Just when the last campaign checks cleared the bank, it’s time for another round. In addition to whatever reputation San Diego has – placid, sun-drenched Republican haven, L.A.’s little sister, Enron by the Sea – we’re quickly gaining a reputation as an unstable city that relies increasing on nouveau guerilla-warfare politics to get things done.

Some of it, of course, is unavoidable. The loss of Councilmember Charles Lewis last year was anything but political – it was sudden and sad. Though the ensuing special election to fill his seat got ugly at times, that’s straightforward American politics. And in an election season, close races are par for the course – though with the Anthony Young/George Stevens runoff in District 4, the Leslie Devaney/Mike Aguirre nailbiter for city attorney and the circus-like mayoral race, San Diego has had more than its fair share of them.

Still, the ink has barely dried on the last write-in ballots for Donna Frye, sour-grapes lawsuits are fermenting into a not-so-fine whine, City Attorney Mike Aguirre’s cunning plan to shake up city government is still in its petulant infancy – and then strong-mayor-to-be Dick Murphy resigns amid threats of a recall?

Wait a minute, people. Is this city government or elementary school? There are no take-backs. There are no do-overs. And there is certainly no lunch money left in the coffer for another election right now, estimated to cost $3-6 million.

But then, we wonder: Why couldn’t Dick hang? A good public servant but ineffectual politician, Murphy wouldn’t just resign over criticism from the likes of Time magazine or any other media. He most certainly wouldn’t resign because Aguirre called for him to do so 11 days prior.

Maybe it was because the City Council has focused their energies on solving the city’s colossal budget problems and transitioning to the strong-mayor form of government with as much dignity and unity as the 6th-grade cliques we all remember, amid a federal investigation of two council members and another by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the steady exodus of the city’s financial managers and auditors, and one council member’s unwillingness to accept the results of the simple directions to fill in the bubble she so adamantly believed the electorate was capable of accomplishing.

Hmmm. Could be.

Murphy and the City Council continuously tried to avoid heeding Truman’s famous words: The buck stops here. They and their predecessors created and added to the financial mess they are all trying to run from.

But Murphy just said he’s not the man for the job. It’s not that we don’t agree, it’s why now, when what we really need is enough stability to get our city functioning again. Then we can focus on who the right person is for the job.

Yet if so much of Murphy’s resignation rests on improving San Diego’s reputation, it stands to reason that Deputy Mayor Michael Zucchet – currently under indictment along with Councilmember Ralph Inzunza for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in an alleged scheme to relax no-touch rules at local strip clubs – should not take over the city’s reigns in the interim. How on earth can we consider turning over the reigns of a financially-mismanaged government, one with no Wall Street credibility left at all, to a man facing felony money-laundering and extortion indictments, with his trial most likely still in progress just as he is set to take over?

Since Councilmembers Donna Frye, Brian Maienschein and Scott Peters may run for Murphy’s seat, Councilmember Tony Young is brand new and Councilmember Jim Madaffer can’t even show up to council for contentious votes much less lead a city, that leaves San Diego’s former deputy mayor, Councilmember Atkins, as the only viable candidate. And a competent one at that.

The only problem is that with the council’s approval rating at an all-time low and public trust in the current council almost evaporated, we feel Atkins may be unfairly judged as being like the rest of the bad apples, instead of being rightfully seen as the only consensus-building, hard-working, non-scandal-ridden council member; the one who isn’t a sore loser, child-like or self-serving.

So we say Atkins or former state Senator Dede Alpert: two strong women, focused, determined and always willing to put the public’s needs ahead of their own self-interest. Alpert has been a stellar public servant with a strong background in fiscal responsibility; able to make the tough decisions to put San Diego back on track and able to help the squabbling school kids sitting around the table live up to the standards we should be demanding of public officials.

We wanted a shakeup. We got it. Careful what you wish for, and let the games begin.