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Tag: Sue Frost

  • Business, community leaders call for end to shutdown during Citrus Heights event

    California Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) speaks during a Feb. 15 event in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley on Monday joined Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost and the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce at an outdoor event aimed at increasing support to reopen local small businesses.

    The afternoon event was held in the parking lot next to R Vida Cantina on Sunrise Boulevard, with about two dozen people in attendance. Speakers also included business and real estate attorney Keith Dunnagan of BPE Law Group, as well as business owners. Audience members could be seen wearing masks and standing at least six feet apart.

    Dunnagan said government has authority to act in the public interest during an emergency, but said that authority is not unchecked. He cited a number of court cases centered around the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees due process rights.

    Assemblyman Kiley (R-Rocklin) criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of the pandemic, saying his motives were political rather than science based. He claimed the shutdown orders have exposed what he called the state’s failed policies.

    “I’m going to continue to fight to give small business owners the right to work and the right to be able to run their businesses in a safe and responsible way,” Kiley said, in an interview after the event. “I’m hopeful this recall we have going on will be a turning point for our state so we can start being on the side of small business.”

    Green Acres on track to open new Citrus Heights location in March

    Supervisor Frost, who has a medical background as a certified emergency nurse, called the state’s shutdown orders “unprecedented.” She said she’s asked the governor repeatedly for the data his administration is using to justify the continued shutdown, but said the effort has been unsuccessful.

    “We’ve been told the data is either not available, complicated, hard to understand, or we get data that does not answer the question we asked,” she said.

    Frost said recent data supports the idea that businesses can reopen safely and said the governor’s plans have helped big businesses and the tech industry, but have hurt small businesses.

    “We’re being censored if we try to question or have conversation,” she said, claiming promotion efforts on social media have been shut down. “That is something I personally experienced with our very first project, Reopen Cal Now.”

    Burger drive-thru to open next month in Citrus Heights

    During an interview with The Sentinel after the event, Frost said medical professionals have contacted her asking for help in getting their message out.

    “I’ve talked to a lot of medical professionals and what I’m hearing that is consistent is: ‘Sue, will you help us get this message out because the media will not cover it,’“ she said. “They’re battling censorship just like we are, and they’re also battling political pressure just like we are.”

    Kevin Miles, one of the owners of R Vida Cantina who hosted the event, said he was grateful for the city’s Great Plates Delivered initiative last year that helped keep his business going, but once the program ended, he and his partners decided to open the restaurant indoors ahead of the governor’s Tier assignments.

    Citrus Heights welcomes new restaurant amid pandemic shutdowns

    “During this last shutdown, which was right around December, we made a business decision to stay open,” he said to audience applause. “Yes, we’re being very defiant, but when you put somebody in a corner, we have to survive at this point.”

    Miles said restaurant staff are taking extra precautions to keep people safe by reducing capacity and seating guests further apart, as well as wearing masks.

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    Advocates argue it is safe to reopen indoors with precautions like wearing masks, reducing capacity, and social distancing. Many business owners are willing to take additional cleaning measures in order to protect their customers.

    The Sacramento County public health COVID-19 online dashboard currently reports over 91,000 total cases with 1,412 total deaths countywide. Data available from California’s COVID-19 dashboard shows individuals over age 65 represent over 10% of positive cases, but that same age group makes up over 74% of deaths statewide. Individuals in the 18 to 49 age group make up the majority of positive cases at just over 57% but only less than 6% of deaths.

    The Sacramento Bee this week reported an overall decline in several key pandemic indicators in California, with new infections “now coming in at less than one-quarter of the winter peak rate, when nearly 41,000 cases were reported a day from New Year’s Eve to Jan. 13.” The two-week case rate is now less than 10,000 each day.

    However, health officials are still concerned about new strains of the virus, including the B.1.1.7 variant. The new strain was confirmed by UC Davis health officials through their Healthy Davis Together community test operation this month.

    Gov. Newsom has maintained that reopening businesses should be a decision driven by science. In a series of posts to Twitter beginning in April 2020, Newsom said the reopening plan shouldn’t be political, and emphasized the role of science in crafting public policy.

    “CA is flattening the curve, but the reality is COVID19 is not going away soon. Our re-opening must be gradual, guided by public health and science, and will be done in (tiered stages),” he said.

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  • Guest Column: Kids need sports for physical, mental health during pandemic

    By Sue Frost–
    You may have seen on the news, or outside your car window while driving down Sunrise Boulevard in January, that a movement is growing in California. There is increasing support for the simple notion that children in California need to get outside and play.

    From Jan: Rally to reopen school sports draws crowd at Sunrise Mall

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been denied access to youth sports, physical education classes, and even playgrounds. Like many drastic steps taken in the early days of the pandemic when much was unknown about the virus, such actions seemed like acceptable, short-term precautions.

    It is not March 2020 anymore. We have more information on which to make decisions about our citizenry’s health and safety. The time has long passed for children to get back in the game.

    All priorities being about protecting health right now; physical activity for our youth is becoming more important than ever. That simple notion is defensible with the common knowledge we know to be true that kids need exercise to protect their physical health. Cardiovascular health, body composition, strength, coordination are all things that are put at risk if children are not getting enough physical activity.

    Virtual learning is challenging enough, but I think we can agree that physical education has its own unique difficulties. Does the child live in a home with a large yard? Near a safe park? Does the child have access to an outdoor gym or online fitness class?

    Children with access to some or all the above may be having an easier time getting the exercise they need than children who do not. That is why the decision to restrict physical activities for youth so stringently is not only an issue of health, but also an issue of equity.

    Then there is the importance of mental health. I have spoken before of the dangers of focusing too closely on one health crisis at the expense of creating others. Everyone receives mental benefits from exercise, none more so than children. Exercise is an excellent way to cope with stress, socialize with friends, and build confidence.

    There are also the benefits of participating in team sports, like learning how to work together, responsibility, communication. Stripping away these critical outlets and opportunities for children is depriving them of some of the most important aspects of being a kid while preparing for a stable future.

    For some children, sports could determine their entire future as a pathway to college or even professional sports opportunities. State officials may consider what type of future California children will have with so much critical development time spent looking at a computer screen in isolation.

    California stands among only around a dozen or so states holding on to the practice of restricting youth sports to such an extreme level. It is unnecessary. Models for the safe continuation of youth sports exist across the country, and in every regard, they are successful.

    We know now that a lack of exercise has devastating effects on physical and mental health. We know that transmission among athletes is significantly lower than other forms of social contact. It is difficult to understand any reasoning at this point to keep the students of San Juan Unified or any other district from having adequate access to sports and exercise.

    As I said, I do not want us to focus so narrowly on one threat to health that we become blind to others. The reality of children struggling more with mental health than ever before is beyond anecdotal. Studies and stories of increases in depression, eating disorders, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies are right there for all to see. Children need to get off of Zoom and on the field to be protected from these avoidable conditions.

    The future of our children is not something to think about tomorrow, but today. For the sake of comprehensive well-being, California officials need to get together, listen to the pleas of desperate children and parents, and the research piling up from entities interested only in the facts.

    When the reality that has been created is looked at through a pragmatic lens, it is clear the need exists for our children and our state to let them play.

    Sue Frost, supervisor
    Sue Frost

    Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights. She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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  • Guest Column: Struggling businesses need relief, not fines

    Guest Column: Struggling businesses need relief, not fines

    File photo, a sign on a store in Greenback San Juan shopping center notifies customers of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. // CH Sentinel

    By Supervisor Sue Frost–
    The past nine months have been a roller coaster for all of us.

    The seemingly endless pandemic has resulted in all of us being forced into a new way of living. It has been harder on some than others. Small business owners and their employees are certainly among those most heavily impacted.

    California has gone from stay-at-home orders to watch lists, blueprints, and regional shutdowns. At every step, and sometimes in between, the rules for businesses have changed.

    We have seen many businesses remain closed while others have remained open or bounced between being open or closed. In the worst cases, some businesses have closed forever.

    For businesses still hanging on, the struggle has been persistent, and I was baffled by the notion that we should be threatening them with fines of up to $10,000. Still, that notion took form in a proposal brought forward by our Public Health Department as an urgency ordinance for consideration by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

    The ordinance that was proposed was too broad, too aggressive, and frankly, too subjective for me to support it.

    Put simply; the ordinance gave the county and cities the authority to fine a business when found not to be compliant with any regulations or requirements within a public health order. That sounds straightforward enough, but the resolution went beyond the county’s standard for enforcing ordinances.

    First, unlike most of the ordinances the county adopts that do not impact cities, this ordinance would impose the same enforcement authority and fine structure on Citrus Heights. Also, the business owner may not be held responsible for the violation. The ordinance included the property owner as the potentially responsible party.

    Further, it gave the Public Health Department the authority to designate anyone they saw fit as an enforcement officer. That means it would not necessarily be the Sheriff, Code Enforcement, or even a health inspector going into businesses to investigate violations. Under this ordinance, any county employee could be given the authority to enter a business and cite them for a perceived violation.

    I say perceived violation because not only are enforcement officers potentially untrained county employees, but they would not be required to even witness a violation under the ordinance.

    If adopted, the enforcement officer could issue citations based on “investigations” or simply being told by other county staff a violation occurred. This incredibly low burden of proof could have gone a long way to creating undue allegations.

    The ordinance did include an appeal process, but only when the fines were for more than $1,000. With the fines being as much as $500 for every day a perceived violation occurs, I am sure many would be granted the opportunity for an appeal. However, the appeal process would require a $750 deposit (unless proof of an inability to pay can be provided) and no guarantee of recouping the deposit if the appeal fails.

    Many businesses have already put everything they have into finding ways to comply with ever-changing health orders. One incident could be the deciding factor in whether or not the business can remain open or close forever.

    Ultimately, that is my biggest concern with the ordinance. A business struggling to keep the lights on could see fines as high as $10,000, plus “administrative fees,” and then they close for good. When a business closes permanently or even for 72 hours, that means employees and the business owner have no money coming in.

    While some were fortunate early on to receive financial assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), many small businesses, particularly minority-owned businesses, received little to no aid.

    I understand the need to protect lives during the pandemic. The county has several ways to enforce public health orders that we can rely on for that. But if we start adding to small businesses’ financial struggles, that could mean more people without the means to pay bills, rent, or put food on the table.

    I would much rather we find businesses struggling to comply and find ways to help them through education or providing resources. We can stop the spread of COVID-19 and help people maintain their livelihood, which I aim to achieve.

    Based on the more than 3,000 public comments we received on the ordinance, I think many people in the county agree with me and are as glad as I am the ordinance was pulled from consideration.

    Sue Frost, supervisor
    Sue Frost

    Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights.  She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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  • Guest Column: Return to ‘Purple Tier’ is unsustainable and subjective

    Guest Column: Return to ‘Purple Tier’ is unsustainable and subjective

    A map of Sacramento County shows case numbers by zip code as of Nov. 14, with darker shades indicating more cases. // Source: SCPH

    By Supervisor Sue Frost–
    In the midst of rising COVID cases statewide, on Nov. 13, Sacramento County was officially demoted to “purple tier” status, the state’s most restrictive level. These restrictions include, among other things, the closure of indoor operations for gyms, fitness centers, and restaurants.

    This move by the state will have a devastating impact on local businesses already shutting down at a heartbreaking rate. It ignores what science is telling us.

    If something doesn’t change in the immediate future, these businesses are going to be going into the winter months being forced to only be open outdoors. It will be incredibly difficult for businesses to convince customers to eat dinner outside in the cold when they could eat indoors a few miles away in Roseville.

    Our public health department already knows what is causing our increase in COVID cases: private gatherings and outbreaks in some long-term care facilities. It is not a major problem at the businesses that are being forced to close operations and where safety measures, such as social distancing, have been successfully implemented. Shutting them down when they are not significantly contributing to the problem is unnecessarily harmful.

    Our public health department also already knows that well-over half of the COVID cases are coming from the City of Sacramento, even though they represent only about one-third of the county population.

    Citrus Heights has 5.7% of the county population, and only 4.1% of the cases. Citrus Heights shares a border with Roseville, and shares more in common with them than Citrus Heights shares with Sacramento City.

    Our state policies should allow us to take things like this into consideration. Yet, California remains ignorantly adhered to flawed policies that hurt our community, even when given a clear pathway to do things more efficiently and safely.

    COVID-19: Frost joins leaders in calling for business reopenings by zip code

    You may have seen it in the news, but in early October, I signed onto a letter along with several other local and State leaders, that was written to Governor Newsom and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly. In this letter, we requested that the State allow Counties like Sacramento to reopen communities by zip code where COVID metrics meet the State’s requirements for progressing to the next color-coded tier.

    As of writing this article, that letter has not even been responded to, let alone considered.

    A balanced zip-code approach isn’t some bogus theory that lacks a scientific basis. A zip-code based approach is precisely what is being utilized in America’s most populous city, New York.

    They use a targeted approach to address clusters of COVID cases by targeting the most affected zip-code hot spots. Doing so allows them to allocate important medical resources to the targeted communities that are most in need.

    This approach also ensures that communities not experiencing an increase in positivity are not negatively impacted by restrictions that are not necessary.

    I am going to keep fighting to put pressure on the state to allow us to consider more sensible policies locally in Sacramento County, and I won’t stop until this pandemic is over.

    Sue Frost, supervisor
    Sue Frost

    Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights.  She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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  • Guest Column: State needs to revise its COVID reopening plan by zip code

    Guest Column: State needs to revise its COVID reopening plan by zip code

    By Sue Frost–
    As everyone is painfully aware, the State of California remains in lockdown as we wait for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since mid-March, schools and businesses have been forced to remain fully or partially closed.

    We are now on our second or third version of a reopening model, but unfortunately, it still does not make a whole lot of sense. The latest model is a tiered system, placing counties into a different colored tier based on daily new cases and positive test rates.

    The “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” as this model is called, still ignores the deficiencies of a county-based system.

    I am proud to say that I have joined my fellow elected leaders in writing the Governor and the State Secretary of Health and Human Services, urging them to employ a system that makes more sense.

    On Oct. 5, Assemblyman Kiley, Senator Dahle, Folsom Mayor Aquino, and I signed a joint letter asking for a reopening system that focuses on zip codes, not counties. We did so because cities like Folsom are meeting the levels of testing and positivity rates to advance tiers faster than the County. Meanwhile, Folsom shares a border with El Dorado Hills, which is advancing tiers significantly faster than Sacramento County, allowing for the reopening of schools and businesses ahead of Folsom.

    To the surprise of no one, El Dorado Hills having more businesses open has caused Folsom residents to cross the county border to shop, dine, and enjoy a somewhat normal lifestyle. Because the state insists on sticking with a County-based approach, Folsom businesses are left to suffer without the ability to open fully.

    When asked whether the state would consider a zip-code based system during a hearing, the acting State Public Health Officer insisted that they had to continue to let the data at the county level determine reopening. Then, in a contradictory move, the state announced that data from disadvantaged communities would be added as a factor in a County’s reopening ability.

    While it is essential to ensure that COVID-19 does not disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities, this also proves that the data we use to reopen is arbitrary. California could benefit from looking to New York, where the Governor has decided to focus resources based on, you guessed it, zip codes.

    Folsom and El Dorado Hills are not the only California cities that are separated by nothing more than a line on the map, including Citrus Heights and Roseville. Shifting the approach of the state to one focused on zip codes enables us to simultaneously focus COVID-19 resources in the most heavily impacted communities while allowing businesses in less impacted areas to reopen safely. Moreso, school districts that cross county lines can focus on putting kids back in classrooms and not navigating conflicting jurisdictional restrictions.

    To me, helping the communities struggling the most while helping everybody by allowing businesses to open seems like a clear win-win scenario.

    It is irresponsible to carry on with a system based on the assumption that county lines stop the spread of COVID-19. For more than half a year, businesses have been forced to stay closed or operate at a reduced capacity. Businesses and families are suffering, and not just from COVID-19, but an inability to pay bills and put food on the table.

    We are beyond the point of doubling down on a flawed system to make it seem like there is some level of control. I sincerely hope that the governor and state leaders will take the words of my colleagues and I seriously and rethink the “Blueprint to a Safer Economy.”

    Sue Frost, supervisor
    Sue Frost

    Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights. She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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  • Opponents mobilize to fight Measure M sales tax proposal in Citrus Heights

    Opponents mobilize to fight Measure M sales tax proposal in Citrus Heights

    Sentinel staff report–
    Opponents of a $12 million sales tax increase in Citrus Heights are beginning to mobilize to defeat the measure in November.

    In addition to an unsuccessful, last-minute attempt to derail the measure during Thursday’s council meeting, opponents have banded together and submitted a ballot argument against the measure, calling the timing of the one-cent sales tax proposal during a pandemic “the absolute worst time.”

    The statement also takes aim at the measure’s lack of a sunset date and says “nothing prevents Measure M funds from going to salary increases, pensions, or pet projects voters do not even want.”

    Key opponents who signed the ballot argument are Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost, City Councilman Bret Daniels, former City Councilwoman Jayna Karpinski-Costa, local American Legion board member Jim Monteton, and Sacramento Taxpayers Association President Bruce Lee.

    The statement lists a website of VoteNoOnM.org, but as of Saturday night the website did not appear to be set up with any content.

    Measure M: Citrus Heights council votes 4-1 to put $12M sales tax increase on ballot

    Proponents of Measure M also submitted their own ballot argument, highlighting that the sales tax is needed to help maintain roads, 911 response, homelessness reduction and other city services. Proponents also note that out-of-town residents who shop in Citrus Heights will be paying “their fair share” to help boost city revenues, rather than the tax burden only falling on residents of Citrus Heights.

    Additionally, the statement highlights that the measure would create a Citizens Oversight Committee for fiscal accountability, with all tax revenue required to be spent locally in Citrus Heights.

    Proponents who signed the ballot argument in favor of Measure M are local business owner and city “godfather” Bill Van Duker, Police Activities League representative Charles McComish, Sunrise Christian Food Ministry Director Rocky Peterson, lifelong resident Kathy Cook, and neighborhood watch community leader Rick Doyle.

    The statement refers to the city’s website, citrusheights.net, to learn more about the measure.

    Polling of 404 likely voters conducted by EMC Research in late-June found as much as 71% support for a general purpose sales tax measure, which requires only a bare majority to pass in November.

    See polling results: click here

    A city manager’s office spokeswoman confirmed Friday that the polling did not include criteria to see how results might change if organized opposition arose to the measure. A prior tax proposal in 2012, Measure K, failed after only garnering 44% support.

    Rebuttals to ballot arguments can also be submitted by each side. The deadline for each side to submit rebuttals is Monday, August 17. Full statements can be viewed online here:

    Yes on M: click here

    No on M: click here

  • GUEST COLUMN: Letting ‘non-violent’ criminals out during COVID-19 crisis?

    By Sue Frost–
    A discussion taking place amidst the coronavirus pandemic is the reduction of jail populations due to the high risk of spreading COVID-19 in the jails.

    Most recently, the Governor’s Office announced a further reduction of the state’s prisoner population by up to 8,000. For many people in Citrus Heights, these actions receive great concern for public safety implications.

    As an assurance, announcements about releases remind the public that prisoners being released are strictly non-violent offenders. But are they really?

    California has a history of creating policies answering the call for criminal justice reform that reduce penalties and jail populations.

    On the surface, that sounds fine. Overcrowding in jails and prisons is a serious problem, and if we can reduce those populations by revisiting what society deems worthy of a stay in jail, why not do just that?

    The problem though, is that it is not exactly what has occurred in the past. Violent crimes have been redefined to omit actions I think most people would agree should merit some serious jail time.

    Measures like Proposition 47, Proposition 57, and AB 109, have left crimes like domestic violence, rape of an unconscious person, and the trafficking of children out of what constitutes a violent crime when considering parole.

    To me and others, that is a ghastly omission. And since the implementation of those measures, California has seen a steady increase in violent crimes, particularly in the most populous cities. It is not difficult to draw a line from the release of violent criminals to an increase in violent crimes.

    Fortunately, Californians will have the opportunity to rectify the situation moving forward. The Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2020 will be on the ballot as Proposition 20.

    Proposition 20 will restore violent crimes, such as felony assault with a deadly weapon, back to being considered violent crimes, and prevent the early release of some of California’s most dangerous criminals to roam the streets of Citrus Heights.

    Proposition 20 has other components to address rising crime rates in California, including theft. Many have heard of and even witnessed individuals running out of stores with stolen goods with no fear of consequences, because if they steal less than $950, under Proposition 47, it is not a felony, and therefore more trouble to prosecute than it is worth.

    Proposition 20 will change that to make the 3rd time being caught stealing over $250 worth of goods a felony. This will address the increase in theft seen since the implementation of the “criminal just reforms.”

    GUEST OPINION: Defunding police would make us less safe

    Among the reforms of Proposition 20, there are also changes to the parole process and acquisition of DNA from criminals.

    DNA continues to be invaluable in solving unsolvable crimes. Increased use of DNA can not only reveal the guilty, but exonerate the innocent.

    What Proposition 20 does not do is put the pin back in the grenade. We cannot retroactively send people back to jail, and we do not need to do that in all cases.

    What we can do is make sure that California becomes safer moving forward. Keeping violent criminals off the streets for as long as possible seems to me like the best way to start.

    Sue Frost, supervisor
    Sue Frost

    Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights. She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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  • GUEST OPINION: Defunding police would make us less safe

    GUEST OPINION: Defunding police would make us less safe

    Guest opinion by Sue Frost–
    The killing of George Floyd was horrific — and the officers responsible have been arrested and will stand trial. But now politicians and activists are blaming everyone in a uniform. “Defund the police” has become the rallying call for protesters.

    Activists want to strip money from law-enforcement, disband police, close jails and prisons, then divert public funds to community groups, counselors, and social workers for “community empowerment.”

    What does that mean? It means instead of the Citrus Heights Police Department and sheriffs enforcing the law, taxpayer funds will go to private nonprofits run by activists and programs like “Advance Peace,” which pays gang members $500 a month not to shoot each other.

    How will reducing the number of police officers make Citrus Heights safer? In 2018, police officers nationally arrested 11,970 murder suspects, 495,900 violent criminals, and more than one million drunk driving suspects.

    In February of this year, a months-long investigation resulted in 518 arrests when police smashed a human trafficking ring and rescued hundreds of children who were being sold into prostitution.

    Do activists think that counselors and community groups are going to detain violent gang members, break human trafficking rings, or get drunk drivers off our roads? No alternative to an organized, well-funded, and well-trained police force offers enforcement ability on such a high level.

    In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced that he was going to “defund police” by cutting $150 million from the LAPD budget. Cities like San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis, and Baltimore have announced that they will pursue efforts to “defund police.” Political “leaders” in Congress and State houses have echoed the call and introduced legislation to cut funding for law enforcement — or punish jurisdictions who refuse to do so.

    The vast majority of police budgets go to personnel, so the budget cut means one thing: firing police officers. Which officers will be fired? A common practice for addressing mass budget reductions through layoffs — and that has been used by the LAPD in the past — is LIFO (last in, first out).

    That means that Garcetti’s “defund” policy will result in firing recent recruits — young Black, Asian and Latino officers who were recruited from, and reflect, the very neighborhoods who are underrepresented and suffer the most from crime.

    Sadly, this movement is not new. In 2015 Camden New Jersey pushed a “defund police” measure. They dismantled their department and disbanded the police officers’ union. They placed some activists in oversight positions and hired most the police back — at a lower salary.

    Some believe the effort was really more about breaking the union than reforming the system. Today, many of the same complaints have returned.

    Eliminating law enforcement is the opposite of a solution — we cannot abandon our communities to the whims of gangs and criminals who prey on neighborhoods.

    We do need to encourage investment in poor neighborhoods where crime is rampant, schools are failing, and hope is abandoned. Empowerment zones, school choice, and incentives for investment have seen tremendous success.

    Communities that partner with police, rather than fight with them, have seen a marked improvement in crime reduction, complaints against police, and more recruitment of people from the community into law enforcement — community members who have relationships and earnestly want to make lives better — and have the training to enforce the law.

    This rush to respond to “defund police” activists is not reform — it is retribution and appeasement. And it is dangerous. The result will be every community and every resident will be less safe.

    We need more community engagement and understanding, not less. We should be investing in more training, recruiting, and community engagement, not eliminating prisons and defunding police.

    Sue Frost, supervisor
    Sue Frost

    Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights. She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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  • Guest Column: Four reasons to oppose the proposed transportation sales tax increase

    Guest opinion by County Supervisor Sue Frost–
    Last week, the Sacramento Transportation Authority voted to approve an expenditure plan for a local half-percent sales tax increase across Sacramento County (including Citrus Heights) by a vote of 11-5 that will very likely go on the ballot in November.  I voted “no” for four main reasons, and want to take this opportunity to explain what they are.

    First, I cannot for the life of me think of a worse time to tell residents of this county that they need to pay the government more money.  Just two days before this vote, Governor Newsom warned that California may see one-fourth of California’s workforce without jobs and that our economic downturn will be worse than the Great Recession.  Residents of this county need financial relief, not more pain.

    Second, I am fully confident that voters will reject this tax by an unprecedentedly enormous margin, and it is a waste of taxpayer dollars to put a tax proposal on the ballot when we already know the outcome.  Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, polling told us this tax measure would fail by 13% – and it costs the taxpayers over $1,000,000 to put this on the ballot.  We are already going to be faced with a huge number of layoffs, and this will only increase that number for no conceivable benefit. 

    Third, the residents of this county have been extremely loud and clear on how they feel about this issue.  This one item alone received over 750 public comments, and around 700 of them were opposed to the tax increase.  The comments came from across the county and came from people from all walks of life.  Many people said they would never support a tax increase, and many said they might support one if we were not in the midst of an emergency.  But almost all of them agreed that, right now, this is a bad idea. 

    Finally, I do not think this tax, if passed, would actually fix our roads to an acceptable level.  Even when you exclude all the roads within the cities in the county, Sacramento County needs an additional $25 million annually just to maintain the roads at their current level. 

    To improve the roads to a standard that people would deem as “good,” we need an additional $65 million yearly.  This tax would not even come close to generating the $65 million we need to get our roads to a “good” level, especially when you consider that nearly 40% of this tax would go towards a public transportation system that hardly anyone uses.

    The final step this tax needs to take to go onto the ballot is a vote at the Board of Supervisors on July 14, but unlike the previous vote that needed a two-thirds majority to pass, this one only needs a simple majority.  Assuming it passes, this will be on the ballot Nov. 3 for all voters of Sacramento County to officially vote on. 

    Expect to hear a lot more about this issue from me and others between now and then.

    Sue Frost, supervisor
    Sue Frost

    Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights.  She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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  • Guest Column: Here’s what’s being done to help homeless during COVID-19 crisis

    By Sue Frost–
    Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a large number of people ask me what Sacramento County is doing or going to do to help reduce the spread of COVID in the homeless community.  Generous organizations like Citrus Heights HART have been doing their part to bring aid to this vulnerable community, but a greater need than ever called for significant action.

    Coronavirus: local nonprofit launches new efforts to help homeless

    In early April, Sacramento County and Sacramento City unanimously approved a joint plan that allocated more than $15 million for this purpose, so I want to take this opportunity to explain it to you so you can understand how we are addressing this important issue.  The plan consists of three main parts:

    First, we are keeping our existing emergency shelters safe and operational and expanding their capacity.  For our existing shelters, we are providing guidance and supplies for how to keep facilities sanitized and properly implement social distancing.

    For six different providers, we have expanded or prioritized the highly vulnerable.  In one instance, the North 5th Street shelter expanded to accommodate an additional 40 highly vulnerable homeless individuals.

    Guest Opinion: California’s homeless crisis and Citrus Heights’ local response

    Second, we are working to ensure the health and safety of everyone living outdoors.  We are doing this by providing portable toilets and wash stations to homeless camps with more than ten people living in them. We are also going to be providing daily support to meet the hygienic needs the homeless have, such as hygiene kits.  

    I have had some people ask me why we aren’t providing portable toilets and wash stations year-round, regardless of coronavirus. The reason is that portable toilets at homeless camps quickly turn into bio-hazard nightmares unless we provide heavy, daily upkeep.  Doing so is extremely expensive, and the money can often put to better use elsewhere to help solve the problem.

    Third, we are creating quarantine units for homeless people who have tested positive for COVID, are symptomatic, or are otherwise highly vulnerable.  We are housing these people mainly at a few existing motels who have signed contracts with the County. 

    Since hotels/motels have virtually 100% vacancy right now, this is a good fit for both parties.  We are allowing homeless people access to the quarantine units based on a ranking, with the top rank being someone who has tested positive for COVID (which we have the complete capacity for).

    The second rank is for someone pending a test or exposed to someone who tested positive, the third rank is for someone aged 65+ with pre-existing conditions with symptoms, and the ranks go on from there.

    Guest Column: Program that paid homeless to work ended in failure. Here’s why

    I would like to think that from this overwhelming situation that has arisen, some good may be able to come out of it.

    For Sacramento County, we may be able to connect more homeless individuals with the services they need than we have in the past. We are getting our foot in the door to talk with them about long-term housing and care, ways of getting them out of homelessness.

    Sometimes, that is how a crisis works. It comes along and throws us into chaos, but it also creates opportunities. Many people are struggling right now, but they are doing it from the comfort of their homes, while many people, including seniors and families, have no such luxuries.

    I hope we can capitalize on this opportunity and pull as many vulnerable people off the streets as we can, for as long as we can.

    Sue Frost, supervisor
    Sue Frost

    Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost formerly served as a Citrus Heights councilwoman and currently represents District 4, which includes Citrus Heights. She can be contacted at (916) 874-5491, or SupervisorFrost@saccounty.net.

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