RIORDAN WATCH : In and Out

Mayor Richard Riordan pulled the plug on his deputy mayor for economic development Wednesday, and he was right to do just that. If anything, perhaps a bit late in doing just that. For this was an appointment that should never have been made. Indeed, with proper staff work it would never have been made.

Times articles since October have revealed that Deputy Mayor Alfred R. Villalobos had an enormously checkered business career that included, in addition to some successes, a worrisome trail of lawsuits filed against him by creditors and former business associates.

Times reporting also showed that his financial record included failures to repay loans and that his resume was skimpy or even misleading in some key areas of interest.

On Oct. 26, in an editorial, The Times called for Villalobos to step down.

On Wednesday Villalobos announced he will leave at the end of this month. Although the official version is that he wants to spend more time with his family than his busy post permits, there is little doubt that the revelations about his past were a significant factor in the decision.

The departure of Villalobos, the highest-ranking Latino at City Hall, should not be seen as an anti-Latino move by Riordan. Indeed, the mayor’s staff surely can find many Latinos who could do the job well.

However, settling on the first minority name that comes to mind or pops out of some aide’s mouth is not the way to go--as the sad saga of the hasty Villalobos appointment manifestly demonstrated.