R.E. Graswich

Writer and Editorial Team

About This Author

R.E. Graswich is a journalist, author and media expert. His book “Vagrant Kings” is the definitive history of the Sacramento Kings basketball team. He was Special Assistant to Mayor Kevin Johnson, managed the Sacramento Voices program for the Maynard Institute of Journalism Education and worked for the Sacramento Bee, CBS 13 and KFBK.

Articles by this author

Anatomy Of Failure

If you wonder why Sacramento does such a lousy job with homelessness, consider those 102 acres on Meadowview Road.

The land behind the Job Corps Center encapsulates how City Hall deceives residents, squanders millions of dollars and lets a local social problem spiral into a national disgrace.

Those 102 acres are a snapshot of missed opportunities and political failures.

To find the story’s thread, I dug back to 1952. That’s when California decided to build a Highway Patrol training academy in South Sac.

Strike Three

I can’t say for sure when the experiment failed, but it was early in the baseball season. Around the time San Diego Padres fans outnumbered A’s supporters at Sutter Health Park.

Now the goal is to reduce the embarrassment, limit the damage and decide how the community endures another a year or two of A’s baseball without looking ridiculous.

This is what happens when a couple of rich guys pump their egos and advance their business plans by introducing a mediocre product nobody needs.

Majority Rules

Talking to a politician recently, I mentioned the need for elected officials to support public access along the Sacramento River Parkway.

This politician understands the problem: private fences blocking public access, a few homeowners trying to delay completion of the levee bike trail.

“I agree with you,” the politician tells me. “The city needs to finish the bike trail. The public needs access. But we have to respect those homeowners. They need compensation.”

Now I get frustrated. The politician, whom I’ve known for years and consider smart and informed, sounds oblivious to the biggest obstacle slowing the bike trail through Pocket and Little Pocket.

Love Story

This post has been sponsored by Love Story Long walks can’t explain why city feels insecure By...

Dollars and Sense

One joy of being city manager is having everyone crawl through your pay package.

A city manager’s salary and benefits are posted in public. The manager makes good money but far less than the worst Kings player.

The shelf life of city managers and basketball scrubs can run about the same. As for responsibilities and consequences, there’s no contest.

Ambiguities over city manager pay vs. value make residents jealous, frustrated or both. Especially in Sacramento, where $420,684 flows to the city manager each year.

Is the city manager worth all that dough when homeless tents crowd sidewalks? Is anyone worth that much?

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