10 Things About the New City Council

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It takes seven days to get nine telephone interviews. One councilmember schedules a dawn cell-phone call. The mayor calls back at the allotted time—despite flu symptoms he says are forcing him home early. The two newest members of the council exhibit rookie enthusiasm. As usual, Councilmember Donna Frye engages in candid conversation—instead of spouting the all-too-common manufactured propaganda that pols pull from the public relations slag heap.

Chatting with this body politic generates a general dearth of slander, dirt and backstabbing. Are we paying these folks to participate in a love-in? Seemingly. Asked who was the hardest to work with, each professes to have no mortal enemies. Six of the council nine attended Councilmember Michael Zucchet’s pre-election wedding.

The most salacious answer to the question of who’s hard to work with comes from one freshman about another: “I’m still feeling out Zucchet,” says Councilmember Charles Lewis, who was not at the Z-man’s wedding. Left-leaning Frye says the right-angled mayor has a habit of reminding her how much time she has to speak—but Mayor Dick Murphy says that’s just because Frye often requests to speak last on subjects.

“I think this council is a thoughtful group of people,” says District Three’s Toni Atkins. “I don’t think we harbor grudges the way the previous councils have. Dick Murphy doesn’t keep us in the dark. He hasn’t been 100 percent successful, but he keeps me—at least —fully informed.”

Then again: “Many times I find out about things the same time the media does,” says Frye.

Stop here if you’re looking for a smoking gun. Scandal may be in short supply, but here are 10 reasons why 1.3 million San Diegans are in fairly safe political hands. For now.

Experience. Even the freshmen are insiders. Zucchet served as an aide to former Councilmember Valerie Stallings; Lewis was George Stevens’ chief of staff. A total of five now serving on the council waited in the wings before taking their boss’ job: Ralph Inzunza and Jim Madaffer were chiefs of staff, and Atkins moved up the food chain after Christine Kehoe left the council for the state assembly.

Legal eagles. There are three lawyers on the council—Scott Peters, Brian Maienschein and judge-turned-mayor Murphy. Pro or con?

“It’s tremendous,” says Peters, naturally.

“So much of what we talk about is potential litigation, so the legal background helps,” says Maienschein.

“I wouldn’t want nine lawyers up here,” cracks Murphy.

“Maienschein likes to talk like a lawyer—he and Scott [Peters] can go on and on in closed session,” says Zucchet.

“It’s helpful—I often turn to Brian [Maienschein] for help in explaining legal stuff,” says Lewis.

Bipartisanship. There are six Democrats and three Republicans on board. (How did that happen in conservative San Diego?) But votes rarely split along party lines. Republican Mayor Murphy claims to be most ideologically aligned with Democrat Peters. Republican Madaffer says he often works behind the scenes with Peters, Lewis and Toni Atkins, Democrats all. Frye, poster girl for liberal Democrats, says this of minority party member Maienschein: “I love working with Brian—I really don’t have trouble with anybody.” Peace, man.

Equal Thirds. It’s an oversimplification, but you can break down the city council nicely into thirds—liberal, moderate and conservative—when it comes to social issues.

The liberals: Zucchet, Atkins and Frye.

The moderates: Peters, Lewis and Inzunza.

The conservatives: Maienschein, Madaffer and Mayor Murphy.

Maienschein and Madaffer grudgingly acknowledge this split. “I fall in the moderate category sometimes,” says Madaffer. “But yes, the three Republicans are on the conservative end.”

“That’s pretty close to accurate,” says Atkins. “I’m not embarrassed to say I’m at one of the ends. But the way it breaks down, I think that allows us to hold each other accountable.”

Says Inzunza: “It’s fun being a moderate. You have to look to us to carry the day [on votes].”

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