In light of the long lethargy that has hampered the city of Sacramento from effectively dealing with many of its most pressing problems—in particular the problem of illegal camping by the homeless in the Parkway—the “relentless energy” of Sacramento’s new mayor—noted in this column—could be just what is needed.
An excerpt.
“On the morning after he was elected mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson was standing on a downtown street corner shortly after 8 a.m., waving at motorists as they streamed off Interstate 5 and into the business district. "Thank you," Johnson called out as the drivers waved back, honked their horns or rolled down their windows and shouted their approval. "Thank you."
“Many of his new constituents were still bleary-eyed after a long night watching election returns. But Johnson had already conducted three live television interviews and was preparing for a meeting with City Manager Ray Kerridge. Later he would visit a local elementary school, and he finished the day with an appearance at the Sacramento Kings' first home game of the season.
“In between, Johnson spoke with members of his transition team to continue work on an ambitious agenda for his first 50 days in office. Typically, newly elected executives like to follow the tradition of Franklin D. Roosevelt by offering plans for their first 100 days in office. But 100 days is too long for Johnson, he says, so he vows to cut that timeline in half.
"I want to create a sense of urgency and let people know exactly where we are and what we have found and chart a clear course of action," Johnson told me as we stood on the curb in the morning chill.”
