Inside City Politics
Selective Enforcement
Nobody should have to step into a traffic lane to get around a homeless encampment. That’s why I proposed a sidewalk ordinance during my final year on City Council.
Our children need safe routes to school. We must comply with federal accessibility laws so people with disabilities can stay mobile. My goal with the sidewalk ordinance was to create a safe, 4-foot passage on our sidewalks, even where homeless encampments are set up.
The sidewalk ordinance became law last September. I expected the new rule would make it safe to be a pedestrian again. I’m sad to say that hasn’t happened.
Judge Dreadful
Sacramento owes something to Gov. Gavin Newsom, but I’m not sure what. Kings season tickets? A lifetime pass to the State Fair? Dinner at The French Laundry?
It’s not easy to quantify the gift Newsom gave when he lined up Mayor Darrell Steinberg for a seat on the state appellate court. From one perspective, the judicial appointment simply hastens the end of a miserable City Hall performance that would have closed next year anyway.
Then again, maybe not. Despite his public antipathy toward a third term, Steinberg has made stealthy preparations to run again. Given his influence over local unions and Democratic Party minions, plus his skill at raising money, it’s a good bet he could chase off legitimate candidates and coast to another four years.
New Faces
In his failed bid to become strong mayor, Darrell Steinberg may have lost his ability to command majority support on the Sacramento City Council.
The council expects three new members to arrive in December. None of the newcomers received support from Steinberg. Two veteran members—Jeff Harris and Angelique Ashby—have histories of opposing the mayor.
Strong Mayor
To introduce his strong mayor proposal to voters, Darrell Steinberg needed to answer a simple question: Why?
Voters rejected strong mayor in 2014. There was no call to resurrect the idea in 2020 amid a pandemic and social unrest. Changing the city charter is complex. The process demands comprehensive public debate and a vote of the people. Steinberg had time for just two City Council meetings before the door closed on Nov. 3 ballot initiatives.
How To Increase Transparency and Accountability
Currently, the African American community feels that policing in America is prone to abuse. Therefore, they distrust the police. All too often, African Americans put all the police in one box labeled “the police are generally bad for black people.” However, not all officers are bad; so, the good officers get painted with the same brush as the bad officers.
Transport Board Avoids Public, Pushed For New Sales Tax
Like the City Council and County Board of Supervisors, the Sacramento Transportation Authority continued to meet during the coronavirus closures. What did our transportation leadership focus on during two meetings at the height of hysteria in March and April?
You might assume they talked about an emergency plan related to the pandemic. You would be wrong.
