[ Editors note, 3/6/08 : Dan Coffey has dropped out of the San Diego city attorney's race. He endorses Scott Peters. ]
San Diego's controversial city attorney faces many challengers in the June election. Mike Aguirre launched his bid for a second term yesterday, while a former attorney in his office, Amy Lepine, said she's running, too. We have two reports on this story. First, here's KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps.
San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre talks to reporters Wednesday after annoucing his re-election bid.
(Andrew Phelps/KPBS News)
Almost four years in office seems not to have dampened Aguirre's idealism. In a 25-minute speech, Aguirre emphasized the importance of his independence from City Hall.
His critics say that independence has gone to his head and created division.
Aguirre: To our critics we say: Better the occasional faults of a city attorney trying to serve the public interest than the consistent misuse of the office by those serving private, selfish interests.
Aguirre's crusade is to undo the city's billion-dollar pension deficit, a result of city officials raising their own pensions while underfunding the system. Aguirre acknowledged only "limited progress." The courts have largely rejected Aguirre's pension case.
Aguirre: The city vacillates between underfunding the budget and underfunding the pension. Roads are not repaired, fires are not prevented, community policing centers, libraries, and swimming pools are closed.
Aguirre recited his accomplishments. He and his deputies got the Roque de la Fuente case dismissed, which could have cost the city 100 million dollars. And Aguirre says he uncovered fraud and abuse in every corner of city government. Just then a noisy chainsaw interrupted the speech.
Aguirre: Could someone ask Scott Peters to please take down that chainsaw up there? You know, that is just terrible.
It wasn't really Scott Peters, the city council president and one of Aguirre's challengers in the race.
Aguirre is also up against Councilman Brian Maienschein, Judge Jan Goldsmith, and local attorneys Dan Coffey and Amy Lepine.
Andrew Phelps, KPBS News.
I'm David Nogueras.
Amy Lepine says voters are sick of the gridlock at City Hall. They want a candidate who's both independent and open to cooperation.
Lepine criticizes Aguirre for not making use of independent counsel on the ethics commission to investigate conflict-of-interest charges.
Lepine: I would say that the reason the current attorney hasn't done done that is because it's more popular and political and he's able to grand stand by taking that action himself. And everybody thinks he's doing something. Well, he is. He's doing something. He's costing us a lot of money.
Lepine filed a sexual harrassment suit against Aguirre last year. That suit is still pending. Lepine would not say that it was her reason for running. But she says it sheds light on what's wrong in the city attorney's office.
For KPBS News, I'm David Nogueras.
