Below is a transcript of an email I sent to Mayor Johnson this evening..
Dear Mayor Johnson,
First off, I write this letter with the sincerest intentions. I don’t pretend to know what struggles a mayor faces on a day to day basis, and I commend you for wanting to serve our city. While I am beginning to seriously question your approach to the job, I do appreciate your intent to make our city a better place to live and raise our families.
That said, I have to tell you I am really disappointed with the decisions you have made so far. Particularly disturbing was the article KCRA.com posted today stating you are still using the same security detail you criticized Mayor Fargo for. You made matters only worse by stating IF your web site indicated your disapproval of Fargo’s security detail , then your web site was “not accurate.”
Really? Let’s review the article on your site dated Aug 8, 2008. How did this slip by you:
Driving Miss Mayor
Friday, August 8, 2008 on kevinjohnsonformayor.com (http://www.kevinjohnsonformayor.com/news/item/id:1048/pid:1352)
It’s about priorities.
Fire stations are being closed. City employees are losing their jobs. Services are being cut back.
But here are Mayor Fargo’s priorities: $650,000 to count trees. Pushing for pay hikes for city officials. And now it appears that $67,000 taxpayer dollars are going to pay for a car and driver for the Mayor (something no previous mayor has ever had).
In case you missed it, here’s the two-part series …
(CBS13) — Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo has made police services a major campaign issue this year. She tried to put a tax on the November ballot that would have brought more cash to the cops. But guess which citizen of Sacramento soaks up more police dollars than just about anybody else? Her name is Heather Fargo.
For the last few years, Mayor Fargo has had a retired Sacramento Police officer drive her around. The cop’s on a pension, but when he’s driving the mayor, he gets $34.50 an hour. And when he’s not available, the cops assign other officers to haul Fargo. Total cost for the chauffer service? $61,442 last year.
This money comes straight out of the police budget. Its money that could be used for real police business, like fighting gangs. The mayor’s office didn’t respond to my written request for an explanation. And there’s even more money the cops are spending to drive the mayor. I’ll tell you more tomorrow.
The Scoop: Driving Miss Mayor II
(CBS13) — Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo has a nice perk – a retired cop to chauffer her around day and night in an unmarked police car. Last night I told you the driver costs over $61,000 a year, money straight from the police budget. But I didn’t tell you what her car costs – that’s an extra $6,000 a year, paid by the police.
This means the cops are paying over $67,000 each year to drive the mayor. How could this happen? Well, a few years ago, Fargo and her cronies on the Sacramento City Council authorized the police to pay for the chauffer service. It’s that simple.
At the time, they talked about security concerns. But there are no real security issues for the mayor – never have been. They did it because Fargo didn’t want to pay for the service out of her own funds. By the way, I made a written request to Fargo’s office for comment. I’m still waiting.
– end of article—
IT’S ABOUT PRIORITIES.
No, better, it is about INTEGRITY. And yours continues to be in serious question.
First of all, I am shocked you are still using our police officers for your own security detail. I can’t believe it. I thought that was one of the first things you are were going to do away with.You spent $20,000 to keep the Santa parade gong but you can’t hire your own bodyguard? I can’t even believe were talking about this. NEVER in a million did I think you could do something like this.
I have to tell you I am beginning to feel duped. I am beginning to feel like you have been dishonest with Sacramento voters. I am beginning to feel like a fool for supporting you.
I thought PUBLIC SAFETY was your FIRST PRIORITY!? How could you in good conscience use our peace officers to drive you around with the crime problems plaguing our city?? You were the one that hoisted up the crime statistics to get elected! You used the crime statistics to paint a picture of Fargo as an absentee slum lord!
Sadly I am afriad you are not going to be the mayor you said you were going to be. I consider this security detail flip flop a MAJOR MAJOR breach of trust and I call on you to DO THE RIGHT THING and discontinue it IMMEDIATELY. I know you don’t care if you’re popular, but don’t you care about having your constituents’ respect?
I repeat: How could you in good conscience adopt the security detail with the crime problems plaguing our city? How could you, mayor? Who are you anyways? I am beginning to think you are not the person I voted for and to be perfectly candid that breaks my heart because I thought YOU Kevin Johnson were going to be different.
It’s not too late to save your ship from saving. The window of opportunity is closing fast, but you still have time. Dropping the security detail program and admitting you blew it would be a HUGE gesture of humility, and you could probably salvage some credibility with those of us who are clinging to a thread of hope still. You could get rid of the people who have advised you so poorly so far and hire a team of truly GRASS ROOTS Sacramentans like Rhonda Erwin how KNOW what the ground zero CAUSES of the problems are facing our economically challenged neighborhoods.
It’s not too late. I hope and pray you come to your senses and start serving this community … and stop demanding it (and the police) serve YOU.
Leadership is service. “Service to others” as you call it. Are you serving … or being served?
Joe Sacramento
Joe this is a wonderful letter. Kudos to you for writing it. That took some humility on your part. Joe you’re not a fool, you’re a good man. You believed Johnson and took his word to be honest. That’s not YOUR problem Joe, it’s HIS. And don’t forget it!
Keep going Joe. Keep writing and raising hell.
If he is a bum let’s recall him. He is borderline voter fraud at this point. Send in the clowns, this circus may already be over.
Start the recall movement because Johnson is a total fake. I am disgusted. This is pathetic!
Joe- You have my utmost respect. It is a rare person who questions whether they made a mistake or not. You are reflecting, and that’s how we learn. You may be right and KJ may start acting like a leader. I actually hope he does for the sake of all the good people who voted for him. I hope your/their good faith is not wasted. Believe it or not, I love this city and the people in it. The Mayor would be a fool not to heed your advice. He would also be wise to consult Rhonda. She’s got game
KJ’s a schmendrick. Thanks, Joe, for keeping us up to date.
Good column, badly needed right now. I too am in the same category of feeling totally duped. I voted for KJ not because I thought he was great, I didn’t, but I thought no one could be worse than another term with Fargo. Looks like I was wrong. I don’t know that he can even redeem himself now, from what I saw on KCRA, it was sheer arrogance. Wonderful, this city is sunk.
Joe I am appalled by the mayor’s behavior. I mean really appalled. There really is no other way to say it. What in the world is going through this man’s mind? How can he go back on one of the most fundamental aspects of his platform which he led us to believe was “accountability and fiscal responsibility”? How can he ever even dream about us supporting him to be strong mayor when he is already abusing our city resources? I will never support him for strong mayor now.
Becky I also feel duped
I am of the strong opinion the mayor needs to do the following things immediately to salvage his credibility:
1. Discontinue use of public services for his personal benefit. Justifying the security detail on the premise police recommended it to Fargo is weak on every count, and is not–by any measure–reflective of a leader mindset.
2. Transform his advisory team so it is comprised of at least 50% GRASS ROOTS working folk and those in the community who really understand the root cause issues in our community.
3. Host a summit with the city council and other city leaders in which he: 1) Resets completely, and apologizes for making so many assumptions and for moving too fast; 2) Solicits their feedback on how to achieve his goals (which are very good: public safety; downtown rehab; strong mayor; etc etc); 3) Gains consensus on an actionable plan which they can execute TOGETHER for the residents of Sacramento
4. Works closely with city council members on a daily basis to form a TEAM that shares the same vision and the same enthusiasm for solving the many problems residents shared throughout the election season
KJ MUST embrace the city council as his TEAMMATES, not his adversaries. Leadership is the ability to influence. The path to influence goes in this order:
Communication–>Recognition–>Influence
KJ is working backwards. He doesn’t stand a chance if he continues in this manner.
Joe you say the mayor is being less than honorable by using the security detail and call on him to call on him to do the right thing and give it up. I support you always but this is a one-sided argument. I’m not saying your argument is unsound, because it is a good one, I am just saying it doesn’t cover the counter argument which was in the Bee today. The counter argument is that he is a celebrity and he probably needs security more than Fargo did. From what I read city officials are even looking into providing him private security. So it doesn’t appear as though he is the only one who thinks he needs security. Right?
I’m only stating this to provide the counter to your very good argument. You usually show both sides of the argument but I recognize you as well as many other Sacramentans (including myself) are growing increasingly frustrated with him and with the frustration comes rush to judgment. It’s a very natural thing we all do. I know you are frustrated with him so I am supposing your article is more of the rant variety. That is just fine but perhaps you should call it out as that so there is no misperceptions that you are failing to weigh all the variables.
Just looking out for you.. and the city.
Gang Green: You make some very good points. I agree I only presented one side of the argument. I also agree it is common for one’s frustrations to trickle into the cognitive process.
That said, I think the lopsidedness is warranted because Johnson clearly repudiated the mayor’s security detail–or at the very least stated she should pay for it herself. For him to turn around and use the same detail he repudiated–without even giving the public a heads up—is totally NOT transparent.
Here again we have yet another incident that brings his credibility into question, and in the end that was the overall intent of the article.
I’ll add another option for the mayor: if you don’t cancel the detail, pay for it yourself as you suggested the former mayor should.
“IT’S ALL ABOUT PRIORITIES”
Right?
Right Joe! Yes it is all about priorities. And if this mayor was a leader he would have paid for his own security until this city got back on its feet. KJ must know a truckload of big brothers the size of NFL linebackers from Oak Park who would die for the chance to be his bodyguard–> and if he doesn’t I bet your Rhonda Erwin does!
Your city council just turned down a free audit; You city council and city manager got the city into such a mess that employees are being laid off and being asked to take mandatory furloughs to save money. Your city council never pushed back on Fargo – ever. Johnson has been in office for a couple of months and has made more strides to shake up the system than Fargo ever did in 8 years in office. I understand why people feel the way they do about the security, but I still believe Johnson will do a better job than the last administration. Public is quick to judge but never quick to stick their own neck out to make a change.
Right on Joe!
During the election season I got swept up by the promises and slogans that KJ presented Sacramento.
It seems like his advisors don’t read the press about him and keep politics as usual in the Mayors office.It is sad that the window of redemption for Mayor Johnson is closing ever quickly as he keeps making bad decision after bad decision. If his measure does not pass then his credibility as a leader teeters on the brink of destruction. The time is at hand where normal citizens like you and I must stand up for what is right. That’s why I am involved with Build America and hopefully I can help the youth of Sacramento. Only time will tell if KJ lives up to his own words.
Build America!
John Dahilig – D1 Candidate 2010
Girl Blogger, thanks for your comment. You are right; Fargo had a lot of support on the council; but many will (and do) argue that she was merely a rubber stamper for developer interests, and so were the council members when she was mayor. Development=revenue. It’s a no brainer.
“All in favor of measure x that will plop five hundred billion square feet of office space in the Natomas farmlands and generate four hundred gazillion dollars for the city say aye.”
“Aye.”
Personally I don’t think it was that simple though. I think Fargo worked the council members behind the scenes. She built what we call an alliance. her and Tretheway started out together in Sacramento politics. They had/have a great bond. She also bonded with other council people and there are countless pictures of her with them across the internet to support that point.
Granted Fargo was clearly a liaise faire leader, and her accomplishments are grim considering the number of shell casings that lined our streets as Sacramento rose to the top of California’s violent crime list during her tenure, but the fact of the matter is that she knew how to influence the people around her. She knew how to build relationships, and until Kevin Johnson is willing to do the same, I seriously doubt he will make much progress as mayor. “Strides to shake up the system” may be admirable, but “He who thinketh he leadeth but has no following is only taking a walk” (on a treadmill)
Our student groping mayor is off to a great start, I always knew he would be a problem. I have read many serious posts here,but at the end of the day, if he still has that pathetic advisor magvilio, and continues to act in isolation he is doomed for failure. I hope he is paying for the trip back to obama nation, I wish he would just stay there and leave our city alone.
Joe you need to calm down and let things play-out !
Dump Steve Maviglio.
Joe, just curious? Did you ever get a response back from Johnson? Unfortunately, this is the beginning of his “burning of Atlanta”.