Great Moments In Political Debate, La Marque Style

​You can have your Daniel Webster rising in the Senate to give his storied Second Reply to Hayne; the La Marque City Council has set the bar for legislative contemplation far, far higher with its epochal Argument Over A Past-Due Library Book.

As noted in the Galveston County Daily News, the ever-squabbling duly elected members of high political office in La Marque spent a great deal of time at their most recent council meeting discussing an overdue library book.

Was it because the $30 due on the book was crucial to balancing La Marque's budget? No. It was because the nefarious book-absconder was -- gasp!! -- the wife of a city council member.

The book turned out to be the latest McGuffin for renewing the ever-ongoing feuds between political factions in the city. Mayor Geraldine Sam accused councilmember Connie Trube of violating the city charter....by asking a librarian about the overdue book.

Which, if you're going to violate the city charter, seems like a pretty unambitious effort, but nevertheless...


The House's health-care debate may have been momentous, but it had nothing on La Marque's. At least no one yelled "Baby Killer" during it.

Mayor Geraldine Sam accused councilwoman Connie Trube of violating a part of the city's charter that forbids council members from giving direct orders to city staff. The mayor alleged Trube ordered city librarian Kathy Nixie to turn over the records regarding a past due book checked out by Mayor pro tem Keith Bell's wife....

Trube maintained her inquiry was because the city charter provided that anyone with an overdue book and fine could be guilty of theft and that it would be improper that a council member's family member would be allowed to skirt paying the fine.

The fine on the book has since been paid.

On next month's agenda: Whether certain city councilmembers did in fact read all of the User's Agreement before checking the "I accept" box and updating their Adobe Readers.