By extension, the man whose executive duty it is to keep one of these cityships on a smooth course is a kind of soc... more

By extension, the man whose executive duty it is to keep one of these cityships on a smooth course is a kind of social warrior, a captain of a big ship, who, like the captain of “Big John,” must maintain himself and his crew at a high level of alertness and efficiency. The specifics of how that works in an individual case come clear in a review of the work, life, and career of Ricardo (Rick) Menchaca, city manager of Midland, a man who, as the jargon of our time puts it, “has his act together.” Midland’s official web site notes that the city’s manager is “the chief executive officer of the government carries out policy and administers city programs.” That’s the whole story in a sentence.