The California Department of Public Health issued new Covid-19 guidelines today having to do with playgrounds. Thing is, if you read the guidelines carefully, it is clear the Department doesn't understand how things actually work on the ground:

• The guidelines apply to cities, counties, state and federal facilities. Well, HELLO, in our community said facilities are owned and operated by school districts and recreation and park districts. There are no city, county, state or federal playgrounds in Arden Arcade.
• The guidelines say they apply to playgrounds that are "Designed primarily to serve nearby residents within a half a mile". Hey, CA Dept of Public Health, a grid of playgrounds that are within 1/2 mile of where people live DOES NOT EXIST. Our parks are where they are and we haven't exactly added a whole lot more of them such that anyone can find a playground within 1/2 mile of where they live. #Proposition13 #ERAF #HardToGetApprovalToBuild #NoNewTaxes 

Folks, this is just one more example of how our state government doesn't understand that over 6 million Californians - people like us - do not have Mayors and City Councils to focus on local priorities merely because the urban areas we live in are not cities. We are VERY lucky that we have faily decent schools and park districts serving our community. But they are generally behind the 8-ball when it comes to revenues for things that make a place worth living in. If Arden Arcade was a city, the city would identify specific parts of the community that need to be upgraded and would commit to funding for the upgrades. That's what the City of Citrus Heights has done for the Sunrise Recreation and Park District. And what the the City of Citrus Heights has done for its local parks is like what every other new city in California has done for its parks.

Bottom line: the CA Dept. of Public Health, well-meaning as it may be, is not much different from other state agencies in its failure to comprehend reality as it is in unincorporated areas.