Just as I settled in to watch some TV with the family last night I heard from frequent Joe Sac contributor Jim Knapp, founder of Build America, the non profit organization created to rehab dilapidated homes in Sacramento with the labor of Sacramento’s wayward youth. He said he had some news that would have to be seen to be believed.. I’ll say.
The good news is: Jim’s kids slept through the whole ordeal, AND the cops were there within MINUTES of the call–oh and that Jim didn’t blast both thugs out of their sneakers like the pharmacist in Oklahoma did recently…
Jim said these two kids picked the wrong house. But maybe not. After all, the news stations picked up on Jim’s non profit work (webuildlives.org) and commented on the ironic nature of the situation: the Gun-toting Dad who foils would-be home invaders is an advocate for at-risk youth, who–by his own admission–would rather “give them a job” than shoot them. Could this be the exposure Jim’s amazing program needed?
Yes, this is the same amazing program I have reported on multiple times in this space, and yes it is the same program Kevin Johnson shunned due to an alleged “conflict of interest” (a phantom conflict Kay-to-the-Jay has decided not to reveal or even discuss as I found out firsthand after sending both he and Steve Maviglio an email requesting an explanation, and getting nothing in return).
Maybe someone else will step up to the plate since Johnson won’t. Ray Tretheway? Lisa Kaplan? Angelique Ashby? Rob Fong? Kevin McCarty? Who is ready to endorse Jim’s idea and get it the exposure it needs? Ray you should be chomping at the bit given the violence in your own neighborhood, dude. South Natomas is getting as bad as South Sac [ed: no way Joe, South Natomas will always have something South Sac does not: a sweet tree fort for tots!]
Maybe someone with some influence will see this and help Jim and his organization win some of that $30,000,000 federal money Sac received to rehab homes. Maybe I am a complete neophyte when it comes to these matters, but I can’t help but ask: Who better to rebuild our neighborhoods than the misguided thugs who are robbing and terrorizing them???? It seems like our city council would be jumping all over this!
wow! great article! thanks for posting this one up.
Wow what a crazy story! Joey have I told you lately how much I love your blog?
Good for Jim for running these little punks down.
Might I be so bold as to add a few things about Build America? Now understand I do not know Jim Knapp and I am only familiar with Build America from what I have read about it on this site. I also heard a bit about it from a council meeting I observed recently. But my opinion is that this is a seemingly excellent idea on Mr. Knapp’s part, but it might be stumbling because Mr. Knapp’s communication style can be rough and I am told people are intimidated by him. I may not be a paid consultant but if I were Mr. Knapp’s PR man I would advise him to soften up and make himself more marketable.
Really stop and think about it for a minute, Joe. On one hand Mr, Knapp has this great program and wants people to support it, but then on the other hand he is peppering the internet, his web site, the council and everything and everywhere else with really politically incorrect and critical comments about people. I respect his forthright style, and I think he makes some great points, but he can’t have his cake and eat it too. If he wants community and political support he will need to soften up and start making inroads with all these people he disapproves of or at least stop jabbing them in the ribs with verbal attacks. He’s going to need to drop the whole political persona and just start focusing on his non profit.
Just my opinion!!
Again I think it is a great idea and applaud him for his efforts!
President…I could not agree with you more! I am not a PR guy… I am not slick and I often come off rather cynical. I am a say-what-you-mean-mean-what-you-say kind of guy, and in the world of public opinions…people prefer slick PR types who tell them what they want to hear.
If your read through my web posts you will no doubt see an theme…I am tired of our government making poor decisions on our behalf, or making decisions based solely on who donates to their campaigns. I have been a community activist and/or been involved in political issues for over 20 years…and after seeing what goes on in cities and county government’s I have become more and more cynical over the years. The most frustrating thing that I have learned over the years is that no matter how good your intentions are, how active you are in your community, how much you make sense, or no matter how good a program you may have to offer, if you are not a campaign contributor, a personal friend, or can provide a benefit to the elected officials, you have virtually no voice in your government.
I am just one part of the Build America team, Director of Development. I have been in construction and vocational training on and off for over 20 years… My job is to train youth and get projects completed on time and on budget… being a PR person has not been my job…I never intended to be the face of Build America, we have an Executive Director, Cline Moore, who is a fantastic public speaker and spokesperson as well as being lucky enough to have Lisa Kaplan graciously volunteered her time to be the spokesperson and governmental affairs liaison because she knows the importance of providing at-risk youth with opportunities and alternatives.
We believe that our program could provide hundreds of jobs to at-risk youth throughout the City and County at no additional costs to the City or County. Given the economy and lack of opportunities for youth, crime will continue to rise, destroy lives and degrade the quality of life in Sacramento. I am tired of hand wringing over this issue, The City of Sacramento has the ability to do something, the City just needs to make an effort beyond simply holding meetings and having discussions on youth crime.
As for the indecent that led to the news story, this was the SECOND time in six months that teenagers tried to enter my home at night. It is very unnerving having someone try to enter your home at 4AM to say the least. I do not recommend to others to do what I did, arming yourself is fine while waiting for the police to arrive, I just happened to run into these guys why checking the outside of my house, and I have had the training to deal with situations like this if they cannot be avoided. I can also say the Sac PD did an fantastic job by responding in 1-2 minutes from the time of the call, in situations like this every second counts.
Well I know Jim and I have been working with him with his non-profit for quiet some time. He has put tons of hours into his program in the last year. He and I went to the council to pitch his program a few months back and they ended up giving the NSP funds to for-profit investors. If you knew Jim you would know he has done everything in his power to get this program up and running. It is sad that the city could of funded a highly needed youth program with literally no money out of their budget. However, the city council decided to give those funds to political insiders who won’t provide jobs to those individuals who need it most.
In regards to his political persona. Jim is a man that this city truly needs. Sacramento needs more people who can look past the political BS and say enough is enough and call these Politian’s out on their lies.
Hopefully the city wakes up and realizes that they made a huge mistake in giving those precious federal dollars to for-profit developers rather than a at risk youth program. This is a prime example where citizens rose up to make a difference and our system rejected them for insiders to keeping getting their sweetheart deals time after time.
That’s why I am answering the call to run for city council in D1 in 2010. I actually live on the next street over from Jim. And since I came back from being stationed overseas in the Navy, I have seen my community transform in to a urban ghetto. It is time for regular citizens like Jim and I to stand up and fight for our community.
So I ask you join us and take back our city from these criminals and corrupt Politian!
John Dahilig for city council D1 2010
Can’t argue that!
President: I hear what you are saying; Jim is definitely a direct communicator, and I agree PR is not his strong suit (although he has many, many others as it were). Having said that, I don’t think his communication style should–as you kind of implied–disqualify his non profit from serious consideration. “BAM,” as it is called, is a superb idea and had KJ thought of it, it would be getting national recognition.
I have said it before and I will say it again: I AM SHOCKED KJ IS NOT SUPPORTING THIS IDEA. When he campaigned he told us youth and neighborhoods and jobs for youths (remember his “nothing stops a bullet like a job” campaign rhetoric???) were his top priorities. Then along comes a brilliant program that would help him fulfill the majority of his campaign promises and what does he do? RECUSES HIMSELF on the strength of a “conflict of interest” and flakes out on Jim and his team when they went to show him a demo a few months ago.
KJ should not only be on board with this idea, he should be TRUMPETING IT to all his mayoral friends in the region and beyond…. if he is who he says he is and stands for what he says he stands for…
And you should be warned I am hopped up on Bottle Caps candy today, and a whole box of them are strewn across my desk as I pick out the rootbeer and coke pieces–which are my favorites. Why don’t they make those alone?
Excellent post Joe!
Add my voice to those who support the Build Am. idea. I too think it is a super idea and I would like to see Johnson support it
I totally agree with this. We can no longer afford to spend more on prisons and jails than schools.
You know I am down with the Build America idea. I can’t believe KJ has turned his back on it. Wassup with that???????
I hope all those liberal knee jerk types really appreciate the irony. A gun owner is trying to help youth by providing REAL marketable skills at a time when they are needed most. It appears that unless a non-profit is housed in a nice air conditioned office, with dozens of staffers in suits, it is not taken seriously. I can’t believe Sacramento’s political leaders are too stupid to appreciate that this looks like a program that can provide training to youth, reduce blight in Sacramento, and even pay for itself. This guy looks like he is being victimized by Sacramento politicians’ epic failure to as leaders in his community. They don’t support his program that will make a difference to disaffected youth, and then he gets vicitimized by those very disaffected youth. Way to go, Sacramento! Just keep pumping tax dollars into non-profits that don’t do anything. The reason that they are non-profits is because they pay so much to non-profit employees, that there is no profit left.
The City of Sacramento has 41 full time employees working to taking care of animals.
The City of Sacramento has 1 full time employee working with youth.
The City of Sacramento spends millions more on Animals than it does on our youth.
We don’t hear them screaming about the need for more animal care, all of their rhetoric is about the need to help the youth. Yet when it comes down to it, they take much better care of animals that are more likely to be put to sleep than they do our youth.
Community Dis-Organizer – you don’t see who screaming about the need for more animal care? Last time I checked, the youth could at least speak up with a voice. The animals that I see at the shelter cannot. You have no idea about what you speak if you aren’t there, and I seriously doubt you volunteer at our shelter or you would be ashamed of what you just wrote. Sacramento City animal care services is seriously understaffed. This affects public safety as well as the well being of animals a shelter is supposed to be a shelter for, not a euthanasia final destination.
I think Mr. Knapp’s efforts are great and the city council did a typical disservice to him by not providing funds, but good programs are being shortchanged everywhere and sacrificing helpless, and I mean helpless, animals is not the answer. I don’t think we needed another community center either, I think they wanted one in North Natomas so the kids in NN wouldn’t have to rub elbows with kids from SN and while I don’t necessarily blame them for that, it’s certainly a waste of money in dire economic times.
Go 2nd amendment!
Community Dis-organizer: WOW!! What do our D1 candidates think about THAT??
SPD Press release: (163335) 5/31/09 @ 4:01 am, 2000 block of xxx, Burglary/Arrest, Northgate/Gardenland The two suspects jumped the fence and were attempting to open the rear window to a house. The homeowner held them at gunpoint and called police. When Officer Nezik arrived, both suspects were proned out on the ground with the homeowner holding them at gunpoint. Officer Nezik attempted to handcuff one suspect and he got up and started to walk away – refusing to comply with her orders. She ultimately got him in custody by using her baton. Other officers arrived and got both subjects in custody. There was also a car burglary (stereo stolen) just before this call in the same general area that possibly involved these subjects. Both subjects appeared to be very intoxicated and were both arrested. Rudolpho Rodriguez 5/24/91 was arrested for attempted burglary and conspiracy and the 16 yr. old suspect was arrested for conspiracy, attempted burglary and resisting arrest.. Great job by the alert and fast acting home owner!
Joe — I never got an email from you, for what it’s worth
Ok but the particular program in question is already funded to the tune of $30,000,000 by Uncle Sam. The council, in all its infinite wisdom, and the city council members and mayor who claim to care so much about youth, have totally shunned the Build America idea. I think KJ should be called on this in a public forum. He should be made to explain why he does not back this program
Also, I don’t think anyone was saying we should pull resources from animal related programs. The point was that the city, despite its words to the contrary, has more resources tied up in animals than human beings, and you have to admit that’s pretty amazing
Ok Steve I will re-send it
Proud Animal Shelter Volunteer, I am sorry, I could have made my point more clear. I am not bad rapping animal services at all, we have to take care of animals of course, it is only humane. My point was to illuminate that our city appears to value animals more than they do our youth. I come to this conclusion based on their budget allocations.
Proud Volunteer…I have to disagree with you that disadvantage youth have a voice in this city. All politicians wring their hands about youth crime and gang problems, but their solution is to increase apprehension and incarceration, not to provide opportunities or alternatives.
Once a kid from a bad neighborhood gets a bad rep or in a little bit of trouble, which by the way most teenagers do, they are quickly labeled as trouble, and our society quickly gives up on them, they are most likely lost for life. If they are from upper middle class or wealthy neighborhoods, we send them to summer camp or to Europe. In the field of criminal justice this is called the theory of “labeling” and “saints and roughnecks.” We are very fast at labeling poor kids as trouble makers and quick to get them into the criminal justice system, while middle class or wealthy kids are just “sowing their oats” and are basically “allowed” to get into a little trouble, after all they are just kids. The problem is with poor kids, who have poor family support, fewer educational opportunities, they will quickly self identify with the label placed upon them, and the chances of turning them around are rather poor.
I could go on and on, in fact I could write a book…but not here… my point is this, our communities youth deserve more from us. As a society we cannot afford to leave disadvantaged and poor youth completely to the devices of the free market system, they will simply fall through the cracks of our very stratified society and end up robbing us or god forbid killing someone. We are also going broke housing them in prisons; It is cheaper to provide them with a job and education.
I know that saying these things puts me at risk of being labeled a soft on crime liberal, anyone who knows me will tell you, I am no soft on crime liberal. (As you can also tell by me grabbing my gun and arresting these two thugs) I am more of a conservative pragmatist. What we have been doing does not work.
Unfortunately for the youth in our City, they do not contribute to campaigns, they have no voice. Build America is a model program that will change lives, now we just need a politician who either believes in the program or, hell…we will settle on one that simply needs a social issue to wrap themselves in for the upcoming election year.
Steve, I can’t find the email. But I KNOW I’ve asked you–either here or via email. But really none of that is important. I’ll ask you again: why is Kevin Johnson not supporting Build America??