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Sacramento’s Democratic City Council and leftist activists don’t know how to talk to each other RoadRunnerNaturalWellness.com
by Raheem F. hosseini
ra h e e m h @ne w s re v i e w . c o m
when civil discourse crumbles.” The young man saw Mayor Darrell Steinberg stand Before things went off the rails on January 22, to leave and made his move. the mayor actually received kudos from some of “I got something to say. Before you leave, his more persistent critics, after he chastised the can you listen?” he called from the back of the Sacramento Redevelopment and Housing Agency Sacramento City Council chambers last week. for imperiling a year-old promise to house 1,000 “Please, sir.” homeless people by 2020. Only a handful of familiar housing advocates “It’d be one thing if you said, ‘You know and council foils were left in the chambers. The mayor, your thousand-home idea is a little ambifinish line was near. The only tasks left that January tious. Here’s a hundred-and-fifty,’” Steinberg said. 22 meeting were to hear comments from council “I don’t have that [proposal] in front of me. And members and constituents, in that order. people are dying out there.” But with Steinberg excusing himself to “It’s a strange day when I have to agree with catch a flight to a national mayors conference in Steinberg,” cracked James “Faygo” Clark, a local Washington D.C., the young man saw his opporactivist who said the city is only now pursuing tunity to address the city’s mayor slipping away. the housing-first strategy he and his allies have He approached the podium. Soon, all hell broke suggested since 2014. “And you’re just now having loose—again. these as proposals that aren’t even proposals yet? For at least the fourth time in less than a year, a They’re just what you learned? Like, Sacramento City Council meeting ended in c’mon people, it’s been over four abrupt, rancorous fashion following a years we’ve been saying these same game of procedural chicken where “It’s things.” no one blinked. Washington D.C. a strange That relative collegiality may own the patent on toxic day when I have ended when Steinberg introduced partisanship, but in California’s council comments and excused capital, the irreconcilable divide to agree with himself. That’s when the young is between the Democratic Steinberg.” man in the audience tried to local government and the leftist James “Faygo” Clark catch him before he left, and governed. activist was censured by Vice Mayor Eric SN&R submitted a public Guerra. That’s when Qui LB, who records request seeking figures on earlier reamed the council, flanked the early adjournments and expulsions man and beckoned others to come join her. dating back three years, but hadn’t received That’s when the man waved them back. He wasn’t a response as of press time. But an SN&R review looking to escalate; he just wanted to state his piece. of archived meeting videos shows the council “I’m not trying to disrupt the proceedings, I was adjourned early at least four times since March 27, just trying to say something before [the mayor] left, 2018—nine days after the police killing of Stephon that’s all,” he said. Clark, an unarmed black father, roiled the city. Guerra asked police to escort the man out of the Early adjournments also happened during chambers when he didn’t immediately sit down. meetings in which the council withdrew items The man didn’t wait. He turned and left as the that would have restricted public expression, both crowd booed on his behalf. inside and outside City Hall. That’s what happened “He’s a homeless youth! He’s, he’s traumalast week, when the city manager withdrew a tized,” LB shouted. police-drafted emergency ordinance that would Guerra adjourned the meeting as the shouting have limited what people could bring to rallies and continued. No one from either side heard what the protests. young man had to say. Ω Councilman Steve Hansen said a key factor in how meetings go is whether council members can be active listeners who treat everyone the same—fairly and with a little Web extra: For a brief history of unruly grace. City Council meetings, an extended “I think everyone has to cut each other a little version of this story is available at newsreview.com/sacramento slack,” he told SN&R. “I think everybody loses
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