By Doug Porter
As this is being written before the San Diego City Council’s meeting today, I’m operating under the assumption that the deal negotiated with Mayor Bob Filner will be approved. It’s hard for me to see any other conclusion to this kabuki theater.
A political writer with the Los Angeles Times is saying via Twitter this morning that the deal will involve Filner not formally quitting until the end of August and that he’ll be making a televised speech following the council meeting.
The timing of Filner’s exit has to do with the potential dates for runoff elections.
Attorney Gloria Allred took to the airwaves yesterday to demand her pound of flesh, warning against any deal that didn’t help her share of any settlement with her client.
With the mayor dangling in the wind, her leverage is much greater.
The case against Bob Filner, private citizen, just isn’t quite so sexy. Then it might come down to arguing over just how much actual damage was done to her client. I would say it’s considerably less than whatever amount Allred couldn’t get the City of San Diego to settle for during last Monday’s negotiations.
The city will likely save money on the current deal, regardless of what the negotiated resignation will cost. Filner will be gone and ‘business as usual’ will return to San Diego.
Tasting Blood and Wanting More
But others aren’t so sure. And the public anger stimulated by a hyper-ventilating press can not be so easily contained. The virtual mob has tasted blood and they want more.
Today’s edition of the UT-San Diego can best be described as an homage to that sentiment, with a blood red headline superimposed over an evil-looking portrait of hizzoner, a front page editorial (that tiptoes back into reality after the jump to page A-3), a best of Steve Breen’s “I’m not making him look like an evil Jew” cartoons, and a column from the man (Logan Jenkins) who advocated the position that the mayor’s attorney should quit so he could face his children in the future:
In an ideal world, the council would vote down any financial quid pro quo today, and Filner, seeking the healing of atonement, would resign immediately from office and quickly reach a settlement with a forgiving McCormack Jackson.
And those are, believe it or not, the reasonable people in town.
Check out the first few sentences from the report posted by the GOP cheerleading squad at 10News:
San Diego taxpayers are fighting mad over a decision by the San Diego City Council Friday that could end up costing the city big, in exchange for Mayor Filner’s resignation.
“I don’t think that we should be responsible. Let him take it out of his money,” said San Diego taxpayer Hope Horton.
Taxpayer Victor Ashbaugh told 10News, “I think I’d have to file a police report on being robbed. We don’t want to as taxpayers pay for the recall and waste all that type of money but yet we don’t want to pay the mayor to leave either. Ask for anything like that, continue to drain the city of money on funds that should be spent elsewhere is just robbery.”
“I don’t think he deserves a pension or anything you know. If anything he deserves a boot out of here you know because he took advantage of everybody,” said taxpayer Pancho Castillo.
Over at the “San Diego Deserves Better” Facebook page, which traces its origins to the local GOP and was created even before last fall’s election, you can see the true anger inspired by the local mob mentality.
Starting out with “Simple Question” from the moderator…
“Friends, looking for some feedback. What if the deal about Mayor Filner’s resignation includes taxpayers covering some of his legal bills and/or exposure? Worth it to get rid of him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments”
…things take off:
Jim Sullivan – Get him some cement slippers and drop him in the bay!
Christina Lynn Horning-King – No freaking way!!!!!! He’ll be forced out regardless – I’m not paying for his ass grab addiction!
Diana Sickles McCauley – I have to agree with William Archer. He should be prosecuted & registered as a sex offender. Had it been an ordinary citizen (without City power) they would not hesitate. Allow attorney Allred to do what she does best!!
Elaine White – Not a dime! – Anyone council member who agrees to anything like that needs to be next on a recall petition.
Darlene Hansen – He is a criminal, he would be recalled, then we’d have to pay him nothing. City Council should not pay him off to leave.
Ronald G. Peete – Why don’t you actually put this man in jail where he belongs?? The things he has done is illegal plus lying to the people of San Diego!! If you want to stop the lies, theft, bribery and just plain corruption in San Diego PUT HIS BUTT IN PRISON FOR 30 OR 40 YEARS!!!
Frank James – If it included castration it would be a bargain!
Back to the UT-San Diego for a moment, there’s another editorial inside letting us know just how stupid the mayor was to call off the war on pot dispensaries, how the poor hoteliers have suffered under his scheme to make them be responsible for the quasi-legal tax/fee scheme, and how wrong it was to expect developers to actually have to pay for their burdens on the taxpayer.
And then there are these Tweets:
Time for a GOP mayor again in SD. Local Dems and unions backed #Filner when they knew all along he was a pig. #Responsibleparties
— Rob Stutzman (@RobStutzman) August 22, 2013
Just drove through Balboa Park. 1st time since change to Prado. Now can we still get undergrnd parking w/ park on top. Seems like good comp.
— Gil Cabrera (@GilCabrera) August 22, 2013
Mutually Assured Destruction
The Voice of Orange County (which is not affiliated with VOSD) has let fly with an article that former UT writer Rex Dalton has apparently been trying to get published for over a year now.
The premise of interest here is that Filner’s sexcapades weren’t aggressively targeted by the DeMaio campaign because of a not-so-nice story floating around about the then-City Councilman’s own issues involving self-gratification.
Dalton’s story was turned down locally after then-members including Ben Hueso and Tony Young of the City Council refused to confirm the accounts attributed to them.
This tale was apparently at the heart of a failed “journalistic enterprise” cited by the City’s ethics commission last year. Attempts by the San Diego Reader and others to gain access to the key documents from its investigation were denied.
I have to admit I also heard the story via the grapevine. And, while I personally was grossed out by it, didn’t think it was worth pursuing.
Slut Shaming Personified
Speaking of stories through the grapevine, I inadvertently translated tales I’d heard about a GOP consultant’s back door assistance to Carl DeMaio’s campaign into the assertion that John Dadian was affiliated with said effort in yesterday’s political obituary for Mayor Filner.
I got an email from Dadian demanding retraction, checked my notes and after determining he was correct, revised the story. Stuff happens when you crank out a long piece too quickly, so I fixed it and moved on.
The GOP consultant’s appearance in my story was tied to the horrific “coverage’ by 10News of a Filner press secretary’s Las Vegas bachelorette party. Dadian was used by the reporter to lend an air of credibility to the story.
The story was shopped town around by another GOP operative, who’d recognized the young woman in question in Vegas and coerced her into posing for a picture drinking from penis shaped straw.
In my book we call that a ‘dirty trick’.
Perhaps Dardian didn’t know the origin of the photo, or didn’t care.
But then he contributed an article for Voice of San Diego, defending his analysis and criticizing an article by Sara Libby critical of the 10Newsaccount, calling it “an emotional rant and rave that has no place in professional journalism.”
Talk about thick… Dismiss an argument by saying a woman is emotional? He must have acquired his common sense from the pages of the same playbook Bob Filner used.
As one commenter pointed out, Dardian who is arguably at least as public of a figure as the bachelorette in Las Vegas, regularly posts sexually explicit humor on his Facebook page.
Nathan Fletcher’s In
The SD Reader is up with a report this morning saying Nathan Fletcher has filed papers announcing his intention to run for Mayor.
Expected by insiders to enjoy the backing of La Jolla billionaire and Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs, who recently gave big money to Hillary Clinton’s putative presidential bid, Fletcher has changed from Republican to Independent to Democrat in the space of about a year.
The filing allows Fletcher to begin fundraising for the race immediately, and may also mean that Jacobs will be able to revive his controversial plans to revamp Balboa Park’s traffic, parking, and road plans, as reported in here February.
More… Later… Maybe…?
Depending on how exciting the City Council meeting is today, I may return Saturday morning with a column.
On This Day: 1990 – President Saddam Hussein appeared on Iraqi state television with a group of Western detainees that he referred to as “guests.” He told the group that they were being held “to prevent the scourge of war.” 1996 – U.S. President Clinton imposed limits on peddling cigarettes to children.
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Right on as usual. You know it is trial by press when the UT devoted the whole front section to Filner, Syria be dammed.. News 10 has 10 reporters working on the story today and they are proud of it. Jenkins and Breen have sold their reputation for a paycheck from Dougie Do and KPBS sells their objectivity for money from a donor while DeMio is doing his thing in the mens room. You got to love this town!!
The upheave of that Las Vegas thing, the bachelorette party, is an example of what happens when sleaze is the disease; everyone gets smarmed. And the GOP is probably going to lose some of its money in the aftermath of its war on Democrats. In fact, it might turn out that we’ll learn money isn’t enough, even if money is what that party consists of.
Again, Filner’s detractors including all the miscreants you’ve enumerated in your piece wouldn’t have been able to touch Bob Filner if he’d just kept his hands to himself. He would have gone on to do the people’s business while tweaking the powers that be as they whined, complained and went apoplectic. Would have been sweet, but Bob has no one to blame but himself.
“And the GOP is probably going to lose some of its money in the aftermath of its war on Democrats.:
Oh no you don’t. Filner was offered by the San Diego County Democratic Party with full knowledge of his bad behavior. This is THEIR mess
“In fact, it might turn out that we’ll learn money isn’t enough, even if money is what that party consists of.” Just quoting someone I know well.
What? Filner going down without a fight? Does this mean that asking a woman for a date while Mayor is now de facto sexual harassment? Did Filner persist in any of these situations after being told by the woman in question to bug off? If so, that would have been sexual harassment. But I haven’t heard that allegation. Filner is being ridden out of town on a rail. And most of it is GOP inspired.
John, I agree with you. There are not many women commenters on these posts, unfortunately, and I guess if you (or me, as I have already done) say women could be more assertive, and tell a man when he’s out of line, this is viewed as somehow shaming the victim. Hogwash. The law of sexual harassment as far as I know, has specific guidelines. You may resent and be repulsed by a man putting his hand on your breast – if it happened that way – but surely a good slap will fix that. To bring it up 25 years later is not news and immaterial. Don’t tell me it establishes a pattern. I am eternally sorry Bob did not get better advice from trusted friends. The public has been riled up in the most vulgar way. Sad, really sad.
Thanks Judith and I’d just like to add: INFURIATING, really INFURIATING.
Yes, the charges were – in the words of old crime dramas – trumped-up. But, Bob’s not the first pol to be deposed in this way, and he’ll absolutely not be the last. It’s kind of a badge of honor, eh.
And yes, in days-gone-by, the offended damsel would slap the pervert’s face — and rightly so. Additional measures could be taken after that (official compliant, filing charges).
Interesting to note how small the charges need to be nowadays to qualify as even trumped-up. So much for our sepposedly permissive society.
Nathan Fletcher on the qui vive while we say ave atque vale, Mayor Bob Filner.
Thank you for running for mayor, for getting elected, for telling the truth today as you resign under unimaginable pressure. “Not one allegation has been proved.” Due process disappeared, an affront to democracy. The media and their political agents pulled the trigger on a political coup.
I hope that everyone who runs for mayor has to have their sex life thoroughly examined. I mean, it’s only fair, right?
I think the true marker of how much of this was exaggerated for political purposes (not denying any of the accusations per se) in a year or so. My bet is that little of substance in terms of actual civil or criminal actions will occur.
I caught the last 10 minutes of the editors’ roundtable tonight, and the lady KPBS reporters were in high dudgeon, very excited. And the 2 guys, Mark Sauer and someone else, commented in righteous indignation that they had worked with professional women for decades and never behaved like this. Of course they are free to say this, but why do they expect us to believe them? They derided the idea that this was orchestrated and fires were fanned, and were contemptuous of the Mayor’s ending remarks about a coup. There is not much else to say about all this, except I trust future mayoral candidates will receive the same scrutiny from our local UT?
I too heard that whitened sepulcher live KPBS report, Judith, and the righteous comment from Maureen Cavanaugh that the Mayor had started his remarks with an apology, but then “took a turn” and became “defiant.” News editor Mark Sauer, a former Donna Frye aide, chimed in, feigning surprise. They made a mistake, however, running Filner’s entire 15 minute remarks. Filner was honest and powerful, pointing out how few minority ethnics in this town are in positions of authority, among other facts of life in America’s Finest City. It reminded me of his amusing political comment not too long ago: if you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu.
There was a day, not so long ago, when KPBS was my station of choice because I trusted them. Because of this, I donated and was proud to drive my car with the KPBS logo on my license plate. The station has changed in just a short time with the addition of the female shrills and Mark Bauer. My license plate holder is coming off and my donations will not be forthcoming. I fear they will soon be pedeling Rush Limbaugh, Roger Hedgecock, and any other hysterical voice they can hire to “call to action” the troops. It’s a very sad day for San Diego. I might have expected this from the local news stations but I, foolishly, thought KPBS marched to a different drummer…not so! I give up on all of them…print news, TV news… I’ll get my news on line , cable news, and Cspan!
Readerwriter MattPotter has been pointing out KPBS’ local shortcomings for years.
(To be distinguished from National Public Radio programming.)
The old KPBS “editors’ roundtable” was always an establishment set-up with deep ties to the conservative Copley Union-Tribune and the business press. Political insider Gloria Penner was the convener. The current program has half the amount of time devoted to current event discussion and the “editors” are snarky whippersnappers from CityBeat and VoiceofSanDiego and KPBS’ own reporters, led by Mark Sauer, the former Donna Frye staffer.
Convener Maureen Cavanaugh is a pleasant-voiced personality with no background in politics whatsoever.The way KPBS abuses their FCC privileges under cover of SDSU is scandalous, never more so than in the recent railroading of Mayor Bob Filner and serial showcasing of damsels in distress.
Join the crowd, toss out your license plate holder and read the LA Times, the San Diego Free Press and the Reader.
KPBS San Diego is a disappointment. They are comparable to Fox News. In this town, the award for best investigative reporting – at least last time I took an informal survey of County Executives at the CAC – The Reader – yes, the Reader, a throw away weekly. A world class city?
May I commend you on the “snarky whippersnappers” turn of phrase? It’s perfect.
Well Sandiegogramma, you’ve made perhaps one of the greatest discoveries one can make on a path towards political awareness. You’ve discovered that public television is not what we have all thought. They are what some have referred to as “leftist gatekeepers;” that is, people or entities who pretend to be “left” or somehow “contrary” to the status quo. These entities provide some very minor criticism of our circumstances, but in no way do they offer any substantial critique of serious issues. They present a kind of milktoast Martha Stuart type of radicalism, but they will never, never, never tear into the system as it deserves. Will KPBS ever present programming on the scam called the “Federal Reserve”? No. Will they ever talk about Larry Franklin and Boy’s Town and it’s reach all the way to the top? No. Do the give anything but a mention to police brutality? Not really. But you will learn that a certain official is a slight bit worse than another because he uses too much salt on his mashed potatoes or that dog poop is better for composting that wombat spittle, etc. PBS, the Pentagon Broadcasting System, is a thinly disguised trick to give people the illusion of a “left” that speaks truth to power.
Help Wanted: Lowest common denominator human being needed to fill position in 90 days. Enclose $50,000 good-faith donation payable to Keep Citizens United Alive Campaign. ‘Democracy…? You can’t handle the democracy…’
We were all so accustomed to turning to KPBS for News Hour, Gwen Iffil, Washington Week in Review, ballet, documentaries etc., that we didn’t turn to that station for breaking news in an excited breathless presentation (Amitha Scharma for the latest example). But when KPBS discovered they could be in the mosh pit with the big boys of NBC, CBS etc. affiliates the station went overboard…in my opinion. It has changed my outlook on this station forever.
Mine, too. I once volunteered and donated. Never again. I wrote them after Ai received a solicitation for donations, and specifically complained about the behavior of several of the KPBS employees. I told them their donations from me were done.