Barry Broome's braggadocio begets bogus blabber

At the Wednesday, April 24 meeting of the Elk Grove City Council, the Sacramento region's jobs and economic developer guru Barry Broome graced the city with his presence. While Broome gave a 30-plus minute presentation that was punctuated by an admonishment of the audience by Mayor Steve Ly after they laughed out loud at some of his claims, the remarks were long on words but void of any meaningful accomplishments.

Broome, who left a similar job in Phoenix where he continually bad mouthed the Golden State, was brought to Sacramento to do that voodoo he do so well. Unfortunately for Broome, and especially millions of taxpayers in the Sacramento region who pay a large portion of his hefty six-figure income, the voodoo he was to do has turned out to be more like a failed magic trick. 

During his remarks, Broome took jabs at workforce development that helps low-income low-skill workers find employment (hint to Mr. Broome - an Elk Grove City Council member does that very task for their day job), the Democratic party,  California's regulatory environment, former Gov. Jerry Brown, the lack of class-A office spaces, and Sacramento developers like Buzz Oates and Elk Grove City Council favorite, AKT Development. It was as though Mr. Broome was preparing his resume for his exit in the next few years.

Broome promised that a lot of nationally-based developers like billionaire Ron Burkle and Dallas-based Trammel Crow would be coming to the Sacramento in "two to five years."

"Some of them are actually traded on Wall Street," he proclaimed. 

While Broome droned about bringing life science businesses, he was unable to identify any specific companies that located to the region based on his efforts. Lots of buzzwords were thrown around and everything was "two to five years" away but nothing of substance was confirmed. 

He did cite two accomplishments. One -  drum roll please -  is they developed a new website, and he hired an assistant away from Phoenix who was on the 40 under 40 lists. 

There were some real moments of truth during his talk, however. Broome expressed amazement at the traffic congestion in Elk Grove. 

"I know why people complain about traffic," Broome said. "I am surprised to see so much traffic."

In one moment of bluster, Broome noted that he is making trips every three weeks to Seattle in hopes of attracting Silicon Valley jobs from Microsoft to Elk Grove. 

"Seattle loves us," he crowed.

Actually, he is trying to revive and transplant the 90s Seattle grunge rock movement. Sorry Barry, like everything else you are about 25 years too late.

Another moment of candor for Broome came when he channeled bumbling attorney Lionel Hutz from the Simpsons who famously said "I've argued in front of every judge in this state. Often as a lawyer."

Broome's Lionel Hutz moment came after he bragged that he made over 1,100 Silicon Valley presentation. There was a surprising and revealing qualification to that claim. 

"I've made 1,100 presentations in the Bay Area, and that is a lot of presentations," Broome bragged. "Not all of them are to a decision maker. Sometimes I'm pitching a temp help or something." 

Good thing Broome isn't selling for Glengarry Glen Ross, because you know "coffee's for closers," and Broome is not a closer, he's a poser.