In Matt Stiles’ story about the arrest of Mike Surface and Andrew Schatte, he garnered a laugh-out-loud quote from former Mayor Lee Brown:
Brown said Friday that the corruption alleged in the indictment should not tarnish his legacy of running the city.
He noted, for example, that the city’s inspector general had launched an investigation of McGilbra before deferring to the federal authorities. Brown also said he had no dealings with Schatte or Surface.
“Many very positive things happened during my administration,” the former mayor said. “It’s one event, which does not characterize six years of my administration.”
Pause and let that sink in for a minute. Actually, it may take several minutes, once you realize he wasn’t kidding.
How should Mayor Brown’s administration be characterized? Well, there was plenty of corruption, as has already come to the fore.
He loved going on international trade missions, earning the nickname Out-of-Town Brown. He abhorred bandit signs, with a passion. He didn’t get bogged down in the intricacies of public infrastructure. And his dazzling budget skills eventually landed him the chairman’s seat at a bank.
How about some more?
He left behind a $1.5 billion pension mess; he required a personal chef; and government work seemed to go on without him even when he was in the same room.
Remember when Laurence Simon cracked that Rice University would use a dumpster to house Mayor Brown’s personal papers? Yeah, that’s closer to Lee Brown’s legacy.
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