Op-Ed
Diverse Viewpoints from Sacramento
Right Project, Wrong Place
The lawn signs read “Light the Field.” Neighbors want to “light” Rio Americano High School’s sports stadium.
The problem: the proposed project would negatively impact the American River Parkway.
Rio Americano backs up to the parkway levee, steps from the bike trail, grassland and riparian habitat, the lower American River and its wildlife.
It’s not that the stadium doesn’t have lights. Evening practices and games are lit by portable diesel-powered LED lights. The school wants “improvements to the existing Rio Americano facilities.”
Whose Library
I love the library. As a child, I was thrilled to get my library card and check out any book I wanted. In high school, I studied at my local public library. Now the library is a resource for my family.
I’m a casual patron, but my family members are power users at our library. They know staff by name and use Makerspace and Library of Things. They sent postcards to the branch showing how a borrowed travel guide smoothed the way to a great trip.
I reserve books and pick them up at McKinley Library. A while back, I ventured into Central Library on a Tuesday morning and discovered Recharge Tuesday.
At Recharge Tuesday, social workers help patrons with housing and other services. Charging stations let people recharge phones since the library is closed Sundays and Mondays. There are snacks and activities.
Team Effort
The McKinley Park playground is a place where childhood memories are made. Kids climb towers, race across bridges and explore the play area.
But the playground shows its age. Paint has faded. Surfaces need cleaning. Some equipment needs repairs. Rather than wait for someone to restore it, it’s time for the community to step up.
The task is nothing new.
Killer Strategy
Killer Strategy Failure haunts county response to homelessness By John Morales August 2026 I pay $9,000 in property taxes every year. When is Sacramento County going to stop burning $277 million of taxpayer dollars on homelessness, with $48 million from the general...
Empty Promise
The homelessness crisis is often framed as a housing crisis. It is not.
Homelessness is a crisis born from the collapse of accountability at every level of the system. The consequences are visible in neighborhoods across Sacramento.
In 2016, California became the only state to formally adopt the federal government’s Housing First mandate as its sole taxpayer-funded approach to homelessness. Billions in state and federal dollars went toward subsidized-for-life apartments with no accountability for sobriety, treatment or work—ever.
Radio Interference
Sacramento prides itself on civic engagement, transparency and strong public institutions. That’s why the ongoing crisis at Capital Public Radio strikes a deep nerve.
Recent reporting by the Bee shows this is not simply a personnel problem but a breakdown of oversight, governance and institutional accountability by the radio stations and their license holder, Sacramento State University.
CapRadio is not just another media outlet. As the region’s NPR affiliate, it plays a central role in civic life and depends on listener donations and public trust.
