San Diego, (Not So) Super Chargers!

Back in 1972, San Diego mayor (and later California Governor) Pete Wilson hatched the phrase "America's Finest City" as a PR ploy. For more than 30 years, the city has continued to bill itself as America's Finest. Until recently for, as today's USA Today points out, things have gone downhill:

One of its congressmen admitted taking $2.4 million in bribes, the FBI has investigated City Hall, the mayor resigned, a $1.37 billion pension shortfall damaged the city's credit rating and fueled talk of bankruptcy, and two councilmen were convicted of taking bribes from a strip club owner.

In the face of that evidence, the current mayor has removed the slogan from the city's website:

'We couldn't stake that claim anymore,' said Gina Lew, the city's director of public and media affairs. 'We were taking too many hits.'

But leave it to San Dieagans to see the humor in all this:

The San Diego Union-Tribune recently asked readers to come up with a new slogan, saying 'America's Finest' had turned 'creaky.' Among the nearly 500 responses: 'Scandalicious,' 'An Eruption of Corruption,' 'All Major Unmarked Bills Accepted Here' and 'Bunglers by the Bay.'

I personally think that "All Major Unmarked Bills Accepted Here" would look dandy on a flag.