The Return of John McCann is good for business. The mercurial politician provides abundant opportunity for headlines and column fodder.
Whether it is for allegedly throwing an object at a political rival’s pickup truck, clashing with parents and community leaders over campaign signs, videotaping the public from his seat on the Sweetwater Union High School District dais at a public meeting, or taking credit for cleaning up political messes he helped create, McCann can be counted on for creating a stir if not good policy.
First ammendment activists will benefit from McCann’s time in office. They’ll have an opportunity to brush up on their rights to criticize a public offcial should he or his supporters threaten them with legal action as they did when McCann was on the school board.
Attorneys will profit, either financially or karmically, when they file cease and desist letters, requests for temporary restraining orders and demands for an apology to the media, as they did on McCann’s behalf when he was a trustee.
But perhaps most importantly Republicans will benefit if the outcome from the race to win Chula Vista City Council seat one remains unchanged.
Had McCann’s opponent Steve Padilla won the contest the council’s makeup would have been overwhelmingly blue. Padilla, along with Mayor-elect Mary Salas, Councilwoman Pamela Bensoussan and Councilwoman Patricia Aguilar are Democrats. Given an opportunity to appoint a fifth member to the council — a replacement for Salas’ vacated council seat — it is likely the four would have selected someone with a similar philosophy and approach to governance. In other words, another Democrat.
But with McCann on the dais he serves as a representative of the Republican party in Chula Vista. His voice and opinions should serve as a counterweight to those who are on the opposite side of the political spectrum.
McCann’s election, if it holds true, presents an opportunity for Republicans to have a say in how Chula Vista is governed. Even if the council appoints another Democrat or a special election is held and voters choose another blue party member to be part of a super majority, local members of the GOP have John McCannn as their champion.
There’s no way of knowing if all of the 18,448 people who voted for McCann in November are registered Republicans. But we do know that those same people, for whatever reason, did not share the values and goals of McCann’s opponent, a man who shares the same core political philosophy of at least three other members of a five-person council.
There is no denying that a variety of philosophies and ideas discussed and debated in at City Hall is good for the public’s business.
But there’s also no denying that McCann has an interesting track record. And having someone like him in office, well that’s good for the business of writing a opinion column.
