October 19, 2002 8:17 AM

Is there ever a wrong time to do the right thing?

Last Sunday, a 60-inch water main owned by the city of Houston burst in the 4100 block of Clay. The break flooded the neighborhood, placing residents between a rock (the city of Houston) and a hard place (the insurance companies). The insurance companies feel (understandably) that the city should cover the damages, while the city is interpreteting state law to mean that they are barred from taking responsibility.

This southeast Houston neighborhood is not home to the wealthy, the powerful, or the well-connected. It's a poor, somewhat run-down, very working-class part of town. Perhaps that is part of the problem. The city can shrug it's shoulders and walk away, because they know that the people in the neighborhood aren't the ones who will influence elections.

Mayor Lee Brown said he would like to do something, but so far city officials' hands are tied because they are obligated to follow state law. "We do not have any option," Brown said.

"But we have asked anyone who suffered damage just to file a compliant and let each case be looked at independently of all the others, and individually see if there's something there that would change and allow the city to do something," he said.

And if this had happened in River Oaks??

Councilman Michael Berry called the city's response a "shameful shirking of responsibility."

"Rather than looking for technical reasons to weasel out of our responsibility, for once, just for once, we ought to step up and do it just because it's the right thing to do," Berry said. "We need to have the courage to do what is right by our citizens."

He is not alone. Other council members have said the city should take steps to help those affected by the broken pipe.

Berry even suggested that Brown cancel an upcoming trade mission to the Middle East and use those funds to help the residents.

Brown spokesman Corey Ray said the mayor's travel and accommodations would be paid for by the host countries, Continental Airlines and other companies participating in the trip. The Houston Police Department will pay for Brown's security detail, but that cost was not available Friday.

"I suppose anyone could put together a set of facts that might fit within our waiver of immunity," First Assistant City Attorney Susan Taylor said. "So far, we have not been offered a set of facts that would fit within that waiver."

Taylor said that by city charter, homeowners and businesses affected by the pipe break had 90 days in which to file claims with the city.

So, while the city uses it legal eagles to shirk responsibility for the problems it has created, the neighborhood is left to fend for itself. Mayor Lee Brown has nothing to worry about; he's not eligible to run for re-election. Of course, it would be nice to see the Mayor (for once) show some leadership and represent the people who elected him.

For Mayor Brown to shrug and say that his hands are tied is a shameful abdication of his responsibility to the people of Houston. As the elected leader of the city, it is his responsibility to lead, something that the Mayor has never shown any particular talent for.

I can't help but wonder what would be happening now if this same water main break had taken place in River Oaks, home to the wealthy, powerful, and the politically well-connected? Call me cynical if you must, but I'm guessing City Hall would be bending over backwards right about now to take care of residents. Why should the residents of the 4100 block of Clay deserve any less?

It's time to do the right thing, Mr. Mayor. Instead of justifying what you cannot do anything to help the resident of 4100 Clay, what about trying to figure out how you CAN help them? You were elected to be a leader. It's time to LEAD....

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on October 19, 2002 8:17 AM.

Planting the seeds of doubt was the previous entry in this blog.

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