Monthly Archives: January 2009

Solar Power Booming

In what is very good news, the installation of solar power panels on roofs is booming, according to this article from the Los Angeles Times. In today’s uncertain investment market, this could be a very good investment for the future. … Continue reading

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Levees, Trees & Dams

This story in the Bee that hundreds of trees will be lost along the river is a very sad one as their welcoming shade provides a pleasant place to cast a line or just watch the water go by. Unfortunately, … Continue reading

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John Updike, Bard of the Suburbs, R.I.P.

I first discovered John Updike when we were living in Arden Park and his essays and stories are marvelous, touching a deep chord in me. His work will be missed, but what he wrote will live on to enrapture us … Continue reading

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Washington

As it grows in influence and power, our nation’s capitol is also becoming the marker for the nation itself, something rare in America though common in Europe and Asia, and that raises some concerns, considering the diffused-power ethos woven into … Continue reading

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Budget Crisis

This article makes a good case for the over-all strength of the California economy in contrast to the one being made by California government; and it is always good to see another side when crisis clamor is in the air. … Continue reading

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Privatization

This article by former Indianapolis mayor Stephen Goldsmith is an excellent analysis of the benefits of privatization, particularly in an era of shortages of public funds for public services. An excerpt. “Local and state officials across the country now face … Continue reading

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Sacramento’s Tent City

This editorial from the Bee raises several questions, but in relation to the downtown or midtown areas of the Parkway where a tent city site appears to be headed, the biggest question wasn’t raised. What impact has the current homeless … Continue reading

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Consequences

This article notes how the state government in Oregon worked to reduce fossil fuel consumption but then, as a consequence, saw its tax revenue fall, so now it wants to tax mileage by having all cars install a GPS device … Continue reading

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Homeless Tent City in Sacramento?

What is particularly sad in this story from the Sacramento Bee is exactly what Bob Slobe—a member of our organizational leadership and the person for whom our Parkway Advocate Award is named—mentions; the overwhelming burden placed on already struggling folks, … Continue reading

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Local Budget Deficits

The shortage of funds the city and county are facing will—as it always does—have an inordinate impact on the parks and open space areas, and that is another spur to consider other methods of funding our signature parks. Signature parks, … Continue reading

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