Is it a vendetta and a witch hunt or a legitimate investigation into questionable activities? The public may not know but one thing is certain: City Hall is hopping with gossip, innuendo and intrigue.
Council Member Jolanda Jones was investigated most recently for a complaint filed against her for abuse of city property. The complaint stemmed from a card she distributed to constituents that provided tips on “knowing your rights” in the event of Police engagement. The card clearly listed her City Hall phone number and her law office number. She claimed at the time that the card was prepared as a public service and that she had been giving it out for years.
All of that would have been fine had it not listed both a public and private phone number. The mixing of the two listings begs the question that she may have been using public facilities, staff, and dollars to promote her own law practice. This is a complete no-no in the public sector.
The Office of Inspector General investigated and found some violations by Jones. The Mayor said she didn’t think it was worthy of criminal charges but a Council colleague moved to have Jones censured by Council. A panel has been appointed to review and have been meeting without presenting a solution at this time.
Meanwhile, Council Member Jones has fired back. Read the Chronicle’s take on it
here.
Jones has filed a complaint against City Attorney Feldman with the State Bar and claims she is being “persecuted” by wide-ranging investigations and mistreatment of her staff. She has a bulldog of a press spokesperson spewing forth animosity as good as Jones has gotten.
What is the root of all this hullabaloo? Is Jones being unfairly treated or singled-out? The fact is that she is a very outspoken Council Member. In all fairness, her colleagues do not like her. She tags many items on the Council agenda every week, delaying decisions. She talks incessantly at the table and seems to feel the need to comment on every single item or engage with most every public speaker. She single-handedly increases the length of Council meetings. And, ultimately, she is not a team player with those around the table.
Are her actions the root of the problem? Is there genuinely a conspiracy to “get” her? This blogger does not think so.
Her actions draw attention to her and cause her to often fall in a gray area of governance and activism. It is okay to be outspoken. It does not serve the people well to be a contrarian. At some point, an elected official may genuinely become so irritating that they fail to govern properly. Jones has appeared to bring about the “they’re out to get me” attitude upon herself.
She seems to thrive best in that position.
Note to all: Houston City Hall is not Washington D.C. or even the Legislature. Fixing sewers and picking up trash are just not rhetorical topics. This is why City elections are, theoretically, non-partisan.
The City is in tough financial times and facing one of the worst droughts in history. Would it be possible for the Jones issue to resolve and all involved get back to taking are of the business at hand?
Let’s hope this issue resolves soon. Meanwhile, stay tuned for updates on the latest City Hall drama…………
This entry was originally posted at Nancy Sims' blog, Ponderings.