Okay so I don't care for Stacy Head very much

I think my councilperson is an annoying yuppie who is generally hostile to poor people like me who live in her district but don't own property. I thought she was a little too gleeful and obnoxious in her support of a Republican Congressional candidate. And I think she was unforgivably horrible during the public housing demolition debate.

But on the other hand, it isn't hard to sympathize with someone who keeps running into this kind of bullying bullshit whenever she wants to ask valid questions about sanitation contracts or crack down on illegal businesses that enable copper thieves.

During a contentious hearing before the commission in late October, 6th District police officer John Favaloro said Smith had continued to buy copper and other metals without recording all the information required by law. Smith said Favaloro and one other officer had unfairly targeted him and that he tries his best to detect people trying to sell stolen metal. Smith's attorney, Thomas McEachin, said Smith has beaten every one of what McEachin called "trumped-up" charges brought against him.

A string of other speakers, including Smith's wife and close friends, testified to his good character. Several, including the Rev. Byron Clay, a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said they suspected racism was behind the effort to shut down the business. Smith is black. Head is white.

The commission's vote divided along racial lines, with the four black members present siding with Smith and the three white members present voting to rescind his permit to operate. Because two members were absent and neither side got five votes, the issue went to the council without official recommendation from the commission.

In a recent message to neighborhood leaders and Central City residents and ministers, Head said she had wanted to revoke Smith's permit "because of increased complaints, including several criminal arrests and evidence that (the business) is violating city and state laws." She said many of the complaints came from African-American residents of her district who were the victims of metal thefts.

That's right. They said they suspected racism was behind an effort to reign in metal theft in black neighborhoods.

Of course, the fact that the councilwoman makes herself such an easy target for this kind of absurd bullying does call into question her suitability for the office. When you're dealing with people who are willing to cynically use race as a mask for unscrupulous behavior, it doesn't help that so many people are at least half-willing to believe that charge against you.