Harris County commissioners voted 3-1 to censure Judge Hidalgo after what the Houston
...a city in Texas, named after Sam Houston, who would drop deader than he is now if he could see how it turned out...Chronicle kindly described as a ''heated disagreement over a proposed tax increase to pay for early childcare programs. Urban Reform, a local government watchdog and public policy group, posted a video showing the latest in a series of rants by Hidalgo, the county's chief executive officer.
Fox 26 Houston reported that Hidalgo introduced a motion for a tax increase to fund her Early REACH Program, which provides early educational opportunities for low-income communities. As Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones objected to what she called a ''half-baked'' proposal, Hidalgo began arguing, interrupting, and attempting to use children in the audience as pawns to support her position.
''I was disappointed to witness Judge Hidalgo's disruptive behavior at Commissioners Court today; it distracted from the serious issues before us,'' Commissioner Briones said in a written statement. ''As colleagues, we may disagree, but fundamental respect and decorum are non-negotiable. The democratic process is built on civil debate, and as elected leaders, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards. The people of Harris County deserve better.''
Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, a former Harris County sheriff, added, ''It's beyond frustrating to yet again witness Judge Hidalgo's disruptive behavior at Commissioners Court today. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards. It was particularly offensive to witness her trying to use children as props for her political agenda.''
Precinct 2 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, the lone Republican on the court, said:
I've said it before and I'll continue to say it: this is not the first and — I predict — won't be the last unprofessional moment from our County Judge. Her outbursts continue to escalate to the detriment of the County's business. Today's actions and words by the Judge to those in attendance were an embarrassment for all of Harris County. Issuing an apology would be the decent thing to do. She continues to exhibit a lack of leadership experience and maturity in the position.
Hidalgo deflected the comments about her behavior, saying, ''I'm so disappointed that they wouldn't even let us ask the voters. Obviously, it's children. I can't explain it, but I'm really proud of all of these kids, families. It breaks my heart that they're going to lose their early childhood education, their parents' work.''
Following Hidalgo's rant, she left the court, claiming to have a ''doctor's appointment.'' It was not her first time to walk out of commissioners court for a personal appointment. In July, Hidalgo left the dais to attend a ''group therapy'' session.