Did the city of Elk Grove accomplish anything on their annual Cap-to-Cap junket, or was it Laissez le bon temps rouler!
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| Puttin' on The Ritz! Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen (third from right) enjoying the black tie affair thanks to Elk Grove taxpayers. | |
UPDATED 1:20 p.m. |
Maybe they thought people would forget. Or they may have decided why waste the public's time with stories that are, to be charitable, fabrications.
Whatever the case might be, this year the city of Elk Grove, as it has done for many years, sent the mayor, city council members and city professional staff members on a taxpayer-funded junket to Washington D.C. as part of Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce's 52nd annual Cap-to-Cap lobby trip. Theoretically, the trip is to lobby elected officials and high-level federal administrators on behalf of the Sacramento region.
In the past, the city council would try to justify this expenditure, which is estimated to cost taxpayers about $6,000 per participant. Last year, Councilmember Rod Brewer (see video below) said he was part of a team seeking regulatory relief from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Interestingly, seeking regulatory relief from the EPA from a pro-business anti-regulation group like the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce would mean rolling back things like clean air and water standards. Thankfully, it is unlikely they made any significant progress to pollute our air and water—after all, they are just there for the black tie affairs—but isn't it reassuring to know our tax dollars are being used against our health!
According to participants who have enjoyed participation in years past, the trip is nothing more than a few morning meetings with a local congress member or a federal bureaucrat, followed by fun time afternoon activities like a round of golf. Evenings are dedicated to black tie affairs while bellying up to the bar for some top-shelf alcoholic beverages, as we see in the photo of Elk Grove City Councilmember Sergio Robles below (third from right) at last year's junket - No Two Buck Chuck for our councilmember!
This year's junket was between April 13 and 17. It is not unusual for Elk Grove elected officials to extend their visits - let's hope on their dime.
Since returning from this year's junket, there have been two city council meetings. Unlike past years, when there was at least an attempt to explain their activities (see the video below of Councilmember Sergio Robles proclaiming he had fun!), there has barely been a mention of their activities.
From what we can determine from social media images, along with Mayor Singh-Allen, one city staff member who attended the event was public works director Jeff Werner. The city of Elk Grove has not responded to request seeking a list of council members and city staff who attended the junket.
At the end of the April 24 meeting, Singh-Allen gave a 59-second report void of details but full of praise for her public works director, Jeff Werner (see photo of Werner with Congresswoman Doris Matsui below). Singh-Allen said one of her unspecified city councilmen accompanied her.
Given the dearth of information from the mayor and her unidentified city councilman about their activities and accomplishments, this looks to be nothing more, as said in New Orleans, Laissez le bon temps rouler!
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Mayor Bobbie probably told whoever attended to keep their pie holes shut.
From the social media reports, I understand Jeff Werner was there primarily to lobby for "free Washington money" to extend Kammerer Road from Bruceville to I-5. Heaven forbid our developers be required to pay their fair share for that and the Whitelock/99 interchange!
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