The current mayor of Sacramento succeeded Joe Serna, who was one of the best in the city's history. But by any account, even being charitable, she has not been up to the task. Her opponent is a former basketball player named Kevin Johnson. Over the last couple of days the Bee has posed a series of questions to each of the candidates. Johnson's answers seem prepared and safe. So do the current mayor's (Heather Fargo). I was struck in reading Fargo's responses in the paper at how little substance she offered.
But there seems to be a cloud of charges against Johnson. Some have argued that his self help project, called St. Hope Academy is a sham. From all that I have seen, that is nonsense. Some have argued that he is a "slumlord." But when you looked behind the charges, they were also nonsense. Now a series of charges have been made against Johnson that he "groped" a student in his charter school. The Bee's editor argued, and I believe correctly, that the charges were serious enough that they merited investigation. If the charges are true, Johnson should not be in the race. But I wonder whether the charges will turn out to be as true as the rest of the nonsense that Fargo's rather disreputable campaign manager has tried to put out there. Her campaign manager has a long record of spinning innuendo upon innuendo.
The rap against Fargo is more clear cut. The mayor fancies herself as a policy wonk. But her record as a leader leaves a lot to be desired. IT is clear that the Fargo camp would rather not compare her six years to her predecessor's. While Joe did some outlandish things, he also did some important ones. Fargo's record has let the city drift. She's done a lousy job of encouraging downtown development. Large blocks of the K-Street mall are decrepit. The city forced out producing businesses in places on the mall to get a grand plan going. That left part of the core looking like it was abandoned. Fargo also did a horrible job of trying to negotiate a deal to develop a large parcel of downtown land which once was a railroad yard.
I no longer live in the city of Sacramento. But if I did, and if the charges against Johnson turn out to be as specious as the previous ones, I would vote enthusiastically for Johnson.
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I thought the Bee's interviews of the candidates for mayor were interesting. I do not know too much of Heather Fargo or Kevin Johnson, except for I have read in the past month. I agree though, I have not noticed too much activity in Sacramento, or atleast up to its potential; the riverfront, downtown, the railroad yard, and now the Kings arena.
I plan on moving downtown or to midtown by summer, but I, along with some of my peers, would vote for Johnson. Fargo seems to complain and nickpick at Johnson too much in the media.
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