The Mayor and Mr. Jones

Clarence Harmon gears up for his re-election effort without his go-to guy

Comments (0) By D.J. Wilson Wednesday, Nov 22 2000

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Former Deputy Mayor Mike Jones vowed to leave City Hall with his "ass intact."

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"You can't send people where you're not willing to go and you can't ask people to work harder than you're willing to work," says Jones. "The essence of leadership is, you set that standard, and if people believe in where you're going, they will give you that 110 percent. If you don't set that standard, you can't create that. You really do lead by example."

Jones recalls advice given to him decades ago by North Side politician Chink Washington, who said, "To get some ass, you got to bring some ass." Loosely translated, it means that to achieve something, you have to commit yourself and risk something. The real problem with the mayor's office right now, Jones believes, is that saving the city "requires you putting your ass on the line every day" and that means focused attention and effort on a list of projects. "That's the key to success. It ain't skill, it ain't luck; it's "Are you willing to risk what is necessary to be successful?' If you are, you have a chance."