You are talking apples and I’m talking oranges. I could argue you are one sided. I’m not being one sided I share in the concerns of those against the SMP for reasons other than my own. I’m on the side of LIFE and FREEDOM. I’m on the opposite side of the road while you and KJ are driving down a one way street should I jump off my side of life and freedom as a priority and leave it empty and join the side where many more will debate charter change for various other reasons? I’m not needed in your lane and I won’t abandon mine because you seem to think your one side is the only side of value. Since the SMP is a distraction an interruption in the lives of a community divided into victim and suspects and a mayor without transparency, full of deceit… I am against the SMP. People have many reasons why they are against it. I haven’t heard just one reason. And I have mine which is different than most. But it doesn’t make it of any less value. I value the reasons of everyone whether or not they value mine.

I do not blast him for even considering changes to the city. I blast him for putting priorities which affect me and those like myself- PAIN AND SUFFERING- LIFE AND FREEDOM- DEATH AND ARREST on a back burner while everything else takes priority…. I blast him for not putting emphasis or priority on a community divided into victims and suspects, divided by morgues, cemeteries, vigils, funerals, courts, jails and prisons for not having a dynamitic personality, energy and excitement in protecting the youth of this city. I blast him because “Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” -Haile Selassie And for goodness sake what you wrote is untrue- he has done something for this city and can do for the city heck if not why is he hiring 2 positions on his site, why is he working with the arts liaison, arena task force….. all without a Strong mayor form of government. Give me a break, NO I’m not going to bring up Arizona- I don’t have to- I brought up HIS GANG SUMMIT in Sacramento. This post would be even longer if I went into exact details. I’ll either write an article about it or prepare material to take to city hall and show our not so bright mayor what he can do about it and what he could have done the first year in office and with the support of the council.

Why on earth would I blame society for KJ running or being elected when my problem is with our mayor turning a blind eye and a deaf ear towards us. It is KJ I hold accountable and responsible for KJ’s ignorance in not making life and freedom a priority. In fact I hope you attend city hall next Tuesday I’ll show you my concerns and the magnitude of it and what should have been done if we had a mayor looking at ALL THE RESIDENTS OF SACRAMENTO when he claims his motto is a Sacramento that works for everyone- what the heck are we people or commodities to enhance departments or advance political careers? I wish I was privileged to just focus on a Strong Mayor Proposal / charter change but my priority is LIFE and FREEDOM. You appear to not understand I am not from the protected members of society, I am in a community divided into victims and suspects- the unprotected. I think I’ve explained my beef with the mayor and I’ve given too much discussion when we aren’t going to get anywhere with it. I’ll send you a link when I write the article but first I‘ll prepare a presentation for city hall to show our not so bright mayor how to address youth violence and public safety. . I’m not concerned in having a further discussion with a looky-loo someone who will simply find what their looking for in my comment and then add to my comment things I never wrote about to make a point for others to read. This conversation was between you and I. And you basically dismissed me but thank you because when I‘m dismissed I come back with more than a post—I come back with action. Hope to see you Tuesday and I hope you’ll read the article which will follow. I wasn’t trying to show his ignorance but I will.

i am in favor of a strong-mayor initiative (it doesn’t have to be the one proposed by KJ, but some form of one). the fact that sheedy, fong, mccarty, hammond and the other yutzes on the council use their time to grandstand for the cameras, make false statements which they really don’t believe themselves but look good for the camera, and then vote all the same on any measure that is brought before them is unhealthy for this city.

you and people like you keep saying “johnson made his bed and now he has to lay in it” is absurd. frankly, the bed was made long before he got in it. he ran on a platform of change. the fact that some are suprised by the SMI or what he is doing shows how little you may pay attention to politics. why do you think he got elected? not because of his policies, but because of his dynamic personality. flat out fargo is a better politician, but she came across very arrogant and dull in the campaign and debates, whereas KJ came across with energy and excitement. and on the downward spiral this city was in during late 2008, the populus made their decision.

to finish my original argument, the fairness with which you display your anger at the mayor is very one-sided. you keep placing blame on the mayor for what he has or hasn’t done during his time in office. you blast him for even thinking about proposing a change to the charter to give the position more relevance to this city. however the mayor (current or fomer) really doesn’t have a bearing on state of the city. initiatives and spending are done by the city council and city manager. so what is your beef with the mayor? he hasn’t and can’t do anything that affects this city.

lastly, if youth (specifically african-american youth) are looking towards KJ as a role model, what has be done to disappoint? are you really going to bring up charges from arizona? i think what is happening in the homes of youth are more detrimental to their upbringing then what KJ does and what allegations occur. the fact that one out of every two marriages fail, the fact that sex is displayed on tv and music, the fact that we are in a war we can’t win overseas, or that jobs are few and far between, cuts in education continue to happen, and so on probably affect our youth more than KJ. i would bet that most people (forget youth, just people in general) know KJ is the mayor, but really don’t know what he has done or going to do or his track record. i agree he got elected mainly on his name, so what does that tell you about society in general? that isn’t KJ’s fault. i am a giants fan and barry zito was signed to a $20 million a year contract and has not even come close to living up that contract. is it zito’s fault the giants were stupid enough to offer that much? do you blame him for signing it? KJ ran and was elected, blame society not KJ for that.

great, now i am off on a tangent . i generally use the name “2112″ for a reason. i am a large fan of the canadien rock band “Rush”. 2112 is a song based on government running the invidual instead of the individual running him/her-self. i believe wholeheartedly in the individual is on this earth for a short time and far be it from any governing agency forcing me to do anything or give up anything. this has no relevance on KJ or why i support the SMI (and let me be clear, i am not a huge supporter of KJ, but i do support the SMI because it is right for this city). i volunteer at a local continuation school not because i am forced to, but because i want to. the individual is what drives this country, not the masses. if the individual doesn’t choose to join the masses, then there won’t be any masses. one last song i want to reference is a song called “free will” by rush. there is a line in the song that says:

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that’s clear
I will choose freewill

i look at the issue and make a decision based on the issue, not the person. don’t confuse me with the lemmings that blindly follow a political party or cult. i am an individual.

MANY young Black youth are dying and arrested and are looking up to him- looking at a face that looks like theirs- and seeing nothing. Many black organizations who address youth violence are parading Johnson to be a spokesperson to at-risk youth from low income areas. He better do more than look the part. These youth have been used for funding by so many and given conditional love by so many he better do more than use them for a gang summit- that compounded their pain – and toss them aside. They saw that he used them. He gave them hope and took it back. I told the youth in Johnson’s meeting that I would not let them be used, that I would be a voice for them. I gave them my word in front of Johnson’s vision group. And I told the vision organizers I would hold him responsible and accountable. Johnson can ask the facilitators and they can tell him what I promised I would do if I felt they were used. I gave them my word and I will keep it. They didn’t even believe me because so many have used them or only came to them so their organization will be funded.

Youth violence is youth hurting someone just like themselves- same ethnic background, cultural suicide/ genocide— Not valuing the life of someone just like themselves. I will be darn if I sit mute and let the youth see Johnson not valuing their life. How the heck can we show them their life is valuable and to value the life of someone else like themselves IF Johnson isn’t going to value their life? On behalf of Sacramento area youth I WILL LABOR TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE. It’s not personal- IT’S business- when I make a promise to the youth I KEEP IT. My word and love is all I have to give them. Johnson (not me) made himself publicly a reflection of the black community and their may be some blacks who put him on the cover of their newspaper, flaunt him around their association meetings just happy that he is black and mayor. But their are many of us some in the house and some in the fields who expect him to be far more than a picture on a magazine, far more than a minstrel singing and dancing his way by trickery and deceit.

I am from the field not the house and I will not sit by silently as a man who bragged of being the first black mayor of Sacramento IGNORES LIFE and for goodness sake ignores and dismisses FREEDOM.- it’s business. Fargo saw those of us suffering in communities divided by death and arrest that’s why I voted for her, it was obvious Johnson was too busy looking at himself to see anyone else. I expect Johnson to come out the house and into the field to see us also, otherwise he should of bragged of being the first basketball player to become mayor if he was going to be in office with trickery and deceit and claim to be a reflection of the Black community. Gang culture has masqueraded as black youth culture for too long in Sacramento and I will labor to show them black leadership verses gang membership by speaking out against Johnson’s gang like mentality, territorial mentality, conditional love UNTIL he stops singing and dancing and shows the youth of Sacramento genuine community leadership. I hope you take this back to Johnson, I’ve labored for 5 years day in and day out putting my own family aside without pay addressing youth violence and I will be darn if Johnson entering office will set us backwards to again walk on a treadmill where life and freedom will take a backseat. My concern is the youth of Sacramento and I won’t dwell on the council members (been there done that) I made a promise to a group of youth at Johnson’s gang summit and unlike Johnson I will keep my promise. You’re worried that I don’t attack the council? You are an adult- from the protected members of society- get over it. There are youth worried I wouldn’t voice my concerns with the man who made them promises and did not keep them. I’m hear for them and could care less if you feel I‘m being fair. Now when a councilmember makes a promise to the youth and use them for self-promotion you better believe they’ll hear from me too- But Johnson made this bed and Johnson will lay in it with my voice surrounding him until he gets up and begins to significantly address LIFE AND FREEDOM.

Each faith has value. As with everything else I have learned on this painful journey I don’t see religion as black and white either. I believe we should follow our hearts and I don’t believe their is one religion and anything else should not be valued. Oh my goodness, what God would I choose? Creator, Jehovah, Allah (can’t say I know or heard of the sun god) I believe their is one God with many names by many people and again it is what is in our heart and whatever name brings me closer to God’s grace may not be what brings another closer or visa versa so I can’t answer that question either. I can’t simplify the creator. I can’t and don’t generalize an entire country as Christian. I apologize but I don’t play with God, I don’t speak for God, and I am walking by faith and not by sight and learning to look for and seeing God’s continuous grace in my life. I apologize but I am a student on life’s journey not a teacher. Again I see right threw you and I am not afraid to answer.

I never said we should base our government on religion… It was KJ who used religion as well as crime to get into office. It was KJ who quoted– numerous times– “without a vision the people will perish” and speaks at townhall meetings… of his religious beliefs and the church he attends. Just because someone is in office at work doesn’t mean they should leave their religious beliefs at home and if he’s carrying it with him to the office I guess I expect more from him. I didn’t think religion was a light switch that we should turn off and on. I don’t expect Johnson to be perfect. I expect him to make mistakes, he’s human. But I do expect him – whether religious or not- to not be deceitful and I hold him accountable to his campaign promises of no longer politics or business as usual, transparency and accountability since HE told us of his religious beliefs. I am honoring his campaign promises- he asked us to hold him accountable- and I AM. He said he wanted to be held accountable for his actions and I am calling him out on his deceit and lack of transparency and his blatant business as usual politics.

As far as you not seeing me criticize anyone other than Johnson makes me wonder if you merely came around the scene due to Johnson. I’ve criticized many. I know a criticism I had of Sheedy was posted on this site by Mark showing the video clip. I’ve openly at many townhall meetings in public discussions criticized many if not all council and county supervisors at one point or another and gave chase to Mayor Fargo numerous times. I guess you missed it and I won’t revisit it. How can you tell me “if you were really fair you’d say…..” when you appear to not be looking for me to be fair but looking for me to take pressure off Johnson and put pressure on someone else– how is that fair? I call it a draw, you criticize the council and promote Johnson and I’ll criticize Johnson and by the way I do it without promoting- the council- I think I’m more than fair.

As far as the rest of your comment I don’t think it was for me to respond. Actually it can be considered a type of damage control. I feel it was another attempt to lay a foundation for KJ to stand on. Appears without you he might fall off his high horse. You put the info out there again – and good for you. I’m not hating on you. And to be honest, I don’t mind being used by you to promote Johnson. I’m fair. By the way, I’m not asking you to be fair. It’s your strategy do it your way. If it’s your opinion that you “don’t think it’s right, fair or Christian of me” to voice my concerns of Johnson the way I do it, then I guess you can say we agree and point taken “…that in order to have a functioning government, religion can’t be the basis of governing.” and the government is of the people and by the people – so I shouldn’t let my religion / beliefs be the basis to prevent me from seeking a functioning government by voicing my concerns of our dysfunctional mayor.

And we all don’t have to be mayor to be a part of the solution and even a mayor -with power- can be part of the problem. We all are a piece of the puzzle and my puzzle piece isn’t in the shape of mayor… I wouldn’t run for public office just as we need voices in office we need voices in the community to keep those in office on track…and to learn and grow together. I don’t need to shine perhaps simply flicker every now and then. And heck here, as a community member and not an elected official, is where I learned to love unconditionally and learned that many in my environment are loved conditionally- when/ if funding is available. Believe it or not I actually have love for Johnson I just have zero tolerance for his deceit.

Thanks again Mark for giving us all a voice and providing a forum to allow us to learn, read, grow together. Thank you for letting me share my voice, vent out my frustrations so I don’t dwell in anger. We’re all a piece of the puzzle and every position is of value and we don’t need titles or positions with the word “strong” in them to have strength. We are only as weak as we allow ourselves to be. Thank you for coming into my life to also bring me from victim to opponent, from weak to strong enough to carry on. God bless you my friend.

what i don’t like about your comments is you only blame KJ. you may say you blame the city council, but i’ve never seen it. if you truely are fair, then you would say something like “I don’t like what KJ did, but the council should be held accountable as well”. the fact remains the mayoral position is one vote on a council of nine. the way the current charter is, nothing happens in this city without the vote of the council and we all know how long that generally takes. i highly doubt you can say this city is better of today than it was six years ago. why did i choose six years? because that is when the last change was made to this council (both fong and mccarty were elected) before that 2001, before that 2000 and then we have four (count them four, almost half) of the council has been on seated since the 90s. that means today we are reaping the rewards (or losses) of their policies and votes. now if you want to look at last year (KJ’s first year in office) the only major votes he voted opposite the council was regarding the stong-mayor initiative. that means most of the time he voted with them. again, if you don’t like he way he voted, then it is only fair to say the same about the council, which you don’t.

yes, as it stands now, he can’t get things done. why? the position doesn’t allow it. he faces a council that moves like molasses, most of the council opposed his election to begin with, and some of them have higher asperations than just this council. by the way, the SMI would only redistribute certain powers (the budget would still need to be approved by the council, major appointments would still need to be approved by the council and the council would have veto powers). geee, this sounds like another form of government that is currently employed….the federal and state governments. i don’t see you blasting obama for his lack of leadership (i voted for him and i wouldn’t blast him because like KJ, it takes time to implement things, it won’t change overnight). but the difference between the president and the current mayor is, the president has power.

for those reasons, that is why your blasting of KJ is personal. you see only him when it comes to spewing your venom and that is not right, fair (or christian) of you.

for the record, i don’t believe or not believe in religion. i don’t believe or not believe in god. frankly i don’t know either way and there hasn’t been that event that would make me choose. i do know that in order to have a functioning government, religion can’t be the basis of governing.

2112; while I do share the opinion towards many of our council “I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep.” Our council does not consist of 8 lions. And Johnson, even though he sometimes and not often enough puts on his humble mask, is far from a sheep. And, I’m not asking him to be a sheep what I demand is that he doesn’t include deceit. Too me deceit is this case is a lion. Johnson is asking for more power, claiming more accountability so he should expect more criticism aimed at him and not at the council. (Seems to me criticizing him now can help him adapt to it later). Perhaps the following quotes suit your fancy better since Johnson wants us to think he needs more power to get things done “leadership is action not position” and “a leader doesn’t create followers but creates more leaders”. And with the SMP Johnson is attempting to create followers and insists he can’t get things done without a new position. And until Johnson realizes “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” this member of the public will express her opinion of this wanna be leader (oh and their are plenty more quotes I can use, rather than a quote from the bible, that you may feel belong regarding Johnson’s leadership or lack of leadership)