Monthly Archives: January 2010

Celebrating MLK – 2010

Posted on January 17, 2010 | Comments Off

Favorite Quotes

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.

—–

An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

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Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies – or else? The chain reaction of evil – hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars – must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

—–

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.

—–

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

—–

Property is intended to serve life, and no matter how much we surround it with rights and respect, it has no personal being. It is part of the earth man walks on. It is not man.

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Posted in DCs Favorite Quotes, Para La Gente, U.S. Ethnic Relations

Stipeche Has a Busy Week

Posted on January 17, 2010 | Comments Off

Juliet Kathy Stipeche w/ fellow Judicial Candidate Jim Sullivan

It has been a productive week for Democratic judicial candidate Juliet Kathy Stipeche, who earned three major endorsements.

Stipeche is honored to be among a strong slate of Democrats to have earned the endorsement of the Coalition of Harris County Democratic Elected Officials in her campaign for Judge of the 281st District Court.

“Earning the support of Democrats, such as Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Commissioners Sylvia Garcia and El Franco Lee, State Representatives Ana Hernandez and Carol Alvarado, State Senator Mario Gallegos, among others, is indeed an honor,” said Stipeche, “I am committed to ensuring that justice and fairness prevail in the 281st District Court through impartiality and independence.”

On Wednesday, Juliet was given the nod by progressive Latino blog, DosCentavos.net (http://wp.me/px9uw-1n6)

“There’s no doubt that social media and political blogs are helping expand the electorate, and I am proud to have the support of one of Houston’s more prominent blogs.”

On Thursday night, Stipeche earned the endorsement of the Harris County Tejano Democrats.

“I will wear this endorsement as a badge of honor,” said Stipeche. “The Tejano Democrats are known for fighting for basic rights for all, and I intend to ensure equitable treatment for all in the 281st District Court.”

Stipeche grew up in Pecan Park in the East End of Houston where she continues to reside. The daughter of immigrant parents, Stipeche completed her undergraduate degree at Rice University and received her law degree at the University of Texas. An attorney and litigator for over ten (10) years, Stipeche is a partner at Nagorny & Stipeche, P.C.

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Posted in Texas Dems 2010

Thoughts on Viernes…01152010

Posted on January 15, 2010 | Comments Off

Dem Endorsements…

DC was at an endorsement meeting last night. It was great doing some “floor management” rather than being a voting member.  One of the things that amazes me is that some Dems still take consistent Primary voting so seriously.  True, we can usually count on 35K to 50K voting in a Democratic Primary, but 2008 had us serving (and gladly, I might add) 400,000 who wanted to be Democrats.  If one looks at these ID’d Dems’ voting records, one will find that some were brand new, while at the same time they had been consistent November “Straight D” voters.

So, when one of my favorite candidates who was recommended by this endorsing group was attacked by his opponent for not having voted in a Dem Primary (though he is one of those November “Straight D” votes, the group turned on him.  It didn’t help that the threat of the parking garage closing had folks running out and then struggling to find a space. The thing is, the opponent who brought it up has actually voted in two Republican primaries.

So, when is a Democrat a Democrat?  Someone please tell me, because if we’re going by supposed “party loyalty” only, instead of qualifications or even judicial temperament (and even personality, because some people have none), some folks got duped last night by quite a few candidates.

DosCentavos.net Endorsements

Since Monday is a bigger blog day, DC will be releasing his long list of endorsements on Monday.  Of course, I have endorsed early in some races:  Juliet Kathy Stipeche for the 281st and Chuck Silverman for the 157th.  But it’s time for voters to know my two…well, you know.

Me showing excitement that the Observer actually ran the story. Thanks Observer!

We Made The Papers!

I take back all my negative thoughts of the Kingwood Observer. They ran a full-length story on the Joe Montemayor announcement for District 127.

Education This Week

I haven’t really commented on the whole “Fire to the Test” thing on the teachers.  Frankly, and speaking as an HR guy, I think there needs to be a complete revamping of the evaluation system of teachers.  Some argue that the test results are just one of thirty-something things, but the press behind seems to make the testing aspect more important than anything else.  I have always been suspect of the “Education Reform” movement as I believe it funnels money to the corporate-educational complex that has created the whole charter school system.  I disagreed with President Clinton and I disagree with President Obama when they place more weight on schools that serve a few hundred students, rather than improve the system for the vast majority of students.  And teaching to a test is no lone way to determine a teacher’s success.  There must be a happy medium.

In other news, Texas History is being re-written by the Republican Party.  (No Mexicans Allowed).

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Posted in Texas Dems 2010, Thoughts on Viernes

Updating You on Bill White for Texas

Posted on January 14, 2010 | 1 Comment

Our candidate for Texas Governor Bill White has been busy.  In fact, he’s got a major event in San Antonio at the Pearl Brewery this weekend that I wish I didn’t have to miss.   Nonetheless, Mayor Bill has been picking up key support all over the state.  A recent trip to El Magico Valle de Tejas was very fruitful, and he’s been saying the right things, too.

White’s pitch and platform focused on Perry fatigue, blaming the incumbent for the state’s dismal high school and college graduation rates, college tuition hikes, months-long waits for food stamp applicants, and the Valley’s lack of an interstate highway and veterans hospital.

And with over 7,000 donors around the state, White is proving that he is indeed the total package.

In the 28 days after White’s Dec. 4 announcement for governor, supporters responded with more than $2.5 million, for an average fundraising rate of over $90,000 per day. With transfers and in-kind donations, the effort to elect Bill White as governor collected more than $6.2 million and ended the year with nearly $5.5 million on hand.

“The response to Bill’s announcement that he’d consider running for governor was enormous, with more than 8,000 Texans emailing him to encourage him to run. Then, once Bill decided to run, those supporters responded with generous financial support,” said Campaign Finance Chair Scott Atlas. “We’ll be ready for November.”

Along with taking the state by storm and effectively raising campaign cash, he is also getting the backing of the Democratic Party’s electeds.

As of today, White has earned the endorsement of 12 State Senators and 66 State Representatives. Photos, videos, and quotes from endorsing Representatives and Senators can be viewed at www.billwhitefortexas.com/united.

White is definitely looking strong with just over a month until early voting for the Primary.

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Posted in Houston Politica, Texas Dems 2010, Texas Lege

Shami Rolls Out Border Policy

Posted on January 13, 2010 | Comments Off

Say what you want about his voting record, Farouk Shami has taken one of the most progressive stances on the immigration issue.

“We cannot continue to treat all undocumented workers as criminals. We must narrowly target the gangs that threaten our safety and to do that, undocumented workers must become our allies. Furthermore, we must give them incentives, beyond making their community safer, to come forward. That’s why I want to work with the federal government to give legal status to anyone who contributes to the capture of gang members,” he adds.

Farouk’s policy on border relations includes promoting industry cluster development along the border, increasing educational opportunities on the border, building new infrastructure along the border, and ensuring all Texans living along the border have access to healthcare and educational resources.

Though DosCentavos has supported Bill White, I would hope that Shami’s stance provides the Democratic Party some guts as to how to address the issue, as well as engage South Texans and Latinos all over the state.  It is very refreshing to see such a stance.

Farouk also goes further regarding jobs development on the border.

In describing the “industry cluster development” along the border, Farouk explains, “Industry cluster development is my plan to work with local officials on each side of the border to build high-skill, capital-intensive factories on the U.S. side of the border and have them partner with low-skill, labor-intensive facilities on the Mexican side of the border. This lowers the cost of manufacturing and allows companies to build products at a low price while ensuring the highest quality possible. Promoting these will eliminate any incentives to outsource to China and India.”

After hearing similar comments by Shami at different events, I expected such a policy pronouncement.  One thing is for sure, such a stance ensures that anyone competing in this Primary will either follow Shami’s lead or take a more punitive stance, which would be detrimental in the Primary and in November.

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Posted in Chicano Politics, DREAM Act, Houston Politica, Immigration, Texas Dems 2010

Save the Date: Bloggers at Houston Area Table

Posted on January 12, 2010 | Comments Off

Houston’s Blogger Community Weighs In On 2009 City Election:
Houston’s top bloggers will share post-election insight into how the 2009 voter mandate will shape City policy
and the use of new media in political campaigns.

Panelists:

Charles Kuffner – Off the Kuff (www.offthekuff.com)

Stace Medellin – Dos Centavos (www.doscentavos.net)

David Ortez- (www.davidortez.com)

List in formation–updated panel to follow next week.

Panelists will discuss:

  • Post-Election analysis
  • Discuss the use of new media in campaigns
  • Issues that ultimately resonated w/voters
  • What the election is going to mean for Houston policy moving forward

January 19, 2010 11:30-1:00 p.m.

Networking  Begins at 11:30

Discussion begins at Noon

United Way

50 Waugh Drive

Houston, TX, 77007

Feel free to bring a lunch and invite a friend.

Space is limited, please RSVP.

About the Houston Area Table: The Houston Area Table (HAT) is dedicated to fostering communication and cooperation among Houston area organizations and non-profits. Beginning in 2010 HAT meets monthly on the third Tuesday at the United Way. There will be no meeting in July.

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Posted in Chicano Politics, Houston Politica, HoustonVotes 09

The Thing About Churches and CIR…

Posted on January 12, 2010 | 1 Comment

…is that congregations at individual churches may not be so receptive.  As Cardinal DiNardo states:

Though DiNardo warned that congregations will not be so united, he said they are not “nasty because they misunderstand, or are fearful, or are opposed” to immigration reform. DiNardo encouraged leaders to respect the views of their congregants, while still expressing an urgent need for reform.

Umm, was he at St. Martha’s in Kingwood when the Monsignor expressed his support for legalization a couple of years ago?  It wasn’t pretty.  In fact, a few of his congregants  were calling for his head.

Then there’s the polling.

Right-wing groups are conducting polling of religious groups to see where they stand on CIR.  It’s close.

A Zogby International survey released in December by the Center for Immigration Studies, an organization that supports stricter border controls, reported that 46 percent of Catholics, Protestants and Jews who responded to the survey would support a legalization program for illegal immigrants, provided they pay a fine, learn English and pass a background check. Fifty-one percent would oppose it, and the remainder said they were unsure, according to the survey.

But the thing is, there wasn’t much support for the Voter Rights Act nor the Civil Rights Act, yet, they were passed out of a necessity.  And CIR definitely falls under this realm of policy.  It is a necessity because it affects families, children and the economic well-being of our nation.  It’s a human rights cause, more than merely a political one.

Perhaps that is what the preachers, the priests, and the pulpit masters should take back to their congregations?

Heck, just tell them that if they don’t support it, they’re going to hell!

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Posted in DREAM Act, Houston Politica, Immigration

NCLR: COVER-UP OF IMMIGRANT DEATHS SOUNDS ALARM FOR REFORM

Posted on January 11, 2010 | Comments Off

A press release from the National Council of La Raza of recent reports of immigrant detainee deaths. (While the media wastes time on Harry Reid.)

Washington, DC—Documents collected by The New York Times and the American Civil Liberties Union detailing the deaths of immigrant detainees sound the call for immediate action to reform immigrant detention standards. While NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, has championed legislative efforts to put an end to abusive practices in the detention system, continuing accounts of detained immigrants dying because of denial of basic health services and enduring reported physical abuse and dehumanizing torment magnify the wake-up call for the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

“It is shameful that these atrocious incidents are just now coming to light,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. “The lack of oversight that has led to these unnecessary deaths demonstrates how urgently we need comprehensive immigration reform legislation to ensure that our enforcement tactics are in line with our nation’s values.”

The politics of demonization, dehumanization, and deportation are having dire and deadly consequences and speak to the moral imperative to address immigration effectively and humanely now.  “The American people support a comprehensive solution to immigration. The will of the people and these devastating effects of our broken immigration system should send a clear message to lawmakers that their continued inaction is morally reprehensible,” said Murguía.

“Not one more life should be lost, not one more family should be separated because of cruel enforcement-only tactics that are ineffective and costly,” said Murguía. “It is time to restore our nation’s dignity, values, and the rule of law.”

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Posted in DREAM Act, Houston Politica, Immigration, Texas Dems 2010, U.S. Ethnic Relations, Violence Against Latinos

Is SJL Really In Trouble?

Posted on January 11, 2010 | 1 Comment

With all due respect to Jarvis Johnson and Sean Roberts, who each offer some good qualities, this blogger thinks that with a little extra work, the Congresswoman will be just fine and return for another term.

Of course, if one reads the comments in the Chron one might think that the whole world is against Jackson Lee, but, it’s the Chron comments!  If policy decisions were left up to most Chron commenters, Black people would be placed on boats “back to Africa,” and this 5th generation Texan would be in shackles on a bus back to the border (if I was that lucky!).

I agree with Holley that the power of incumbency may just be too much for a challenger to overcome in less than two (or three, if runoff) months.  More importantly, we are in the midst of some very important issues being considered in Congress:  Health Care Reform, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and the economic rebound.

For this blogger, CIR is probably the most important for 2010.  In all the “grading” of President Obama, I feel he should have taken on immigration reform first.  It would have been more politically feasable, and with a sensible solution, politically uplifting for Democrats early on.

Needless to say, Sheila Jackson Lee has led on this issue and she has not forgotten that Latinos make up a sizable portion of District 18.  In fact, it is probably the most diverse of the districts in Texas.  Jackson Lee has the ability to continue earning the support of a diverse electorate.

Do the challengers have talking points with which to attack Jackson Lee?  I have heard of the lack of federal funds for District 18; I have heard of the turnover in staff which affects constituency services; and one challenger even brought up SJL’s support of Hillary Clinton; among other issues.  But is there enough time for them to resonate?  And can they overcome the counter-argument of House leadership and seniority?

Again, with a little extra effort, SJL is safe; except from the wrath of Chron commenters who do not even reside in District 18.

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Posted in Texas Dems 2010, Texas Lege

There Are Words and then There are Actions

Posted on January 10, 2010 | Comments Off

All of my life I have been in a struggle, picking one battle over another, in that unavoidable (for a person of color) realm of race relations.  Do I take on the ones tossing around hate language?  Or do I take on the ones that promote hate policy.  Granted, many times, those that do this sort of thing utilize both to get to where they want to be.

Take Lou Dobbs or Glen Beck for instance.  They throw negative words, like “illegal alien” around with the purpose of instilling hate in their viewers.  At the same time, they promote hate policy, such as the mass deportation of human beings who lack a piece of paper.

There are others who will do the same with any group or person of color, all the while promoting some hate-filled legislation.

Enter Senator Harry Reid.

I would need to somewhat agree with President Obama that Reid has been a leader on social justice issues during his career.  There’s no doubt that he is also trying to lead on health care reform.  There isn’t anything out there that would have Reid attempting to curtail civil or human rights, like the Dobbs and Beck’s of the world.

So, sure, it may have been a poor choice of words, but the jury is in on Harry Reid and he’s not the most reviled member of Congress.

One thing is for sure.  When I see folks attributing the tip-toeing around on race-words to political correctness, I completely disagree.  As the United States of America races toward becoming a minority-majority nation, we can see that public policy from the Republican side is basically incorrect for America.  Their commentary (and public policy pronouncements) is filled with code, it is vitriolic, and is the actual cause of racial strife based on their own fears.

For Harry Reid, though, it was just a poor choice of words.

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Posted in U.S. Ethnic Relations