Unless your trip into Sacramento takes you south on 160, where you’ll pass the loaves and fishes mission, you won’t see too many bread lines in and around the city or the region. Oh the food pantries are busy and the churches are doing what they can to help folks but the Sacramento region like much of the country appears to be weathering a quiet desperation rather than an all out depression. But at what point do we quantify life these days as something more than just a bad economic patch that refuses to make a sharp turn toward prosperity.

Unemployment is slowly falling but remains 4 years after he took the oath at a stubborn 7.8____as president Obama swears faithfully serve the American people for another four years and is back above 9 percent. Locally, it’s something like 13 and despite the sunshine that we know is coming back, and the slower pace of life here in the valley, there are signs that things could get worse before they get better - because indications are at both the city and the county level - money for basic services is tight -and the already reduced police fire and sheriffs’ department work forces are going to get thinner. I was amazed one morning when the police chief told me on any given morning shift there were fewer than two dozen uniformed officers on the streets of Sacramento and maybe another 20 or so from the county. 44 cops patrolling Sacramento and the county---44 cops trying to serve the needs of one point 4 million people. One uniform for every 30 thousand residents. And because the courts  ordered California prisons to reduce capacity, county jails are packed----and cops will tell you, the thugs they round up…are being let go---and few bother to appear in court….so the number of cons and would be offenders with warrants is growing…the bail bond business is being crushed….because since there’s no jail to remand them---what’s the point in bail so let’s add this up…there are too few cops on the street now-----prisoners are being released earlier…the staff of probation officers to keep tabs on the ex cons has also been trimmed response times will naturally fall some crimes may not be investigated in a timely fashion…and when the parks close or supervision is reduced…where do the kids go----to the streets and in some cases to the gangs….not all the guns being purchased this winter are a direct response to the Newtown massacre…many people just want to seem safe, unsure the local PD or sheriffs’ deputies can protect them.

Meantime…regional leaders are on a parallel track trying to drum up hundreds of millions for a new arena or a new downtown mall owner…or a sexier k street….

Worthy projects all…and vital to our future growth …but it seems to me they have to take a back seat to public safety. Right now we have to worry more about the cons on the street…then the kings at an old or new arena.