I think this episode answers any questions regarding Jackson's honesty and commitment to the public interest.
Dan
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General discussion
Humor, or malfeasance?
>> A day after a senator called for HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson's resignation, the secretary has issued a statement saying he deeply regrets the remarks he made to a minority real estate group in Dallas. "I deeply regret the anecdotal remarks I made at a recent Texas small business forum and would like to reassure the public that all HUD contracts are awarded solely on a stringent merit-based process," Jackson said in a statement posted on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Web site. "During my tenure, no contract has ever been awarded, rejected, or rescinded due to the personal or political beliefs of the recipient."
Jackson's apology comes in response to a Dallas Business Journal story in its May 5-11 issue, in which Jackson told an April 28 Dallas minority real estate group about a meeting with a prospective contractor who'd been selected for a HUD deal. During the meeting, Jackson said, the contractor told Jackson that he had a "problem with your president."
"He didn't get the contract," Jackson told the audience. "Why should I reward someone who doesn't like the president, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the president? Logic says they don't get the contract. That's the way I believe."
When queried by the reporter for the Dallas publication about the comments, HUD spokeswoman Dustee Tucker said the contract Jackson referred to had not been officially awarded and was probably "all verbal at that point." <<
As the Houston Chronicle editorial on the issue said, (Chronicle login: semods4@yahoo.com; pw = speakeasy):
" Perhaps Jackson, with his presentation in Dallas, was auditioning for a guest appearance on Comedy Central's The Daily Show. More likely he simply blurted out an unpleasant truth about how business is conducted in his agency these days.
Whether fact or fantasy, the multiple explanations for his bizarre comments call into question Jackson's honesty and commitment to the public interest."
-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com
The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!
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