Gov. Jeb Bush has taken, arguably, more than his share of criticism from the usual quarters over jettisoning affirmative action in state university admissions. That liberal lobby won’t desist, of course, until meritocracy has been finally eliminated in higher education.
But couldn’t the minority-special-interest crowd at least stop carping long enough to acknowledge — let alone thank — the governor for his stand on Miriam Oliphant. He won’t fire the certifiably competence-challenged, black Broward County supervisor of elections.
She is paid a six-figure salary to serve as a beacon to all those whose aspirations, gall and sense of entitlement far exceed their abilities, ethics and sense of pride.
Not only did she botch the gubernatorial primary last year, but her legacy continues to expand to concerns about her financial management as well as questions about her office’s preparation for next month’s elections. She is a national embarrassment and a statewide scandal.
Gov. Bush, is, at best, an enabler for the affirmative tokenism crowd. At worst, he’s derelict in his duty. In effect, he is thwarting the will of the Broward County Commission who want Oliphant out. It is their county, after all, that she threatens to make another mockery and laughingstock out of. The commissioners want her gone, preferably last year. But it would require the governor’s help. He’d actually have to do the pinkslipping.
In trying not to offend minorities and others prone to defend the indefensible, Bush has embarrassed and discredited himself. He is not backing the Broward board’s wishes because there is no concrete evidence that Oliphant engaged in any INTENTIONAL wrongdoing.
Say what?
Isn’t merely being very bad in a very important job cause enough? Do you have to be a saboteur to be fired?
Bush is getting what he deserves in Broward. Not only is he not praised by civil rights careerists, he’s not respected by minorities who can tell pander from principle. He earns disgust from everyone else who see a duplicitous, politically expedient governor fearing a Mau-mauing for doing the right thing.
The residents of Broward, however, are not getting what they deserve. They’re still stuck with a supervisor of elections who is lousy — but apparently not on purpose.