Well folks, this is it. No more trying to expose the truth behind the lies. No more reason in the face of fear (and fear mongering). Later today we wake up and do our civic duty. Then we trust the people of this community to do the right thing and wait for the results.
Regrets? Yeah, a couple. This was never supposed to be about politics. This was a movement for the civic good that was co-opted by a handful of wealthy special interests to cache their own political capital. They made it political. And if this fails, every time there is a child harmed in a drive-by, or a small business person robbed, or a family threatened in the park, I will consider Duveneck, Alcalay, Blanas and Cahill personally responsible. As should you. They are the ones who put your family at risk to protect their little empires.
On the other hand, we have already beat the odds more times than I can count. No thinking person would have predicted we would ever get this far, but here we are at the finish line. Whether we cross in first place remains to be seen, but we made it here, and we're still standing. That is a testament to the power of people who are willing to sacrifice so their neighbors can have a better life. And that is the kind of special interest I can believe in.
Since Stay Sac seems convinced that we all have to have a motive for personal gain in this, I'm thinking it might make a good book.
If you are still not sure how to vote today, please consider your family, your neighborhood, your schools, and the businesses where you shop. A yes vote on D will not only make your life better, it will for them as well.
And after you make a stand for your community, drop by the incorporation office around 8 or so and watch the results with us. We probably won't know the final outcome, but we may have a good idea where things stand. Either way you will get to hang out with some wonderful people and celebrate our community. And that is the reason we're here.
Now VOTE!
Showing posts with label Arden Arcade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arden Arcade. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Through the Glass, Stupidly...
The future is going to get better. Maybe not this week, maybe not even this year, but this recession will end. That's one thing that fascnates me about the LAFCo fiscal analysis. It was done using the crappy numbers we're experiencing now, and by LAFCo policy, assumes those numbers will more or less hold true for the next decade. And even with those bad numbers, the study shows we may be financially feasible. Actually, we missed the highest ranking, likely to be financially feasible, by less than one percentage point. Go figure.
Now, I have admitted in the past that although I'm pretty good at math, as soon as you put a dollar sign into the equation, I become a babbling idiot. Seriously. I was in pre-calc my sophomore year of high school. But I thank God for online banking, since my balance is always a few clicks away and I never have to balance the checkbook.
But even I can finally get some simple things straight, given enough time. That's why Stay Sacramento's treatment of the analysis numbers has me squinting. Something isn't adding up.
Stay Sac keeps pointing to the bad economy as a reason it's the wrong time for incorporation. First off, let's agree we can dismiss this as a crock argument, since they were saying the same thing four years ago when the numbers were good. But this is what I'm figuring out: if we can be viable with the current numbers, in one of the worst economies we've seen since the Great Depression, shouldn't we all be jumping up and down for joy? Doesn't that mean that when things get better, which of course they will at some point, then our situation will be even more viable? As Howard Jones sang about three decades ago, Things can only get better! They did then, and they will now!
So what about the aspects of the future that we can change? One thing I've noticed from the Stay Sacramento donor filing is how many real estate brokers and agents were on their donor list. Many of them are Michael "Don't bother me, I'm being investigated again" Lyon's minions, so maybe that's understandable. They have their own Kool-Aid issues to deal with. But what about the rest?
Back in a past life (around the time of that Howard Jones song, actually), I tried my hand at selling real estate. Like I do with most new experiences, I started out by studying how the industry works. But now, three decades and a couple thousand miles away, things don't quite add up.
When an area incorporates, history shows us that crime goes down. Code enforcement is improved nd the neighborhoods start to look cleaner and more well-maintained. Schools improve. Parks start offering more services. Drug dealers and other "bad elements" tend to move toward more friendly bases. Check the facts. Every one of these happened in all three recent Sac County incorporations.
Combine all of those things, and the net result is an area where people want to live. Demand for available homes goes up (granted, this will be more impacting after we climb out of this recession, but that's going to happen, right?), and that will drive up prices. Home values will recover to where they have been historically, after some time, and eventually drive even higher because of the new lease on life for the area.
Now this is the part I don't understand. When I sold real estate, our commission checks were based on a percentage of the sale price. When the price went up, so did our pay. If things work the same way out here in Cali, then all of the real estate agents and brokers who are supporting cityhood opposition are stealing money out of their own pockets! They are backing a group of rich lobbyists and special interests that has a stated plan to stop incorporation, which is the single worst thing that can happen to their personal bottom line!
It amazes me that the cult of personality and fear-mongering can be so strong that people will act against their own best interests. The same holds true for the houses in the north area, proudly displaying the red white and blue signs, not even realizing their support will lead to keeping their own home values down, unemployment up, and the hookers and gangs continuing to encroach into their neighborhoods.
It's time to wake up. Don't buy the lies. Do your own research and watch what happens. I've seen it too many times to doubt any more.
Now, I have admitted in the past that although I'm pretty good at math, as soon as you put a dollar sign into the equation, I become a babbling idiot. Seriously. I was in pre-calc my sophomore year of high school. But I thank God for online banking, since my balance is always a few clicks away and I never have to balance the checkbook.
But even I can finally get some simple things straight, given enough time. That's why Stay Sacramento's treatment of the analysis numbers has me squinting. Something isn't adding up.
Stay Sac keeps pointing to the bad economy as a reason it's the wrong time for incorporation. First off, let's agree we can dismiss this as a crock argument, since they were saying the same thing four years ago when the numbers were good. But this is what I'm figuring out: if we can be viable with the current numbers, in one of the worst economies we've seen since the Great Depression, shouldn't we all be jumping up and down for joy? Doesn't that mean that when things get better, which of course they will at some point, then our situation will be even more viable? As Howard Jones sang about three decades ago, Things can only get better! They did then, and they will now!
So what about the aspects of the future that we can change? One thing I've noticed from the Stay Sacramento donor filing is how many real estate brokers and agents were on their donor list. Many of them are Michael "Don't bother me, I'm being investigated again" Lyon's minions, so maybe that's understandable. They have their own Kool-Aid issues to deal with. But what about the rest?
Back in a past life (around the time of that Howard Jones song, actually), I tried my hand at selling real estate. Like I do with most new experiences, I started out by studying how the industry works. But now, three decades and a couple thousand miles away, things don't quite add up.
When an area incorporates, history shows us that crime goes down. Code enforcement is improved nd the neighborhoods start to look cleaner and more well-maintained. Schools improve. Parks start offering more services. Drug dealers and other "bad elements" tend to move toward more friendly bases. Check the facts. Every one of these happened in all three recent Sac County incorporations.
Combine all of those things, and the net result is an area where people want to live. Demand for available homes goes up (granted, this will be more impacting after we climb out of this recession, but that's going to happen, right?), and that will drive up prices. Home values will recover to where they have been historically, after some time, and eventually drive even higher because of the new lease on life for the area.
Now this is the part I don't understand. When I sold real estate, our commission checks were based on a percentage of the sale price. When the price went up, so did our pay. If things work the same way out here in Cali, then all of the real estate agents and brokers who are supporting cityhood opposition are stealing money out of their own pockets! They are backing a group of rich lobbyists and special interests that has a stated plan to stop incorporation, which is the single worst thing that can happen to their personal bottom line!
It amazes me that the cult of personality and fear-mongering can be so strong that people will act against their own best interests. The same holds true for the houses in the north area, proudly displaying the red white and blue signs, not even realizing their support will lead to keeping their own home values down, unemployment up, and the hookers and gangs continuing to encroach into their neighborhoods.
It's time to wake up. Don't buy the lies. Do your own research and watch what happens. I've seen it too many times to doubt any more.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Guest Commentary
This came in today's email, with a request to run it here. Since everything stated in the article is accurate, I'm going to run it pretty much as-is. The author didn't indicate whether or not they wanted to be credited for it, so until I hear otherwise, it's anonymous.
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel Part-1
As Stay Sacramento continues to tell us that they are a “grassroots” effort and their leaders publicly assert that their donations are from the community, the recently released contributors list tells a different story. This list of donations and expenditures exposes the truth behind the opponents of cityhood and their baseless accusations.
First up, Carmichael resident Jeffery M. Raimundo donated $500. One might say that a citizen living 2 miles outside the proposed city has some interest in Arden-Arcade. However, Stay Sacramento's expenditures say otherwise. Mr. Raimundo's “I” Street consulting firm of Townsend, Raimundo, Besler & Usher received three payments totaling $17,910. Wow, that is an impressive 3482% return on Mr. Raimundo's investment! That's right folks, at the same time that Stay Sacramento was accusing cityhood as a payoff to special interests, they were selling our community's future to a downtown consultant for a bargain basement price. The fact that Townsend, Raimundo, Besler & Usher ran Kevin Johnson's '08 campaign for mayor is probably just a coincidence...? http://www.trbu.com/clients/clients.html
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel Part-2
We now know that Stay Sacramento's leaders are selling off our community's future to the lowest downtown bidder. It is certainly no surprise “K” Street vampires have put in their bids. In total, nine lobbyists, lobbying firms and their clients have bought a piece if Stay Sacramento's dream. The president of Governmental Advocates Inc donated $500 just one week after his client, the director of the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association donated $200. These two caring citizens are betting that $700 that Arden-Arcade will be better with more trailer parks and less cops. At least it will be profitable for them.
The president of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators pitched in $200. Apparently Arden-Arcade needs more liquor stores to spur economic growth. Or maybe he/she needs them to spur their own economy It almost seems that Stay Sacramento believes a city without more booze and trailer parks is a “risk we can't afford”. Must be a coincidence too.
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel Part-3
As we look further into Stay Sacramento's financial disclosure we see another group fighting to keep their share of the status quo. 9 property tycoons, developers, mortgage peddlers and real estate agents have provided nearly 10% of Stay Sacramento's funding since the campaign began. Folks like the senior VP at CB Richard Ellis, the president of Placer Sierra Bancshares (a Land Park resident) and the Fulcrum Property heir have joined Stay Sacramento's leaders in putting out the “For Sale” sign in Arden-Arcade. Is it just another series coincidences that developers and lenders want to keep swapping cheap properties as the realtors siphon off commissions at every turn? And that those cheap properties could make great locations for shiny new trailer parks and liquor stores? One wonders what the going commission is for selling our future down the drain....
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel Part-4
For months we have heard a steady drumbeat message from Stay Sacramento, “...We are a grassroots effort with little funds to defeat the Arden-Arcade cityhood proposal. We are up against a well-funded campaign of special outside interests...”
This is, and always has been, a fabrication. The details of Stay Sacramento's finances are a blueprint for business as usual politics. A private club of real estate agents and “K” lobbyists fighting for trailer parks and alcohol as they pay off the Mayor's consultants. Not what any of us think of in a “...grassroots effort with little money...up against a well-funded campaign of special outside interests...”
And then there is the $50,000 elephant in the room...
It is true that a single union donor provided 2/3 of Stay Sacramento's “K” Street payola. It is true that we've been double-crossed and downright duped. A massive union contribution? Real estate agents and lobbyists carving up out community's future? Big time, downtown pay offs? Must be yet another coincidence.
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel – In Conclusion
A coincidence that over 40% of Stay Sacramento's expenses were payoffs to Kevin Johnson's campaign consultant.
A coincidence that a group of “K”Street lobbyists payed Stay Sacramento to push for more liquor stores and trailer parks in Arden-Arcade.
A coincidence that a private club of real estate agents, lenders and developers have ordered Stay Sacramento to put our community up for auction.
A coincidence that most of Stay Sacramento “grassroots” funds came from one enormous union donation.
A coincidence that one union, the property changers and the lobbyists provided 75% of all Stay Sacramento's campaign money.
The fact is that the leaders and owners of Stay Sacramento really want it to Stay Business As Usual is NO COINCIDENCE!
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel – Afterword
On Oct. 5 Tim Cahill spoke on behalf of Stay Sacramento at the Sierra Oaks Neighborhood Association. When asked by an audience member where Stay Sacramento's money was coming from he responded by saying it was from community donations & that cityhood opponents were a small group of residents. The list of donations and pay offs clearly shows that to be a lie. So why isn't this on the front page? Why hasn't the Bee jumped in to tell the real story? This is front page news, right?
The July 7 donation of $250 by one Abby Pruitt is the answer. Name sound familiar? It should, Ms. Pruitt is the wife of Gary Pruitt, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board for McClatchy Co and McClatchy owns the Sacramento Bee. Yes the Bee. The same Bee who demanded disclosure of cityhood supporters financial records without even asking about the opposition's money. The same Bee that regularly slams the county's “uncity”, but denounced cityhood. The same Bee that just added 29 more local workers to the unemployment line, while Mr. Pruitt continued to give himself huge bonuses.
No wonder that the Bee's editorial board continues to print misleading, anti-cityhood stories while stating that annexation is the “...best approach..”, they don't want to be next in the unemployment line. Mr Pruitt has a proven record of job destruction and profiteering during his tenure at McClatchy Co. In the last 30 months, the Bee has eliminated more than 300 jobs, while Mr. Pruitt has refused to cut his own pay or even turn down his raises and bonuses. The worst of what we've seen from any Wall Street Executive. Funny that the Pruitts live in Arden Oaks paying for private policing with their neighbor Tim Cahill.
Stay Sacramento is a “grassroots” effort by “K” Street lobbyists and real estate agents to sell our community to liquor stores and trailer parks, sending the proceeds to downtown to Mayor Johnson's campaign, backed by one enormous union donation and covered up by a heartless Wall Street-style profiteer.
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel Part-1
As Stay Sacramento continues to tell us that they are a “grassroots” effort and their leaders publicly assert that their donations are from the community, the recently released contributors list tells a different story. This list of donations and expenditures exposes the truth behind the opponents of cityhood and their baseless accusations.
First up, Carmichael resident Jeffery M. Raimundo donated $500. One might say that a citizen living 2 miles outside the proposed city has some interest in Arden-Arcade. However, Stay Sacramento's expenditures say otherwise. Mr. Raimundo's “I” Street consulting firm of Townsend, Raimundo, Besler & Usher received three payments totaling $17,910. Wow, that is an impressive 3482% return on Mr. Raimundo's investment! That's right folks, at the same time that Stay Sacramento was accusing cityhood as a payoff to special interests, they were selling our community's future to a downtown consultant for a bargain basement price. The fact that Townsend, Raimundo, Besler & Usher ran Kevin Johnson's '08 campaign for mayor is probably just a coincidence...? http://www.trbu.com/clients/clients.html
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel Part-2
We now know that Stay Sacramento's leaders are selling off our community's future to the lowest downtown bidder. It is certainly no surprise “K” Street vampires have put in their bids. In total, nine lobbyists, lobbying firms and their clients have bought a piece if Stay Sacramento's dream. The president of Governmental Advocates Inc donated $500 just one week after his client, the director of the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association donated $200. These two caring citizens are betting that $700 that Arden-Arcade will be better with more trailer parks and less cops. At least it will be profitable for them.
The president of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators pitched in $200. Apparently Arden-Arcade needs more liquor stores to spur economic growth. Or maybe he/she needs them to spur their own economy It almost seems that Stay Sacramento believes a city without more booze and trailer parks is a “risk we can't afford”. Must be a coincidence too.
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel Part-3
As we look further into Stay Sacramento's financial disclosure we see another group fighting to keep their share of the status quo. 9 property tycoons, developers, mortgage peddlers and real estate agents have provided nearly 10% of Stay Sacramento's funding since the campaign began. Folks like the senior VP at CB Richard Ellis, the president of Placer Sierra Bancshares (a Land Park resident) and the Fulcrum Property heir have joined Stay Sacramento's leaders in putting out the “For Sale” sign in Arden-Arcade. Is it just another series coincidences that developers and lenders want to keep swapping cheap properties as the realtors siphon off commissions at every turn? And that those cheap properties could make great locations for shiny new trailer parks and liquor stores? One wonders what the going commission is for selling our future down the drain....
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel Part-4
For months we have heard a steady drumbeat message from Stay Sacramento, “...We are a grassroots effort with little funds to defeat the Arden-Arcade cityhood proposal. We are up against a well-funded campaign of special outside interests...”
This is, and always has been, a fabrication. The details of Stay Sacramento's finances are a blueprint for business as usual politics. A private club of real estate agents and “K” lobbyists fighting for trailer parks and alcohol as they pay off the Mayor's consultants. Not what any of us think of in a “...grassroots effort with little money...up against a well-funded campaign of special outside interests...”
And then there is the $50,000 elephant in the room...
It is true that a single union donor provided 2/3 of Stay Sacramento's “K” Street payola. It is true that we've been double-crossed and downright duped. A massive union contribution? Real estate agents and lobbyists carving up out community's future? Big time, downtown pay offs? Must be yet another coincidence.
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel – In Conclusion
A coincidence that over 40% of Stay Sacramento's expenses were payoffs to Kevin Johnson's campaign consultant.
A coincidence that a group of “K”Street lobbyists payed Stay Sacramento to push for more liquor stores and trailer parks in Arden-Arcade.
A coincidence that a private club of real estate agents, lenders and developers have ordered Stay Sacramento to put our community up for auction.
A coincidence that most of Stay Sacramento “grassroots” funds came from one enormous union donation.
A coincidence that one union, the property changers and the lobbyists provided 75% of all Stay Sacramento's campaign money.
The fact is that the leaders and owners of Stay Sacramento really want it to Stay Business As Usual is NO COINCIDENCE!
The “Grassroots” Highlight Reel – Afterword
On Oct. 5 Tim Cahill spoke on behalf of Stay Sacramento at the Sierra Oaks Neighborhood Association. When asked by an audience member where Stay Sacramento's money was coming from he responded by saying it was from community donations & that cityhood opponents were a small group of residents. The list of donations and pay offs clearly shows that to be a lie. So why isn't this on the front page? Why hasn't the Bee jumped in to tell the real story? This is front page news, right?
The July 7 donation of $250 by one Abby Pruitt is the answer. Name sound familiar? It should, Ms. Pruitt is the wife of Gary Pruitt, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board for McClatchy Co and McClatchy owns the Sacramento Bee. Yes the Bee. The same Bee who demanded disclosure of cityhood supporters financial records without even asking about the opposition's money. The same Bee that regularly slams the county's “uncity”, but denounced cityhood. The same Bee that just added 29 more local workers to the unemployment line, while Mr. Pruitt continued to give himself huge bonuses.
No wonder that the Bee's editorial board continues to print misleading, anti-cityhood stories while stating that annexation is the “...best approach..”, they don't want to be next in the unemployment line. Mr Pruitt has a proven record of job destruction and profiteering during his tenure at McClatchy Co. In the last 30 months, the Bee has eliminated more than 300 jobs, while Mr. Pruitt has refused to cut his own pay or even turn down his raises and bonuses. The worst of what we've seen from any Wall Street Executive. Funny that the Pruitts live in Arden Oaks paying for private policing with their neighbor Tim Cahill.
Stay Sacramento is a “grassroots” effort by “K” Street lobbyists and real estate agents to sell our community to liquor stores and trailer parks, sending the proceeds to downtown to Mayor Johnson's campaign, backed by one enormous union donation and covered up by a heartless Wall Street-style profiteer.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The Truth Shall Set You Free!
Do you have an extra $50,000 sitting around? Yeah, me neither. But apparently the Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Local 422 does. California law requires that all political organization that collect contributions file form 460 to indicate the sources of their funding. Stay Sacramento's 460 was filed this week, and the information it contains is telling.
Stay Sacramento's total monetary contributions for the covered period were $79,422. Of that amount, $50,000 came from the single union donation. That means that 62% of the funding for this "grassroots effort with little funds to defeat the Arden-Arcade cityhood proposal*" who are "up against a well-funded campaign of special outside interests who are trying to buy their way into fat contracts with a new city*" comes from a labor union. Now I'm sure that this union isn't coughing up 50 large out of altruistic motivations.
(*quoted from the Stay Sacramento web site, October 9, 2010)
So how about the other 29 grand? Well, a few thousand of that comes from lobbyists, including lobyists representing the mobile home, pharmaceutical and liquor industries. These are the folks who are fighting special interests?! Folks, these are the special interests! Lord knows we don't have enough mobile home parks and liquor stores here.
I think my personal favorite is the $500 from Jeffrey Raimundo, principal in the consulting firm of Townsend, Raimundo, Besler & Usher. Mr. Raimundo does not live in the proposed city limits, but apparently feels that what happens here can affect him. I'm sure that the checks totalling $17,910 that his firm, who also represented Kevin Johnson's '08 mayoral campaign, received from Stay Sacramento were just a coincidence.
So who else is involved in thie grassroots effort? Well, let's see... there's former Sheriff Lou Blanas, who also happens to be an owner in the new casino/card room up on Auburn Blvd. at the Marconi curve. If you look at a map of the proposed city boundaries, you'll see a little chunk notched into the northwest corner. That's where the card room resides, outside of Sac city and Arden Arcade. But if we do incorporate, that area will fall within our sphere of influence, meaning we will have some degree of say in what goes on there.
And let's not forget Tim Cahill, who inherited and married into a ton of real estate along Fulton Avenue, including at least one property rented by a massage parlor. Mr Cahill assured everyone at the recent Sierrs Oaks homeowner's meeting that this facilty was thoroughly checked out and supervised by the county before opening. So I'm sure it's just accidental that the place has a locked door, white blinds covering all the windows, and a video camera over the door. After all, a legitimate business can't be too sure these days.
The more we learn about Stay Sacramento, the more we see evidence of what we've always known - these people will do anything, including lying to your face - to stop incorporation. Why? I think the answer comes from the television piece I was in for News 10 earlier this week. In it, Doug Elmets, another rich Stay Sac supporter, stated the truth so plainly it was funny. Sierra Oaks, Arden Oaks, and Arden Park want to remain their own little elitist enclaves. They don't want to be associated with the likes you you and me. But there aren't enough of them to make Measure D fail. So they will make up lies and distort facts just to keep from being considered part of the community.
Keep in mind that for the past several years Stay Sacramento has been telling us they are the little guys, trying to fight the power of special interests that funded the incorporation campaign. Who were these special interests? They were the local parks districts, who knew they could improve services in their own facilities by partnering with the new city. They were other cities in Sacramento County, who knew we represented a real chance to make sure our "regional voice" wasn't centered between H and I streets downtown. And they were hundreds of people just like you and me, the special interests who wanted life to be better for our kids. Who wanted to see the hookers and gangs that have moved into the area sent packing. Who want to feel safe when they walk down our streets.
That's my special interest, and I hope it's yours too.
Stay Sacramento's total monetary contributions for the covered period were $79,422. Of that amount, $50,000 came from the single union donation. That means that 62% of the funding for this "grassroots effort with little funds to defeat the Arden-Arcade cityhood proposal*" who are "up against a well-funded campaign of special outside interests who are trying to buy their way into fat contracts with a new city*" comes from a labor union. Now I'm sure that this union isn't coughing up 50 large out of altruistic motivations.
(*quoted from the Stay Sacramento web site, October 9, 2010)
So how about the other 29 grand? Well, a few thousand of that comes from lobbyists, including lobyists representing the mobile home, pharmaceutical and liquor industries. These are the folks who are fighting special interests?! Folks, these are the special interests! Lord knows we don't have enough mobile home parks and liquor stores here.
I think my personal favorite is the $500 from Jeffrey Raimundo, principal in the consulting firm of Townsend, Raimundo, Besler & Usher. Mr. Raimundo does not live in the proposed city limits, but apparently feels that what happens here can affect him. I'm sure that the checks totalling $17,910 that his firm, who also represented Kevin Johnson's '08 mayoral campaign, received from Stay Sacramento were just a coincidence.
So who else is involved in thie grassroots effort? Well, let's see... there's former Sheriff Lou Blanas, who also happens to be an owner in the new casino/card room up on Auburn Blvd. at the Marconi curve. If you look at a map of the proposed city boundaries, you'll see a little chunk notched into the northwest corner. That's where the card room resides, outside of Sac city and Arden Arcade. But if we do incorporate, that area will fall within our sphere of influence, meaning we will have some degree of say in what goes on there.
And let's not forget Tim Cahill, who inherited and married into a ton of real estate along Fulton Avenue, including at least one property rented by a massage parlor. Mr Cahill assured everyone at the recent Sierrs Oaks homeowner's meeting that this facilty was thoroughly checked out and supervised by the county before opening. So I'm sure it's just accidental that the place has a locked door, white blinds covering all the windows, and a video camera over the door. After all, a legitimate business can't be too sure these days.
The more we learn about Stay Sacramento, the more we see evidence of what we've always known - these people will do anything, including lying to your face - to stop incorporation. Why? I think the answer comes from the television piece I was in for News 10 earlier this week. In it, Doug Elmets, another rich Stay Sac supporter, stated the truth so plainly it was funny. Sierra Oaks, Arden Oaks, and Arden Park want to remain their own little elitist enclaves. They don't want to be associated with the likes you you and me. But there aren't enough of them to make Measure D fail. So they will make up lies and distort facts just to keep from being considered part of the community.
Keep in mind that for the past several years Stay Sacramento has been telling us they are the little guys, trying to fight the power of special interests that funded the incorporation campaign. Who were these special interests? They were the local parks districts, who knew they could improve services in their own facilities by partnering with the new city. They were other cities in Sacramento County, who knew we represented a real chance to make sure our "regional voice" wasn't centered between H and I streets downtown. And they were hundreds of people just like you and me, the special interests who wanted life to be better for our kids. Who wanted to see the hookers and gangs that have moved into the area sent packing. Who want to feel safe when they walk down our streets.
That's my special interest, and I hope it's yours too.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
More Sizzle... Steak Still Missing...
Stay Sacramento has a spiffy new look to their web site. Looks like it was put together by a second-year design student. Really, that's not a bad thing - the site looks about a kazillion percent better than before. Kudos to them for finally realizing that when you have nothing to sell, you dang well better make it look and smell pretty.
It's interesting how their pages are devoid of any real content. The "Problems with Cities" page has one article about budget problems in Half Moon Bay, and two bits of old news about Bell. Apparently no one at StaySac has realized yet that the city of Bell has a completely different form of government, and that what happened there can't, by law, happen here. Using Bell as an example of how bad things will be here is laughable.
The "Why no City" page trots out the old "higher taxes - duplicate government" song and dance that we've all learned to tune out. And of course, they just sing the chorus, because the verses don't have any words.
Here's my personal favorite:
"The Sales Tax Revenue In Arden Arcade Can Not Support Providing Municipal Services To Residents"
Now, let me run this through one more time. Two separate consulting groups were paid tens of thousands of dollars to conduct an independent study, 2-3 years apart, and both came to the same conclusion: Cityhood is financially viable. Not only possible, but should show a surplus every year (much like Citrus Heights, with a similar population and similar tax base). The more recent study was done using last year's data (for 2008), and this year's data (for 2009) hasn't been released yet. Yes, the recession was in full swing in 2008. But to claim the study is wrong, when there is simply no data available to support yout conjecture, is dangerously misguided.
And one more for a nightcap:
"Two local park districts have funded a cityhood incorporation study by diverting public funds intended for park programs:
Fulton-El Camino Park and Recreation District — $20,000
Arden-Manor Park Recreation -- $10,000"
Again, old news. But it occurs to me that I haven't addressed this one head-on yet.
The facts are correct. Both districts did make the contributions listed. "Diverted" is a misleading word, but since we know they don't feel the need to stick with the truth, we'll point out that that word means taking something away from where it shoud have gone, and sending it somewhere else.
The parks districts boards exist to serve their residents by providing the best park and rec services possible. Now imagine you were in their shoes. You've lived here a while. You remember what Rusch Park used to look like prior to incorporation. You wouldn't let your kids hang out there anywhere near sunset. But you also know Rusch Park now. It is a shining example of what a park can be, and it happened because the City of Citrus Heights used community development block grant money to make the improvements. The funds for this were non-existant before incorporation. No other way to look at it.
So now, as a parks district board member, you have the opportunity to make a small investment in your community, that has the potential to return tens of thousands of dollars in revenue that can grow and improve the parks in your district. Money that can fund senior services, kids programs, athletic leagues... the list goes on. I will go out on a limb here, and say that if you don't make that investment, the constituents of your district would be well within their rights to demand you step down from office.
So that's my take on the new site in a nutshell. Go read for yourself. The link is still on the right, but the logic is still on the dead wrong.
***
Speaking of new sites, the council candidates (Pat Cole, Matt Powers and Bob Stevens) have joined together to launch a cooperative site. The link is over there, with the rest. Check it out.
It's interesting how their pages are devoid of any real content. The "Problems with Cities" page has one article about budget problems in Half Moon Bay, and two bits of old news about Bell. Apparently no one at StaySac has realized yet that the city of Bell has a completely different form of government, and that what happened there can't, by law, happen here. Using Bell as an example of how bad things will be here is laughable.
The "Why no City" page trots out the old "higher taxes - duplicate government" song and dance that we've all learned to tune out. And of course, they just sing the chorus, because the verses don't have any words.
Here's my personal favorite:
"The Sales Tax Revenue In Arden Arcade Can Not Support Providing Municipal Services To Residents"
Now, let me run this through one more time. Two separate consulting groups were paid tens of thousands of dollars to conduct an independent study, 2-3 years apart, and both came to the same conclusion: Cityhood is financially viable. Not only possible, but should show a surplus every year (much like Citrus Heights, with a similar population and similar tax base). The more recent study was done using last year's data (for 2008), and this year's data (for 2009) hasn't been released yet. Yes, the recession was in full swing in 2008. But to claim the study is wrong, when there is simply no data available to support yout conjecture, is dangerously misguided.
And one more for a nightcap:
"Two local park districts have funded a cityhood incorporation study by diverting public funds intended for park programs:
Fulton-El Camino Park and Recreation District — $20,000
Arden-Manor Park Recreation -- $10,000"
Again, old news. But it occurs to me that I haven't addressed this one head-on yet.
The facts are correct. Both districts did make the contributions listed. "Diverted" is a misleading word, but since we know they don't feel the need to stick with the truth, we'll point out that that word means taking something away from where it shoud have gone, and sending it somewhere else.
The parks districts boards exist to serve their residents by providing the best park and rec services possible. Now imagine you were in their shoes. You've lived here a while. You remember what Rusch Park used to look like prior to incorporation. You wouldn't let your kids hang out there anywhere near sunset. But you also know Rusch Park now. It is a shining example of what a park can be, and it happened because the City of Citrus Heights used community development block grant money to make the improvements. The funds for this were non-existant before incorporation. No other way to look at it.
So now, as a parks district board member, you have the opportunity to make a small investment in your community, that has the potential to return tens of thousands of dollars in revenue that can grow and improve the parks in your district. Money that can fund senior services, kids programs, athletic leagues... the list goes on. I will go out on a limb here, and say that if you don't make that investment, the constituents of your district would be well within their rights to demand you step down from office.
So that's my take on the new site in a nutshell. Go read for yourself. The link is still on the right, but the logic is still on the dead wrong.
***
Speaking of new sites, the council candidates (Pat Cole, Matt Powers and Bob Stevens) have joined together to launch a cooperative site. The link is over there, with the rest. Check it out.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
And a Good Time Was Had By All...
Wow. What a great time at the cityhood campaign kickoff celebration last night! Good times all around. Thanks to the organizers for... well, for everything. Thanks to the firefighters local 522 for rockin' the grill. Awesome dogs, guys (and ladies)! Thanks to the candidates to showed up to meet us common folk. Thanks to Stevie Scott and band for a great performance. And especially thanks to the dozens of volunteers who kept the trash emptied, kids playing safely, lawn signs and t-shirts moving out, and all of the other thankless tasks that made it all work.
For a political event, it really didn't seem all that political. This was community at its finest. People coming together from all races, belief systems, ages, and whatever else you can think of, simply to unite as Arden Arcadians. It rocked.
Shortly before everything closed down, I was chatting with Brian Rice from Sac Metro, when an alarm went off and three trucks, including the huge ladder rig, pulled out of the Butano station and temporarily deafened us all with the siren's blare. Someone, somewhere, was in danger of losing life or property, and our finest were on the way to stop the tragedy. That is community. That is what I don't want to see continually eroding, or swallowed up in the metropolis. That is what I want to keep. Not Stay Sacramento - Stay Arden Arcade. I'm not going to let you take that away.
***
You may notice the list of links on the right side of the page. People I meet out there in the real world keep asking where they can get the facts, and I finally decided to just post everything here and let the chips fall. If you are a candidate, and have a site I didn't post here, get it to me asap so you can be included. Then find a good search engine optimization consultant who can get you listed higher in Google. If you were in the first two pages, you would also be here.
I really went through a "long dark night of the soul" experience about adding the Stay Sacramento site to the list. But then I realized what several people have told me in the past few weeks. Nothing sells cityhood like reading their site and seeing how incredibly flimsy their rhetoric really is. I want this to be a place for open communication and debate, something their site just doesn't seem to appreciate.
***
Campaign signs are now available! Check the Cityhood web site for info on how to get one! They will be the fashion hit of the season!
***
This Tuesday (10/7) is an open debate at the Community Center in La Sierra Park. One of our council candidates, Anthony Hernandez, will be representing cityhood across the aisle from Dr. Mike Duveneck. This is an open event, but it is also a meeting of the local homeowner's association. If you're settled on the incorporation issue, which you should be after reading this blog, then don't go. But invite your friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else you know who is still on the fence.
***
More fun stuff coming this week. Stay tuned!
For a political event, it really didn't seem all that political. This was community at its finest. People coming together from all races, belief systems, ages, and whatever else you can think of, simply to unite as Arden Arcadians. It rocked.
Shortly before everything closed down, I was chatting with Brian Rice from Sac Metro, when an alarm went off and three trucks, including the huge ladder rig, pulled out of the Butano station and temporarily deafened us all with the siren's blare. Someone, somewhere, was in danger of losing life or property, and our finest were on the way to stop the tragedy. That is community. That is what I don't want to see continually eroding, or swallowed up in the metropolis. That is what I want to keep. Not Stay Sacramento - Stay Arden Arcade. I'm not going to let you take that away.
***
You may notice the list of links on the right side of the page. People I meet out there in the real world keep asking where they can get the facts, and I finally decided to just post everything here and let the chips fall. If you are a candidate, and have a site I didn't post here, get it to me asap so you can be included. Then find a good search engine optimization consultant who can get you listed higher in Google. If you were in the first two pages, you would also be here.
I really went through a "long dark night of the soul" experience about adding the Stay Sacramento site to the list. But then I realized what several people have told me in the past few weeks. Nothing sells cityhood like reading their site and seeing how incredibly flimsy their rhetoric really is. I want this to be a place for open communication and debate, something their site just doesn't seem to appreciate.
***
Campaign signs are now available! Check the Cityhood web site for info on how to get one! They will be the fashion hit of the season!
***
This Tuesday (10/7) is an open debate at the Community Center in La Sierra Park. One of our council candidates, Anthony Hernandez, will be representing cityhood across the aisle from Dr. Mike Duveneck. This is an open event, but it is also a meeting of the local homeowner's association. If you're settled on the incorporation issue, which you should be after reading this blog, then don't go. But invite your friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else you know who is still on the fence.
***
More fun stuff coming this week. Stay tuned!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Myth of the Status Quo
- Warning -
This post includes a good amount of both politics and history. Forgive me for putting you to sleep. But stick with me, and there will be a reward at the end.
Over the past four years I've spoken with a bunch of people about incorporation, and I've heard just about every reason/excuse both for and against incorporation. There are a large number of pro-cityhood folks out there, and a smaller, but still signifigant number of people who don't want to see the communiy improve. So be it.
But what I don't get are the people who just keep saying they want everything to stay like it is. Heck, Stay Sacramento even made that their name, even though this area isn't, and never has been, a part of Sacramento City. And even when we incorporate, we will still be a part of Sacramento County. So the Stay Sacramento folks can rest easy. No matter what happens this fall, we will be just as much Sacramento as we ever were. But I digress.
I've lived in this area for almost 14 years now, and life has been good. Well, mostly. Over the past year or two I've started to notice the decline. Like the morning I dropped my kids at school, then headed down Edison across Watt, where three of our local working girls were soliciting for business. Keep in mind this was directly acros the street from the junior high where my son will be attending next year. I can't help but think there are better ways for him to learn about those sorts of things. That's why God created health class.
The Sheriff's Dept has already issued a statement saying that because of budget cuts and manpower shortages, prostitution will be pushed way down the scale, and it's doubtful they will respond to reports of hookers working our streets. Every update and revision to the budget looks worse, not better. But somehow people keep believing things will get better if we just don't rock the boat. Sorry, I don't see it. And the situation is mirrored when you look at drugs, gang activity, burglaries, etc.
But, let's play pretend for just a moment. Let's say that for now, crime on our streets wasn't rising. Let's say all of our parks were safe places to send our kids, even if they stayed out a little after dark. Let's even say that the county had a change of heart and started considering streets and sidewalks as somewhat important. What happens then?
Hey, if I had a working crystal ball, I'd be at the track instead of sitting at my keyboard writing this. But I can look around, and I see what appears to be taking shape.
Those of you who have studied WWII history, or better yet, lived through it, may remember that Britain and France had a policy of appeasement. They saw Hitler mobilizing Germany's armies on a foreign border, such as Poland, so they scheduled a meeting. At the meeting they would wag their fingers, and Hitler would respond: "Poland? I don't want Poland! I have never wanted Poland! I would never think of attacking Poland! I am happy with the status quo! I will never attack Poland!!!" Then, the French and British delegates would board the train for home, and Hitler would give the order to attack Poland.
This happened over and over again, until Germany controlled a huge chunk of Europe. Lather, rinse and repeat. And the Brits and French kept their heads buried firmly in the sand.
Of course, the big threat mobilizing on our borders is annexation by the City of Sacramento. Until my crystal ball repairman shows up to take a look at the thing ("our representative will be there sometime between 10 am and never."), I can't predict that Sacramento will make an annexation move if we don't incorporate. But I do know that the city included Arden Arcade as a "special interest area" for possible annexation in their 30 year plan: http://www.sacgp.org/documents/05_Part3.10_SpecialStudyAreas.pdf (page 4). Listing a community as an area of interest is the first step toward annexation.
Sacramento's Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) has rules that govern the processes for annexation and incorporation. One of those rules is that while any sort of process is in progress for an area, no other process can be started. So while the incorporation question is on the table, the city can't move forward with annexation. But once the election is over, if we should fail in our bid for cityhood, then the gloves can come off.
At that point the next step will be to declare our area within Sacramento's "Sphere of Influence." Basically that means that they are claiming to have economic, political, and social influence on our area. LAFCo has to approve this, but it's a no-brainer. How many of our residents shop at Arden Fair (in the city)? Attend events at Cal Expo (city)? Spend the occasional Saturday in Old Sac? Of course they have influence over us. That doesn't mean they control us, or that they should, but influence? Undeniable.
Compared to the four years spent on incorporation, the sphere of influence can happen in a heartbeat. They petition LAFCo to include us, there is some time for public comment (not that anyone listens to it), and they make a decision. A month or two, tops. And once the city has gotten the declaration, we have lost any possible chance for incorporation, or any other way to speak for ourselves.
After the sphere is settled, some time passes, mainly to make it look like Sacramento isn't in a hurry to get our tax revenue. Then they send another petition to LAFCo, this time to annex us as a part of their city.
Many people I've spoken with see this as a simple issue. If the city petitions for annexation, we vote that down, just like incorporation. The problem is, we don't get to vote on annexation. We get sixty days to get a certain number of signatures on petitions. I'm not sure of the number, but it's huge. Something like a fourth of registered voters - 15,000 or so. Keep in mind it took the better part of a year for an organized group to gather less signatures than that to start incorporation, even using paid signature gatherers. There won't be an organized group to fight annexation, and the time span is shortened to a fraction of what we had. Think we can pull that off? Sorry, but I have my doubts.
As I said earlier, I have spoken with a lot of people about incorporation in the past four years. The nearly universal truth is that no one in Arden Arcade wants annexation. Even Stay Sacramento has stated publicly on several occasions that they do not want to see annexation. But like Chamberlain in WWII, they either can't or won't see the mobilization taking place around them. And not wanting to be annexed won't mean a thing when it happens.
A successful incorporation effecively takes annexation off the table forever. That is in addition to the benefits we've discussed previously (and more we will be adding soon). That alone should be enough reason to emphatically support cityhood.
***
Now, for the promised reward. My lovely wife has created a new group page on Facebook: "You're an Arden Arcadian". The idea is to build community by sharing common (and probably a few uncommon) memories and feelings about life in this area. I liked the idea so much that I decided to adopt the phrase "I Am an Arden Arcadian" for this blog and some other actvities I had in mind.
I'm in the process of designing some pro-cityhood t-shirts. This will be a limited run of maybe 50 shirts or so, although I reserve the right to expand that if someone wants to put them up for sale to raise money for incorporation. If you want to get one of these limited edition masterpieces (yes, I am that good - I will post the artwork when it's finished), find my wife's Facebook group, join it, and then share a special memory, or something that makes you feel good about being an Arden Arcadian. My totally unbiased wife will pick the 5 best postings, and those people will get one of the shirts. I'm going to run the promotion through the end of September, to allow plenty of time to post, and still have time to show off the shirt (and your passion for cityhood) prior to the election.
So go, get started!
This post includes a good amount of both politics and history. Forgive me for putting you to sleep. But stick with me, and there will be a reward at the end.
Over the past four years I've spoken with a bunch of people about incorporation, and I've heard just about every reason/excuse both for and against incorporation. There are a large number of pro-cityhood folks out there, and a smaller, but still signifigant number of people who don't want to see the communiy improve. So be it.
But what I don't get are the people who just keep saying they want everything to stay like it is. Heck, Stay Sacramento even made that their name, even though this area isn't, and never has been, a part of Sacramento City. And even when we incorporate, we will still be a part of Sacramento County. So the Stay Sacramento folks can rest easy. No matter what happens this fall, we will be just as much Sacramento as we ever were. But I digress.
I've lived in this area for almost 14 years now, and life has been good. Well, mostly. Over the past year or two I've started to notice the decline. Like the morning I dropped my kids at school, then headed down Edison across Watt, where three of our local working girls were soliciting for business. Keep in mind this was directly acros the street from the junior high where my son will be attending next year. I can't help but think there are better ways for him to learn about those sorts of things. That's why God created health class.
The Sheriff's Dept has already issued a statement saying that because of budget cuts and manpower shortages, prostitution will be pushed way down the scale, and it's doubtful they will respond to reports of hookers working our streets. Every update and revision to the budget looks worse, not better. But somehow people keep believing things will get better if we just don't rock the boat. Sorry, I don't see it. And the situation is mirrored when you look at drugs, gang activity, burglaries, etc.
But, let's play pretend for just a moment. Let's say that for now, crime on our streets wasn't rising. Let's say all of our parks were safe places to send our kids, even if they stayed out a little after dark. Let's even say that the county had a change of heart and started considering streets and sidewalks as somewhat important. What happens then?
Hey, if I had a working crystal ball, I'd be at the track instead of sitting at my keyboard writing this. But I can look around, and I see what appears to be taking shape.
Those of you who have studied WWII history, or better yet, lived through it, may remember that Britain and France had a policy of appeasement. They saw Hitler mobilizing Germany's armies on a foreign border, such as Poland, so they scheduled a meeting. At the meeting they would wag their fingers, and Hitler would respond: "Poland? I don't want Poland! I have never wanted Poland! I would never think of attacking Poland! I am happy with the status quo! I will never attack Poland!!!" Then, the French and British delegates would board the train for home, and Hitler would give the order to attack Poland.
This happened over and over again, until Germany controlled a huge chunk of Europe. Lather, rinse and repeat. And the Brits and French kept their heads buried firmly in the sand.
Of course, the big threat mobilizing on our borders is annexation by the City of Sacramento. Until my crystal ball repairman shows up to take a look at the thing ("our representative will be there sometime between 10 am and never."), I can't predict that Sacramento will make an annexation move if we don't incorporate. But I do know that the city included Arden Arcade as a "special interest area" for possible annexation in their 30 year plan: http://www.sacgp.org/documents/05_Part3.10_SpecialStudyAreas.pdf (page 4). Listing a community as an area of interest is the first step toward annexation.
Sacramento's Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) has rules that govern the processes for annexation and incorporation. One of those rules is that while any sort of process is in progress for an area, no other process can be started. So while the incorporation question is on the table, the city can't move forward with annexation. But once the election is over, if we should fail in our bid for cityhood, then the gloves can come off.
At that point the next step will be to declare our area within Sacramento's "Sphere of Influence." Basically that means that they are claiming to have economic, political, and social influence on our area. LAFCo has to approve this, but it's a no-brainer. How many of our residents shop at Arden Fair (in the city)? Attend events at Cal Expo (city)? Spend the occasional Saturday in Old Sac? Of course they have influence over us. That doesn't mean they control us, or that they should, but influence? Undeniable.
Compared to the four years spent on incorporation, the sphere of influence can happen in a heartbeat. They petition LAFCo to include us, there is some time for public comment (not that anyone listens to it), and they make a decision. A month or two, tops. And once the city has gotten the declaration, we have lost any possible chance for incorporation, or any other way to speak for ourselves.
After the sphere is settled, some time passes, mainly to make it look like Sacramento isn't in a hurry to get our tax revenue. Then they send another petition to LAFCo, this time to annex us as a part of their city.
Many people I've spoken with see this as a simple issue. If the city petitions for annexation, we vote that down, just like incorporation. The problem is, we don't get to vote on annexation. We get sixty days to get a certain number of signatures on petitions. I'm not sure of the number, but it's huge. Something like a fourth of registered voters - 15,000 or so. Keep in mind it took the better part of a year for an organized group to gather less signatures than that to start incorporation, even using paid signature gatherers. There won't be an organized group to fight annexation, and the time span is shortened to a fraction of what we had. Think we can pull that off? Sorry, but I have my doubts.
As I said earlier, I have spoken with a lot of people about incorporation in the past four years. The nearly universal truth is that no one in Arden Arcade wants annexation. Even Stay Sacramento has stated publicly on several occasions that they do not want to see annexation. But like Chamberlain in WWII, they either can't or won't see the mobilization taking place around them. And not wanting to be annexed won't mean a thing when it happens.
A successful incorporation effecively takes annexation off the table forever. That is in addition to the benefits we've discussed previously (and more we will be adding soon). That alone should be enough reason to emphatically support cityhood.
***
Now, for the promised reward. My lovely wife has created a new group page on Facebook: "You're an Arden Arcadian". The idea is to build community by sharing common (and probably a few uncommon) memories and feelings about life in this area. I liked the idea so much that I decided to adopt the phrase "I Am an Arden Arcadian" for this blog and some other actvities I had in mind.
I'm in the process of designing some pro-cityhood t-shirts. This will be a limited run of maybe 50 shirts or so, although I reserve the right to expand that if someone wants to put them up for sale to raise money for incorporation. If you want to get one of these limited edition masterpieces (yes, I am that good - I will post the artwork when it's finished), find my wife's Facebook group, join it, and then share a special memory, or something that makes you feel good about being an Arden Arcadian. My totally unbiased wife will pick the 5 best postings, and those people will get one of the shirts. I'm going to run the promotion through the end of September, to allow plenty of time to post, and still have time to show off the shirt (and your passion for cityhood) prior to the election.
So go, get started!
Friday, August 6, 2010
And away we go...
see the update at the bottom of this post.
Today, at the end of the business day, we will have a final list of the candidates who are running for city council. There was a bit of confusion previously about whether the mayoral race would be separate from the city council, but the word as of now is that every candidate will register for the council election, and the one who receives the most votes will be mayor. If that person turns down the mayor's office, then the council will vote for one of their own to assume the office. And yes, I made that sound much more complicated than it really is.
Soon you will start seeing campaign materials for the candidates. Some will be good; some may not. Your job as a responsible Arden Arcade resident is to go deeper and get to know the candidates. Read the ads, go to their web sites, find out what they stand for. Find out how long they have been cityhood supporters. Get to a meeting where they will be speaking, and find out why they want to be on the council.
I will be doing my best to get out information on all the candidates, to help you make informed choices. I won't endorse anyone here, but I will try to share the information I get. To that end, I will be sending a questionaire to all the candidates (assuming I can get an email address). In a week or two I will collect the ones I get returned, and put the data into some charts and such that I can post on this blog. We'll see how it turns out.
You can be a part of the process. If there's a question you think needs to be asked, that has a general interest for the community, send it to me and I'll try to add it to the questionaire. But keep in mind I want to get these into the candidate's hands as quickly as possible, so send them as soon as you can. And please don't ask the candidates if they will come to your street and make your neighbor trim back her azaleas.
*** UPDATE ***
After spending a couple hours in Dante's 5th circle of Hell - also known as the county election office - I discovered the candidate list is complete, but not really final just yet. I got a list of the candidates who had filed and turned in their paperwork by close of business today, but the people behind the desk explained that the final turn-ins still needed to have their petition signatures verified, and all the other paperwork reviewed for errors or omissions. So even though I have a list, I won't post it here until it's blessed by the county. Look for that about Tuesday, I'd guess.
Today, at the end of the business day, we will have a final list of the candidates who are running for city council. There was a bit of confusion previously about whether the mayoral race would be separate from the city council, but the word as of now is that every candidate will register for the council election, and the one who receives the most votes will be mayor. If that person turns down the mayor's office, then the council will vote for one of their own to assume the office. And yes, I made that sound much more complicated than it really is.
Soon you will start seeing campaign materials for the candidates. Some will be good; some may not. Your job as a responsible Arden Arcade resident is to go deeper and get to know the candidates. Read the ads, go to their web sites, find out what they stand for. Find out how long they have been cityhood supporters. Get to a meeting where they will be speaking, and find out why they want to be on the council.
I will be doing my best to get out information on all the candidates, to help you make informed choices. I won't endorse anyone here, but I will try to share the information I get. To that end, I will be sending a questionaire to all the candidates (assuming I can get an email address). In a week or two I will collect the ones I get returned, and put the data into some charts and such that I can post on this blog. We'll see how it turns out.
You can be a part of the process. If there's a question you think needs to be asked, that has a general interest for the community, send it to me and I'll try to add it to the questionaire. But keep in mind I want to get these into the candidate's hands as quickly as possible, so send them as soon as you can. And please don't ask the candidates if they will come to your street and make your neighbor trim back her azaleas.
*** UPDATE ***
After spending a couple hours in Dante's 5th circle of Hell - also known as the county election office - I discovered the candidate list is complete, but not really final just yet. I got a list of the candidates who had filed and turned in their paperwork by close of business today, but the people behind the desk explained that the final turn-ins still needed to have their petition signatures verified, and all the other paperwork reviewed for errors or omissions. So even though I have a list, I won't post it here until it's blessed by the county. Look for that about Tuesday, I'd guess.
Friday, July 23, 2010
It's a Time of the Signs
You've seen them by now. Yard signs in the election-standard red, white and blue, proclaiming "No Cityhood" and "Stay Sacramento", along with the Stay Sacramento web site address. I'm not sure how many of these things are in yards around town, but they are in prominent locations, and getting a lot of attention.
I've spoken with several people about incorporation, and they seem to be universally surprised at how many people seem to be opposing incorporation. But after doing a few ride-arounds and taking some straw counts, there really aren't that many signs out, at least that I've found.
But after thinking about the sign issue for a while, I realized the reason they seem so prevalent is that there are no signs for the pro-cityhood view. If you hear one side of an argument over and over, without ever hearing from the other side, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing no one is supporting the opposite view.
After a bit of research I found out why there are no incorporation signs. County election laws limit the time frame for posting signs to 60 days prior to the election. So you won't be seeing any pro-cityhood signs until early September, at the earliest.
Which begs the question: Why is Stay Sacramento illegally posting signs all over town? The answer, as usual, involves Stay Sacramento following the letter, while relieving itself all over the spirit of the law. Their claim is that the signs are not for the election, but just a statement of beliefs, protected under the 1st Amendment. Since they don't mention the election specifically, or contain the word "Vote", they maintain the signs are not related to the election.
Well, my daddy always said that if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then start making the orange sauce. The facts are simple. The signs are expressing a clear opinion about an issue that will be on the ballot in the next general election. There is absolutely no other reason for these signs to exist other than to attempt to influence public opinion about the outcome of the upcoming election.
If this didn't tick me off so much, I'd probably be amused by the irony of Stay Sacramento's non-stop accusations of ethical violations against incorporation proponents, while they dance around the fine points of law to openly violate its intent. The campaign committee members I've spoken with are content to let this ride, waiting until the time is right to start putting out their stuff. But I don't think that's enough.
Please don't go overboard here. Don't go ripping signs out of yards or defacing property. We don't want to be reduced to their level. And don't hold the folks who posted the signs responsible; they probably just did what they were told. They have the right to their own opinions, whether or not the people who told them what to think did so ethically or legally.
If you want to do something, call the county election commissioner's office at (916) 875-6451. Tell them about the signs, and that you feel they violate election laws. Let them know the signs are expressing an opinion about an upcoming ballot measure, and that constitutes an illegal action.
Then come back here and let us know what your find out. It would be good to get some discussion going on this. Plus, I get so lonely when you kids never write!
I've spoken with several people about incorporation, and they seem to be universally surprised at how many people seem to be opposing incorporation. But after doing a few ride-arounds and taking some straw counts, there really aren't that many signs out, at least that I've found.
But after thinking about the sign issue for a while, I realized the reason they seem so prevalent is that there are no signs for the pro-cityhood view. If you hear one side of an argument over and over, without ever hearing from the other side, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing no one is supporting the opposite view.
After a bit of research I found out why there are no incorporation signs. County election laws limit the time frame for posting signs to 60 days prior to the election. So you won't be seeing any pro-cityhood signs until early September, at the earliest.
Which begs the question: Why is Stay Sacramento illegally posting signs all over town? The answer, as usual, involves Stay Sacramento following the letter, while relieving itself all over the spirit of the law. Their claim is that the signs are not for the election, but just a statement of beliefs, protected under the 1st Amendment. Since they don't mention the election specifically, or contain the word "Vote", they maintain the signs are not related to the election.
Well, my daddy always said that if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then start making the orange sauce. The facts are simple. The signs are expressing a clear opinion about an issue that will be on the ballot in the next general election. There is absolutely no other reason for these signs to exist other than to attempt to influence public opinion about the outcome of the upcoming election.
If this didn't tick me off so much, I'd probably be amused by the irony of Stay Sacramento's non-stop accusations of ethical violations against incorporation proponents, while they dance around the fine points of law to openly violate its intent. The campaign committee members I've spoken with are content to let this ride, waiting until the time is right to start putting out their stuff. But I don't think that's enough.
Please don't go overboard here. Don't go ripping signs out of yards or defacing property. We don't want to be reduced to their level. And don't hold the folks who posted the signs responsible; they probably just did what they were told. They have the right to their own opinions, whether or not the people who told them what to think did so ethically or legally.
If you want to do something, call the county election commissioner's office at (916) 875-6451. Tell them about the signs, and that you feel they violate election laws. Let them know the signs are expressing an opinion about an upcoming ballot measure, and that constitutes an illegal action.
Then come back here and let us know what your find out. It would be good to get some discussion going on this. Plus, I get so lonely when you kids never write!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
We're all Bozos on this Bus!
One reader of this blog sent me a note asking me to address some things that were said in a Sacramento Bee editorial a few days ago. The article concerned the mis-steps that were made by the Cityhood Study Team, the Arden Arcade Incorporation Committee, and the Arden Arcade Campaign Committee (3 separate organizations) in handling required filings with the state and federal government. The thrust of the editorial was a simple question: How can we trust running the new city to the people who couldn’t follow the rules in bringing it to the ballot?
It’s a semi-valid question. Valid in the sense that when we complete the incorporation process, we need to have people we can trust filling the mayor and city council offices. The problem comes in assuming the committee members will be those people. You would think that the editors at the Bee would understand that, but maybe they have had to lay off their fact-checkers.
Over the years, the various committees have been composed of a diverse group of people. They included a retired grandma, a civil engineer for the state, an education professional, a financial planner, a freelance writer, a graphic designer, a retired deputy sheriff, a retired engineer, a pair of full time foster care providers, an attorney, an I.T. consultant, and various others. As the political wave rolled along, every time the tide seemed to be in our favor, certain people would come on board, obviously looking for personal gain. Then as soon as the tide turned against us, they were out the door in a flash. But that list includes most of the ones who were around for the long haul.
That hardly seems like a group you would expect to see running a city of about 80,000 people. But they never aspired to do so. As of now, the only ones on that list who have filed to run for office are the deputy and the writer. There may be more down the road, but I have no knowledge of it at this point.
The mistakes the various committees have been accused of are mostly on the mark. But no one on the committees had ever tried anything like this before. Very few had any experience in bureaucracy or government, or administering a non-profit organization. It’s not all that surprising that slip-ups happened along the way. But the folks that made the mistakes, me included, won’t be the ones running the city. The Bee editors have nothing to worry about there.
When the incorporation issue goes on the ballot this November, you will have the opportunity to elect the mayor and city council. For the most part, the people you elect will not be people who served on the incorporation committee (or the other bodies mentioned above). There are some overlaps, but most of these were people who came into the game later, with a desire to serve the new city, and worked for incorporation to reach that end. The majority of the committee members were interested in serving the community, but want to leave the running of the city to others.
The most important thing for you, as residents of our new city, is to become informed. Meet the candidates, and listen to their plans to make life better in Arden Arcade. Don’t accept canned answers or platitudes. Demand better. Then in November, make a wise choice for you and your neighbors. Cityhood will make this a better place, but how much better will depend on how well we do at electing our new government.
It should be apparent by now that I’m not running for anything. I don’t have the temperament or personality to handle a full time life in politics. I’m perfectly happy here on the sidelines, observing and complaining about what everyone else is doing. So unless the city decides to post an opening for official curmudgeon, I’m out of the picture. Mission Accomplished.
postscript
This morning I was fortunate to have an impromptu meeting with three of the people who are running for seats on the Arden Arcade City Council. I was actually surprised to find a couple of these folks had thrown their hat into the ring. All three of these are people I would be proud to have represent our new city. That isn’t an easy statement to make. Most of the folks I’ve heard express an interest in running just don’t work for me.
All of which makes this a good time to clarify something. This forum is to promote incorporation, and help our residents understand the positive benefits of becoming a city. It is not a place for endorsements of any candidates. Candidates are welcome to comment on the posts, hopefully to address the issues and let us all know what they want to see happen in our area. But I won’t endorse anyone here. That way I won't feel guilty when I drag them over the coals later.
It’s a semi-valid question. Valid in the sense that when we complete the incorporation process, we need to have people we can trust filling the mayor and city council offices. The problem comes in assuming the committee members will be those people. You would think that the editors at the Bee would understand that, but maybe they have had to lay off their fact-checkers.
Over the years, the various committees have been composed of a diverse group of people. They included a retired grandma, a civil engineer for the state, an education professional, a financial planner, a freelance writer, a graphic designer, a retired deputy sheriff, a retired engineer, a pair of full time foster care providers, an attorney, an I.T. consultant, and various others. As the political wave rolled along, every time the tide seemed to be in our favor, certain people would come on board, obviously looking for personal gain. Then as soon as the tide turned against us, they were out the door in a flash. But that list includes most of the ones who were around for the long haul.
That hardly seems like a group you would expect to see running a city of about 80,000 people. But they never aspired to do so. As of now, the only ones on that list who have filed to run for office are the deputy and the writer. There may be more down the road, but I have no knowledge of it at this point.
The mistakes the various committees have been accused of are mostly on the mark. But no one on the committees had ever tried anything like this before. Very few had any experience in bureaucracy or government, or administering a non-profit organization. It’s not all that surprising that slip-ups happened along the way. But the folks that made the mistakes, me included, won’t be the ones running the city. The Bee editors have nothing to worry about there.
When the incorporation issue goes on the ballot this November, you will have the opportunity to elect the mayor and city council. For the most part, the people you elect will not be people who served on the incorporation committee (or the other bodies mentioned above). There are some overlaps, but most of these were people who came into the game later, with a desire to serve the new city, and worked for incorporation to reach that end. The majority of the committee members were interested in serving the community, but want to leave the running of the city to others.
The most important thing for you, as residents of our new city, is to become informed. Meet the candidates, and listen to their plans to make life better in Arden Arcade. Don’t accept canned answers or platitudes. Demand better. Then in November, make a wise choice for you and your neighbors. Cityhood will make this a better place, but how much better will depend on how well we do at electing our new government.
It should be apparent by now that I’m not running for anything. I don’t have the temperament or personality to handle a full time life in politics. I’m perfectly happy here on the sidelines, observing and complaining about what everyone else is doing. So unless the city decides to post an opening for official curmudgeon, I’m out of the picture. Mission Accomplished.
postscript
This morning I was fortunate to have an impromptu meeting with three of the people who are running for seats on the Arden Arcade City Council. I was actually surprised to find a couple of these folks had thrown their hat into the ring. All three of these are people I would be proud to have represent our new city. That isn’t an easy statement to make. Most of the folks I’ve heard express an interest in running just don’t work for me.
All of which makes this a good time to clarify something. This forum is to promote incorporation, and help our residents understand the positive benefits of becoming a city. It is not a place for endorsements of any candidates. Candidates are welcome to comment on the posts, hopefully to address the issues and let us all know what they want to see happen in our area. But I won’t endorse anyone here. That way I won't feel guilty when I drag them over the coals later.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Independence Day?
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to...
With those words, the course of world history changed forever. But Thomas Jefferson didn't originate those ideas. The concept of independence was explained by John Locke, an English enlightenmenr thinker. Locke maintained that if a government did not serve the needs of the people, then it was not only the right, but the responsibility of the people to dissolve it.
Well, the revolution really didn't dissolve anything. King George III was still ruling Britain, but the former colonies had won freedom from the English government, allowing the founding fathers to begin the "Great Experiment" that is still thriving today.
Arden Arcade's quest for incorporation has many similarities to the American Revolution, which is why it seemed appropriate to launch this blog on the 4th of July. As with the country, this campaign began with the signing of a document. In this case it was the decision by LAFCo last month. After reviewing a comprehensive fiscal analysis and an environmental impact report, LAFCo ruled that the residents of our community were now entitled to vote on incorporation. The issue is slated to be on the ballot for the general election this November.
My goal for this blog is to accurately provide news and information about the progress of the campaign. No, I have no intention of being fair and unbiased. I was amember of the incorporation committee for two years, and although I left the group (due to personal issues), I am still convinced that incorporation is the single best solution to the growing problems in this community. If the handful of people who are opposed to cityhood want to express their opinions, they can find their own soapbox. Google will be happy to provide them with one.
I am hoping to update at least twice a week. One will be a report of the latest incorporation news, and the other will be an examination of the issues that our community is facing, and what is likely to happen with and without incorporation. I may find time to augment that schedule with a few extras is there is a need.
Keep in mind, although I am 100% in favor of incorporation, my opinions are completly my own. I want to everything I can do to help this community, and I'm not above knocking a few heads on either side if it's deserved. But no one is behind the curtain telling me what to say. If you want to try to influence me, please send me your ideas, in no less than 6000 words, handwritten on the backs of a series of fifty dollar bills. I might be able to be bought, but it won't be cheap.
In the meantime, stick around for the ride. It's going to be an interesting time around these parts. If there's some specific topic you would like me to address, send me a line at edldickey@gmail.com, and if I think enough folks will be interested, I'll try to work it in.
Peace out.
With those words, the course of world history changed forever. But Thomas Jefferson didn't originate those ideas. The concept of independence was explained by John Locke, an English enlightenmenr thinker. Locke maintained that if a government did not serve the needs of the people, then it was not only the right, but the responsibility of the people to dissolve it.
Well, the revolution really didn't dissolve anything. King George III was still ruling Britain, but the former colonies had won freedom from the English government, allowing the founding fathers to begin the "Great Experiment" that is still thriving today.
Arden Arcade's quest for incorporation has many similarities to the American Revolution, which is why it seemed appropriate to launch this blog on the 4th of July. As with the country, this campaign began with the signing of a document. In this case it was the decision by LAFCo last month. After reviewing a comprehensive fiscal analysis and an environmental impact report, LAFCo ruled that the residents of our community were now entitled to vote on incorporation. The issue is slated to be on the ballot for the general election this November.
My goal for this blog is to accurately provide news and information about the progress of the campaign. No, I have no intention of being fair and unbiased. I was amember of the incorporation committee for two years, and although I left the group (due to personal issues), I am still convinced that incorporation is the single best solution to the growing problems in this community. If the handful of people who are opposed to cityhood want to express their opinions, they can find their own soapbox. Google will be happy to provide them with one.
I am hoping to update at least twice a week. One will be a report of the latest incorporation news, and the other will be an examination of the issues that our community is facing, and what is likely to happen with and without incorporation. I may find time to augment that schedule with a few extras is there is a need.
Keep in mind, although I am 100% in favor of incorporation, my opinions are completly my own. I want to everything I can do to help this community, and I'm not above knocking a few heads on either side if it's deserved. But no one is behind the curtain telling me what to say. If you want to try to influence me, please send me your ideas, in no less than 6000 words, handwritten on the backs of a series of fifty dollar bills. I might be able to be bought, but it won't be cheap.
In the meantime, stick around for the ride. It's going to be an interesting time around these parts. If there's some specific topic you would like me to address, send me a line at edldickey@gmail.com, and if I think enough folks will be interested, I'll try to work it in.
Peace out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)