Jake Allen Rages Against Elk Grove City Council

Expresses 'Disgust' with city council

During the Wednesday, June 9 meeting of the Elk Grove City Council former Elk Grove City Charter Commissioner and Chair Jake Allen addressed the Elk Grove City Council and expressed his "disgust" with their recent actions.

Specifically Allen was disgusted that the council was considering  requesting a Sacramento County Grand Jury investigation into allegations Council Member Pat Hume threatened an Elk Grove citizen.

Aside from his obvious sarcasm particularly towards Council Member Jim Cooper, Allen, along with former planning commissioners Paul Lindsay and Tim Murphy's underlying message to the council was to quit playing politics and look out for the interests of the people of Elk Grove.

Seemingly a reasonable request  - except they too are doing the same exact thing they are condemning.

Tim Murphy was a planning commissioner until Mike Leary was defeated in a landslide by Steve Detrick in 2008. Furthermore, Murphy's name has been floating around the local rumor mill as being interested in running for Cooper's seat had Cooper won an outright victory in Tuesday's primary for Sacramento County Sheriff.

In a twist of irony, if Murphy is in fact posturing for Cooper's seat, not only did Cooper not win the election outright, he came in a disappointing second place to Scott Jones. If Murphy does have city council aspirations, they will have to wait.

Like Murphy, Paul Lindsay is a former planning commission who was appointed by former council member Rick Soares. Soares was defeated by Hume in 2006.

Lindsay was a well respected planning commissioner who perhaps is still upset by the unsuccessful effort to deny St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church a zoning change. One can only speculate what his motivation was.

Then there is Jake Allen.

Allen gave the most stinging rebuke of the council delivered in the manner that would have made the late Johnny Cochran proud. Maybe Allen should consider a career as an attorney.

Not only did Allen criticize a majority of the council, he took the opportunity to slam  Cooper's radio campaign advertisements. 

This in not the first time Allen raged against the city council. His most recent rage was last January when Allen delivered his "farewell" speech following the delivery of the charter commission's report.

The proposed city charter was largely shepherded by Allen and former charter commission members Jimmie Johnson (who is running against Council Member Gary Davis) and Hume's charter commission appointee Christopher Orrock (who resigned  from the commission under a cloud after being accused of spreading rumors) but was rejected by the council.

Allen's wife, Bobbie Singh-Allen, was a political consultant for Mayor Sophia Scherman. Scherman is Hume's patron, mentor and sole ally on the city council.

Is the picture becoming clear?

So for Murphy, Lindsay and Allen to imply they are solely looking out for the interests of the people of Elk Grove is disingenuous. They are doing nothing more than what they are accusing others of doing - playing politics. 

In reality the team of Murphy, Lindsay and Allen were three stooges for Hume and Scherman in their proxy battle against the "majority," as Allen called them, of the city council. Perhaps the anger from Hume and Scherman stems from the stinging defeat they suffered in the recent SOI battle or some other internal battle being waged.   

By the way, listen for Cooper saying "thanks" to Allen at the end of the video. I guess Cooper wanted the last word.