Who the heck is Mike Johnson?
Who am I?
I'm a proud small-business owner, a commissioned officer in the US Navy Reserve, and an involved citizen. I've lived in Chico since 2010. I've owned and managed an information technology consulting firm since 2004, and I was educated at Chico State and American River College in Sacramento. I’m married, with five kids between us (along with a wonderful chocolate lab, and an absolutely useless housecat). We love living in Chico, with all of its small-town charm and all of the benefits of a major public university.
One of our daughters is an adult with severe special needs, who would be homeless herself without us and the many resources available to us here.
I'm a commissioned officer in the US Navy and US Navy Reserve, with over 26 years of enlisted and officer service under my belt. I’ve also served on the Red Bluff Union Elementary School Board, and I was the PTA president at Chico High.
Why am I running?
I'm very concerned at the incompetence of most of the current city council. I love this city and its people, and I think this city council is failing the people of Chico.
Six out of seven members of the current city council are doing a terrible job and are wasting your money and time.
Chico deserves better than to have city council-members who don't know what they're doing. They've wasted so much money on policing homelessness, which doesn't solve anything, while at the same time, they've been unable to ensure that there are enough shelter beds and housing for all the homeless folks in Chico. And they've neglected the fire safety in District 1 by not planning for and building a new fire station for this fast-growing area.
The City Council has failed to meaningfully address homelessness.
The overwhelming majority of homeless people want shelter and housing! But they can't get it. Currently the city only has about a third of open shelter beds for all the homeless folks in Chico. This council has had years to make sure there's enough shelter beds for everyone, and they've failed.
The current policy approach of harassing them until they "go back where they came from" isn't working. It's far more expensive in the long run to hire more police to chase homeless folks around than to provide adequate shelter and housing.
Fact check: most homeless folks in Chico are from here and want to stay here. And most homeless folks are far more at risk of being injured by housed people than the other way around.
The City Council has failed to address fire safety in District 1.
District 1 only has one fire station in a fast-growing area, which has led to response times that are DOUBLE that of the national average. The city has known for years that the area currently in District 1 has needed a new fire station, but they've failed to plan for it. So far they've only found $1.5 million for a new fire station, but they need $21 million more. My opponent’s supporters on the inept council majority, from the dais, recommended has proposed a new dispensary tax, which would be laughably inadequate for raising enough funds. The people in District 1 deserve modern fire-fighting response with a new fire station, especially considering how fast the north side of town is growing and the increased fire risks we all face in this area.
Mike Johnson is an officer in the US Navy Reserve. Use of his military rank, job titles, and/or photographs in uniform, does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.