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Sacramento journalist R.E. Graswich is not sad to leave his 37-year journalism career for a new job as special assistant to Mayor Kevin Johnson.

“I figure I got one last shot in life here to do something worthwhile as opposed to what you guys do,” he joked while addressing reporters Tuesday.

Graswich, 54, left a 35-year career at The Sacramento Bee in 2007. In the two years following his departure from the Bee, he took up “wonderful chances” to work as a co-anchor at KFBK and commentator at KOVR CBS 13, he said. Now, though, he wants to work in the political arena. This is his first week working as a staffer at City Hall in the special assistant position with a salary of $80,000.

At Johnson’s office, Graswich will hold several roles. He will be a point-man in negotiations and discussions between the City Council and Johnson. While he won’t be the mayor’s contact for the media, he said he will provide assistance on communications issues and strategies. Graswich will work on policy issues relating to both K Street development and public safety in the city. In addition, he will work with community members on behalf of Johnson’s office.

Graswich told The Sacramento Press in an interview in downtown Sacramento on Wednesday that he achieved his goals as a Bee columnist covering city issues. “I ended up writing what I think was the top column in town. It was the most popular, the most widely-read column.” Additionally, he spent several years writing a sports column.

He also wanted to leave the Bee because he felt it had changed for the worse. “When you look at the decline of the traditional media -- and the Bee in particular -- I just didn’t want to stay around and watch that,” he said.

“I was there during the glory years,” he added. “I was there when it was a wonderful, viable, vital place to work. I thought it was a job for life, frankly...And here we are at this situation where it’s just not the same anymore. And there are a million reasons for it. But I just thought, it’s time to step away.”

Graswich noted that some people have told him that his move to Johnson’s office from journalism is like going to “the dark side.” But he argues that private sector media outlets are “the dark side” because they’re working for the sake of profits rather than for the public.

“The dark side?” he asked rhetorically. “I’m getting paid by the people. I’m working for the people.”

“You’re on the dark side,” he said, laying out his response to journalists critical of his career move. “Your boss is trying to make a dollar... Clear Channel and McClatchy — those are the two people I’ve worked for. They’re in it for the money. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m working for the people now. And they’re paying my salary. And by God, they’re going to get their money’s worth.”

He also said that he is taking a pay cut to work for Johnson's office.

Graswich freely acknowledged he has a hankering for politics. Though he’s considered running for local political office, he said he’s not able to run in the 2010 elections.

“In the back of my head, I always thought — if I could get into government,” he said. “I love the city issues; I love policy issues. There was some thought about me running for office.”

He said he would have needed three things to run for a City Council seat in 2010. One of those things was the backing of Councilman Robbie Waters. Graswich, who lives in Waters’ district, would have considered running for office if Waters decided not to run.

Graswich also said he would have needed the support of his wife, as well the backing of Mayor Kevin Johnson.

But Waters is running for office again in 2010, and Graswich’s spouse, Elizabeth, put her foot down. “Honest to God, I think it was that she didn’t want to be married to a politician,” Graswich said. “There was also a period of fund-raising -- the rubber chicken circuit, the stuff that you got to go through as a politician to get yourself elected...There’s a significant loss of income because I couldn’t work while I was campaigning.”

While Graswich denies plans to run for office in the 2014 local elections, he indicated that the issue could be raised again in a couple years. “It’s too far out there,” he said. “Talk to me in 2012.”

He also said he made an eight-to-10 year commitment to work with Johnson as a staffer. “In many ways, it’s better than being a politician,” he said. “You don’t have to run for office -- you’re already in there. You get to deal with all the same issues...I think it could potentially be more fun, though. All of that’s conjecture at this point because it’s only three days into it.”

Read The Sacramento Press Friday to learn more about what Graswich will do in his special assistant position and how he accounts for his changing views of Johnson’s performance as mayor.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.