A competitive re-election contest sometimes drives incumbent politicians to pursue smart policies. And sometimes, alas, the opposite is true.

Pressured to deflect criticism or respond to perceived weaknesses, an incumbent will latch onto a proposal that polls well but may not be fully hatched or is unlikely to succeed.

Such is the case with the proposed quarter-cent sales tax increase that Mayor Heather Fargo hastily wants to place on the November ballot to counter gang violence. This proposal has taken off like a rocket, obscured in a cloud of smoke. The public may not get a chance to see the details until Monday, right before the City Council votes to place it on the ballot.

Clearly, this is not the way to deliberate an important community initiative and tax increase during an economic downturn. But process is not a priority at the moment.

Fargo barely made it into a November runoff with challenger Kevin Johnson after K.J. whacked her on the crime issue, and Fargo seemed curiously indifferent. So now Fargo has pegged her campaign on passage of the gang tax, which would raise $16 million a year for law enforcement and programs to stem youth violence.

It's not as though there isn't a problem to address. Between 2001 and 2006, violent crime increased 50 percent in Sacramento, to 1,214 crimes per 100,000 people. That put Sacramento right behind Oakland for major California cities in 2006, the latest year for which FBI statistics were available. Although the city's overall rate of violent crime dropped in 2007, young people bore the brunt of the violence. Guns claimed the lives of 27 people under age 21 in Sacramento in 2007 – the highest number for that age group in a decade.

To what degree can gangs be blamed for these crimes? It's a legitimate question with no definitive answer. All we know is that gang activity appears to be increasing, partly because of an influx of gangs from other parts of the state. According to the city's Office of Youth Development, the city now has roughly 900 gang members, with the numbers increasing by 30 a month.

Sacramento, and the wider region, needs a more effective strategy to help keep kids out of gangs and stem violent crime. To date, supporters have spent more time lining up votes for a tax increase than they've spent laying out a coordinated plan of attack.

First, Fargo and others need to identify the problem. Is it gang violence or overall crime? If it is gangs, where are they located? What resources are focused on those areas, and what need to be? Which youth programs have shown themselves to be effective, and which are simply seeking to backfill recent budget cuts?

Second, the city needs to confront the appropriate role of law enforcement. Of the nation's 50 largest cities, Sacramento has the fewest uniformed police officers per capita. Does the city need more? Quite possibly, but is a tax increase the only answer? What are the options for realigning the city's budget priorities, both outside and within the Police Department?

All these questions deserve answers before any tax increase is placed on ballot. For that reason, the City Council on Tuesday should vote no on the proposed measure, and spend the next year working on a comprehensive plan to accomplish a clearly defined goal.