We’ve never endorsed Bruce Harrell before. (Unless you count us calling him a “fucktard incumbent” as points in his favor.) But we’re endorsing him now. Are we high? Of course we are—don’t be ridiculous—but that doesn’t have anything to do with it.
Here’s the thing. Harrell’s biggest accomplishment is “banning the box”—outlawing check-box questions about one’s criminal record on job applications in order to stop employment discrimination against ex-cons and people of color, who are disproportionately prosecuted and jailed by the criminal justice system. That was a major deal—one we didn’t pay enough attention to when it happened—but Harrell has been on the city council for seven and a half years and should have more to show for it. This year, Harrell is facing criticism that he hasn’t been tough enough on police oversight in his position as chair of the council’s public safety committee, and his main challenger is Tammy Morales, a progressive with good intentions but not enough specifics. She takes Harrell to task for falling short on police reform and not coming around soon enough on good issues, like paid sick leave. Sing it, sister. We agree. But we aren’t convinced Morales would be any better. When we asked her what she would do differently from Harrell, she sent us the e-mail equivalent of bird shit splatter.
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