On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 21:01:44 -0700, ThomasH wrote
in ::

The story of Oceanside is notorious meanwhile
here in CA. So is the development on the SJC and the eviction
of virtually entire GA from this airport.

So were the last two mayors of San Diego as I recall. Weren't they
indited?



http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...47-murphy.html
San Diego mayor announces departure less than 5 months into second
term
By Jeff Dillon
SIGNONSANDIEGO
1:35 p.m. April 25, 2005

NADIA BOROWSKI SCOTT / Union-Tribune
San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy announces his resignation from office.

SAN DIEGO – First the quarrelsome city attorney demanded that San
Diego Mayor Dick Murphy quit. And last week Time magazine named Murphy
one of the three worst big-city mayors in the country. Then came
increased rumblings of a recall movement.

Less than five months after starting his second four-year term,
Murphy, 62, announced this morning he would resign effective July 15.
....
Deputy Mayor Michael Zucchet would serve as acting mayor until the
vacancy is filled. But there is potential complication: Zucchet, along
with Councilman Ralph Inzunza, goes on trial May 3 on federal
corruption charges.

City officials and council members said they were notified of Murphy's
decision only minutes before the announcement.

Zucchet, who attended the news conference, said he was stunned.

"I'm in a bit of shock right now, if you can't tell it from my voice,"
Zucchet said. "I got a call, 15 minutes after you got your press
release, I got a call, saying what it was."

Murphy cited many accomplishments during his first term in office:

The establishment of the city Ethics Commission, the San Diego
Regional Airport Authority and the San Diego River Conservancy.
The completion of Petco Park, state Route 56 and the construction of
six branch libraries.
Several quality-of-life improvements: Cutting sewer spills,
undergrounding power lines, and reducing violent crime.
"When I ran for re-election, I had hoped that my second term would be
as productive as the first time," Murphy said. "But now that seems
unlikely. It's clear to me the city needs a fresh start."
He also noted that the city is converting to a strong-mayor form of
government. As of Jan. 1, the mayor, not the city manager, will have
the power to hire and fire department heads and prepare the city
budget.

City Attorney Mike Aguirre, a vocal critic of Murphy who called for
the mayor's resignation over alleged lack of leadership in the city's
pension crisis, said his office would advise the council on the proper
procedure to follow in filling the vacancy.
....
Murphy's announcement follows a spate of bad news for San Diego
government.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating city finances
and allegations of securities fraud.

The U.S. attorney and the FBI are conducting a criminal investigation
into possible public corruption.

Wall Street rating firms have repeatedly downgraded the city's bond
rating.

A Sept. 7, 2004, New York Times headline on a story on San Diego's
financial woes dubbed the city "Enron by the Sea."

The election that returned Murphy to office also was embarrassing.
What was supposed to be a two-candidate run-off between Republicans
Murphy and Roberts became a three-way race when Frye, a Democrat,
realized city codes didn't prevent her from running as a write-in
candidate.

And though her name was written on more ballots than ballots were
marked for either Murphy or Roberts, it was determined that not enough
of those ballots were legally marked for them to count as being cast
for Frye.

Time got personal with its criticism in its April 18 issue, blaming
Murphy for failing to deal with the city's looming $1.35 billion
pension deficit and labeling him one of the nation's three worst
big-city mayors, along with the mayors of Detroit and Philadelphia.

Murphy dismissed the article.