Here’s to the worst Grinches, er, Trumps of 2017

Public disservice

Perv industrial complex

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Or have they? This is unarguably the Year of Fallen Perv—a trend set in motion by disgraced Hollywood slimeball Harvey Weinstein—and it seems like the floodgates won’t close. The Weinstein-fueled #MeToo movement unleashed a torrent of shared experiences and accusations. Every day brings a new report about a powerful man behaving grossly (Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, Al Franken, Roy Moore) or an old report about a powerful man who has yet to be held accountable (Donald Trump, this list starts and ends with you). Some of those names hit close to home, too.

In October, Sacramento entered the spotlight when more than 140 women signed a letter decrying the state Capitol’s “pervasive” culture of sexual harassment. Last month, David Pacheco, director of Sac State’s Fellows Program, came under fire for not taking the appropriate actions in light of sexual assault allegations against Sen. Tony Mendoza (Pachecho has been placed on leave). Then there’s Assemblyman Matt Dababneh, accused by three women of sexual harassment—including allegedly forcing lobbyist Pamela Lopez into a hotel bathroom and masturbating in front of her. Ugh. Shocking? It really shouldn’t be. Sacramento’s home to the O.G. political perv, after all—former Mayor Kevin Johnson.

K.J. was first dogged by allegations of child molestation in 2009 when a former underage St. Hope Hood Corps member accused him of inappropriate actions. Johnson, who founded the program and the affiliated St. Hope Charter High School, denied the allegations even as multiple people formerly associated with the campus claimed witness to his shady behavior. Johnson made it through two mayoral terms without having to pay penance for his alleged (always alleged) actions—even after an accuser from his Phoenix Suns days came forward again in 2015. This time she not only agreed to be publicly identified, but Mandi Koba also subjected herself to a brutal round of scrutiny by conducting national interviews with the likes of Deadspin. And yet Johnson continued as mayor, relatively untouched, politically speaking. He was even invited to join Sacramento’s pitch to be the next Major League Soccer city. Maybe Johnson won’t ever hold another office, but he (along with Trump, the namesake for these very awards) is still proof that powerful men don’t just have a history of getting away with abuse—we have a history of letting them. (R.L.)

Move along

Imagine you’re just getting to rest after a long day when light pierces your tarp walls and a loud voice tells you it’s time to get movin’. You quickly pack up your belongings and walk away—with a $1,000 fine and possibly a misdemeanor. Thanks to local anti-camping laws, this is the threat to basic human dignity that Sacramento’s homeless individuals face each time they nap in public or pitch a tent. Attorney Mark Merin and Right to Rest advocates argued in court this fall that the law’s application is discriminatory against the homeless community. The jury disagreed—shitty news for the city’s homeless residents and advocates. But if you’re camping out to score on Christmas swag or to see the latest Star Wars movie, your faithful consumerism will be unimpeded by this law. (K.G.)

Ticket to defraud

Sacramento’s revenue-hungry meter-readers have taken the task of paying for the Golden 1 Center to heart, issuing a slew of little envelopes on windshields. All year Sacramento media has been hearing complaints about the city’s parking enforcement, ranging from the ticketing of vehicles that have residential permits, the ticketing of cars parked where no restrictions are clearly posted, and the ticketing of cars just minutes after a meter expired. In July, James and Rebecca May proved to KCRA News that they’d been issued completely bogus tickets three times in one year. In October, city officials themselves admitted that thousands of faulty tickets had been slapped on cars within a two-week period. Trump famously lied about getting Mexico to pay for his wall. Is Sacramento fibbing about its paying for pro-ball? (STA)

Master misleader

Rep. Tom McClintock’s congressional district includes some of the most precious public land in the world—Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe and a half-million acres of national forests. So McClintock is in a position to fuck up a lot of real nice places. As chairman of the House Federal Lands Subcommittee, he’s in a position to fuck up similarly lovely places all over the country. A bona fide science denier, McClintock believes unlogged forests suffer from something he calls “excessive tree density.” He believes federal lands should be turned over to counties. And, like his president, he is honesty-challenged. For example: Just last week, the Natural Resources Committee passed a McClintock-authored bill amending the Wilderness Act of 1964 to allow bicycles—a move opposed by the International Mountain Bikers Association because: wilderness. McClintock denies that he is cynically using mountain bikes as an excuse to compromise this crucial law because: liar. Here’s your Trumpie award, congressman. (E.J.)

Demo-brats

Want to make McClintock look good? Stand him against Democratic congressional challenger Roza Calderon and Paul Smith, leader of a not-so-impartial political group. A power couple this is not. Calderon was reported to Roseville police for a revenge hack into the Placer Women Democrats’ accounting system, while Smith recently speculated whether SN&R’s four stories detailing the couple’s shadiness were backed by the Russians. Here’s to hoping that this is the last time these two comrades get their names in this paper. (J.F.)

No, a different coverup

We always thought it was weird when the University of California Regents hired Obama’s former Homeland Security secretary to preside over its public institutions of higher learning. Those doubts found justification in November, when it was revealed that two top aides to UC President Janet Napolitano messed with a state audit of her financial dealings. As the Los Angeles Times reported: “The audit, released in April, found that Napolitano’s office paid excessive salaries and benefits to its top executives and did not disclose to the UC Board of Regents, the Legislature and the public $175 million in budget reserve funds that could have helped stave off a 2.5% tuition increase this fall.” Those revelations wouldn’t have been made public if California Auditor Elaine Howle didn’t see past Napolitano’s smokescreen. Reminds us of another investigation involving a redheaded gasbag and a country whose name rhymes with “Shhhussia.” (RFH)

Trolls in the wild

Cowards work at night

From villainizing Mexicans and Muslims to defending neo-Nazis, our president sure led his xenophobic followers by example. And, oh, what that leadership brought to the Sacramento region. Since at least January 31, the Sacramento region has been the victim of a hate spree that has left few groups unscathed. That day, a Roseville mosque was tagged with anti-Muslim graffiti and MoMo’s Meat Market in Tahoe Park, along with a neighboring barbershop, was spray-painted with racist messages aimed at its African-American owners. By early summer, three different Islamic centers were vandalized with burnt bacon and desecrated Qurans, sometimes in the same act. Arrests have been scarce, though Sacramento police did nab a suspect for allegedly spray-painting swastikas on St. Francis of Assisi Church on 26th Street, while a judge delivered a slap-on-the-wrist sentence to a woman who vandalized a Davis mosque and shared her homicidal ideations on Twitter.

In September, a repugnant note left at the door of a black-run beauty salon in Elk Grove prompted a much-needed town hall discussion on race. The well-attended event also showed that bigots are too cowardly to show their faces in public—maybe because they know there’s way more of us than there are of them. (STA)

Everyone’s an art critic with a spray can

This summer’s mural festival Wide Open Walls was not without controversy. Some argued that the commissioned artworks were like gentrification fairy dust, raising rents in their wake. Regardless, it’s not cool to vandalize painstakingly realized artwork. Artist Waylon Horner said he spent 100 hours painting punchy purples on a wall in Oak Park for the festival. In probably a matter of minutes, a vandal spray-painted atop his mural with these words: “Gentrification 101: Make it hip! Fuck that.”

It’s not just anonymous taggers damaging artworks. After mere days, Pipeworks painted over one of the Wide Open Walls murals on its site because the large-scale painting wasn’t to its liking. I guess it’s not OK for an artist to follow their own vision if it’s not precisely on brand—even for a week.

Adding to the list of fallen creations, a police shooting memorial was wiped clean by the Guild Theater shortly after its creation in November. Granted, this was not a commissioned artwork, making it fall into the category of illegal graffiti. But the line between street art and graffiti can be as blurry as the edges of an aerosol paint streak. (R.H.)

Bird shots

Is there anything more Sacramento-like than a whiff of snobbery about anything that gets too popular? (Heh, anti-popular vote? That’s certainly in the Trump playbook). Witness the inevitable Lady Bird backlash. Oh, sure, the Greta Gerwig-directed film is the best-reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes ever, but leave it to us to smugly Sacsplain why it’s really not that good: There are better coming-of-age films filmed in Sacramento (River’s Edge is more than 30 years old and centers on boys—I dunno, maybe they’re just different films?); it didn’t show the right city landmarks; it’s about the privileged elite (sorry, but have you seen the film?), etc. Haters to the left—which in this case would be, uh, Davis. Fitting, really. (R.L.)

Brew it somewhere else

A month into the tweeter-in-chief’s reign of terror, the former owner of Twelve Rounds Brewing Co. learned there can be actual consequences for putting gross things out onto social media. Daniel Murphy begrudgingly resigned after patrons learned of his Facebook posts degrading Islam, gay marriage and participants in the Women’s March. His former brewery is now under new ownership as Porchlight Brewing Co. Sadly, the craft beer world is apparently more accountable than the White House. (J.F.)

Law and disorder

Above the law, below decency

Want to see what happens to the noble law enforcement profession when an unhinged president buddies up to tin-star loonies like Joe Arpaio and David Clarke? California sheriffs go wild. As the Sacramento Bee and other media outlets reported, San Joaquin County Sheriff-Coroner Steve Moore is in a cauldron of hot water after two medical examiners blew the whistle on Moore’s alleged attempts to stymie inquiries into multiple deaths caused by his officers. One of those former employees is none other than Dr. Bennet Omalu—that’s right, the real-life NFL-whistleblower who was played by Will Smith in Concussion. The allegations by Omalu and a former pathologist included a ghastly (and apparently medically unnecessary) detail that Moore ordered corpses’ hands to be chopped off for, he said, identification purposes.

In Placer County, meanwhile, it’s Sheriff-Coroner Devon Bell who made the just decision to out troubling abuses within his jail, something that former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is spending three years in prison for not doing. And then there’s Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, who bookended his next-to-last year in office by hosting the head of Trump’s deportation gestapo and leaking his responses to a state audit, which the auditor said was illegal.

Just more proof that when Trump and his pals use the phrase “law and order,” what they really mean is “bullies go free.” (RFH)

Blue snowflakes

In an era where Hair Fürher encourages cops to “rough up” the innocent until proven guilty, some law enforcement officials have felt emboldened to troll in real life. The most prolific example might be the SPD Underground page on Facebook, where purported members of the Police Department have anonymously criticized groups like Black Lives Matter Sacramento. The Facebook group could have been following the example of Sheriff Jones (him again!), who trolled BLM Sac’s founder with a public letter questioning Tanya Faison’s good to the African-American community. According to the Bee, Faison responded that the white sheriff “doesn’t get to tell black people who their leaders are.” No they don’t. But they sure think they do. Case in point: In May, Jones’ predecessor John McGinness was forced to step down from his Robert Mueller-style investigation into the UC Davis Picnic Day melee after telling his KFBK listeners black people had it “much, much, much, much better than before” the Civil Rights Act. Oy vey. Someone gets these guys library cards. (M.M.)

Excessive overreactions

Law enforcement is a difficult job performed under constant scrutiny. For that, good cops should blame these overkillers: At the California State Fair, cops threw 17-year-old Shanita Minor to the ground for “loitering,” a.k.a. what everybody does at the fair. In North Sacramento, officers yanked aside the pregnant Zityrua Abraham, who fell to the ground while they entered her home—the wrong one—in pursuit of a suspect. And finally, in Del Paso Heights, Nandi Cain Jr. got punched 18 times in the head for not jaywalking. Cain’s assaulting officer, Anthony Figueroa, just got cleared to return to the force. Is it a coincidence that each of the victims is black? (J.F.)

Victims of the prosecution

Just as Trump has desecrated what it means to be a law and order politician—sanctioning excessive force, defending accused child molesters and sex criminals (like himself), while decrying those who quietly kneel—some elected prosecutors seem confused about who they should be putting away. Take Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, who has continued her office’s tradition of being tough on homeless people, sex workers and activists while displaying endless compassion for those in power and people accused of abusing it. Under Schubert’s leadership, the DA’s office spent considerable taxpayer resources this year prosecuting Sean Thompson for felony assault because he mushed a pie into the face of former Mayor Kevin Johnson. (K.J., who responded by drilling the guy with numerous face-punches, was an absentee victim during trial.) Schubert is the same DA who absolved officers in 14 suspect shootings or custody deaths last year, which is fitting. Fourteen is the number of times two cops shot Joseph Mann after first trying to run him over last year.

Not to be outdone, the San Joaquin County district attorney’s office is currently prosecuting a 25-year-old mother of two for prostitution—after the woman provided the office with evidence that she was a human trafficking victim.

If you’re looking for the Trump effect here, maybe it’s that our so-called protectors now think low-hanging fruit is the ripest for the picking. (RFH)

It’s the stupid economy

It’s pronounced 'bar ruse’

Echoing Trump’s shady real estate past, Adrian Watson is said to have a problem paying people what they’re owed. Watson’s former employees at the now-closed Bar Rouse tell SN&R they’re still owed more than $20,000 in back wages. Watson, who was evicted from the Midtown property, is also fighting Sactown Union Brewing Co. in a lawsuit. According to county court records, the brewery alleges he did a poor job on a remodel, then broke into the business after he was replaced by another contractor. Someone’s been reading Trump: The Art of the Deal. (J.F.)

Beer bye-bye

This year saw the biggest boom in craft breweries in the region. But the extra competition felled a giant, Rubicon Brewing Co., which was in its 30th year when it had to close its doors. The Midtown institution struggled to stay afloat in the flooded market. Whatever its mistakes may have been, Rubicon consistently brewed no-nonsense beer that was a welcome respite from the show-offy varietals that other breweries have pivoted toward. Capitalism can be cruel. (J.F.)

Raider deflation

After being the NFL’s most die-hard, intimidating fan base since 1985, the Raider faithful got dumped by their owner—the short-banged, nepotism-benefiting Mark Davis—after Oakland declined to deliver millions in public funds for a new stadium. Davis took his balls to Las Vegas, which forked over $750 million. This infidelity hits home for local fans, as well as those who still wake up in a cold sweat at the thought of the Kings playing in Anaheim or Virginia Beach. Yet it’s somehow fitting that the town that embraced a failed casino mogul who only enriches himself is also the place where extortion goes to be rewarded. Sin City, indeed. (J.F.)

Stingers, gone

Another year, another round of layoffs at the Sacramento Bee. This award isn’t so much for the layoffs—the newspaper business is brutal—but rather because, once again, top brass decided to target its arts writers (full disclosure, this arts writer was laid off by Team Scoopy in 2009). By dismissing talented writers such as Chris Macias and Marcus Crowder, the Bee has shown that even as the city’s artistic profile rises, it doesn’t want to invest in covering its growth. And, no, hiring a stable of freelance writers, however talented, is just not the same for what should be the paper of record. This unwillingness to commit to seasoned, knowledgeable journalists with benefits and long-term security is journalism at its profit-driven, Trump-like worst. (R.L.)

Just what Dr. Trump ordered

Congress couldn’t kill Obamacare in 2017. But in Sacramento County, low-income patients lost out anyway. Meager Medi-Cal reimbursement rates shuttered Women’s Health Specialists in June. For 30 years, the Ethan Way clinic provided affordable repro-health services to women, including abortions. And this fall, Sutter Medical Group stopped accepting patients under Medi-Cal Anthem Blue Cross. Sutter redirected around 10,000 patients. Women’s Health Specialists recorded as many visits last year. Those patients now enter a network of free clinics that are over capacity after Obamacare swelled the number of insurees faster than the industry could react. Worse next year: The final draft of the GOP’s new tax plan ends the ACA’s health insurance requirement. Experts predict premiums could spike as folks opt out, leading to costlier health care for people who couldn’t afford it to begin with. (M.Z.)

Global harming

Passive polluter

Tom Steyer fashions himself an environmental defender. Sure, he became a billionaire by investing in oil and coal before divesting from those companies, but the prominent Trump antagonist with rumored political ambitions swears he’s found his way. Well, SN&R discovered that California’s top Democratic donor is still happy to profit from destructive mining practices just 36 miles from the Capitol. Near the tiny town of Ione, developers funded by Steyer and others plan a 113-acre gravel, concrete and asphalt plant that would emit thousands of tons of emissions—nearly double the healthy level—while having “significant and unavoidable” impacts on wildlife. If and when Steyer announces himself as some sort of green candidate, we’ll know which green he’s really all about. (M.M.)

We’re fired

Trump’s retreat from the Paris climate accord—and his elevation of industry cronies to dismantle environmental protections and open spaces—may not have set the world on fire (yet), but we can’t say the same about California. This year, two massive wildfire events scorched NorCal and SoCal, adding up to the deadliest, costliest, most devastating fire “season” in California history. Just when you thought it was safe to discuss the weather around the dinner table, Mother Nature showed she is most definitely not a Trump supporter. (RFH)

Dam careless

After one of the wettest years on record, the Oroville Dam wasn’t ready to handle the aquatic onslaught, prompting the evacuation of 188,000 downstream residents after both the main and emergency spillways failed. Investigators found 24 possible causes, as well as prior warnings that fell on mostly deaf ears during drought conditions. Look, we get that we now live in a world where Rick Perry is guarding our nukes, but we can’t afford such infrastructural carelessness in the future—if there’s a future. (J.F.)

Brown mark

In the wake of Trump yanking America out of the Paris climate agreement, Gov. Jerry Brown has played Earth’s Santa-type savior, flying his sled to Russia, Germany and China as he rallies the international community to fight climate change. If only he’d spare some holiday cheer for the people of the north Delta. That’s where Brown is trying to break ground on his notorious twin tunnels project, which the state’s own environmental impact report says would hit the rural Delta with massive excavations, deep dredging, the razing of historic homes, the draining of ground wells and deployment of hundreds of heavy diesel trucks, nonstop, for 14 years. And that’s not counting the scientific debate about whether the tunnels will destroy the Delta’s ecosystem. Brown is all that’s standing between us and climate Armageddon. Now can he take one more teensy step to the left? (STA)

Fake do-gooders

Don’t love thy homeless neighbor

Sacramento is in the midst of a homeless crisis—one the city has failed to adequately address. It’s not just city officials, however, who were particularly Trumpy this year. While neighborhoods across the 916 have grappled with a rising homeless population and the corresponding uptick in panhandling and petty crimes, Land Park residents have set themselves apart by displaying a sometimes startling lack of basic empathy—at least as evidenced by their online activity. The area’s NextDoor group and its closed Facebook “community watch group,” Land Park Society, exhibit the worst NIMBY tendencies. Homelessness is a serious issue—discarded needles, trash and vandalism are legitimate concerns—but nonstop internet sniping and posting photos of homeless people amount to little more than coldhearted shaming. (R.L.)

Property over people

Jesus told the money lovers, “You are the ones who justify yourselves … but God knows your hearts.” That lesson was lost on Sacramento business leaders this October. Concerned with a plan to let houses of worship open as temporary homeless shelters, 11 property-based improvement districts, known as PBIDs, signed a letter opposing the idea. It turns out at least a handful of the groups didn’t convene a vote by their boards—which often include local electeds—with only directors ratifying the message that Sacramento should turn its back on those in need. Undercutting democratic principles while screwing the poor? Reminds us of a certain someone. (M.M.)

Courage to escape justice

Remember when we learned that the media darling nonprofit Courage Worldwide operated like a money-hungry Christian cult, performing pseudo-exorcisms on underage trafficking victims while taking in money for care it didn’t provide? So why is the group, which lost its state certification and numerous donors, still a member of the county’s official anti-human trafficking coalition, Sacramento Together? Oh, right, this is Trump’s America, so there is no accountability and nothing matters. (RFH)