Comments on: Guest Post: Is Sacramento an Indianapolis Wannabe?

By: D Morse

D Morse — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:01:53 +0000

I've visited Indy and Sacramento both. My impression is that Sacramento benefits greatly from being a part of California, a state that really knows where its towel is. They've got a wiser set of priorities and values there. They have more social capital in the public discourse.

Wasn't it this blog that had a post about Indy's manhole covers sticking out of the sidewalk by a few inches? That shit doesn't happen in California.

That's just my impression from a few visits. I could be totally wrong.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:30:13 +0000

I used to live in Sacramento. The place feels more like Columbus, without OSU.

Like Columbus the economy there is more diversified than state government, as there is an ag industry component and regional trading center thing going on, with a logsitics and a maunufacturing sector. In a sense the place seems to be the lower cost location if one wants to set up shop in Nortern California but wants to avoid the high-cost Bay Region.

Sacramento is Joan Didions home town and she's written some good essays on Sacramento and its identity issues. "Notes of a Native Daughter" is one of her best, and her collection "Where I was From" also touches on Sacto.

Didion describes a small city that happens to have the Capital, but actually sounds more like Lexington or some simalr southern city that has boomed beyond recognition.

And this boom is it's own employment and eonomic development growth machine. One could say this is unsustainable but the pattern has held for decades now. Maybe back to before WWI when the area moved from ranching and bonanza farming to a higher population density via spltting up the ranchos for citrus colonies.

By: Ironwood

Ironwood — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:36:06 +0000

Very thought-provoking article, for several reasons, not the least of which is shifting the reference point away from other midwestern cities. While I do believe that the regional context is critical, and probably the determining factor for many of the realities of Indy, St. Louis and other midwestern cities, it's important to look through other lenses, and this guest post does a great job of that.

By: The Urbanophile

The Urbanophile — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:05:23 +0000

Thanks for the comments.

What resonated with me is a smaller city located in the shadow of a major metropolis that has identity issues and is trying to decide what it wants to be when it grows up.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:39:11 +0000

The problem with Sacramento isn't that it lacks identity; it's that its entire economy is based on taxing Los Angeles and San Francisco. Its metro area is a net tax recipient, unlike Indianapolis's, which is a net tax donor.

By: Babbage

Babbage — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:23:56 +0000

Thanks for this interesting article and comparison. I haven't driven through Sacramento since the early 1990s and would love to visit it again. First of all, however, I don't know if I would consider the White River a major river. Secondly, there are times when the Uni-Gov and efficiency should not be used in the same sentence. I also feel that Indiana has somewhat of an anti-tax sentiment similiar to what you pointed out with Sacramento. Indy might be able to get some things done, but people are becoming weary of the price tag, especially in the last couple of years. It should be an exciting time for the city with the convention center and hotel – I am looking forward to coming back to visit when they open up.