The hot blasts of air ruffling hair and parching skin earlier this week were not Santa Ana winds. They were the collective sighs of John McCann, parents and former teachers in the Sweetwater Union High School District.
As of Tuesday night McCann was on his way to becoming a Chula Vista City Councilman for the third time, four years after wading into the roiling muddy waters of school board politics at Sweetwater.
Almost from day one, trustee McCann was in the midst or periphery of controversy, be it the jettisoning of would-be convicted superintendent Jesus Gandara or as a witness to the county’s largest corruption saga that gobbled up four of his colleagues. That McCann can put the tumultuous period behind him probably comes as a fantastic relief to him.
In all likelihood it is a relief to a segment of the public that early on came to regard McCann as part of the problem at Sweetwater. His critics relentlessly and loudly, at times, called him responsible for the sweetheart severance package given to the same Gandara whom McCann boasts he chased out of town. They also point to his coziness with former superintendent Ed Brand, who was as popular as a sweaty onion chewer in a crowded closet. Then there were the legal run-ins he had with district parents and committee members. Ask them and they’d probably tell you, “He’s Chula Vista’s problem now, not ours.”
But is he really a problem? Maybe he’s a blessing. At least to those who enjoy the spectacle of political and personal intrigue.
McCann’s time on the council will surely be interesting. His past performances at City Hall taught us he could be unpredictable and disruptive while his Sweetwater gig helped him hone his sidestep and shuffle routine. That will come in handy if and when he is seated at City Hall again.
For example, now that the election is over, will McCann still follow through with his defamation lawsuit to clear his name or will he decide that, in light of his victory, bygones are bygones?
He’ll also have to decide if he’ll pursue the elimination of tolls on Route 125, an idea he brought up during the campaign, and if he does, how exactly is he going to convince SANDAG — which spent millions upon millions of dollars to buy the roadway — to give up the fees.
And how will he convince his four council colleagues that removing parking meters — another idea he broached during the campaign — along Third Avenue makes sense by giving up cents?
Of course, on a practical matter, the nearly 15,000 residents who voted against him may want to know if they’ll receive cease and desist letters from his lawyer if they criticize him in the same way his critics at Sweetwater did.
There are so many unanswered and intriguing questions we face now that McCann is close to returning to City Hall that the only real problem is he can’t take office soon enough.
