In 2023, local journalism held Sacramento leaders publicly accountable | Letters to the editor

Accountability

“The Sacramento Bee’s 2023 journalism with the biggest impact,” (sacbee.com, Dec. 29)

This article exemplifies the value of local journalism in Sacramento. Without The Bee, we would not have known about issues such as the “special meeting” in which a ridiculous pay raise for City Manager Howard Chan was approved, or the refusal to release records related to the bizarre behavior of Sacramento County Sheriff’s officer Brannon Polete, who “took down and arrested a man in his own garage for being drunk in public” in 2020.

Without the investigative reporting and unwavering diligence of The Bee, these stories would have never come to the public’s attention. I will continue to support The Bee. Accountability of local government and law enforcement depends on it!

Tonja Edelman

Sacramento

Public service journalism

“Sacramento may charge homeowners $20K for sidewalk repair,” (sacbee.com, Jan. 4)

Thank you for your recent article highlighting the disparity in the bill amounts quoted to lower income vs. higher income residents for sidewalk repairs and for bringing the issue to the attention of city officials. Hopefully, this will lead to changes, such as the city covering this cost (or at least a portion of it) for low-income homeowners.

It’s also important that residents be aware of Sacramento’s policy of charging homeowners for the cost of sidewalk repairs. I had assumed that all cities paid for sidewalk maintenance until a former neighbor got a notice that their sidewalk needed repairs (though they at least got the city to fix the gutters, which frequently backed up, at the same time). I appreciate The Bee very much for articles like this one that keep us informed of issues in our region and can lead to real change.

Angie Gould

Sacramento

Citizens’ oversight

“Community activists are taking charge in Folsom to solve the city’s budget problem | Opinion - Sacramento Bee,” (sacbee.com, Jan. 8)

This article on the proposed special sales tax in Folsom did not mention that the measure also creates a citizens’ oversight committee to recommend how these revenues should be spent, and provide an annual report for the public.

It is true that the Folsom City Council retains authority to approve the city’s annual budget, but if this measure passes, the council is required to use these new revenues only for specified purposes outlined in the initiative. The citizens’ oversight committee will monitor how the council uses these funds, and, together with the legal requirements of the initiative, hold the council accountable. No one gets a blank check.

Dean Williams

Folsom

Democratic leadership

“President Joe Biden will stress democracy is still a ‘sacred cause’ in a speech near Valley Forge,” (sacbee.com, Jan. 4)

While the media and political pundits obsess over every tweet, comment and court proceeding of Donald Trump, President Joe Biden goes about the business of being head of state.

Facing political headwinds from the moment he was elected — due principally to the unprecedented attempts of his predecessor to thwart the transfer of power — Biden, with his decades of experience in public service, rose above the noise and proceeded to do the work of “We the People.”

More than just an introduction, the preamble to the Constitution is an affirmation that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens, not the interests of a particular political party or ideology, and certainly not those of a single individual.

You cannot be the leader of the free world if you aspire to be a dictator, even if it is “for one day.” The Constitution won’t allow it.

Jim Paladino

Tamba, Fla.

Immediate ceasefire

“Protesters disrupt California Assembly over Israel-Hamas war,” (sacbee.com, Jan. 3)

Brave individuals who took part in the peaceful protest inside the Sacramento Capitol asked California lawmakers to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. They asked that California lead the way in ending the genocide of the Palestinian people.

Diana Kleckner

Rancho Cordova