Maureen O’Connor

Barry Horstman’s article about former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor (Dec. 15) evoked fond memories of a woman I have admired greatly for years. Maureen is one of the few politicians I have ever dealt with who seems to be both capable and moral. I first met Maureen when she worked at Rosary High School and I was a priest at the adjoining parish. Even then, she engendered in her students the kind of commitment to community service that can only be taught through personal example. It was the commitment to teach such values as well as a challenge from her students which first led her to seek public office. From personal conversations I learned how much pressure was put on her to bend the rules or show favoritism to one or another group. Demands came from sources as diverse as the office of the bishop, Leo Maher, to the smallest community groups; from politicians to developers, all of whom claimed to be responsible for her election. As she said, many years later, to a high school religion class, the only way to honestly serve her constituents was to do her homework by reading the information she was given about an issue and then voting for what she saw as legal and right.

During that same presentation she shared some of the pain and frustration she felt when she found out how low and vicious some people become when they seek political advantage. She shared how hard it is to defend oneself against lies without responding in kind.

In an age when so many elected officials seem to be hiding from those who elected them, isn’t it refreshing to see one who people feel comfortable calling by her first name? Perhaps if there were more people who saw their calling to be that of public servant, as Maureen has, there would be less distrust and anger among our citizens and a little less despair among our children.

DESMOND DITCHFIELD

Redlands