CPR: News Story Commentary: Mayor needs to collaborate with neighbors:
"A year later, Sacramento’s self proclaimed collaborative mayor announced a winter shelter program for the homeless that included a plan to house 105 homeless men, women, and children in the city of Rancho Cordova. Incredibly, Mayor Johnson made his announcement without bothering to consult with the folks in Rancho Cordova.
When Ken Cooley, a city councilman there, read about the plan, he visited the proposed site and found a collection of dilapidated apartment buildings. Most had no stoves or refrigerators. Some had serious mold. When a city employee who accompanied Cooley poked a pen into the wall of one unit, ants came boiling out. Cooley doesn’t necessarily oppose bringing more homeless to Rancho, but he says there’s got to be a plan that includes decent habitation, security, services and programs."
"A year later, Sacramento’s self proclaimed collaborative mayor announced a winter shelter program for the homeless that included a plan to house 105 homeless men, women, and children in the city of Rancho Cordova. Incredibly, Mayor Johnson made his announcement without bothering to consult with the folks in Rancho Cordova.
When Ken Cooley, a city councilman there, read about the plan, he visited the proposed site and found a collection of dilapidated apartment buildings. Most had no stoves or refrigerators. Some had serious mold. When a city employee who accompanied Cooley poked a pen into the wall of one unit, ants came boiling out. Cooley doesn’t necessarily oppose bringing more homeless to Rancho, but he says there’s got to be a plan that includes decent habitation, security, services and programs."