Star Crossed Lovers - Divorced From GGP, Elk Grove Now in Funky Ménage à Trois With Howard Hughes, Wilton Rancheria

August 3, 2017 |  

Oh, what might have been!

That thought must run through current and past member of the Elk Grove City Council and the city's executive staff every time they think if only the economic policies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had not given rise to the Great Recession and worldwide credit collapse of 2008. Like catching a glimpse of a past lover in a crowd, whenever they read news about how their former partner is doing financially, there has to be a twinge of regret and longing for what might have been.

But alas, the love affair between the City of Elk Grove and General Growth Properties was doomed to collapse just like those unfortunate families who bought homes in Elk Grove's foreclosure besieged East Franklin neighborhood in 2007 on NINJA loans. The marriage looked good on paper, but forces outside of their control split the affair faster than the vows made between Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine.

At one point Elk Grove and GGP were singing Our house is a very, very, very fine house with two cats in the yard and life used to be so hard, now everything is easy 'cause of you. With all those sales taxes filling the city coffers, it was going be eternal bliss.

When reality bit, the love song transformed into something darker and foreboding. Instead, the song changes to I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life, I know you’ll be a star in somebody else’s eye,  But Why, Why, Why can’t it be, Why can’t it be mine?

As often happens in the aftermath of a collapsed love affair, Elk Grove rebounded and took on a new lover, this time it was the suave, debonair Howard Hughes Corporation who rode into town and took possession of GGP's house. The enigmatic Howard Hughes repeatedly made promises in the dark, with Elk Grove only to wake up in the morning time after time in an empty, cold bed without even a goodbye note.

Growing restless, Elk Grove felt like they were treading water in a river of deceit. Now they are singing The river of deceit pulls down, yeah, The only direction we flow is down, Down, oh down...

Feeling trapped after only a couple years with their new lover, Elk Grove sought out a third party around Christmas 2012 to help spice things up and move this relationship into more exciting, forbidden territory. In an action not unlike going to Backpage, Elk Grove suggested to their HHC lover, I've found a third party, so let get together and see what new exiting things we explore. 

While the Elk Grove City Council, HHC and the new partner, the Wilton Rancheria, scurried around for about four years hiding their threesome, the torrid trio finally had to come clean with the kids and tell them the truth. Yes, we have been running around for four years, and now we will be together forever, and sorry, you have no say in the matter.

Struck in this relationship, when the City hears their former lover is now recovered from their foreclosure and moving swimmingly along with new partners, despite operating under stress, they can't help but wonder, if only! 

So it is that Elk Grove has found itself in this strange, life-altering funky ménage à trois. Unless child protective services or family court intervenes and finds this unusual relationship not in the interest of the kids, forever will Elk Grove have sold its integrity for some cold hard cash.  

Oh, what might have been!