Russia caught a break this weekend in its quest to start World War Three (Four?) when it was eclipsed by the most important news story to hit Sacramento in decades: Breakfast at Tiffany’s — Racist?

• Was ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ a racist movie?
• Sacramento official cancels ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ over anti-Asian scenes
• Rooney says racism charge at ‘61 film role ‘breaks my heart’

The Bee’s Stephen Magagnini sure made the most of having to work the weekend.

Continue reading ““Breakfast At Tiffany’s” invades, thousands flee” »

OK this is the most ridiculous thing I have seen in a while. Well maybe in like, 6 days.

Mayor Heather Fargo called Wednesday for police to reopen their investigation into a Sacramento High School teacher’s report last year that a 17-year-old student had told him she was inappropriately touched by the charter school’s founder, Kevin Johnson. … The mayor said she spoke to Police Chief Rick Braziel after reading an article in Tuesday’s Bee.

Via The BUZZ. I love the Johnson dude comparing Fargo to Vladimir Putin. But seriously, comrade Fargo, what will you think of next. I might vote for Jim Anchower.

And again I ask you: Am I the only one who thinks it is absurd/fishy… fishurd?… how many Bee stories in this scandal rely heavily on things that were reported in other Bee stories? At some point shouldn’t they ixnay on that?

Crime is up? Wha?Are you sure.
Because like, I thought it wasn’t.

Via Joe Sacramento (hey Joe, whaddya know!), don’t miss Daniel Weintraub’s piece from earlier this week about Mayor Heather Fargo’s dangerously out-of-it reactions to being confronted with the city’s crime rates, which I have blogged about here often. So often I’m not going to bother to provide links.

“My sense is that we are tracking at about the same pace as other cities,” says Fargo when asked her explanation for Sacramento’s soaring crime rate. The numbers are staggering — Sacramento has close to the worst crime rate in the state, and the rate has risen 50%… fifty percent!! … during Fargo’s term.

Continue reading “Fargo out of it on city’s out of control crime rate” »

Newish Natomas-based “The Buzz” found the Bee’s report today that a representative of Kevin Johnson has “pulled papers” for entering the upcoming election for mayor. KJ still has a few weeks to officially enter the race, or should I say to actually create a race, as otherwise Fargo would run unopposed, I believe.

The News & Review’s Cosmo Garvin is reporting that Kevin Johnson is rumored to be considering a run for mayor and could announce his candidacy as early as tomorrow (I think; SNR says “Friday, January 24″). Garvin of course brings up the Bee’s report last fall about citations at KJ’s Oak Park properties. I wonder how Mayor Fargo will deal with that.

P.S. Thanks to FFT for posting it

Mayor and buyers celebrate railyard sale

A telling quote from Mayor Fargo in the Bee’s report today on the railyard sale:

“I never thought I’d be spending most of my political career on this site,” Fargo said of her longtime role as railyard booster.

With 59 murders in Sacramento this year, easily the highest total in a decade, including at least 3 in the last week, along with other horrible stories of assaults, unidentified bodies turning up almost daily, and gunfire at the entrance to Arden Fair (that’s just this week), really, what else could she be remembered for? I bet you a Sac Rag t-shirt we bust through 60 by the end of the year.

Continue reading “That’s some good fiddling, Heather Fargo” »

Regal Cinemas, operators of Natomas Marketplace 16 and Laguna Village 12, has free G and PG rated movies at 10:00 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this summer. So if the heat comes back and you need something cool to do with the kiddies they’ve got “Rugrats In Paris The Movie” and “Charlie & The Chocolate Factory” (I think this is the Burton one, because the Gene Wilder one is a G and it’s actually titled “Willy Wonka and…” according to IMDB) this week, and “Muppets From Space” and “Two Brothers” (I assume it’s this one) next week.
Continue reading “Free family movies!” »

I don’t know how R.E. Graswich gets the quotes he uses for his bits, specifically the ones from local newsmakers and politicians. But I’d like to thank him today for giving Police Chief Albert Nájera a chance to show his true colors.

“Without context, crime statistics mean nothing,” the chief said. “It’s too easy to come out and scare people by saying, ‘The murder rate is up.’ In Sacramento, the vast majority of murders are committed by drug dealers and gang members and felons. Take away those categories and domestic violence, and you are left with maybe four people a year killed by random violence in Sacramento. That’s four too many, but it gives perspective.”

So by “context” you mean “ignorance”? That is really helpful. Especially to the families of the victims of domestic violence (you have to be kidding me! did he really say that Bob?) and any innocent victims of drug dealers and gang members and felons (seriously Bob, you’re putting us on, right?). Murders committed by gang members don’t count? What if they take place in broad daylight in front of a crowded shopping mall? That seems like the kind of thing you think, but don’t say outside the police locker room. I’m going to go ahead and speak for all citizens everywhere: We are concerned about murders commited by gang members, drug dealers, and felons. Go ahead and include those when you run the numbers.
Continue reading ““Perspective” on the crime wave” »

This thing about the IMAX theater subsidy from the student… err, city council is just one more example of Sacramento making it a priority to bring features into the city that residents just don’t want. Has anyone heard of a subsidy for the Crest? It seems unlikely that this has ever happened. Well, it’s only the latest detail in a history of public infatuation with IMAX.

In 1998, the city gave $6 million to the Esquire Plaza’s previous
owners - led by developer David Taylor. That project included office
space and the 450-seat IMAX theater.
The city gave the money on the condition that IMAX remain open for at
least five years. When it became clear that IMAX was struggling,
Taylor’s group reduced the theater’s rent in its second year.

I’m not saying there isn’t a place for the giant screen at IMAX and the … also giant screen down the way at The Crest. I’m not saying people should not eat at Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden. All I’m saying is, if the IMAX is failing, couldn’t that be because it is not competetive? Couldn’t it be because K Street has become a terrible location for any business? If the Crest is thriving, which I assume it is since it’s still in business, couldn’t that be because it is giving the people something they want?