'People ask the difference between a leader and a boss.  The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert.  The leader leads, and the boss drives." -- Theodore Roosevelt --

I would love to give Mayor Kevin Johnson the benefit of the doubt and call him a leader. But as time goes by, I see less of a leader and more of a driver.

Heck, with lessons, anyone can drive. With a GPS navigation system of special assistants, a campaign manager, volunteers and a spokesperson it certainly may appear the mayor is leading the way. But even with GPS and a car full of backseat drivers, people have gotten lost.

A GPS navigation system can't prepare Johnson for traffic conditions, debris left in city streets or points of interest that are of concern to residents.

Will the "strong mayor" initiative drive us down a one-way street against traffic, causing a collision? Will we want to be a passenger if the "driver" suddenly begins to drive recklessly or appears intoxicated (full of himself) and is driving under the influence of deceit and trickery? Will we want to be on the road with someone under the influence of special interest?

Should we stand by while the mayor, who could have a suspended license,  suddenly begins to drive exceeding speed limits to get to a strong mayor proposal?

Drivers who are not leaders don't always reach their destination. Mayor Johnson appears simply to follow drivers of other cities. He doesn't appear to be a mayor leading the way. We've heard Fresno has the strong mayor charter, Oakland has the strong mayor charter. Many residents in Fresno and Oakland have become hit-and-run victims because of the strong mayor charter as the mayors driving their cities overlook and run down the cities' underprivileged residents.

If Mayor Johnson were driving in the open and giving residents a map with clear directions on the strong mayor proposal before blindly gathering signatures, perhaps he could renew his license without taking another drivers course.  If Mayor Johnson showed respect, consideration and courtesy and valued the cars, bikes and pedestrians on and near the road and called community meetings before the proposal was written in stone and before the proposal was taken to the City Council for a vote, perhaps we wouldn't drive now with so many calling out for speed bumps because of unsafe drivers masquerading as leaders.

Our mayor is a driver who appears not to value community input. The strong mayor proposal does not reflect the desires of the community. The strong mayor proposal reflects the desires of the mayor and outside influences. The community was of no value to the mayor until signatures were requested by hit-and-run signature collectors who carried no insurance. Many, if not all, of the paid signature gatherers I spoke with had no knowledge of the petition for which they were gathering signatures.

Traffic control is called out in the form of a Charter Review Commission. After a comprehensive study that listened to drivers, pedestrians and motorists of other cities, it was determined that the strong mayor proposal could be hazardous and cause slippery roads and unsafe driving conditions. But the mayor appears to drive the proposal by any means necessary, through thunders of confusion, rains of deceit and the thick fog of trickery. Now we are left with a measure that CalTrans cannot revise. The strong mayor proposal is written in stone.

Mayor Johnson appears to drive without insurance. Residents have asked but have not been told what specifically he can do with the strong mayor charter that he could not do with the current form of city government. Perhaps we wouldn't mind him going slightly over the speed limit if we knew where he was going. Perhaps we wouldn't call our council members to complain of high speed traffic racing through our neighborhoods to get to a strong mayor proposal, if we had a leader working in the open.

Perhaps if the mayor would appear as a leader and not a boss who simply is following drivers of other cities we wouldn't have to call our representatives and request that the mayor pump his breaks, slow down or get his car (strong mayor proposal) towed for driving with a suspended license, driving under the influence, hit and run, reckless driving and causing so much road rage.

Community members are no longer riding blindfolded with the drivers elected into office. There's been too much propaganda and too many promises that have fallen to the curbside or become road-kill once the politicians' self-absorbed goal is reached.

Sacramento's mayor can drive but can he lead? After all, he is a political adolescent behind the wheel. Motorists cannot dismiss the fact that Mayor Johnson has had some fender benders, causing a collision or two with St. Hope, loaning SAG $25,000 in June without notifying our insurance broker- Eileen M. Teichert, city attorney that he forgave the loan and made it a gift. Mayor Johnson has been known to hit and run and contact his collision specialist attorney to make the problems go away. A mayor without full coverage insurance and no past experience with driving should not expect the public to rush into traffic for a strong mayor proposal.

It seems Sacramento roads are beginning to fill with curves, bumps and debris. The community is expected to trust the mayor not just on highways but now on the freeway as he takes off on a high-speed chase to a strong mayor proposal. We have no idea what the destination is and don't really trust some of his passengers. After all we haven't been told what he can do as a strong mayor that he cannot do under the current charter and we haven't been told if he picked up hitch-hikers or who exactly went along for the ride.

Our view is obstructed as we are told, "People who don't want the strong mayor form of government are afraid of change." Some of us are afraid of collisions by a mayor driving without insurance.

Our mayor appears to disregard others on the road as he races by the council members who we voted into office. The mayor did not consult with experienced drivers, some of whom have lead their districts; he did not value their input. Our mayor appears to disregard pedestrians and did not consult city residents to listen to their desires, or allow them to voice their concerns and offer their input in changing the city's charter. Those opposing the mayor are not consulted to see if there is a charter suitable for the vast majority of residents. It appears that the mayor requests that residents vote "yes" on the strong mayor proposal blindly, in the dark, and without lights or reflectors.

Yes, the mayor will drive with passengers, as he rode with arts liaison Sharon Gerber, to assist with bringing arts to Sacramento. He can be a boss. But he doesn't appear to have the drive to ride in the carpool lane with the community.

As a resident of Sacramento I would not wear a blindfold while a person with no driver training gets behind the wheel and starts racing down the city's streets. I do like Mayor Johnson's energy. I do like the fact that he can charm a crowd. He can be a good boss. But he is new to city government and passed a written test but has not quite passed his driving test nor received his driver's education certificate.

I would like to give the mayor the benefit of the doubt and call him a leader. But right now I see him as a boss. Perhaps I've become frustrated with so many of the drivers whom we elected to drive on our roads. Now the roads have become congested with heavy and dangerous traffic, causing accidents. Now I, too, have road rage.

Rhonda Erwin

Disclosure: I am a community member looking for a leader who works in the open, not a boss working in secrecy. I am looking for a leader who leads, not a boss who drives with so many intoxicated passengers and backseat drivers.