Vice Mayor Steve Ly Said To Be 'Embarrassment' to Elk Grove's Delegation During Cap to Cap Trip



April 18, 2016 |

According to participants in the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce's Capital to Capital 330-plus people contingent, Elk Grove Vice Mayor Steve Ly's actions on behalf of his personal entourage during the recently concluded advocacy trip were an "embarrassment."

The trip, nicknamed Cap to Cap, is an annual event where elected officials, government officers, and business leaders travel to Washington D.C. lobbying the Federal government and California's Congressional delegation on behalf of the Sacramento region. As part of that effort, Elk Grove has typically been represented by no more than four council members and select city executive staff personnel.  

Members of the larger delegation who asked to be unnamed for this story noted that unlike his four city council colleagues who accompanied him, Ly took his two paid interns on the lobbying trip. Ly is the only council member currently taking advantage of the part-time paid intern program at their disposal. Mayor Gary Davis has a full-time assistant who did not go on the trip.

Typically, the city's travel budget pays only for council members and city staff with others going at their expense. Indeed, at least two council members traveled with their spouse and families as non-official contingent members at their expense. 

The city's original travel budget of $24,000 did not include Ly's interns. Typically, in this type of situation travel expenses can paid with an elected officials campaign funds.  

Regularly seen at functions in his role as Vice Mayor accompanied by his personal photographer, Ly upped the ante on this trip and had his intern entourage accompany him. Ly's personal Facebook page includes a picture with one of his interns at a grave site in Washington D.C.

It was how Ly interacted with hosts at invitation-only social functions on the interns behalf, according to the delegation members who were privy to it, that appeared to embarrass his city council colleagues and reportedly sullied Elk Grove's reputation with other members of the Cap to Cap delegation.

Ly reportedly brought his interns with him to at least two invitation-only events and strong-armed hosts for their admittance even though they were not invited guests. The delegation members said Ly's actions put the hosts in an awkward position as the functions are usually limited to official participants of the Cap to Cap trip and any other participants would have to pay, if that was even permitted. 

The two events were on Tuesday, April 12  and Monday, April 11 and hosted by the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and Sutter Health and Teichert Construction respectively. 

"[this] Was not received well by others - including the dinner host," one delegation member told Elk Grove News. 

The delegation members said Ly's action appeared to create an uncomfortable situation for other members of the Elk Grove contingent. The sources also claimed other members of the entire Cap to Cap delegation were ridiculing Ly and the City of Elk Grove for what was believed to be unbecoming conduct.   

Ly nor any member of the Elk Grove City Council responded to email requests for comment on the matter. 

"This was an embarrassment to other members of the Elk Grove City Council," one delegation member concluded.



     









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5 comments

June LaVine said...

I believe he is up for reelection. Hopefully we could get an opponent who is an "asset" to our city. There is something very scary here.

Steve L said...

No, he's not up for re-election this term. The mayor, who endorsed his campaign is, as well as Councilman Detrick and Councilman Suen, who was appointed rather than elected two years ago to fill a vacancy.

Ly has done nothing on the dais since his arrival, he however, has an incredibly strong Asian/Hmong support group, many who reside out of the area, even the state. He is well funded.

Ly has been a glory-monger since his arrival, with his personal photographer always two steps behind him.

Now we learn he has TWO paid interns????? - Really? If he can't handle to work load, he needs to step down.

He has become an embarrassment, first locally, now nationally.

Time for him to go.

Ace of Spades said...

This is a no-win situation. Critical comments aimed at Ly will likely be passed off as being racist, since he played the race card to get elected into office in the first place. Yep, America owes Laos favors and this is merely paying our debt back.

June LaVine said...

If he was appointed, how do we remove him?

Crissie said...

Embarrassing indeed!

Ly's ego seems to know no bounds. As a representative and 'official' of Elk Grove and Sacramento, it was incumbent upon him to observe the protocol and etiquette when one attends such functions in our nation's capital. The protocol for an invitee is clear. Ly disregarded the protocol and put himself above it. I am really rather shocked by his displays of self-agrandisement.

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