he's so pretty, oh so pretty

The hagiographic picture on the front page of the Amarillo Globe-News-- his wife in soft focus gazing up adoringly, his own jaw set courageously-- packs such emotion that I almost feel bad writing a snarky post.

But this is Trent Sisemore we're talking about.

I'll leave for others to debate whether his legacy is a good one for the city. He and Der Komisars have tied our star to one single company-- Bell Helicopter-- and only time will tell if they stick with us this time or screw us over again.

I'd like to look at his accomplishments, detailed on the front page of the AGN. Let's see, went to work for his dad in 1974, sang in a country-western group, was a music minister for a church. It's the bio of a rich-kid dilettante. As mayor he mostly reacted-- to the Columbia disaster, to September 11.

September 11. It was shortly after September 11 that I had my one and only encounter with the mayor.

I had written a column questioning the city's "Buy at Home, Support America Now" campaign instituted in the wake of the terrorist attacks in which a "beggars' parade of Amarillo civic leaders" begged people to buy more stuff from them in order to show patriotism. I felt that these civic leaders, many of whom owned local businesses, were lining their own pockets and profiteering from war.

And I said

My worst instincts were justified in the Saturday edition of the Amarillo Globe-News, when I read that Chamber of Commerce Chairman Bob Wilkinson was flying to Washington to put the squeeze on his old high school buddy, FDIC Chairman Don Powell. Wilkinson made the offhand comment that he was sure that Powell would "help the economy in Amarillo."

So, it's all about Amarillo, is it? . . . We should be supporting America, not our insignificant piece of dirt.

Well, no one liked that. Least of all Hizzoner Sisemore, who summoned me to his office for an "explanation." He explained that he was "a trained economist". He talked some more about himself. The whole incident felt like receiving a summons to the principal's office-- and having the principal clumsily try to sell you Amway.

The huge color photo on the front page and the inset of Sisemore on Fox News after the Columbia disaster nicely sum up the mayor's career with the city.

He was photogenic enough for city government.

SPACEDARK