Skies Clear for Jones
Council Member Jolanda Jones is finally finished with a round of investigations regarding her office.

Initially accused of comingling her Council office sources to promote her private law practice, Jones has endured months of investigations. She distributed a card to voters that contained her law office phone number and her Council office number. The card warned people about speaking with the police and let them know their rights.

The card caused quite a stir and angered the Police. Many observers thought it inappropriate for a Council Member to advise people not to cooperate with police investigations.

Other Council Members were concerned about the distribution of a card that included both public and private contact information and one filed a complaint that Jones was in violation of the City Code of Ethics.

This spurred the formation of a three person committee that included Mayor Parker, Council Member Lovell and Council Member Bradford. They studied the complaints and sent it to the District Attorney for review. The DA determined there was no criminal violation and sent it back. The committee finally cleared Jones this week with a recrimination that her staff needs better training to keep city work separate from other activities.

Of course, this brief recap doesn’t reflect the months that all of this has taken. Jones now faces the court of public opinion with serious opposition on the November ballot.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
One of the ways that Houstonians know it is election season is by the proliferation of campaign signs that appear on vacant properties and freeway entrance ramps prior to the election.

All of these signs, ironically, contain a phrase that quotes the sign ordinance and describes legal posting.

This year, Mayor Parker has indicated that the sign ordinance will be enforced and candidates will be notified of illegal postings. They will have 24 hours to pick them up or be faced with fines for illegal placement.

Candidates always claim that overzealous volunteers placed the signs and that is often true. It is rarely the candidate that is out there hammering the signs in the ground or mounting a 4 x 8 on a fence. Yet, they are often aware that someone just drove off with a truckload of signs.

One particular candidate has created a massive “bandit” sign campaign this year and decided to claim that the Mayor’s decision to enforce the code is about him. He swung back at the Mayor in a most crude and inappropriate manner – not worth my repeating.

In fact, however, it costs the City lots of money to clean up, collect and dispose of the signs.

So candidates, go along with the rules for a change.

By the way, the voter turnout will probably drop even lower as a result!