Monday, July 28, 2008
Combating Gangs in Sacramento
The Sacramento City council will decide tomorrow whether or not to increase the city sales tax a quarter percent to 8%, in order to use the money to fight gangs. The council will vote if they want to send the tax to the November ballot.
Mayor Heather Fargo is one of the chief writers of the proposal, which thus far is short on details. Where the money will go is one of the main questions. What programs will it fund, and how much will go to law enforcement? Fargo and friends will supposedly bring the fine print to the council Tuesday.
Already, many prominent voices have come out opposed to the new tax. First of all, Sacramento city is only considering the tax hike in the wake of the County's Board of Supervisors choosing to sit on their hands. Unfortunately, some cities within the county do not want to help shoulder the burden of what they say they have under control in their municipalities. So, the Supes rejected their own proposal, which placed Sacramento city into the position of doing nothing or doing something hastily.
The police union is against the proposal, but would like to see one that is comprehensive.
Meanwhile, as Fargo is a champion of the pending proposal, challenger for mayor Kevin Johnson has come out against the proposal. He says the people don't want a political facade, but would rather want to see a comprehensive, regional approach to the issue. He charges that Fargo is initiating this proposal to buff up her image of being tough on crime, citing her earlier comments that she believed crime was not a major problem for average Sacramentans.
The Sacramento Bee editorial page also decided to go against the gang tax proposal. Again, the Bee said the details on the proposal were to scant for their liking, and they feared the business repercussions for the city if it had the highest regional sales tax. Interestingly, columnist Marcus Breton went against his paper's editorial staff, arguing in favor of the proposal--or any proposal. Breton said that Sacramento is known for its inability to get anything done, and believed indecisiveness on this issue could result in more deaths and crime.
Going against normal journalistic practices, the Bee included the names of some of the area's gangs. Often times journalist do not name gang sets in the mass media, as it provides those sets with exposure and in some ways legitimacy as a group. However, an ongoing trial of gang members from north Sacramento prompted the Bee to describe how the fractured gang situation among the bloods in and around the Del Paso Heights neighborhood has resulted in a struggle for respect and money, naming several of the sets, including the one with members on trial. Johnson, in his letter to the Bee today, also directly talked about a gang in the Meadowview neighborhood as an example of groups that do not stop criminal behavior at the borders of the city.
Almost everyone in this situation is right. Fargo is right to be trying to do something about the gang problem in the city. Johnson is right in wanting to see a proposal that is regional in scope which clearly defines where money will go. Marcus Breton, the perpetual contrarian, is right that Sacramento must do something to fight the problems of gangs, even if it is not perfect--as no government initiative will ever be perfect.
The only people that are wrong on this issue are the Supervisors that didn't support Roger Dickinson's original proposal, and won't discuss ways to make the proposal more comprehensive and clear cut. The people that are wrong are those that live in and govern Citrus Heights and other suburban cities that fallaciously believe gangs do not and will not pose a threat to their burgs. The heart of the region IS Sacramento, and if you allow the core to go bad, you allow what is bad to spread. Gangs are already active in many unincorporated areas of Sacramento. Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove are already seeing the effect of gangs in their cities, though they sometimes pretend to say the problem is gang members coming from Sacramento. Unfortunately, in whatever jurisdiction the ballot issue would come from, it is hard to believe a sales tax increase would pass in our current economy by the required margin of 2/3rds.
Valleyvue believes gangs are the most evident source of crime in California today. Gangs primarily draw membership from youths, who, still in their formative years, will be affected by their gang association in their beliefs and decision-making for the rest of their lives. Gangs beget drugs, prostitution, violence, theft, rape, and any other crime known. It is OK to question Fargo's and Dickinson's proposal on the basis of wanting to know where the money will go or what is the best way to end gangism. However, for those who say gangs do not affect them, pay special attention to crime reports in your city. Remember your lack of action as you watch the family of a victim of a drive by shooting mourning on TV, or see gang graffiti painted on fences in your neighborhood, or someone you know is beaten for wearing the wrong color. Will it happen in Citrus Heights? Yes. It probably already is, but if not will someday. Besides, whether you live in Folsom, Citrus Heights, or Arden Arcade, you are from Sacramento.
Mayor Heather Fargo is one of the chief writers of the proposal, which thus far is short on details. Where the money will go is one of the main questions. What programs will it fund, and how much will go to law enforcement? Fargo and friends will supposedly bring the fine print to the council Tuesday.
Already, many prominent voices have come out opposed to the new tax. First of all, Sacramento city is only considering the tax hike in the wake of the County's Board of Supervisors choosing to sit on their hands. Unfortunately, some cities within the county do not want to help shoulder the burden of what they say they have under control in their municipalities. So, the Supes rejected their own proposal, which placed Sacramento city into the position of doing nothing or doing something hastily.
The police union is against the proposal, but would like to see one that is comprehensive.
Meanwhile, as Fargo is a champion of the pending proposal, challenger for mayor Kevin Johnson has come out against the proposal. He says the people don't want a political facade, but would rather want to see a comprehensive, regional approach to the issue. He charges that Fargo is initiating this proposal to buff up her image of being tough on crime, citing her earlier comments that she believed crime was not a major problem for average Sacramentans.
The Sacramento Bee editorial page also decided to go against the gang tax proposal. Again, the Bee said the details on the proposal were to scant for their liking, and they feared the business repercussions for the city if it had the highest regional sales tax. Interestingly, columnist Marcus Breton went against his paper's editorial staff, arguing in favor of the proposal--or any proposal. Breton said that Sacramento is known for its inability to get anything done, and believed indecisiveness on this issue could result in more deaths and crime.
Going against normal journalistic practices, the Bee included the names of some of the area's gangs. Often times journalist do not name gang sets in the mass media, as it provides those sets with exposure and in some ways legitimacy as a group. However, an ongoing trial of gang members from north Sacramento prompted the Bee to describe how the fractured gang situation among the bloods in and around the Del Paso Heights neighborhood has resulted in a struggle for respect and money, naming several of the sets, including the one with members on trial. Johnson, in his letter to the Bee today, also directly talked about a gang in the Meadowview neighborhood as an example of groups that do not stop criminal behavior at the borders of the city.
Almost everyone in this situation is right. Fargo is right to be trying to do something about the gang problem in the city. Johnson is right in wanting to see a proposal that is regional in scope which clearly defines where money will go. Marcus Breton, the perpetual contrarian, is right that Sacramento must do something to fight the problems of gangs, even if it is not perfect--as no government initiative will ever be perfect.
The only people that are wrong on this issue are the Supervisors that didn't support Roger Dickinson's original proposal, and won't discuss ways to make the proposal more comprehensive and clear cut. The people that are wrong are those that live in and govern Citrus Heights and other suburban cities that fallaciously believe gangs do not and will not pose a threat to their burgs. The heart of the region IS Sacramento, and if you allow the core to go bad, you allow what is bad to spread. Gangs are already active in many unincorporated areas of Sacramento. Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove are already seeing the effect of gangs in their cities, though they sometimes pretend to say the problem is gang members coming from Sacramento. Unfortunately, in whatever jurisdiction the ballot issue would come from, it is hard to believe a sales tax increase would pass in our current economy by the required margin of 2/3rds.
Valleyvue believes gangs are the most evident source of crime in California today. Gangs primarily draw membership from youths, who, still in their formative years, will be affected by their gang association in their beliefs and decision-making for the rest of their lives. Gangs beget drugs, prostitution, violence, theft, rape, and any other crime known. It is OK to question Fargo's and Dickinson's proposal on the basis of wanting to know where the money will go or what is the best way to end gangism. However, for those who say gangs do not affect them, pay special attention to crime reports in your city. Remember your lack of action as you watch the family of a victim of a drive by shooting mourning on TV, or see gang graffiti painted on fences in your neighborhood, or someone you know is beaten for wearing the wrong color. Will it happen in Citrus Heights? Yes. It probably already is, but if not will someday. Besides, whether you live in Folsom, Citrus Heights, or Arden Arcade, you are from Sacramento.
Labels: Arden Arcade, Citrus Heights, Del Paso Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Gang Activity, Gangs, Heather Fargo, Kevin Johnson, Marcus Breton, Meadowview, Roger Dickinson, Sacramento, Sales Tax
