Sacramento State Capitol

Good Wednesday Afternoon

Today I had an appointment to meet a client/friend at the capitol.  She runs a catering business/restaurant at the capitol, so we decided to meet there.  Having been born and raised in Sacramento, I cannot even begin to think how many times I have seen the Capitol while driving by.  On the other hand, I can probably count one two hands, the number of times I have been inside the Capitol.

The Capitol, located at 10th Street and Capitol Mall, Sacramento, is an impressive piece of architecture as you walk up to the site.  The first thing I notice are the impressive columns and gold dome.   The gardens that surround the Capitol are quite impressive also.  These things just don't seem to matter as much when you are driving by.

The Capitol, with its 234 foot high dome, was built between 1861 and 1869.  There have been numerous additions and extensions.  A complete restoration of the Capitol was completed in 1982, at a cost of approximately $68 million.  Because of the restoration, the marble floors and extravagant chandeliers shine like they did in the old days.  

In 1988, a bronze group sculpture, The Vietnam War Memorial stands in the northeast part of Capitol Park.  It's construction was entirely funded by donations.  Today, there were several visitors paying their respects at the memorial.

The beautiful and colorful gardens present a colorful backdrop for the Capitol.  The garden's also serve as a photographer's favorite place to photograph brides and grooms.  

Inside the Capitol there is plenty of energy flowing through the hall ways. Just walking up and down some of the hall ways today, I saw several prominent politicians.  In rare cases, once may even see the Governor walking around.  I did have the opportunity to meet Governor Wilson at his office.  One of my clients was an aide to Gov. Wilson and took me into his chambers. Quite a memorable experience.

The one other thing I noticed today, several school buses outside.  The Capitol is a great place to host a field trip.  It had been so long since I visited the Capitol.  One of the things I took for granted.  Living in Sacramento, yet not visiting prominent places here.  I highly recommend a visit to the State Capitol of California.

It's August 19, 2009 and I am bullish on Sacramento

David Ohara

@dwo34

dwo34@aol.com

Recent Conversations

I recently met two friends/clients on different days to see how they were doing and how life was treating them.  Although, the two people have different jobs, different circles of influence, live in different parts of Sacramento, I was amazed at how their lives paralleled one another.

I met Randy for breakfast Wednesday morning. Although I have spoken to Randy on numerous occasions, I hadn't seen him in a while.  We chatted about his golf game, his video collection, and his job.  Randy is employed by the State of California and was now facing the reality of a third furlough Friday.  Randy has done quite well for himself working his way up from an assistant to a supervisory position.  Randy told me that the net effect of the furloughs was making things a bit tight for him.  He told me that extra golf clubs, fringe movies, spur of the moment trips to Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas, eating out 4 times a week, EBay shopping, and occasional nights out to the bar with friends had to be monitored.  Essentially the furlough had taken a "bite" out of Randy's lifestyle.  He told me countless stories of co-workers who relied on every single dollar they earned to make ends meet.  

Last Friday, I met with Grace at her restaurant to say hello.  Grace has a restaurant downtown that caters primarily to civil service workers.  She was telling me that the first furlough day had a minor impact on her business, but the second furlough Friday was devastating.  Her business dropped by almost 27%.  Now faced with a third furlough Friday, Grace did not even want to think about another decline in business.  Grace is advertising a "furlough" discount for state of California employees to assist her customers.  Grace told me that the decline in revenue has forced her to postpone some equipment renovations, cut some of her staff, be more price conscious, advertise specials, and cut back on her own personal budget.  She fears that further business declines will force her to sell her home.  A situation I hope does not materialize.

Although my two friends have different lives, have different friends, and have different jobs, their lives are parallel.  The State of CA budget woes effect so many.  Businesses, service providers, golf courses, EBay, etc. are all effected.  The CA legislature needs to get this budget problem fixed and implement a fiscal responsibility program, so that this current situation can be avoided in the future.

Randy and Grace, hang in there. I sense CA is going to rebound soon.  Maybe some of the law makers should have conversations with their constituents and they can gain a better idea of what's going on.   I certainly do.

July 22, 2009

David Ohara

I am "bullish" on Sacramento, CA

@dwo34