Much like his (one presumes) idol Wile E. Coyote, Hilton Head Island Town Councilman Tom Lennox appears to have an open line of credit with Acme Co. and a pathetic habit of standing under his own anvil.

Truly, I cannot wait to see what he orders next in his mission to foil the Road Runner — pardon me, I mean Skip Hoagland, the private citizen whose opinions Lennox is trying to silence on behalf of ... constituents? No. That can’t be right.

Perhaps Lennox is doing this in the name of upholding democratic values and as a steward of good governance? Lol.  

This article was origionally published by the Island Packet.  Click here to see the origional article

Hmmm. Who would benefit most from a tame and quiet Skip Hoagland? A Hoagland who no longer is able to loudly demand transparency in how town and county governments have been spending millions of dollars with the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce?

Think, Liz. Think. 

Actually, let’s hold off on that for a second.

Let’s instead focus on the part where Lennox, a man who holds a position of public trust, is continuing to harass and intimidate a citizen.

Three weeks ago Lennox used Acme’s Taxpayer and Resident X-Ray Machine to expose that “Skip” is a man’s nickname, used in place of another moniker (in Hoagland’s case, Calvin C.; in other men’s cases, Winston, James, Theodore, Arthur, Peter, John, Warren, Phillip, etc. ad infinitum).

The machine also revealed that Hoagland, much like other wealthy septuagenarians on Hilton Head with estate planners, has no property in his name in Beaufort County.

By performing this bit of theater, Lennox appeared to be suggesting that public discourse should be limited to property owners and people who go by their given names. 

I hope he left Acme a zero-star review for that one.

This week Lennox had a new toy.

After Tuesday’s Finance Committee meeting, he handed Hoagland an Exploding Piece of Paper, that is, a copy of a report from Hoagland’s 2011 felony arrest for having a loaded gun in his suitcase at the Savannah-Hilton Head Island International Airport. 

He is also aware that other people know about it.

The man’s own business cards feature his mugshot and charges. He will readily tell you the story behind his three days in jail should you be interested in hearing such details.

So I’m not sure what Lennox was up to here. But I do know it was unprofessional and unacceptable behavior from an elected official.

Of course, we can guess at reasons a person — someone who has caused great discomfort and irritation among powerful circles — might be handed a piece of paper containing what many might consider embarrassing facts about him.

Maybe it was a warning. Speak again and we will reveal this secret. 

Maybe it was an outing — a cowardly way to get someone to publicize his own past. We know you’ll tell everyone that we did this to you. Now people will question whether you’re a public threat.

Maybe it was a wish. We hope you get so angry about this that you are pushed over the edge in public comment. Now we’ll have an excuse to remove you and ban you from future meetings.

Imagine the smiles on certain people’s faces if Tuesday night had led to a photo and video of Hoagland getting led out of Town Hall in handcuffs by all four deputies — yes, four — who were in attendance.

But that is not what happened.

Whatever it was Lennox was attempting backfired.