Disneyland, Hollywoodland (now Hollywood) and Aguirreland, all make-believe places where the family can spend a short time and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of fantasy.
In Disneyland, Dumbo holds a feather to convince him of his ability to fly. In Hollywoodland, mere power is enough to convince people of your worth and glamour. In Aguirreland, public power and fantasy combine to create a corrupt stew where friends and family can dip their toes for fun and skullduggery at the expense of public and taxpayer alike. The City Attorney's office has devolved into Aguirre's shameless friend and family plan, not a government operation.
It began with Aguirre's Republican adviser Pat Shea and his wife. Their collective early romp through the City Attorney's office and her review of privileged attorney-client documents during unpaid rummaging sessions gave rise to an epic lawsuit against Mr. Aguirre which morphed into what is known simply as the "pension litigation." Unpaid, they did not have to disclose their conflicts of interest, financial and otherwise, to the public and were left to mill about the offices and secret documents of the city.
More recently, it is Aguirre's family members in the form of older brother, Gary Aguirre, who is allowed to take a few weeks out to attend what must be characterized as "late autumn camp" at the City Attorney's office, trying a few cases, apparently while operating his current private offices: see aguirrelawfirm.com. Put another way, the taxpayers are forced by their present, erstwhile City Attorney, to allow his 65-year old brother a free, brief fling at refreshing his rusty trial skills for a few months before he moves on. Call it Aguirreland and the ride GaryGate. Whatever it is, it goes too far!
This pseudo-hiring does little for the public. It demeans and insults those professionals who are trying daily to advance the public's interest in an orderly justice system that can be trusted to work impartially, not a playground for the relatives and friends of a deeply troubled public official. Aguirre's latest venture into outrageous territory has been noted for its shear daring. For Aguirre, it's nothing new.
It recapitulates some of his other ridiculous hiring practices. For example, Aguirre hired Kathryn Burton, an attorney who was admitted to practice law June 1, 1994, went inactive six months later on January 1, 1995, remained inactive for ten years, and then activated her license February 14, 2005, to shortly thereafter be put in charge of managing the City Attorney's office. In other words, a person with almost no time as a California attorney admitted to practice law, was set to reviewing the qualifications of attorneys whose specialized work would be called upon to advance and protect the public's legal interests. Could this hiring pattern explain Aguirre's astonishing history of defeats and gargantuan bills for outside counsel? Only in Aguirreland could such blatant incompetence be rewarded, encouraged and protected. After all, it's only a fantasy, a fraud and papier-mâché version of the real thing.
Behind the show at Aguirreland, are the same press-driven, puffed-up animatronic wonders as we have come to expect from excursions into other fantasy venues. In the same way that we are asked to suspend disbelief for the "big lie" because no one could concoct such a fantastic story if it did not have a chewy center of truth, in Aguirreland deceit is central to its operations, participation therein is nearly mandatory and silence is obligatory. In Aguirreland, lifelike puppets mouth scripts intended to convince a public audience that real work is being done behind the scenes.
The main difference between Aguirreland and other fantasy venues, theme parks and dude ranches: The action really causes harm to innocent people, the lives crumbled are real and the public is actually robbed of its entitled benefit of attorneys truly committed to the public good, not merely those vacationing, slumming or engaging in a devil-may care fling with the public's trust.
Disneyland has been referred to as the happiest place on Earth. Its polar opposite, Aguirreland, is one of the shabbiest, seediest fantasy dives San Diego has ever had the misfortune to witness or experience, and that's saying something given the history of adult entertainment that downtown San Diego sported a few decades back.
There are many examples of Aguirre's decidedly despicable abuse of discretion to hire and fire. Sadly the press has spent precious little time explaining to the public the real harm caused by this behavior. Gary Aguirre is just another example of Michael Aguirre's abusive, pompous disregard for the public good -- wrapped in distraction, excuse, excess and high-sounding speeches.
If I sound indignant, I am, and I think San Diego should boycott Aguirreland!
Coffey is an attorney based in San Diego. He can be reached at daniel.coffey@sddt.com. Comments may be published as Letters to the Editor.
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