Detroit City Councilman without portfolio (or paycheck) Charles Pugh has been spotted recently in New York City--once in a Yankees cap--but an Instagram photo may be the most definitive evidence that Pugh appears to have survived whatever medical ailment caused him to seek a leave of absence from his Council duties.
The AWOL public servant was photographed at a meeting of the New York Association of Black Journalists, wearing (what else?) a Burberry scarf--even though NYC reached a high temperature of 73 degrees yesterday.
Aaron Foley suspects the apparently now-former Detroit resident is job hunting.
Jalopnik: What's Pugh doing at a New York Association of Black Journalists meeting? (Trying to meet Beyonce, perhaps?) There's one good reason to go to an NABJ meeting, other than the free food: To network. When you network, you get jobs. So is Pugh, a former Fox 2 anchor, job-hunting? Who'd hire him, based on his well-documented track record of suddenly leaving jobs with zero notice?
Good question, although Mike Barnicle still finds work. And Geraldine Ferraro was always able to land a media gig despite a 20-year track-record of voters rejecting her. So, maybe there's hope for Pugh.
Foley then asks some even better questions.
How is Pugh living day to day? We know his financial history is littered with eviction notices, unpaid bills and foreclosures. Are the rumors of living with CNN's Don Lemon true?
But most of all, why hasn't Pugh apologized to Detroit residents? Apologized to the people who voted for him in the first place? Why hasn't he just called to say hello, instead of spreading the word through strangers on the street? Why are all of his social media accounts still dark? And why is a man who originally didn't want to be found showing up in this way?
Well, if I may posit one answer to all those queries: Pugh has proved himself to be a not terribly bright narcissist.
