By Dan Schmitt |

I was born the very day Harry Truman was elected president of the United States.  Since my birth, the United States government has sent our military into conflicts 14 times.

The January 8, 2020, Elk Grove City council meeting was one for the ages. Highlighting this meeting were false statements from the city council’s dean, District 2 representative, Pat Hume.

One of the more interesting measures that may show up on the November 2020 ballot for Sacramento County voters is a proposed sales tax increase from the Sacramento Transportation Authority to fund a yet undecided number of countywide transportation projects.

Getting voter approval might be as tough as building a consensus between urban and suburban stakeholders just to get the measure on the ballot.

Elk Grove’s District 56 is off to a rough start.

Last year the aquatics center opened one year late and over budget. Then on Christmas eve – the city’s new holiday tree went dark.

In December the California State Auditor released a report on the Sacramento City Unified School District finances. The audit painted a bleak picture.

In this edition of Elk Grove News Podcasts, we have a discussion with Kevin Dayton about the findings of that audits and some of his recommendations beyond just belt-tightening on what could resolve and advert some of the problems the district is dealing with

Based in Monterey, California, Dayton is a policy and political consultant with 23 years of experience dealing with issues related to construction and development.

Dayton can be followed on Twitter at @DaytonPubPolicy.

As the 2019 Holiday season winds down, it is always worth noting this is the time of year when charitable giving reaches its peak. Giving to charity is admirable, but many people might have less altruist motivations.

Today, roughly, is Winter Solstice, the shortest daylight of the year. This is the day when mother earth tilts furthest away from the sun in the northern hemisphere. For all us remaining Druids, Celts and assorted pagans, this a day of celebration.

Like many communities in California, Elk Grove is facing a tight housing market, and like many urban centers, homelessness is on the rise. And like many Californians, Elk Grove residents express concern about helping the homelessness, but just not in their neighborhood.

On Sunday, December 8, 2019, this and other topics were discussed in a meeting hosted by Elk Grove Councilmember Stephanie Nguyen on a proposed development along Bruceville Road in District 4.

In this edition of Elk Grove News Podcasts, we will look at one idea for a more even distribution of affordable and permanent supportive housing in Elk Grove, and attempt to answer the question, is it even possible?

At the most recent Sacramento Transporation Authority meeting on Thursday, December 12, the one person allowed to speak during public comment, Ms. Rita Simmersbach, noted transit services officer by the City of West Sacramento. As you can hear from Ms. Simmersbach, she urged the STA to include this type of service should that multi-jurisdictional entity seek and gain the approval of a 40-year $8 billion sales tax measure for transit needs.

In this edition of Elk Grove News Podcasts, we speak with Glenn Jackson Jr. and his mother Angela Jackson about their personal experiences related to transportation deficiencies in the Sacramento region and their real-life consequences. Mother and son have been advocating for better transit services to agencies like Sacramento Transporation Authority who is considering placing a sales tax increase on next year's ballot to fund countywide projects.