Will Anthony Foxx be an impractical leader? I hope so

I watched most of the city council and mayoral swearing-in ceremonies on television last night, although I admit turning off the tube after the last of the new council members spoke. Lassiter and McCrory both gave excellent, classy farewell speeches–just what we’ve come to expect from each.

But I thought Anthony Foxx’s speech was the most interesting. He covered the usual ground–thanking his predecessors, sharing his personal history, job creation, public safety. But he also confronted the issues of homelessness and education. In fact, that’s where he showed the most emotion.

For the October issue, I wrote a short column titled "Being Impractical." In it, I expressed hope that our next mayor would not be afraid to use the bully pulpit for issues like education, even though the City Council has no official authority over the school system. After all, the mayor has the loudest microphone. Watching Foxx’s speech, I saw some indication that Foxx will indeed speak up on all the important issues. That’s a good sign.