San Diego pension battle heats up

SAN DIEGO, March 2 (UPI) -- Jousting over San Diego's imperiled city pension plan heated up when the city council hired a legal consultant who is a political rival of the city attorney.

KNSD-TV, San Diego, said Wednesday it had learned former district attorney Paul Pfingst had been retained to advise the council on the legal issues surrounding City Attorney Mike Aguirre's efforts to take over the management of the pension board's legal affairs.

The pension board has filed suit against the city and Aguirre to block his attempted takeover.

Aguirre said in a statement City Hall was more concerned with covering itself politically than in cleaning up the problems in the undefended pension system.

Pfingst, who lost his bid for re-election in 2002, told KNSD it wasn't unusual for former public officials to be hired as consultants by the local governments they once worked for.