Where Did San Diego’s City Government Go?
Talk about small government. San Diego, the nation’s eighth largest city, currently has barely enough city council members to keep functioning and no mayor thanks to a hilariously nightmarish sequence of humiliating departures. After Mayor and council member Dick Murphy left office Friday, councilman Michael Zucchet was convicted of fraud and other charges Monday, along with fellow councilman Ralph Inzunza, and resigned the next day. The council politely declined to search for replacements for Zucchet and Inzunza, assuming that they would not be found guilty. Oh, on what charges? Both took money from a strip-club owner who wanted to repeal the “no-touch” rule between patrons and dancers. Denying the possibility of negative fallout from a criminal trial: D Local civic participation: C Wait, there’s a no-touch rule? Crap… Amy Schiller, Brandeis University Illustration: August J.
