To our readers:We know there are only...

To our readers:

We know there are only six shopping days until Christmas, but put aside, for the moment, your anxiety about crowded mall parking lots and think of the future, your future in Southern California. Do you envision a nation state that basks in harmonious bliss? Or a scene from “Terminator II”? Efficient transportation? Or clogged freeways and airports? First-class schools? Or academic disaster? And then ask yourselves: Who among us has the vision to make a difference and lead us into the 21st century?

This magazine, the final installment of eight millennium issues in 1999, is devoted to leadership and power in Southern California: the power of ethnic politics, of connections and money, of shared beliefs and conflict, the power of money.

We feature profiles in everyday power, people you’ve probably never heard of but who make decisions that may have a huge impact on our lives: a commissioner in the American Youth Soccer Organization, a bouncer at the world’s grooviest bar, a triage nurse in the ER, a talent booker for the Lakers (a good guy to know if you’ve ever wanted to sing the national anthem on live TV).

Take a look at our Power Hubs, which dissect four quality-of-life questions and people who are taking a shot at engineering a turn for the better. (Like the convenience of LAX? Relish the thought of driving 70 miles to a brand new super-airport? We thought not. What would you suggest for Lydia H. Kennard, who oversees city airports and must plan for the annual 100 million passengers expected at LAX by 2020?)

Plunge into our analyses of the power struggles that will dominate Southern California in the years to come: ethnic politics, the emergence of neighborhood faith communities as a challenge to the establishment, and the vying attractions of urban and suburban life. Is there hope for that now faintly heard question: Can’t we all get along?

Finally, contemplate the notions of leadership put forth by senior editor Bob Sipchen, who, along with senior editor Pamm Higgins, edited this issue. Who will sound the trumpet and who will heed the call in the next millennium?