HUD shake-up
The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday, April 2:
The path to HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson's downfall led straight through Philadelphia, and out the door.
Now that Jackson is gone, he will soon be forgotten. He won't be missed.
There were so many allegations leveled against Jackson over the years that it's hard to choose which one is the most serious.
He's the subject of a federal criminal investigation, and charges of cronyism have dogged his entire tenure. But Jackson's inept, allegedly punitive handling of the PHA matter is what led most immediately to his ouster.
Jackson announced his resignation Monday, in the midst of an escalating feud with the Philadelphia Housing Authority. At least as he quit, Jackson, or someone, had the good sense to allow the temporary renewal of a $40 million federal program for PHA, sparing possible layoffs.
The events to date look like vindication for PHA Executive Director Carl R. Greene. Give Greene credit for standing up to the HUD dud.
Greene sued HUD, claiming the federal agency was trying to punish PHA for failing to turn over a parcel of land to Jackson's friend, music industry mogul Kenny Gamble. Greene says after he refused, HUD moved to sanction PHA for allegedly violating requirements on disability housing. That action culminated in the threatened withholding of the $40 million from PHA.
Jackson denied his agency was retaliating. But his credibility dwindled when Greene's lawsuit produced e-mail between two HUD assistants gleefully discussing how to cause Greene pain by withholding PHA's federal funding. Not only did Jackson stonewall Pennsylvania Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey on the subject, he also later said he wasn't concerned about the damning e-mail exchange.
A spokesman for PHA said Tuesday that Greene won't drop the lawsuit because PHA is still disputing HUD's allegations that the city agency did not provide sufficient housing for the disabled.
With the PHA lawsuit and other problems of his own making, Jackson was the wrong person to lead HUD in the midst of a housing and mortgage meltdown. HUD includes the Federal Housing Administration, which is being called on to provide solutions to the wave of subprime mortgage foreclosures.
President Bush now has an opportunity to replace Jackson with someone who can devote full attention to the nationwide housing crisis, instead of a secretary who spent so much time looking out for cronies.
