We enter a new era of Sacramento politics with a new type of leader: Kevin Johnson, ex-NBA star, mayor-elect by landslide, a jumble of virtues and contradictions who will never be boring.Johnson could be exactly what Sacramento needs right now. He could help shake Sacramento's undervalued sense of itself. Or he could be a disaster. Anything seems possible and nothing seems impossible with Johnson.
At Monday's unveiling of his transition team, Johnson was surrounded by movers and shakers basking in his presence.
"It's an intangible quality that some people have," said Adam Mendelsohn, former deputy chief of staff for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – and now part of Johnson's transition team. "Certain people make others go above and beyond what they would normally do."
Mendelsohn is helping Johnson for free, as are most of the lawyers, community leaders and big wheels jumping on his train.
We're talking Republicans and Democrats and more than a few heavy hitters. Mendelsohn remains close to Schwarzenegger and is partners in a PR firm with Steve Schmidt – who was senior adviser to the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain.
The woman screening candidates for Johnson's chief of staff is Michelle Rhee, chancellor of schools in Washington, D.C. Google her. She could be Secretary of Education someday. Yet here she is, in Sacramento, helping out our new mayor.
The man helping Johnson reach out to the Latino community? Amador Bustos, whose company virtually owns the Spanish-language radio market in Northern California.
Yeah. Sacramento is ready for new leadership. Sacramento yearns for it. That's part of the reason so many people responded to Johnson so positively.
They want their city to be better.
The question remains: Is he ready?
Johnson has a ton of advisers, but will he listen? He has a strong sense of right and wrong, but does he ever admit when he is wrong?
Everyone in Johnson's vast circle adores him now – but that was the case when he took over Sacramento High School in 2002.
Some people left that process disillusioned. Some still hold strong, negative feelings toward a man they describe as a micro-manager who never lived up to his hype, who wore people out working day and night and who didn't deal well with dissent.
I know people who hate what Sac High became, and I know people who love it. And I know people who love the man, but qualify their words when discussing his future as mayor.
Recently, I met with one of his close friends and asked if he thought Johnson would make a good mayor for Sacramento. Johnson's friend frowned and said, "I hope so."
Me too. Sacramento needs a good mayor.
From The Sacramento Bee
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