Wonks in Politics

Marcos Bretón writes a sympathetic portrait of Sacrmento's mayor in today's Bee. The mayor won't see it that way but it is. Heather Fargo, if she is re-elected, will become a third term mayor. Bretón points out that Fargo's predecessor (who was also a wonk) had one thing which Fargo seems to lack - vision.

Joe Serna, her predecessor, worked for Merv Dymally and then became a professor at Sac State. When he worked for Dymally he was an ideological leftist. When he first ran for city council, from the neighborhood we lived in, he had not given up his ideals but he had developed a great ability to listen. He used those skills to push ideas, often from his ideological perspective, but there was a constant process of working on issues. Fargo has been noticably absent in everything but police protection. (Hers not the city's). You watch her at events and she seems like she could tell you how many white lines are on city streets, but would have no idea about what makes streets a useful part of the city.

We supported Joe in every campaign he ran. Not because we agreed with all the things he wanted but because he had fundamental integrity and consciously wanted to think about what the city could become. Fargo might make a good bureaucrat but that is not what the city needs.