We’re a bit disappointed , frankly, we’re dismayed , at state Sen. Steve Peace’s call for San Diego Unified Port Executive Director Dennis Bouey’s resignation.
It’s unnecessary, egotistical and in our opinion, hobbles the Democratic senator’s attempts to unify several regional government agencies under one roof. Peace’s harsh criticism of Bouey’s take-charge attitude on regional airport issues surely won’t play well with other agencies he hopes to abolish.
Some port commissioners apparently share Peace’s opinion of the executive director they appointed just over a year ago. They nonetheless took no action on Bouey’s future as executive director in a recent closed-door session, which could be interpreted as a vote of confidence. Still, it never should have reached that point.
When Peace first floated his ambitious unification plan last year , besides the Port District, Peace wants to consolidate the San Diego Association of Governments, the County Water Authority, the Metropolitan Transit Development Board and the North County Transit District , it received a tremendous amount of interest and was seen as a novel attempt to slice through miles of red tape.
Politicians often talk about cutting the bureaucracy, but seldom do anything about it. If nothing else, Peace’s plan was seen as a starting point. It spurred government officials to talk to one another, seeking ways to amend or even temper the proposal.
City councils kicked around Peace’s ideas, hypothetically discussing what effect it would have on their communities. Suddenly, Steve Peace was not just another local politician. He soon had elected officials and staff members seeking an audience with him.
Peace’s plan has been both praised and vilified, and by the first of the year he became the county’s most talked-about politician. So far, the impact of Peace’s proposal is unmistakable; he has grabbed the attention of every bureaucrat from Oceanside to El Cajon to Imperial Beach.
So why Bouey? Because he’s the relative newcomer? Because he’s a relatively easy target as head of a fractious agency dealing with arguably the most costly and controversial proposal currently on the county’s plate?
Not only is Peace’s attack on Bouey unwarranted, it seems out of place for a state senator to focus so much attention on a local bureaucrat. Directing the port is no doubt a very political job, but we find no reason to single out Bouey for the job he’s doing. He’s continued the job left behind by former executive director Larry Killeen, and certainly seems to be walking a much finer line than Killeen’s predecessor, Don Nay.
Bouey’s stand on expanding Lindbergh Field while searching for a new airport site may be controversial but it’s not out of line. Few dispute Lindbergh is too small for San Diego’s explosive growth, and Bouey’s plan appears to accommodate the region’s future needs while taking an earnest look at the very limited options for finding a new airport location.
This one issue is no reason to call for Bouey’s ouster. And it doesn’t appear that Peace has a cavalcade of support either. Perhaps the El Cajon senator better find a new whipping boy before his call for regional consolidation , and his credibility , is dismissed completely.
