Premier Forum Covers ACA, Immigration and More
The California State Association of Counties and the CSAC Finance Corporation held our Premier Forum in San Diego County late last week. The venue was lovely and the social and recreational events were...
View ArticleThe Noise of Democracy
The CSAC offices are located exactly one block north of the State Capitol, perfectly positioned to observe that hallmark of American democracy – the political rally. Many of them occur on the north...
View ArticleCounties Shine in Sustainability Videos
San Diego, Sonoma and Yolo Counties shine as Supervisors and county staff spotlight their local sustainability activities in short videos produced by the Institute for Local Government.
View ArticleThe Inland Tsunami
As a kid living in Sonoma County, I remember being frightened by the once-rampant rumor that the next big earthquake would split the state at the San Andreas Fault and everything west of that geologic...
View ArticleUntangling the Morass of the ACA
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act is a complex morass that will impact California’s 58 counties on wide variety of fronts – from budgetary to service delivery. For most county officials,...
View ArticleU.S. Communities – the Gold Standard for Cooperative Purchasing
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then U.S. Communities ought to be blushing. It was the first – and for a while the only – purchasing cooperative for local governments. Now, the field is...
View ArticleA Jarring Fact: Our Local Streets and Roads are Quickly Deteroriating
There’s a county road I often take home from Sacramento to Placer County; the scenery is idyllic – farm houses, horses, geese heading south, the Sierra Nevada on the horizon. And then I begin hitting...
View ArticleNot Enough Rocks? That’s Just How We Roll!
California has a lot of recent experience with shortages. The state has been short of money, short of water, short of jobs. But there’s a new shortage looming that could spell real trouble. I refer to...
View ArticleAt Times, Trash Talking Can Be a Good Thing
There was a lot of trash talking at the historic Crest Theater a block from the State Capitol Monday evening – and those in attendance are hoping there will be even more. The event, “Talking Trash @...
View ArticleWhat Would “Big Daddy” Say?
“Big Daddy” Jesse Unruh, the man who invented the modern role of the Speaker of the California Assembly, coined the phrase “money is the mother’s milk of politics” back in 1966. One could easily argue...
View ArticleDream Big, Dream Billions – CalTRUST Reaches New Milestone
It all started with an idea. In 2003 a group of county treasurers and other local finance officers came together to discuss investment options. Looking for a safe investment vehicle other than the...
View ArticleSustainability Resources That Inform, So You Can Be Informed
We’ve all experienced this challenge. It’s late in the day and you’ve just been asked to speak in two days at a regional meeting about youth and green jobs. Or, an item dealing with options for...
View ArticleFrustration Over Sequestration Shows in Board Chambers
At their regular board meeting earlier this month, members of the Plumas County Board of Supervisors jokingly suggested that they would rather go to jail than return a portion of their Secure Rural...
View ArticleAB 109 Realignment: Smart Justice in California Counties
The state’s 2011 shift of criminal justice responsibility to counties under AB 109 has generated extensive commentary and analysis about how well it’s working. As it happens, “Smart Justice” is the...
View ArticleLocal Government, Global Thinking
A small fishing boat recently washed up on shore near Crescent City California, where I have the privilege to live and the honor to serve on the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors. There is nothing...
View ArticleBenefiting Counties; Benefiting Communities
When the CSAC Finance Corporation was formed in 1986 for the purpose of providing a public benefit no one would have guessed just how expansive the organization would become. In response to queries...
View ArticleCalifornia Counties: 38 Million Served and Counting
In recent years we began using the motto “California Counties: 38 Million Served” to show the magnitude of the task that our 58 counties face very day. And while the state’s official population was a...
View ArticleAB 109 Rhetoric — More Heat Than Light
Our adversarial election process is one of the hallmarks of American democracy, and it is generally a good thing. However, election-driven rhetoric isn’t always the best way to transmit factual...
View ArticleMeeting the Challenge: Sonoma County’s Comprehensive Energy Project
When Sam Ruark starts talking about saving energy, his eyes light up. Sam serves as the energy and sustainability coordinator for Sonoma County, which has been recognized nationally for its...
View ArticleMeeting the Challenge: San Benito County’s “Booked in a Different Way”
San Benito County Librarian Nora Conte calls them “magical moments” – those opportunities a parent has to impact their child’s life in a positive way. And she has seen a number of them through the Grow...
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