I encourage you to read Don Harris’s column in today’s Albuquerque

Journal. Regardless of your political views, see what Harris has to say for himself. Draw your own conclusions. Then come back here and

let me share mine with you (use comments to respond).

A few years ago, Don Harris ran for a judgeship. His platform was “Take Back

the Courts,” a part of that nasty Republican argument that the courts are full of failure, corrupt, lax — full of problems only

Republicans can fix. Harris ran as a hanging judge, ignoring the fact that it was family court, for which he has no particular

qualifications.

Now it seems, at the same time he was the law and order candidate, he was having a surprising number of encounters

with the law. He readily admits to being stopped for 6 moving violations in 12 years. How many times were you stopped in the last 12

years? I’m no saint, but I haven’t been stopped once in nearly 20 years. Am I a better person than Don Harris? Well, who cares. I’m

not running for office.

You have to wonder if someone has been caught so many times, just how many times they actually got away

with something. Admitting to 6 violations carries with it an implication of dozens more. But, let’s not go that way, let’s stay with

what Harris admits to and how he handles his admissions.

You have to read his whole piece to really appreciate this guy;

note the segue from traffic violations to his failure to file finance reports. My take is he is selfish and self-centered. Like most

speeders and traffic law violators, he’s not a hard criminal bad guy, but he probably regards everything on the road as an impediment to

his own progress. He surely mutters “get out of my way” countless times a day. Just the kind of guy who will have no trouble whatsoever

getting along with the rest of the council, the mayor, the staff, the citizenry. A cool-headed, thoughtful, cautious and pleasant fellow,

I’m sure.

Oh, but I’m reading too much into this, aren’t I? What about the fact that he readily admits he was stopped without

his license or proof of insurance more than once? I never drive without both — do you? How difficult is it to carry your driver’s

license around? After all, Harris’s ilk says that very thing about voting — why not about driving?

At the heart of this, I’m

seriously pissed off by the posturing of Republicans as the party of “personal responsibility,” one of innumerable public virtues they

have hijacked and copyrighted as being only theirs. Here’s a guy at the far, far Right. Let Don Harris show some personal

responsibility, some contrition, some slight embarrassment. He won’t. The entire city should be embarrassed he’s close to winning a

public office. mjh

ABQjournal: City Council Candidate Wonders How 7 Stops Add Up to 19 Charges By Don Harris, City Council Candidate

I was stopped for moving violations six times in 12 years….

I was charged with not having a driving license in my possession

and speeding. …

The police officer thought I drove carelessly, and Metropolitan Court Judge Frank Gentry agreed. I did not have

my insurance card with me ….

I also had two parking tickets in Metropolitan Court. I am not proud of those … [mjh: unlike all

the other charges?] …

I believe I only failed to file one [campaign finance] report, although I was fined for two such

failures and for the tardy Oct. 21 filing. I may appeal the fine for the Oct. 3 filing. The statement that I missed three in the article

was inaccurate. I am currently in full compliance with the law. …