Driving Mayor Fargo

On this morning's Eric Hogue show there was a discussion of a story that appeared over the last week in the Bee about Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo receiving a driving detail. In the last few years the mayor has been increased to a fulltime job and so this latest indignity to the taxpayers is but an extension.

A police official suggested that there might be a threat against the mayor which necessitated having the security/driving detail. In recent years, all levels of the political class have used the risks of terrorism to increase their level of perquisites. This is but another example. In the month of June, Fargo had one scheduled public event. The cost of this service is worth at least a couple of officers time - either fulltime or parttime. The best guess on the dollar value is in the range of $100,000 and that is probably low. The real threat here is the level of gang violence - which over the weekend produced 4 murders in the area. Is there any direct correlation between taking the officers off the law enforcement job and putting them in the driving role?

One caller this morning suggested that it would be more effective to spend the money for the mayor to be trained with a hand gun. I would throw in a defensive driving school. Taken together that might cost a few thousand dollars. Plus, she woud understand what faces the average citizen in the city.