February 20, 2007
Eckels: It was all about me

I don't really care who Robert Eckels is going to work for. It was a safe bet it was going to be something high-powered and high-paying, it was just a matter of which big-name firm would be signing his checks. All that really matters in the story about where he is going is this:


"This is a new stage for me to play on. It's an international firm, and it has a broad range of expertise," Eckels said, citing the firm's energy and public finance practice. "I could have jumped last year if I was ready to go. But I wasn't. Now, mentally, I'm ready, and operationally, the county is ready."

Emphasis mine. If Eckels had been "ready to go" last year, in particular last year prior to August 25, we could have elected his successor in November. But because he wasn't "ready", and because such considerations apparently didn't weigh in his decision, we get a successor foisted on us instead. Maybe Harris County is "operationally ready" for a caretaker of Eckels' legacy to come in and keep steering the ship in the direction he's pointed it. Call me crazy, but I think we deserved the chance to make that decision for ourselves.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on February 20, 2007 to Local politics
Comments

As I have said before, this is all part of the entitlement philosophy held by so many in our political class, not to mention the arrogance. Good riddance, Judge Eckels.

Posted by: Dennis on February 20, 2007 9:15 AM

Typical republican politics.

Quit and try to manipulate.

I bet you $100 that Fullbright and Jaworski is working with the state on legal issues on the TTC.

Posted by: john cobarruvias on February 20, 2007 9:49 AM

Eckels: It was all about me

Spot on.

It's hard to observe government in action when Robert Eckels calls Commissioners Court and adjourns it before the scheduled time announced to the public. Quite a contrast to his very first campaign platform of "open government".

He might as well just step down now so we can get on with County Government.

It will be more difficult to take Eckels appointed successor seriously considering the likelihood that he will also follow Eckels career path as Eckels expands his new empire.

Call me crazy, but I think we deserved the chance to make that decision for ourselves.

I think Eckels believes that that is the role of the lobbyist. Us poor citizens, who are qualified to cast a ballot, are not as informed as those organizations who cannot vote in our government. That's where "open government" Eckels comes in.

Posted by: Charles Hixon on February 20, 2007 11:28 AM

An inability to set a departure date and a delay in nominating a temporary successor indicates poor planning and portends a delayed if not sloppy transition.

Posted by: Charles Hixon on February 21, 2007 10:10 AM

I am not convinced by the reason he gives. Republicans do not just give up power.

Perhaps he doesn't want to be around to see the results of his party's handiwork as regards censoring scientists, journalists and educators on Climate Crisis.

What are his duties in a Hurricane/Heat Wave event? I need a review.

Also, call an election. I want someone running of the caliber of James Lee Witt.

Though I must say, Houston did about the most humane job 2 years ago of all the major cities. Houstonians want to keep Houston around for a longer time, not a shorter time. And, themselves and others treated humanely. That is why the jails and their inhumaneness is so disturbing to Houstonians. Eckles should fix that now.

Also, we can leapfrog over our science-class-skipping GOP representatives, to problem solve for Climate Crisis:

Mark your calendars for 7/7/07.

http://www.liveearth...
http://liveearth.org...

Global warming is the greatest environmental threat humanity has ever faced, and dramatic climate changes are already happening all over the world. 2007 is predicted to be world's warmest year in history. Rising global temperatures are melting glaciers and decimating species. But it's not just plants, animals or "the environment" that must be saved -- it's us. If we don't act now, the consequences will be catastrophic and life-threatening. Sea levels will rise to devastate coastal areas worldwide. Stronger storms will result in disastrous flooding. Extreme temperatures, droughts and extinctions will cause widespread destruction of our food supply. Only we can Save Our Selves from our climate crisis. And we must.

http://liveearth.org...

AL GORE, KEVIN WALL, PHARRELL, MANÁ, CAMERON DIAZ LAUNCH UNPRECEDENTED CAMPAIGN, CONCERT TO COMBAT CLIMATE CRISIS

"Live Earth" Concerts in All 7 Continents to Reach Global Audience of Over 2 Billion

................

Good luck to us all, maybe we will have another good year like last year...

But if not, I do have another question. Why are all those roads that nobody wants being built for central Texas but not so many more roads, lanes around the Texas coast, such as in Beaumont which feeds into Houston's highway 59 and perhaps other areas also? Create more lanes along the coast for even bigger evacuations with bigger storms. Put the money and building where we will need it very much sometime in the future. Do that too.

Posted by: Support Science to Reverse Global Warming, which Al Gore says is still possible on February 22, 2007 1:02 AM