Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins wants to suspend the County’s Homeland Security Advisory Commission to study whether it’s needed at all. KERA’s BJ Austin says the move came as speakers lined up to oppose the re-appointment of Aaron McCarthy to the Commission.
Aaron McCarthy founded the New Black Panthers in Dallas in the ‘90’s, and led sometimes violent protests at Dallas School Board meetings.
Lawrence Weiner told Commissioners the Anti-Defamation League identifies the New Black Panthers as anti Semitic, racist and militant.
Weiner: I challenge Commissioners to find the best of our peers, not one whose character could cause significant disharmony and discord.
County Commissioner John Wiley Price says McCarthy is qualified to serve, with years of emergency preparedness training and FEMA certification.
Activist Thomas Muhammed says the controversy is not about Aaron McCarthy.
Muhammed: Tea Party and other are constantly after John Wiley Price. Because he made the appointment, they came after him. This has nothing to do with Homeland Security. This is all about John Wiley Price.
Commissioner Price is part of a federal corruption investigation.
County Judge Jenkins says he agrees with a recommendation from the interim Dallas County Homeland Security director, that the committee be suspended. Jenkins says it’s apparently not doing much that’s productive.
Jenkins: The last one I went to was literally a presentation from ONSTAR to the committee about how you could buy a mirror for your car that had ONSTAR on it if you had a BMW or non-GM car.
Jenkins says he’ll bring up the issue at next week’s Commissioners Court meeting.
