I've been watching with interest a fascinating story unfolding here in my fair city of Houston. Ever since the last city council elections, there has been a perpetual thorn in the side of Mayor Annise Parker and her allies in the council. That thorn's name is Helena Brown, a batshit Tea Party Republican if ever one existed. Brown has consistently voted no on just about every action taken by city council, seriously challenging Ron Paul for the title of "Dr. No." Most of the time, she is the lone no vote on the council. She usually votes no because she is "fiscally conservative," which apparently means she doesn't think city council should spend any money at all on anything. More than a fiscal conservative, she's just a self-righteous pain in the ass.
Well, Brown has recently found herself in a bit of trouble--for now, just PR trouble (as if she isn't a walking PR problem as it is), but who knows what other kinds of trouble as the story unfolds. And it involves some...um...wasteful government spending. And guess who it was doing the spending. Oh, you guessed it. Follow me below the fold.
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It all started with a trip to Asia. From June 30 through July 7, Brown was in Asia, supposedly to increase the number of direct flights from Asia to Houston. Brown claims she was invited to make the trip by Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz, but Mayor Parker says it was Brown who asked to go.
The trip costs--amounting to $10,883.57--have been charged to the city's tab. These charges don't count the cost of her return flight, which she can still technically file for reimbursement for. In spite of paying for the trip with public money, Brown's office solicited money to pay for the trip from Korean community leaders (she represents a largely Korean district), even though she is currently in a black-out period barring the solicitation of private financial contributions. Brown's office later pinned that on her adviser in a statement:
That statement was sent in error. While CM (council member) Brown could be the vehicle by which private financial assistance of non-city employees could be handled, CM Brown understood full well that this type of situation might be misconstrued as a campaign contribution during the "black-out" period and therefore instructed all potential contributors who communicated to her to deal privately with potential delegation participants instead.
Uh-huh.
It remains unclear if Brown received private contributions in violation of the law. But it's certain the money was solicited. Consider this from one of the e-mails:
The trip to Korea is a costly trip. ... Please make checks out to Helena Brown who will personally be offsetting the costs.
Very interesting. Charging almost $11,000 to the city and then illegally seeking private contributions during the black-out period. Something is very fishy indeed.
But it gets more interesting. When Brown returned from Asia on Wednesday, she publicly claimed it was a "successful business trip." I guess she has a different definition of the word "successful."
The trip was originally planned to meet with Korean Airlines. Or, that's what the city paid for. That did not happen. In fact, the meeting was canceled in advance. So what did Brown do? She continued on to South Korea. According to a Houston Airport System spokesperson, she actually abandoned Diaz and the trip itinerary and went off to do her own thing. And according to her press release, she delivered 5,000 signatures to Asian Airlines in South Korea in support of a direct flight to Houston, but it remains unclear if she actually conducted any meetings. She also traveled to Taipei and discussed the delivery of F-16 planes to Taiwan. Then she chatted about "trade, travel, and education" with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. No meeting outcomes were specified. Oh, and then Brown visited the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, which, according to the press release
had a profound impact on her as she saw first-hand the eminent (sic) danger North Korea presents to South Korea. She experienced the South Korean appreciation and love for the American military. As a city and a nation CM Brown believes that we must affirm and recommit to the support of our allies.
All the bullshit aside, it seems that the city may have financed little more than an Asian vacation for Brown. To the tune of $11,000. In return, the City of Houston benefited...how, exactly? How did the "meetings" with Taiwanese officials and the nice chats in China about "trade, travel, and education" have anything to do with Brown's role as Council Member in Houston? How did the visit to the Demilitarized Zone influence city business? Brown hasn't said. But it seems she had a good time.
By the way, as the Houston Chronicle notes:
She has voted against spending on caregivers for the chronically ill, renovations to a women's shelter, a hike and bike path and after-school programs. She unsuccessfully introduced budget amendments last month to default on the city's pension obligations and to get out of the ambulance business. Often she is outvoted 16-1.
I imagine the plot will continue to thicken as we learn more details. But what this whole story shows is that Brown has absolutely zero credibility as a "fiscal conservative" or a budget hawk. She's as phony and as hypocritical as they come.
TOP COMMENTS
July 13, 2012
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emmasnacker sent in this comment by Dood Abides from Shawn Russell's diary NAACP Director: Romney Rigged Event by Having Blacks Flown In.
From peregrine kate:
I'd like to nominate JekyllnHyde's comment, which was a follow-up to blue jersey mom's comment with almost the same wording as JnH's caption. JnH's cartoon replies are always wonderful, but this one is a keeper for so many reasons.
From Noddy:
Via Chicago neatly summed up the meta-drama of The Nephew and liberaldemdave made a funny in Colorado is the Shiznitz's diary WHAT THE F%$K IS GOING ON?!
From Unit Zero:
This one from Randomfactor in response to sawgrass727's comment made me spew Pepsi out my nose.
From JaxDem:
bubbannomics clears up the latest meta controversy in his tip jar from his HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA post.
From arizonablue:
A remake of "The Sound of Music" starring Andy!
Features Andy's version of the song : "The Hills Are Alive" with Andy frolicking on the hills!
Rated : Gee with some cussin' an stuffs!
From Koosah:
I sincerely hope this comment by BendixG15 in brooklynbadboy's diary about Harry Reid's opinion on Romney's tax situation will become a new phrase we can add to our lexicon this year. It would be awesome to hear this song at one of the President's rallies!
From Pam from Calif:
I really enjoy this comment by blue aardvark. bubbanomics's diary is hilarious and his comment is perfect.
From lineatus:
Did you ever notice that Dallasdoc is brilliant? And funny, too.
From your humble diarist:
In Dave in Northridge's excellent, excellent diary, alguien made me LOL with this response to my comment, which was made about raincrow's sigline (which simply says "Vagina!").
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TOP PHOTOS
July 12, 2012
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