Letters to the Editor: Kevin de León wants to serve his constituents. So why isn’t he resigning?
It’s a sad commentary on our political climate when a local politician who has spent more than two decades in office seeking re-election comes out of nowhere to advocate the creation of a commission to investigate allegations that the city’s police department engaged in misconduct.
The latest controversy has a long history in our community. The issue is not new, though the issues involved have changed. There have been investigations by the city’s Ethics Commission and the city council. The council and council members on the committee heard testimony from witnesses and were provided with documents.
The mayor has not made the allegations public. In fact, the mayor’s office has insisted they are unsubstantiated. Now Kevin de León is suggesting a commission to investigate the allegations and report back to the residents of San Diego.
Why? In a time when our political landscape is being rebuilt, is it not appropriate for a San Diego political leader to step forward and put his or her money where his or her mouth is? Isn’t that what a political leader is supposed to do?
I have yet to find a satisfactory answer to that question.
De León, who has served San Diego on the city council since 2011, could have chosen to step down. He could have resigned as council president. When he became mayor, he could have asked for an outside investigation.
Instead, he chose to suggest an investigation. It sounds like a good idea to me. It’s like sending an investigator to investigate an alleged crime on the corner of Lincoln and Main in order to figure out if it happened or not.
The fact is, I’m a big fan of the council president, Mike Zucchet, who is also a huge fan of de León. They have worked together diligently for several years and Zucchet has had a profound effect on who we have as leaders here in San Diego.
In my mind, de León has a special place in the leadership structure that includes the mayor, Zucchet, city attorney Jan Goldsmith
