Labeled “Enron by the Sea,” near bankrupt and marred from mounting scandals, San Diego chose to elect longtime political gadfly and former securities fraud attorney Mike Aguirre for city attorney. His campaign was simple: If elected he would root out corruption, clean up City Hall and work to restore the city’s financial situation. And staying true to his word, Aguirre has been relentless since his narrow victory back in November. To say he has hit the ground running would be an understatement.

Wanting him to shake things up, just months ago we were singing Aguirre’s praises, endorsing him for his no-nonsense, unwavering judgment and his promise to set things straight downtown. However, during his short tenure as city attorney, Aguirre has strained relations with numerous city officials, publicly challenged the mayor and placed the city council on the defensive by recommending they receive private counsel.

Though we’re still certain he’s the right man for the job, we worry Aguirre’s pursuit for blood may damage his ability to get the job done, leaving him without allies in a city growing deaf to the cry of his voice.

Aguirre’s unabated drive to root out corruption comes at a time when the city of San Diego is nearing bankruptcy, racking a near $1.2 billion deficit following the council’s deliberate under-funding of the pension system. This coupled with inaccurate financial reporting practices has caught the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission, FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office – negatively impacting our bond rating and making it cost prohibitive to go to the already skeptical markets to borrow much-needed money.

Announcing his own investigation of the San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System just two days after taking office, Aguirre has placed many city officials under intense scrutiny – one being Mayor Murphy. In a recent open statement to the press, Aguirre announced his plans to review the facts regarding whether Murphy was aware that the pension plan was substantially under-funded, and if so, why the mayor decided not to bring this information forward in order to act upon it accordingly. Murphy categorically denies these allegations.

Aguirre has also been abrasive with the city council. In a Dec. 21 council meeting, following Councilmember Zucchet’s inquiry as to why Aguirre was investigating the pension fund, Aguirre shot back a reminder that Zucchet is under indictment, and warned him to drop his line of questioning and save himself future embarrassment. A bit below the belt, eh Mike?

Another blunder was Aguirre’s decision to release a memo to the press outlining his suggestions as to how the city should deal with the mounting pension deficit on the same day Murphy was due to give his State of the City address. Though Aguirre denied it was an attempt to upstage Murphy, his obvious orchestration of the press could backfire and leave a sour taste in the mouths of the people.

Aguirre has been sharply criticized for his apparent love of the limelight, and it does seem at times like he shows up in the news daily. Accused of grandstanding, we agree with critics who would prefer Aguirre just do his job, continue with his investigations and release information once allegations are confirmed. His heavy-handed, publicity-seeking methods may undermine his ability to operate effectively. Browbeating city council members, publicly challenging the mayor and bucking the city manager and other city officials will only prompt City Hall to circle the wagons – leaving Aguirre unavailing.

Mike, you’re still our guy, but you have to choose which battles to fight, make some friends and show other elected officials some respect. Further, quit bombarding the press. You no longer need to use the press to make your points public. You’re the elected city attorney. You have the power and expertise, and you’re on the right side.

Step out of the spotlight and concentrate on making good on your promises.