Murphy’s Victory Seen as Call for City Hall Reform
Throughout his campaign to become San Diego’s 33rd mayor, Judge Dick Murphy repeatedly emphasized he is not beholden to any special interest groups and can run the city with a clear vision.
With his victory Nov. 7 over county Supervisor Ron Roberts it seems that the majority of San Diego voters agree with the mayor-elect.
“Public disillusionment with elected officials has reached an all-time high,” Murphy said shortly after his victory. “(Voters) feel that I can be someone to restore public confidence in government.”
Murphy met with members of the media after his victory to outline reasons for his victory. Topping that list was his belief that the city needed a change.
“I think the people agreed with my message that the city needed someone to provide a long-range vision,” he said. “The voters of this city seemed to care a great deal about the mayor’s race.”
Murphy said installing an ethics commission to oversee the actions of the City Council is at the top of his to-do list when he takes office.
He will be sworn in Dec. 4 with four new council members who will have to tackle the issues left behind by Mayor Susan Golding and council members Judy McCarty, Christine Kehoe, Harry Mathis and Phil Blair. Blair was appointed to finish Barbara Warden’s term.
Murphy said his other priorities include reducing traffic congestion and pollution in the city’s bays and beaches.
He also provided his thoughts and plans on issues like the stalled Downtown ballpark project.
“I support completely the ballpark as long as it’s done in a financially responsible way,” Murphy said. “I think it’s going to be difficult to move forward until the U.S. Attorney resolves the Valerie Stallings matter. Either exonerate or indict her.”
Stallings, a city councilwoman representing the 6th District, is under federal investigation for her stock transactions in Texas-based Neon Systems, a company chaired by Padres majority-owner John Moores.
Murphy’s thoughts on the Chargers’ ticket guarantee, which has cost the city more than $5 million this season: He will “attempt to renegotiate the Chargers ticket guarantee.”
On Lindbergh Field: “We need to create a San Diego County airport authority that will have the power to select and secure an airport site.” Murphy said Camp Pendleton in Oceanside should be considered as a site for a new airport.
On Brown Field: “My position has always been to support an air cargo facility at Brown Field if the FAA tells us it can be done safely. The last FAA report maybe raises questions about whether we can do that.”
In his run for mayor, Murphy fell short of Roberts’ fund-raising efforts. Roberts landed major endorsements from builders, developers, the corporate community and labor unions, and raised an estimated $1.7 million.
Murphy, on the other hand, raised about $550,000.
He also has less political experience than Roberts. Murphy served on the San Diego City Council for four years, but that was 15 years ago.
That lack of political experience is what some think put Murphy over the top.
“I think what the voters wanted was reform,” said Steve Erie, an urban and political analyst at UCSD. “They wanted somebody who could clean up cronyism and the low-grade conflict of interest that seems to characterize San Diego politics. They want somebody to kind of clean up the mess they saw at City Hall.”
Erie said Murphy’s experience as a judge should be beneficial because he has proven he will not cave into pressure.
“Murphy doesn’t have much of a track record because he’s been a judge for all these years,” Erie said. “That means business will be done differently at City Hall.”
