Posted on: Friday, February 22, 2002
Mansho back in power at City Council
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer
The City Council's latest organizational lineup is off to a rocky start, with some members complaining that new chairman John DeSoto has elevated Rene Mansho to powerful positions despite troubles that include an ongoing move to impeach her.
Mansho was one of the first council members to encourage DeSoto to oust Jon Yoshimura and take over as chairman.
Other council members joined in, in the wake of Yoshimura's personal problems, including a state panel's recommendation this month that he be suspended from practicing law for six months because he lied about a 1999 hit-and-run traffic accident.
Mansho's personal problems include being fined $40,000 by the state Campaign Spending Commission last year; a $40,000 settlement to end the City Ethics Commission investigation that concluded that she misused her city staff; and an ongoing citizens' impeachment drive to remove her.
Councilman Duke Bainum on Wednesday voted against the new lineup after he remained as chairman of the Transportation Committee; he had hoped to head the powerful Budget Committee.
Bainum said he's troubled by Mansho's placement on seven of the eight committees, including the three most powerful ones: budget, planning and zoning. Bainum said the council seems to be reversing its earlier actions. "She was punished, now it seems that she's being promoted," Bainum said. "What changed?"
Former budget chairman Steve Holmes said this latest reorganization puts Mansho back in power even though she could still face prosecution related to misusing campaign money and city staff.
DeSoto said all politicians know they are open for public scrutiny. As for Mansho, he said, "she lives in a glass house with microscopes now." Mansho could not be reached for comment.
DeSoto said Holmes was excluded from many of the committees because of his "holier than thou" attitude. And he said both Bainum and Yoshimura were offered a chance to help determine the council organization but wanted to get what they wanted or stay out of it.
"I'm not going to have crybabies and people who talk down to people be part of the group."
