I feel like Council Member Jolanda Jones needs no introduction. She’s got a fairly high profile these days, and if you follow Houston politics at all, you’ve probably got a familiarity with her and an opinion of her. Mine remains the same, in that while I don’t always agree with what she’s doing, I like having someone like her on Council who comes at issues from a different direction. She’s clearly very passionate about the issues that matter to her, like criminal justice and civil rights. Whatever you may think of her, she’s also in the middle of what could be a very interesting race for re-election, which is a rare thing for an incumbent Council member. She has three opponents, who may capitalize on some anti-Jolanda sentiment, but as things stand now I don’t see any of them turning that into a coalition that might actually unseat her. With one exception, she hasn’t lost any prior endorsements, and her supporters seem to be as enthusiastic about her as ever. Watch for the next campaign finance reports and see who’s got what, and maybe then we’ll have a better idea if this could be a competitive race.
PREVIOUSLY:
Karen Derr, At Large #1
Brad Bradford, At Large #4
Stephen Costello, At Large #1
Lane Lewis, District A
Lonnie Allsbrooks, At Large #1
Noel Freeman, At Large #4
Brenda Stardig, District A
Oliver Pennington, District G
Amy Peck, District A
Herman Litt, At Large #1
Natasha Kamrani, HISD Trustee in District I, not running for re-election
Alex Wathen, District A
Robert Kane, District F
Council Member Melissa Noriega, At Large #3
Jeff Downing, District A
Mike Laster, District F
I voted for Ms Jones in the last election, but likely won’t this time. I’m going to look closely at her competitors and then make a choice. Ms Jones accomplishes some things but her constant grandstanding and bashing others is a turnoff. It seems her statements on the issues are 3 parts “look at me” to every one part substance on the issue at hand. And how many times is she going to trot out and brag on herself about saving a life. She lacks humility. She should hold herself to a higher standard of behavior as an elected official than to be engaging in public name calling, no matter how she feels about another participant at a meeting. I’ve been thoroughly turned off by her need to make everyone else the enemy or at the very least lesser than herself. There are numerous excellent council members, they simply don’t engage in grandstanding and bashing others. They’re busy getting the job done and serving constituents.
I have not taken a great interest in voting for what I considered to be small positions like city council in the past. HOWEVER, I now live in the city limits and am married to a city employee. I have taken a great interest in the grandstanding and general antics that Ms. Jones has done in the recent months that has put her into the spotlight for no reason other than self promotion. I am embarrassed to watch her represent our city in this way. I understand that she has accomplished much in her life both on City Council and otherwise, but her ego overshadows these accomplishments. I hope that she will have a worthy opponent that will teach her the humility she so desperately needs, regardless of who wins the race.
If being outspoken is grandstanding, I wish more would grandstand. If we had more people willing to be outspoken, people like me wouldn’t be. She’s grandstanding. I’m obnoxious. Only if we say something that rubs you the wrong way. Usually because you have rubbed us the wrong way. And we choose not to let it go.
As for the supposed outrage over her “house negro” comment I just am so amazed by it – privately of course he is called just that by many of the people who called her out for calling him that.
Publicly of course we must all paint the perfect picture of solidarity within our individual community. We have all these communities in this country that fully enjoy solidarity. Until the doors close and it’s just them. And we are all part of a them. White, black, brown. Gay, straight. Democrat, Republican. Don’t know about house anythings, really, but I do know we are a nation divided. And a house divided always falls. And we are falling.
We need more Jolanda Joneses. More power to her.
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Jolanda has made to many attacks that have no basis. She has some seroius issues that need not be tolerated with. Goodbye Joda Jones
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