Category Archives: Mayor Parker

Thursday: Actions Against Wage Theft

Posted on December 6, 2011 | Comments Off

In my inbox from the Houston Interfaith Worker Justice Center are two actions that will be taken on Thursday to give light to two examples of wage theft here in Houston.

1) Thursday 6:30am – Meet at HIWJ
Cosme Asencio and Gilberto Zavala came to the Worker’s Center in April after a former contractor did not pay them for remodeling construction work they performed. In late July, the workers and Mr. Lucas Garcia, their former employer, had a court mediation in which Mr. Garcia admitted to owing the workers $4,450 collectively and agreed to start a payment plan to repay the workers’ wages. It has been almost 6 months since this court judgment, yet both workers are still waiting to get paid! Gilberto received a mere $200 out of the $1,450 and Cosme has not been paid any of the $3,000 he is owed.

6:30am too early? How about the pm??

and

2) Thursday 6:30pm – at Ruggles (903 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77006)
This past weekend, six Ruggles employees walked off the job in the middle of their shift fed up after trying unsuccessfully to collect their overdue wages. Five of the six workers are waiters who depend on the measely $2.13/hr tipped employee federally required minimum wage.  HIWJ met with the workers last night, today they met with the County Attorney who has agreed to open an investigation. Some workers have picked up checks, but not all checks represent the full balance owed. The owner of Ruggles, Bruce Molzan, is looking to open three new locations. Let’s let him know stealing from workers won’t fly in Houston! Check out a few articles on the issue: Houston Chronicle and the Houston Press.

The HIWJ is located at 1805 Alabama, 2nd Floor.

You can still sign the petition asking Mayor Parker and City Council to support an ordinance which will put bad apples on notice that this practice will not be tolerated.

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Posted in City of Houston, DC Ojo, La Familia, Mayor Parker, Your Wallet

The Campaign Against Wage Theft in Houston

Posted on December 5, 2011 | Comments Off

There’s a story in today’s Chron about several workers walking out of Ruggles in Montrose for what is described as lack of pay. Specifically, it is about workers who work for tips getting shortchanged. The owner of Ruggles says he’s working on it, but is also embroiled in other legal issues. Still, legal issues aren’t much of an excuse to not pay some folks.

Again, this is just one example of an ongoing crisis called wage theft. Here in Houston, there is now a movement asking Mayor Annise Parker and Houston City Council to take a stand against the practice:

It is time to take action now considering that: Wage theft disproportionately impacts those who already live in poverty ; Workers who aren’t paid are forced to fall back on public safety nets and government assistance in order to keep their families economically afloat; Wage theft is unfair competition since employers paying prevailing wages cannot successfully compete with businesses that reduce their costs by committing wage theft. We believe that you can take action to level the playing field for responsible businesses and bring economic justice to thousands of hard-working Houstonians. We urge you to work together to make Houston a Zero Tolerance city for wage theft.

While the Mayor and other politicians present a positive picture for corporations and small business, I think it would be a good idea to combine that with a pro-worker environment by taking a stand against wage theft.

The campaign is a coalition of organizations which represents the interests of ordinary folks–people who work for a living, provide for their families, and keep the economy running. Unfortunately, it is this very group of people that is easily targeted for wage theft by those companies who are more interested in profit than a good product.

The Coalition is asking the Mayor and City Council to draft a Wage Theft Ordinance that “expedites the process to resolve wage theft claims, includes a viable enforcement mechanism, and aims to prevent future wage theft cases.” And through a strong process, a message is sent that Houston will not tolerate such practices.

If you are part of an organization that represents community interests, become a part of the coalition. If you’re a concerned member of the community, sign the petition and even give a little.

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Posted in Chicano Politics, City of Houston, Consumer Affairs, Criminal Justice, DC Ojo, Houston Politica, HoustonVotes '11, Mayor Parker, Oportunidades, Para La Gente, Viva La Union, Your Wallet

Post-Election Thoughts ’11 – Round 1

Posted on November 9, 2011 | 1 Comment

I thought I’d put this collection of initial thoughts together regarding the election. Usually, I start right as the numbers are coming in, but this time around, I slept on it. Let me tell  you, waking up this morning didn’t change my thoughts much, but maybe someone can convince me otherwise.

It Ain’t Over

We’ve got run-offs! At-Large 2 has Thibaut vs Burks, and At-Large 5 has Jones vs Christie. In AL-2, I’m glad at least one of my two favorite candidates made it to the run-off and I’ll be voting Thibaut in a month. Jones, on the other hand, has a tougher way to go. It might be easy to say that it’s Republican vs Democrat in this one, but Christie isn’t your usual Teaper–at least I didn’t get that impression when I met the candidate. But attitudes can change in a tight run-off. In both of these races, it will be all about turn-out. What may become a single-digit turn-out of Latinos in the run-off may actually have some significance in these races, though.

In District A, one or both candidates who made it to the run-off are probably thanking the heavens for Bob Shoellkopf. I don’t know what effect Bob could have in this one. Frankly, if I lived in A, I probably would have voted for him just because I don’t like voting for Republicans, and I guess he was the most Democratic. But I’ve also had to vote between Republicans in the past (District E) and I chose the better saner friendlier of the two. (Or was it the one who would actually talk to me?)

In District B, well, I’ll let the B folks decide.

The Mayor

Well, when there are different factors involved, it is pretty obvious that money ain’t everything. The Mayor avoided a run-off after only one term; a term which, for all intents and purposes, wasn’t bad considering the challenges. Beyond the economy and the cameras and the drainage fee, I think there was something out there that affected her numbers, and I won’t say it until I see the precinct-by-precinct numbers to see how certain areas of town voted. Needless to say, I think the Mayor needs to begin campaigning today for 2013.

Believe it or not, I think there is one person who is in the best position to challenge her in 2013, and it’s not perennial wannabe-a-candidate with free space in the Chron, and it’s not some other former activist-turned-wealthy lawyer. It’s that one At-Large member of Council who was handily re-elected and will have the ability to create a bully pulpit where he will be seen on a weekly basis. Some may argue money-raising ability, but we’ve learned that money may not be everything. Still, I’ll root for the Mayor.

The Winners

Congrats to Ed Gonzalez in District H, who I will always think is one of our best hopes for Citywide greatness, as far as Latinos go. James Rodriguez in District I, obviously, has that potential, too. I am happy about the re-election of Melissa Noriega to another term in At-Large 3. These three good, progressive candidates had some annoyances for challengers, but in the end, finished on top; although, I was hoping for larger margins. Especially in At-Large 3, I want to see the precinct-by-precinct numbers to get a better view of things. Stephen Costello in At-Large 1 seems to have gotten “Annise’d,” too (yes, I said it–chill out!). He withstood all sorts of attacks and came through, but I’m sure he will be challenged the next time. One thing is for sure:  2013 is looking more and more interesting up and down the ballot. Then again, two years can be a long time if all goes smoothly on Council.

Congrats to Ellen Cohen and her District C team, as well as to District J’s Mike Laster on some decisive wins. I would like to note than in District E, 24% of voters did not vote for Mike Sullivan (undervotes). One guy that is sure to be impressive is Larry Green in K.

Update:  Al Hoang was returned to his District F seat. I don’t know, I kind of like him, but it’s probably because his staff sends me press releases and stuff. Congrats CM Hoang.

We still have the run-offs, obviously, and I am definitely looking forward to getting to know these candidates–all over again.

Education

HCC will have a good proponent of students in Carroll Robinson. When he participated in This Week With Sylvia Garcia’s forum, he impressed me with his ideas on retention and graduation. Community colleges are experiencing various challenges and they will need to step up–big time!

HISD-8. Well, Juliet Stipeche took out the teabagger challenger…again! That was another one of those annoyances I mentioned earlier, but her team worked the streets hard, and ultimately, that’s how elections are won. It was a decisive victory for Stipeche, who now gets four years to work on what matters–what is best for the kids, teachers, and families of HISD. I was hoping for more of a stomping of the teabagger, but, again, annoyances. As I said on the radio yesterday, Juliet is the real deal and she didn’t have to be created in some political laboratory. Congrats, Juliet!

HISD-3:  I’m not sure what I’m more disappointed in:  That a good, honest candidate like Ramiro Fonseca fell short, or that almost half of the election day voters bought into the incumbent’s hate piece. Some might say, “it’s because the voters were conservative,” but I’ll just say they were…

And Finally, Latinos

Some recent stats from Early Voting showed that Latino voters (surnamed, maybe?) were about 12% of the vote and a good majority were in District I and H. Those two districts had between 10 and 11% turnout after yesterday, so, I guess that’s where Latinos were hovering. A couple of percentage points is not necessarily amazing progress, so, there’s work to be done. And when you have annoying LaTEAnos getting on the ballot and spouting teabagger and other hateful nonsense, chances are they will get an audience. I will continue to argue that there needs to be mass and frequent engagement by progressives beyond the campaign-only, door-to-door stuff to reach Latinos. The annoyances cut into margins, slightly, and if those of us on the progressive side do not act, that trend will continue.

Well, I thought I’d be all 2011′d out, but we’ve got some run-offs in a month. Stay connected to DosCentavos.net because I’m bound to set someone off with one of my posts.

Kuff has more, as does Gregorio.

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

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

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

This Week With Sylvia Garcia To Feature Districts J and K

Posted on October 4, 2011 | Comments Off

It’s time for another edition of “This Week With Sylvia Garcia” and this week’s show continues the public service that she is providing with a weekly set of candidate forums. This week, it is the candidates running for Districts J & K.

Catch the show on UCTC Radio on Tuesday, October 4 at 10AM.

Before the candidates are asked some tough questions by Sylvia and myself, you will listen to some call-ins from State Rep. Armando Walle and State Rep. Ana Hernandez-Luna; Congressman Gene Green; and the weekly chisme from Yolanda Black Navarro.

Tune-in at 10AM!

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

UCTC Radio, “This Week w/ Sylvia Garcia” to Host COH Candidate Forums

Posted on September 26, 2011 | 1 Comment

UCTC Radio’s “This Week with Sylvia Garcia” announced recently that it will host their first ever “Candidate Forum” in contested and open races in City, HISD & HCC races beginning with the show airing Tuesday, September 27. The public is invited to tune in to learn about the candidates, the issues and the future of our Houston/Harris County Region.

Tune in on Tuesday, September 27 for an exciting show that includes a Capitol Update-Austin with State Rep. Armando Walle; Capitol Update-DC with Congressman Gene Green; the Chisme of the Week with Yolanda Black Navarro and then the Candidate Forums for Districts B and C.

I’ll be helping out the Commish with some of the questions, too! Tune in at 10 AM on Tuesday at http://www.uctcradio.com.

A big thanks to UCTC Radio and Sylvia Garcia for putting on these candidate forums for the next few weeks, and especially for keeping the voters informed on these races.

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

More Endorsements in Houston City Elections

Posted on August 30, 2011 | Comments Off

Planned Parenthood of Houston and SE Texas Action Fund has announced its pick for the 2011 City of Houston Council elections. Above most endorsing organization, this is one endorsement I look to when making my decisions at the ballot box. This year is especially huge after Rick Perry’s attack on women and the poor whose access to health care and screenings is limited.

Southeast Texas Action Fund, Inc. PAC (PPHSETAF PAC) voted to endorse the following candidates for the November 8, 2011 elections:

  • Annise Parker for Mayor*
  • Ronald Green for Controller*
  • Stephen Costello for Houston City Council At-Large Pos. 1*
  • Melissa Noriega for Houston City Council At-Large Pos. 3*
  • C.O. Bradford for Houston City Council At-Large Pos. 4*
  • Jolanda Jones for Houston City Council At-Large Pos. 5*
  • Ellen Cohen for Houston City Council District C
  • Wanda Adams for Houston City Council District D*
  • Ed Gonzalez for Houston City Council District H*
  • James Rodriguez for Houston City Council District I*
  • Larry Green for Houston City Council District K
  • Ramiro Fonseca for HISD Board of Trustees District III
  • Paula Harris for HISD Board of Trustees District IV
  • Juliet Stipeche for HISD Board of Trustees District VIII

The Action fund also included a list of those who scored 100% on the questionnaire, but did not endorse in the race. I’m glad to see all the District J candidates scored 100%.

DosCentavos on the Air

Next Tuesday, I will be appearing on This Week with Sylvia Garcia on UCTCRadio.com at 10AM, along with Charles Kuffner of OfftheKuff.com to discuss the City Election filings, who’s missing, who’s a surprise, and more. It should be a fun a show.

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

Council Joins Voters: Turn Them Off!

Posted on August 24, 2011 | 2 Comments

Houston City Council voted to repeal the red light camera ordinance today, and according to a tweet from inside city hall, they have been turned off as of 12:01 PM. Although some argue this brings some finality to the issue, I seriously doubt it.

The contract dispute does continue and I would certainly hope that the naysayers continue to speak out as it is our City tax dollars which could take a hit, depending on settlement negotiations or any other outcome. And somewhere in the process of the contract negotiation a few years ago, it was the red light camera vendor/corporation which thumbed its nose at the people.

As a vendor to the government, and therefore, the people, American Traffic Solutions has a responsibility to support the people’s position in a contract negotiation and not just be in it for the profit. Whether this is codified anywhere is beyond me, but it is common sense if such a company would like to remain a vendor in the future.  Actually, that would just be good business to always keep the position of your customers in mind.

I was not a fan of red light cameras, but not because of the usual reasons. 9-11 and the Patriot Act allowed for a whole bunch of paranoia, and the same folks who like to pick and choose whose window to look into, in this case, don’t want to be caught on camera themselves. So, that was not a reason for my opposition.

Mine came more from a mistrust of government vendors and corporations who more often are having more say in how government is run than the people. While the people look for excellence in service, corporations seem to only be looking at their own bottom lines. This whole episode is an example of this. I’m all for companies providing their professional services to our governments, but let’s not get greedy, now.

Obviously, we’re still keeping our attention on this and I hope Mayor Parker and her legal team are able to limit any damage, since she (and now Council) seem to have gone out on a limb for the 53% of the people who voted against red light cameras.

Drive safely! I know I do.

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Posted in City of Houston, Houston Politica, HoustonVotes '11, Kingwood Politics, LatinoVote '11, Mayor Parker, Your Wallet

RLCs Up For A Vote…Again

Posted on August 24, 2011 | Comments Off

Houston City Council meets today to vote on two items regarding the red light cameras; and one of them is a binding repeal of an ordinance that allows video monitoring of intersections. The Chron has an FAQ section on the RLC issue, although missing is the whole reason we’ve gotten to this point:  a change to the contract during the previous mayoral administration which took out a termination clause that may have protected the city after citizens voted down RLCs.

On Tuesday, American Traffic Solutions (ATS) offered the City a deal.

A top executive of the city’s red-light camera vendor publicly offered not to pursue damages for the eight months the city had the cameras dark if the city would keep them on through the end of 2013.

George Hittner, general counsel for American Traffic Solutions, offered to “wipe the slate clean” and end the contract five months before its May 2014 expiration if the city keeps the cameras on.

Frankly, I think Council should question ATS about that change to the contract that is now giving them all the reason to make the City waste taxpayer dollars on litigation.

Mayor Parker’s administration and at least one Council Member seem to be holding fast.

In the heated discussion that surrounded Hittner’s appearance, Councilman Al Hoang told Hittner: “As a city, we cannot let a company bully us!”

Hittner said that if the city turns off the cameras, it faces the possibility of owing his company $25 million in damages. Feldman called that figure “a pure fantasy.”

On the Sylvia Garcia Radio Show on UCTC Radio CM Melissa Noriega stated that there is still a chance any member of the Council could tag the items and cause yet another delay. Certainly, there needs to be a full discussion beyond the RLCs and more on city contracts to ensure the taxpayer’s position in all negotiations.

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Posted in City of Houston, HoustonVotes '11, LatinoVote '11, Mayor Parker, Your Wallet

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