Wednesday, March 23, 2005 | Perhaps I wasn’t paying enough attention in law school, but, what on earth is the point in litigation if nobody pays attention to what the court decides? Isn’t a decision enough? Isn’t a succession of decisions over 15 years, all in agreement, enough?
Our local Limbaugh, a bona fide lawyer no less, doesn’t seem to think so. The City Council, over the curious objection of Mayor Dick Murphy, agreed to throw in the towel on the question of that cross on Mount Soledad. Now along comes a super indignant crew headed by deposed mayor and lawyer, Roger Hedgecock, on a super quest.
An e-mail announced a new campaign to SAVE THE CROSS. Among other things it said, “The immediate upside, tho, is that during this 30 days the ungodly in San Diego may not touch Our Cross.”
Well, I’ll be! Now it’s their cross and those holy folks don’t want us unholy folks to even touch it. I had no idea! I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention in catechism either. I’d think it would be better if someone gave us a solid reason for why it should stay there. It can’t be for good fortune. Providence surely hasn’t smiled on the city all that much since it was erected back in 1954, what with the Chargers, several raging fires and a couple curious mayoral elections.
Hey, I got it! This is some new math trickled down from Washington. If we keep the treasury empty, that question of the missing billion-and-a-half bucks from the pension fund will be moot. Something like blood and turnips, don’t ya think?
Even with reimbursement to the plaintiffs estimated at nearly a half-million and the cost to the city for its own expenses exceeding now that the litigation is over, the cross isn’t alone in draining the coffers down there. Do you know what that new library costs? Oh, just a minute, we never got around to building it. Well, what about the potholes? Uh, never mind.
Hey, ya know what? I just remember I didn’t go to law school at all. Still I don’t feel much dumber than some who did.