A Rugged Elegance Inspiration Network Exclusive by Jennifer King

This morning, the eighth day of January, two thousand four, after an interfaith service at Grace Cathedral, Gavin Christopher Newsom became the forty-second Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco.

At 36, Newsom is the city's youngest mayor in more than a century. Previously, he was a member of the Board of Supervisors. He is also a successful entrepreneur. His first venture, Plumpjack Wines, is the pre-eminent purveyor of wine and spirits in the city.

Gavin's father, retired California appeals court Judge William Newsom, swore in his son while Gavin's wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom, held the Bible. Gavin's sister sat close by. And the spirit of Gavin's late mother was felt by all - thanks to Judge Newsom's mention of her absence.

The inauguration took place outside, on the front steps of City Hall.

Before Newsom took the oath of office, outgoing Mayor Willie Brown, 69, expressed his reluctance to give up "the best job in the world." He encouraged Newsom to figure out a way, as he had attempted to do, to some day avoid a forty-third mayor from taking over. Brown praised his protegé as someone who "should be, by all accounts, one of the greatest mayors this city has ever had."

Before stepping down, Brown received a standing ovation for his eight years of service as Mayor of San Francisco.

Other than Judge Newsom's mention of his late wife, the most moving moment of the ceremony was when Gavin, in expressing his appreciation to his wife, turned to her and said "I want you to know I love you very, very much."

Ed Asner, one of the most honored actors in the history of television, who has been a vocal advocate for world peace, environmental preservation, political freedom, labor issues, and basic human rights, concluded the inauguration by reading a piece of prose regarding the history of San Francisco.

First Lady of the State of California, Maria Shriver also attended the ceremony, as well as, Senator Dianne Feinstein, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz, and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante.

Also there to support him, pictured here moments after Gavin's swearing-in, was Mayor Newsom's hairstylist for the past nine years. Edgardo Chacon and his brother, also a stylist in the city, came to show their fervent support.

Here are some excerpts from Newsom's inspirational inaugural address:

"San Francisco is a city in many respects that has captured the imagination of those of us lucky enough to have lived here -- and those who visit from around the world -- because it's a place that makes us all better."

Maybe that's because we've almost always been a city that gives each person the freedom to grow, speak, live and to love without the fear and bigotry that poisons so much of this world.

You know, the Native Americans who first made this land, their land, their home described it as nearly a paradise. These 47 square miles have attracted men and women from every corner of the planet and through the generations they have built, and rebuilt, a city that is still a beacon of hope to the world. ...

They created a city of freedom, a city of tolerance, of creativity, and most importantly, of diversity. They made a city where dreams could come true, regardless of your race, or gender, or age or who you love. Through the generations San Franciscans have built a better world than the one they have left behind.

And now, it's our turn, our turn to renew the promise of this great city and to leave it better than we found it.

Tens of thousands of fellow San Franciscans are out of work. Far too many of them are running out of hope. Meanwhile we have factions of the business community blaming the government, and factions of the government blaming the business community.

I say this, do we want to find someone to blame or do we want to find solutions? I say it's time to start working together to find common purpose and common ground. Because fundamentally I want to make this administration about solutions. We've proven that we can fight each other to a draw. We know how to stop things, I think that's for sure. Now the challenge is to start a process for change that will help us unite around proven ideas.

It will be much harder on all of us than the status quo. Because it's easy to be against something. It's easy to blame. It's easy to stop. The easiest thing in the world is to decide that we're right and they're wrong. What's hard, and I imagine you agree with me, is to listen.

What's hard is coming to believe we need to leave behind old ideas and long-held grudges. But that's exactly what the city needs to do right now.

To get our economy moving against we'll need to work with those who can create high-wage jobs. And we need new investments in our infrastructure and the revenue to pay for it. We need both.

We can stop each other or we can solve this problem together. And I think we need to put aside simplistic rhetoric and start working toward real solutions. ...

But I don't think any of us want San Francisco to be known as a city that knows how to make excuses. I think we want to leave behind a city that isn't afraid to solve even the toughest problems, tough problems like homelessness.

We simply won't remain a beacon for the world if we turn out backs on the despair and death in the streets. I have real plans, we have real plans for change, and I'm going to work each and everyday to implement those plans.

But I will do more than that. I don't pretend to any of you to have all the answers. But I don't accept there are no solutions on the issue of homelessness.

I'm going to work today, tomorrow and everyday to forge common purpose to address this issue. I will work with every activist, every interest group, every ideology and any individual that can present an idea.

I'm of the opinion if we can solve this problem, we can solve any problem. That is a way to become a city that works and the only way we can do it is to start working together again."

Gavin then asked the crowd of over 2,000, "Do we want to make a point, or do we want to make a difference?"

During Gavin's "Make A Difference" campaign for mayor he pledged to draw on the ideas and talent of all of the diverse communities in our city to create his new administration.

His transition team, led by Louise Renne, of Renne & Holtzman Public Law Group, LLP, is hard at work helping him to put the best people in place for the work that lies ahead.

Already, 183 people have been hired to the transition team.

Congratulations, Gavin and Kimberly! We are behind you all the way!!

~Jennifer

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