An Inconvenient Truth

Friday, Aug. 17, 2007 | While the Sunroad debacle makes Mayor Jerry Sanders look amateurish in political circles, the record of City Attorney Mike Aguirre’s work leaves no doubt; he’s either a poor attorney or incompetent. Case in point: Friday we learn Mr. Aguirre’s latest foray into the practice of law was a conscious decision to delay submission of an enabling Municipal Code ordinance to discontinue the so-called Cadillac benefits for new hires. His reasoning for the delay: “tactics” for his other disastrous litigations involving pension benefits. But after multiple filings, six amended cross complaints, and endless hearing, the courts have repeated ruled against his lamebrain theories. And the court’s latest ruling prevents further amendments as it tires from his nattering.

So your thinking … yeah, so, at least he trying to do something! And you’d be right, he is. The problem, his legal tactics will cost taxpayers millions more as up to 700 city employees gain access to vested benefits the council intended to end in July 2005. The very ones Aguirre is trying to stop. Of course, Mr. Aguirre, who’s never wrong in his own mind, calls a press conference and claims those other lawyers are misinterpreting the facts. Their defense, “we’re following the IRS rules”, meaning, the rule of law, is just an inconvenient truth for our forthright city attorney.

The truth of the matter, San Diegans need someone to hold politicians and bureaucrats accountable. The record is clear; our so-called leaders have done what was best for them during their term limited periods of being accountable, and not what is best for San Diego. Nevertheless, we don’t need a city attorney, who is unable to see the forest from the trees. Whose lust for attention and political power will ruin our fleeting opportunity to recover from the financial devastation of mismanagement during the past 20 years.