Opinion: Time For Elk Grove City Council to Honor Their Commitments - They are Past Due




By Norma Young-Lee | November 29, 2015 |

I'm just so confused with all I read happening here in Elk Grove.

I read we're naming a street after a veteran when the council wanted to consider naming one of our parks "Veterans Park" with a plaque naming our lost veterans - so which is it? Both? Don't get me wrong, I am a huge supporter of our veterans, but think we need to focus on one or the other and get it done. 

We have GOFUNDME accounts for an animal shelter and Sister City housing.  Yet I'm told our local Food Bank is seeing a huge increase in our local seniors needing help. I always thought Charity started at home - where is their GOFUNDME account? 

The Senior Center newsletter even states the city is still feeding them hope on their new center being built soon. Plus there is the Veterans Hall still in the works somewhere in that back room.   

We have a commercial business leaving town with 70+ employees without jobs just before the Holidays.  When does Mayor Gary Davis and his partner Councilman Steve Ly plan on starting the huge job recruitment they promised?  Now might be a good time!   

The kids are still waiting for some soccer fields and a swimming pool, but it seems that has been put on hold in lieu of catering to developers for a lot of retail businesses/roof tops on the land that will be coming before LAFCO in the spring.

And let’s not forget that lawsuit against P3 International for the swimming pool debacle. Will the kids ever get their soccer fields and swimming hole? I am very doubtful that will happen as presented.  It probably was never in the plans anyway.

But there is some good news for the bureaucrats at city hall – we taxpayers still have some available funds to pay that huge tax bill that comes due December 10th and it is my hope that the city spends it well because it was earned with years of hard work.  Now if we could only get our city to remember that the money they're throwing around like there's no end to it, is blood, sweat and tears money from us taxpayers. 

Of course, it's time for our electeds to start that fundraising for next year and have their life stories published in the local fish wrap. Their minds are not presently totally tuned in to the business at hand, but maybe just give the people of this fine city a few minutes thought before you turn in at night and honor the commitment you made when we placed you in office. 

It's PAST DUE and penalties are adding up fast.


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9 comments

Scott P said...

All very accurate points. Unfortunately, the electeds care much more about THEIR cash flows than the city's coffers being greased. Until that problem is rectified, it's business as usual.
Mayor Davis has to go. He's done his best, but his priorities are his coffee business and his charter schools, not city business and that's just not acceptable.
Having one of our last manufacturers leaving the city should be a wake up call. Businesses are leaving EG, not coming. Check the clock to the right on the page. It's been almost a year since Ly with Davis's mentoring (sorry Mr. Detrick) made promises to bring good jobs here. They have produced NOTHING. Employers are leaving, not coming.
Wake up voters!!

Ice Rink said...

Thank you for your editorial Ms. Lee. You have demonstrated that 'the natives are getting restless' and that an empty Council Chamber should not be construed by our leaders as a vote of confidence, and that all is not well in 'The Grove'.

Our leaders and their handlers ought to be concerned that despite the rigging of their game, the power of the ballot box is still based on the 'one man-one vote' principle. Last time I checked, wads of cash are still not allowed to be stuffed in a ballot box. Big campaign signs, potted plants, potholders, free hot dogs, and ice cream coupons may not be sufficient to ensure re-election anymore.

All the dream project promises you mention in your editorial will probably come down to a blame game-the school district didn't build enough pools; CSD didn't build enough soccer fields; and the voters rejected a sales tax increase. Damn us little people, what pests we are!

Capt. Benjamin Willard said...

All salient points Ms. Young Lee.

You did overlook one other project that is flying below the radar. That is for the empty lot in Old Town used for various functions including the Mayor's monthly food truck event. Maybe a GOFUNDME account can be established for this project as well.

Suburbia Sarah said...

City is PAST DUE for a shake up on the council and then perhaps at city hall where the city manager and her cohorts may be finally held to task.

I guess that's what we get when the city manager won't even invest in a home within our borders and prefers to live in the palatial foothills.

Maybe time to find city leadership that will invest their future into this city. Maybe then we'll see some rewards.

Are you listening, Laura?

Sally said...

Our city manager doesn't live in our city?
You're kidding, right?
Why would we allow that to happen?
She's got no horse in the race, why should she give a damn about what happens here.
That is just wrong!
We need people who have invested in our city to run our government, not outsiders.

Proud to be led said...

There are two kinds of managers: Managers who just do what they're told; and managers who lead, inspire, and guide the City Council. Gill performs the first role just fine. She's a keeper.

viewfromhear said...

For the record, City Hall would be a skeletal staff if we removed employees who didn't live in the City. While I personally believe in living in the City you are in charge of supporting, we do have some very strong staff in that building who take pride in what they do, and that is enough for me.

The council members, yes, put up or get out. However, who is to blame? Sure, it's the same ol' song and dance, we are unhappy, we voice our opinion, and in 12 months the same people will be re-elected. The people as a whole don't rally behind local politics; unions don't tell their drones which council-member or mayor to elect.

How do we break the cycle in 2016? Who can rally the gaze of the people of this City away from national affairs just long enough to earn their vote? Seriously, who? Government needs to change, and it has to start at the bottom. The political life is not for me, but I would be happy to stand next to someone with integrity who will honor their oath to help this city.

Anonymous said...

I am surprised that the city can get away with not hiring minority employees in line with the population makeup.

Anonymous said...

Anyone heard any good rumors...potential candidates?

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