District council members don’t usually make national headlines, but last summer Councilwoman Ellen Cohen got her 15 minutes of fame while questioning Pastor Betty Riggle‘s opposition to Houston’s equal rights ordinance.
Riggle was arguing at City Hall that shopkeepers should be allowed to follow their religious beliefs when it came to discriminating against customers. The councilwoman took that rationale to its logical ends, and asked whether Riggle would defend discrimination against people like Cohen, who are of the Jewish faith.
“No, I’m not saying – yes, I am saying that. But that is not the issue that we’re talking about,” Riggle clumsily responded.
The exchange made headlines in publications like The Daily Beast and the Jewish Daily Forward, broadcasting Cohen’s quick wit and tough questioning to a national audience. However, Cohen’s constituents are probably more impressed by her ability to draw down 22 percent of the capital improvement plan budget for District C.
In this race, Cohen faces her third and final term on City Council, and voters should give it to her.
Cohen, 75, came to City Hall after two terms as a state representative. Before her step into public service, Cohen had a career of leading non-profit advocacy groups, such as the Houston Area Women’s Center and the American Jewish Committee. On council, she has been a voice for historic preservation and other quality of life issues important to her affluent district, which includes Meyerland, Montrose, the Heights and Oak Forest.
However, not everything has been sunny for Cohen’s wealthy and highly educated constituents. Plenty of Meyerland residents still believe the city hasn’t properly responded to the devastating floods that struck during Memorial Day weekend. There’s also questions about whether Cohen adequately navigated a neighborhood fight over the expansion of the Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone into Montrose.
Despite these dings, neither of Cohen’s challengers can touch her record or experience. Carl Jarvis, an author and political activist, declined to meet with the Chronicle editorial board. Michael McDonald, a retired veteran, has plenty of enthusiasm but lacked a thorough grasp of the issues. For example, he told the editorial board that theHouston Police Department shouldticket each and every driver who speeds on the freeway – not exactly a smart use of resources.
After four years, Cohen remains an exemplar on council and deserves two more years at City Hall.