Monthly Archives: September 2011

Met Two Civil Rights Icons Last Night…

I had the privilege of attending a great presentation last night at Lone Star College-Kingwood which featured two icons from the civil rights era, Houston’s Herbert Hamilton, Professor Emeritus at TSU, and Hezekiah Watkins, one of the youngest organizers at age 13 back in the day.

While Hamilton organized protests at lunch counters and businesses locally, Watkins was called to organize at an early age. Both provided amazing stories at what drove them to the movement. For Watkins, it was being arrested at age 13 and being put into detention at the notorious death row of Parchment State Prison-Mississippi. Their ultimate message:  We’ve come a long way, but we have a ways to go.

Congrats to Professor Raul Reyes of LSC-Kingwood and the leadership at LSC-Kingwood for putting on a great show, which was the inaugural event at LSC-K’s brand new Student and Conference Center.

The Jerry Eversole Era Comes to a Close…

There will be debates on whether he got off easy or not. Basically, he’s done. If we should be wishing for anything, it is stronger ethics policies for elected officials and candidates. But that’s probably asking too much.

Meanwhile, Judge Ed Emmett will announce the replacement on Monday.

The College Completion Agenda

For the longest time, I’ve argued that college recruitment efforts of Latinos will be fruitful only if we have the infrastructure to meet the needs of under-prepared college graduates which will be coming out of Texas’ under- and de-funded schools. Well, the College Board has released the results of a study that bolster my argument:

• Latino youth now represent the largest minority group in U.S. K–12 schools and are the fastest-growing segment of students.
• While there have been increases in college enrollments, Latino college completion stands at just 19.2 percent — far below the national average of 41.1 percent.
• Latino students represent the largest group of students dropping out of high school. In 2008, approximately one in five Latinos left high school before graduation.
• As of 2008, 45.1 percent of undergraduate Latino students required some remediation.

Congrats to Lolita and Yolanda…

After the first of several UCTCRadio.com Candidate Forums to be held, The host of This Week With Sylvia Garcia invited me to lunch and to visit one of the East End’s newest businesses– Sombrero’s Coffee Shop and More at 2910 Navigation. Let me tell you, Yolanda and Lolita offer up some really good sandwiches, excellent potato and chicken salads, coffees, among other delicacies and drinks. My favorite had to be the sombrero-shaped cookies. Along with the good food was some political platica and East End political celebrities walking in and out.

Sombrero’s is available for private parties and events, too. Check out this great business.

Mayor Needs Applicants for Boards

From the Twitter:  @anniseparker: I need applicants to volunteer for service on Houston boards and commissions. Contact jenn.char@houstontx.gov

Have a great weekend, folks!

First of all, I’ve been away these last couple of days working on some projects, but I must agree with Kuff when he says that it is a sad state of affairs when the media gives more attention to political signs than to the actual races and issues.

Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree that political signs on right-of-ways are an eyesore, and to some extent a threat to public safety. The question that comes to mind is about enforcement of the ordinance by the Mayor. Although $450K is spent on taking down the coroplast forest, how much will it take to enforce and collect on violators?

Obviously, there is one candidate who has placed (and replaced) many signs and it seems that candidate alone could bring a few thousand bucks to the city easily. But there are other candidates (and businesses, and realtors, etc.) who have signs placed on rights-of-way and other public properties and in various parts of the City. But I guess that, much like speeders, it is difficult to catch them all, unless you have some sort of camera system…oh wait.

Anyway, I wouldn’t mind seeing all of the City races get back to the issues:  Improving infrastructure; finding more revenue, instead of cutting jobs and services for a growing population; ensuring we have an ample and safe water supply; you know, stuff like that.

Death Penalty

I’m against it. ‘Nuff said.

Last Meal Debate

If we abolished the death penalty, this wouldn’t be an issue. ‘Nuff said.

Amnesty Rick…

…is not. I don’t know what sickens me more. Rick Perry trying to appease Latinos with his “heartless” commentary at the debate, or Democrats trying to join in on the whole “weak on immigration” RepubliTea meme (in policy and rhetoric). All Rick did was sign legislation introduced by a Democrat who lobbied and earned bipartisan support for it back during the days when bipartisanship kind of meant something.

The fact is Rick Perry doesn’t mind these kids who benefit from the “Texas DREAM Act” getting deported–in fact, he supports their wholesale warehousing and subsequent deportation. He is just having trouble defending signing a bill and he can’t seem to find his bearings when attacked on said signing. It shows more a lack of political poise that anything else. Can you imagine if something real happened if he were called to lead? Like wildfires? Oh wait…been there, and experienced his lack of poise and leadership.

Let’s get back to reality. He cut public schools and teachers; he cut our colleges and universities; he’ll kick out your grandma from nursing home; and he’ll find you a minimum wage job, so long as he gets to satisfy his cronies and corporations. And that’s what Rick Perry is really all about–along with the rest of his right-wing buddies on the debate stage.

Positive News from Palo Alto

MYSA.com had an article on a three-year old program at Palo Alto College, The Center for Academic Transitions.

The college’s Center for Academic Transitions was featured in The CollegeKeys Compact 2011 Catalog of Effective Practices. The catalog highlights “programs and practices that expand options for students from low-income backgrounds.”

The Center for Academic Transitions was formed by Palo Alto President Ana “Cha” Guzman in 2008 to help make students’ transitions to four year universities a lot smoother.

Rosie Castro, the center’s director, says the Center for Academic Transitions was selected because it has been able to help students with a smooth transition when transferring out of Palo Alto.

While Texas invested a lot in increasing recruitment efforts into our colleges and universities, retention and graduation efforts did not see a lot of support. It’s good to see this kind of commitment from a community college. Community colleges are on the front lines of meeting the needs of students left under-prepared after high school, so, it is good to see a model for other community colleges in Texas..

Well, that’s what I’ve been saying, but now, the Feds are saying it, too. Here’s the story:

Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice said that two of Texas’ controversial redistricting maps didn’t comply with the Voting Rights Act’s minimum standards, finding that the proposed changes to state House and Congressional districts failed to maintain or increase the ability of minorities to elect their candidates of choice.

While the Justice Department’s filing in D.C. federal court on Monday isn’t binding, it virtually assures that Attorney General Greg Abbott‘s lawsuit will head to trial. In the past, it has usually fallen to the Justice Department to certify that Texas’ redistricting plans don’t violate civil rights protections. Abbott bypassed that process by taking redistricting to federal court in Washington D.C.

Legal observers expect the federal three-judge panel assigned to the case to set a trial date as early as Wednesday.

So, this announcement basically “adds heft” to the overall judicial process. Texas Republicans have gone out of their way to avoid a binding ruling by the Department of Justice; however, since this will eventually reach the Supreme Court, there’s no doubt that I still worry that some awful, politically-motivated decision, i.e., the complete decimation of the Voting Rights Act.

This is why the Democratic mantra of late has been, “elections matter.” I guess this avid voter doesn’t have to be convinced of this, but those that sometimes and hardly vote must be convinced.