Tonight there was a strong mayor forum hosted by the gay-lesbian “Stonewall Democratic Club.” They held a moderated debate at the Radisson Hotel to “hear the arguments both for and against” Kevin Johnson’s strong arm mayor initiative. Folks from SAG (Sacramentans for Accountable Government) were in attendance to argue for the initiative. Folks from SAVE (Support Accountability, Voice, and Ethics in Sacramento) were there to argue against it. SAG and SAVE, together in perfect harmony? Not quite.
According to the Bee, SAG’s rep Jeff Dorso (land use attorney and KJ’s transition team chief) defended the initiative saying, “Who’s accountable right now? No one. This charter initiative gives you accountability.”
Something struck me tonight as I read Dorso’s quote; didn’t Johnson get elected on the promise he would restore decorum and accountability to the mayor’s office? Of course he did. From his DAY ONE campaign propaganda:
“I will bring a different culture to City Hall. The government will be one that is focused on serving people. We will become a government of action, responsiveness, and accountability.” -Page 6, Day One
That’s right, from DAY ONE Kevin Johnson promised accountability. In fact, you’ll recall he told us on many occasions PRIOR to the election that the sitting mayor was fully accountable for the city’s budget deficit, crime problems, and a myriad of other things. After all, Johnson reasoned, the mayor was the leader of the city, and real leaders are accountable. To be sure, Johnson’s allure was his promise to liberate city hall for the people and restore decorum and accountability to the mayor’s office.
Now, fast forward to a short time after Johnson wins the election. Out of nowhere he launches his strong arm mayor initiative, a huge signature-gathering campaign, an email blitz (using names from Obama’s supporter list allegedly), a web site, and a new “grass roots” contingent of concerned citizens called “Sacramentans for Accountable Government.” We’re talking “run and gun”- style full court politics that even Jerry Tarkanian would endorse.
Let’s face it, the strong arm mayor campaign was and is expensive and time consuming for not only Johnson, but hundreds of hard working people who believe in him (not to mention all the folks who worked for a quarter a signature–or whatever it was). Hence Johnson has a lot at stake in its passing, and you can rest assured the recent police union endorsement is only the tip of what will be an iceberg of support before election day finally rolls around.
But why? Why is this Johnson’s obsession? And why is he willing to put his neck out on the line and risk a major smackdown of his credibility if the initiative doesn’t pass? Is it that he is (A) just power hungry like SAVE says he is? Is he really that one dimensional? Or is he (B) genuinely concerned about the welfare of the city? Or is he (C) simply still just a competition-addicted gym rat pining for the glory days of old when he had the green light to shoot any time he felt leather in his hands?
Whatever the case may be (personally I think it’s ‘C,’ with a splash of ‘A’), one thing is clear–at least to me–and should be called to the attention of anyone who defends the initiative: this is not–and has NEVER been–about ACCOUNTABILITY. It’s about a LOT of things granted, probably more than I comprehend, but ACCOUNTABILITY is not chief among them. Don’t believe me? Let’s break it down very simple:
1) Johnson ran on the idea that he was going to restore decorum and accountability to Sac government–only mentioning once or twice in passing that he would “explore” and “engage in dialog” about potential strong mayor.
2) Johnson got elected and quickly launched a strong mayor BLITZ on Sacramento that had non residents yapping to residents about accountability at the entrance of every grocery store in the valley (I can hear the planning session for this… “Hey, everyone has to eat. Let’s invade every grocery store in town.. you, intern… go get me a list of every grocery store in Sacramento..hustle, girl..”)
3) Johnson went on a PR crusade imploring Sacramentans to support strong mayor on the premise that it would–surprise!– bring accountability to Sacramento government. He then started SAG, which has been using the same exact strategy used to get Johnson elected: If you want an accountable government, you’ll vote for strong mayor.
BUT WAIT A DAMN MINUTE.
I thought we were getting an accountability-minded LEADER in Johnson when we voted for him the first time? I thought that was his main selling point? Accountability. What’s really going on? Didn’t Johnson say that if elected he would demand that we hold him accountable? I don’t recall a stipulation about strong mayor passage, do you?
My point is this: When we voted for the guy, we voted for accountability. Right? We should all be able to agree on that one point since Johnson himself stumped on the idea that a vote for him was a vote for accountability. But no. That’s not what happened. We did not get accountability when Johnson got elected. We instead got the equivalent of a memorandum essentially stating there was no accountability at city hall. Now, tonight, ten months later, his people are at the strong mayor forum saying, “Who’s accountable right now? No one. This charter initiative gives you accountability.”
Huh? NO ONE? Say what ? I thought Kevin Johnson was accountable? I thought that’s what we voted for? Where is Kevin Johnson? Did he resign?
One more time for good measure in case it was lost in my midnight rambling: Johnson promised if he got elected the buck would stop with him (unlike the sitting mayor at the time–who Johnson indeed publicly derided for shunning accountability); and now, as sitting mayor of Sacramento, he is telling us NO ONE is accountable at city hall right now… and the only way accountability will ever be present at city hall is IF voters approve his strong arm mayor initiative! If you can’t see how blatantly hypocritical and deceptive all of this is… you probably never will.
Recently Obama was quoted as saying “I take responsibility [for the airlines terrorist attempt]….. the buck stops with me.” I thought that was pretty admirable considering Obama himself does not run the FBI.. or TSA.. or the airline industry. Why would Obama hold himself accountable for something he was arguably six degrees removed from? If Kevin Johnson knew the answer to that question, he wouldn’t be asking for more power… he’d be relishing the influence that comes with the mayor’s position.. the influence Fargo used to get things done.. the influence Serna used to get things done., the influence people from every walk of life use to get things done all across the globe every day.
Next time I won’t fall for the “accountability” snake oil. I’ve learned that anyone who overstates the importance of accountability to get elected probably doesn’t know anything about accountability.
Well that’s the best darn article I have read on any site! I could feel your passion as I read it. Wonderful! You have NOT LOST your touch in fact you’ve gained even more passion and insight than before.
Oh, what a tangle web Johnson weaves when he practices to deceive. You unraveled his tangled mess. Heck, I don’t know if I should choose A, B or C or better yet if I should choose door number 1, 2 or 3 heck they all seem to lead to backroom hidden agenda’s…
I’m going to try and print as many copies of this article as I can so I can pass it on to more folks when I walk the pavement against the SMP. Heck, I wish I could get it copied for the MLK March!
Ty RE. Check the quote I added at the top. Do you see a stipulation about strong mayor?
ugh!!!! once again the facts continued to get mixed up. has johnson not been accountable for what the mayoral position has ALLOWED him to do? the mayoral position is figurehead at best. the position of mayor of sacramento is one vote of nine. the position of mayor holds no powers. what KJ has said from day one and continues to say is, yes he was elected based on accountability and transparency, and he has done both to the best the position allows him to have. however, he would like the CITY to have governmental accountability, and he is willing to put the mayoral position in charge of that accountability. i wasn’t a big fan of fargo, but the more i have researched the charter, read the city council minutes, watched the city council video streams, it is crystal clear the mayoral position does nothing but lead the city council meetings and provides a vote. therefore, it wasn’t all her fault. frankly, she lost to a better personality. was she a better mayor than KJ currently is? i think you will have to wait until KJ’s first term is up to decide that.
you are correct mark in the fact that KJ is putting his reputation and future term(s) of mayor of this city on the line for this initiative. but what you continually fail to write is the intiative has checks and balances. for instance, in the strong-mayor intitiative (SMI), as i am sure you have read, allows the mayor to propose a budget to the city council for approval. there are provisions for city council override of vetoes, currently the city manager proposes a budget, which is then debated openly, and then eventually passed. so why have a mayor?
now since it is apparent you are totally against the SMI and practically everything you wrote about it was negative, let me describe the positives of the SMI. the SMI gives accountability to the position of mayor (whether it is KJ or anyone else). it separates the chief executive powers currently split between the city manager and the city council. which is why things take so long to happen. the SMI will create a ninth district in the city with a representative to go along with it, thereby giving a true nine member representative council for city residents. the budget would also be in the mayor’s hands with approval required by the city council, thereby giving a checks and balance approach (similar to the how the state goes about their budget situation). there are other positives, however, which i could outline if so desired, since i have a copy of the official SMI and have read it several times.
so when you so blatantly use the term “strong-arm” for the title of this article, you are very clearly biased against the SMI. as for the quote at the top of the article, isn’t that what he is trying to do? that is give the mayoral position accountability? but apparently you want the mayoral position to be a figurehead position only, in that case, hasn’t he done that and been accountable for that?
i am open-minded and will discuss facts. if there is something i have said, then rebut it with facts, not the rhonda erwin style of debating, which is “i don’t have to justify my position to anyone”. which is true, however, it really makes someone look ignorant and uneducated.
Joe, Thanks for the quote- that’s good stuff.
Heck he’s brought a different culture to city hall alright- a clture of spies where people have to continuosly watch their back. Heck, people are so busy watching their back afraid of being stabbed in the back or thrown under a bus – not for accountability sake- but so he can make himself look good by making them look bad– their so busy having to watch their back they’ll begin to focus less on the public and city needs. Shameful.
2112- I do have to justify my opinion and when I feel the need to do so I do. When I feel a debate is in order I debate. But to tell you the truth it’s really sad since Johnson’s been in office transparency has left the office of our Mayor. To my knowledge never have we had a mayor who will allow or place city-paid-special assistants or volunteers-hoping-to become-a city paid employee- on sites like the Sac Bee and others to sway public opinion, spread propaganda…. but we have people in Camp KJ who it appears only go on sites to spread propaganda towards the SMP.
I’ve never seen such deceit coming from a city hall employee – the mayor- that we have now. (and I haven’t always been pleased with many at city hall but Johnson is over the top.) With others what you see is always what you get- But with Mayor Johnson in office city residents have to weave through deceit. It appears we have some folks employed to go on media sites and campaign for him. But they hide, their not so transparent – not disclosing who they are- but pretending to simply be a concened resident. I’d have more respect if they were honest in their disclosure and were just standing for their beliefs. I respect the opinion of anyone even if they don’t agree with me – if I feel in my heart they are for real…. FYI, It’s not that I feel I don’t have to justify my opinion. To be honest I don’t feel I have to justify it to you.
It’s really sad but since KJ has been in office I find myself trusting the motives of people less having seen so much deceit from the KJ camp. We appear to have opened the door to an evil and even greater ones of trickery and deceit have come through. If you are for real, it’s good to see you stand firm to your beliefs and by all means fight the good fight. But if you are not– then it goes to show why we don’t need a SMP for such a sneaky, under-handed, deceitful Mayor who said he wants accountability for himself and those who work for him- but has yet to be accountable or apologize for people such as kerryjustin1 who arrived on the Sac Bee site when Johnson was campaigning for Mayor and came back when the SMP hit the fan to spread propaganda. I don’t think I don’t have to justify my opinion – I follow my intuition and intuition tells me – no need to justify or debate with you– you have your opinion and I have mine. I’m not on this site to attempt to sway you or anyone else- so no need for debate. I’m just here voicing my opinion. I’m not getting paid like some in the KJ camp- to have a debate with you or anyone else on any media site. I’m voice my opinion simply because I’m concerned with all the deceit. You can’t change my mind, Johnson’s actions, inactions, reactions have given me this impression. And having read your posts I know I can’t change your mind. So why debate? Unless you are trying to sway public opinion? Surely you could care less what I feel just as I care less what you feel. Opinions are like **sholes- everybody has one
Mark, I apologize for the long posts but I have to get going and wanted to knock this out the way. I will keep my post down to a minimum from here on out and would have if 2112 left me out his post… My last post was only intended for 2112 and I apologize to anyone else who read the long post….
Much respect
Rhonda, where are the facts to support your claim of propoganda? For the record, I am not Kevin Johnson, I have never met Kevin Johnson, I don’t work for Kevin Johnson, the Sacramento Bee or have any political or business dealings with Kevin Johnson. I do support KJ for this reason: he is stirring the pot downtown and that is what this city needs. There are a lot of people nervous because all of a sudden, justification has to be given. For that fact and that fact alone, I am willing to give him a chance. A chance!!!! I am not saying he is the greatest mayor of all-time, and I would agree he needs to learn a thing or two. But you want to vote him out based on one year of nothing. I say, give him his term, then if you don’t like him, vote him out. But until you come with facts to support you complaints and claims, I could careless about your opinions. I have read the SMI, I have it saved as a PDF and refer to it everytime I get into a conversation like this with someone like you. Until you can point out specifics in the SMI that you don’t agree with, I don’t think you have any justification to your argument. Bottom line, come with facts, then we’ll talk.
2112-Let’s start with the basics of what will be heard at 2PM on Friday January the 15th in court.
6 Questions for the fodder…to be decided by more than you or I
1) What is the stated complaint of the Lawsuit?
2) Status of “Ripeness”-could it be tossed on this basis? depends upon the nature of the complaint.
3) Is a city charter equatable to our state constitution?
4) Is the SMI an amendment or a revision?
5) Depends upon #4
If it’s deemed an amendment, as some have maintained, then the constitution is clear
If it’s deemed a revision-then you will need to see the stated basis of the lawsuit to go further. If the basis is unconstitutional use of the initiative process-then re-establish the charter commission and move forward!
The briefs have been submitted by all parties, the California Constitution states
CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 11 LOCAL GOVERNMENT
SEC. 3. (a) For its own government, a county or city may adopt a
charter by majority vote of its electors voting on the question. The
charter is effective when filed with the Secretary of State. A
charter may be amended, revised, or repealed in the same manner. A
charter, amendment, revision, or repeal thereof shall be published in
the official state statutes. County charters adopted pursuant to
this section shall supersede any existing charter and all laws
inconsistent therewith. The provisions of a charter are the law of
the State and have the force and effect of legislative enactments.
(b) The governing body or charter commission of a county or city
may propose a charter or revision. Amendment or repeal may be
proposed by initiative or by the governing body.
(c) An election to determine whether to draft or revise a charter
and elect a charter commission may be required by initiative or by
the governing body.
(d) If provisions of 2 or more measures approved at the same
election conflict, those of the measure receiving the highest
affirmative vote shall prevail.
A State constitutional challenge to Prop 8 earlier this year is what gave us the most recent definition of “revision” vs “amend”.
In March of 2009-The court found that “revision”
“make a far-reaching change in the fundamental governmental structure or the foundational power of its branches”
“substantially alter[s] the basic governmental framework set forth in our Constitution”…
Had prop 8 been defeated, we may not of had a clear road map of how the State Supreme Court interpreted the word “revision” with regard to our state constitution.
Is a City or County Charter equatable to a Constitution?
I say yes it is and the BOSS MAYOR initiative is a revision-some how I think you will not agree with me.
That’s why we have an independent judiciary with a “rule book”, checks & balances.
If deemed worthy of review and not premature, a decision will be rendered, ultimately appealable to the CA supreme court.
Imagine if initiatives were required to pass constitutional muster before solicitation-maybe they would be better written.
Rhonda— your posts can be as long as you want them to be. There is no limit here and you NEVER need to apologize for writing too much. I love reading your thoughts and always have
“2112″ (what is your name by the way? I know from experience it’s tough to come out, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to know who I am talking to
Oh, no, it’s clearly a term of endearment. That didn’t come through?
It could be ARGUED that is what he is trying to do, yes. But it could also be argued–quite effectively if I were to take the time–that he has demonstrated a pattern of stonewalling towards those who oppose his ideas, and therefore it stands to reason his intent with this extra power (and that’s what it is, so let’s not mince words) is to stack the personnel cards in his favor at city hall so he can push all his ideas through with the least amount of opposition possible. Your position is fine, but so is mine. You’re acting as though my position is indefensible. That’s silly. Johnson’s own track record supports all my skepticism rather nicely.
This is not so much about the “strong mayor” position for me. Never has been. It’s about KEVIN JOHNSON. To be perfectly frank with you, I don’t have a high degree of trust in him. I don’t think it would be a good idea to grant him the power to hire and fire key positions. Despite what he says to the contrary, he is as political as they come and I don’t like the idea of a KJ city hall. Makes me shudder really.
Time and again Kevin Johnson says one thing and then does something else. THAT is the deceptiveness stuff Rhonda is talking about. It’s not subjective. There is a well documented audit trail of his follies that easily justify grave concern about his credibility–if you are so inclined to pursue it. Let’s stop acting like giving him more power is a no brainer. It is not. KJ has baggage. And it aint going away just because you want it to.
mark, my name is Rich by the way (2112 is from a song and album title by a canandian band name Rush for those who don’t know). fiftgensac…i am not saying this shouldn’t go to a vote, on the contrary. i whole-heartedly believe in the process and if we are going to change the charter, then the people should have a say. i have heard about the conflict between the SMI and the state constitution, apologetically i haven’t read that much to be educated on that subject, therefore i will decline to take a stance on that until i do so. mark, we can agree to disagree on the KJ trustworthiness. however, by your account of what he has done, basically you have ruled out all politicians and businesspersons. as far as going against their words or campaign promises, someone show me a politician who does everything they say? i figured it was something personal towards KJ, which is ok with me. however, when we are talking about job performance, you have to remove the face and the name and judge the position, this is just my opinion. otherwise you get what is happneing with healthcare in congress. which is essentially, all parties go to their respective sides of the room, vote down party lines and nothing gets accomplished.
personally i will judge KJ and his performance based on his tenure and what he has and hasn’t done come election time. however, when we say “get things done” we have to define accomplish, which is why i am pro-SMI. the SMI does give tangible accountability to the mayoral position. not a fluffy figurehead-type position. frankly, i think we have way too many government positions to begin with, and then having a position like the mayor of the capital of california be just a figurehead and worthless position is pretty embarrassing and counterproductive. like you have stated, there are many subjective things to judge on. i don’t want subjective, i want tangible “did he” or “didn’t he” things we can discuss. as it stands right now, KJ, fargo or anyone else takes the brunt of what this council does. that is pretty unfair considering the mayoral position gets all of the publicity, especially a named individual like KJ. so if you want to give him a grade for the year, i would say a “C” to “C+”. he can’t really do anything on his own and he doesn’t have the support of the council. now on the downside, he has been pretty abrasive and uses the newspapers too much to try and work the council . generally people aren’t going to be willing to help if they see their names blasted in the paper. all said, he has been average. nothing special, but nothing poor. but the SMI is a good idea and whether it is passed now or not will be determined by the people. but i guarantee at some point, a version of the SMI will eventually get passed for some mayor to use.
Hi Rich nice to meet you
?
Ah, but see politicians and business people are in finite capacities and I know what I am getting when I give them my vote of confidence. I was fine with Johnson in a weak mayor position where he could lead primarily with influence to prove himself. I voted for him. Supported him in fact. But now he wants to change his title. I am not ok with him in strong mayor position.
Not at all. Never met him. I’m sure he’s a nice guy. I’d gladly shake his hand and give him a big hug if I met him. I appreciate his service and admire his tenacity immensely and I’d be willing to bet he knows that and hasn’t taken anything I’ve ever said about him on this site personally. I;ve exchanged many emails with Steve Maviglio and a few with Johnson himself and no one has ever accused me of having an axe to grind with him. I do not.
Well the face and the name are fine. Good looking guy with a public profile and friends in high places. Good enough. What I’m talking about is a pattern of behavior. Try to extend your view on this. Let’s say we’re talking about a serial gum smacker. Everywhere she goes she smacks her gum. Church. School. Dinner table. Even confession. Smack smack smack. Everyone who knows her says she’s smacking every time they see her. She can’t stop herself. You invite her over for dinner. Is it or is it not probable that she will be smacking her gum when she gets inside your house? I am interested in patterns. You should be too. Patterns predict future behavior. This is not subjective. This is factual. Ask any parole board appointee.
What makes you think Johnson won’t establish the equivalent of a “party” if he gets all that power he wants?
i don’t know that he will or won’t establish the equivalent of a “party”. but i do know the status quo for me doesn’t work. i am not a big fan of this council. they take too long to get things done, grandstand when they can (along with KJ) and the fact that most of them have been on the council since the early 2000s and look like a deers in headlights with the current situation doesn’t really give me confidence in them. i would like someone of your obvious influence to either do a similar article regarding the council or articles on each individual member.
you can’t be afraid of the unknown. you may know what you have with the others, but is what you have going to move this city forward or keep it stagnant? at least with the SMI, if you feel the current mayor (or any future mayor) isn’t doing the job the SMI powers allow them to do, then vote them out. which is much easier to do then as it stands right now when each individual councilmember goes back to their constituents and tells them what a great job they are doing i think the next batch of elections will be telling. it is easy to re-elect someone when things are going good, as they were in the early to mid ’00s. we will see what they are made of now that times are tough.
I don’t like the council either. I have blasted many of them in the past. Don’t even get me started. I am astounded they were ever voted into office in the first place. But the key word is vote. If they aren’t working, we should vote them out. Plain and simple. This whole strong mayor thing is overkill. The council could work well if they had full time positions and had a strong, multi-faceted leader who knew how to build consensus. I have always believed this and still do. Thanks for visiting and weighing in Rich
PS: Shawn Eldridge is running for council. I am going to support him. He is the kind of guy that would respect citizens, treat everyone professionally and courteously and get things done. Who cares if he’s not a politician. He seems to have a good heart…. and that’s what we need more of…
Yours,
Mark
2112- Do you also go by the moniker, RegularJoe on SacBee? Your writing styles are similar.
Hi Susie
On the topic of accountability….. the anonymous internet culture does not lend itself to personal accountability. I respect you and Rhonda and others who have never feared posting under your own name. Takes guts. You are an inspiration.
susie, that’s me!!!! sorry mark, i don’t like to use my full (real) name, although my first name really is rich. i am just a regular joe. i believe in taking one issue, learning about it and then forming an opinion. i am a registered independent for that very reason. too often do i see people form their opinions based upon what their party says in the media. i work with a bunch of people who are wacko republicans, listen to sean hannity and rush limbaugh and think they have it all figured out. i am pretty humble and realize i don’t know everything. i am still young (32) and know i don’t know everything. i am married to an intelligent, independent, beautiful woman and i have learned a lot from her (although she is a left-wing democrat and in my opinion tends to vote down party lines just because they have a “D” next to their name, not because they are the best candidate for the job, but we are entitled to do with our vote as we choose, and that is her choice).
susie, you may see me defend KJ on the sacbee site and on this site not because i like the guy, know the guy or any of that. i just know he came into a difficult situation, with a bulls-eye on his back (some of it self-inflicted) but he is the mayor of sacramento and i am willing to give him time to do the job he was elected to do. he as admitted mistakes in handling the council and we will see early on in 2010 if he will make adjustments with handling the council. but on the other end, will the council want to work with him? i hope that if the council is just as arrogant and closed-minded as you charge KJ to be, that you give them the same gruff that you give KJ.
Hi Rich, nice to meet you. We’ve had some colorful disucssions you and I. I respect what you have to say and I certainly see why you feel the way you do. I’ve had different experiences and I draw my conclusions with my personal exchanges with the mayor, his staff, his students, his ex-staff, his ex-students, his ex-supporters, and his ex-friends (as you can see, he has a lot of ex’s which can be very telling). I also draw my conclusions from hours of research. I do so much research because I do use my real name so I must be able to stand firmly by what I say.
I want to make it clear that I am not just guessing when I state something as fact. It is something I know to be true. In my research, I have read the the SMI, Gerald Walpin’s submittal to the US Attorney, Gerald Walpin’s report,Lawrence Brown’s accusations, Sens. Grassley and Issa’s reports, and the report clearing Walpin on Brown’s charges. I have also research St. HOPE through and though and know much about the gaming of the system they do there. This is how I’ve developed my opinions so I stand firmly by what I say. I have a couple of things I want to address about the SMI. 2112 says:
Perhaps I am wrong, but this is how I interpret things in the SMI: if the council cannot agree with the mayor’s budget by the end of the fiscal year, his original submission of the budget goes through. So let’ say that he submits his budget. The council can’t agree with what he wants and they veto parts of it and send it back to him to revise. He doesn’t change anything or he changes things that still don’t sit right with the council and sends it back to them . So on and so forth this back and forth debating goes until the start of the fiscal year and his original budget goes through. This set up doesn’t encourage the mayor to work in good faith with the council because he knows he’ll get his way in the endif he just delays long enough. So I must ask you this, if the mayor’s original budget gets automatically passed in the end, so why have a council?
I also take issue with the lack of the 9th council district in the SMI. From what I gather, and again I could be wrong, is he would get to remain as a voting councilmember for the 9th district (until the district is established, etc which would take quite some time I would assume) AND he’d have veto power on top of that – so this would be like 2+ votes. This just seems a little ridiculous to me especially because just like the school board elections years ago, KJ is trying to put his supporters on the council. He’ll be able to control everything if his supporters get a couple of seats on that council. It could be very dangerous. With KJ’s incestuous professional relationships, it’s a huge red flag to add to all of the others that surround him. I have no problem exploring a strong mayor type of government for the next election. I do not feel it is appropriate for a sitting elected official to change their job description in the middle of their term based on signatures from people who may not know what they’re signing. He was voted in a weak mayor, so he should stay a weak mayor. That’s changing the rules in the middle of the game. I call that cheating. If he cares so much about the city, he should pull his measure, let the city have adequate time to draft their own proposal and put it on the ballot for the next election. That to me is fair and logical and doesn’t reek of self-interest.
yes susie, we definitely have had our “run-ins” on the bee site. and believe it or not, i do know you are well-informed with your opinions. i always welcome to opposing side, if they make sense and have first-hand information to back up their claims and assertions. i try to be a well-rounded individual and the only way you do that is listening to all sides. as for the budget question you asked me, i think it would work both ways. if the budget isn’t passed, then how could the mayor spend the money? using your example, if they keep going back and forth and nothing is getting solved, that means checks are going out for projects, expenditures, salaries, etc. therefore, if the mayor has something close to his heart that he wants done, then he it would be in his best interest to work with the council to pass a compromised budget.
now as for the 9th district seat…as far as i can tell, you are correct regarding the mayor and maintaining his seat until the seat is created and that timeframe isn’t defined in the initiative. this is a concern, but for me it isn’t the smoking gun that will make be oppose the initiative. maybe to a fault i can’t stand this council. i think this council hurts this city more than it helps. they never debate anything, for the most part they vote unanimously on issues and there isn’t anyone who wants to stir the pot. therefore, the council’s accountability is pretty much non-existent. i go back to a point i made in an earlier post, shouldn’t the city council, as a group, be held accountable for things? i know each councilmember is, and their accountability is done on election days, however the best i can tell, the entire council isn’t held accountable.
to your point about KJ’s “ex(s)” most strong personalitied individuals will have that characteristic. you either love them or hate them. for me, the book is still out. in my opinion, the mayoral position doesn’t allow for such a quick judge of performance. in my opinion, there should be some time allowance for on-the-job training (since he hasn’t held a public office position before). also, he is working with a council that pretty much resents him. i think the first six months of 2010 will be telling about how much he has learned about dealing with the council.
also, i am looking down the road for the SMI. it would allow all future mayors to have these powers, which to me are important. it probably isn’t perfect, but its what is proposed and we will see how it goes come voting time.
Thanks for you thoughtful response. I feel as you do about the council. I would prefer some kind of term limits because many of the members have been on there for 20+ years. I just feel so concerned that so much power would go to one individual – especially someone like KJ who has an absolutely abysmal record with everything he does. He works very hard to put out a certain image. It’s all about looking good, spinning his wheels, etc rather than actually “doing” good.The living room looks real nice; just don’t open the closets!
The above quote makes me think of what Mark said earlier regarding KJ’s pattern of behavior. He is extremely predicatble because he has had the same pattern for years. People who adamantly oppose him do so because they are looking at his pattern of behavior with everything he does. He excites people, he promises, he’s visible – very visible- calling all these press conferences and town halls that make him look like he’s getting things done. Problem is, he’s not. He jumps the gun before he actually accomplishes things. Look at the homeless debacle for an example of calling the press before anything actually happens. Another part of his pattern is his lengendary inability to work well with others. His nearly 100% staff turnover rate at his schools should be a red flag. He has alienated the council by his behavior. He is not a good leader – he’s a good cheerleader and grandstander and self-promoter. That’s about it IMHO.
Mark- thanks for the kind words. You, in fact, inspired me
Excellent (and irrefutable) points in my opinion. It is what it is what it is. His patterns are well established and in my opinion he has done NOTHING to change them. In fact, I was SHOCKED when he rolled out strong mayor. I felt like a fool for supporting him. Here I thought he was going to go into city hall as a diplomat waving a peace flag and instead he comes in waving a sword. Astounding.
PS: when you want to quote someone, just highlight their text and click the BLOCKQUOTE button
Mark
Thanks for cleaning up my mess, Mark. Giggle, giggle
I’m so lame at computers. I guess my age is showing just a bit.
ok i am trying the “blockquote” button, if it didn’t work, i am commenting on your “excellent (and irrefutable) points in my opinion” statement.i hope it comes out. did anyone listen to his campaign? i don’t remember him running on the “i am going to make friends” ticket. in fact, if memory serves me correctly, he ran on the opposite side. his modus operandi was to shake things up.
i guess we will have to agree to disagree on how he handles his relationship with the city council. i don’t want him to make nice with every councilmember. sure there needs to be mutual respect, and yes he could probably be more diplomatic with how he handles the council. but susie, if we can agree on the ineptitude of this council, i guess i am wondering why we can’t agree on how KJ handles the council. i want him to stir the pot and get them uncomfortable. expose their lack of progress. he ran on the anti-status quo, which included the city council and how it was run.
no you have to first copy the text, paste into the window you type in, THEN highlight it. THEN hit blockquote button