There was something matrimonial about the recent swearing-in ceremonies in National City and Chula Vista Tuesday.
While the administration of oaths of office could be viewed as a public declaration of service and fidelity in the way brides and grooms vow fealty to one another, that wasn’t what whispered at me.
What nagged me as the inaugurations approached was a rhyme:
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
While the sing-song lines suggest the items a new bride should have on her the day she says ‘I do,” to me they described what voters found in front of them.
Something old: In both cases, National City and Chula Vista have old, familiar faces now serving as mayors.
In National City Ron Morrison comes back for another term as mayor, having served first from 2006—2018, then working as a councilman until this year. In all Morrison has sat on the council dais since 1992. That’s 30 years of the same face, the same ideas and the same routine.
John McCann first came to Chula Vista City Hall in 2002 when he served two consecutive terms, took a four-year position on the Sweetwater Union High School District governing board then came back to council in 2014 to bide his time until winning the mayor’s race this year.
Something new: Jose Preciado and Carolina Chavez are fresh faces on the Chula Visa City Council while up the avenue Ditas Yamane and Luz Molina join the National City City Council for the first time.
Something borrowed: Glen Googins should have been out the door this year as City Attorney but the election of the deceased Simon Silva to the post means Googins will be around until the city figures out who his successor will be. While on borrowed time Googins will in no doubt have input regarding the vacancy at District 3, where former councilman Steve Padilla has left for a job in the state senate.
Something blue: The two most recent figureheads in National City and Chula Vista were Democrats. But the party of donkeys and progressives blew their chance to get an incumbent mayor reelected in National City and a stronger contender to run against the GOP’s McCann. For now it’ll have to be happy with bridesmaids bouquets.
