Columns

Keep him if guilty, boot him if innocent

By HOWARD TROXLER, Times Columnist
Published August 12, 2007

Good news! Of the 120 members of the Florida House of Representatives, there are 119 who are not currently accused of offering somebody $20 in a men's room for, uh, personal services.

That means that 99.2 percent of the Florida House remains men's-room-accusation free, and able to continue with its fine work of fixing our state's insurance, tax and budget problems.

The other 0.8 percent of the House consists of Rep. Bob Allen, a Republican from Merritt Island on the east coast. Unfortunately for Allen, he is not men's-room-accusation-free, not since his arrest on July 11 in a Titusville park.

The initial reports are not running entirely in his favor. A surveillance tape showed Allen entering the park restroom three times. An undercover police officer in the restroom reported that Allen offered him the $20.

In a recorded statement to police, Allen explained that he was intimidated by the presence of a "stocky black guy" in the restroom and was worried that other "stocky black guys" in the park might rob him.

This statement raises disturbing questions, including the most disturbing of all, that a member of the Legislature is prejudiced against stocky men.

It also brings into question the representative's skills under pressure. If this indeed was the result of him feeling nervous in a men's room, what would he do in a real crisis, say, a menacing hurricane? Offer it $500 and a weekend hotel room in Vegas?

According to the police, Allen also asked them after this arrest: "I don't suppose it would help if I said I was a state legislator, would it?"

Still, I hope he beats the charge. I hope he is innocent.

You never know. Maybe the cop misheard him. Maybe some guy next to Allen actually said that stuff. Maybe the representative will look a jury in the eye and the jury will have reasonable doubt.

Beyond the criminal charge, however, there now remains a political problem. The bit about being afraid of "stocky black guys" is not going to help him. Neither is trying to throw around his position.

Remember that another House member resigned in November after he left a voice message with profanity and a racial slur directed at another House member. He called the other guy a "b----." I don't even know what "b----" stands for, but that guy quit.

On the other hand, Allen's charge is only a misdemeanor, and it is just a charge. The Senate has a convicted felon, Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, but is letting him remain at least until his appeals are completed. I suppose this is another example of the Senate being the upper chamber.

There are only two groups that can decide to kick Allen out of the House. The first group is made up of the voters, who would have to wait until the next election.

The second group consists of the other 119 House members, who could expel him by a two-thirds vote.

As I said, I hope he is innocent, although the House should still consider kicking him out if he beats the charge, just for being such a schmoe.

But if he is convicted, I hope that the House does not expel him.

A legislator throwing around his title and making weird excuses to get off the hook is an offense to the House. But a man adjudged guilty of a minor crime who has been humbled by the worst possible fate for any politician -- well, who would be a wiser lawmaker than he?

[Last modified August 11, 2007, 22:14:42]