"America's Finest City"? I don't think so, at least when it comes to local government. Because if you could summarize 2005 with one word, you would probably use "scandal." OK, maybe throw in "corruption" for good measure. Yep, it was a bad year for public officials, and their foibles pretty much overshadowed everything else in the city. We may have one collective black eye, but San Diego is still a nifty place to visit and an even better place to live - if you're not a politician.
1) Dick Murphy Resigns as Mayor
He came out as the winner in the controversial and protracted election with Donna Frye, but by May 2005, Mayor Dick couldn't bring himself to his own office, what with the growing pension fund scandal erupting around him. So, what does he do? He quits. But that's no surprise - he didn't even want to run for a second term and had to be convinced. All for naught. And San Diego's stellar record of mayoral dolts continues (remember Hedgecock? Golding? Curran?).
2) The City Pension Fund
It's too complicated for me to totally understand, but the gist of it is: the brain trust in city hall over the years failed to fund the city's pension fund over the years, but was able to hand out sweet deals to anyone doing business, at the expense of generating new revenue through taxes. The result? A city on the brink of bankruptcy and the downfall of a mayor and numerous bureaucrats in its wake.
3) Stripper Gate
Not only do we have questionable ethics from the Mayor and administration, but the city council as well. But councilmen Inzunza, Lewis and Zucchet did things a bit more racy: they had questionable relationships with the Cheetah's strip club owner who was trying to use bribes to peddle influence to change local ordinances. Lewis died before the verdict; Inzunza and Zucchet were found guilty; Zucchet's verdict was overturned. All for a few thousand dollars under the table. Idiotic.
4) Yet Another Mayoral Election
If it weren't bad enough the Mayor Murphy quit, he left the city with the task of calling a costly special election when it could ill afford it (what with the pension andn bankruptcy, etc.). That left councilwoman Donna Frye to try again, this time against ex-police chief Jerry Sanders. Voters felt Sanders was the safe pick, and he won over Frye, whose political star faded as quickly as it shined.
5) Greed Does the Duke In
It seems there's a pandemic (to borrow this year's media buzz word) of corrupt (Republican?) Congressmen, and the biggest was San Diego County's very own Duke Cunningham. Mr. Top Gun got caught with his hands in the candy, cookie and any other jar offered by influence peddlers. Questionable real estate dealings shed light on his greedy lust (since when can a civil servant live in Rancho Santa Fe and drive a Rolls Royce?). He pleaded guilty and shed a bunch of crocodile tears on TV.
6) Hurricane Katrina Victims Relocate
It was a natural as well as bureaucratic disaster, and when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, the whole country was devastated. But then the goodness of Americans rose above the governmental incompetence and opened its collective hearts. Many victims made their way to San Diego, where citizens and agencies found ways to help these people start a new life in a new city.
7) A Baby Panda is Born
In a way, it was old news for the San Diego Zoo: its third panda cub born to mother Bai Yun. But with a cub born earlier at the National Zoo in Washington DC, panda fever was bubbling. So when Su Lin was born this summer, pandamania spread like a, well, pandemic. Millions followed her progress on the Zoo's Panda Cam and Panda Blogs - a joyful respite among the tragedy and bad news confronting us daily. Sometimes watching a fuzzy bundle can soothe our frayed psyche.
8) Padres Win the West
It was probably the most dubious championship - the Padres won the National League Western Division with a .500 record, the worst record to do so in years. So, sometimes it helps to be a mediocre team in a very bad division. But, hey, a championship is a championship, right? The Pads got knocked out in the first round, and to be honest, the fans really couldn't get too excited about a team that could barely hit and score runs.
9) Housing Market Slows But Still Sky High
As San Diego goes, so does the rest of the country when it comes to the housing market. No, the proverbial bubble didn't burst, but the market did slow down quite a bit. By summer, homes were staying listed for months, rather than days. Sure, the median is still over $500,000, but the days of 20% monthly appreciation is a thing of the past. For now.
10) Rolling Stones Rock Petco Park
It was the first ever rock concert at Petco Park, and what better band to inaugurate it than the World's Greatest Rock Band, the Rolling Stones. As a stop on the monstrous "Bigger Bang" tour, the Stones rocked the house, and the ballpark for the most part served well as a concert venue, although many on the terrace seats complained of sightline and sound difficulties. Kinda like watching a Padres game.
