I really don’t know what there is to say about the recent ugliness within the Houston Fire Department. It’s a shame and an outrage, and I sincerely hope the steps Mayor White is taking go a long way towards making sure this never happens again. We’re better than this, I know that.
City Controller and Mayoral candidate Annise Parker addressed the incidents here. Candidate Gene Locke sent out a press release, which I’ve included beneath the fold. I’ve not seen anything from Peter Brown or Roy Morales, but if I do I’ll add it to this post.
UPDATE: I have received a statement from Peter Brown as well, which I have added beneath Gene Locke’s statement.
Statement by Gene Locke
Regarding Recent Events at the Houston Fire Department
July 9, 2009“I am shocked and outraged by the recent sexist and racist individual acts involving two female firefighters. I strongly support the men and women of the Houston Fire Department and the recent events are in no way a reflection on these great public servants who risk their lives for us every day. However, these cowardly acts by a few reckless individuals are deplorable and cannot be tolerated. I encourage the chief and the mayor to continue their investigation until the perpetrators are found. These individuals should be punished to the fullest extent of fire department policy and if applicable, to the fullest extent of the law.
Going forward we need to make sure that the fire department and every other department in the city is a place of opportunity and promotion for women, minorities and all deserving employees.”
Peter Brown Statement on hate crimes at HFD Station
“Tuesday’s events within the Houston Fire Department were entirely unacceptable. The city must take immediate action to find those responsible and should hold those persons accountable whether they are employees of HFD or not. The city must protect those who protect our communities. On City Council, I recently supported sensitivity training for the Fire Department in an attempt to eradicate just this type of racist and sexist activity. But we need to go a step further – a zero tolerance policy. Those who serve our community deserve it. And those of us on City Council should demand it.”
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it is rather curious that the mayor suddenly wants to address a problem he was aware of in January of 2008 when Legal Momentum addressed the matter to him. And to everyone else at City Hall including Annise Parker and Peter Brown. The Houston Chronicle ran a story about it. Maybe no one reads the Houston Chronicle?
http://www.legalmomentum.org/news-room/press-releases/legal-momentum-urges-houston.html
There is a link to the letter and to the Houston Chronicle story.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And where there’s discrimination, well, there’s discrimination.