Monthly Archives: October 2011

HISD-4, -3 Candidates Spar on “This Week…”

Posted on October 18, 2011 | Comments Off

I was privileged to co-moderate candidate forums for HISD District 4 and 3 on This Week With Sylvia Garcia this morning on UCTCRadio.com. For the District 4 race, there were some fireworks.

District 4

Challenger Davetta Daniels offered her experience and successes as a school leader as her qualifications for the position. Daniels feels that the incumbent needs to be replaced in order to “put the trust back in trustee.”  Incumbent Paula Harris offered a track record of growth that must be continued as the reason she should be returned to the board, citing before and after numbers regarding drop-out rates and other statistics.

Things took a turn for the heated after the question was asked about the new ethics policy that was recently approved by the school board, which had been going through recent public scrutiny because of board member contact with prospective and current vendors. According to Incumbent Harris, the media hyped up the ethics issue as there were no findings that any improprieties had occurred between board members and vendors. Challenger Daniels responded by reiterating what had been in the press regarding a trip to Italy by Harris and an HISD vendor who is a friend of Harris. Regarding ethics, Harris pointed to an e-mail her challenger sent to her asking for a job, even stating that the challenger would not run against her if she gave her job. Harris called it illegal; however, Daniels stated that she did send it seeing how there were Principals missing in various schools.

When asked about support for the Apollo program, Incumbent Harris stated that she was in support of it and its intent to help those children with the most needs, even spending more on them. Challenger Daniels stated she supported some aspects of the program; however, was concerned about its cost and how the money for this program is being spent. Harris stated that the millions of dollars which funded Apollo was provided by private donations; however, Daniels was adamant about an accounting of the dollars.

HISD did not the raise property tax rate for this budget, but because the cut in K-12 funds by the Republican legislature will provide  bigger challenges to school boards next year, would either of them support a tax increase?Challenger Daniels believes that board members need to look at how each dollar is being spent, i.e., vendor contracts. Harris stated that much like in this last budget process, everything has to be on the table. Harris reminded us that the next budget process begins in January.

A very intense forum for a very intense race for HISD-4. The best of luck to both candidates.

District 3

The HISD-District 3 Forum was a bit more subdued, yet informative. Challenger Ramiro Fonseca, a higher education professional, stated he was running to provide constituents with better representation, seeing a need to provide leadership on the various challenges the district faces. For incumbent Manuel Rodriguez, he would like to stay to continue the representation he has provided, noting the progress that the district has made during his time on the board.

On the Apollo Program both candidates were supportive, with incumbent Rodriguez calling the program an “emergency room” for what is ailing the school district. Challenger Fonseca, on other hand, called the program a reactive one which he would like to see turned into one that is more proactive and offered district-wide, including an increase in early childhood education investment.

On Ethics, Rodriguez stated that HISD has the strongest ethics policy of school districts in the area, and he is committed to transparency. Fonseca stated that he is also a supporter of transparency in government; however, that nothing bothered him more than seeing HISD being talked about in the media regarding ethics issues.

Finally, on the budget, Rodriguez pointed to the legislature’s cuts to K-12 funding being a direct result of HISD’s financial challenges; however, that the board was able to get by with losing only around 300 teachers. Fonseca reiterated his call for transparency, a commitment to ensuring the children are provided the best, and that everything is on the table for next year’s budget.

Looks like the voters of District 4 and District 3 have some choices to make.

Early voting begins on Monday, October 24. Click here for a list of Early Voting sites.

Thanks again to Sylvia Garcia for the service she provides to listeners and candidates. And thanks to the candidates for making my Tuesday a little bit more exciting–especially today!

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Posted in Chicano Politics, Houston Politica, HoustonVotes '11, K-12 Education, LatinoVote '11

¿Republi-Quien?

Posted on October 17, 2011 | Comments Off

That seems to be the result of a Latino Decisions poll of Latinos on the Republican line-up. When asked how much they knew about the candidates, this is what came out.

Mitt Romney and Rick Perry are among the best known candidates in the group of eight; despite this, 46% have no opinion or have never heard of Romney, and 40% have never heard of Perry.  Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and apparent favorite to clinch the nomination, is favored by 28% of Latino voters, while 25% have an unfavorable impression of him. The rest do not know who he is or have no opinion. Perry, who as governor of Texas would be the closest to Latinos in the Republican primaries, is someone few of the country’s Latino voters know: 40% of them have no idea who he is. Likewise, his approval level is abysmal and still lower than Romney’s at 22%. His level of disapproval is higher: 39%.

In Texas, a state he has governed for 11 years, Perry has a 37% approval rate from Latinos, a number similar to the one he obtained in his latest re-election in November 2010, when he received 38% of the Texas Latino vote. However, in that state, 49% of Latino voters disapprove of Perry. A majority of analysts has said Republicans should aspire to 40% of the national Latino vote to be able to win certain key states.

“The number 37% is not bad for a Republican as far as the Latino vote,” said Gabriel Sánchez, a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. “There, Latinos know him better than anywhere else in the country, and are more familiar with the way he governs.”

Latinos are even less familiar with the rest of the candidates, while their disapproval levels are even higher: 58% have no opinion or have never heard of Michelle Bachmann, and 29% have an unfavorable impression of the Minnesota congresswoman and Tea Party representative. Only 13% have a favorable impression. Also, 59% do not know libertarian Ron Paul or have no opinion, while 19% disapprove of him and 16% approve.

And as far as Newt Gingrich, 41% have never heard of him, 32% have a favorable impression and 36% an unfavorable impression. The least known candidates are Herman Cain and Jon Huntsman: 73% do not know or have no opinion of Herman Cain, and 75% do not know or have no opinion of Jon Huntsman.  Sarah Palin, who a few days ago announced she will not run, is among the most familiar for Latinos: only 24% said they have never heard of her. However, her disapproval rate is very high: 62% have a very unfavorable or somewhat unfavorable opinion of her (of which 46% are very unfavorable).

I’m sure Latinos know a little bit more about Herman Cain after his electric fence joke.

 ”It’s going to be 20 feet high. It’s going to have barbed wire on the top. It’s going to be electrified. And there’s going to be a sign on the other side saying, ‘It will kill you — Warning.’”

Of course, Michelle Bachmann’s association with a hate group, Mitt Romney’s flip-flops, and Rick Perry’s sanctuary city policies are about as nutty as a Republican can get on immigration.

This doesn’t provide Obama a clear path, though. The administration’s lack of movement on comprehensive immigration reform, coupled with an increase in enforcement that has entangled DREAMers and other non-criminal immigrants, has not helped Obama with Latinos. Republican anti-Latino rhetoric usually works in favor of Democrats if the Democrats either defend or push for positive legislation. But anti-Latino rhetoric coupled what gives the image of legislative indifference leads to voter indifference, or as the media calls it, apathy. And as long as Republicans rally against immigration reform, Latinos will continue to state that immigration and DREAM are among their top issues.

I’m of the opinion, speaking with my Democratic hat on, that President Obama needs to face up to his promise of immigration reform. A sort of mea culpa in which he states he shouldn’t have promised CIR during the first term, and that perhaps what the nation thought of as the beginning of a post-racial, post-partisan era of politics because of his election was more of a Republican feast on the very programs that the majority of voters supported–our very values as a nation.

Obviously, the Republicans continue to dig their own grave when it comes to Latino support. Latinos are going to need something from President Obama, and if positive legislation isn’t going to be a part of it, then he needs to rally the troops in much more effective way.

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Posted in DREAM Act, Houston Dems '12, Immigration, LatinoVote '12, Texas Dems 2012, U.S. Ethnic Relations

Thoughts on Viernes…10142011

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 1 Comment

Republatinos Don’t Want Latinos?

The Texas Democratic Party reports that it is Republatino legislators who are fast and furiously removing Latinos from their districts, on top of voting to disenfranchise them with photo ID requirements to vote, supporting bans on Latinos (sanctuary cities), and the rest of Rick Perry’s anti-Latino agenda.

As George P. Bush visits EL Paso today with other legislators as part of their Hispanic outreach tour, likely missing from their stump speech are the facts that Hispanic Republicans have purged tens of thousands of Latinos from their legislative districts and voted to disenfranchise tens of thousands more. The Department of Justice pointed to four of the districts represented by members of the Hispanic Republican Conference (Torres/HD 33, Aliseda/HD 35, Pena/HD 41, and Garza/HD 117) as violating the Voting Rights Act when refusing to pre-clear the state house maps.

Some of the numbers are ridiculous.

Together, the six members of the Hispanic Republican Conference kicked out 180,536 Latinos from their districts. Further, all six members voted for the voter suppression legislation which could disenfranchise 73,375 registered Latinos in the counties they represent. In El Paso County, 29,908 individuals – including 19,108 Hispanics – lack a state issued driver’s license or identification card.

Why? Because Texas Hispanics vote Democratic, and given the Republican war on Latinos, that number is sure to grow if Democrats take that message to the people, and consultants aren’t chicken shits think it positive to have their clients talk about it.

Don’t even get me started on George P (en la frente) Bush.

Federal Court:  Leave the Kids Alone

At least temporarily until it is further considered, a Federal Court has blocked a part of the Alabama immigration law that would federalize schools and force them to check the immigration status of children. Unfortunately, the court also allowed the part of the law that allows local cops to serve as a local migra.

We’ll keep following this for reactions from pro-migrant groups. Huff Post has a more comprehensive look at the ruling.

Kingwood Gets a Candidate Forum

The Lake Houston Chamber of Commerce is hosting a City of Houston candidate forum on Monday, 6pm at LSC-Kingwood’s new conference center. Here’s the link to the info.

I might attend with Flip camera to see how candidates respond to the inevitable anti-Latino questions on sanctuary cities, immigration, and the general measuring up of candidates to see how much they like/don’t like Latinos.

And finally…

One more big kudo and thanks to Maria Jimenez and Hope Sanford along with the others who were arrested by HPD at the federal building. Hope celebrated her birthday in the local lock-ups, too. A friend in the movement created this message for Hope:

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Posted in Uncategorized

Republicans Continue War on Women

Posted on October 13, 2011 | Comments Off

How About We Protect Women?

237 Republicans and 11 Dumbocrats in the US House voted on Thursday to let women die (HR 358). That’s the gist of this bill which continues and expands the war on women.

The Protect Life Act, HR 358, would amend the healthcare reform law to grant hospitals far-reaching powers to deny patients abortion care, without any exception for emergency situations. US law currently requires hospitals receiving federal funds to provide emergency care to anyone in need up to the point at which they can be stabilized or transferred, if the original hospital is incapable of providing the care they need.

“The misnamed Protect Life Act is about allowing women to die if they need an emergency abortion,” said Meghan Rhoad, women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “It is a vicious attack on women’s rights and on the most basic right to life.”

It is not expected to pass the U.S. Senate, thankfully, and President Obama has said that even if it reached his desk that he would veto it.

A Facebook alert to call on my member of Congress to vote against it reminded me that it is important, and I guess I’m reiterating, to support those candidates at all levels who are endorsed by Planned Parenthood, or if not endorsed, who scored 100% on their endorsement questionnaire. And that includes Houston City Council races.

Here’s PP’s Endorsement and 100% list for Houston City Council.

Someone asked me, why would it matter if the City doesn’t deal with that type of issue. I responded with a question:  Do you want to give an anti-choice politician his or her first step to a political future?

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Posted in Uncategorized

Occupy Wall Street by Lalo Alcaraz

Posted on October 13, 2011 | Comments Off

Nationally syndicated cartoonist and activist Lalo Alcaraz just posted his latest creation. He sure is a wizard with the symbolism, huh? Please share.

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Posted in Consumer Affairs, Cultura Chicana, DC Chicanos, Viva La Union, Your Wallet

Chron Goes With Costello (AL1), Thibaut (AL2)

Posted on October 13, 2011 | 1 Comment

The Chron begins announcing its endorsements for the City of Houston At-Large contests today, and it looks like they picked Costello and Thibaut in this first round.

AL1

I can honestly put out there that I didn’t support Costello in his first-round, but I must agree with the Chron that he had a good and tough first term. As a supporter of Rebuild Houston, faults and all, I appreciated his work to get that passed and then its political defense of it. The Chron also mentions this:

And as at-large Position 1 council member, he made an admirable effort to help people too often underrepresented at the council table. He’s worked to bring grocery stores to “food deserts,” low-income areas where it’s easier to buy French fries than a fresh potato. And he’s now investigating programs to serve the homeless in ways that are both more humane and more cost-effective than addressing their problems in jails and emergency rooms.

Good luck to CM Costello.

AL2

In the At-Large 2 race, there are a whole bunch of candidates. This past Tuesday, I helped moderate a radio forum which featured what may be considered the four contenders:  Pool, Thibaut, Robinson, and Fraga, and, let me tell you, any voter would have a tough time picking their candidate.

There’s no doubt that there will be a run-off in this one as it seems that almost all candidates have some sort of base of support. In the Chron’s case, they picked Kristi Thibaut, whom I can safely say is among my top two picks.

Thibaut says she will focus on job creation, infrastructure improvement and public safety if elected. She hopes to encourage Houston’s universities to become centers for generating new technology that spawns commercial enterprises.

With the city facing pension funding problems that can only be resolved at the state Legislature, Thibaut’s experience and connections in Austin will be a valuable asset.

She supported the Rebuild Houston drainage initiative and says a dedicated funding source is necessary to deal with flooding and deteriorating thoroughfares.

During the radio forum, I was able to ask each of the four a sort of “gotcha” question. For Thibaut, it was whether her intent in running was just to get “the next job” for which some might consider her a “political opportunist.”

Thibaut responded that it was all about serving the people as she had in the Texas House. She stated that she has the option of being a mom and spending more time with her family, but answering the call to service is something that she also enjoys.

Good answer!

There will be voters who will have a tough time making a choice in this race. For those in my group in my neck of the woods, they rely on meeting the candidates and listening to their ideas. There’s no doubt that many of us appreciate Thibaut, along with Jenifer Rene Pool, for making the trip out to Kingwood.

So, there you have it. The Chron has spoken. Will it matter? Since this is an at-large race with more territory to cover, maybe.

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Posted in City of Houston, Houston Politica, HoustonVotes '11, Mayor Parker

Eight Arrested Protesting KBH’s Anti-Jobs Vote

Posted on October 13, 2011 | Comments Off

Eight pro-Jobs activists were arrested yesterday after staging a sit-in at the Mickey Leland Federal Building. Showing their disappointment at Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn’s “no” vote on President Obama’s American Jobs Act, hundreds of protesters, including folks from SEIU, Good Jobs = Great Houston, and the Occupy Houston movements, among others, assembled at the federal building.

Three women and five men were charged with criminal trespassing. The demonstrators also included representatives of the Jobs Not Cuts organization.

In a display that put to shame the County Commissioner’s lack of support for more Harris County jailers, HPD sent out 50 officers, some in riot gear and others on horses, to arrest the eight activists and “control” the 200, which included some good people I know. That’s 1 officer for every 4 protesters, right?

Kudos to the protesters. I’m of the opinion that a movement should take the fight to those in power–the elected officials–and this protest did just that. The final step, though, is finishing the job–by voting and then staying involved.

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Posted in Consumer Affairs, Houston Dems '12, Houston Politica, HoustonVotes '11, LatinoVote '11, Oportunidades, Your Wallet

Houston ISD Finance Reports Are Out

Posted on October 12, 2011 | Comments Off

Ericka Mellon at the Chron Education Blog reports on the latest finance reports for Houston ISD Trustees and their challengers. I tried looking on the HISD website for the reports to look at specifics beyond the numbers, but it is yet to be updated–unless it’s hidden somewhere.  One thing is for sure, HISD School Board needs to have an updated system to search for these reports.

Harris, who is seeking re-election to the District IV seat, has $37,577 on hand, according to her report. She raised $17,150 this reporting period. She has spent about two-thirds of that and has outstanding loans of $17,500.

Harris’ challenger, Davetta Daniels, raised $12,048 this reporting period and has $4,104.25 on hand after spending.

Ramiro Fonseca, who is challenging Manuel Rodriguez Jr. for the District III seat, brought in the most money of all the candidates this reporting period. He raised $19,490, compared with Rodriguez’s $10,206.

In the District VIII race, incumbent Juliet Stipeche has raised nearly six times the amount of her challenger, Dorothy Olmos.

Adding:

District VIII - Dorothy Olmos

Total contributions: $2,450
Total spent: $2,064.74
Amount on hand: $385.26
Outstanding loans: $2,500

District VIII – Juliet Stipeche

Total contributions: $14,550
Total spent: $18,536.71
Amount on hand: $4,072.51

DosCentavos hasn’t been following the races much this time around, although I am rooting for Juliet Stipeche in HISD-8. Other than some of the controversies surrounding Twitter blocks and contracts with vendors, which probably won’t take hold in single-member district elections without some “real money” to mass communicate, this will be a low-turnout election whose winners will win on shoe leather and “hand-kissing and baby-shaking.”

Still, it would be good to see the reports.

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Posted in Houston Politica, K-12 Education, LatinoVote '11

Chron Endorses in New Latino Opportunity District…

Posted on October 12, 2011 | 1 Comment

…and they didn’t pick the Latina candidate…or even the Latino candidate in the race for the new Houston City Council District J.

Don’t get me wrong, Mike Laster is a good candidate and I appreciate his work in the community and in politics, but when given the opportunity of a Latino-opportunity district, one would think that there would be a community consensus (including the media) gathering around the Latina or Latino; especially if they are progressive-minded. (I don’t support just any Hispanic candidate, now.)

I had the opportunity to help moderate a radio forum featuring candidates Criselda Romero and Rodrigo Cañedo, both whom were impressive in their presentations and responses. Unfortunately, because of a scheduling conflict, Mr. Laster was unable to participate; but, I have no doubt that he would have been as impressive. As the Chron states, all are “capable candidates.”

Although the Chron gives the district its due as the most diverse area of the City, it failed to even mention how this district was created, the actors involved in its creation, the population changes that lead to its creation and the process of cooperation between activists and the Mayor’s office. And that is what bothered me most, I think.

Ultimately, a Chron endorsement does not constitute a “win;” if anything, those not endorsed, basically, did not get something to put on a push card, or if they can afford it, a direct mail piece. This election is far from over for all of these candidates, and it is common campaign knowledge that the path to victory is on the streets, door to door.

Let’s see what happens as we inch closer to Early Voting.

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Posted in City of Houston, Endorsements, Houston Politica, HoustonVotes '11, LatinoVote '11, Mayor Parker, Redistricting '11

TPA Round Up

Posted on October 12, 2011 | Comments Off

The Texas Progressive Alliance is occupying your browser as it brings you this week’s roundup.  (DC Note:  Occupying…get it? get it?)

Off the Kuff took a look at demographic change in one of Houston’s historic neighborhoods.

Harold Cook at Letters From Texas takes a look back at old friend Molly Ivins, when he reviews a new book just released about her. His conclusion: “if you ever spent evenings with Molly, reading the book will give you the gift of spending one more. Even better, if you never got to spend that evening with Molly, you’re in luck – after reading the book, you’ll feel just like you did.”

Bay Area Houston has an interesting audio clip of Teabag darling Galveston County Tax Assessor, Cheryl Johnson.

Justice finally starts to come for man falsely convicted 25 yreas ago in Williamson County. WCNews at Eye On Williamson has the story, Michael Morton walks free after 25 years behind bars.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme says Texas Republicans hate the elderly, workers, children and women.

Occupy Houston, the solidarity march and protest which grew out of the continuing Occupy Wall Street action, was covered by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

Neil at Texas Liberal reported on the first day of Occupy Houston. It is great that something hopeful is finally taking place in our politics. The Occupy Wall Street movement gets the idea that the work of freedom and democracy is up to each of us.

At TexasKaos, Libby Shaw tells us “Poor Rick Perry thought he could easily preen, charm and tall tale his way through the 2012 Republican Presidential primary cycle. Unfortunately for the Governor he has not been outside of his impenetrable Texas Republican bubble much. Rick Perry spends so much time with his crony donors that he obviously has no clue what the other 99% of the population believes.” She explains why that didn’t happen. Read more: Rick Perry: Razzle, Dazzle, Snap, Crackle and Flop.

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Posted in TPA Stuff