KJ's on the cover of Sactown

If you haven't seen it yet, you have go out right now and get a copy of Sactown Magazine for this month. Kevin Johnson is not only on the cover but there is an excellent, in-depth piece about his history and campaign goals in the middle. We are more convinced than ever that KJ for mayor is the best idea we've heard around town since The Towers project was floated.

Does it mean Johnson is perfect? No. We have some concerns still about properties in Oak Park that have been left relatively unattended. But one man cannot do everything on his own and essentially, the city has left Oak Park to him.

Johnson brings change, hope and idealism to the city. He is bold and not afraid to ask, with friends in high places. He personally begged Howard Schultz to open a Starbucks in Oak Park and promises to bring big dollars and big names to town. We're in love with his plan to actually use our rivers to our advantage a-la San Antonio and Portland, instead of ignoring them. We are inspired by his plans to develop downtown faster and we believe that he will not take no for an answer.

Most impressive is Johnson's commitment to education and his follow-thru. This is not a guy who talks big and then disappears. St. Hope has made a major difference in the lives of nearly 2,000 kids- kids who Sac City Unified was not serving to the best of their abilities. Earlier this year, in partnership with the M.I.N.D. Institute and UC Davis School of Education, St. Hope opened the Triumph Center for Early Childhood Education. This center effectively makes it possible for kids from 3 to 18 to benefit from St. Hope's extraordinary vision.

You have just a few weeks to make up your mind for mayor. Get Sactown's April/May issue and we're certain it won't take you that long.

KJ's in and Fargo swings and misses

Kevin Johnson is officially in the race. Heather Fargo takes a swing and misses widely. And so the mayorial race for Sacramento begins.

We're still working on an in-depth profile of Johnson that we should have completed soon. In the meantime, here are some important links.

A map and listing of KJ's Oak Park Properties

Ongoing stories relating to Kevin Johnson:
October 2007 Neglected Properties
October 2007 Triumph School for Early Childhood Education
December 2007 Sac High keeps its charter

Important Links:
Sac High
St. Hope Schools
St. Hope Development

My biggest concern is that Fargo has already gone negative. Doesn't Sacramento deserve a campaign that focuses on the issues, based in fact and reality and gives voters a true picture of the candidates? Fargo needs to get a campaign manager who will fact check everything that goes out the door. We're a few days into a campaign and inaccuracies, incomplete stories and misrepresentation of the truth are already leaking out. Let's talk issues. Let's talk flood control, crime, development of the railyard and North Natomas, doing something about K Street and the big holes downtown. Let's talk about educating Sacramento's kids who are falling behind their counterparts in other cities and states.

Mayor Fargo, if you want to talk about personal fallacies, you'd better make sure you can back it up with fact and can accept the same in return. It goes both ways. Don't go all Hillary on us whining about how people are picking on you and then plant lies in the media about your opponent.

KJ for mayor?

Marcos Breton's article in the Bee this morning covers the possibility of Kevin Johnson for mayor. As you know, I am not a fan of Heather Fargo and just about any name being on the table is exciting to me. It's time for Mayor Fargo to face some stiff competition and actually have to fight for her spot for once.

Kevin Johnson has a long history in Sacramento, though as of late much has been controversial. Most around town know the former-NBA player as the guy who is cleaning up Oak Park or the guy who started St. Hope and took over Sac High. There's a lot more to this story with complex weaves of he said, they said. But it ends up in a pleasant place of "Local star makes good".

We'll be researching Johnson's history and politics carefully and keeping you up to date on whether or not he'll be our guy. Right now, we're happy to just have another name to consider.