Today is Fair Pay Day. Today, as an average woman, I will finally earn what an average man made in 2008. Took me almost 4 more months to get even. That's because I make 78 cents for every $1 a man makes. But at least I am Caucasian, if I were African American I would only earn 69 cents and, even worse, if I were Hispanic, I would only earn 59 cents.

Are things improving. No. For example:

In 2006, women physicians earned 72% of their male counterparts.
Women in sales were at 64%.
Women in construction at 86%.
Women in computer and mathematical occupations at 85%.

While we applaud President Obama for signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, this law simply reinstates rights we had previously before a shocking Supreme Court decision.

We cannot continue this discrimination against women. Especially when women are often the sole providers in many households. Equal pay for equal work. What's so shocking about that?
What's so frightening about that? What's so hard about that?

Ladies (and gentlemen). Let's all stand up and make it happen. We can start by demanding the passage of the The Paycheck Fairness Act, It would deter wage discrimination by closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and barring retaliation against workers who disclose their wages. The bill also allows women to receive the same remedies for sex-based pay discrimination that are currently available to those subject to discrimination based on race and national origin.

Now, I need to go back to work. My earnings for 2009 are just beginning. And I am already 4 months behind! Reminds me of the guinea pig on that wheel! OK, no wheel. I just learned those are really bad for guinea pigs...maybe worse than pay discrimination for women???

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen.com

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

For all our friends who are planning to visit us in Texas, we wanted to let you know that things have changed since our beloved Governor "General Lee" Perry suggested we secede from the Union:

A Travelers Guide to Wackadoodleonia
by: Harold Cook
Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 09:44 AM CDT
Originally posted at Letters From Texas

Dear Foreign Visitor:

As your guide to the sovereign state of Wackadoodleonia, welcome!

Yes, we realize you probably made your travel plans to "Texas" long before former Texas Governor Rick Perry, now the President And Supreme Commander of Wackadoodleonia, seceded and formed our own country. But despite this abrupt change, we think you'll find your stay here in Wackadoodleonia to be an enjoyable one.

We can't fault you for a bit of unease. We, too, thought at first that El Presidente Perry was kidding, when his comments suggested that he doesn't blame people a bit for wanting to secede from the United States of America - our neighbor to the North. But then, nationally-renowned statesmen Rush Limbaugh and Tom DeLay weighed in, the concept caught on, and the rest, as they say, is history.

We hope you will enjoy your time visiting Wackadoodleonia, but as with travel to any foreign country, a few precautions should be taken.

First, if you're traveling with children, please be aware that their health insurance coverage was declared null and void at our border. Please contact the Wackadoodleonia Department of Insurance for a rider which will cover your child during your visit. Unfortunately, coverage is very expensive here, when it's available at all, so good luck.

Also, please be aware that here in sunny Wackadoodleonia, we have instituted a "no tolerance" policy on crime, including instituting the death penalty for parking violations. There are no appeals, since there are no court houses. We tore them down after we deported all the lawyers. We now settle our disputes as a civilized and free people should - with guns.

We love our U.S. neighbors to the North. However, we must take issue with the border wall your country is now constructing, segregating us from the American states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Well, we don't mind the Oklahoma wall so much, but you get the point. Wackadoodleonians only want good paying jobs to feed their families; the fact that we are sneaking across the border into the U.S. is testament to your good-paying jobs and great employee benefits. Plus, we Wackadoodleonians are doing the jobs Americans don't want to do anyway. So please keep that in mind and try to be a little more sensitive, mmm-kay?

Also, as a U.S. visitor to Wackadoodleonia, please keep in mind that we have very strict laws against Americans voting in our elections. That's why we require that all voters show a valid Wackadoodleonia drivers license and an NRA Lifetime Membership card prior to being allowed to cast a vote for the Republican of their choice.

And finally - it's true what they say, "you can go to Wackadoodleonia, but don't drink the water!" Please note that even before Texas broke away from our oppressors to the North, Wackadoodleonia had the hightest amount of toxic chemicals released into our water anywhere in the U.S.

With those details aside, we hope you enjoy your stay, and hope you enjoyed Lee Greenwood's rousing "I'm Proud To Be A Wackadoodleonian" over the loudspeakers as you arrived at the airport! As President Perry says, "we're proud of Wackadoodleonia - how 'bout you?"

PS: we realize that we kind of messed up the whole look of the American flag when we withdrew from the Union. 49 stars instead of 50 just looks like crap - our bad. May we suggest that you take in Puerto Rico a state, if only to maintain the symmetry? Just a thought.

Y'all come down, y'hear?

Gillian and Pierre
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (2)

Dangerously overcrowded jails and prisons are a growing problem across the U S. Many inmates are drug offenders.

PASADENA, Calif.

--As president, Barack Obama should not neglect the invisible young men and women who are in our prisons. He campaigned on a pledge of change. And one profound change he could help bring about is reforming our criminal-justice system. Today, we are warehousing 2.1 million people in jail or prison, more than any other country in the world. Many of these people are in prison because of the so-called "war on drugs," which has been a huge failure and is bankrupting state budgets.

"Drug offenders in prison and jails have increased 1,100 percent since 1980, according to the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit prison- reform group based in Washington. Our criminal-justice system is discriminatory. According to the Sentencing Project, "African-Americans comprise 14 percent of regular drug users, but are 37 percent of those arrested for drug offenses and 56 percent of persons in state prison for drug offenses. "More than 60 percent of the people in prison are now racial and ethnic minorities," the group notes. "For black males in their 20s, one in every eight is in prison or jail on any given day."

Many of these young men were not given the proper opportunities to obtain a quality education, and many come from abusive households. The great majority of these youths live in poverty, where violence and incarceration are common

Don't get me wrong. I am not defending or justifying criminal acts. Individuals who commit them need to be held responsible. But we, as a society, need to get to the root of this violence, as well as balance the scales of our justice system.

President-elect Obama should prioritize gang prevention and intervention programs that include youth-education and job-creation elements. Such programs can counteract the hopelessness that afflicts so many of our young people of color. We must change the defeatist mentality that says, "I don't give a damn--I'm going to end up in prison anyway or I'm going to die soon."

Obama ran a campaign of change, and he ran on hope. He has an opportunity to continue inspiring and motivating our youth, whether they live in the urban ghettos or suburbs. To do so effectively, he needs to root out the bias in our criminal-justice system and support effective gang- and violence-prevention programs.

A generation depends on this.

Randy Jurado Ertll is a writer for the Progressive Media Project.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (1)

For nearly a year, I have been on a journey. Today, my journey reached a significant milestone.

The trip began last November with the passing of my brother Varick Cutler. I found out at the funeral that Varick was a big supporter of Barack Obama. And so were Gillian and I. We never discussed this with my brother. Gillian and I made a pact and decided to give our full support in getting Barack elected.

We got involved in our local precinct and were both elected as Obama delegates to the senatorial district convention. Gillian worked hard with Obama Dallas, a grassroots campaign organization and was elected a delegate to the Texas state convention. Her tireless efforts were rewarded when the Texas Democratic Party nominated her as an at large delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

At some point in the spring, we set a goal of registering 500 new voters. Gillian was deputized and proceeded to deputize hundreds of new deputies. Day after day, she worked, attending or leading many voter registration drives. I helped where I could.

We walked the neighborhoods, knocking on doors. We went to high schools, signing up first-time voters. We went to football games, super markets, fairs, and even a circus. Gillian and her friend Wendy would frequent the taxi stands at Love Field and DFW. Soon they became known among the cabbies as the Obama ladies. They deputized the cab drivers. One of the cab drivers even invited us to his Ethiopian church to register his fellow worshipers.

Gillian designed and sold campaign buttons and bumper stickers - hundreds and hundreds of them. She even appeared in a Barack Obama movie. I am in awe at her endless energy. I am a bachelor now, as Gillian is in Colorado, working through the election day to make a difference in the swing state.

We passed our goal to register 500 new voters. My hunch is that our efforts have produced several thousand new voters in Dallas County.

Today, I took advantage of early voting. I voted for peace. I voted for prosperity. I voted for unity, hope, and change.

Today, with honor and pride, I voted for Barack Obama.

And tonight I celebrate the journey - America's journey, Barack's journey, and my brother's journey.

Here's to you Varick! We made your vote count big time this year! May peace be with you.

Pierre Cutler

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (1)

Yesterday was a typical Saturday. Wake up around 8:00 A.M. Shower. Walk the dogs. Retrieve the newspaper from the driveway. Make a pot of coffee. Eat breakfast. Settle down to read the newspaper.

And guess what? The news was the same. Nothing had changed since last Saturday. It reminded me of Anne Murray's song ... "A Little Good News".

There's a local paper rolled up in a rubber band
One more sad story's one more than I can stand
Just once how I'd like to see the headline say
"Not much to print today, can't find nothin' bad to say", because

Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD'ed, nobody burned a single buildin' down
Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today

• High School football scores
• Ethics inquiry
• Financial meltdown
• Crisis
• Gays can marry
• Golden Gate Bridge may get suicide net
• Voter fraud in Texas
• Suicide bomber kills 30
• Schools look to make cuts
• GM-Chrysler merger odds 50-50
• Stocks end mostly lower
• Cost to taxpayers could be high
• Credit crisis hits home
• Teens discuss crisis
• Texas driver violation - $815 million owed
• Fight against Barack Obama
• DNA exonerations
• Victory in sight
• Oh, and today's weather - "partly sunny"

Just a little good news, please!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

This past week Gillian and I hosted a voter registration drive at a high school in Dallas. The school is a member of the beleaguered Dallas Independent School District (DISD), where Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is fighting for his job as he faces a $64 million budget shortfall, the pending layoff of over 700 teachers this month, unchecked staff who allegedly purchased millions of dollars of personal goods on school credit cards, and a dropout rate of 55.6%.

The school is predominantly made up of Hispanic and African-American students. We were situated in the computer lab, which also serves double duty as a ninth grade English classroom. While we waited for the drive to begin, we browsed around the classroom. We were appalled at the surroundings - grade school sized chairs and tables (more suitable for kindergarteners) with many broken legs being propped up by mountains of text books, cast-off computers (i.e., hand-me-downers) circa 1980's, well-worn text books that appeared to be more than twenty years old, and bulletin boards that displayed dated materials from the 1990's.

And then there were the English teacher's classroom rules for behavior. The rules were typed on a single sheet and contained many grammar and punctuation errors. But perhaps the most shocking visual was yet to come, as Seniors' Night began. The halls and classrooms were filled with teenagers with their children in tow - high school senior after high school senior, proudly carrying their little ones from classroom to classroom. Dads carrying car seats under one arm and their baby in the other arm. Moms pushing strollers.

Oh, they were proud of their offspring. At one point I noted to Gillian, "It's as if they are carrying their trophies or showing their badge of honor."

The scene made me pause and think as I asked myself, "How are these kids going to succeed? The parents and their children - what do their futures hold as they leave school in June?"

And then I was reading today's Sunday paper - the Parade Magazine - and found out the shocking news. The U.S. teen-pregnancy rate is about 7.5%. One in three teenaged girls in the U.S. will get pregnant. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the U.S. teen-pregnancy rate is almost twice as high as Britain and four times higher than Sweden and France.

Why these startling statistics? Because U.S. teenagers are less likely to use contraception than their European counterparts. And the Alan Guttmacher Institute's study found no strong evidence that abstinence programs work.

Well just maybe we need to rethink our programs and adopt European programs that do work!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Taken from Heartless and Brainless.

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 700 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gramm, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transaction is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury Paulson

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:57 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

I hope everyone will read this first-class piece from Andrew Sullivan:

McCain's Integrity
10 Sep 2008 01:40 pm

For me, this surreal moment - like the entire surrealism of the past ten days - is not really about Sarah Palin or Barack Obama or pigs or fish or lipstick. It's about John McCain. The one thing I always thought I knew about him is that he is a decent and honest person. When he knows, as every sane person must, that Obama did not in any conceivable sense mean that Sarah Palin is a pig, what did he do? Did he come out and say so and end this charade? Or did he acquiesce in and thereby enable the mindless Rovianism that is now the core feature of his campaign?

So far, he has let us all down. My guess is he will continue to do so. And that decision, for my part, ends whatever respect I once had for him. On core moral issues, where this man knew what the right thing was, and had to pick between good and evil, he chose evil. When he knew that George W. Bush's war in Iraq was a fiasco and catastrophe, and before Donald Rumsfeld quit, McCain endorsed George W. Bush against his fellow Vietnam vet, John Kerry in 2004. By that decision, McCain lost any credibility that he can ever put country first. He put party first and his own career first ahead of what he knew was best for the country.

And when the Senate and House voted overwhelmingly to condemn and end the torture regime of Bush and Cheney in 2006, McCain again had a clear choice between good and evil, and chose evil.

He capitulated and enshrined torture as the policy of the United States, by allowing the CIA to use techniques as bad as and worse than the torture inflicted on him in Vietnam. He gave the war criminals in the White House retroactive immunity against the prosecution they so richly deserve. The enormity of this moral betrayal, this betrayal of his country's honor, has yet to sink in. But for my part, it now makes much more sense. He is not the man I thought he was.

And when he had the chance to engage in a real and substantive debate against the most talented politician of the next generation in a fall campaign where vital issues are at stake, what did McCain do? He began his general campaign with a series of grotesque, trivial and absurd MTV-style attacks on Obama's virtues and implied disgusting things about his opponent's patriotism.

And then, because he could see he was going to lose, ten days ago, he threw caution to the wind and with no vetting whatsoever, picked a woman who, by her decision to endure her own eight-month pregnancy of a Down Syndrome child in public, that he was going to reignite the culture war as a last stand against Obama. That's all that is happening right now: a massive bump in the enthusiasm of the Christianist base. This is pure Rove.

Yes, McCain made a decision that revealed many appalling things about him. In the end, his final concern is not national security. No one who cares about national security would pick as vice-president someone who knows nothing about it as his replacement. No one who cares about this country's safety would gamble the security of the world on a total unknown because she polled well with the Christianist base. No person who truly believed that the surge was integral to this country's national security would pick as his veep candidate a woman who, so far as we can tell anything, opposed it at the time.

McCain has demonstrated in the last two months that he does not have the character to be president of the United States. And that is why it is more important than ever to ensure that Barack Obama is the next president. The alternative is now unthinkable. And McCain - no one else - has proved it.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Thanks to Dan Walters to spotlighting the scandal of our prison system. $10B a year is a lot to pay to stuff our prisons with those who suffer from mental illnesses and drug addicts. And, the costs are just going to get higher. Another $8B has been requested to fix the medical systems inside the prisons. And inside the prisons, trust me, we are absolutely not getting our money's worth. Every program has been cancelled. They don't even hold Narcotis Anonymous meetings anymore because there's no money for coffee.

And when prisoners are released, they are given a few dollars and sent on their way. No attempt is made to ensure that their re-entry into society is such that it minimizes the likelihood of their return. Why? Because the prison system has become big business and a lot of people are getting rich off it. And having people stay longer, return more often is very good for business.

Let's put it to the people of California. Do you want to keep throwing $10B down the drain or would you trade a large part of this to build programs (and fund programs) to provide mental health care, prescription medicine, drug rehabilitation. Trust me, it would be much, much cheaper. And how about if parents could stay home and be around to raise their kids. How much do you think that would save us in years to come?

Let's stop this nonsense once and for all. This is not who Californians are.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:39 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (1)

The Chinese American Council of Sacramento (CACS) has published Canton Footprints, Sacramento's Chinese Legacy.

This book captures Chinese Americans contributions to Sacramento's diversity and their integral part in Sacramento's rich history. Canton Footprints, Written by eminent Chinese American historian Philip P. Choy, it brings together over 150 years of Chinese American history in Sacramento. Through more than 40 oral histories, Choy shows the role and influence that the Chinese American community has had in shaping Sacramento.

The 160-page book includes 178 historical photographs and is offered in soft bound and hard cover. The photographs from the Anna Wong Lee Collection and 19th Century lithographs and engravings from Philip Choy's private collection give visual impact to the importance of the Chinese American Community's role in Sacramento history.

The author, Philip P. Choy will give a lecture and sign copies of the book on Sunday June 1, 2008 at a CACS dinner to be held at the Holiday Villa Restaurant, 7007 S. Land Park Dr.
Sacramento, CA. The cost is $25 per person.

The book costs: $20 paperback, $30 hardbound.

To place orders for the book, contact: Donna Scotti, PO Box 60267 Sacramento, CA 95822
e-mail: CACSbookorder@comcast.net.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Here's an interesting way to get involved in the Sacramento Arts Community - become a Business Volunteer for the Arts.

Training will be held on March 11, 2008, from 3-5 PM in Suite 600, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 400 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, 95814.

Per the Arts and Business Council website:

Business support is critical to help arts and cultural organizations flourish. Members of the community put their expertise to work for their favorite arts or cultural organization.

Since 1987, the Arts & Business Council of Sacramento has promoted mutually beneficial partnerships between businesses and arts groups. Through its programs the Council brings expertise, resources and leadership talent from the business world to the arts community. Businesses benefit through meaningful volunteer opportunities for employees, improved access to arts resources and the opportunity to be a part of a community enhanced by the presence of a vibrant arts sector.

BVA volunteers have…

An interest in arts and culture in the Sacramento area;
3-5 years professional experience;
Expertise applicable to assisting an arts/cultural organization;
The ability to encourage change;
The ability to commit approximately 5-10 hours per month and one year of service.
In return, BVA volunteers…

Become an integral part of Sacamento’s arts and cultural community;
Strengthen business skills by creatively channeling them to a new arena;
Learn how to turn limited resources into successful outcomes;
Receive training on how to consult to arts and cultural nonprofits;
Project-driven Business Assistance

Volunteers are needed with expertise in a specific area of interest. Each project is custom-designed to suit the needs of the participating nonprofit in the areas of:

Computer Information/Technology
Event Planning
Graphic Design
Financial Accounting and Planning
Fundraising
Human Resource Management
Marketing and Market Research
Organizational Management
Public relations/Advertising
Strategic Planning/Program Development
And more…

Sounds like a great way to get involved in the arts community in Sacramento, make a difference and meet some interesting people.

Here a link to apply.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

From the Daily Kos, an hysterical rundown of the Republican debate as viewed by a 9-year old.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Last night I watched the Republican debates. I took notes. I didn't start out intending to, but almost immediately I realized there were going to be so many unbelievable 'facts' bandied about that I needed to keep track.

Fred Thompson said we won Afghanistan. Good grief, did I miss the victory parade, the hauling off of the Taliban, the end to opium production, the capture of Bin Laden?

Rudy Guiliani wants to increase the size of the military. Isn't it way bigger than it should be already?

John McCain supports a pre-emption strategy. I wonder which country we will invade next?

Mitt Romney says we owe President Bush a debt of gratitude. Gosh, I thought the polls showed that most people want him to leave ASAP and without a going-away party.

Romney also wants to increase the military. See graph above.

Ron Paul makes sense. Why do each of the candidates fall over each other using titles, senator, mayor, governor, when half of them aren't even in those roles anymore, but they just call Congressman Paul and Doctor Paul, Ron?

Fred Thompson says we have wall to wall enemies. But I don't think he means that most of them are of our own making.

Ron Paul says we bully people.

John McCain , Mitt Romney and Rudy Guiliani repeatedly sneer at Ron Paul.

Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson sneer at everyone.

Rudy Guiliani will appoint strict constructionist judges. Well, OK then. Glad you are pro-choice, too bad it won't remain an option through your first year!

Fred Thompson says consumers should shop around for the best health costs. OK, great, let me finish my second minimum wage job of the day that barely keeps food on the table and then come home and comparison shop for my next MRI.

Mitt Romney says 46 million people don't chose to pay to play (don't chose to buy health insurance when they could). A little out of touch, Mitt?

I ran out of paper. But I think you get the gist?

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (3)

My frustration level is high as we enter a new year.

We (as in this country, we) wasted another year with no or inadequate action on many important issues:

The environment, healthcare for all, improving our prison systems, lifting the poor out of poverty, reigning back the corporations who are now in charge of our country, stopping the loss of lives and limbs and brains of our young men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan, protecting and defending the Constitution (and using fear, fear, fear to justify the loss of our rights), improving education, and on and on.

In California, we allowed another year of drunken spending by our government and our citizens until the bubble burst, this time not tech but real estate. And we allowed a ballot initiative, which passed by 61%, that would have provided drug treatment instead of prison and cut back spending drastically, to be completely underfunded. Meanwhile, we allowed the prison union to continue their unfettered, unabated growth, all aided and abetted by that fear, fear, fear message.

In Sacramento, we allowed another year to go by without resolving most of the major development problems - a new arena, a safe and prosperous K Street (and Downtown Mall) and that ugly hole in the ground on what should be our grand entrance (Capitol Mall). And, of course, that Greyhound bus station stands stubbornly in the path of progress. And then there would be the situation surrounding the loss by death or life sentences of our young people in South Sacramento that grows more out of control every day. And that same old gang, fear, fear, fear message. How about a message of hope - jobs, training programs, mentors, education? Could we try that for a change?

Depressing, yes. So depressing that we just give up. Absolutely NOT. Go register to vote, read everything you can about every candidate and every issue and be the decider from now on. It's too important not to be.

Happy New Year. Let's hope the message of hope overshadows the constant messages of fear.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (1)

I see the photo online today.
An 'army' of heavily armed policemen patrol through South Sacramento. And a small girl dressed in a bright pink outfit walking on the sidewalk. The photo haunts me. Can this be my City? Surely, it's a picture of Iraq or Afghanistan? My heart breaks - for the law enforcement officer killed yesterday, for the lost youth of Sacramento who believe, rightly or wrongly, that gangs offer more hope to them than their community, for all those who hate and punish even though it is obvious this is not the solution. And by the minute, the situation deteriorates.

I thought about it all day. I can't put it out of my mind. And then Rhonda Erwin, a fearless and tireless champion for the youth of Sacramento, forwarded this note written by a local attorney and former law enforcement officer. If only he were in the majority.

When a community lives by the sword, it will die by the sword. Yet, I mourn grievously the needless death of the law enforcement officer performing his duties, as I once "wore the uniform" of another law enforcement agency.

His loss is deep and mournful, as I weep for his loss as he did his Duty to the Fullest Measure. For his family, I shed my reluctant tears and offer only inadequate solace, for he obviously was a great man, and dedicated public servant. Hopefully his loss will at last call us all to awake from our comfort of letting "law enforcement" take care of this problem.

Just as it has been said, "War is too Important to be left to the Generals", so too at home, the so-called "street crime" is too important to leave only to law enforcement.

I once walked that neighborhood and called that place home, so I take to heart the great tragedy that folks there now must feel. This brings real anguish in this place. On the one hand, these neighbors must feel their days are risky and dangerous because of restless youth; but on the other-hand they must feel isolated and invaded by official powers with a "survivor- conquers-all" mentality. But that mentality isn't trust-worthy; and that mentality didn't work here, and won't be any more reliable for our Community's neighborhoods in the future, where and when our Children will be living our legacy.

Now, at last, at long last, we, starting here and now in our Community need to reach out in peace; peace begets peace. Let it begin. Let our legacy be a challenge of peace, not a challenge of war-fare on our own streets, in our own neighborhoods.

Children should be offered love, and respite from the violence of gangs, not rebuff and fear.

Children should be offered a welcoming place, in the class-room, in the neighborhood, in Recreational Centers, in Parks, in the Youth Programs, and yes, in their Churches.

Children here are "our" children, not the Enemies that our trigger-ready mentality of SWAT teams and Law Enforcement budgets caters to at local Board meetings. "Where our Treasure is, so are our Hearts."

Children "Know" when they are marginalized, and Children "Know" when they are pushed outside of the Value Parameters of our Community.

Children "Know" when there's no music program because that's too expensive.

Children "Know" when the Community doesn't value them, or much less their Future.

Children "Know" when we show them that their Future is not our concern, seeing the schools left afloat with demeaning lack of concern, both for the physical plant and resources and challenging opportunities.

Yes, Children "get-it" that those new shinny Law Enforcement tools are targeted at them.

They get-it that they are expected to "stay-in-line", but not the line that leads to Educational Excellence and development of their God-Given Potential, but instead the one that leads to darkness and despair because we are "ready, willing and able" to FILL MORE PRISONS at whatever COST.

Yes, Children "get-it" that we are not prepared to fill their classrooms with any "shinny" new educational tools, because we constantly remind them that such educational assistance for them would COST TOO MUCH.

Yes, Children clearly "get-it" where we're coming from. They see, hear and "feel" it when we adopt "Gang-Ordinances" to watch, monitor and control their movements, speech and free association. They "get-it"!

A new dialog is needed. And if we need new Leadership to "get-it" right, then the time is NOW to start.

Our law enforcement officers need to be welcome as "Neighborhood Beat-Cops" who know the kids by name. That may be back-to-the-future", but the Path we have wandered-down is fruitless of positive results. Staying on that old Path is only certain to lead to the same "Survivor-Wins" results.

Let's now dedicate to take a new Path, expecting Positive Results BECAUSE WE PLANT THE SEEDS OF HOPEFULNESS, not despair. Let us bear any burden to support our neighborhood kids, NO WHAT OR WHERE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS. LET'S EXPECT OUR KIDS TO BE OUR FUTURE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND GOOD CITIZENS.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

It's Christmas morning, you are all ready to celebrate the season. The fire is crackling, the turkey is roasting, and the carols are ready to be played on your iPod. But when you go to turn on your iPod, you realize it's not charged and you forgot to bring your charger along. No problem!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Just because 99 out of 100 people think an idea ia a good idea, doesn’t make it a good idea. For example:

1. Often, the best time to buy stock is when everyone else is selling. This also applies to housing.
2. The drumbeat for war sometimes beats so loud, reasonable voices are silenced.
3. Spare the rod, spoil the child should really be invest in the child now, save lots of money on the rod later.
4. The biggest fish is often caught where no one else is fishing.
5. Instead of following the conventional wisdom of diversification, put all your eggs in one basket and mind that basket very well.
6. Americans love to spend their bonuses. Saving it is better.
7. Americans love to have too much tax taken out of their paycheck so they can get a refund at the end of the year. Perhaps they should keep the excess, invest it all year, and pay the balance when due.
8. Why plan to retire? Wouldn’t it be great to have a job you love until the day you die?
9. Big teams are not as effective at solving problems as small teams.
10. Most people vacation in popular spots during popular months. Suggest vacationing during the offseason – the lack of crowds is exhilarating.
11. Most people get their news from the same source(s) every day. Try something new for a change, preferably with an international flair.
12. Most people vote for the candidate they would most like to have a beer or a prom date with - why not research where the candidates stand on the issues that are important to you?

The Sacramento Executives

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

It’s not that the technology isn’t ready, or that consumers aren’t able to scan their own items. The unions and employees simply don’t want it to happen.

I’ve been a technology geek for years and was excited when I first encountered a self-checkout at my local Alberstons. The thought of bypassing the lines of people with 15 items in the ‘10 items or less’ line, or no longer being stuck behind someone writing and balancing their checkbook while my ice cream melted was nirvana.

But my excitement was short-lived. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t able to scan the items at the same pace as the regular checkout person. Things got worse when the scales onto which the items are placed after scanning (to make sure I’m not cheating the system) regularly failed to recognize my purchases.

When I was able to get the system to work properly and managed to get 5 or more items scanned and bagged, the system would suddenly decide I was having way too much fun and tell me that without the assistance of the cashier I could go no further. The little red light on the top of my checkstand would flash and the same alert would display on the cashier’s terminal. Instead of rushing to help me and get me through the line as quickly as possible, he or she would often just stand there looking at me while I tried to work out what sequence of events caused the hiccup.

When that little red light goes off above a slot machine in Tahoe or Vegas the attendant is there in a flash. Not in your local grocery or hardware store. Instead they continue their conversation with the other ‘soon to be unemployed cashier’ or stare blankly into space wondering why you’re scanning that carton of milk for the fifth time.

I could never figure out why, if I used a regular checkout, the cashiers would greet me and seem genuinely interested that someone had finally bought a Chayote and knew what to do with it, yet treated me like a pariah when I used self-checkout. Then the little red light in my head went off. Why would they want to help me, when I’m taking away their jobs by using the automated system?

Sure the corporate bean counters see the benefits of replacing four cashiers with just one, but there isn’t any job security for the workers under this method. So, they begrudgingly amuse their managers by working the self-checkout stands, but go out of their way to make sure you don’t find it a pleasant experience. Over time, people like me will find the allure of self-service not so exciting after all, and the statistics will be there to back up the claims by the employees and unions that there is no point in adding more terminals, as ‘customers just don’t like them’.

With the news last week that the unions have bludgeoned the likes of Raley’s and Savemart into providing substantial wage increases, better medical benefits with no employee-paid premiums and protected pension benefits, its probably safe to say that they also managed to convince the owners of these companies not to increase the number of self-checkouts anytime soon.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to using one of those new shopping carts that scans my items as I put them into the basket. Or better yet, reads the RFID chip on each item and debits my credit card as I wheel the cart out the door.

Happy shopping.

Paul Robinson
Guest Blooger
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

A don't miss TV event - The War, a 15-hour documentary on PBS, depicting World War II with special emphasis on the effect it had on four US communities - one of which is Sacramento.

A look at Sacramento during wartime, from the PBS pressroom:

Sacramento expanded rapidly during the war, as tens of thousands migrated to the city to work at the two local aviation installations, McClellan Air Force Base (a repair and maintenance facility for aircraft, engines and flight instruments, as well as a training center for mechanics) and Mather Field (a training school for navigators and one of dozens of flight training bases that grew up all across the country during the war). McClellan was instrumental in providing operating support for many critical missions in the Pacific Theater, including retrofitting the bombers used for Lt. Col. James Doolittle’s raid of mainland Japan in April 1942. McClellan and Mather provided thousands of jobs to Sacramentans during the war; by 1943, McClellan alone employed 22,000 workers.

But not all Sacramento residents shared in the good times made possible by the war. In the spring of 1942, soon after President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 authorizing the War Department to designate “military areas” and then exclude anyone from them whom it felt to be a danger, hand-lettered signs saying “Japs must go” went up all over town. In May, the Japanese residents of Sacramento, with one week’s notice, were forced to abandon their homes, farms and businesses and were sent to inland internment camps. Ordered to bring only “what they could carry,” most would spend the remainder of the war in the camps, fenced in by barbed wire and guarded by soldiers wielding loaded machine guns. Immigrants from Mexico, some of them part of the “bracero” program, were eventually brought into Sacramento to work in the fields in their stead. When the war ended, only 59 percent of Japanese citizens who had been exiled chose to return to Sacramento County to try to reclaim their property and rebuild their lives.

It starts on your local PBS channel this Sunday evening. A companion book by "War" writer Geoffrey C. Ward and a soundtrack album will be released this month; a DVD boxed set of the series is set to bow October 2.

A review in the Washington Post states:

the film tells a collective story that unfolds grandly, horribly, painfully, proudly. It exposes the gaping divide between that era and the current day, while mounting a mighty effort to bridge it.

Simultaneously emotionally wrenching and intellectually challenging, Ken Burns has created yet another masterpiece that illuminates America’s past in a way that should bring us both pride and shame, helping us move forward as a culture.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Our 4-Hour Workweek is about breaking the rules we are taught and embracing new rules. It's a lifestyle change. How so? Quite simply - work smartly to build a business. Delegate and outsource. Set up the organization and stay off the critical path. Empower the staff to make decisions. Allow them the freedom to make mistakes. Force them to have skin in the game. And reward them. Once these rules are in place, execute and execute well. Change when things don't work. Focus on things that work well.

And stay out of the way. Take time off and play. Take a lot of time off. Put excitement back in life. Remove the yoke of the office. Make the world the office. Live anywhere, travel anywhere, and work from anywhere. But the key - work less. Let the organization work on its own.

New rules. Skeptics? Of course. But don't worry about the skeptics. Take advantage of skeptics. Use them as motivators.

Work smart. Play hard. Forget about retirement. Retire is not a part of the new rules. Throw this rule out.

Read more...

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:48 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

What a great talent. What a great hole you will leave in the world of opera.

Check out YouTube to see all the outpouring of grief at his death today.

This is a cut from one of my very favorite CD's - Zucchero & Co.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

After conquering stages across the globe, Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic arrives in the U.S.A. The U.S. tour launches on Friday, Sept. 28th at 8pm at the Sacramento Community Center.

During 2005-2006, the production electrified audiences in France, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Germany, Dubai, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, capturing the hearts of over 250,000 Queen fans.

In 2007, interest in Queen has never been higher, with Queen upstaging The Beatles as the “greatest British band of all time” (BBC Radio 2 poll, 2007). Now Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic returns to once again take audiences back in time to re-live the energy, excitement and theatrics of Freddie Mercury and the greatest ROCK band in the world, Queen!

With 21st century sound and lighting, and a cast that takes magnetism to new heights, this theatrical event creates the 1986 world tour of Freddie Mercury and Queen, taking audiences back in time to experience the passion of Freddie Mercury, the amazing guitar solos of Brian May, the thundering rhythms of Roger Taylor and all those unbelievable Queen harmonies.

Tickets are $39-$58. and available by calling the Box office at (916) 808-5181 or (800) 225-2277 or online

Courtesy: Roseville & Rocklin Today

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:56 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

This country for many years has had a vibrant press with a myriad of voices from either side of the political spectrum. All of that is about to come to a screeching halt. In March of 2006, the US Postal Service (USPS) submitted a postal rate increase to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The submission contained a provision to increase the periodical rate by 11.7% - an increase to be shared by all publishers equally. After a 10-month comment period, the PRC, much to everyone's surprise, rejected the rate suggested by the USPS and, instead, adopted a complicated formula that had been suggested by Time Warner. The 758-page recommendation was so complex that many small, independent magazines couldn't possibly adequately assess the impact on their publications within the 8 days that was allowed by the PRC for formal responses. And so the 'Time Warner' formula became law. Now, the independent voices are feeling the pinch and many will be pushed to bankruptcy as few have adequate resources to cover this enormous impact.

Long-serving dedicated reporters, who already work for peanuts, are putting pen to paper and begging for contributions to keep their voices alive. We, the public, will have fewer and fewer news sources and even scarier, fewer and fewer independent voices. As the independent voice of main stream media has practically collapsed in this country, the loss would be devastating.

If you recognize this as a crisis, please put your name on this petition to Congress and the Postal Board of Governors.

Please watch this video as Bill Moyers explains the terrible impact this will have:

Remember, this isn't a Democrat or Republican issue, it impacts all religions, all political parties, and the freedom of speech this country has been so deservedly proud of since its founding.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Last week I volunteered at a global conference. During the week, I met a group of women from Siberia. I invited two of them to come stay at my house for a couple of days. Neither spoke a word of English, I don't speak a word of Russian - although my husband speaks a few. But we managed to communicate well enough to understand that our idea of Siberia is so outmoded and completely wrong as to be laughable.

One of the women is a math teacher and her husband is a physics teacher. Her 20 year old daughter is attending university and studying English and Economics. The other woman is a retired medical doctor. They both live in very nice houses with multiple cars and TVs. They both love Putin, and didn't love Yeltsin, and have no regard for Gorbachev. They both have 2 computers in their homes with download speeds that are twice as fast as ours. They had with them digital cameras and video cameras and plenty of money to buy clothes and luggage and other souvenirs. They were funny, happy, caring, stylish. They were everything that we never think of when we think about Siberia. We were so happy to have had this opportunity. Even my husband, who often wonders how I get us into all this craziness, was very positive about the ability for us to get direct information from citizens of another country.

We are planning on doing this again. It's a super way to do away with silly stereotypes and not be swayed by the misinformation we get from the media.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacrmento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Yesterday I was walking my dogs in the neighborhood. From a distance I could hear loud music blaring. As I got closer, I recognized Edith Piaf singing her lungs out. As I got even closer, I discovered the source - the trash truck. Sometimes, things aren't what you expect.

Last week, I was in a conference room full of women. I was sitting next to a woman with ragged clothes, no makeup, dishevelled hair. During the meeting, someone referred to the newsletter editor, and lo and behold all eyes turned to the woman sitting next to me. And then the speaker added that my neighbor was just finishing up her PhD dissertation. Sometimes, things definitely aren't what you expect.

Look beyond your expectations, sometimes there is a lovely surprise.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Pierre & Gillian
The Sacramento Executives

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have about as much chance of winning the upcoming presidential election in Texas as they do leading a company as CEO. According to the Dallas Morning News, among the top 100 biggest public and private standalone companies in the Dallas area 96 are white male, 3 are white female and 1 is Hispanic male.

That's sad. Diversity is non-existent in Texas. Why? Because racism, bigotry, and sexist attitudes prevail in our community. And it is here to stay.

I see it everywhere, everyday.

In the "all-American" city of Farmers Branch, a Dallas suburb, on Saturday voters overwhelmingly passed an ordinance barring illegal immigrants from renting housing (68% yes, 32% no). This is a giant slight to the 35.1% of Texans who are Hispanic. I can just hear it now on Monday from Lou Dobbs - how the American voters are taking back America and taking control of the illegal immigrant situation.

And why do I have no chance in Texas? Because I have a brain and a heart and I won't live in a place where we treat women and minorities unjustly.

Last year I chose to move to Texas rather than Iowa because I thought Texas was more diverse (after all, Iowa is 95% white). But was I ever wrong!

Texas is far less diverse in corporate leadership and the voter process.

And that is why Hillary and Barack have no chance.

I weep for women and people of color on this Mother's Day.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (1)

Can you believe this view? Taken from our room at the Sandia Resort and Casino just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday. Gillian and I had a fantastic time. The room was great. The casino was a blast. We won a little money and had a lot of fun. Ed, Michelle, Bob and Kay, wish you were with us!.

From Gillian: For those who imagined we were dabbling in ancient Indian culture during our trip to New Mexico, we promise we were, except for the last day, when we dabbled in modern Indian culture - casinos. And for those who are interested who Ed, Michelle, Bob and Kay are, if you can find them, they will have STORIES about our times together in Dallas in the late 90's - racetracks, gambling...and that's all I am revealing.

Pierre and Gillian.
The Sacramento Executives

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

This weekend our kitchen sink got clogged. Pierre noticed it first. "We'll have to call a plumber, " he states emphatically. When I give a less than positive response, he moves to "We'll have to go buy some Drano."

I know for sure, there will be no plumber until I have done everything in my power to fix it, including taking the pipes below it apart, using the plunger for 3 or 4 hours, and putting down the drain a concoction so lethal (even though made of household ingredients) that it puts Drano to shame.

As Pierre continues his capitulation to the clog god, I rush to the garage and grab the plunger. The new super dooper plunger with concertina effect. Pierre plunges, but his heart isn't in it because he is busy planning his trip to buy Drano, followed closely by his call to a plumber. Meanwhile, I am mixing up a lethal brew. I have actually no clue what I am mixing together but I am pretty sure it will open the drain but maybe by blowing up the double sink area together with the granite.

"What is that?" Pierre asks. "Oh just something to get things moving," I say. One second later Pierre says, "It's not working." "

For goodness sake," I say, not wanting to admit defeat, but privately worried that it's really not going to work. "Give it some time. It didn't clog in 5 minutes."

And then I grab the plunger, plunge with verve and just when I am about to give up, there is a parting of the waves noise and a gush of water down the drain.

"There," I say. "No need for a plumber."

Ok, so my never say die attitude extends to clogged drains, but I work at rates much less than a plumber and much, much less than the cost of a bottle of Drano.

And Pierre is good at other stuff, like programming this website and cooking.

Happy Valentine's Day, honey. I love you

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:57 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it?

Last night Pierre and I attended a performance of the Dallas Symphony. The program included pieces by two Finnish composers. In the program was a writeup about Finland's dedication to musical education and the amazing results it has produced. Evidence is that despite its small size - approximately 5 million people - Finland has, and continues to, produce an abundance of important musicians.

In the 1960's, the Finnish government sponsored state grants to performing artists and composers. This investment spawned a wealth of music schools, orchestras and festivals. One example is the conductor training program at the Sibelius Academy which is among the finest in the world. Another factor is that music is a normal part of every day life for all students starting in elementary school. This ensures that musical programs receive lifetime support from welll-educated audiences.

As I read this amazing story, I looked around the Meyerson Symphony Center (home of the Dallas Symphony). The crowd was predominantly white and older. And there were many empty seats.

And then I remembered how we have constantly cut music programs from schools in this country. (The Center on Education Policy, found that since the passage of No Child Left Behind into federal law, 71 percent of the nation's 15,000 school districts had reduced the hours of instructional time spent on history, music and other subjects to open up more time for reading and math). But research has proven time and again that music education improves academic success, life skills and reduces crime. From the Reading, Writing and Rhythm Foundation:

Music education improves things such as SAT scores, school attendance, the ability to work in teams, self-esteem, self-discipline, early cognitive development, creativity, spatial reasoning skills, basic math and reading skills and the knowledge of other cultures and history. Scientific studies have proven that music participation builds brainpower in children by enhancing vital intellectual skills. As a result, music participation increases a child's ability to learn basic math and reading. Students who participate in music programs score significantly higher on standardized tests while at the same time developing crucial skills to be successful in life. Students involved in music are also less likely to be involved in gangs, drugs, or alcohol abuse and have better attendance in school. Most importantly though, students enjoy it!

Let's push for the return of music education to our schools. We can't afford to let another generation go by.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:04 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (1)