Remember the names of these five bandits the next time you go to the polling place: “Heather Fargo, “Sunshine” Ray Tretheway, Rob Fong, Kevin McCarty and Bonnie Pannell.”
These are your city council members who voted YES to a city wide “gang tax” fantasy that seeks to penalize the working class to plug GAPING budget holes the city government themselves created.
Earlier tonight, newly converted, born again crime-fighting superhero Heather “Mrs. Incredible” Fargo somehow got four city council members to go along with her and Roger “What the” Dickinson’s hair-brained shenanigan “gang tax” initiative. This is the “gang tax” even the police officers’ association and Sheriff John McGinness have stated they can not support– along with every incorporated city within the county of Sacramento who said NO to Dickinson’s blood sucking brain child.
Gang tax. Yeah right. Fargo doesn’t even know the definition of a gang; she thinks a “blood” is something you suck out of taxpayers and a “crip” is a place where infants sleep. How many gangbangers have you talked to recently, Heather? How about you, Roger? I want to know what qualifies either one of you red-tape bureaucrats to design public safety initiatives like this? Where is the collaboration? How many town hall meetings have you held? Heather, I thought you were the great “consensus” builder? Where is the consensus on this? Who have you talked to? What’s your big plan? No wonder KJ calls this plan “half baked.” He’s being nice, this plan hasn’t even been DEFROSTED yet.
Forget the rhetoric. I want to know how in the WORLD *anyone* could support a new tax IN A RECESSION that doesn’t even have an actionable plan associated with it or seek a consensus based collaboration with all neighboring cities and counties?
I want to know how *anyone* could support MO MONEY in the City of Sac’s bank account after they have lost $1.3 million in water meters and created a $58 million dollar (soon to be $200 million dollar) budget deficit!
I want to know how *anyone* could trust a mayor who readily admits FLUBBING the design of an entire community with millions of more dollars in tax revenue when just a month ago we learned she had NO CLUE how bad the crime problem was in Sacramento? This is the same mayor who pleaded with Sacramentans to make GLOBAL WARMING *THE* AGENDA item for Sacramento.
I want to know why we tolerate LAZY politicians who won’t get off their rocking chairs for a minute to consider alternative solutions that might not involve TAXING THE WORKING CLASS.
You want to tax someone Mrs. Incredible? Tax the wealthy people who own all of our BIG BOX tax revenue generating strip malls.. the ones living in Costa Mesa, Calabasas, and La Jolla off Sacramento residents’ hard earned retail dollars.
Just say NO to a working-class-penalizing “gang tax” for a city government who can not even be trusted to manage the money we are already giving them, let alone MORE!! Natomas is already paying a supplemental tax for public safety and has the worst officer to resident ration in Sacramento!!
If you don’t stand for something, YOU WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee haw Joe-Joe!!! Now thems is some rootin tootin jack daniels chugging back alley dwellin fightin words! Atta boy! Now this here is the Joe Sacramento I love. Bring it on Joe! I am behind you all the way!
Count me in Joe. I wish there was a way to fire all these bloodsucking vampires. “Lazy” is the right word. lay-zee boys and girls. Fire all of em
I agree, fire every last one of them for trying to hoist this offensive tax on us when a gallon of milk cost $5!
Can I just pause for a minute and say:
&^%%&^%&^@% ^&*%@&^%T@&^#&*^@*&$^*& *&(@&@(*&@*^&@%& ^&%&^ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok now I am ready for my coffee.
Ok Mr. Sacramento, you have my undecided attention. What would you sir do to address the gang and violence issues in Sacramento?
Well Roger, I can’t speak for Joe, but “metoo” politicians really aren’t helping.
For starters, your comment is nothing more than flame bait. Consider exposing your suggestions for debate rather than challenging the blog author. I’m sure your a fine person, but it comes off a little lazy.
Most of the problem with crime comes from poor decision making on the top. Who thought that putting 500k houses next to 300-400 unit section 8 apartment complexes was a good idea? It goes against all the published research. Though “blended” cities are a good idea, the implementation in Natomas was lackluster.
I remember the officer who helped us remove a local drug house (in North Natomas, nightmare of a situation) telling me, and I quote, “If I were you I’d get out. Once this section 8 housing is built, North Natomas is going to be just like South Natomas.” I stayed, because I believe this community has some great people in it, but I’m angry at the incompetence of our leadership in continuing to make ineffective choices.
Effective methods of reducing crime requires an approach from a city planning perspective. So called “Snout houses,” which Natomas is loaded with, effectively reduce neighbor interaction, and create a neighborhood where people don’t know one another. This is a factor here - I still don’t interact much with my neighbors (only the ones I meet at the mailbox), and I’m fairly friendly.
You want a suggestion? Ok. Here’s one: CPTED (sep-ted). That’s an acronym for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. It argues that “the proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime, and an improvement in the quality of life” (Crowe, 2000).
It’s been used with profound effect in Wales and the UK. We’re talking 20-40% crime drops. I would strong suggest a read of this (the whole site is good).
Consider the arguments for crime:
Socio-economic factors
Genetic / biological explanations
Unemployment / Poverty
Breakdown in social control
Lack of enforcement
Moral / religious breakdown
Housing allocation
Marxist explanations - Capitalism
Environmental factors (”crime is an ‘environmental’ problem”)
Lead-based paints (hey, you hear it all the time)
They’re ALL true. If you look outside of our locality, you’ll find that crime is a problem that’s highly associated with GOOD city planning, which has failed in Natomas.
The UK has a whole agency that does nothing more than use science to look at future trends. If our mayor has done a MODICUM of research before making decisions (which appears to the case continued in this decision), we would be living in a safer, community-driven environment, where people walk, know one another, and get out of their houses.
(The UK reference: http://www.foresight.gov.uk/index.asp).
As it stands, the only thing keeping me in my home right now is the housing slump. I think Natomas is in trouble right now without a serious intervention to undo the damage of poor planning. Riding a bike here is dangerous, walking is ridiculous (you can’t walk - Natomas is NOT a walking city), and driving is just about the only way to get around (try making it across Arena BLVD’s overpass sometime - you take your life into your hands when you walk). In the last five years, I’ve saw a guy get chased down and beat on the street, watched kids throw rocks at security guards mid-day, watched a number of high speed persuits, and caught a number of robberies in progress (car theft three times, home theft once - the police response has been much better in recent years).
I’m not going to get into fear. But I do believe this city has a LOT of preventable problems, and “gang taxes” are laughable solutions presented by desperate politicians who’s motives are increasingly questionable.
Mr. Joe Sacramento…I have posted my disdain for this tax from day one when Dickinson proposed this hairbrained scheme. and “you” came up in one of my posts and I have been trying to contact you since this all started. My question to you was…do you remember a year ago. maybe two years ago by now. There was a spiked increase in gang activity in South Sacramento…either with Laos or Hmong gang activity. and I swear to remember our illustrious Mayor came out to a press conference after being silent for too long…telling the citizens that there was no gang problem in our city. Do you remember this or is my memory cloudy. I can’t find a reference to it. I can’t find the soundbite. But I so totally recall her taking to the mic and in her grating and patronizing manner telling us “there is no gang problem”. I would love to find this soundbite and take it to city hall the night they vote on this and play it OVER and OVER and OVER for her to here. and aks her, rhetorically, dear mayor how the hell can you justify increasing the sales tax when just one year ago you said there was no gang problem.
Have any ideas on how to find this little gem? I have searched and searched and used every little research trick I can think of. to no avail…..feel free to contact me via the email I provided…..I am sick of these people taking my hard earned money for them to mismanage. I am just sick of being taxed to death. its time for a little “boston tea party” my friends.
I’m waiting
In addition. if this tax goes to ballot. and if, god forbid this tax passes, the city will spend the money fighting injunctions filed by the ACLU that this tax viloates the rights of citizens, ie Broderick Boys in West Sac as an example…..
Can you imagine Lauren Hammond, if a gang swat came crashing down into Meadowview and did a curfew sweep. She would scream discrimination and harrassment until she could scream no more….backed by the ACLU. In this age of politicial correctedness this type of enforcement is virtually impossible as they merrily line their coffers with the working person’s dollar.
It just makes me so mad I just can’t sit back and be silent….ok. phew thanks for the vent.
Ah JL, where have you been? I was beginning to think I was the only person who was intolerant of these problems in Natomas. If you were to believe the legions of rose-tinted-glasses-wearing-well-off people in Natomas who don’t need bike trails, have very small children, or are single, or stay locked inside their homes most of the time, you would think we live in Calabasas.
Thank God there is more than a few people who recognize the numerous issues with Natomas. And you’re not going to believe this, but I talked to a police officer in Regency Park last year who was responding to a call and he also told me the area would get way worse and even mentioned the city’s low income saturation point (15%!!?). I talked to this officer AFTER my 9 yr old son was briefly detained for questioning after witnessing twelve male blacks beat the you-know-what out of some kid who looked at them wrong at the skate park. How was I alerted to this? I had been calling my son on his cell phone and he wouldn’t answer. I started getting nervous. Then I heard helicopters and their PA voice at the park where I knew my son was. Then I heard sirens. Then I raced up there with my heart pounding out of my chest and saw my son standing near a police car talking to an officer. Check the call records to validate this story if you must, it is a true story.
And here is another story I will recite for those who missed it. About three months ago my son went to the “rock climbing park” with some friends. One of them was a little girl about 7 years old. They were at the park for a while (my son calling me every 15 min on his cell phn to check in) when the little girl had an accident, and it was visible on her leg since she was wearing a skirt. 2 male black teens caught wind of this and starting harassing the little girl and calling her vicious names. Now bear in mind this child is 7 years old and these kids are about 16. My son and his friends say nothing and leave. The teens follow them. Not only do they follow them, they take their camera cell phones out and start taking pictures of the 7 year old’s legs and even sticking the camera near her skirt and laughing uncontrollably, calling her horrible names and taunting the kids. They made it home. My wife and I searched all over Natomas for these punks. Thank God we did not find them.
You will notice that most of the people bragging about Natomas do NOT have 12-18 year old kids and trying to allow them a normal childhood. These people live in another reality than we do.
RP, where have you been?
Good to see you. OK, I am on this. I am going to see what I can find. But bear in mind we have tons of sound bites from Fargo already painting her as a complete neophyte when it comes to crime.
PS: Note to public officials: kids steal cell phones for the camera-taking capabilities as much as the communication capabilities. That was not mentioned in the community meeting where we were told “these kds aren’t getting anything in these robberies and home invasions.. only wallets, purses, cell phones, and laptops.. stuff like that..”
Does Fargo really think the citizens of Sacramento are that stupid? Creating policy to battle the crime problem must be so beneath her. Where would she have to travel for research? Harlem? South Central? No, she is more interested in global warming issues so she visits London and Paris. That has really helped to make Sacramento a greener city. I get it.
APB question to Natomas residents who say the area is so great and downplay the numerous problems here and applaud the mayor when she shows up to town meetings: If *****YOU***** or ****YOUR**** child or elderly parent had been the victim of one of these ARMED ROBBERIES or HOME INVASIONS, would you still be saying how great the area is? Tell the truth. Because if the answer is NO, you need to work on your empathy skills.
It seems to me what might be lacking in this community more than anything is EMPATHY. Any time you see people making bright and candy-coated comments about an area when some of its residents are being held up at GUN POINT in their GARAGES in broad daylight, there is a SEVERE empathy problem. The whole “there’s-no-problem-because-nothing-has-happened-to-ME” stance is an offensive one
My last rant for the day: I hear what you are saying about the real estate slump keeping you in Natomas. I confess we are in the same situation. a ton of good families got out of here when the market was in better shape after they saw all the LOW INCOME PLEXES going up. They were smart. The rest of us are stuck. I imagine when the market rebounds another huge wave of people will leave–and I will likely be among them if nothing changes (I know, I’m sure that just breaks your heart)
in response to MrRoger…here are a few ideas.
1. enforce the laws we have.
2. allow the police to police without fear of ACLU reprisal (ie broderick boys in West Sac)
3. enforce current truancy and curfew laws to help sway the wanna be gangbangers who still have some moral foundation.
4. toss any MS13, as an example, (or similar violent gang type members) out of this country on their ear. If they are here illegally and are affiliated with a violent gang. send them home. If they are here legally and have a federal violation/record send them home. do a sweep. get them out of our neighborhoods.
5. and back to item 1. enforce the laws we have. and allow the police to police with out fear of reprisal.
It seems that there is this almost romanticized ideal that these gangs are solely lost kids…but go study MS13 or a violent Hmong or Laos gang (using these as an example) and read about their roots and what is driving the criminality. these are not “kids” who will be appeased by midnight basketball, fear of curfew sweeps, or a fine placed on their parents etcetc…these are violent individuals empowered with a mob type mentality who have no regard for humanity and let alone respect for parents. Its a shame. But it is what it is and if law enforcement isn’t allowed to get tough with them, they will become more empowered. Gang and “mob” mentality is rooted in power. you gain power by imposing fear. in addition, this mentality is further empowered by the bravado gotten with “press”, if that makes sense. its a cycle. Take the power away from these punks and enforce our existing laws, including those on juvenile offenders. But I think we can all perhaps agree these types of violent gangs are way out of mayor heather fargo and roger dickinson’s league. they have NO IDEA what they are dealing with…and a series of round table feel good talks and a tossing around of a basketball at midnight with my friggen tax dollars is not going to impact MS13 members one iota.
“Gang and “mob” mentality is rooted in power. you gain power by imposing fear.” I have said this all along. Agreed 100%
5/16/06 City Council Meeting, 4:09pm. Asian Gang Violence agenda item. Fargo says to police official who speaks on topic (paraphrased) “Thank you for speaking on this topic about Asian Gangs, we KNOW there is a problem ..” She definitely acknowledges it here. BUT she calls the police official’s statements about the various programs they have “COMPREHENSIVE” in scope, whereas if you listen to what he rattles off, they are definitely NOT “comprehensive.” (and I bet even he would acknowledge that). Interesting how the cops are always defending themselves. I guess they need to do that to protect themselves from the city council’s blame game. They certainly don’t need to defend themselves to US, we are on their team.
But I believe this meeting was prob AFTER the press conference you are referring to because there are all kinds of people from the community speaking about the topic and hearing the police testify, it sounds like they worked very hard to come up with the list of things they are doing to fight gang problems. I will keep looking.
Is it just me or did KJ recently make a statement to the effect that he was all for Dickinson’s county tax? Something like “Dickinson took a shot at it, but we missed that one..” or something like that? I want to know what KJ’s stance is on raising taxes to fight crime. If he is saying he supports ANY tax increase to fight the crime woes facing this area, I want to know. The ONLY way I would EVER support a tax increase was if there was a COMPREHENSIVE plan that included MAJOR consultation with other cities and EXPERTS from outside the area that have SUCCESSFULLY managed budget dollars to fight crime. These area politicians can not be trusted with our money or assets on their own.
What happened to all the after school programs Arnold promised? How are we doing on these? ANy insight?
http://www.fightcrime.org/releases.php?id=210
JoeSacramento, the press conference I am referring to was not this year…but in response to a series of violent asian gang activitiy in south sac at least a year ago. and our mayor was silent silent silent…and then came out in one of her pandering weak press conferences and I swear she said we have no gang problem or alluded to that. It has to be in the BEE archives…but I just can’t find it.
as to KJ I thought he came out last week against the gang tax.
I read an article this weekend in the SF or LA paper that spoke to how these tax increases are written with such vague wording that the local govt’s can just funnel the money into the general fund, rather than their intended purpose. and are using such vague wording coupled with scare tactics to get them passed and then skim off the top to pad their coffers…..I will not doubt for a moment that we will see a surge in gang related activity reported in our local press to scare the public into voting for this misaligned tax. My arguement is why would we give this merry band of robbers more of our money to mismanage (water meters, natomas, back room dealings with conultants on the maloof debacle….downtown mess ie holes in ground…..they are a JOKE)
thanks for the blog and the opportunity to chat. its heartening to know that I am not alone out here with my frustration.
My pleasure. You’re very welcome. Am seeking guest writers too so email if you’re interested!
Yes, I agree you will see more press, and you will also see big busts on the cops part–I’ll bet ANYTHING on it. I have noticed our police dept. is in the habit of making public statements to defend their record whenever ANYONE says ANYTHING about crime problems. An example is how they came out with a statement yesterday saying crime is DOWN. Not where I live. And define “down”? Relative to what city? The Bronx? Talk to us when violent crime is in line with San Jose or better. Sac crime would have to nose dive for at least a year to get to an acceptable level. And I do NOT blame that on the police! I know they are kicking ass with the small crew they have. Maybe they are just “gun shy” after the way the Sacramento Bee has ripped their performance so many times.
In any event, I don’t follow the cops’ reasoning for the excessive CYA public statements. No one is questioning them. No one is saying the crime is their fault. No one is saying they are doing a crap job. Everyone seems to love the Sac PD in this town. I wish they would let this election play out between the candidates and the voters and stop sending mixed messages that call into question the serious reality that there IS a MAJOR crime problem in Sacramento.
Source: 2006 rater. http://www.areaconnect.com/crime/compare.htm?c1=sacramento&s1=CA&c2=san+jose&s2=CA
I continue to look for the soundbite. and I am honing in. she spoke FINALLY after a spate of asian gang shootings in south sac….sometime in 2007.
but in my research look what I found…. heathers youth commission. her “answer” to fighting gangs. and oh what a success this has been.
she is clueless.
http://fetchingjen.blogspot.com/2007/02/heathers-gangs-of-sacramento.html
read thru the entire blog and the commentary that followed. It just illustrates why we can’t give heather and her band of robbers more of our hard owned money. it is every point we have collective made against this tax. and why we need to enforce the laws we have, let the police do their work without fear of reprisal and run these punks out.
I appreciate your comments on crime rates, one thing about “rates” such as these being paraded around is the definition behind the stats. Are they based upon reported crimes, solved crimes etcetc sometimes the definitions behind the data are as tellign as the data themselves….and to just parade around the headline that crime is “down” can be very misleading depending on these definitions.
I actually tried to email you last week, but could not find an email outside of this public forum. touch base with me via the email I submitted when I started commenting today and let me know what you have in mind in regard to a little guest blogger like myself….
Thank you so much for your support. I would cite all the people, public figures, and even a few celebs who have reached out to me and inspired me to keep going, but the list is getting pretty big.
So thank you thank you thank you. I will email you for sure. Going to read that blog now..
Ok I read that blog. Grimes is a well known conservative. I have read a lot from her on the Fargoship. I agree alot with what she has to say, and I think she is spot on when it comes to the number on LAZY, USELESS bureaucrats that have passed through this town. Thank God KJ came along to wake people up. I think we have been numb and desensitized to the mediocrity.
That said, I’m cautionary when it comes to police staffing. I do NOT want a police state. All I ask for is the minimum police levels and correct resident-to-cop ratio consistent in other cities.
Yes I am aware of the youth commission. I am a proponent of ALL youth programs. I don’t think we can have enough. I am sure that program has made a difference. Fargo did not create it though. It was maybe even the brain child of JOE Serna. It works for its purpose. But you are right, it is not even close to the kind of response needed to combat this problem. It is in the same category as Fargo’s summer job placement program for youth… PRE SCREENED youth. Sigh.
Oh and by the way Fargo said last night the only reason there is a crime “problem” now is because said there was and he has scared people. I can not believe this hasn’t been trumpeted from the mountaintops by SM.
It’s a scandalous, insensitive, apathetic, arrogant, pompous NASTY statement that should be admonished at every turn.
Some great comments here, RP has one of the better one’s, time for a “Boston Tea Party revolt”, I think the members of the council need to be heard from very forcefully, I suggest it may get worse too. Fargo will dream of new expenditures, and there will be no money in the budget, so new fees or taxes are required, the whole process downtown is becoming a mockery, we all need to band together and expose how weak they are and bring back sane, and economically viable city spending policies. I wonder if we can sue the bastards.
That is what I have been saying ALL ALONG: GET REAL with these prozac snorters, Stop sweet talking them. Can you BELIEVE Fargo said she didn’t know there was a crime problem because residents hadn’t told her? ! I mean, forget the stats. Forget the news. Forget the helicopters flying over her house in So Natomas. But then again, she’s been overseas the whole time
I am very glad to see more people stomping mad over all this. And we should NOT stop hollering until the crime rate here is in alignment with cities like San Jose and we have leaders who GENUINELY care about the people in this community and know how to EMPATHIZE with the poor victims of these terroristic urban crimes.
Fargo’s head is so deep in the sand she is breathing air in Mexico City