Mayor mayor on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?

I know what you’re thinking: we’ve got plenty of time to make up our minds about who to choose to be San Diego’s next mayor.  No rush, right? Wrong!

San Diego City Hall (circa 1874)

Let’s get the timing straight.  The primary election is coming up sooner than you think—the date is March 3, 2020.  Then the top two winners will face off in the November 3 general election.

Now, let’s get the candidates straight.  The frontrunners for mayor are Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria--both are Democrats.  Civic activist Tasha Williamson is also in the running–for some voters she represents a protest statement.  There’s also Republican candidate Scott Sherman—he's the disgruntled candidate who voices cynical disgust for city government from his seat on the City Council dais.  Additionally, there are several also-ran names to choose from.

Above all, let’s get this straight: the mayor of San Diego may not be a hot item on the national agenda, but here at home the position of mayor could be--no, SHOULD be--a very big deal. 

That’s why it boggles the mind that nearly every past San Diego mayor (present mayor included) can be described as a nondescript, mediocre, banal, unremarkable, complacent, fly-by-night, tunnel-visioned, utterly forgettable minor league political figure.

(To be fair, Mayor Pete Wilson brought some innovative touches to the office before he went on to greener, though more conservative, pastures.  


Mayor Roger Hedgecock seemed promising until he tripped over his own feet and skidded off the rails.  


Mayor Susan Golding had hints of verve until her overweening political ego practically bankrupted our city's finances.  

Mayor Bob Filner coulda been a contender, but it was not to be.  Did I miss anyone?)

For San Diego, the cumulative impact of settling for second-rate leaders is painfully clear.  Take a look at the persistent state of our bleeding financial budget, understaffed city departments, failing levels of performance, and zero accountability.  It's hard to miss the fact that current mayor Kevin Faulconer (just another pea in the pod) has proven himself incapable of taking care of basic city business, much less tackling San Diego's complex, ever-growing problems.  

Wouldn’t it be great if we could elect a competent, stable, independent, trustworthy, responsible, well-informed, honorable leader... a mayor with integrity and a dependable moral compass?  It could be a game changer.

We may be in luck this time.  There is ONE candidate who could fill the bill.  

Barbara Bry is the only candidate running for office who meets the criteria for competence✔ stability✔ independence✔ trustworthiness✔ responsibility✔ knowledgeability✔ honorability✔ integrity✔ and a dependable moral compass✔

Looks like a good start, doesn't it?

I've become convinced that for a fighting chance to wrest political control away from San Diego's business-as-usual power brokers and bend the benefits of good public policy toward the residents of our city, the odds for a good outcome lie with Barbara Bry.  The sum of her attributes is abundantly more vote-worthy than the scorecard for any of the other mayoral candidates.

Of course, nobody’s perfect.  Barbara Bry earns demerits when it comes to her public demeanor.  She scores low on the charisma scale.  She’s no smooth-talker.  She’s not fiery, not the cheerleader type.  She doesn't qualify for membership in San Diego’s entrenched good-old-boys club. 

What you see is what you’ll get: a down-to-earth, practical, realistic mayor with sharp business skills, lots of common sense, and no negative baggage… no hidden conflicts of interest… no secrets in her closet.  She understands that communities and neighborhoods must be the primary beneficiaries of city policies and decisions. 

Not long ago I made a practical suggestion: forget the fancy stuff... the bells and whistles... the silly-talk about sexy streets and world-class status.

With the right mayor in office--someone with integrity, strong management skills, and a nuts and bolts approach--we could see real progress toward meeting the needs of our neighborhoods and residents, along with securing a stable future for the city.  

Who can deliver? Not Todd Gloria--he's got a documented, reprehensible record of betraying his constituents and the public good.  

Not Scott Sherman--he has scant respect for city government and treats the public with contempt.  

Not Tasha Williamson--she speaks with authority on police abuse and overdue social reform but running the corporation called the city of San Diego takes a whole other bag of talents.

Way back last March I asked these questions: Is there time for Barbara Bry to grow? Spread her wings? Expand her scope? Be a risk taker by speaking truth to San Diego voters? Emerge as a multi-dimensional public-minded political leader?

Nine months later, my informed conclusion is that Barbara Bry is our best bet for San Diego's next mayor.

Duck-duck-goose: San Diego's quest for a new mayor

Let’s start with an urban tale about dreams and possibilities.  Not long ago in a city far, far away, an international gathering took place and it called itself the Fearless Cities Summit. 

And this summit brought together 700 mayors and councilmembers and active citizen groups from far-flung cities and towns around the world.  And their plan was to collaborate on creating global networks of solidarity in the cause of human rights, democracy, and the common good.   Overblown hype?

As it turns out, the “fearless cities” concept is completely down to earth.  It entails people merging their efforts to modify local government institutions and create practical programs that address the specific needs of their particular communities.  Their efforts are unified by a simple overarching goal--to improve the lives of city residents.   Who could find fault with that?

The first “fearless cities” summit took place two years ago in Barcelona—a city that had, for decades, encouraged and enjoyed a tourism and real-estate boom.  But something insidious began revealing itself.  A gradual distortion of the city’s priorities forced out local businesses, drove up rents, accelerated gentrification, and muscled out city residents.  Under the rallying cry of “Barcelona is not for sale," the city boldly embarked on a candid reassessment of the soundness of their growth model based on tourism.

The second fearless cities summit was held in New York City, the third in Warsaw.  Next up will be Brussels, where the city will present a progress report on local initiatives it created to deal with its troubled financial, housing, mobility, jobs, infrastructure, and environmental sectors. 

Sounds like a familiar set of urban troubles, doesn't it?

No, I’m not suggesting that San Diego has the desire—let alone the oomph--to join the ranks of fearless cities.   We’re far from ready to reassess our status as a tourism mecca, much less pull down our city’s “for sale” sign.  

Okay, let's admit it: San Diego is actually a fearful city, where elected officials obediently go along to get along with a well-endowed tourism industry and intimidating real estate/building/growth machine power brokers.  Even our citizen groups are easily silenced by a few token  crumbs.  

Given the usual consequences, maybe we should just cry uncle!  But no, there’s another alternative.  It’s called compromise.   

Her's what I suggest: why don't we settle for improving the biggest small issue that plagues San Diego and causes us much grief?  How about settling for the modest goal of becoming a very well-managed city? 

That’s it? A. Very. Well. Managed. City?  Think about it this way: 

• when no city official is held accountable for delivering the goods to city residents… 
• if no one takes responsibility for slipshod oversight of city workers or the work of private contractors… 
• when no one keeps tabs on how the San Diego Housing Commission spends public money…  
• if no one remembers that problem-oriented community policing, once a diamond in San Diego’s ear, was stealthily abandoned… 
• when no one answers for continual botched attempts to ameliorate the city’s homeless crisis, not even to provide adequate public toilets…
• if no one noticed that the chief of the city water department didn’t supervise his meter readers, who were overcharging water customers (that’s us) by over $2 million… 
• when no one answers the phone in the office of code compliance/enforcement, while city regulations are violated right and left…
• if no one can explain why the city throws good money after bad on real-estate deals that sit empty for years… 
• when no one turns up for over a year to change a street light bulb… 
• if no one seems to be minding the store… 
• when no one knows where the buck stops… 

The obvious conclusion? San Diego is A. Very. Poorly. Managed. City.  Is it due to the woeful performance of this mayor?  Or to our bungled transition to a strong mayor system from a city manager government (far from perfect but, in hindsight, more accountable to the public)? Or to our falsified, papered-over pension/budget fiasco?  Or?  Whatever reason, the outcome is--or ought to be--grounds for rebellion.

Now think about it this way: if the fundamental goal of fearless cities is simply to improve the lives of city residents, couldn’t even a fearful city like ours make real and immediate progress toward improving the lives of city residents by setting minimal but firm requirements for our mayor and other elected officials to deliver a well-managed city to San Diego residents?

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Which brings us to Tasha Williamson, a candidate in San Diego’s 2020 race for mayor.  The San Diego City Clerk currently lists the circle of 9 candidates running for mayor. (I've already written commentaries on Todd Gloria, Barbara Bry, and Cory Briggs--who says he's a candidate but has yet to file the requisite paperwork with the city clerk.)  

Did you ever hear of the game called duck-duck-goose?  It’s where 'it' goes around a circle of players and taps each on the head, saying 'duck… duck… duck.'  Then 'it' taps an unsuspecting player on the head and calls out 'goose.'   So 'goose' has to run in circles to tag 'it' before 'it' plops down in the vacated spot left by 'goose.'   That's sort of the way San Diego's political races play out.

Tasha Williamson (TW) is on the list of players eyeing the soon-to-be-vacated spot of San Diego mayor.   One thing's for sure: in this political game she’s no duck.  Not a goose, either.  Could it be she’s more of a swan?  Is it possible for a swan with a resonant message to steal the show--at least for a while?  

Keep this in mind: swans are not outsiders.  They swim the entire pond and know the territory as well as any duck or goose.  And you better take heed of them.  They know how to hiss.  They know how to bite.

What sets TW apart from other candidates is her fearless call for changes that benefit our city’s traditionally underserved sectors.   

Almost a decade ago, TW co-founded the San Diego Compassion Project, serving members and families victimized by gang-related and other violent acts.  Her community actions prompted the Union-Tribune to place her name on their list of Voices of the Year.   She knows the city well enough to give credible voice to many subjects that are usually swept under the rug, like:
→ racial profiling and police offenses in our city...

→ the role city government should and could play in enhancing public schools in all neighborhoods...

→ concrete, humane responses to the needs of the city’s homeless, poor, addicted, and mentally ill populations...

→ resetting misdirected, unfairly apportioned, and wasteful budget priorities...

→ beneficial public reuse of public property in the city we all call home...

Tasha Williamson is in the right place at the right time to bring a fearless voice to the mayoral debate.  San Diego voters (and other candidates, as well) can learn a lot from TW's perspectives, perceptions, and experience.  It's a fact--the burden of management failures in our city falls most heavily on our chronically shortchanged communities.  And inevitably, every resident in a badly-managed city suffers the consequences. 

 Yes, a mayor's priorities and goals matter.  But expert management is indispensable if we ever want to see good intentions actually materialize.  The necessity of upgrading the mechanics of city government is part and parcel of what it will take to implement new priorities for raising the quality of life in every community and for all residents.  Now is the perfect time to tackle this unglamorous but burdensome city albatross.

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Of course, exposing and airing the issues are not the same as being able to deliver the goods.  The quest for the best  leader for a fearless future for San Diego continues.  Pass the word along: the cut-off date for mayoral candidates to get their names on the primary ballot is not until December 5, 2019.