Sacramento icon Kevin Johnson has been recently reported on by the Sacramento Bee. Johnson, a former professional basketball player and Sacramento native, reportedly has let several of his properties in the Oak Park neighborhood become blighted. Johnson is well-known in Oak Park for his work in developing sections of that neighborhood, as well as heading a group that took over Sacramento High School.

It is possible that Johnson has overextended his reach. It is easy to see how this could have happened to Johnson, and very hard to criticize him for the work he has done. It seems clear his intentions are very good. The alternative--a greedy slum lord trying to make a buck by providing substandard facilities to the neighborhood--just doesn't feel right.

Johnson could have taken his money and his good name anywhere. He could have built his mansion in a gated community along Folsom Lake, or he could have stayed in Phoenix, a hero to a city that saw his Phoenix Suns reach the NBA Finals. Instead, Johnson tried and is trying to fix his home, a neighborhood that many have overlooked and allowed to fall into disrepair. Although Johnson does have support personnel, it can be hard to imagine his projects moving forward without his celebrity and charisma.

The problem is that Oak Park (or Del Paso Heights, Downtown, Meadowview, Broderick, etc.) cannot be fixed by one person. It can't be fixed by one group. Oak Park is the heart of Sacramento, central to the entire city. It's demise as a healthy community is a blow to the region, and the region must be involved in cleaning up the problem.

Oak Park is repeatedly listed as Sacramento's first suburb. Now it is the inner city. How does a place lose its luster? Lack of investment, inability to change, political focus on other areas. Oak Park, thanks to Johnson and new partners that join him that will hopefully bring resources and know-how to rebuild the community, will turn the corner. The Heights seems to be turning around as well. So where are Sacramento's "problem" neighborhoods? Hard to tell. Florin Road has lost dozens of businesses to relocation to Elk Grove, but development is beginning to turn back north. Rancho Cordova and Rio Linda still are struggling from the loss of their military bases. The saddest thing of all is Oak Park or any of these neighborhoods can fall again if those development funds and efforts fall to the wayside. Here's to hoping that Johnson receives the help he needs for truly creating his worthy visions for the neighborhood.

Hmm...are there any other multimillionaires (or billionaires) in town with connections to basketball that could use a public relations boost? Just sayin'...