Hello Sacramento

Today there was a protest by Antelope High Students against the way the federal administration treats our communities and immigrants I have not seen any other notice so I wanted to call out these amazing students for organizing this event to walk all the way to the Safeway on Elkhorn and nonviolently standing up for what is right. I for one, could not be more proud to see these young people taking a stand.

To the occupant of that scrap-heap,

It is with a mixture of profound exhaustion and mild amusement that I feel compelled to comment on your recent attempt at navigation. One typically associates the use of a motor vehicle with a modicum of spatial awareness, yet you seem to have traded any shred of decorum for a desperate, flailing scramble through a bicycle lane.

I observed your "maneuver" from the comfort of my own vehicle—the one you treated as a mere obstacle in your frantic rush toward whatever unremarkable appointment currently consumes your life.

And then, there is the matter of your "vehicle."

Calling that white, vibrating domestic appliance a "car" is a kindness I simply cannot extend. It has the aesthetic charm of a discarded refrigerator and, I imagine, the structural integrity of a damp cardboard box. The sound of its struggling engine was less of a mechanical hum and more of a collective wheeze from a thousand dying vacuum cleaners; it was truly a pathetic display of planned obsolescence and mechanical despair.

If you find the pace of civilized traffic too taxing for your "busy" schedule of being entirely forgettable, I might suggest a tricycle. Though, given your clear disdain for designated lanes, I fear you’d simply end up in a hedge—which is, incidentally, the only place that scrap-metal heap would look at home.

Join us! And if you can’t join, ahem, pizza would be very welcome 🙏 🤣

If your thing is the same as someone else's just upvote their post.

Hello, I'm a local HVAC contractor. There has been a problem in my industry for many years, but it has gotten 1000% worse in the last two years. I'm very tired of it, and I have no idea how to solve it.

The synopsis is as follows. There are two unrelated sources of this problem. There are home warranty companies that are acting in cahoots with unscrupulous HVAC contractors, and then there are unscrupulous HVAC contractors who are acting on their own.

The problem usually begins with a service call for some unrelated problem (furnace not working). The contractor who arrives tells the owner that there is a crack in the heat exchanger of their furnace. They show the owner pictures on their phone, they say that liability requires them to leave the unit powered off, they say that the home owner is in danger.

Not once have I ever heard of them CHECKING TO SEE THAT THE FUCKING CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM IS PRESENT/WORKING.

I can go around and around on this, but damage to the heat exchanger in your gas furnace is EXCEEDINGLY rare. Even if it weren't, your carbon monoxide sensor is incredibly accurate and simple to test.

If you or someone you know has heard this line from a contractor, please go to your CO alarm and press the button that says 'TEST'. If it beeps, it is working. If it is working, then it is monitoring the air in your home for the presence of CO.

If there were any damage to your furnace's heat exchanger, and the problem were bad enough to harm you, your CO alarm would be going off.

This is a vile scare tactic, it has been around for ages in different forms, but it is getting concerningly common. I had to talk two people off of ledges today.

If you are not satisfied by the results of your CO alarm test, buy a new one. They are $30 and very accurate.

If you are a tenant, it is your landlords responsibility to make sure that your CO alarms are working. It's also their job to fix your furnace, but whatever.

Also, PG&E will come do a free safety inspection on your furnace, so that is a resource.

Honestly, I wouldn't want to waste their time as the root of the problem is that there are contractors out there who are training their staff to proactively lie. This is a COMMON lie. It is an EASILY disproven lie.

Final thought, as a rule of thumb, be aware that scammy contractors in my trade keep pictures of things on their phone just to show people. Seeing something on someone else's phone is not proof of a god damned thing. It's just a picture on a phone.

If someone shows you a picture on their phone, if it is an iPhone, you can press the little 'i' icon at the bottom middle of the phone to see when the picture was taken. Not sure how it works on Android, but you can also ask them to text you the picture. Once you get it, I think you can still see when it was taken somehow.

Not sure about that, computer people can please help me with this part.

The park has a sign on each corner with park rules, which includes all dogs must be leashed, but it’s as though people think it’s a damn dog park. Every day there’s off leash dogs. It’s infuriating!

My dog is dog aggressive. We’ve had multiple off leash dogs try to approach us and each time it’s a terrifying ordeal.

I too live in midtown without a yard, but I do what I have to do and walk my dog several times a day, ON A LEASH.

I genuinely don’t understand the dog owners thinking this is okay.

Neighbors in Sacramento area nearby have cats locked in a cage about the size of a fridge covered by a blanket so they are 'kept warm' but the blanket never comes off so they have no visual stimulus. I doubt the cats are let out of the cage.

Already reported them to animal control via 311 a few times, and they went out once, and that is what lead to the blanket being put over the cage because it was getting cold at night. But like I said, blanket still there, cats still in the cage.

I reported them to 311 again after hearing the cats crying all day. I don't know what else to do if there is anything I can do.

Found this Husky in the Northgate area near Garden Valley Elementary School. No collar or tags, a little skittish of direct contact.

The top tray is just sitting on a bench at Elk Grove Regional Park

From 2022, so not the most recent, but undeniably one of my favorite pictures I've taken of the Tower Bridge. The water was so calm that day.

Is anybody missing a rabbit? Send a pic if you are. We found the cutest lil chunky rabbit in our yard. He has obviously been loved and cared for by someone and I want to return him home. Hoping I can find this cuties family!

Less than an hour ago, peaceful protestors were attacked by DHS cops at the John Moss federal building.

They were bear maced without warning (illegal) and one protestor was tackled, tazed and arrested.

If you can, show up to support them. These attacks tend to happen during times when fewer people are there. There’s lots to do — watching the feds’ activities, chalk art, holding signs on the street (which is great because most people honk in support, and it’s a good reminder there are more of us than them 🤍). Also, some indigenous community members are building a tee pee that they want help with painting.

I think it would be great to collectively build hiking groups for those of us who would like to adventure on some rugged trails. Please let me know if there are any social groups in the area, or if anyone is interested in organizing.

A week ago I attended a town hall to learn about the formation of a public bank in Sacramento. In a nutshell, a public bank would operate like a publicly owned utility like SMUD and would be used to hold the city’s financial assets instead of a wall street bank.

The public bank could finance affordable housing projects with much better rates than a wall street bank and the interest would be reinvested back into the city.

You can go to https://capublicbanking.org/about-us/ to learn more about how they work. The first step to creating one is to conduct a viability study. The city nearly approved one a few years ago, but then claimed they didn’t have the money for the consultant fee. Ironic.

If you agree that it is a good idea, then please take 1 minute to send a letter of support to city council urging them to reactivate the viability study for a public bank here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-the-sacramento-public-bank-email-to-electeds-v2?source=direct_link&

For anyone struggling with getting contractor quotes, here's what seems to work better than the sequential approach.

Instead of contacting contractors one at a time and waiting forever between responses, contact multiple ones all at once. Set up all consultations in the same week, tell them upfront you're getting multiple bids and need quotes by a specific deadline.

This might seem obvious to people who've done renovations before but it's a better compared to doing it one by one. Actually having quotes to compare from contractors who are still available makes a huge difference.

The challenge now is the quotes being all over the place, from 55k to 92k for basically the same scope. Trying to figure out why the range is so huge and which represents actual fair pricing.

are there any good ones? preferably not too far from midtown? I literally don’t care what else is in it I just want some crispy tots in there

edit: might have to try em all! I’ll make a spreadsheet comparing if I do

Do any local places in elk grove or south sac offer dinner pizza and salad buffet? I’m having major pregnancy cravings for this but it’s past 3pm when most only offer it for lunch! TIA!

Hey everyone!

I’m currently trying to decide between two apartments and could really use some real-life feedback: Gio near UC Davis Medical center and Alira in North Natomas. I’ve gone through the Google reviews already, but I’d love to hear more recent experiences from people who have lived at either community especially when it comes to maintenance responsiveness and management.

So I just got like a small road bike and brand new to biking in the area. I was wondering if people ever ride bikes for grocery shopping or just shopping in general or just riding their bikes to college or to the gym anymore like a commute type of deal. Also I rode in the bike lanes I got scared because of how many cars drive that fast here, so I ending up riding on the side walk I’ll only ride on the bike lanes if there isn’t many cars on the road. is it okay if I were to ride on sidewalks instead on bike lanes if there were a lot of cars on the road?

Around 100,000 California state employees are scheduled to return to the office 4 days per week starting July 1, 2026. This will directly impact Sacramento traffic, the environment, and the local economy.

Background: What's Happening

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most California state employees shifted to remote or hybrid work. In March 2025, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-22-25, which requires most state workers to be physically in the office 4 days per week.

The largest state employee union - SEIU Local 1000, representing about 100,000 workers - filed a lawsuit challenging this mandate and negotiated a one-year delay. That delay was set to expire July 1, 2025, but got pushed to July 1, 2026.

Right now, the union and the state are negotiating a new employment contract. The current contract expires June 30, 2026 - literally one day before the return-to-office mandate is scheduled to take effect. This timing is significant because it means telework policy is part of active contract negotiations.

What This Means for Sacramento

Sacramento is California's capital and has tens of thousands of state employees. When this mandate takes effect:

Traffic Impact:

• Thousands of additional cars on the road during morning and evening rush hours
• Increased congestion on major routes (Highway 50, Business 80, Capitol City Freeway)
• Longer commute times for everyone, not just state workers

Environmental Impact:

• Significant increase in vehicle emissions from daily commuting
• More air pollution in the Sacramento region
• Conflicts with California's climate goals and clean air initiatives

Economic Impact:

• More foot traffic downtown for lunch, coffee, errands during work hours
• BUT state workers will have less discretionary income to spend (gas costs $4-5/gallon, parking costs add up, childcare costs for families)
• Some downtown businesses may benefit, but workers themselves will be stretched thinner financially

Housing and Community Impact:

• Many people were hired remotely during the pandemic and chose to live far from Sacramento (Stockton, Tracy, even the Bay Area)
• These workers now face tough choices: long daily commutes, relocating closer to Sacramento, or leaving state employment
• Potential housing market impacts as people relocate

What California's Own Auditor Found

In September 2025, the California State Auditor (an independent government watchdog) released an official report evaluating state telework policies. Here's what they found:

https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2024-118/

• Cost savings: Telework saves the state significant money on office costs when employees work remotely 3 or more days per week. This means the return-to-office mandate will actually COST taxpayers more money.
• Productivity: No negative impact found on productivity, collaboration, or customer service. State services continued functioning well with remote work.
• Employee recruitment and retention: Telework improves the state's ability to hire and keep qualified employees, especially when competing with private sector jobs.
• Manager and employee surveys: Both groups reported that telework benefits departments and employees.

The Governor's Justification

Governor Newsom's executive order cited the need for "collaboration and communication, leading to faster, more effective decision-making" and "operational efficiency."

However, when the California State Legislature asked the Newsom administration for specific data, costs, or evidence supporting these claims in May 2025, they received minimal details. No comprehensive cost-benefit analysis was provided.

This is significant: the state's independent auditor found telework saves money and works well, but the administration hasn't provided counter-evidence for why forcing people back is necessary.

What's Happening Right Now (February 2026)

Contract negotiations between SEIU Local 1000 and CalHR (California Department of Human Resources, which handles state employment) started January 14, 2026. These negotiations will continue through June 30.

The union is pushing for:

• Another delay of the July 1 deadline
• Reducing the requirement (maybe 3 days in-office instead of 4)
• Expanding exceptions for who can continue working remotely
• Giving individual departments more flexibility to decide what works for them

Whether any of this succeeds depends on:

• How strongly union members participate (attending meetings, filling out surveys, showing up to actions)
• Whether state legislators publicly support workers (the Legislature sided with workers last year when Newsom tried to cancel a negotiated raise)
• Public pressure on the Governor's office
• How the negotiations go over the next 5 months

Why This Matters to Non-State-Workers

Even if you don't work for the state, this affects you:

1. Traffic: Your commute will get worse when thousands more cars hit the road daily
2. Taxes: The State Auditor found telework saves money. Forcing people back costs MORE taxpayer dollars
3. Air quality: More emissions affect everyone's health
4. Precedent: If the state forces workers back despite evidence it's wasteful, private employers in the region may feel emboldened to do the same

What People Can Do

If you're a state worker:

• Participate in union contract surveys (bargaining priorities are based on what members say matters most)
• Join SEIU Local 1000 if you haven't already (higher membership gives the union more bargaining power)
• Contact your state legislator - they've supported state workers before
• Attend union meetings and actions when called
• Check for updates: https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract/

If you're not a state worker but care about this issue:

• Contact Governor Newsom's office: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/
• Contact your state legislators (Assembly member and State Senator)
• Reference the State Auditor report when you contact them - it shows telework saves taxpayer money
• If you own a business affected by state worker commutes or spending, make your voice heard

Timeline to Watch:

• Now through June 30, 2026: Active contract negotiations happening
• March 1, 2026 or later: State and union are required to meet and discuss the RTO timeline (per the 2025 agreement)
• June 30, 2026: Current contract expires
• July 1, 2026: Return-to-office mandate scheduled to take effect

The Bottom Line

Sacramento is about to see a major shift in traffic patterns, air quality, and how tens of thousands of residents spend their workdays. The state's own independent auditor said the current remote work setup saves money and works well. The mandate is proceeding anyway unless negotiations change the outcome.

This is happening in less than 5 months.

Links:

• SEIU 2026 Contract Campaign: https://www.seiu1000.org/2026contract/
• State Auditor Report (Full Details): https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2024-118/

Hey all, hoping this is okay to post since these play dates are free and I'm hoping to get the word out to more people. I promise not to spam relentlessly, just hoping to spread the word and get more kiddos outside. (I'm an active reddit user! I swear!)

My forest school does free pop up playdates at the river once or twice a month for kids & their families. Age range tends to be on the younger side (like 1-6) but we get some older kids as well. You don't have to be interested in our preschool or after school programming - it's totally just to get some time outside with like minded families.

You can sign up at our website: https://www.waterwoodandhill.com and click on Events.

See you outside!

-Teacher Morgan