Editorial:
We are relieved that the circus surrounding Mayor Bob Filner for the past month-and-a-half has finally come to an end!
Filner could have dug in his heels and dragged this whole process out, holding out for due process, which was his right, but he came to the realization that no matter what, his mayoral leadership and his political career was over. It then became a question of how best to get out, as he prepared for future lawsuits.
We have always known Filner to be a fighter and it wouldn’t have surprised us one bit if he had stuck it out and fought to stay on as Mayor. Being Mayor of San Diego was a lifelong dream for Filner and to give up on that dream was not an easy thing for him to do.
In his first six months, as a fighter, Mayor Filner wasted no time in going to battle with the status quo. Filner assumed the mantle of strong mayor with gusto and he took off for a tumultuous six months. For those who voted for Filner, it was a bit startling at his abrasive/confrontational stance and at the same time exciting as we looked forward to the changes that would be occurring over the next four years…
Unfortunately, we will never see the fruition of his leadership. Filner will forever be defined by this sex scandal. Make no mistake about it, all that has befallen Filner is deserved and right. Filner made poor personal choices and for those choices, he must now pay the piper.
What will be lost in the narrative about Filner is all the good he did do as a school board member, city council person, and as a congressional representative.
Filner, throughout his political career, just worked harder than anyone else, he was demanding, and he was successful.
The South Bay voters respected Filner, because of his dedication to the congressional district and the fact that when you called Filner he would personally return the call. It was rare when he missed a public event and not unusually for him to show up at many private events.
Filner was a child of the civil rights movement and was something that he prided himself on. This civil rights background helped him, a white Jewish politician, represent a South Bay community that is primarily a minority community.
It is disheartening to see so much potential go to waste. Now we will have to go through the process of a special election to replace Mayor Filner. Through this process we will be asking the questioning, where and how will the Hispanic interest be represented?