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.
---
If the woman can do the job and qualify same as a man for the physical aspects, no problem. Adjusting height and weight minimums only increases the opportunities for women to compete.
EVENS OUT THE FIELD?
Affirmative action is total, unadultered, leftist garbage.
Whoever is qualified should be the rule. Didn't you even read the posts above about firefighters? You want a tiny little lady trying to do a man's job that requires a man's physical strength and size?
Affirmative action is the very essence of evil discrimination. It discriminates against those who are qualified in favor of those who aren't.
Who cares?
I'm sure there are fembot forums out there for you. We fight over more substansive stuff here dammit...like Coulter's batteries for example
Get over it. I did.
Black Tooth, seem like it's about time to discuss women in combat?
By the same reasoning you'd reject the 220 lb man for the 250 lb, and reject the 35 year old man for the 24 year old. When the 24 year old hits 30, dump him. Right.
Read the various article from the ACLJ on Meiers:
http://www.aclj.org/Issues/Resources/Document.aspx?ID=1912
Was it just height and weight requirements or did they also modify the test for women. Like did they decrease the weight of the dummy from say 175 pounds to 100 pounds so more women could pass the test.
I am usually very suspicious of these affirmative action standards. West Point, Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy all modified their physical fitness requirements for women. Men and women do not take the same physical tests.
I am just asking about what was entailed in the fire fighters affirmative action plan for Dallas. I don't know what was involved.
Is that a macro, becaue I've seen you post it about a million times since Monday?
And I'll wait right here while you go find a post where I supported her.
I have said from the very beginning that we need to WAIT to hear what she has to say; evidently you're of the "let's all slit our wrists before we know anything" contingent at FR."
I bet if I could see you, your hair would be on fire.
No, I was just curious. How somebody hanging out at a conservative site could be in favor of an affirmative action policy that could cost lives - defending it by calling it 'sexist' to have height and weight requirments.
But someone has already affirmed my theory for me.
Thanks for not answering anyway!
Not only that, she's participated in such essential tasks a MAKING RESOLUTIONS on national and international political situations. She has to do that - since she's ELECTED, she has to give her all-important voice to all matters, great and small, no matter what the jurisdiction!
That's just the kind of gal I want on the Supreme Court, alright!
...and are followed by lowering the performance requirments, because the initial lowering of physical requirements didn't produce the required results.
You know, you're getting real good at that, putting words in other people's mouths to suit YOUR agenda.
In fact, you're bordering very close to be an out and out liar.
Flashie, honey...you jus' cain't be uppity to Miz H!!!
Lawsie...I been uppity before to Miz H...I was whipped for it!!!
Lawsie, lawsie...if Miz H ain't happy...NOBODY be happy!!!
I always said that Bush would promote Liberals to the Scotus. Seems I'm right. Now what? abortion is a sacrement now. We're SO pathetic that we'll lose the entire country before we even consider any restrictions. I give up. Here and now.
And I've seen you give jsut as good as you claim to have gotten.
YUP..I'll claim it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.