I went shopping at a small retail store earlier today and had an interesting conversation with an affable 20 year old employee there (I’ll call him Ron). Our conversation was centered around recreational activities, and he shared with me that when he was in high school he served alongside Heather Fargo on a committee that successfully brought several skateboard parks to Natomas. He said he had chosen to stay in South Natomas because it’s still his favorite area, and it offers him a lot of places to skate.

Of course I asked Ron about the election, and was not surprised to find in him an ardent Heather Fargo admirer. Without solicitiation, he passionately explained how Fargo had been a major proponent of the skate parks, and reasoned that if it weren’t for her, kids would probably have nothing to do in Natomas. I must say his endorsement was persuasive. (If I was Fargo, I’d have this kid out campaigning for me). Ed note: I would agree some kids in “New Sacramento” who love to skate have something to do; it’s the other 80% we are worried about.

I asked him his opinion on the missing rec center and police sub station that were committed to North Natomas? His head bobbed slowly, and I could tell he wasn’t sure what to say. I began to explain why a lot of residents on the other side of 80 did not share his enthusiasm about Fargo, but then I backed off as I saw his enthusiasm starting to wane (geez, I make a lousy reporter, huh?)

So, I went back to looking for a cool skateboard shirt for my son near the counter where Ron continued to wait on customers. A minute later I saw an older guy standing near me (I will call him George), motioning towards Ron. He and I exchanged cordial nods. Before I knew it, George was telling me Ron was his son, how proud he was of him (I would be too!), and what a terrific job Fargo had done in securing funding for recreational venues for Sacramento skateboarders. Turns out 46 year old George still skates, too! Talk about a cool Dad.

Anyhow, George was every bit as enthusiastic about Fargo as his son was (in reality, it was probably the other way around). As he ticked off her many accomplishments for Sacramentans (90% of them related to MID TOWN rehab), I could see Ron in the background nodding in tag-team agreement with his pops. I actually started looking around for a hidden camera at this point. Could Richie Ross be this good?

When George paused ever so slightly to suck in a shot of oxygen, I managed to eek out a few reasons why I wasn’t so high on Fargo.. her excessive focus on global warming, her naivety about crime, the city’s broken commitments to North Natomas residents, etc.

I also managed to say I appreciated the fact that KJ was committed to crime fighting and getting North Natomas the police levels it is paying extra for. To that George howled, “Oh man that’s just campaign talk! If he ever got in office, all he would focus on is Oak Park and gangs. You would have less cops than you do now. I say Heather all the way, she cares about mid town and has done a lot for it. She really does care about people and the city. I believe that.”

I nodded and bit my lip. I acknowledged Fargo’s commitment to the skate scene in Natomas, and decided to leave it at that, same way I had Ron (after all, I’m not getting paid for this). George and I shook hands and began to part ways. “Oh hey George,” I called out after him. He spun around enthusiastically. “Where do you live now?” I asked.

“Oh I live in mid town, man,” George replied.

“Oh? Why did you move from South Natomas after having lived there so many years?” I inquired.

“Are you kidding? South Natomas went to hell the day they put North Natomas in. I didn’t feel safe there anymore”

You don’t say.

I think this conversation is indicative of voter sentiment city wide. Seems to me Fargo’s supporters are strictly those in neighborhoods she and council have been kind to. And who can blame them? If I lived in Mid town I might be loyal to Fargo, too. But I don’t. Like KJ, I live in an area that Fargo has deemed UNFIT for a “magazine cover,” and hence unfit for the beautification and infrastructure it is paying extra for.

Clearly voters are not focused on the big issues facing the city as a whole. They are split by neighborhood, and they’ll vote for whomever they think cares about their neighborhood the most. This is not a desirable mindset. This is the mindset of a community that lacks “big picture” leadership/

Look, I’m very happy for those living in neighborhoods the council has smiled on. I’m just among thousands who are still waiting for them to smile on ours. Until voters see the big picture and begin to care about the city as a whole—rather than only their own neck of the woods—we can forget the idea of “progress.”

United we stand….