Carson As Qualified (if Not More) than Most HUD Secretaries
An interesting exchange on Facebook Monday led me to do a bit of research after a slew of local folks I know were tittering about Donald Trump’s appointment of Dr. Ben Carson to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. To these people, most of them not supporters of Trump, it was all a big joke. But, of all the appointments made by Trump, in my mind, this was one of the most realistic.
I can’t say I know Carson that well. I met him twice on the campaign trail in New Hampshire and chatted with him a bit. He’s more conservative than I am and I didn’t vote for him in the primary. But when I have seen him on C-Span, I have stopped to watch because I know about his life and his destitute beginnings, and he is riveting to listen to.
Like a lot of folks, including me, he didn’t come from much, was homeless for part of his life, raised by his single mother that fought for him and instilled great values in what he was to do with this life. I never lived in public housing; but I know people who have. Carson did for a number of years. I know poverty and I also know that one of the best ways to get yourself out of poverty is to have positive role models to look up to and strive for success. Coming from nothing, being homeless, living in public housing, and then turning your life into a success like Carson did is EXACTLY the type of person needed to lead the nation’s public housing department.
But what about his real qualifications? It takes a lot to run a federal agency. Well, Carson actually led the pediatric neurosurgery department at John Hopkins for more than 30 years, on top of his work as a surgeon. The department has numerous doctors and a budget of tens of millions of dollars. It’s one of the most highly regarded medical institutions in the world. You know how doctors are … can you imagine leading a department of highly skilled ones for so long? He has written numerous publications about childhood health and other issues, and also received the presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest government honor bestowed on a civilian. Those are qualities of any type of leadership position, clearly. You’d have to be a complete idiot or obsessed Trump hater to not see it.
But, it got me thinking: What about the other HUD secretaries? Did any of them live in public housing? Were they poor so they could relate to the people who lived in them? Did any of them work in construction, architecture, planning, development, or any public housing agency work or life experience? There is a lot more to running a massive public agency than just understanding housing, poor people, and architecture. But there is also a lot more to running a massive public agency than just being a political hack, getting elected by voters in a small city (whether you had real experience or not), or raising money for the right (or in many cases, left) presidential candidate.
It turns out that most of the HUD secretaries were actually not really qualified at all. Here’s a rundown (not including HUD secretaries who were “acting” for a week or two) of the last 40-plus years of HUD secretaries, their backgrounds (from what I could find online), and how unqualified they actually were (or are, in the case of Julian Castro).
Julian Castro: Political science and communications degree and later, became a lawyer. Served as the youngest city councilor in San Antonio history – four years – and later, mayor for eight years. Never lived in public housing, never worked in construction, planning, architecture, or a housing agency or anything else. He won some small elections and picked the right team. In other words, a political hack.
Conclusion: Carson is just as qualified or more qualified.
Shaun Donovan: Numerous government degrees including architecture and design and government administration with extensive experience in housing departments including New York City.
Conclusion: OVERLY qualified for the position.
Steven Preston: Political science degree, business degree, investment banking and corporate finance. Three years as the SBA administrator. Never lived in public housing, never worked in construction, planning, architecture, or a housing agency or anything else. He was connected. Another political hack.
Conclusion: Carson is just as qualified or more qualified.
Alphonso Jackson: Grew up poor, political science degree, masters in education administration, worked in the St. Louis Housing Authority for four years and Dallas Housing Authority for seven years. Was active in Republican politics.
Conclusion: Qualified for the position.
Mel Martinez: Born in Cuba, international affairs degree and then became a lawyer for 25 years. Ran for lieutenant governor and lost but elected Orange Country Chairman (a mayor, two years). Served on utility boards. Was active in Republican politics. Never lived in public housing, never worked in construction, planning, architecture, or a housing agency or anything else. Another connected political hack.
Conclusion: Carson is just as qualified or more qualified.
Andrew Cuomo: Son of a governor, bachelors degree, law degree, lawyer for 10 years, district attorney for one year in NYC. Created a housing foundation and was on the city’s homeless commission for three years. Was active in Democrat politics. Never lived in public housing, never worked in construction, planning, architecture, or a housing agency or anything else. A political hack with a fraction of volunteer experience.
Conclusion: Carson is just as qualified or more qualified.
Henry Cisneros: Degrees in urban planning and public administration, masters degree in teaching from Harvard and worked at MIT teaching in the planning department. Elected as a city councilor for six years and then mayor. Active in Democrat politics. Never lived in public housing but had some experience in planning and development experience. Left office mired in scandal.
Conclusion: Qualified for the position.
Jack Kemp: Physical education degree and economics studies, football player, veteran, Representative to Congress, active in Republican campaigns. Never lived in public housing, never worked in construction, planning, architecture, or a housing agency or anything else. Gave great speeches and clearly cared about the urban poor. But he was a political appointment.
Conclusion: Carson is just as qualified or more qualified than.
Samuel Pierce: Veteran, active Republican, law degree, masters in law, U.S. Attorney for two years, judge, undersecretary of labor one year. Only African-American cabinet secretary under Reagan. Never lived in public housing, never worked in construction, planning, architecture, or a housing agency or anything else. Small stint in government administration.
Conclusion: Carson just as qualified.
Patricia Harris: Howard University grad, lawyer, dean of law school, ambassador to Luxembourg, board of directors of IBM, Chase, and Scott Paper, first African-American woman to serve as a cabinet secretary. Never lived in public housing, never worked in construction, planning, architecture, or a housing agency or anything else.
Conclusion: Carson is just as qualified or more qualified.
There are a few more but why bother? You get the point. Oh, OK, one more for good measure …
George Romney, father of Mitt Romney, was also HUD Secretary under Richard Nixon for four years. Never lived in public housing, never worked in construction, planning, architecture, or a housing agency or anything else. Was a governor but wasn’t involved in the day-to-day operations of a housing department in Michigan. Romney was a political appointment.
Conclusion: Carson is as qualified based on upbringing but not administration.
When compared to all of these HUD secretaries, Carson is just as qualified as nearly all of them but three. Only one had extensive housing, planning, and development experience, one had two stints as the head of a housing authority, and one had a few years of experience in planning. The rest were all political appointments, didn’t live in public housing, didn’t know poverty.
Good luck, Dr. Carson.