From Newsday:
The year Harriet Miers began work as a senior presidential aide in the White House, the city of Dallas slapped three liens in three months on a property she controls in a low-income minority Dallas neighborhood, records show.
The city placed the liens in 2001 to force her to reimburse it for clearing the vacant lot of tall grass, weeds and debris after Miers failed to have the work done herself, as required by city law, and after she did not respond to city notices to maintain the property.
It wasn’t the first time the city had to take action – records show that since Miers assumed power of attorney for her elderly, ailing mother in 1995, the city has issued seven other liens on vacant lots that Miers controls in the same area around Tipton Park.
All 10 liens, totaling less than $2,000, have been paid off, a city spokesman said.
So technically she’s not really a “slumlord,” since the properties in question are owned by her mother, and they’re not developed. Instead she’s more of an absentee landlord (via power of attorney), who’s been behind in lot upkeep. The city has rightfully been fining Miers for not keeping the vacant lots clear and clean.
Still, the disclosure of these liens on Miers’s Dallas area properties belies the “detail oriented” image the White House is attempting to spin for her.
Update: Miers response to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s questions contain this tidbit.
Earlier this year, I received notice that my dues for the District of Columbia Bar were delinquent and as a result my ability to practice law in D.C. had been suspended. I immediately sent the dues in to remedy the delinquency. The nonpayment was not intentioned, and I corrected the situation upon receiving the letter.
Ouch…
A slumlord in a low-income Dallas Area?
Did Ray Nagin buy any property there?
How can you be considered a “slumlord” over vacant property? Maybe the city did not know Miers was POA and did not contact her directly.
Man, it makes you wonder why anyone would want to be considered for public office, with all the nitpicking going on.
Hmmm.
Less than $2k? She must have forgotten to have the grass cut or something. $2k spread over 10 properties within the city limits? Must be very minor issues.
I was thinking it may just be cheaper than hiring a maintenance company.
Wasn’t this the question about Al Gore when he was running?
Wait til the story breaks that she got a speeding ticket in 1951! A PATTERN of reckless disregard for THE LAW! OBVIOUSLY not a person of sufficient character for the Supremes. Oh, woe iz us! Anonymous sources close to the Bush Administration are quietly revealing that Ms. Meiers was allegedly incontinent up to the age of 18 months! No control whatsoever, and Bush nominates her for the Highest Court in the Land!
No complaint about Wizbang, but why is this crap getting ink? Every time there’s a nomination for a job above National Dogcatcher, it’s open season.
I don’t blame Bush a bit for nominating somebody with no paper record at all. Between the left wing hacks and PACs, the chattering news media lusting for a turgid headline, and nutcase left wing blogs, she’s the only nominee that stands even a chance of surviving the abuse from the great minds in the Senate. To tell the truth, it’s pretty damn disgusting.
This is sorta petty, but I do agree that they shouldn’t try to pin ‘attention to details’ on her if she doesn’t really pay attention to them.
Honestly!
I would consider myself as having “attention to details” in my work life.
At home? forget about it. I’m working on getting better. But for some reason, it doesn’t work as well. I can’t keep all the dishes spinning as effectively as at work.