Sacramento Voters Get What They Deserve

We were told that low turnout was to be expected -- boring ballot measures and statewide races identified as the main culprits. Yet at the same time we were told that Kevin Johnson's entry into the mayoral race energized Sacramento in ways unseen in modern times. So what are we to think this morning after the election, when Johnson clearly defeated the incumbent mayor and her entrenched infrastructure, yet will be mired in another 5 months of a slogging campaign? A few conclusions are difficult to deny:

•  Mainstream media in Sacramento had little impact. Shoddy, biased, amateurish reporting from the Sacramento Bee illustrated how badly this town needs a second printed media source. As the "only game in town", the Bee ran roughshod over Johnson -- some would say their coverage of Fargo prior to the campaign was similarly cheap -- presenting dialgue better suited to gossip pages at Raley's checkstands. Their Editorial Board decision to support voting for anyone OTHER than the two frontrunners reflects the smallmindedness many second tier cities like Sacramento strive to change -- a pillar of Johnson's vision for elevating Sacramento's stature. Moreover, it sets a terrible example for the democratic process -- throw your vote away. How could we have expected a high turnout when the city's main newspaper recommends that voters waste their vote?

• A new mayor needs a "strong" governing system. Voter apathy is a reflection of Fargo's bland personality and governing style. But it is also indicative that most residents don't even know what the mayor is responsible for. The "weak" system rewards a weak mayor -- it's simply not possible to promote and activate the level of change this city needs without a governing structure that enables true leadership to flourish.

• As it relates specifically to political campaigns, the system is completely broken. Residents unaware of how the city's elected officials came to office in the past surely know now. It's the Richie Ross show, as it's been for over a decade. That we as citizens allowed him to fulfill his promise of dragging Kevin into the dirt indicates one absolute mandate: change the legacy of Sacramento's powerbrokers. Ross's tactics -- all supported by the mayor herself -- ranged from flat out wrong (e.g., attacks on Johnson's tax record) to criminal (e.g., promotion that Johnson committed inappropriate behavior). Ross's legacy is a poison on this city and it simply has to stop.

Entering phase II of this campaign, voters should now be armed with a greater understanding of what's at stake. Yes, the issues are our top priority: public safety, economic development, education, flood protection, environmental sustainabilty should be on everyone's short list. But we should also see our local media, our governing structure, and our political campaigning system in a different light. It is my hope that Johnson's call for change extends beyond the issues so that voters see our city for what it is -- a second-tier city crying out for leadership -- and that the only way to get there is through new leadership unhinged from legacies that continue to keep good people down and Sacramento an afterthought.