If you are traveling this long holiday weekend, be prepared for a
bumpy ride. California’s highways rank 47th in the
nation, according to an annual report released today by the
Reason Foundation. In fact, the Golden State has ranked in the
bottom 10 every year since 2000.
When people say that government agencies should be run more like
a business, I suspect what they really mean is that government
should use more efficient processes that result in better
customer service. That’s what Sacramento County is now offering
through a change of technology and process in their Cal-Fresh
Service Center.
Riverside County covers more than 7,000 square miles, and
includes some of the most sparsely populated landscape in the
state. Keeping a county that big clean isn’t always easy, but
Riverside County has a long-running jail inmate work program to
pick up trash and maintain the landfills. It helps keep the
roadsides clean and the inmates get some much-needed activity.
There is a great deal of angst among the press regarding a
provision in
AB 76, a budget trailer bill that establishes certain
procedural activities associated with the California Public
Records Act (CPRA) as “best practices” and require a local agency
that determines that it will not follow these practices to make a
public announcement of that fact at its next regularly scheduled
public meeting.
This blog posting and video are part of a series being
produced by CSAC to highlight county best practices through our
annual Challenge Awards. These awards recognize the innovative
and creative spirit of California county governments as they find
new and effective ways of providing programs and services to
their citizens. The Challenge Awards provide California’s 58
counties an opportunity to share their best practices with
counties around the state and nation. The programs being
highlighted are recipients of the 2012 awards.
Mental illness! For some reason, we are perfectly happy
discussing other chronic problems, from diabetes to the
heartbreak of psoriasis, but mental illness? Let’s not talk about
that right now. And because we don’t want to talk about it many
people who suffer from it suffer alone. Mental illness can
manifest itself in behavior that is unpleasant at best so many
people who have it are estranged from their families and friends.
They often rely on county mental health services for help.
For many people, purchasing that first home is the financial
equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest. The process is made even more
difficult in destination areas such as Napa County where housing
prices are high and homes are in demand. It’s not uncommon for a
house on the market to receive numerous offers. So, what do you
do if you are a first-time homebuyer who wants to live in the
community in which you work, yet you have limited resources for a
down payment?
While the Legislature has yet to officially vote on the budget
package, lawmakers and the Governor announced a deal yesterday
that includes the Governor’s more conservative revenues estimates
and limited spending increases. The deal also includes the
Governor’s proposal to loan $500 million in Cap and Trade auction
revenues to the State’s general fund.
When California’s 58 counties began to tackle the challenges
imposed by AB 109, the public-safety realignment of 2011, Glenn
quickly became the “little county that could.” Through its
Community Re-Entry Work (CREW) Program, Glenn is reducing
recidivism, turning ex-offenders into contributing members of
society – and saving the county money in the process.
When there’s an emergency, like a flood or a toxic spill,
communicating effectively can literally mean the difference
between life and death. Knowing how, when and with who to
communicate before the emergency happens can be immensely
important. By definition, an emergency is unpredictable, except
that you can predict that there will eventually be another one.
You might not know when the next flood, fire, epidemic or
earthquake will strike, but you can prepare for them. However,
for immigrants language and cultural barriers can make disaster
communication even more difficult.
“Water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” complains the
Ancient Mariner as he recounts a harrowing voyage at sea. Here in
California, on dry land, we too lament our water situation. Like
the Mariner, we sometimes run short of clean fresh water for
thirsty cities and agricultural crops. And just as often it
seems, we have too much water, in the wrong place, all at once.
Dealing with a flood can be just as harrowing as going thirsty.
Crime doesn’t pay — it costs. Anyone who has ever been a crime
victim can tell you that, but so can county sheriffs and
probation chiefs who are responsible for keeping track of many of
the people who commit crimes in California. They will tell you
that it is far more expensive to keep someone in jail than it is
to supervise them in the community. The corollary to that is it
is far less expensive to help someone so they don’t break the law
again, than it is to have to put them back in jail if they do.
And if they aren’t committing more crimes, they aren’t creating
anymore victims either.
Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve is a gorgeous place. Contained
within its 3,700 acres of open space, the county park offers more
than 10 miles of trails for hikers and bicyclists throughout
picturesque surroundings. The park also features a historic adobe
ranch house that was built in 1823 by the recipients of the first
Mexican land grant in San Diego County. Combining a
beautiful natural setting with local history is a great way to
spend an afternoon.
With the recent economic downturn, Orange County’s Social Service
Agency saw a startling rise in the demand for services at a time
when resources were diminishing. The Agency had to find a
way to meet the challenge of “doing more with less.” It was vital
to come up with a cost-effective, workable solution since the
number of county residents turning to assistance was rapidly
growing.
San Benito County Librarian Nora Conte calls them “magical
moments” – those opportunities a parent has to impact their
child’s life in a positive way. And she has seen a number of them
through the Grow Strong Benito program.
When Sam Ruark starts talking about saving energy, his eyes light
up. Sam serves as the energy and sustainability coordinator for
Sonoma County, which has been recognized nationally for its
Comprehensive Energy Project. And Sam has every reason to
get excited over what Sonoma County has been accomplishing.
Our adversarial election process is one of the hallmarks of
American democracy, and it is generally a good thing. However,
election-driven rhetoric isn’t always the best way to transmit
factual information about complex issues. For example, the next
gubernatorial election in California is 19 months away and
already the friction around public safety realignment is
producing more heat than light. I’d like to help people have a
solid understanding about realignment before the election cycle
kicks into overdrive.
I have heard the anecdotes about new crimes committed by
“realigned” offenders.
In recent years we began using the motto “California Counties: 38
Million Served” to show the magnitude of the task that our 58
counties face very day. And while the state’s official population
was a bit under this figure, it’s safe to say that there are
thousands of individuals who go uncounted – individuals to which
counties provide a safety net.
When the CSAC Finance Corporation was formed in 1986 for the
purpose of providing a public benefit no one would have guessed
just how expansive the organization would become. In
response to queries from counties regarding financing assistance,
the CSAC Finance Corporation was formed and started creating a
chain of public/private partnerships that have now spanned close
to three decades and have grown to provide an impressive amount
of public benefit to California Counties and residents.
The first program of the CSAC Finance Corporation was the
creation of the
A small fishing boat recently washed up on shore near Crescent
City California, where I have the privilege to live and the honor
to serve on the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors. There is
nothing all that remarkable about a boat washing up on the shore
of a North Coast fishing town, but this 20-foot open fishing
boat, called a Panga, was different.
It was covered in barnacles and other debris, and had clearly
been lost at sea for a long time – just over two years to be
exact.
