All Politics = Local

Lacks More Than Leadership

Donna Frye may prevail after all! donna won this election, on a write in campaign of all things - murphy spent san diegan tax dollars to dispute her win. My guess is he also drives a sports car. From today's San Diego Union Tribune:



Murphy resigns


Mayor says he lacks the leadership to fix troubles;
surprise departure boosts uncertainty plaguing City Hall

By Matthew T. Hall
and Jennifer Vigil
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
April 26, 2005


San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy's unexpected resignation yesterday heightened the uncertainty in a City Hall besieged by investigations, infighting and a string of high-profile departures.

Just one week ago, Murphy stood outside his house, defiantly disputing a national news magazine's accusation that he is one of the worst three big-city mayors in America and answering every question reporters asked.

Yesterday, Murphy's voice wavered as he announced plans to leave office July 15. He was joined by his wife, Jan, two of his three children and somber staff members. He left the press room at City Hall without taking a question.

Murphy, facing the threat of a recall election, said the city's mounting problems need leadership that he is unable to provide and that his resignation is "in the best interests of San Diego."

"When I ran for re-election, I had hoped that my second term would be as productive as the first term. But that now seems unlikely," he said. "It's clear to me that the city needs a fresh start."

While Murphy did not elaborate, others across the city did the talking for him. They speculated about his reasons for leaving, calling the decision courageous or inevitable, and wondered what a mayoral vacancy could mean for a city they say is desperate for leadership.

Murphy's resignation is the latest in a series of troubles for San Diego.

Federal investigations into city finances, allegations of securities fraud and possible public corruption began more than a year ago in the wake of the city auditor's sudden resignation. City Manager Michael Uberuaga has since resigned, and his successor, Lamont Ewell, plans to leave at the end of this year when the mayor assumes his powers over budgeting and personnel in a voter-approved change in how city government is run.

Two annual financial audits also are overdue, and the delay has left capital projects on hold and borrowing money at low interest rates impossible.

At the heart of the city's fiscal woes is a $1.4 billion pension deficit and disputes that pit Murphy and Ewell against City Attorney Michael Aguirre, who 11 days ago called on the mayor to resign.

Murphy, 62, said he set his departure date so he and the City Council will have time to complete next year's budget and to give the council a chance to consolidate a special election to replace him in a possible statewide election in November.

Replacing the mayor
The City Clerk's Office must receive Murphy's resignation letter before the process of replacing him can begin. As of yesterday, the mayor had not submitted it.

The City Council may appoint a replacement within 30 days after the vacancy, or opt for a special election. If a new mayor is not selected within the 30 days, the council must call a special election.

If a new mayor is appointed, that person will serve through June 2006, when a special mayoral election would be held to fill the term.

If a special election is held, it must occur within 90 days of the council ordinance calling for it. To save money, it could be consolidated with another special election, such as the one Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has sought for the fall, if that election falls within 180 days of the vacancy.

The nomination period would open 74 days before the election and continue for two weeks. The winner must receive a majority vote; if not, the top two vote-getters would compete in a runoff. The winner would serve out Murphy's term, through 2008.


Some council members said yesterday they support letting voters choose Murphy's successor, while others suggested the council should appoint a replacement to avoid the divisiveness of an election.

Even before Murphy has delivered a resignation letter to the city clerk, the rush to replace him is under way. County Supervisor Ron Roberts said he has an interest, and Councilwoman Donna Frye said she would be a candidate; they finished third and second, respectively, to Murphy in November. Councilman Brian Maienschein said he also is considering a mayoral run.

Murphy won his second term with 34.5 percent of the vote after Frye campaigned as a last-minute write-in candidate, losing only after several court rulings. In January, the former Superior Court judge pledged in his State of the City address that he would "not accede to an absence of leadership when leadership is needed most to restore San Diego's reputation."

Yesterday's change of direction, charted over the weekend after conversations with family and political advisers, was a secret that the mayor guarded until shortly before his 10:15 a.m. news conference.

John Kern, Murphy's former chief of staff and another one of City Hall's recent departures, made calls to inform council members about an hour before Murphy made his announcement.

Councilman Scott Peters, who attended the opening of a community skate park with Murphy on Saturday, said he had no indication that Murphy was fed up and would quit.

Reflecting on the mayor's style, Peters said Murphy "was his own worst enemy," doing two things that didn't help his standing with the public.

Possible contenders
for mayor
A vacancy in most elected offices tends to put political maneuvering in overdrive. This one has it in warp speed.

Mayor Dick Murphy's sudden resignation has placed a major decision in the City Council's hands – whether to appoint a successor or call a special election. In either case, his successor is likely to be found on a relatively short list.

What follows is a longer list: potential replacements whose names have surfaced in recent weeks as speculation grew about Murphy's departure. Some are open about their desire to be mayor; others are lying low, leaving it to their supporters to bang the drum.

The only certainty is this list will change.

Dede Alpert: Former state senator who specialized in budget and education issues; some see her as calming influence at chaotic City Hall.

Alan Bersin: City schools chief is leaving the post two weeks before Murphy leaves his; has professed an interest in the job before.

Steve Cushman: Port commissioner and auto dealer with strong ties to the business community and organized labor.

Peter Q. Davis: Former port commissioner, banker and two-time mayoral candidate who broke with Murphy over his handling of city finances..

Bob Filner: Former school board trustee and councilman, now a seven-term congressman; could run without giving up his seat.

Donna Frye: The councilwoman who many people believe actually won last year's mayoral election – a handful of judges disagreed – is in again.

Brian Maienschein: Second-term councilman from vote-rich Rancho Bernardo was gearing up to run for mayor in three years.

Steve Peace: Longtime legislator and mastermind of energy deregulation and the airport authority; lives outside the city, yet once coveted the job.

Scott Peters: Second-term councilman from La Jolla and a staunch Murphy ally; was also gearing up to run for mayor.

Ron Roberts: County supervisor who lost third bid for mayor last year, an election most felt he would have won but for Frye's late entry.

Jerry Sanders: Red Cross board chairman and former San Diego police chief thought about running before; he's thinking again.

Juan Vargas: State assemblyman and former councilman who was laying groundwork to run for Congress by opposing Filner in next year's Democratic primary.

Pete Wilson: San Diego mayor (1971-1983) who went on to be a U.S. senator and governor; lives in L.A., but has an aging base in San Diego.

Murphy should have given more attention to the city's fiscal woes and pension crisis than to other issues such as the Mount Soledad cross, and he should have made himself more available to reporters to explain how he was handling the city's growing fiscal problems.

"People interpreted that void as inaction," Peters said.

Councilman Ralph Inzunza blamed the news media in part for Murphy's predicament.

"I think the media has really made a big issue of issues that are resolvable," he said.

Aguirre vowed to work closely with Murphy before his departure.

"In making the hard choice of resignation, Mayor Dick Murphy has shown an admirable determination to do what is right and also shown a level of courage to which all in public life should aspire," Aguirre said in a statement. "I respect his decision and pledge to work with the mayor over the next few months toward a smooth transition."

Frequent City Hall critic Carl DeMaio, president of The Performance Institute, a private business that advocates budget accountability in government, said the mayor's decision was inevitable.

"I think the mayor realized he had to lead or get out of the way," DeMaio said. "The forces of change were gaining momentum."

In the business community, where Murphy supporters were common until the raft of recent negative news, his departure hit like a lightning bolt.

"It's a jolt," said Mark Fabiani, the Chargers' general counsel and spokesman on the team's effort to get a new stadium in Mission Valley. "But there are good jolts and there are bad jolts. This may make things even more uncertain."

Padres owner John Moores, who has praised Murphy for his work in getting a $474 million ballpark built downtown for the Padres, was tight-lipped about the mayor's announcement.

"I don't really have a whole lot to say on this one," Moores said, though he added that the mayor did the right thing.

He continues to credit Murphy for his work on the ballpark.

"There would be no ballpark today if it weren't for Dick Murphy's leadership," Moores said.

Murphy will step down with the fate of other major projects uncertain, including a new Chargers stadium, a new downtown library and a new stem cell institute for statewide research.

Last week, Murphy said he worried the Time magazine article might affect the city's bid to become host to the state's new stem cell institute.

Business boosters who worked on San Diego's proposal for the institute said the mayor's resignation certainly would not help.

"Any time there is uncertainty, it affects people externally with their decision making," said Andrea Moser, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp.

Banker Doug Sawyer, a major Murphy supporter, said he learned about the mayor's resignation from a television in his dentist's office. Former Port Commissioner Peter Q. Davis, who lost mayoral races to Murphy in the 2000 and 2004 primaries, said someone approached him with the news while he was jogging.

After months of speculation about a possible Murphy recall, Davis was surprised by the timing but not by the news itself.

"The need for it to happen so the healing could begin was becoming clearer and clearer," he said.

Sawyer, too, said he sees the wisdom of Murphy's choice, though he added that he was unsure it was the best decision for the mayor to make.

Murphy's predecessor as mayor, Susan Golding, declined to say whether she thought Murphy ran the city well.


"I think instant history is not a good idea," she said. "There will be plenty of time for Tuesday-, Wednesday-and Thursday-morning quarterbacking."

She said she didn't know what led Murphy to decide to quit, but added, "Those who have been observing the situation can probably guess." Pete Wilson, former San Diego mayor, U.S. senator and California governor, lauded Murphy for an "unselfish decision." In a statement, Wilson said Murphy's resignation will allow a mayor to take office "with the confidence reflected by a majority vote of the people."

In an interview, former San Diego Mayor Maureen O'Connor also called Murphy's decision selfless.

"Mayor Murphy has always been very methodical and he thinks the problems through and I take him at his word when he says the city needs a fresh start," she said. "I think he made a very bold and courageous decision."

O'Connor said there was likely no single reason for Murphy's resignation.

"No one in San Diego can be happy today," she said.

That sentiment was echoed in Del Cerro, Murphy's home turf.

"We're all sad about it because we did all help him get into office," said Donna Dose, president of the Del Cerro Community Association. "But things have not worked out, I guess."