Sacramento voters approved Measure O, a contentious ballot measure that allows the city to clear homeless encampments. An organization helping economic development with a community-focused approach and investing in local entrepreneurs. A discussion about the importance of indigenous heritage.
Measure O
Midterm results will be certified in California in a little over a week, so registrars are busy tallying up the remaining largely vote-by-mail ballots. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, there are roughly a quarter-million ballots to be processed. In Sacramento County, there are some 89,000 left to tally, but we are getting a good picture of one of the more controversial items on the local ballot: Measure O. A highly debated proposal in response to Sacramento County’s growing and record-high unhoused population. If passed, Measure O will allow encampments to be moved off public property if certain conditions are met, such as scaling up shelter capacity, as well as the city and county reaching a binding agreement outlining services for those experiencing homelessness. But Measure O received stiff opposition from homelessness advocates and elected officials like Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents the city center, over concerns this may result in an “out of sight, out of mind” approach that will strain already tight funding. CapRadio Reporter Chris Nichols joined Insight to get us up to speed on where the measure stands and what Sacramentans can expect next.
Unseen Heroes
Often when we talk about revitalization within neighborhoods, it can feel impersonal — a focus on numbers from dollar signs to housing and jobs. But a homegrown organization in Sacramento turns inward, transforming what they believe are the connective tissues of the community — investing in the people who call these neighborhoods home, so redevelopment doesn't turn into displacement. Unseen Heroes creates economic development by building an environment of local talent, from entrepreneurs and creatives to farmers and chefs. It's a network of talent that often may move away to bigger cities for more opportunities. The founder of Unseen Heroes is a local himself. Roshaun Davis joined Insight to share how the organization works with local governments, corporations, and entrepreneurs to retain the culture and community that attracts investment in the first place, but too often gets lost and displaced.
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum
We are rounding out Native American Heritage Month at a time when there is a long-overdue call to rededicate and reeducate the invaluable contributions made by indigenous people as well as all that was taken. In this year's proclamation, President Biden acknowledged a painful history of broken promises and policies that "sought to decimate Native populations and their ways of life." An important piece of honoring that commitment is museums, and there are several in our area to visit and learn from. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum and Visitor Center is located in Nixon, about 45 minutes northeast of Reno, Nevada. The Museum's Director, Billie Jean Gurrero, joined insight to reveal the tribe's rich history, which includes a 19th-century war, a fight for voting rights, and land reclamation.
