http://news.yahoo.com/alabama-county-seeks-file-biggest-municipal-bankruptcy-001117903.html;_ylc=X3oDMTNsYjRuOTVkBF9TAzg0Mzk3OTMzBGFjdANtYWlsX2NiBGN0A2EEaW50bAN1cwRsYW5nA2VuLVVTBHBrZwNlMTYzZDAwMy1iMjczLTNiNTMtOWE0YS0xNDQyMmE4ZTRhNzYEc2VjA21pdF9zaGFyZQRzbGsDbWFpbAR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3

Unable to pay bill, Mich city turns off lights

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Unable-to-pay-bill-Mich-city-apf-2920161472.html?x=0

Being in a jail in a nutshell

reflect on the usefulness of this activity in enhancing your understanding of the operations of state and local governments.

What was your biggest struggle with regard to this assignment?

What did you learn by reading about other students’ experiences?

Would you recommend this CP to a future student?

I am very glad I chose this particular CP. I have been saying I wanted to work with youth prior to release for some time so this gave me the opportunity to do just that. Better than this simply being a good experience, this set the stage for permanent expansion of my record sealing outreach to include incarcerated youth.

In terms of the biggest difficulty, it was certainly getting clearance. In fact, that was the primary reason the scope changed from including both Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall as well as San Mateo to just San Mateo.

I enjoyed reading about both the struggles and successes of other people's CP's. It was good to know which offered useful experiences to people in terms of comprehending any in the future to people looking to get involved in local government at some level.

I would only recommend this particular CP to someone with experience working with this particular demographic, and who was also comfortable being in a locked unit with 15-20 high-risk youth at a time.

Final Study Guide

On the day of the final, you will answer 2 out of 3 of the following questions:

1) What is the purpose and role of local governments within the political framework of the United States?

2) How do state and local governments serve their populations differently from government at the Federal level?

3) Assume that the State of California enacted a progressive tax structure that applied to both individual income and corporate income. What values would be reflected in such a decision? What might be some of the consequences?

4) A discovery is made in the City of Dunn... the lake bed of a lake used for recreation and located near the edge of town is found to contain a large supply of unobtainium. Unobtainium is an extremely valuable industrial resource. How will you, as a city council member of the City of Dunn, propose to manage this resource?

working with Rec & Park has helped me to understand how hard it is for public sectors to get extra funding. the biggest struggle that ive came across in this assignment is finding out all of the information that the blog questions and for myself becasue alot of the employes dont no the history behind rec & park

1. why is it that property tax can keep increasing in fact double over two years in the san francisco bay area?

2. why is it that each county has a different tax rate?

3. what cant sin taxes be higher instead of sale taxes?

Two weeks left.....The real crunch begins.

I am all done with finals the Monday of finals week, so I have two weeks left until summer.

Between now and then, I've got two 15 page papers, one five page paper, several miscellaneous assignments, three presentations, I'm organizing the research conference, an awards ceremony, three 6pm-12am tech rehearsals, three dance shows, and a mandatory party.

Let the fun begin! :)

Now, the CBL assignment is complete and it's time for an assessment. I would not say that weekly contact with the police department has enhanced my understanding of the operations of state and local government in any substantial way. I've learned how to come into a meeting and convey what I'm there to convey in 30 seconds or less, but again- I have not learned about the underpinnings of the system in any substantial way. It may be due to the nature of my interaction with the officers. I was looking to establish a directive for underage alcohol violations. With the exception of the few times I had to ask officers about the nature of certain relationship within state and local government: The mayor, the governor, other local governmental units- we were not discussing state and local government very often. We did; however, talk a bit of local politics.

I recall the second meeting I had with Halloran in which we spent 45 minutes talking about collective bargaining in Wisconsin and crappy school lunches in almost every district in California. Then there were the talks with tangents that turned into THE topic (Law, Morality, and Society) and things of the like. Above all, the CBL project has been enriching for me personally. I've learned how to be quick on my feet. I've learned that being shy is a waste of time.

Perhaps most supplemental to this enrichment has been reading David's blogs about cases and experiences in the juvenile hall system.

There is no question that there are gross injustices that go unatoned because of someone's ability to be diplomatic or political. Similarly, there is also no doubt in my mind that the justice system needs to be reformed.

I do not know if I would recommend my exact community partner project to another student.

As I've mentioned previously, I do not like the way the minds of police officers work. You say consequences and they think extreme punishment.

If the community partner assignment is going to be a requirement, it should be noted in the course description so that students are not scrambling around at the last minute looking for a community partner...and have to settle with a less than ideal one.

Study Questions:

1.) What important social apparatus does the property tax fund?

2.) How would you surmise the political economy of local governments?

3.) Who rates local government bonds?

D.A. takes it to another level...or how I spent the last 3 days

Late Tuesday we get a fax from the D.A.'s office. 2 weeks ago our D.A. had requested a 2 week continuance because she was contesting our reduction motion based on the severity of the offense and the inadequate length of time since then. Same old, same old. The continuance was granted and we prepared our arguments. THen this fax came in and everything changed. The D.A. has decided to challenge the very legal basis by which we have been filing for these reductions. So the last couple days have been a mad scramble. It is a big deal because of something we learned about last class: precident. If they challenge the legallity of this procedure and we loose, then every youth in santa clara county that wants to have his/her juvenile record reduced will have a hell of a time. For those that are interested, I will give you guys the entire run-down next class because I don't think I should post the specifics on a public blog while the case is still ongoing. However it is intersting, frustrating, and in my opinion a pretty big deal.

Rest of the Semester - almost done!

WEEK FOURTEEN April 20

DUE: Chapter 12 Taxing & Spending
Blog Topic: Now that your CBL assignment is complete, please reflect on the usefulness of this activity in enhancing your understanding of the operations of state and local governments. What was your biggest struggle with regard to this assignment? What did you learn by reading about other students’ experiences? Would you recommend this CP to a future student?



WEEK FIFTEEN April 25 & 27
4/25: Final exam
4/27: Final presentations
DUE: Study for the final

Chapter 9 The Judiciary; RA #2

Does your CP ever have recourse to the judicial process as a way of resolving problems?

NO SF Rec and Park doesnt

Questions:

1. How does common law play out in court because if its not a law how can you go to court against something thats not a law?

2. How are the jurisdiction of the trial court determined?

3. how many years of lower court experience do you need 2 be a good judge?

When a baseball analogy proves to be a poor basis for crime prevention

I spent last Friday talking to the youth in SMJH about three strikes and life sentences. I went almost an hour over time, because they were so into it. I made a decision ahead of time not to dumb it down for them but to really go into the intricacies of the law as well as its history. I did the same for life sentences, and I could tell it was information that they hadn't heard before and considered very important.

In other news I have a 707(b) reduction hearing Wednesday morning so I won't see ya'll in class. A 707(b) crime is a strike-able offense that even when commited asa juvenile prevents your criminal record from ever being sealed. About 8 months ago attorneys I was working with and I found a method to petition the courts to reduce one of these offenses after which we can file to have it sealed. The individual in question hasn't had so much as speeding ticket since her offense (about 6 years ago) nor had she ever been in trouble prior. Hopefully we can make a stronger case than the D.A. and give her a chance to have a record that reflects the person she is now.

Wish me luck.

My Q's for the week:


1. Why do so few cases actually go to trial despite the fact that everyone has the right to one?

2. How come under California law everyone has a right to a "speedy trial" and yet most people go months or even years before their case is resolved?

3. In California, Juveniles who are found "delinquent" when it comes to crimes rather than guilty. Why do you think this difference between the adult system and the juvenile system exits?

Every Fifteen Minutes

This week I am faced with the daunting task of submitted a completed Methods & Methodology term paper. Good. Great. Grand.

In other news, I recently had catch up time with one of my friends from the School of Americas trip I attend last semester. She told me about a program she participated in called 'Every Fifteen Minutes' in which a drunken car crash is staged. She partook as one of the victims. The program is sort of a fake-out for the student body. Students witness the fake death of one of their classmates so that the death hits closer to home, then it is revealed that it was staged. This is designed to warn as well as scare teenagers out of drunk driving. I am thinking of having either NDNU or Notre Dame High School host a program, though our students are relatively responsible with drinking and driving. I know of one NDNU student with DUI. There is a lot of planning and thought that needs to go into this project.

Props must be donated

The city of Belmont must approve

The police and fire departments need to agree to participate

The administration needs to see it's purpose and support it

Comment on this post and share your thoughts! I'd like to have a few opinions before I take the proposal to my community partner.

And now for my weekly shpeel:

I am sad to have missed Dr. Ferdowsi's party today. I didn't go because I was feeling intensely ill when the group left.

I am, at the moment, feeding my interest in abstract philosophy...Nietzsche's concept of the Eternal Return.

Study Questions:

1.) Why are trials so exorbitantly priced?

2.) How is the state plan for choosing appellate judges determined?

3.) Page 224 states that while crime rates are down, incarceration rates are rising. What factors are attributable to this counter-intuitive negative correlation?

Q & A Time

1.) Page 166 lists the eight states that do not employ a lieutenant governor's office. Why would these states not see a need for the office as it automatically fills the governor's position in case he or she is not able to complete a term.

Ok, the year is 2009. McCain has won by 5 points and mid-westerners everywhere are shooting off newly legal assault rifles, gutting public services, and enhancing criminal penalties for illegal immigrants. Then, suddenly, McCain suffers a fatal heart attack. People everywhere are simply shocked at the idea of someone in their mid-70's with pre-existing conditions dieing so unexpectedly from something so unforeseeable.

Thankfully, we have a system where there exists a Vice President which the knowledge, capability, and sound mind needed to step in and run this country. That person is.....Sarah Palin
.
.
.
Any questions?


2.) Based on the characteristics of a successful governor on pages 163-43, why did Meg Whitman lose the last gubernatorial election?

Was one of those characteristics: Not-alienating-a-huge-percentage-of-the-voting-population-in-your-state-by-firing-your-Hispanic-maid-and-suddenly-adopting-a-tough-on-immigration-approach?

Seriously though, some of the things that I think hurt her were the narrative developed early on that she was essentially buying the governorship, her social view which got noticeably more conservative over time in a state where there is a large liberal voting populace, and her lack of political experience (this includes even simply going to the ballot box and voting)


3. Why do some governors go against what they know is wrong for example when it come to laws?

I simply couldn't pass this one up. I don't even know where to start, so I'll composite a short list which I'm sure doesn't even begin to cover all the reasons:

• They are pandering to their constituents.
• They promised it on the campaign trail
• Personal gain
• It would be politically damaging in the future to have not done it(or done it)
• Pressure from their party
• etc
  

Mexican Standoff in America

With what is amounting to one hell of a football match with both sides playing excellent defense, Republicans and Democrats are struggling to make any headway in terms of the budget.

1) Why do you think we are seeing such an impasse, not just at the federal level but also in states such as California?

2) What tactics has Gerry Brown used to try and deal with California's current budget woes?

3) What kinds of tools do governors have at their disposal in dealing with disputes such as these?

----

Last Friday at the hall went great. No tornadoes or lock-downs coupled with a beautiful day made me happy to go spend an afternoon behind a bunch of concrete and steel sally-ports.

I am also talking with some members of my board, and it looks like I may get some guest speakers from Apple to come in and speak with the youth. One of them is an original creator of iTunes, and it would definitely be a cool experience for these kids.

In terms of my the governor's interaction with my CP, it is an indirect one. He can allocate additional resources (or take them away) from state corrections as a whole, which shoulders or places burden on the various county correctional systems accross the state. Also, if he were to go all "Scott Walker" on us, he could deal a blow to union rights which would deeply affect my CP and its employees. He has the authority to make an impact on my CP in these ways, or through the introduction of tough-on-crime legislation (or presumably soft-on-crime legislation, though it hasn't happened yet).

the governor?!

1. What made the change from the governors being elected by the legislature rather than the voters?

2. Why do some governors go against what they know is wrong for example when it come to laws?

3. why is there so many different ways to veto a bill for a governor?

To what extent does the Governor interact with your CP?

the Governor doesn't really interact personally with my CP, but since its a part of City and County of San Francisco he interacts with them. but not Rec and Park exactly.

Does he have the authority to make an impact on your CP's operations?

yes the governor have and impact on my CP which is sad since he doesn't actually interact with it personally

It's going change..because it has to.

A few months ago I started to think that I'm one of those weird people who thinks way too much about everything. My friends were telling me that there is absolutely no reason to think so much.

I've just realized that there is no such thing as thinking too much. There is no such thing as an overachiever. There are achievers and underachievers. I've always marveled at people who don't have the things that make most people happy, but are some of the happiest and most intelligent people I've ever met. I've realized that they've attached their person to a truth and lived in and through that truth

Quite elementary, yes.

Truths exist.

Laziness is a disease. Focus is golden and priceless.

Is it true that the president and the Gang of 8 (top Democrat and Republican intelligence officials in the House and Senate) authorized military action in Libya TWO to THREE WEEKS AGO?

If not, I am never watching MSNBC again.

*Change of subject*

The governor's interaction with the Belmont Police Department is limited. Contact between the two parties occurs in extreme emergencies such as natural disasters. Contact may also ensue during state budget planning, or when there are other issues of finance that affect the police department. Further, the governor interacts with the police department when there is a new law taking effect and the police department needs clarification on the meaning of a particular clause or how to enforce the legislation.

Study questions:

1.) Page 166 lists the eight states that do not employ a lieutenant governor's office. Why would these states not see a need for the office as it automatically fills the governor's position in case he or she is not able to complete a term.

2.) Based on the characteristics of a successful governor on pages 163-43, why did Meg Whitman lose the last gubernatorial election?

3.) Why would the governor not have full firing power?

Paper #2 - This is a Research Paper!

For your second paper, please choose one state and examine EITHER the origin history of that state's constitution OR the history of one specific amendment proposed to that constitution. (The amendment does not need to have passed.) Your paper should be an academic narrative that recounts the original creation of the constitution or amendment in a style that is uniquely your own.

For example, as a historical narrative, your paper may discuss the individuals or groups involved in the original writing of the state's constitution or of the proposed amendment, the issues, arguments, scandals, complaints, etc. arose during the accompanying debates, and how they were resolved. As a piece of academic writing, it must demonstrate scholarly research at the upper division level and include references and in-text citations. At least 3 of the references used must be peer-reviewed scholarly journals.

1.what's the benefit of having a very long wordy constitution or a short straight to the point one?

2. what would one have to go through to make an amendment?

3. what if a constitution dosnt specify and some what conflict with the nations constitution, for example gay marriage?

1. Is your CP constitutionally mandated?

• I don't believe that there's a constitution for SF Rec and Park but just like any other place there are rules and regulations

2. Does it seek any kind of protection relating to its existence or scope, or any guarantee relating to its area of interest, under a state constitution?

• i'm not sure how to answer this question.

The REAL Model Arab League

Model Arab League this weekend was a success for NDNU. I believe each of our councils passed at least 2 resolutions both in our committee session and in the General Assembly. Our Joint Defense and Environmental Affairs councils received a honorable mentions in the General Assembly.

I myself passed three resolutions, one of which was one drafted in about 20 minutes in response to a simulated crisis: Iran had invaded Bahrain, and it was the responsibility of the social affairs council to see to it that humanitarian aid and refugee compounds were provided to the Bahrainis. I was sad that Libya was not represented.....but it was appropriate that it wasn't. Not only would they have been the laughing stock of the Arab league, everyone would have been focused on a resolution to force Gadhafi out of power, or at least would have tried to revoke their speaking privileges.

We had, in all, a very fun weekend. We had dinner as a class on Friday night at a restaurant next door to the hotel, and on Saturday night I finished 7 pages of a 12 page term paper in an hour and half. We are all excited to re-convene tomorrow morning in Middle East Area studies as well as decide when our Model Arab League party at Dr. Ferdowsi's house will be held.

Before I get into what I am actually supposed to be posting about, I will share a quote from Moammar Gadhafi's Green Book.

“Freedom of expression is the right of every natural person, even if a person chooses to behave irrationally to express his or her insanity."

I have to admit, this is something that strikes me. Gadhafi himself has most definitely taken full advantage of this freedom...but I have trouble wrapping my head around the thought process of a leader who has the entirety of the international community imploring him to leave office by both condemnation and use of military force, but will not budge. It scares me.

Is this really the meaning of democracy? Is the meaning of and word freedom really that powerful?

In one mode of thought, it is. It is the mode of thought that believes by default that power is a right and not a privilege. Never underestimate the power of the exterior...it always has a way of reflecting the interior.

I don't have time to elaborate.

I by no means believe that Gadhafi is mentally stable, but everyone seems else seems to address him as though he is so that tidbit was my suspension of disbelief.

State and Local Government:

I read this chapter early in the semester thinking that it was due, but went from two to four.

Anyway,

Study questions:

1.) What are problems with excessively lengthy constitutions not outlined in the reading?

2.) What are the disadvantages of shorter constitutions?

3.) What is the long ballot?

Line item budget:

Public Safety

• Infrastructure

• Sustainable Economic Growth

• Community Quality of Life

• Leadership & Administration

• Public Services: Library, DMV, ect
• Fire
• Street
• Municipal Court
• Employment

Ride alongs almost over :(

Foster City Police Department and all Police Departments are constitutionally mandated. They are called peace officers in the California constitution. This question makes me laugh because I asked a police officer there, if they were constitutionally mandated and he wasn't sure. I think he may have been thinking about the federal constitution while I was thinking of the state constitution. I then asked Mo and he was like duh! We are constitutionally mandated and proceded to crack up. The California Constitution pretty much lists what they can and cannot do. They are sworn into oath before taking their jobs. FCPD is not trying to make any changes to the constitution. I was once again reminded that it is required for all police departments to remain impartial with anything relating to law and politics. Their job is to enforce the letter of the law. Man, I think that word "impartial" has been said every time I ask a question. This word is starting to get on my nerves because I want them to just tell me what they think as people, but then I am reminded, once they are on the clock they don't really have an opinion because they cannot have one. I am saddened that my ride alongs are almost over. I only have a couple weeks left of doing them and they have been so much fun. I would never ever consider a field in law enforcement, but I think that what these officers do is just awesome. I hope that everyone can go on ride alongs if they the opportunity because it can really change your opinion in a good way of what a police officer does.

Response to Oumou's Questions

1.) What is the stage of the budget process that year California gets stuck on? In other words, where is the delay that causes the budget to be late each year?

All of it.


No, seriously though I would say that the 2/3 majority vote needed to pass CA's budget is high on the list. Most states pass their budget with a simple majority, but we are different in that regard. Getting 2/3 of politicians to agree on anything is tough, let alone a budget. The difficulty of crafting a huge budget to meet the needs of a state of roughly 36 million people in economically stressed times is compounded by this rule, which along with sometimes little expertise and poor accountability makes passing the budget tough in California. I could ramble about this, but I think this is one of the more prominent factors.

2.) Is the budget at the local level...say for schools...(be it hefty or insufficient) one that is ever-changing...so that localities are continually asking the state for funding for basic institutions and necessary projects? Or are localities' budgets sufficiently factored into the state budget? (application, re-application, ect)

Yes and no. Traditionally yes, budgets get changed every year and interest groups commonly have to lobby for their chunk of the pie out of that specific budget. However, CA's intitiaive system has drastically changed that. What we as voters have done (and I rant about this to people I know whenever voting time rolls around) is we have locked in money to specific pet projects and that money can no longer be cut. For example there was that parks initiative on the latest ballot (I'm too lazy to look it up right now). Basically it went like: set aside a certain amount every year to go towards saving the state parks.

Great, wonderful, the chipmunks and deer don't have to worry about being evicted anytime soon and we get some nice scenery. I am very much in favor of saving our state parks but it does worry me, because we have now placed these chipmunks in a category that teachers are not in (or roads, mental health services, etc). So at the budget table they may be forced to cut one of these other programs in order to balance the budget but now they can't.

3.) Why is the extent of unionization and collective bargaining greatest in the states of the Midwest and the Northeast?

That's where blue collar jobs are.

Again, I'm being funny but there's some truth there. Not being a history buyff regarding the spread of unions in the United States, I dont' have tons of evidence short of conjecture and an addiction to NPR, but I believe that many of the jobs such as manufacturing and mining are more common in the midwest and northeast than they are say on the Westcoast. Now there are lots of these jobs in the South as well, but I believe that unions have traditionally found more resistance there than elsewhere.

It's 10am and I'm already having a bad day.

This bad day turned into a bad week.

On Monday, I woke up 17 minutes late for my 9am class, started crying because I hate being late, threw on a pair of jeans and my bright yellow NDNU flip-flops, and ran out into the rain only to mudslide three feet down the ramp of JB and soil my clothing in water and mud. I immediately ran back to my room, took off the muddy clothes, put on clean clothes and rain boots, and ran to Cuvily Hall. After class, I go back to my residence hall and take a shower. When I come out of the shower, I check the news (which I hadn't read in days) and learn that the U.S. has taken military action in Libya in response to the crimes against humanity committed by Gadhafi. This occupation will supposedly last "days, not weeks." Sure. Good, great.

By 10:24am, within an hour of waking up, I felt as though I'd encountered and gathered a half-day's worth of information.

The learning experience of the first hour of my day was quite great. I was able to understand just how much is occurring all around me that I am not aware of...and how quickly political systems can implement legislation or make decisions (unilaterally or not) that change the mode of affairs not only on local levels, but at the international level.

I can only imagine the condition of the non-existent functional government local government bodies throughout Libya, but especially east of Benghazi.

On another note, there is something quite redolent and felicitous about a day's incipience that makes me kind of upset when I wake up late and miss it. That disappointment and upset intensifies if I'm 20 minutes late for a class.

-This weekend should be a great one as our class is going to LA for the Model Arab League conference.....Lol.

So. Study questions:

1.) What is the stage of the budget process that year California gets stuck on? In other words, where is the delay that causes the budget to be late each year?

2.) Is the budget at the local level...say for schools...(be it hefty or insufficient) one that is ever-changing...so that localities are continually asking the state for funding for basic institutions and necessary projects? Or are localities' budgets sufficiently factored into the state budget? (application, re-application, ect)

3.) Why is the extent of unionization and collective bargaining greatest in the states of the Midwest and the Northeast?

3.)

Was there more to the movie "2012" than I thought?

I was prevented from doing my SMJH thing on Friday by....a Tornado. Yes, that's right a tornado warning was issued in San Mateo/Belmont and they shut down all visits. Earthquakes in the Bay Area, of course, but Tornadoes?!? Crazy.

Alright, so down to the weekly questions:

Does your CP rely on money or services provided by any public entity?

Yes, the San Mateo Juvenile Hall directly relies on funding from the county. In terms of services, they rely on the county as well (just as most entities do) for things such as trash pickup, roads, etc.

Are the money and services provided in a consistent and reliable manner or is the CP subject to periodic application, approval, re-application, etc.?

The answer to the above question suggests, and history shows, that it is indeed deeply affected by changes in funding and so could potentially suffer from lapses in being able to provide services. Now it so happens that corrections has done a very good job of securing "sacred" status when it comes to funding, so I wouldn't expect them to shut the juvenile hall down anytime soon, even with budget shortfalls.

How does this consistency, or lack thereof, affect your CP’s operations?

Well the consistency makes the jobs there more coveted than they would otherwise be. It also means that people under 18 can rest assured that they have a place to go should they decide to vandalize school property, or try their hand at dealing drugs.

March-April schedule

Day-by-Day Schedule of Activities & Assignments



WEEK NINE March 14 & 16
3/14: One-on-one mid-semester reviews
DUE: Chapter 11 Local Government Structure & Leadership
Blog Topic: How does your CP interface with local governmental units? Are there any leaders in particular who have had a key impact on the success or development of your CP?



WEEK TEN March 23
DUE: Chapter 8 Public Administration: Budgeting & Service Delivery
Blog Topic: Does your CP rely on money or services provided by any public entity? Are the money and services provided in a consistent and reliable manner or is the CP subject to periodic application, approval, re-application, etc.? How does this consistency, or lack thereof, affect your CP’s operations?



WEEK ELEVEN March 28 & 30
Assign RA#2
DUE: Chapter 3 State Constitutions
Blog Topic: Is your CP constitutionally mandated? Does it seek any kind of protection relating to its existence or scope, or any guarantee relating to its area of interest, under a state constitution?



WEEK TWELVE April 6
DUE: Chapter 7 Governors
Blog Topic: To what extent does the Governor interact with your CP? Does he/she have the authority to make an impact on your CP’s operations?



WEEK THIRTEEN April 11 & 13
DUE: Chapter 9 The Judiciary; RA #2
Blog Topic: Does your CP ever have recourse to the judicial process as a way of resolving problems? Describe one example.

Structure and leadership

1) So the amount of school districts went down due to the increase in special districts? My question is, why? What directly connects a school district to a special district? A special district is created to meet service needs in a particular area. Special districts overlay existing general purpose and people even question their necessity. A school district is an independent special purpose government, or dependent school system, which are under the control of state or local government.


2) City councils are representative, deliberative, policy making bodies. These individuals speak and are heard on the behalf for there local area or government.


3) I think that a positive out come of these over laps is that it could be beneficial to have say a fire department and the police radio station together because these two agencies work together in some ways. Now a negative look at this would be budget cuts in schools because the city needs to build a new fire station.

Responses

1.) What is a special district and how is it defined?

In short, special districts are entities authorized by state legislation to provide one or several functions. Special districts are fiscally independent and may qualify as separate governments.

2.) What role do city councils play in local government?

City councils are congressional-style legislative bodies. They pass the legislation that governs the city, proposes bills, and are elected. The role of city councils varies with the type of mayorship employed. In a strong mayor local government, for example, the mayor is the city's chief legislator and executive and has veto power over city council proposition and legislation. A weak mayor form of government differs as the city council shares legislative and executive authority with the mayor.

3) Oumou mentioned that there is often overlap in terms of agencies of local government. What are the positive/negative consequences of this redundancy?

If I may answer my own question...

This overlap necessarily entails a redundancy in bureaucracy...creating a bit of confusion. It creates competition among those institutions while strengthening responsiveness to citizens.

Say that we in Belmont, have a fire department with an emergency room as well as a hospital across the street. For the sake of this example, say that we have free universal health care and that a co-payment for a drop in visit is based on individual ability to pay. Both are equipped with the latest medical technology and are nice-looking places.........slightly self-evident?

Everything you've ever wanted to know about the CCPOA

I'm not sure what the best way is to go about posting this, and as I paste this up here I am fairly certain it falls into the "worst ways to do this" category. Here it goes anyway:

=========================================================

David Gable

State and Local Government

Paper #1

3-2-11

Are They All Political Prisoners?:

An Analysis of the CCPOA’s Role in California Politics

James is a shy, awkward looking kid. He looks as though he would be out of place on a sports team or even just hanging with friends in the cafeteria. This makes him look even stranger in a blue jumpsuit sitting beside 3 other inmates on their way to court. If he looks worried, he should, because today he will find out if he will be charged as a 14-year-old and be looking at 2 months in a juvenile detention facility, or if he will be charged as an adult and not come out until he most certainly is one.

The San Mateo Juvenile Hall (where James has been held facing charges in San Mateo, California) is not filled with political activists. Many of the employees no doubt vote, and perhaps even some of the inmates do (upon their release and subsequent completion of probation). However, it and all the correctional facilities across the state are indirectly responsible for many of the laws under which inmates such as James are currently being prosecuted. The way in which they accomplish this, is the topic of this paper.

In one acronym, the method by which facilities like San Mateo Juvenile Hall are able to retain funding, as well as strong benefits to their employees, are because those employees are by and large all members of one organization: the CCPOA. The CCPOA is the California Correctional Peace Officer’s Association, and although it began in the late 50’s, it didn’t become a political powerhouse until the 80’s when that all changed. “The 1980’s…marked a fundamental shift in the union’s political reach when Don Novey assumed control of the organization…the Youth Authority supervisors, parole officers, and prison guards were all consolidated under one organizational umbrella…membership soared as a result,” (CCPOA Berkeley, pg. 11). The timing was perfect because just as the CCPOA began launching huge PR campaigns, crime in California began to increase and people were hungry for solutions: the tough-on-crime political platform rose to prominence.

“Politicians began advocating more and more tough-on-crime laws and soon found themselves in the good graces of the CCPOA. The surge of arrests ended up benefitting the CCPOA’s bottom-line. “Not surprisingly, the escalating inmate population and prison costs have occurred lockstep with the CCPOA’s swelling ranks, budget, and political power….average guard salaries have skyrocketed…[and] the state corrections budget has experienced a corresponding explosion,” (Prison Guard Clout, pg. 1). All the while, laws such as three-strikes found the CCPOA a very powerful supporter indeed, and might not have passed so easily had it not been for its influence. “The CCPOA was one of Proposition 184’s [commonly referred to as the three-strikes law] earliest backers and biggest financial boosters,” (CCPOA Berkeley, pg. 14). Why wouldn’t they be?; after-all, life sentences are one way to ensure job security even in economically tough times.

Recently, a California state appeals court upheld the 25-year-to-life sentence of a homeless ex-convict who had attempted to pry open the kitchen door of a church, where he'd been fed in the past, and steal some food.“It's really amazing how many of these horror stories there are,” says Julie Stewart, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums. “These cases are not the exception, but the rule,” (Prison Reform, pg. 6). While stories like this did not get much press and the stories of extremely violent offenders being sentenced under the law did. Due partly to this, the public’s opinion of the draconian laws continued to be largely positive.

California continued to enact new laws (as did many other states) to address their growing crime problem. “Indeed, the legislature embarked on a criminal-law production frenzy, passing more than 100, and sometimes as many as 200, pieces of new legislation each year since 1988-up from the former output of 20-25 pieces, which included routine amendments of existing statutes (Greenwood et al. 1994),” ( Golden Gulag, pg. 106). This created such a backlog that is was impossible to clear the legislative calendar by the end of each term. Criminal Law subcommittees, which fell under the judiciary committees in both houses, now dealt exclusively with criminal legislation. All these new laws produced a radical shift in the racial and ethnic makeup of the prison population, so that the makeup is now disproportionally minorities.

There are also other trends we are seeing in the growing inmate population. “Most prisoners are modestly educated men in the prime of life: 88 percent are between 19 and 44 years old. Less than 45 percent graduated from high school or read at the ninth grade level; one in four is functionally illiterate,” (Golden Gulag, pg. 105). Throughout all of these developments, the CCPOA has been largely politically active in pressing its agenda both at the more local levels by funding district attorney races (“between 1996 and 2000, the CCPOA gave at least $108,000 to local district attorneys,” -CCPOA Berkeley, pg. 12) and also funding state-wide elections and ballot measures. “The CCPOA has lavishly supported its political allies in the legislature. Senate Majority Leader John Burton…who sponsored a bill that lifted correctional officer salaries as high as $73,000 received $200,000 from the CCPOA,” (CCPOA Berkeley, pg. 12).

Opponents of this movement across the country to create harsher laws, point out a key contradiction. Everyone was saying that we needed these new laws in order to control violence. However, these news laws resulted in a change in the type of offenses for which prisoners were being incarcerated . Previously there were far more violent offenses, but we see the number of nonviolent offenses proving to be the majority. “The new laws have clogged the nation's jails and prisons with inmates who could probably be better dealt with through supervised release and access to drug treatment. -says Julie Stewart, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums,” (Prison-Building Boom, pg. 15 ). The argument that drug offenders are also the ones committing violent crimes also seems to be false. “About 74 percent of drug-offender inmates had no history of violence, according to The Sentencing Project,” (Prison Reform, pg. 6).

Despite the statistics which clearly show the ineffectiveness of the tough-on-crime policies the CCPOA has pushed for years, and which California has largely adopted, it has become extremely difficult for a politician in California to come out in support of anything else. Reducing the three strikes law and placing more emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation to reduce the prison/jail population are objectively sound policy proposals, however this goal of prisoner reduction directly contradicts the very real goals of the CCPOA in preserving the pay and working benefits of its members. The CCPOA is a well-oiled political machine which is extremely capable when it comes to exploiting voter fears of crime and using its own pocketbooks to secure political ends beneficial to itself.

All of this is as true about the CCPOA, however, as it is about many other lobbying organizations. The CCPOA is not an inherently sinister organization, it is simply performing with incredible efficacy the goals it was created to do in the first place: to look out for the interests of its members. Whether the CCPOA because of its sheer size and power, has undue influence when it comes to enacting sensible prison reforms will likely depend on your point of view regarding the very purpose of California’s correctional system and what you believe to be “sensible reform”. However one thing is for certain, as long as the CCPOA continues to have a strong presence in California politics, James’ bus-ride won’t be any less terrifying.

Works Cited:

California Correctional Peace Officers Association. Institute of Governmental Studies, U.C. Berkely. 2005. www.igs.berkeley.edu/library

Martin, Mark, and Podger, Pamela. Prison Guards Clout Difficult to Challenge. San Francisco Chronicle. Feb 2, 2004.

Katel, Peter. "Prison Reform". The CQ Researcher. Volume 17, Number 13. April 6, 2007

“Prison-Building Boom”. The CQ Researcher . Volume 9, Number 35. September 17, 1999.

Wilson Gilmore, Ruth. Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California. University of California Press. 2007.

Responses

First, in response to Oumou's questions:

1.) What phenomena explain the dramatic decrease in the number of school districts from 1952 to 2002? (Figure 1.1, page 247)

A large part of the consolidation of school districts has to do (perhaps unsurprisingly) with budgetary concerns. Just like corporations have tried to adopt "do more with less" approaches in times of austerity, so to have school districts attempted to consolidate in many cases and fold over resources while eliminating redundancy (a euphemistic term that translates to: fire people who hold duplicate positions as other people). This actually ties nicely into...

2.) What phenomena explain the dramatic increase in the number of special districts from 1952 to 2002? (Figure 1.1, page 247)

Which is at least partly explained by the answer to question 1. Special districts (also known as "special-purpose districts") are legal bodies created by local governments that are effectively independent from those government in certain ways when it comes to finances, administration, etc. I like the name special purpose district better, because it accurately describes why it is usually created. In this case probably to allow for the dynamic changes we've seen when it comes to things like the consolidation of school districts.

3.) What are the advantages for the citizens of weak-mayor forms of local government?

We talked a little about this in class but to quickly summarize: it basically seemed reasonable that when it came to large cities (think San Francisco) which can often be fairly diverse and geographically distant, to have a mayor who has much larger power than in smaller cities. In those smaller cities a weak mayor form of government works because it is relatively easy for the people of Belmont to form a city council and decide to have trash pickup come Thursdays instead of Wednesdays. Try doing that in San Francisco through a democratic process involving members of each community, and you might have new-found appreciation for weak-mayor forms of government.

====

i thought it was done

the way SF Rec and PArk interfaces with government units is with the supervisors because it is a part of the city and county, the former mayor Gavin Newsom was someone that was always on the side of Rec and Park

1. how is a county determined?

2. what is a special district and how is it defined?

3. how is a county city government structure determined?

Staycation

As Oumou so aptly noted, spring break can be rough. I equate it to Valentine's day, only instead of single people being forced to dwell on painful memories of that significant other who "just wanted to be friends" every time they see a heart-shaped candy or card, on spring break it is the responsible who suffer.

"Cancun, wow, yeah that sure sounds like a lot of fun. Me? Oh, I'll probably just kick back and relax a little, you know stay local".

7 days of extended hours at the office (2 of which were entirely meetings from 9:00-5:00+), half a Capstone paper, and too many general-tasks-that-couldn't-find-their-way-into-my-normal schedule later, and the closest to any travel I experienced during my spring break was world reporting on NPR during my drives to work.

So here's to everyone who was forced to take a staycation this spring break. Look at it this way, at least you didn't decide to visit Japan.


=======================

As for my weekly update. I taught a lesson at the hall that went very well. I actually had a potential board member who has been wanting to visit a locked facility. He is a CEO of a software company and wanted to not only meet the youth but also tell his story a little. I had some concerns about his ability to relate to the kids, but I got him cleared and went in with him to teach the lesson and have him give a talk about his own life experiences.


He was great!

Turns out he had actually had a pretty rough childhood, growing up in Watts, being bounced form group-home to group-home, and finally finding a judge who believed in him and making some major changes in his life. He was super respectful of the youth and they were completely engaged in everything he was saying. The idea that a CEO would take the time out of his day to come visit them in Juvenile Hall and speak to them about the success that they can accomplish in their lives blew them away.


In terms of interfacing with local government units, my CP does quite a bit of it. On a very local level, the San Mateo Juvenile Hall interfaces a lot with local law enforcement. They work closely with the police, sheriff's department, and probation department. They are also deeply affected by decisions made in the local courts. When judges or district attorneys decide to get tougher on youth crime, then you see that reflected in the population of the hall which then tends to start getting in youth that might normally have been diverted to other programs. In terms of specific leaders, the lead district attorney for san mateo county, the state attorney general, and the governor can have huge impacts. All three play different roles in the sentencing guidelines used to incarcerate youth (or in the D.A.'s case, the way in which whose guidelines are implemented). This can mean more money being funneled into the juvenile hall resulting in more programs or (much more likely) increased number of youth being funneled there decreasing the number of services that the hall can provide to the entire population.

----

My questions this week are:


1) after the success of the Republicans in Wisconsin, there is now a large movement to recall key politicians. How does this process work?

2) What role do city councils play in local government?

3) Oumou mentioned that there is often overlap in terms of agencies of local government. What are the positive/negative consequences of this redundancy?

Halfway done...

As the second spring break of my undergraduate education comes to a close, I've come to realize what a boring person I can be. I spent seven days cooped up in my room writing proposals and doing research for term papers that are due in two months. There weren't many people on campus, so I spent the free time I had with a few of the other RA's who live too far away to go home.

While I understand that I probably spent my spring break right way, I'm angry with myself for not having fun while I had the time. Then again, I'm angry with myself for several reasons, so this is just one of the less heavy things to add to the list.

I've been thinking about a few things over the past few days that I haven't had the opportunity to share with anyone, so I will share them here. (They have nothing to do with State and Local Government.....)

• I'm sure Moammar Gadhafi is very pleased to hear about natural disasters in Japan as it takes a great deal of attention off of the conflict in Libya.
• I wish the Libyan conflict was taking place while I was taking Political Psychology as Gadhafi would be a great subject for such study.
• Does anyone else think Gadhafi looks a little scary? Or at least interesting?
• I find it interesting that CNN calls the conflict in Libya a civil war...the State Department declines to call it a civil war.
• My 10 month vegetarian phase has turned into a lifestyle and I will never go back.
• What is the structure of Belmont's government?

After speaking with BPD, it seems as though interaction with local government units occurs on several different levels and occasions. The police department may interface with a fire department when there is an arson or fire...or when there is an alcohol poisoning at NDNU. The police department may work with a school district on campaigns for behavior modification.

Study Questions:

1.) What phenomena explain the dramatic decrease in the number of school districts from 1952 to 2002? (Figure 1.1, page 247)

2.) What phenomena explain the dramatic increase in the number of special districts from 1952 to 2002? (Figure 1.1, page 247)

3.) What are the advantages for the citizens of weak-mayor forms of local government?

Did I really convert a Muslim to become an atheist? Stay Tuned...

Last week I did my ride along with Corporal Mohammed Aslam, whom I will refer to as Mo. I still don't get the hierarchy of positions within the police department, but it is something I can have explained to me today. To get back to the whole ride along experience. I loved it! Mo oddly enough had a lot of questions for me. This ride along was totally different from the last. We talked a lot about religion and moral codes. I learned that Mo was raised a Muslim and that he has been with Foster City PD for 14 years. Although, he and I don't necessarily agree on some aspects of politics, he is such a nice guy.... not to say that people who don't think like me are all deushbags. He told me that he had a lot of doubts about his faith and they were all legitimate doubts. His doubts made me think back on when I realized that God and religion were not for me. I told him that I knew pretty early on and my mind hasn't really changed as I have gotten older like my mom though. I also told him that I studied many many religions before I decided to take the route I did. I told him that my findings were very educational. Like Mo, I find most religions to be very beautiful and very similar at the same time. Of course, when I say most religions, I refer to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Anyway, towards the end of the night he ended up wondering if he was an atheist. I knew that that was something that he would have to discover on his own. I thought that I could have easily converted him, but something that I learned when studying other faiths was that respect is something that we could all learn. I respect all faiths and it isn't my duty to to discredit others. I found that from this ride along, I did a lot of self- reflecting.

Anyway, to get to the juicy stuff, I learned what it means to be a beat cop. I learned about the different codes, which I'm still a little rusty at. I also learned how tiny foster city is because circling it for 4 hours can get very dull, which is why I'm glad I had somebody to talk to. Imagine a 4 hour ride around Foster City with nothing to say--- BORING! We did a lot of Welfare checks, where basically what we do is go to that person's home and check to see if they are alive. I learned how hard sometimes officers have it because when they want to check on someone, they have a lot of redtape themselves they have to try to overcome, especially with Apartment buildings. You can't just go to the Property Manager and ask who is living at a residence without a warrant. All of this for a welfare check? Geez! I also learned how awesome Foster City PD is. You can call the police department and ask for an officer to come to your home to answer any questions about the law or how to proceed with sensitive issues. Talk about Full Service! I never want to leave Foster City now.

Mo and I discussed how important it is for people to actually do ride alongs. I mean it totally changes your perception of a police officer and I speak from experience. I told Mo that I used to think that police officers were just a bunch of robots and just did whatever they wanted. Now I understand how human officers are. They can have their own moral code and not necessarily like parts of their job. They have to remain impartial. I don't think I could be a police officer. I can be so passionate about certain issues that I don't know if I would be able to resist it. They really have it tough! I heard a story from Mo... or maybe it was Paul.... where someone was like "I hope your kid dies!" I would have said something like F you! He remained calm enough and said something to the extent of thanks for sharing.

I think I was laughing for most of my ride along. Mo was soooooo funny. I nearly pee'd my pants I was laughing so hard. He told me that most of the ride alongs he's done he wants to get that person out of the car in 5 minutes. I'm happy to hear that I have lasted as long as I have then, haha! I wish that I had decided to do ride alongs earlier on in my teenagehood. I would have had soo much fun. Although, I don't know how I feel about doing a ride a long with LAPD. I guess the only way to change my perception of them is doing a ride along with them too. Although, if they are like San Francisco PD, they probably don't do ride alongs, which is too bad because I think that peoples' perception of a police officer would change there too . I think I did a decent job answering the questions for last week in this post. If I could do it again, (I'm still have 4 weeks of this though) I would do it again. I had no idea that I would have as much fun as I have. The one thing that I liked more about this ride along then the previous one, is that I was a lot more active, meaning I didn't just sit when the officer left his car. Mo invited me to join him on everything. I have to say though, I was asked frequently if I was a police offiver myself and I felt that perhaps lying would have been better than just saying no I'm doing a ride along today. Mo just said I was also affiliated with the Police Department. I couldn't help but be all excited. I don't really know if I would ever pursue a career as a police officer. In the face of danger, I am more of a flight person than fight. For the second half of the semester, I think I could really improve on posting these on time. I find it really hard to be able to express my thoughts in a blog and I'm still not used to the idea. For me, I hate the idea that just anybody could read this. My thoughts are my own and something about a complete stranger reading them is totally unappealing. Anyway, I'm totally stoked about my ride along today. Stay tuned for the details.

Midterm Week - Part 2

Oumou & All,

Thanks for asking... I'll copy this onto the class blog.

The blog is essentially your reading journal. The specific topics given week to week are designed to have you relate the reading for that week to your experience with your community partner, and the questions and answers that everyone is supposed to post by Monday and Wednesday respectively are designed to ensure that students are both reading and mentally interacting with the chapters.

The midterm itself will be in the format of short answer questions, 1-2 paragraphs in length, relating to the chapters read thus far as well as to your community partner experience.

If anyone has questions prior to Wednesday, please feel free to post them here.

PA