The classic example of chutzpah is the story of the guy who kills his parents, then asks the court for leniency on the grounds that he's an orphan. District 1 supervisorial candidate Ken Berry is giving us another one. He has been heard around town accusing a former Jackson mayor of doing something when the real issue isn't who did it, but why it was done. But first, a little history.
Some years back, Cascade Development came to the city with a plan for an apartment complex of some 78 units which would be attractive, affordable to the average working person in this county and, because of the stringent requirements potential tenants had to meet, arguably the highest-class neighborhood in Jackson.
Kennedy Meadows had one fatal flaw, though: Families with children would be allowed to live there. This was unacceptable to Mr. Berry and his friends who would later form the core of the so-called "Friends of Jackson." They fought the project tooth and nail for years. Finally, Cascade had to face up to the fact that, if they kept Kennedy Meadows at 78 units, Mr. Berry and his friends could and would tie it up in the courts so long as to kill the project. Accepting reality, Cascade downsized Kennedy Meadows to 56 units, the highest number they could build and still get the "Friends of Jackson" off their backs.
This infuriated Mr. Berry and his friends. Both at that time and ever since, including in this campaign, they have harped on the loss of those 22 units when the fact is that to them, it wasn't a matter of 78 units vs. 56 units; it was a matter of zero units vs. any units at all.
Kennedy Meadows presented a real challenge/opportunity to those who would like to see themselves as "compassionate conservatives." This was not an issue of, Should the government build this kind of housing? It was, Should the government allow this kind of housing to be built? According to Mr. Berry and his friends, the answer is, apparently, No.
This should be an object lesson to those of us whose kids are just starting out in the world and would like to live in Amador County, but can't afford the rents. Or to those who would like their grandchildren to live nearby, rather than 50 or more miles away. Or even, in some cases, to senior citizens who have been honest and hard-working all their lives but now find themselves unable to keep up an individual home, yet still want a decent place to live. Are those things too much to ask? According to Mr. Berry and his friends, the answer is, apparently, Yes.
I was not there when the decision to downsize Kennedy Meadows was made, therefore I don't know if it was made by Keith Sweet, Cascade, someone else or some combination of the above. The important fact is that someone wanted to do something good for our community and Ken Berry tried his hardest to stop it. And now he makes a big deal about Kennedy Meadows being smaller than it might have been. Now that's chutzpah!
Andy Rodriguez is a Jackson City Council member.