Out and About June 2022
Find out what is going on in Sacramento during the month of June!
No Opposition
There are two good reasons why Rick Jennings has no opponent in this month’s City Council primary election. First, nobody thought they could gather endorsements, raise money, knock on doors and convince voters to throw him out. Second, he’s done a decent job for eight years.
Since winning the seat for Pocket, Greenhaven, Valley Hi and Delta Shores in 2014, Jennings cleaned up parks, filled empty storefronts and prevented homeless blight. He made progress on the Sacramento River Parkway, though you need a microscope to measure advancement on a treasure promised in 1975.
Her Drive
Like many teens, Ella Fodor, Jenna Yates and Viva Corliss spent recent weeks studying for finals and planning college visits. But the three young Pocket women also performed a community service. They held their second annual collection drive to “end period poverty.”
“Period poverty” refers to inadequate access to feminine hygiene products and menstrual education. Medical professionals say it’s a public health crisis rarely discussed. A national campaign called “Her Drive” began in 2020 to collect bras, menstrual care and hygiene products for people in need.
Counting Time
Primary voting by mail in Sacramento County is underway and ballots can be cast at Vote Center locations through June 7 when the polls close. Two candidates already know they’re winners. Others must wait for the final tabulation.
County Assessor Christina Wynn and Supervisor Phil Serna drew no opponents, so neither needed to campaign.
Serna hasn’t faced an election battle since his maiden run to succeed Roger Dickinson in 2010, and that race brought token opposition. We can ponder whether Serna will try to move up the political ladder, though history has not favored candidates from the county’s first district.
Kill The Messenger
We get emails at Inside Sacramento. Some of them demand my head on a platter.
Not long ago, seven or eight emails arrived at the editor’s desk saying awful things about me. The emails were identical, but people who sent them were different. There may have been a strategy to this, but I didn’t catch it.
The people who sent the emails were angry about my campaign to open the Sacramento River Parkway and levee bike trail. They overlooked one important fact: It’s not my campaign. The parkway and bike trail are the city’s idea.
Work In Progress
Many articles in Inside Sacramento have described the failure of local elected officials to address the homelessness crisis. I hear your frustration and take responsibility for the failure. The crisis continues to grow. With it comes more suffering and misery among those living in our open spaces, more hardships for small business owners, more blight and trash in neighborhoods, more aggressive confrontations between campers and residents, and more crime.
Three efforts are underway in the city of Sacramento and Sacramento County that could significantly reduce the number of people living unsheltered while eliminating the worst impacts of encampments. I am working on these efforts and want your feedback.