Republican Elk Grove Vice Mayor Spease pounds the table, blames Calif. Democratic legislators over loss of 'local control'

Elk Grove Vice Mayor Kevin Spease. |

A quote attributed to poet Carl Sandberg and widely used by litigators says, "If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell."

That was the approach taken by Republican Elk Grove Vice Mayor Kevin Spease during an affordable housing hearing before the Elk Grove City Council. The matter concerned changes sought by a developer of a previously approved project.

According to Elk Grove city attorney Jonathan Hobbs, the city was compelled by state law to allow concessions to the developer as long as specific requirements were met. That was the law.

As for the facts, for decades, California cities and counties of all economic levels and political persuasion have dissuaded, stalled, and outright blocked affordable housing projects under the guise they had local control over who lived in their communities. This negligence has led to one of the many heads, in this case, the lack of affordable housing for a sizable portion of residents of the Medusa known as homelessness.

When you don't have the law or the fact to argue, the fallback position is to pound the table and yell like hell with indignation. That is just what Spease did.

In his case, Spease used the language of 1950s Democratic Southern segregationist governors to resist federal orders to integrate public schools. Instead, they argued that integrating public schools were under local jurisdiction and told Republican President Dwight Eisenhower to butt out.

Similarly, last night Spease, without tagging them, targeted California Democratic lawmakers. Spease yelled the state "binds their hands" and they have "stripped away local control." 

Metaphorically pounding the table, Spease bellowed, "Please consider voting smarter at the legislator." Given Spease's Republican affiliation and that both legislative bodies have Democratic supermajorities and they hold all statewide offices, it is undeniable where he placed the blame.

See Spease's table pounding below. 

After decades of indifferent elected officials of all ilk to housing affordability issues and the societal ills created, short of strict enforcement of laws, can we expect or trust officials like Spease, Elk Grove City Council members Rod Brewer, Sergio Robles, Rod Brewer, and Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen to solve this equitably and fairly on a local level? 

No way.  

Just like the segregationist learned, had local officials in Elk Grove and throughout the state acted in a non-parochial inclusive manner, they wouldn't find themselves in this bind. 

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