Mar 26, 2007

Bad drivers come from both parties


A kind commentator helpfully pointed out to me today what a criminal Highland Park lawmaker Rep. Bert Johnson is because he drove to work last week on a suspended license in a vehicle with an invalid plate.

This person, who was afraid to take ownership of what he write and posted anonymously, took me task because Johnson is a Democrat and I, of course, ignored his bad behavior. I didn’t ignore it because I didn’t know about it. But to alleviate that alleged oversight, here's the link and highlights from the Detroit Free Press story.

Johnson is a member of the House Insurance Committee, which, among other things, oversees the regulation of auto insurance.
The Free Press inquired about Johnson's driving record after receiving an anonymous phone call suggesting the representative was driving without a license. The Secretary of State routinely notifies elected officials when their driving records are obtained by the media, and Johnson's office was contacted Thursday morning.
Johnson said he was not aware the license plate on the vehicle he had been driving to the Capitol, a 2001 Jaguar, was invalid. Secretary of State records show its registration expired Feb. 21 when a renewal check was returned for insufficient funds. Johnson, a Democrat and chairman of the Detroit caucus in the House, said he has "no excuse. I understand the seriousness of it. I shouldn't be doing it." He promised to not get behind the wheel again until it is legal for him to do so.


Like I told my nameless poster, Johnson’s judgment is questionable, and I probably would not vote for him if I could when he’s up for re-election.

However, he conveniently failed to mention the Free Press also checked the driving records of the rest of the Insurance Committee.

According to the Free Press, Others with traffic woes include:
• Two other speeders, Rep. Joe Hune, R-Whitmore Lake, and Rep. David Robertson, R-Grand Blanc. They have four speeding tickets each since 2000.


Now, I am, or was able to vote for Hune, and I did not. However, I took a lot more into account than his driving record. What this all means is entirety up to you. If you think Johnson and Hune’s other attributes outweigh these transgressions, that’s up to you in the voting booth.

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