The Chronicle had an op-ed today calling Judge Ed Emmett to the carpet. Telling him to put his words into action.
Dr. Trautman ran the election on the premise she would "leave my political identity at the door," stating how she would conduct herself in the tax office. "You are an employee of the citizens of Harris County, not a political party," Trautman said.
Emmett campaigned for the position promising to govern in a bipartisan mode, making appointments to county positions without regard to politics."I don't even ask what party they belong to," he told the Chronicle. "It has nothing to do with it, I'm trying to find the best people I can to do the job." That pledge will now be put to the test.
Dr. Trautman teaches accountability, ethics, and leadership at Stephen F. Austin University. I say, what better person to run our county's tax office and voter registration than Diane Trautman? And the Chronicle agrees. But more importantly, the Chronicle states, "With the court evenly divided between two Republican and two Democratic commissioners, Emmett can indeed control whether the appointment is decided on the basis of politics."
In resigning, Bettencourt effectively disenfranchised the more than half million people who voted for him. In appointing a replacement, we hope Commissioners Court recognizes Trautman's qualifications for the job and the fact that nearly half the county electorate recently voted to put her in that position.
This is a case where the runner-up has earned the title.
"To achieve your best, get in over your head and rise to the top." - Dr. Richard Tapia Professor of Computational Mathematics, Rice University