Emeryville Deserves a Mayor “who strives for solutions, not one who stoops to excuses,” says Examiner
Ken Bukowski’s failure to pay business taxes to the city of which he is now vice-mayor and formerly mayor has received a place among the San Francisco Examiner’s “Worst Ideas of the Week” for the week of Dec. 7, 2008.
Here’s what the Examiner said (for full list of the week’s Worst Ideas, click here):
Bad example
Emeryville mayor doesn’t pay his business taxes
The details: The mayor of Emeryville, a small city on the east side of the Bay Bridge, says he can’t — and won’t — pay his business taxes. Mayor Ken Bukowoski has told reporters that he is not only opposed to Emeryville’s business tax license fee, but he couldn’t pay it even if he wanted to. Bukowski, a 21-year-veteran of the City Council, is apparently trying to live off his small stipend for being a city official and some rental income. He says he’s a victim of the poor economy, but Emeryville deserves a leader who strives for solutions, not one who stoops to excuses.
Emeryville’s really getting a reputation. Ken Bukowski is making sure everyone all over the Bay Area knows about us.
Although this is not the Ken Bukowski we have known over the 21 years, he seems to be getting desperate and cocky (ala an Illinois governor), which is not a good sign.
Its been a sad year for Emeryville. We’ve already made our city’s reputation for messes over MANY years. Including not one, but TWO phony and corrupt school
superintendents (Handy and the last guy). So we need to take an inventory of our officials — maybe sweep out the whole lot of them and start all over.
The Chamber of Commerce’s newsletter reported that Kassis was recently and unanimously voted mayor and Bukowski vice mayor. After his recent antics, it seems like the public is thinking, “why is he even in office still?”. Yet his colleagues (including Fricke) put him in another leadership role as vice mayor. Can anyone explain?
What good would a No vote be from Fricke? By the way, it’s childish that they skipped Fricke and wouldn’t let him have his turn as Mayor…ahh life in Emeryville, where men are men and the politics are:
I’m new to Emeryville but I kept hearing about a history of corrupt politics here. I would’nt call this story an example of corruption but still it’s pretty brazen. It seems like he thinks taxes are for other people. Not a good example to send out!
I can’t believe the nerve of this guy. What would happen to any business in town not belonging to a council member, that refused to pay their taxes? There’s no way they would get away with it. I thought the days of this kind of corruption were history in Emeryville. It looks like it sure pays to get on the council. That’s why they spend so much money to get re-elected all the time.
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