
The ABCs of the ACA
As health care administrators around the country prepare to implement the Affordable Care Act, educators are also tasked with preparing the next generation of managers — for the unknown.
No one knows yet just how health care reform is going to change the daily routine for practitioners and administrators, but all agree that business decisions, from purchasing supplies to the cost of follow-up care, are going to look different.

Access Granted
Failure to comply with disability-access codes can bury your business
When it comes to the issue of accessibility, Sacramento businessman Tony Lutfi knows the drill.
Creating a New Economy
Call it a recession, a realignment or a downturn. Whatever you call it, our current economy is experiencing convulsions most of us have not seen in our lifetimes. Our nation, our state and our region continue to suffer from a sputtering economy and painfully high unemployment.

Renovation Realities
One business owner's quest to get compliant
Kevin Straw can restore a car to its original state. He can fix a
dent, smooth rough spots, put on a fresh coat of paint and make a
clunker look new.
But over the next couple years, Straw will have to learn the
ropes of another craft, using unfamiliar tools to restore his
business, fix the dents inflicted by a legal attack, smooth over
the rough spots of his shop’s accessibility to wheelchairs and
paint blue stripes in the parking lot.
Kevin Straw can restore a car to its original state. He can fix a dent, smooth rough spots, put on a fresh coat of paint and make a clunker look new.
But over the next couple years, Straw will have to learn the ropes of another craft, using unfamiliar tools to restore his business, fix the dents inflicted by a legal attack, smooth over the rough spots of his shop’s accessibility to wheelchairs and paint blue stripes in the parking lot.
The Great Jobs Debate
Who's at fault, and who will pay
“We intend — on our own as the majority party — to do all that we can to put people back to work.” So says Senate Majority Leader Darrell Steinberg. Well, that certainly is good news.

In Sickness and in Health
Medical insurance is available, but are the doctors?
Under the federal Affordable Care Act, all but a small number of Americans soon will be required to have health insurance. But having insurance is one thing; getting the medical care it is intended to cover may be entirely another.
Our Broken Schools
Stop cutting and start strategizing
I find myself getting hot under the collar every time I read another story or report on the pitiful state of public education in California.

Trash & Prizes
Recycling programs keep cash in company pockets
Nowadays it’s not only hip for a business to go green, it’s the law. The state of California as well as some Capital Region jurisdictions have ordinances mandating recycling.

Reformation Nation
The pros, cons and political climate of federal health care reform
In a nation full of hot-button issues, few are as torrid as federal health care reform. More than a year and a half since its passage, the law — officially dubbed the Affordable Care Act but derisively called “Obamacare” by its critics — is still being fought in the courts, Congress and statehouses across the country. But for all the political and legal wrangling, the law is marching forward.

Folsom City Blueprint
A city manager plans for the future
California’s ongoing economic slump has been historically challenging to local governments, even in relatively affluent areas like Folsom, which has one of the highest per capita incomes in the Capital Region. We sat down recently with Folsom City Manager Kerry Miller to discuss the city’s current fiscal condition and plans it has to thrive as the economy improves.