bunch of endorsements from papers, such as the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee and the San Jose Mercury News)   STATE PROPOSITIONS 1 - Reproductive Rights  26 - Sports wagering on tribal lands  27 - Sports betting for homeless revenue  28 - Additional funding for arts and music ed in schools  29 - On-site professionals at kidney dialysis clinics  30 - Tax the rich (over $2 million/year) for programs to reduce air pollution/wildfires 31 - Flavored tobacco/menthol ban   State Senate/Assembly Senate D6 (D-35.65%, R-35.84%, NPP-20.35%) DEM - Paula Villescaz  GOP - Roger Niello D8 DEM - Dave Jones  DEM - Angelique AshbyAssembly D6 (D-50.68%, R-20.37%) DEM - Kevin McCarty  GOP - Cathy Cook D7 (D-38.00%, R-32.48%, NPP-21.05%) DEM - Ken Cooley GOP - Josh Hoover D10  DEM - Eric Guerra  DEM - Stephanie Nguyen   SACRAMENTO COUNTY/CITY OF SACRAMENTO MEASURES  COUNTY A -  Sales tax for roads  B - Pot tax for homeless services  D - Low income housing, a la SHRA  CITY L - Pot tax for schools  M - Unmixing redistricting mix-up N - Easing tourism tax for community use  O - Terrorizing unhoused community    ELECTIONS COUNTY Sac County Board of Supes District 5 (D-43.95%, R-27.00%, NPP-21.76%) DEM - Jaclyn Moreno GOP - Patrick Hume CITY Sacramento City Council D1 Lisa Kaplan  Alyssa Lozano D3 Michael Lynch  Karina Talamantes D5 Caity Maple  Tamiko Heim   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we're joined by Sacramento City Council candidate for District 5, Caity Maple. Maple is perhaps best known as one of the cofounders of Sacramento SOUP, an organization that worked overtime during the pandemic to provide much needed services for unhoused people that the city, county and state weren't making available. We discuss Maple's relationship to homelessness why it's such a big driver in her efforts, and how she landed as a No on Sacramento's Measure O. Caity's got a big struggle ahead. Her opponent, Tamiko Heim, has taken tens of thousands of dollars from the real estate industry, landlords, corporate interests and police unions. These same groups spent some $200,000 against Maple in the primary election on independent expenditures. So, who will win the District 5 race? Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Thursdays at 6 pm and again Fridays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Though she will no longer be on the Sacramento City Council dais come January, District 1's Angelique Ashby (flanked by District 3's Jeff Harris and the people who led the failed recall against District 4's Katie Valenzuela) held a press conference in wealthy East Sacramento's McKinley Park to champion an ordinance banning homeless camps within 500 feet of schools. Will this have any effect on the homelessness crisis? Of course not. But Ashby--who is lagging badly in her California Senate race--will do whatever she can for a headline these days. Even if that means terrorizing our unhoused neighbors. We also discuss the recent string of shootings in Sacramento, and what is being done to curb gun violence in the city. Remember when America's Landlord Steve Maviglio went on a racist, xenophobic tirade against Councilmember Valenzuela after the Midtown shooting? Why was he so silent in the ensuing days, when gun violence rocked the districts of council members Sean Loloee, Jeff Harris and Jay Schenirer? Sacramento's police have never been more well funded or more heavily armed than they are today. And yet gun violence persists. That's because the police don't actually exist to prevent crime. They just respond to it. Yet our very conservative council members continue to try to defund the social programs that can actually curb violence in the community. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

We're back! (And we now publish on Thursdays.) This week we're discussing the farm workers bill facing Governor Gavin Newsom that could make or break a potential run for the presidency in 2024. After vetoing similar legislation in 2021, Newsom once more must decide on what to do with a bill that would allow California's farm workers to vote by mail in their unionization efforts. This time, the whole country is watching, thanks to organizing efforts by the historic United Farm Workers of America. Dozens of UFW members, alongside many allies, followed the footsteps of co-founder César Chávez and marched some 350 miles last month from Delano to Sacramento. All told, the trip took over three weeks with multiple days of triple-digit heat. Now they're camped outside the Capitol, and they're not leaving until Newsom signs their bill. The governor has shown signs that he wants to protect his Big Ag colleagues (his own winery just bought a $14.5 million vineyard in Napa) and veto the bill once more. But Democrats with more power are now leaning on him to sign it. That includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris, and even President Joe Biden himself. Would a second veto ruin his chances for a 2024 presidential run? And even if he does spike the bill, does he think UFW won't be back next year with even more support? Read the room, Gavin. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

The inaugural Oak Park Black Film Festival kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 7 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 11 in the historic Guild Theatre in Sacramento's Oak Park.Designed to share the voices of Black filmmakers with Sacramentans, the festival will showcase a mix of short and feature-length films with some of the filmmakers involved as well as some of the people who lived the stories of the films in attendance for discussion after some of the screenings. On this episode of the Visit Sacramento Podcast, Cassandra Jennings, President and CEO of St. Hope, shares the reason for the festival, the types of films, and why you should attend.

Sacramento City Councilmember Sean Loloee continued his personal war against affordable housing last week in spectacular fashion, claiming repeatedly that a proposed 124-unit apartment building for low-income residents in his district would "destroy a community," and then arguing with Mayor Darrell Steinberg. This simple item on the consent calendar--which was nothing more than a nod to the nonprofit developer to apply for $5.7 million in grants so that city residents wouldn't have to foot the bill--should have taken no more than a couple of minutes to pass. But Loloee harnessed the NIMBY rage of Woodlake homeowners to drag the item on for nearly two hours. The item passed, but just barely. Councilmembers Angelique Ashby, Jeff Harris and Mai Vang voted against the money, showing that the future of affordable housing in Sacramento rests on a razor's edge. Guest host/librarian Tibby also shares a bit about her new show, The At Home Librarian Podcast, which she hosts with her educator friend Alexis. We also discuss the formation of the Community Care First Sacramento Coalition, a collection of organizations advocating that Sacramento County's budget actually serves the people of the region. You can join them at 12:30 on Wednesday, June 8 at 700 H Street for their Budget Action and Brunch event before the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors meets to discuss the county budget. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Episode 125 Notes and Links to Jamil Jan Kochai's Work       On Episode 125 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Jamil Jan Kochai, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early relationship with languages and reading, an early fascination with Harry Potter, his family's proud histories and storytelling legacies, Jamil's hoop skills, his book 99 Nights and Logar and its allegory and realism, its connections to contemporary Afghan history, as well as his recent “love letter to his father” in The New Yorker.       Jamil Jan Kochai is the author of 99 Nights in Logar (Viking, 2019), a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. He was born in an Afghan refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, but he originally hails from Logar, Afghanistan. His short stories and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Ploughshares, and The O. Henry Prize Stories 2018. Currently, he is a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University.  Jamil Jan Kochai's Website   Preorder The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories   “Jamil Jan Kochai on Résumés as Stories” from The New Yorker, May 2022   “Occupational Hazards”-Short Story-from May 2022, The New Yorker   At about 1:40, Jamil and Pete discuss NBA loyalties as fellow Sacramentans    At about 2:30, Pete shouts out some unique description from Jamil's 99 Nights in Logar   At about 4:05, Jamil gives background on his family roots in Logar, Afghanistan and Peshawar, Pakistán, as well as how amorphous borders have affected loyalties and pride    At about 7:00, Jamil describes his childhood moves and family circumstances that led to his family laying down roots in California, as well as his relationship with language     At about 9:15, Alice Norman Elementary and Mrs. Long are shouted out as huge parts of Jamil learning and loving the English language   At about 10:20, Jamil responds to Pete's questions about the roles of lore, stories, and storytellers in his life   At about 12:30, Jamil lists books and writers that captivated and inspired him from an early age, as well as ideas of escape and fantasy-entering a “new world”   At about 16:25, Pete wonders about “generations” of Afghan immigrants, Khaled Hosseini's impact on a younger Jamil, and Jamil's current view of The Kite Runner   At about 19:30, Jamil compares The Kite Runner to a seminal book in his life, One Hundred Years of Solitude   At about 21:20, Jamil discusses ideas of pressure that may come with being seen as a representative of Afghan/Afghan-American cultures At about 24:00, Pete asks Jamil about “the white gaze” and feedback and thought process that went along with not translating many words from the book   At about 29:35, Pete and Jamil fanboy about Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jamil details One Hundred Years of Solitude importance to him, in addition to listing 1984 and Native Son and other formative texts   At about 31:40, Jamil does an almost perfect job in recounting the iconic opening line of One Hundred Years of Solitude   At about 34:10-35:50, Pete and Jamil sing the praises of Jess Walter, as both a writer and baller    At about 35:50, Jamil diagnoses his own basketball game in a detailed scouting report   At about 36:50, Pete asks a followup question regarding Jamil's growth and awareness as a writer and “ ‘Eureka' moments,” including early work done in high school English classes   At about 41:40, Jamil shouts out some standout Italo Calvino work   At about 43:10, Pete speaks of pitch for a future article    At about 43:40, Pete fanboys over “The Gospel According to Mark” by Borges    At about 45:25, Jamil responds to Pete's questions about the two epigraphs for 99 Nights in Logar    At about 50:00, Jamil focuses on the Kipling epigraph in describing his objectives and challenges in writing 99 Nights in Logar    At about 51:40, Jamil traces the evolution of Budabash as a character and symbol in    At about 54:00, Jamil responds to Pete's questions about Marwand as a musafir and the book as charting an ephemeral journey         At about 56:00, Jamil explains his mindset about giving Marwand “agency,” including how his writing training prepared him for writing about agency   At about 59:40, Pete summarizes the moving story of Marwand's uncle   At about 1:00:50, Jamil provides background on the genesis and role of “The Thief,” an intriguing character from the book   At about 1:06:00, Jamil and Pete discuss the history of Afghanistan that is incorporated into the novel, including how Jamil finessed this history in a way that “benefited the story itself”   At about 1:09:05, Jamil describes the significance and real-world links to a scene from the book involving an uncovering of bones   At about 1:10:40, Pete and Jamil ruminate on praise for his writing from Jesmyn Ward   At about 1:11:10, Pete and Jamil discuss Jamil's recent publication from The New Yorker, “Occupational Hazards”   At about 1:14:50, Jamil highlights his upcoming collection of short stories and highlights local bookstores as great places to buy his books-Bookshop.org and The Indie Book Store, among others     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.  This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 126 with Kevin Owens, a veteran of overseas professional basketball and a current teacher and basketball coach. He is an entrepreneur and founder of Overseas Famous LLC, a multimedia platform created to give athletes playing abroad a voice. These stories provide a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on with overseas sports. His 2021 book is called Overseas Famous. While he had the name first, he is now the second most popular Kevin Owens in the world.     The episode will air on June 7. 

The Biden administration on Monday eased American restrictions on Cuba, but Cuban officials were strong in their position that these were simply baby steps to a true relationship. We're joined today by Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela to discuss her recent trip to Cuba--a country where healthcare is free and housing is a human right. Valenzuela was in the Caribbean to meet with workers from all over the globe to discuss how solidarity can be fostered throughout the world. We also dispel a lot of American talking points on Cuba. The American government talks about Cuban "terrorism." Let's not forget about Cubana Air flight 455 in 1976, a clear act of American terrorism against a commercial flight that killed 73 people. Finally, we have an initial discussion on this year's budget. After everything Sacramentans have gone through, and everything they've asked for, are we still going to add money to our police department? Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we talk with Liz Blum, Campaign Coordinator (and co-founder) of Decarcerate Sacramento, a coalition dedicated to lowering the number of people incarcerated in the Sacramento region through public health tactics. Central to today's discussion is a push to increase public support for a new, successful Public Defender's Pretrial Support Program over the current  punitive Probation program, which has a markedly less successful recidivism rate (by a factor of six) below what public health advocates and experts are presently recommending to the council. We also discuss the two pushes over the last three years from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department to increase the corrections infrastructure. Twice, Decarcerate Sacramento has beaten them, but they are vigilant of a third effort.  Finally, we touch on a Wednesday morning demonstration by Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) to encourage Governor Gavin Newsom to continue decarcerating the state of California.  Will he keep doing what is right? Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we discuss the story of Jordan McGowan, a beloved history teacher at Rio Tierra Junior High who is being targeted by his district for telling the truth.   This man was chair of the History and Social Science Department. He was the school's boys basketball coach. He was advisor of the Black student union. Everyone loved him.   So why is he in the process of being fired? We discuss.   We also cover the horrific push by the region's liberals to sweep our unhoused neighbors from the American River Parkway.    Liberals and conservatives, as we increasingly find, do not care for our neighbors who do not own property.   When will the people fight back?   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Conflict is brewing at the Sacramento City Unified School District, where members of the teacher's union (SCTA) and other school district workers (represented by SEIU 1021) are planning to strike Wednesday, if the school board does not adequately address their concerns. The demands from the unions are a little complicated, but after they were reviewed by a three-person panel that included a representative appointed by the district, a representative appointed by the teachers union and an independent member, the panel found their demands to be more than reasonable. Signaling that they were fine with the strike moving forward, the district refused to meet with the unions this past weekend. They agreed to meet with teachers on Monday afternoon and, in an astounding snub to the rest of the district's workers, pushed back any negotiations with SEIU 1021 until March 30--a full six school days into the strike.   The SCUSD school board appears reluctant to speak with press--they even snubbed the student journalists at CK McClatchy!--curious Sacramentans can always learn their reasoning by looking to the board's mouthpiece: McClatchy's California Opinion Editor, Marcos Breton.   (Oh, and just for fun: Here's the superintendent's pay.)   Speaking of unions, it appears that SEIU 1000 has finally extricated president Richard Louis Brown from its headquarters after he and a gaggle of supporters took the building two weekends ago, changed the locks, and proceeded to wreak havoc. Not only that, a Sacramento Superior Court judge has ordered him to respect his temporary suspension and to stop exercising his powers as president of the mammoth union.   What's next in these two big labor stories? Only time will tell.   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

​Three opponents of California's State Capitol Annex Project join host Scott Syphax to discuss why Sacramentans should care whether the building is restored and rehabilitated or torn down and replaced. Featuring representative Richard F. Cowan of Public Accountability for our Capitol, Paula Peper of Save Our Capitol!, and Mark Hulbert of Preservation Architecture.

Today we're joined by Sacramento Bee opinion writer Robin Epley, who discusses a recent piece she wrote on the importance of Sacramento County keeping the Project Roomkey motel program for people experiencing homelessness, which is sure to keep hundreds of people under a roof.   While it is a good thing that Project Roomkey will continue to serve Sacramentans, it should never have been in danger of closing in the first place.   Homelessness is getting to be a bigger issue in the region, as Robin and Yousef Baig noted last week, and it's past time for the county and city to work in tandem on the issue. If they don't, folks in the community will start to take their own initiative. And it won't always be pretty.   For instance, some awful folks in McKinley Village are trying to muster up a recall campaign against Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, using their own brand of vile anti-homeless rhetoric.    We're also taking some time to discuss the new participatory budgeting initiative that the city of Sacramento is getting behind, which is a massive win for the People's Budget.   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Putin's attack on Ukraine continues, with refugee numbers soaring as Russian troops work to take the country's major urban centers, including the capital city, Kiev. In discussing the effects of this war, we focus a bit on how Americans have been responding. One opinion editor has demanded that Republicans take a hard stance on Putin. Republicans are trying to pin the crisis on Democrats with rising gas prices. Many liberal hawks are hammering the war drums on social media, with the political director of California Young Democrats appearing to suggest that leftists support Putin. Perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise in a country like ours, where most people believe that Russia is either a socialist or communist nation. (In fact, just like the United States of America, Russia is a capitalist oligarchy, and has been for three decades.) Oh, and just about everyone jumped in to attack the Democratic Socialists of America's statement condemning the war. Some other topics we touch on:   - Media messaging/censorship both in the US and abroad - Racism against non-white refugees fleeing the violence - Racist double-standards with media/public responses to wars in the Middle East or Africa, compared to Ukraine (watch this clip)   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you, @aolbites Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost was caught on Telegram planning anti-vaccine protests with far-right groups such as the Freedom Angels, the Mamalitia, and the violent Proud Boys. After a local activist outed Frost, she claimed to know nothing about the kind of people she was cavorting with on the messaging app that commonly attracts reactionary fringe groups. But folks who pay attention to the supervisor know she has a history of peddling conspiracy theories and standing alongside these kinds of people. Speaking of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, a grand jury recently called the governing body out for playing shell games with federal CARES Act funding meant to be used for public health purposes at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.   This is the same county that, today, is planning to close three Project Roomkey locations currently sheltering hundreds of unhoused Sacramentans. Can anything be done?   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you, @aolbites Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we discuss the nuances between city and county jurisdictions--using some of our all-time favorites as examples--in a bid to better understand who runs what in our region. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today we're joined by friend of the show Jackie Fielder, who shocked California with her 2020 state Senate run flanking Anthony Wiener from the left. The arc of today's discussion covers the growing importance of the chasm between the state Democratic Party's moderates and progressives. Jackie also talks with us about her new political action committee, Daybreak PAC, and how she hopes to help change the state's political landscape with it. So far for 2022, Daybreak is supporting four progressive candidates for state Assembly: David Campos - AD 17 - This district is DEM +59.7, and Campos will be running against the San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Matt Haney, among others. Jennifer Esteen - AD 20 - At DEM +42.7, this is another blue stronghold, but the labor leader will surely give Democratic incumbent Bill Quirk a run for his money. Pilar Schiavo - AD 38 - This district is only DEM +5.1, but Schiavo has serious labor support in her endeavor to take down Republican Suzette Valladares to claim what was once Democrat Christy Smith's seat. Fatima Iqbal-Zubair - AD 64 - A science teacher who cares deeply about the adverse health effects of fossil fuels on kids in this DEM +53.1 district, Fatima is dead-set on winning this seat from moderate Democrat Mike Gipson. Is this the start of something big for California's greater Left? Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune, @guillotine4you, @aolbites Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity   Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. If you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Today on our podcast we speak with two people from a nonprofit organization that facilitates the stewardship of urban trees in a large city, including a program that facilitates the use of the wood from trees that have to be removed from around the city because of disease, end-of-it’s lifecycle or proximity to structures, etc. Jennifer Szeliga and Jonathan Gibbs from the Sacramento Tree Foundation work for the Urban Wood Rescue program in Sacramento, CA. Sacramento Tree Foundation works on educating Sacramentans on how to plant and care for trees and tell the story of how trees make our communities livable and lovable. Jennifer is the Director of Urban Wood Rescue program and has worked there for 5 years and while helping to write a new chapter in the story of urban trees to make sure they continue benefitting the community even after they’re removed. Jonathan Gibbs, a native Sacramentan is an Urban Wood Technician working directly for the Urban Wood Rescue program as well. He oversees yard handling of intakes, inventory, milling, drying wood, and essential support for numerous aspects of the operation. When he’s not working with the Urban Wood Rescue program, he and his wife enjoy the local food scene, music, renovating their new house, fixing cars and going to car events. This nonprofit is an awesome resource for Sacramento and excellent example of what other cities might want to consider as well.

We're joined today by our good friend Niki, who has witnessed in recent months a drastic uptick in Sacramento County Parks Rangers terrorizing the unhoused community. They are bulldozing people's homes (killing a litter of kittens in the process), stealing people's cookware, and generally causing a sense of unease and fear at established encampments. We talk with Niki about what's happening, how folks are fighting back, and what people can continue to do to let county authorities know that their state-sanctioned violence won't be carried out without a fight. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. Also, if you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

[To hear/view the full episode, become a patron today!] We're joined today by our good friend Niki, who has witnessed in recent months a drastic uptick in Sacramento County Parks Rangers terrorizing the unhoused community. They are bulldozing people's homes (killing a litter of kittens in the process), stealing people's cookware, and generally causing a sense of unease and fear at established encampments. We talk with Niki about what's happening, how folks are fighting back, and what people can continue to do to let county authorities know that their state-sanctioned violence won't be carried out without a fight. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. Also, if you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

In this episode, the hosts take you through the Deftones history and discography in preparation for the discussion and analysis of White Pony.  As always, we strive to answer the burning questions of the day. Do they shake off the label of being simply poster children for Nu Metal? Do they deserve a key to the city for their musical heroics? As fellow Sacramentans, have we ever crossed paths with them in a dark alleyway or a local dive bar? Find out these answers and more in a rundown of the Deftones' career. To check out all official music videos, go to the official Deftones Youtube Channel Pod Like a Hole Links: https://podlikeahole.podbean.com/ Direct Download Facebook (Instead of stalking your ex from high school, check this out) Instagram (Still not considered "Influencers")  Twitter (Still not Verified) Patreon (Until we muster up the courage for an OnlyFans)  Artwork by Greg Wolgast(the Fourth Pod Holer)

Today we begin with the pleasantly surprising rise in popularity of universal basic income--a policy which former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs tested in his city, to phenomenal results. Friend of the show Erika Smith mentions in the Los Angeles Times that the city of Compton is on its way to piloting a similar program. To date, more than 40 mayors have joined Tubbs in Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. Could this be the start of something on a large scale? For some reason California transportation authorities have decided that Sacramentans need some new lanes on Highway 50 passing over downtown Sacramento. That's why they moved the Sunday farmers' market to Arden Arcade, as well as why they're now displacing unhoused folks from under the freeway. We discuss what that means for our neighbors out in the elements, as well as why some are viewing this as an 'early test' for District 4 Councilmember Katie Valenzuela.  We also take a moment to discuss the city's (long overdue) proposed resolution to circumvent the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in favor of keeping warming centers open indefinitely.   In this document, city leaders seem to be rebranding these locations as 'triage centers' which could potentially be a good thing. Done right, these locations could help establish trust and build rapport with people who have come to expect nothing from their local government.   Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @guillotine4you, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity Sacramentans can hear us on 103.1 KUTZ Tuesdays at 5 pm and again Wednesdays at 8 am. Also, if you require a transcript of our episodes, please reach out to info@voicesrivercity.com and we'll make it happen. And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

By Chris Nichols For years, California state lawmakers have pushed ideas that would allow developers to build small apartment buildings, duplexes and triplexes in neighborhoods zoned almost exclusively for single family homes. These bills, meant to address the state’s severe housing shortage and create more inclusive communities, have gained some traction. But following strong opposition, they ultimately failed at the state Capitol. Just blocks away, a local proposal is moving forward that would make the city of Sacramento one of the first in California and the nation to eliminate rules that allow only for single family homes in neighborhoods. This zoning change would permit “missing middle” housing, a term that describes duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, in these traditionally residential neighborhoods consisting of almost all single family homes. An existing triplex in the North Oak Park neighborhood.City of Sacramento 2040 Report But there are questions and confusion about what eliminating single family zoning actually means. The misunderstanding is sometimes fueled by false and out-of-context claims about the plans, as we examined in a fact check last year when then President Donald Trump and Housing Secretary Ben Carson claimed California was trying to “abolish” single-family zoning, which we found was Half True but leaves a misleading impression. Last week, the conservative website Breitbart falsely claimed the city of Berkeley “may end single family housing” and “the ability of families to live in a home where only their family resides.” Those are both distortions of the plans, which the city voted to move forward with this week but would not bring an end to the traditional housing type. PolitiFact California spoke with Sacramento city planning officials to learn more about how their proposal would work, how fast the changes might take place and debunk some misconceptions about it. What Is ‘Single Family Zoning’ And Why Is It Contentious? Single family zoning is a neighborhood model that allows only one housing unit per parcel, though duplexes are often allowed on corner lots, and is often defined by low-traffic streets and quiet cul-de-sacs. The city of Sacramento’s reform proposal is part of its long-range general plan and won’t receive a final vote until late this year. But it’s drawn praise from some of California’s leading voices on housing policy, including the San Francisco lawmaker who has pushed for similar changes at the Capitol. “Sacramento did a great thing,” State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said at a press conference last week. “I just really want to commend Mayor Darrell Steinberg and every member of the Sacramento City Council. … That’s a great model for other cities to look to.” San Francisco and San Jose are considering whether to move ahead with similar plans, while Wiener proposed legislation last week to make it easier for cities statewide to allow duplexes and small apartment buildings. Sacramento would join Minneapolis and Portland as the only major metros to end single family only zoning. Supporters of Sacramento’s plan say it will create much needed lower cost housing while also breaking down the legacy of exclusionary zoning in some of the city’s wealthiest and whitest neighborhoods where racially restrictive covenants were used in the first half of the 20th century to keep minority groups out. The proposal has also stirred fear. Some who live in single family home areas say they’re worried higher-density homes, along with added traffic and parking issues, could change the character of their neighborhoods. Some also reject the notion that it will lead to more affordable housing, noting there is no mandate to require that. “This is not doing anything for affordable housing,” said Maggie Coulter, president of the Elmhurst Neighborhood Association, which represents homeowners in one of the city’s older single-family areas. “To suggest that this is doing that is nonsense.” What Does It Mean To Eliminate Single Family Zoning? Housing experts and lawmakers describe Sacramento’s initiative and others like it as an effort to do away with single-family zoning. As we reported last year, non-housing experts find those descriptions confusing. “It sometimes gets repeated as ‘abolish [or ban] single-family homes,’ which implies that someone will take a wrecking ball to existing homes. Not the same thing at all!" Jenny Schuetz, who studies housing policy at the Brookings Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, told PolitiFact California last year in an email. For these reasons, Sacramento’s city planners do not use the phrase eliminating single family zoning, said Matt Hertel, the city’s acting long range planning manager. Instead, here’s how Hertel explains the proposal: “We’re changing our zoning to go from allowing exclusively single family homes to a greater variety of housing types that do still include single family homes.” An existing fourplex in the Land Park neighborhood.City of Sacramento 2040 Report Would Single Family Home Construction Be Banned? No, this is a misconception. “We would not do that,” confirmed Greg Sandlund, acting planning director for the city of Sacramento. “We are not banning single family construction.” Sandlund added that future subdivisions will still have single family homes, “but we would likely encourage a variety of housing types, not just only single family zones.” Sacramento also wants to create more housing sizes “to create a variety of income levels or rent levels and sales prices to make that area more accessible and inclusive,” he said. What Percentage Of The City Is Already Zoned Single Family?  In Sacramento, 70% of residential neighborhoods are zoned for single-family only, though duplexes are allowed on corner lots, according to a Frequently Asked Questions document produced by the city. Altogether, 43% of the city’s land mass is designated as single family zoning, an area covering about 43 square miles. But in the past, some of Sacramento’s older neighborhoods allowed more variety of housing types, including the “missing middle” options. “We know there are over 2,300 duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in our older neighborhoods,” Sandlund added. Small multi-unit housing such as duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes are often called “missing middle” options because they’re more affordable than single family homes and less dense than large apartment buildings. Over the past 50 years, most cities across America have built either single family homes or apartment buildings, and “not something in between,” explained Sandlund. Property owners in Sacramento’s single family neighborhoods can also build up to two accessory dwelling units, also known as granny flats, up to 1,200 square feet each on their lots. How Does This Plan Address Racial Equity? City officials say the proposal would break down the legacy exclusionary zoning in Sacramento’s single family neighborhoods by ensuring people of all races and a greater share of socio-economic backgrounds can live in areas with good schools, parks, proximity to jobs and transit.  These are “zip codes,” Sandlund said, “where it’s been shown that you live longer if you live there versus other areas.”   “They’re also highly segregated, mostly white, more affluent because folks [people of color] were not allowed to buy into those communities and build equity,” he added. Racially restrictive covenants, which were part of a racist system called redlining, were used in the first half of the 20th century as a way to keep African-Americans, Asian-Americans and other residents of color out of certain neighborhoods in Sacramento and in cities across America.  They appeared in the Sacramento region as early as the 1920s in what is now the Land Park neighborhood and Elmhurst and quickly spread to other parts of the city, according to a housing report by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled these racist covenants unconstitutional in 1948, but the Jim Crow-era language survives in the property records of many houses in Sacramento and across California, often without owners realizing it. “Now those covenants are no longer in effect,” Sandlund said. “But also if you want to live in a nice area, your only option is to rent one of these homes or buy them. And those rents and those sales prices are really high right now and they just continue to grow.” Would This Zoning Change Lead To Large Apartment Buildings? The fear that giant apartment buildings will pop up in single family neighborhoods is misplaced and wrong, according to city planners. “We want to check the size of development in these areas,” Sandlund said. “Because in doing so when you check the size but allow more density, you get smaller, more affordable units. And we want the size and the look of these fourplexes, triplexes, duplexes to reflect the scale of the neighborhood.” An existing triplex in the Curtis Park neighborhood.City of Sacramento 2040 Report What’s The Timeline For Sacramento’s Proposal? The city council is expected to vote on the general plan in December 2021. After, the city will need to update its zoning code in 2022 and could start allowing duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in single family neighborhoods later that year. How Will The City Decide Height And Size Limits? Sacramento’s zoning code and citywide design standards would set the rules for how tall and large the new housing options could be. Right now, the maximum height for homes in the city’s R1 single family zone is 35 feet. Additionally, homes must be set back at least 20 feet from the street and 15 feet from the back fence. They can only cover “only cover typically 40 percent, not to exceed 50 percent of the lot,” Hertel said. “So, you have to have open space on the lot.” “I haven’t seen the [city] council express a desire for large buildings in these areas, actually the opposite. They are concerned about their constituents. They are concerned about the scale,” Sandlund said. Should the city council approve the general plan this year, planners expect to update the zoning code in 2022 to define limits for the new housing options. “We’re going to work diligently with the community and consultant team to really get those development standards correct for duplexes and triplexes and fourplexes,” Hertel said. “The [building] envelope as you see it today won’t change substantially. It will be the same type of envelope. But the number of doors on that envelope could change. It could go from one to two to three doors.” Would This Actually Lead To More Affordable Housing? Some opponents of the plan say it won’t create affordable housing given California’s exorbitant housing construction costs. But Sacramento city planners say the change will lead to “lower cost housing options,” emphasizing it’s not a traditional, government-subsidized affordable housing program. Still, dividing up a large home into multiple units leads to “some naturally affordable housing” that’s less expensive than renting or buying the whole house, Hertel said. The change should produce “maybe not the affordability level for low and very low income communities,” he continued, “but adds to the overall housing stock something that can be rented at a lower price than a 2,000 square foot unit.” Hertel said the city expects many of the initial housing options will come from existing homes that are retrofitted into duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes. Others would come from new construction on vacant lots.  Coulter, of the Elmhurst Neighborhood Association, said it’s not realistic to think that property owners who spend money to retrofit their homes into duplexes or triplexes will do anything other than charge market rate for the units, making them unaffordable for most Sacramentans. She said Sacramento is already addressing its affordable housing shortage by building dense new apartment buildings in Midtown and downtown. Residents who moved to places like Elmhurst should be able to preserve the calm and quiet that attracted them in the first place, she continued, rather than have it transformed by added density, noise and cars. “People want to have a choice,” Coulter said. “Not everyone wants this.” How Many New Homes Would This Create? In the first few years, city planners estimate perhaps 100 new units would be built annually. They emphasized the plan is a long-term policy meant to return greater housing diversity to existing neighborhoods. Officials say this is one small slice of the city’s overall strategy to address the tremendous need for more housing in Sacramento. The state requires the city to accommodate and plan for 45,580 new housing units by 2029, including 17,000 that are affordable to the lowest-income residents. How Would Parking Be Affected?  Sacramento’s single family R1 zoned neighborhoods require lots to include at least one off-street parking space per unit. Under the current parking standards, a duplex would require two off-street parking spaces, a triplex would need three spaces and a fourplex would require four, according to a city report on the plan. How Does The Plan Address Climate Change? Supporters say permitting more homes within existing neighborhoods will cut down on the need for sprawling new housing development. That, in turn, will reduce commutes and the vehicle emissions that make climate change worse. “Having more housing opportunities near transit, near jobs, near schools,” Hertel said, will help “reduce our carbon footprint.” How Can Sacramentans Get Involved? Officials expect the city’s long-range planning document, the Draft 2040 General Plan and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, will be available for public review in summer 2021. More information about it is at sac2040gpu.org. People can also sign-up for email updates at the end of this city FAQ document. What are your questions about Sacramento’s plans to eliminate single family only zoning? Email PolitiFact California at politifactca@capradio.org. We’ll consider them in future updates to this news article.  Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the number of square miles zoned in Sacramento for single-family homes. The correct number is 43 square miles. Source List Matt Hertel, City of Sacramento’s acting long range planning manager, video interview, Feb. 18, 2021 Greg Sandlund, City of Sacramento’s acting planning director, video interview, Feb. 18, 2021 State Sen. Scott Wiener, news conference, Feb. 18, 2021. City of Sacramento, Frequently Asked Questions document, accessed February 2021. City of Sacramento, General Plan 2040 website, accessed February 2021. Sacramento Area Council of Governments, Housing Policy Toolkit, June 2020 PolitiFact California, Trump Claims California Lawmaker Pushed To 'Abolish Single-Family Zoning.' Is He Right?, Aug. 17, 2020 Los Angeles Times, Sacramento may allow apartments in single-family home areas, Feb. 10, 2021 Sacramento Bee, Sacramento CA new housing proposal angers some neighborhoods, Jan. 10, 2021. Sacramento Bee, Sacramento moves forward with controversial zoning change designed to address housing crisis, Jan. 19, 2021 Mercury News, Will San Jose move to densify single-family neighborhoods like Sacramento just did?, Jan. 25, 2021. UC Berkeley Terner Center For Housing Innovation, Sacramento Leapfrogs State Capitol in Zoning Reform Race, Jan. 28, 2021 City of Sacramento, City Council Shows Strong Support For Allowing More Housing Types In Single-Family Neighborhoods, Jan. 25, 2021.

We're joined by civil rights attorney Tifanei Ressl-Moyer to discuss a memorable week in Sacramento policing. The night before Sacramento area residents planned to march against fascist Proud Boys, the Sacramento Police Department terrorized anti-fascists, tearing through their homes and arresting people under questionable pretenses. This, ironically, took place just hours before Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn was scheduled to argue in a city council meeting that his police force did not treat anti-fascists any worse than they do Proud Boys and other far-right groups.  The people of Sacramento did not buy it, with dozens of residents who'd dealt first-hand with police violence in recent years calling in to express their disgust with the department's presentation. Countering the cops' narrative, District 4 Councilmember Katie Valenzuela shared footage of police violence leveled against Sacramentans last year as they fought for racial justice. The day following the city council meeting, Sac PD displayed more fascist behavior, stopping a vehicle at gunpoint and detaining the three unarmed young women inside for nearly an hour.  During the stop, police tweeted that they'd found explosives in the car, with Chief Hahn excitedly telling councilmembers the same thing. This was a lie.  The cops then stole the women's phones and cited the driver for a cracked windshield. Thanks for listening, defund the police and, as always: Twitter: @youknowkempa, @guillotine4you, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/voicesrivercity And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.  

A solo show featuring an angry COVID-19 rant and some light-hearted commentary from Carmichael, CA, the place where Painting Pictures began in 2014. Young people, packing up an old house, robbing Sacramentans, and ordering beers in the pandemic

Ginger Elizabeth Hahn's chocolate shop is a favorite spot for many Sacramentans and visitors alike, and in this episode, she shares her story and gives a preview of her upcoming patisserie. Learn more at https://gingerelizabeth.com/.

Rather than invest in a social safety net that protects Americans from experiencing mental health crises, addiction and homelessness, our country funnels the majority of its resources into punitive, violent police forces, and a burgeoning jail and prison system. But Asantewaa Boykin of MH First and the Anti Police-Terror Project says there's a better way. Historically, when we see someone experiencing a mental health crisis, the only option for a first responder to call has been the police. But even cops themselves have said that they are not mental health professionals. In fact, the American police force brings with it a culture of escalation and punitive enforcement. So when police arrive to the scene of someone experiencing a mental health crisis, tragedy often follows. Sacramentans will remember the 2016 story of Joseph Mann, who would have benefited from the help of a mental health professional. Instead, Sacramento police officers arriving at the scene tried to run him over with their vehicle and, when that failed, shot him 14 times. With MH First, Boykin and her team of volunteers offer up a different, safer option. APTP's website describes MH First as "a cutting-edge new model for non-police response to mental health crisis. The goal of MH First is to respond to mental health crises including, but not limited to, psychiatric emergencies, substance use disorder support, and domestic violence situations that require victim extraction." Between 7 pm and 7 am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Sacramentans can call MH First if they see someone experiencing a crisis that could benefit from their care. They have successfully responded to countless calls, caring for the people who need help, giving them food and water, and discussing options with them for how best to proceed with their own care. While Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the Sacramento City Council continue to steal millions in Measure U funding from Sacramento taxpayers, giving it to the violent Sacramento police (#GiveItBack, tinyurl.com/giveitbacksac), Boykin and MH First provide a proven community-based model for emergency response. Thanks for listening and, as always: Patreon: patreon.com/voicesrivercity Twitter: @youknowkempa, @guillotine4you, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

Steve & Greg continue Season 2 with their tribute to the Golden Hour of Summer. Steve enjoys a Montucky Lager and Greg has a Hidden Trail from Wild Ride Brew. Golden Eagles take the stage and Greg reminds us how lucky Sacramentans are to have the McKenzie course in their backyard.  #millerlite #montuckylager #hiddentrail #hagginoaks #alistermckenzie 

Do cops belong in schools?The answer is obvious: No. Yet Americans have spent the last seven decades increasing their presence in institutions of education, to devastating results. We discuss chapter three in Alex Vitale's 'The End of Policing' (which you can download for just $3 from Verso Books!), while incorporating some local flair. Longtime Sacramento residents may remember 25 years ago, when Sacramento County sheriff's deputies terrorized students at Encina High School: pepper spraying, punching and throwing as many kids as they could get their hands on. (Fun fact: now-Sheriff Scott Jones makes a cameo on the KCRA news clip, lying through his teeth about what actually happened.) This traumatized many Encina students, and shaped how they viewed police for the rest of their lives. Back then Sacramentans made excuses for the cops. Today, things are different. The region is asking serious questions about if they really belong as an occupying force in our schools. Last fall, Sacramento City Unified School District cut its policing contract by more than half. Two school board members--Leticia Garcia and Mai Vang--voted against it because they wanted police completely out. Vang, who is running for Sacramento City Council in District 8, has also signed a pledge to never take campaign contributions from cops. Enjoy! And keep an eye out for the 1995 clip of sheriff's deputies terrorizing the high school. Thanks for listening and, as always: Patreon: patreon.com/voicesrivercity Twitter: @youknowkempa, @guillotine4you, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

On the latest edition of the Purple Talk Podcast, Kings starting center Richaun Holmes joins NBC Sports California's James Ham to discuss the current state of affairs in the NBA. Topics include his donation to local Sacramentans, how he is passing the time and whether he has found his NBA home.(1:40) Dr. Lydecia Holmes, TikTok star(2:40) Giving back to Sacramento in a time of crisis(5:50) How is Holmes dealing with the lay-off?(7:45) How is Holmes’ shoulder feeling?(8:53) Why was the opportunity in Sacramento the perfect fit?(10:38) Is Sacramento a final landing spot?(12:15) Holmes on Tim Duncan(14:05) Is Holmes watching tape of great rebounders?(16:40) The two comebacks Holmes likes the best(18:05) Steven Adams...NBA nice guy?(19:40) Does Holmes have to reinvent himself every offseason?(21:24) Cutting tracks with Marvin Bagley?

What a week for awful leadership.   Sacramento's Bethany Slavic Missionary Church is now linked with some six-dozen coronavirus cases. In fact, about 1/3 of the county's confirmed cases are linked with church gatherings. Meanwhile, Sacramento golf courses have been deemed "essential" during the pandemic. Not to be outdone, Republican governors out east are doing their part to endanger their constituency, with Georgia's Governor Kemp admitting that he JUST found out that coronavirus can be spread by asymptomatic folks. Not to be outdone, Florida governor Ron DeSantis has waited far too long in ordering his population to shelter in place.   Before diving into that, however, the VOICES: crew discusses the crumpling of the region’s print product taking place alongside a global pandemic. We touch on RE Graswich’s piece discussing the fall of McClatchy and the Sacramento Bee, as well as the Sacramento News & Review’s (perhaps short-term) cutting of its print paper. While the industry continues to struggle to find a solid business model, we do note that the nonprofit model has been working for Capital Public Radio. We also discuss an exciting endeavor up north in the Mendocino Voice — a worker-owned news cooperative.   Finally, we understand that things are about to get real in the United States. We've all got friends of friends who've contracted coronavirus. Some of us personally know folks who've contracted the illness. There's going to be a whole lot more of this in the coming weeks, so we take a moment to tell our personal experiences, and share some ideas for how people can work to maintain and improve their mental health.   On a more positive note, we'd like to congratulate Serious Talk. Seriously. for their temporary return to the podcast universe. Always a pleasure to hear Sacramentans share their stories (even if they can't go outside).   Thanks for listening and, as always: Patreon: patreon.com/voicesrivercity Twitter: @youknowkempa, @guillotine4you, @ShanNDSTevens, @Flojaune And thank you to Be Brave Bold Robot for the tunes.

This week the Golden State got the New York Times treatment in an article titled, “California is Booming. Why are so many Californians Unhappy?” The VOICES crew had a few reflections on the piece, since we’re no strangers to the have- and have-not dynamic of a state run by coastal oligarchs. We also discuss Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg’s very recent influx of campaign contributions from anti-renters’ rights interests such as the California Real Estate PAC (over $4,000). Interestingly, the Steinberg campaign gave $1,750 to Councilmember Steve Hansen’s campaign on a very symbolic day for renters’ rights activists. Hansen, if you’ll remember, led the smear campaign against Michelle Pariset of Public Advocates, who is fighting to let Sacramentans have a vote on real rent control. Hansen last month was hit with an ethics complaint, since the public affairs firm he works for has regularly represented anti-renters’ rights interests. But no matter that Darrell and Steve are neck-deep in landlord/developer dollars, right? They represent you, the people. Next month we’ll do a deep-dive into the dollars going into Hansen and Steinberg’s campaigns, carrying on with VOICES: River City’s “Sac Follows the Money” tradition. Finally, we take a moment to reflect on some of the lives lost on the streets in Sacramento in 2019. We also take a moment to give residents a few thoughts on what they can do to fight back against such wild violence against the lower classes. If you like our podcast, and the Sac Follows the Money project, throw $5 into our Patreon: patreon.com/voicesrivercity And follow us: @youknowkempa, @guillotine4you, @ShanNDStevens

In 1960 40 to 50% of blacks in Sacramento owned their homes. Fast forward to 2015, just 27% of blacks in Sacramento owned their homes. Sadly, that number continues to decline. Learn how more than half our wealth was wiped out during the recession and why many are still recovering from poor credit as a result. Tips on ways to elevate your economic status to take advantage of Sacramento's growing and changing economic status. Sacramento's most affordable, emerging neighborhoods are right under your nose

**This event was recorded on April 30, 2019** This "Groundbreakers Q&A" is with two guys who know their way around a kitchen. Rick Mahan and Patrick Mulvaney are Sacramento's Top Chefs. Their restaurants, The Waterboy (opened in 1996) and Mulvaney B&L (in 2006), set the bar for fine dining in Sacramento, and they're still atop the list of places worth opening up your wallet for a memorable meal. When they're not cooking, they're still doing plenty to promote good food, boost Farm to Fork efforts, and improve Sacramento's dining scene. Mahan is a big supporter of the Food Literacy Center, and Mulvaney is getting national attention for his efforts to tackle the mental health crisis in the restaurant industry. Join us for a great conversation with these two seasoned veterans of the city's ever-changing, often-challenging restaurant scene as we talk with them about Michelin stars, minimum wage hikes, the mental health movement, farmers markets, and other things that are shaping their menus today. PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY * O min to 5 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers * 5 min - The chefs introduce themselves and talk about what food they're loving right now (like fava beans and wild boar) * 7:30 min - First memories of food, and first experiences in the kitchen * 11:50 min - What brought Mulvaney, an Irishman from Long Island, out West, what kept him in Sacramento, and how his restaurant got his name * 14:05 min - Mahan's journey from washing dishes at Buffet Excellence at age 16, to having a life-changing experience in France * 20:45 min - What happened in those first few days, weeks and months of opening the new restaurant * 26:35 min - The pros and cons of serving Sacramentans as restaurant diners * 31:15 min - How to address changing tastes, trends and younger customers * 37 min - What the chefs are working on now outside the kitchen * 44:50 min - The Food Network effect: What do these TV shows overhype and downplay in the restaurant industry that we customers should know about as reality? * 53:40 min - The dish from Americo's (where the Waterboy stands today) that Mahan promises to make if you request it * 56 min - Thoughts on tasting menus, "tweezer plating," and the upcoming Michelin guide on Sacramento restaurants * 1 hr, 1:50 min - The pros and cons of running a restaurant -- especially in California * 1 hr, 7:05 min - The biggest challenge -- and fear -- the chefs are facing * 1 hr, 11:50 min - Thoughts on California's agriculture industry, and the future for farmers * 1 hr, 14:10 min - How the Waterboy got its name (it wasn't the Adam Sandler movie) * 1 hr, 20:15 min - Workforce development: How do we train the people who will run Sacramento's restaurants in the future? * 1 hr, 30:15 min - Best piece of advice for someone just starting out in this business * 1 hr, 32:10 min - Best piece of advice for amateur chefs in the kitchen

A study was done that said a third of all Americans are not happy with their lives. But it doesn't seem like that in Sacramento. For the most part people here seem pretty damn happy. Dog believes it has to be the great weather in California, because whether everywhere else sucks!

The City of Sacramento recently announced it would rethink its ordinance on buskers and outdoor music performers. It also hired a new "Creative Economy" director to think how arts and music can get a bigger boost here. But there are still some sour notes. The Police Department is still called out to turn the music down. Gentrification means long-time music venues are getting complaints from new neighbors. Local musicians say they lack community support due to a lack of small venues, rehearsal spaces and frugal audiences who don't want to pay. So what should Sacramento be doing to boost its local music scene, and its musicians? Should we look at top music towns like Austin or Nashville and follow their lead? Or are we doing just fine creating our own plan? We're talking with musicians, and the people who book and promote them, about how we can achieve perfect pitch in the capital city. Also, for this podcast, it was fitting to start and end it with music from Sacramento-based performers, so: Podcast intro music: "Turn Up" by Element Brass Band Podcast ending music: "Love and Affection" by Todd Morgan and the Emblems PANELISTS * Scott Brill-Lehn, concert promoter and owner of SBL Entertainment * Byron Colborn, baritone saxaphonist and bandleader of several local ensembles, including Element Brass Band and the Byron Colborn Big Band * Gabriell Garcia, co-owner of the Blue Lamp * Johnathon Glus, director of Cultural and Creative Economy for the City of Sacramento * Danielle Vincent, founder of First Festival and Show Up Sacramento * Paul Willis, local rapper, spoken-word artist, educator and activist PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY * O to 5 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers * 5 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and share their favorite summer songs * 10 min - What are Sacramento's music tastes overall, and how have they changed over the years? * 14 min - The pros and cons of putting on an all-local-music festival in Sacramento * 19:10 min - The pros and cons of running a live music venue in Sacramento * 24 min - The pros and cons of "making a survival" as a professional musician in Sacramento * 29:10 min - Racism in Sacramento's music scene * 35:45 min - How the City of Sacramento plans to promote and support the music scene * 42 min - What factors bring Sacramentans out to see music shows * 47:15 - Why can't more local bands open shows for national acts? * 53:45 - How parking and permit issues affect Sacramento's music scene * 1 hr, 3:45 min - How to set up the young musicians we're training to be successful, working artists * 1 hr, 21:15 min - How philanthropy and civic investment can help boost Sacramento's music scene

The movie "Lady Bird" brought a lot of attention to Sacramento. After its release in Fall 2017, California's capital was written up as a travel destination in the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times. So now that the spotlight is on us, have we arrived as a destination and place to visit/live/exist? Listen to some of Sacramento's taste-makers and trend-setters talking about Sacramento Style. What is it? When you think of Sacramento fashion, decor, architecture, what do you see in how we dress, decorate and live? How do we compare and contrast to San Francisco, Los Angeles, the rest of California? Do we have a signature style yet, or are we still coming into our own? PANELISTS * Ryan M. Brough, co-owner of Sacramento Fashion Week and owner of Ethos Event Planning * Maritza Davis, co-founder of the marketing agency Unseen Heroes and the retail concepts Damas and Display: California * Jake Favour, conceptual designer and project curator who has shaped the look and feel of many Sacramento hotspots, such as Lowbrau and the Public Market at Warehouse Artist Lofts * Anthony Giannotti, owner of Anthony's Barbershop and Bottle and Barlow, and co-owner of the new Bastille Barbers in Oak Park * Josie Lee, owner of Rire Boutique, which has two locations in Sacramento * Phoebe Verkouw, one of Sacramento's best-dressed-on-a-budget fashionistas who runs the Dress Fiend blog and Fabulous Thrift Tour PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY * O to 4:15 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers * 4:15 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and share their "This Is Sacramento" place to visit * 10:50 min - Sacramento's taste in fashion styles and trends, and how it has changed since the city has grown * 16 min - The history of Sacramento Fashion Week * 19:50 min - Sacramento men: What they like in haircuts, grooming, tattoos, barber-shop culture and overall style * 25:25 min - Why Sacramento doesn't have a collective style . . . yet * 33:45 min - Does Sacramento actually need style? Should we just keep it janky? * 38:40 min - How does our "government town" role play a part in Sacramento's style? * 42:20 min - What do we need to get rid of to move forward in becoming more stylish? * 47:30 min - Where and what Sacramentans spend their money on (and not) to be stylish * 50 min - Agree or Disagree: Once you've defined your style, is it time to redefine it? * 55:10 min - What each panelist spends money on when they go shopping (socks, sneakers and Hawaiian shirts among them) * 1 hr, 10 sec - How Sacramento can do a better job in embracing its diversity when it comes to style * 1 hr, 8:15 min - A audience member asks panelists for advice on how to dress as the officiant at a NorCal wedding * 1 hr, 11:40 min - How we can find -- and support -- Sacramento-based fashion designers when it's not Sacramento Fashion Week * 1 hr, 16:50 min - What changes from the inside (e.g., city government actions and funding) and what changes from the outside (like people from the Bay Area and SoCal moving in) will affect Sacramento style and culture going forward? ***This podcast was recorded on March 26, 2018 at the CLARA Auditorium in Midtown Sacramento***

This week, Marco and Benji talk a little recent TV with a focus on Runaways, Godless, and Mr. Robot. We do our best to avoid spoilers. Then we talk about Lady Bird for a bit, which was weird for us two native Sacramentans to watch. Finally, we close out with a focus on the 1999 James Bond 007 film, The World is Not Enough.

Obit: Bob Casale of DEVO (and one-time interviewee for KDViations), Tennant Bagley - CIA agent & disinformationalist? Jerry Brown takes advice from Bibi Netanyahu, North Koreans (unlike Sacramentans) get to vote, more "supplement" bad news, Mexico kills drug lord - for the 2nd time

Obit: Bob Casale of DEVO (and one-time interviewee for KDViations), Tennant Bagley - CIA agent & disinformationalist? Jerry Brown takes advice from Bibi Netanyahu, North Koreans (unlike Sacramentans) get to vote, more "supplement" bad news, Mexico kills drug lord - for the 2nd time