This morning’s UT had a scathing editorial which proclaimed: “That scream you heard just after 3 p.m. Monday was the San Diego City Council slitting its own throat.” The editorial noted the Council’s failure to override Filner’s veto was a “huge political victory in his (Filner’s) first tug-of-war with the council.” Read the entire editorial here: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/feb/11/port-commission-filner-veto-gloria-council/
What the editorial doesn’t directly address is Council President Gloria’s failure of leadership. Despite being awarded the title of Council President by acclamation, Gloria was unable to secure even one override vote from his 3 other democratic colleagues. To date, his coalition of 5 has been the 4 Republicans; a coalition that one can only assume is built upon convenience for the Republicans, not any sense of loyalty that he should have secured from his democratic colleagues.
It is important to note that Gloria gave them all choice committee assignments, the best external appointments and in the case of Lightner, the position of 2nd in command along with the single best committee chairmanship, a post that is normally always reserved for the Council President himself. Lots of carrots were given out but apparently there is not even the threat of a stick.
What do you think? A victory for the mayor and a monumental failure of leadership by the Council President?