Heather Fargo should be ashamed. Apparently her campaign’s charge, repeated several times, that among the problems Kevin Johnson must answer to is “not paying his taxes” has been all but proven false. Yesterday, “pressed” (not sure by whom) “to support her claim,” Fargo couldn’t provide any evidence of outstanding liens or unpaid taxes either for Johnson personally or for his businesses.
I wonder if she’ll take a closer look at the interview she granted Eyes of Argus yesterday in which she claims “we’re also going to need to look at his record and … look at where he is in terms of, you know, paying his taxes.” And Argus might want to amend his claim Johnson was “hamming it up at the Guild Theater” during the interview to “fighting Fargo’s bogus claims.”
Kudos to the Bee for reporting this, especially since it includes this detail:
[Fargo spokesman Ryan Rauzon] acknowledged the $45,000 figure [unpaid taxes] was just a rough estimate, based in part on a Bee article printed in October.
One always did get the impression (at least this one did) that the appearance of news of Johnson’s property problems was a calculated opening salvo in case of his eventual desire to run for Fargo’s job. (That sentence has some property problems of its own I’m sad to say.) And not to mention, Fargo should probably be more worried that she’ll be held to account for the city’s “fiscal hemorrhaging”.
Look, I know you’re getting the impression that I’m a big Johnson supporter and that I’ve made my mind up to cast my vote for him. I am a big fan of his St. Hope project, but I definitely want to hear specific plans from Johnson for fixing the city’s numerous problems. And I do dislike most of the city’s current leadership.
But I actually don’t think Fargo is running a dirty operation, especially with the description of her campaign scrambling yesterday to back up its half-hearted claims. It just sounds really tacky and low-budget. Like maybe she heard about Johnson’s tax problems on Oprah and can’t help repeating it.
And don’t get me started on the Hillary vs. Obama-Fargo vs. Johnson stuff… I mean really, don’t get me started, I actually do have some work to do today.
The Sac Rag 
Taxes are boring. I’m voting for whomever gets embroiled in the first allegations of sexual impropriety. Where is Jessican Hahn when you need her?
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Ugh. The Sacramento race for mayor got off to an ugly start. Way to kick off the campaign, Heather! But it just goes to confirm my impressions of her general style of fumblin’ and stumblin’ about. Like you, I still haven’t decided whom I will vote for, but this incident knocks Fargo down another notch in my book.
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I will vote for Johnson.
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Kevin Johnson failed to show up for a debate this morning on the CW, channel 31. When asked why he couldn’t come answer viewers’ questions and debate with Mayor Fargo, his campaign said: “We don’t have to tell you.”
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Well crud. What’s up with that I wonder?
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I sense a new opportunity for political t shirt sales:
“Kevin Johnson for Mayor — Our slogan, “We Don’t Have to Tell You.”
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