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Luis' Choice: Councilman Or Columnist

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By TOM JACKSON

tjackson@tampatrib.com

Published: October 15, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - For days, the column he'd written, re-written, tightened, expanded, boiled down and more than once very nearly tossed sat, at last, undisturbed in its editing queue. Ah, the creative process.

All that remained was to fire up his e-mail account and punch "send."

Still, he hesitated. "I knew it was going to create a firestorm." Luis Lopez explained all this bobbing on the back steps of City Hall, illuminated by a waxing gibbous moon and mercury vapor street lights. An American flag pin secured the ends of his tie as it flapped against his shirt.

"I'm all about honor, about doing the right thing," Lopez said. Step up. Step down. "The Pledge of Allegiance. Love of country." Step up. "And veterans. I've always been, 'Go, vets! Yay, vets!' "None of that had bought him any love in the run-up to Monday's meeting of the Zephyrhills City Council, however.

Because, finally, fatefully, he punched "send." Then, as if one episode of gratuitous insults were insufficient, he typed a variation on the theme one week later, extending and revising his remarks in such a manner that even ardent supporters wondered whether Lopez intended to commit political suicide.

Step Away From The Shovel

At least they've discovered how, besides the hasty renaming of a city street for a martyred civil rights leader, to attract a crowd: Have the council president excoriate local veterans associations in consecutive columns for the town's weekly newspaper while the other four keep silent.

Fans of Lopez's occasional contributions to The Pasco Tribune's late, lamented editorial page recall his passion for invoking familiar quotes. Here's one he missed: When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Our reference here is not simply to Lopez's disastrous critiques of veterans groups - all of them; no, wait, only those with "recreational bars that serve beer," and you know who you are, wink-wink - but to the entire concept of elected official moonlighting as opinion columnist.

What happened Monday night, when 80-odd steaming representatives from up to a half-dozen veterans associations occupied the back two-thirds of council chambers, was inevitable. That they were well-behaved despite their fury was not. Council members were lucky. The aggrieved constituents may not be as mannerly next time.

Chasm For Five?

Next time? You betcha. So long as Lopez continues in the twin roles of councilman and opinion columnist, he risks replicating Monday's tense confrontation, and worse. Not the likelihood of a repeat even matters.

This is not about the accuracy of his observation, supported purely anecdotally, that locals think vets groups are more interested in bending elbows than lending a hand. It is about Lopez's hubristic naivete and abuse of position.

Readers are going to presume at least two things about Lopez's column. One, he uses it to enlarge his political footprint. Two, the city's imprimatur adheres to whatever is published in his name. No disclaimer is sufficient.

Propriety demands that he resign his column, or resign his office.

Otherwise, the other four members must do what is necessary to take his shovel away. Lopez isn't digging just for himself anymore.

Tom Jackson can be reached at (813) 948-4219.

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