Posted on 10/06/2005 10:18:56 PM PDT by Ol' Sparky
Miers' time on Dallas City Council provides some insight
BY DAVE LEVINTHAL
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS - (KRT) - She may have no judicial record, but Supreme Court justice nominee Harriet Miers took firm stances on issues ranging from taxation to democratic reforms abroad as a one-term member of the Dallas City Council, a Dallas Morning News study of city records indicates.
For example, in 1991, Miers voted in favor of a council resolution reaffirming economic sanctions Dallas had imposed against South Africa, then under a white minority-rule apartheid government. The council adopted the resolution by a 6-2 vote with three absences.
At the time, President George H.W. Bush was considering repealing federal economic sanctions against the country.
A 1989 city ordinance prohibited Dallas government from buying goods that originated in South Africa or conducting business with firms that sold goods or services there for use by the police, military or prison system.
"As she goes through this nomination process, something like that should cheer the liberals and lead to gnashing of teeth among the very conservative social conservative," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, Miers' alma mater. "Hers was the appropriate moderate Republican position of the day, but beating up on South Africa wasn't a way to win friends with conservatives."
It was one of several council votes that will be scrutinized as her court nomination moves forward. She served between June 1989 and November 1991.
Miers was one of 10 Dallas council members to unanimously approve a 1989 agenda item that revised minimum height, weight and vision requirements for Dallas firefighters to facilitate "promotion of certain ranks in the Fire Department," particularly women.
The agenda item's title: "Implementation of Fire Department Affirmative Action Plan."
In one of her first meetings as a council member, Miers sponsored a resolution "recognizing democratic aspirations of students and civilian population in Beijing, China." The council ratified the resolution 10-1.
"It's important for the city to let those people know we realize what they're going through," Miers said at the time, a few weeks after the Chinese government violently quashed pro-democracy rallies centered in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
Records from council meetings during her tenure also indicate that she:
_Voted for a 1990 resolution requesting that Congress "pass legislation which would prohibit judicial taxation of local governments." The council unanimously adopted the resolution, which came at a time when courts in some places had seized control of floundering school districts and administered taxes. "This is a position that would be almost universally accepted by Republicans," Jillson said.
_Abstained from an otherwise unanimously adopted 1990 resolution urging Congress to pass legislation bolstering AIDS emergency treatment programs and provide funding to local governments for such programs. Before the vote, Miers said she had a conflict of interest, although no record detailing that conflict was available.
_Voted to ratify a 1990 resolution urging the governor to call a special session of the Texas State Legislature and consider a bill that aimed to limit state power and return regulatory jurisdiction over pawnshops to municipalities. The council ratified the resolution by an 8-2-1 vote.
_Voted in 1989 to levy property taxes on "business personal property temporarily located within the state." The agenda item passed 10-1, but the record indicates Miers directed Dallas' city manager to search for alternate revenue streams so that the tax could be repealed in 1991.
_Was absent when the council in 1990 unanimously resolved to install City of Dallas and U.S. flags within all municipal parks.
_Was absent in 1991 when the council formally urged Congress to pass the Brady Bill, which limited gun accessibility. The council adopted the resolution unanimously.
_Voted in 1991 to ratify a resolution urging the Texas State Legislature to observe the Rev. Martin Luther King's birthday as a state holiday. The council unanimously ratified the resolution.
_Voted in 1991 to ratify a resolution supporting passage of the federal North American Free Trade Agreement. The council ratified the resolution by a 7-2-2 vote.
_Voted in 1991 in favor of a resolution urging Congress to approve a presidential request for "fast track" trade negotiation authority. The resolution passed 5-2-3.
_Abstained from voting on a resolution urging Congress to allow toll road development along interstate highway right-of-ways. Records did not indicate why Miers abstained; the resolution passed by a 6-1 vote with three absences and an abstention.
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ROFLMAO.....aren't you the martyr?
Tell the truth, you're Anderson Cooper, aren't you?
Yes, you are.
Oh, sorry, I must have misinterpreted this:
To: flashbunny
You have major issues with women, too?
58 posted on 10/07/2005 1:05:15 AM CDT by Howlin
Tell me, again, exactly what you meant by that?
Since you seem to post things that imply one position, and then, when you get a response you don't like, say that what people thought you said wasn't what you meant, there seems to be a problem with how you state things.
So, in the future, I will be asking you to clarify exactly what you mean before I answer one of your leading questions, ok???
...hmmm, interesting. Nobody listed your name....
I could not agree with you more.
It's nothing but leftist, feminist garbage. And it kills people, and will likely kill more until the fad is done with and people wake up from the trance.
Can men have babies? Can men feed babies with their own milk? Can women become fathers? Do men and women have the same potential for physical strength?
Different natural roles. And it's kind of nice that way.
If a women and a man each qualify to be a firefighter under the same standards, are they both quailified to have the job?
IOW, if an applicant had to lift 150 pounds and carry it 50 yards, and demonstrated he or she could do it, what difference would it be if it were a 5'5" woman or 5'5" man?
I'm starting to get confused, did President Bush say he was Pro-Life or Pro-Lie?
You silly, silly people to disagree with She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed. (And she can't stand to be laughed at...tee-hee!!!)
Excuse me?
Neither of those is a fair summary of what the article said.
I read the first item as wanting Democratic Representation in the redrawing of voting districts. The second, being in Texas and not the "Ivy League" East, it sounded like she was being modest about the Federalist Society, since the Texas Bar and other Texas groups were more varied in opinions than in the East.
And, this is what I got from the media article. No telling what the whole facts and context were.
The feminist movement was started by and largely run by a bunch of men hating lesbian socialists.
I don't think women should be forced to stay home and not work, that's a silly straw man argument. Nothing I said could have made you think that.
I do think that if taxes were lower by slashing government spending, many families could be adequately supported by one income, thus freeing many wives from being forced to work outside the home to make ends meet. Thus children would have a parent at home instead of being raised by daycare, or being a latchkey kid.
That way many women who are now obliged to work could have the option of being a stay at home mother. Children do better when they have a mother who is there for them. Women of course should be able to work any job that they are actually qualified for, why not?
Are you now implying that equal rights is affirmative action?
PUT DOWN THE BOTTLE OR THE PILLS.
ROFLMAO......your OWN post proved you lied about what I said.
I was a firefighter for 17 years and a Chief for the last 8-9 of those and many men who met the height and weight requirements couldn't pull a hose or drag someone out of a building but they scored high on the test. I've also seen some small women kick ass on the job and others do not so good.
In the fire service it's not the height or weight requirements that matter it's the physical and mental tests.
Affirmative action is when someone fails the written test at the academy 4 times and is passed because they are not white or they can't pull a hose off a truck with all their bunker gear on but is passed !
Another example that was rampant during the Reagan years (not his fault) was when a promotion opened up they filled it with a black guy eventhough they didn't pass the test.
What were the height/weight requirements changed to?
If they really did go from 6' to 5'3 (my height), then I would have a problem. But if they changed from 6' to 5'8", I might not.
Does anybody know?
Well, the paper did give the name of the particular motion she voted for, and it didn't sound too good. If the paper is wrong about the name of the motion and its purpose, I retract my comments.
please respond to my question.
Are you in favor of lowering the policy of lowering height and weight requirments for firefighters to enable more women to become firefighters?
Since you've gone through the trouble to try to label me a liar, you could at least clarify a simple question that was the genesis of this current issue.
Yes or no. Please answer the question.
Or just go on the attack again.
I'm not playing your stupid baiting game.
You lied about what I said and now you're try to change the subject.
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