Sacramento Bee: The Sacramento City Council did the right thing by keeping a parcel tax for youth jobs and education off the November ballot. The process was flawed, the support wasn't unified and the ballot initiative could easily have gone down to defeat.
But moving forward, the council can't ignore the plight of young people in California's capital. Their status is too dire and the consequences of inaction too damaging to the entire community.
While the city budget is exceedingly tight, council members and officials still need to look for any and all opportunities to boost funding for youth programs. This is also a prime opportunity for the mayor and others to enlist the help – and money – of foundations and corporations.
At the same time, officials and supporters of the parcel tax measure, notably Sacramento Area Congregations Together, can build political and public support to get the measure on the November 2012 ballot and guarantee that it gets well more than the necessary two-thirds approval.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/22/2906427/council-wise-to-wait-on-youth.html#ixzz0uOTTMWwQ
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