Although Perry shows his hate of the federal government at any given opportunity, he doesn’t mind pushing women and minorities toward the Feds for relief–it just delays relief a lot longer. As he stated in his veto:

Texas’ commitment to smart regulations and fair courts is a large part of why we continue to lead the nation in job creation. House Bill 950 duplicates federal law, which already allows employees who feel they have been discriminated against through compensation to file a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Thompson points to the Texas Association of Business’s opposition to the bill as the driving force behind Rick Perry’s veto. But she states the struggle is not over as she intends to bring it back up next session. For now, though, not much else can be done.

Under the new policy released Friday, employees who speak English and need to communicate with an English-speaking customer are asked to “please speak with them in English, unless requested otherwise by the customer.”

Huh? Because we all walk up to random white people and speak Spanish to them? Hell, bigots whine and moan about peoples’ accents most of the time, too, so, they are damned if you do, damned if you don’t!

Still, it seems the original reason is the same one I’ve heard most of my career–where a co-worker complains about someone speaking Spanish, therefore, they must be talking about him/her, because this…

The policy also asks employees to “make sure you are sensitive to others who may want to join your conversation or ask you a question. If needed, switch to a common language to be inclusive and respectful” when speaking other languages on the job.

It appears they still don’t get it. How about a rule that states, “If you think a Spanish-speaking co-worker is talking about you, get over it, you’re probably not that important to them. Stop listening to other conversations and get back to work!”

Just sayin’.

Of course, if you look at the comments section of the Chron article, it seems the local bigots are not going to Whole Foods anymore because of this rule change. Here’s one.

Back2u

7:08 PM on June 14, 2013

I’ll be boycotting Whole Foods from now on. Nothing I hate more than being in a store and hearing employees speaking Spanish…same for the loud speaker announcements in Spanish. Last time I checked, this was America…not Mexico. Learn English, or get the hell out!

These are the same folks that begin a conversation with, “I’m not a racist, but…”

Off the Kuff gave an updated look at the state of the 2013 elections in Houston.

Over at TexasKaos, Libby Shaw explains that Texas Ranks 51 in Voter Turnout. Another dubious achievement for Governor Oops…Check it out.

Which news item was false but with a ring of truth, and which was true but everyone wishes was false? PDiddie at Brains and Eggs reports… you decide.

Stace at Dos Centavos is a proponent of using Mexican American culture as a means of capturing that demographic’s vote. He provides a follow-up to a recent KHOU report by Vicente Arenas on the resurgence of Tejano music. It’s a good opportunity for non-Tejano fans to learn a little cultural history about the music genre whose live concerts still attract thousands of eligible voters.

WCNews at Eye on Williamson tells why The Lege Putting some money back into public education is unlikely to end school finance case.

Judge Edith Jones has the racist, Republican vibe down pat. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wonders why she hasn’t been impeached yet.
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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Texas Clean Air Matters advocates for stronger ozone standards, for a healthier Texas.

Greg Wythe liveblogs the Senate redistricting hearing from Houston.

Texas Redistricting explains what “candidate of choice” means.

The Texas Green Report gives Austin the advantage over San Antonio on green building codes…for now.

Texas Vox preps us for the way climate change will affect our summers.

Colin Strother points out that campus carry is a conundrum for cops.

BOR cannot believe that a Texas jury acquitted a man for killing an escort that wouldn’t have sex with him.

Texpatriate offers its list of Best and Worst legislators.

Texas Leftist makes the connection between the war on drugs and racial profiling.

A hearty “Welcome Back” to blogging to John Coby, who tells us about the trouble (sorry, “twouble”) with TWIA.

And finally, Lemon Sweetie asked Sir Patrick Stewart a question about his work fighting against domestic violence while at Comicpalooza in Houston, and got an amazing answer. Be sure to watch the video as well.

Especially since Sebastien de la Cruz belted out the National Anthem again last night before Game 4. Most of those dorks who tweeted some awful stuff about the kid got their own tweetfuls, too, and now, most seem to be gone from the Twitter. Considering they hardly had any followers on Twitter, it just goes to show that Americans have more to fear from the website that outed them than the NSA.

North Forest Will Be Houston ISD, says Judge

This just in:  An Austin judge has decided that North Forest will be absored by Houston ISD. Frankly, I prefer HISD’s oversight than that of a corporate charter school entity with a mock school board. As much as HISDs bidding practices are being questioned, at least they have bidding practices to question. The HISD Board redrew the boundaries, so, now, I’ve got something else to look at. All of this still needs the OK from the DOJ, though.

Jeb Seems To Like Fertile Immigrants

Either he meant immigrants make more babies who become workers to exploit, or…I really don’t know. Maybe he’s talking about more purchasing power since the newest data tells us white folks are dying a lot faster than being born. Or maybe he meant more field-hands to pick GMO-laden crops. Quien sabe!

MUSIC BREAK- Los Palominos’ George Strait Tribute – One Night At A Time (Or, Mexicans singing in English, AGAIN?!?!?)

There is grumbling among some Democrats that they’re in this bind because Rubio — a key Gang member — made border security an issue by saying it needed to be tightened in order to get 60 Senate votes. Then, the Florida Republican embraced the Cornyn plan when it was announced last week. And on Sean Hannity’s radio show Wednesday, Rubio described it as “an excellent place to start in terms of having that conversation.”

Frankly, I think Reid should call for the vote and put the entire Senate on notice. But then this happened.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) wanted to put the Cornyn plan up for a vote Wednesday hoping to kill it quickly and show undecided Republicans that it’s going nowhere. But Reid held back at the GOP’s request, according to two Senate Democratic leadership aides. A Cornyn spokesman said that wasn’t the case.

So much dissonance, and little action.

Meanwhile, more GOPers are signing up with Cornyn’s amendment, including some “moderates” who seem to be thinking more about re-election than getting the job done (Kirk, R-Illinois). The more time wasted, the more chances this bill will be worsened, or ultimately, killed.

The Senate and the rest of Congress, still, are not paying attention to the people.

But at this point, in states represented by key advocates of immigration reform, both the Gang of Eight proposal and a pathway to citizenship earn robust support, as described.

In Florida, where GOP Sen. Marco Rubio has been one of the staunchest supporters of reform legislation, 72 percent of voters said they support the legislation (including 45 percent who strongly support it) and 71 percent backed the pathway to citizenship.

In South Carolina, home to reform-boosting Republican Lindsey Graham, those numbers were only a bit lower: 62 percent who support the Gang of Eight bill and 60 percent who backed the pathway to citizenship.

And in Texas, the rapidly changing but still-conservative state with two senators who have resisted reform – Ted Cruz and John Cornyn – 67 percent said they could support the reform bill as described, with 72 percent backing a pathway to citizenship.

The average support for the “Gang of Eight” legislation was just under 68 percent, according to the pollsters.

Let’s just call the damn question, or else, this blogger will start campaigning against any bill that includes, or that looks like, Cornyn’s poison pill.

As Schumer told Cornyn while he berated his amendment, “go back to the drawing boards.”

UPDATE:  And now Ted Poe and his buddies are copycatting Cornyn.

Indeed, the SMART Act is nearly identical to Cornyn’s RESULTS amendment, which would require the Department of Homeland Security to achieve full operational control of the country’s Southwest border with a 90 percent apprehension rate of undocumented migrants and enforce a biometric entry/exit system that prevents visa overstays.

And, get this, Congress gets a say, in what 90% actually means.

Gallego informs Combs:

A more recent study from the Immigration Policy Center noted, “[i]f all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Texas, the state would lose $69.3 billion in economic activity, $30.8 billion in gross state product, and approximately 403,174 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time.”

So, it would seem that an update is in order.

As public servants, the weight of our words is heavier. The passage or failure of immigration reform will profoundly affect Texas. An updated study from the Texas Comptroller’s office would shed light on the true impact to our state by unauthorized immigrants. Your findings and conclusions could also prove invaluable during deliberation on the various proposals being considered by Congress. It would be unfortunate for groundless statements presented as facts to go unchallenged.

Get to it, Comptroller!

Previous Post:  And don’t forget to read about the latest poll on Latino feelings toward Republican immigration proposals.

The survey of 500 Latino registered voters asked opinions on a wide range of specific policy measures that have been debated in Congress and finds overall that 81% of Latino voters reject the notion of “border-security-first” approach. Instead, Latinos prefer to see a path to citizenship unfold simultaneously with any border security measures.  Further, Latinos are firmly opposed to increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns against immigrants.  When asked if ICE should be asked to increase the number of immigrants detained 73% of Latino voters said no. When asked if ICE should be asked to increase the frequency of workplace raids 66% of Latino voters said no. Full topline results are posted here

So, one has to think that Chuck Schumer is complicit in this whole border-first strategy, and an article in Politico speaks to the division among Senate Democrats that hasn’t really boiled over, yet.

Sen. Chuck Schumer’s pitch to find 70-plus votes for a sweeping immigration overhaul is running into skeptics from his own party – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Majority Whip Dick Durbin.

The top two Senate Democrats believe that the push to win more GOP senators could significantly water down the measure, arguing their party should instead focus on the more achievable goal of securing the 60 votes needed to break an expected Republican filibuster. The Democratic leaders don’t believe they should make major concessions to conservatives — mainly on issues such as border security — in order to inflate the vote tally.

Schumer seems to think that inflated numbers will force the House Republicans to go along with a worsened bill. Meanwhile, Leader Reid and Dick Durbin fall more on the side of showing a little backbone and not allowing the Republicans to run over the Democrats, or in this case, immigrants.

Back to the poll, it would seem that Latinos are a-ok with LGBT immigrants being included in the bill.

In addition, 61% of Latino voters want to see LGBT family unification included in the immigration reform bill.  As the Williams Institute has noted, nearly 270,000 undocumented immigrant adults identify as LGBT and could be penalized and not allowed to sponsor their spouses for residency or citizenship under the current bill.

Family is family, obviously, and Senator Leahy filed his amendment today. Hopefully the evangelicals will get on board and not freak out. Still, it will be tough for the amendment to pass. But, let it  be heard that if it doesn’t pass, it will be because of homophobic members of Congress, and not Latinos.

And what about “Latino” Ted Cruz’s strategy of providing for legal status, but not citizenship?

 More than three-quarters oppose the option of providing legal status only without a path to citizenship, and a majority oppose excessive fines on undocumented immigrants.  A resounding 86% say the appropriate waiting period to apply for citizenship if 5 years.

So, Republicans, especially their whiny Latino in the room, continue to be disconnected from Latinos on immigration reform. If anything, both Republicans and Democrats have been effective at keeping the worst of the bill out of the ears of Latinos, since a majority didn’t know about the $6.5 billion border boon for contractors. And if Democrats don’t shape up and fight against enforcement-heavy initiatives, it seems no political party will gain much, especially trust, from Latinos (and I don’t mean the future citizens).

Want to find out where Latinos stand? Click on the link and read the results carefully.

On June 6 in a special board meeting, the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees reached a decision to appoint Howard Jefferson to serve the remainder of the term for HCDE Board of Trustees, position 7.  The move comes after an impasse during board deliberations to appoint a replacement for Jim Henley, former HCDE trustee for position 7, who resigned his position.

Jefferson came forward and offered to return to the HCDE Board of Trustees to advocate and serve on behalf of HCDE, its students and 1,200 employees. He possesses a wealth of HCDE Board of Trustee experience as a result of many previous years of service. In addition, he brings decades of community service from his business, education and civic associations.

Questions regarding this matter should be directed to HCDE Board President Angie Chesnut.

Well, with a 3-to-3 Dem-to-Rep ratio on the board, one can see how it could become difficult to move forward if members were sticking with party lines. Kuff had that feeling, too.

Of course, this may be setting up quite the Primary in 2014 if some or all of the applicants who were interested this time around file. And I’m thinking there are other seats not currently held by Dems that they could challenge, too. You know, so we can avoid any impasses in the future. One thing is for sure, the HCDE Board which serves the 3rd largest county in America and which has 41% Latino population, has no Latin@ on the board. Just sayin’.

Here is the location for this week’s House hearing:

House Redistricting Hearing
HOUSTON
Wednesday, June 12th
2 p.m.
University of Houston
Michael J. Cemo Hall, Room 100 D
4800 Calhoun Rd., Houston, TX 77004

Off the Kuff discusses why the special session won’t wrap up as quickly as first thought.

We said goodbye to Michele Bachmann and Susan Combs on the same day last week. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs tried hard to hold back the tears (of laughter), but ultimately submitted to the overwhelming schadenfreude in anticipation of a few Texans who might next wear the crown.

Dos Centavos provides a response to HB 5 by a statewide coalition of Latino groups who have much to say about the education assessment bill.

Texas’ plan to finance roads is privatized gains and socialized loses. WCNews at Eye on Williamson the poor performance of corporate toll roads in Texas, But you can drive 85 mph on it.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Colin Strother joins the blogging world with a comparison of Battleground Texas today to the Assorted Republicans of Texas 30 years ago.

Concerned Citizens offers its own take on how BGT is perceived by its boosters and detractors.

Texpatriate wonders what the heck is going on in Galveston.

Texas Vox asks how ExxonMobil will adapt to the climate change it is helping to create.

Texas Leftist gives his impression of Houston Mayoral candidate Ben Hall.

Mean Green Cougar Red wants to know how safe our bridges are.

Lone Star Ma is upset about the politically-motivated death of CSCOPE.

Beyond Bones celebrates the sequencing of the coelecanth genome.

Two things that went through my mind on 9/11:  (1) They are going to blame the wrong people and take us to War, and (2) There go our civil rights; it was fun while it lasted. 

Being spied upon is not a good thing, or at least it doesn’t leave you with a warm and toasty feeling. But it’s nothing new. Let’s not be so shocked and self-righteous. Maybe in my old age (yesterday was my birthday) I have decided to think like my parents, who, when they would “invade” my privacy would ask, “Are you hiding anything? Are you doing any thing wrong? Then, don’t worry about it.” Which, to me, seems like the gist of things. Meanwhile, the GOP keeps kickin’ Latinos around with immigration reform…

HCDE (Finally) Makes A Decision

After three weeks of application-taking, interviews, and what seemed like delays, the Harris County Board of Education went with someone who wasn’t even interviewed or anything. Good thing these board members only get $6 per meeting, huh? Of course, that’s much less than the value of time spent by the applicants or by those supporters who sent in letters and made calls. Oh well, “Remember in November 2014?” We shall see. Otherwise, congrats to Mr. Howard Jefferson of the NAACP on the appointment.

Bus Rapid Transit in My Side of Town

I think I like it. I like the idea of a Westpark Transit Center, too.

MUSIC BREAK – Johnny Hernandez ~ Eso Nadie Me Lo Quita

The early style of Tejano was wildly popular in Houston  until the mid 90s.

It was during that time that Tejano went off the radio airwaves in Houston. Artists just couldn’t sell the music, all because of a lack of star power.

Selena’s death left a gaping hole in Tejano music and since then, things have never been the same.

Fans, though, are hardcore and refuse to let it go.

“The music—the musicians—we are still here. It’s the support mechanisms that are not there anymore, but things are changing now,” said Jesse “Jumpin Jess” Rodriguez, a Tejano expert.

The 90s were an awesome time for the genre, no doubt. Corporations like Capitol Records, Sony, and others had taken over La Onda, signing up some of the biggies like Little Joe y La Familia, Mazz, La Mafia, Emilio, Selena, Johnny Hernandez, Laura Canales, David Lee Garza, Ram Herrera, and other showbands. But they went further and gave other smaller-name bands a shot. With it came some new touring opportunities, cash, a lot of distribution, and some marketing that these groups had pretty much done on their own previous to this boon.

Some would argue, though, that perhaps there was a lot of saturation of the market, too. While the biggies had paid their dues, some of the younger bands perhaps were still working on perfecting their talents. Still, after the death of Selena, it seemed the market waned, then the Gringos and “non-Tejano” execs who had squeezed every profitable penny out of the industry declared it dead, thus, big radio stations like Houston’s KQQK went away or changed genres. The big money people weren’t giving Tejano music a shot anymore because it wasn’t profitable for them. The musicians still had a talent to show off, and they still had to make a living. For the fans, the thirst was still there–for the music, for the culture. And as Jumpin’ Jess states, none of these bands left, the tours continued, though, with their own management. The big record companies kept a few big names, but their heart wasn’t in the marketing anymore. Even supergroups like Intocable went indie and managed themselves.

Nowadays, you see the big names like David Lee Garza and Joe Posada running their own independent recording companies. The tried and true Freddie Records, owned by the legendary Freddie Martinez, is still around, too, and with a stellar line-up of bands. No, the music and the culture never died. It’s the cash infusion and big media marketing that died out. I guess that’s what happens when you allow big money interests to basically buy your culture without some stipulation that it preserve it somehow.

Yes, I remember that 90s heyday. I remember well when El Grupo Mazz recorded their live album before 9,000 fans at San Antonio’s Rosedale Park–I was there! But I also remember this past Spring and the 6,000 fans at the Humble Civic Arena. And hell, I also remember the sell-out crowds at Miller Outdoor Theater every year for Festival Chicano. Yes, you still have those small nightclub crowds, and some bands still run risks between charging a percentage of the door or a set fee. But the touring continues. All one has to do is search them on Facebook, how in touch they are with their fans, to know that, while they are trying to make a living, they are still in it for the music and the culture. And to hell with the big money interests! These bands and the fans are owning their music.

No, the genre is not dead. Technological advances in recording, the ability to self-distribute and upload music to iTunes, and a strong surge in online Tejano stations help, too. And Arenas’ report about a home appraiser who wants to make sure the next generation keeps the music and culture going by running a school for Tejano music is just one story of many that is occurring at the moment. Thanks to the Texas Folklife Resources, we have the Big Squeeze Competition for squeezebox playing kids to compete for cash and recording contracts. Thanks to Juan Tejeda and the Tejano-Conjunto Festival in San Antonio, there is an outlet for this music for all ages.

No doubt, there will always be profiteers. If it happens on Wall Street, it will happen in ballrooms and nightclubs, too. But La Onda is very much alive, and given all of these advances, quite savvy, too. Will it be another 90s heyday? Who cares? It is our music, and as long as we retain ownership of our culture, it will continue to live and prosper.

MAYOR

Other than seeing signs and signs of Facebook activity from Ben Hall and Eric Dick, not much else has caught my eye. There’s no doubt that Mayor Annise Parker has an edge provided by incumbency, so, the recent positive news items in the form of “Top” whatever lists and “best city” articles continually point to her mayoral tenure. Finally, there’s no doubt that we also look to our leaders for a sense of comfort and hope during tragedies, and Mayor Parker and her administration have provided this since the Southwest Inn tragedy, in my opinion.

At this point, any well-funded opponent should have already been on the airwaves (regular and virtual) introducing themselves to Houston. Simply relying on, as Kuff mentions, the pincer strategy, will not be enough to generate excitement for kicking out an incumbent. Finally, while Kuff mentions the parody Hall twitter, there’s also a parody Hall for Latinos twitter, whose tagline is:  ”No se porque estoy corriendo para alcalde. Tambien, porque mis empleados no registraban esta cuenta?” or “I don’t know why I’m running for Mayor. Also, why my employees didn’t register this account.”

So, at least us Twitterers (Twitteritos in Spanish) will have fun with that one.

DISTRICTS

The only one I’ve given some attention is District I, and only because it has a few good candidates. Sure, there’s been controversy along the way, but for the most part, it’s all about the campaigns working away at fundraising and pressing the flesh. The biggest obstacle to winning, other than a possible run-off, will be lack of voter excitement.

I’m hoping District J is unopposed so I can keep Mike Laster without worries. As diverse as District J is, so are the issues that affect the various areas of the district. I’m glad that Harwin is finally getting the concrete and pipes it deserves, but I do hope more of my own neighborhood’s streets get some paving/flooding/ponding issues taken care of in the future (cough-Marinette-cough- Clarewood-cough-Bellerive).

AT-LARGE 3

More than likely, this will be the most interesting of the at-large races. There are at least three candidates  who have caught my eye:  Jenifer Rene Pool, Roland Chavez, and Rogene Gee Calvert. Others who have signed up are mostly bad, but these mentioned have some sort of base from which to begin; not to mention real campaigns. I supported Pool in her 2011 run for At-Large 2, and she showed up to the 2013 Kingwood Area Democrats’ brunch which I emceed, so, that’s points for her, thus far, in 2013.

HCC District I

This will be an interesting one, too, given that there are two progressive candidates trying to unseat a long-time incumbent, Yolanda Navarro Flores. Community activist Kevin J. Hoffman returns for another try after coming close in 2007, as well as Teacher’s Union leader Zeph Capo. The difference this time around is that what was once a Latino opportunity district has become a lot more iffy for a Latino to win. During the recent redistricting of 2011, a good bunch of Latino-voter heavy precincts which had gone heavily for Navarro Flores in the past were switched out with a swath of precincts in Gulfton, which, although Latino-heavy, do not necessarily have much of a voter participation rate. While some of us were arguing over Commissioner’s seats and a lack of a Congressional seat, Latino voting strength in this district got a bit diluted. Oops.

Houston ISD District VII

And speaking of messed-up districts, I keep hearing of an opponent for incumbent Harvin Moore in my district, but nothing official. My district almost seems to be part of some “cracking” expedition because somehow it has a nice swath of minority-heavy SW Houston (my part of Sharpstown and Gulfton) stuck in a district which includes Memorial and River Oaks. Meanwhile, other minority-heavy parts of SW Houston (Bellaire and the southern part of Sharpstown) are placed in a couple other districts. Another, “oops,” I guess. Anyway, I hope there’s a viable and hard-working opponent that I can support.

Those are the ones that have the eyes of DosCentavos on them. By all means, check out Kuff’s post on the rest. I do agree with Kuff that we are looking forward to the first campaign finance reports to be published. They always give a better snapshot of things.

Join me tomorrow morning or at any of these upcoming events throughout the week to make sure your voice is heard about redistricting! On the same day that the regular session ended, Governor Perry called a Special Session on Redistricting with specific instructions to adopt the interim court-drawn maps for the State House of Representatives, State Senate, and U.S. Congressional Districts.

Opportunities to Make Your Voice Heard

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Community Breakfast Briefing

A community briefing to be held at the East Aldine District Offices to discuss the redistricting process and give valuable input to take back to Austin.

East Aldine District Offices

5333 Aldine Mail Route Road. Houston, TX 77093

8:00 AM to 9:00AM

RSVP to Celia Valles (713) 923-7575 or Celia.Valles@senate.state.tx.us

There will be a couple more opportunities in the form of legislative hearings to make your voice heard on redistricting, as TXRedistricting tells us:

Here are the details for the House redistricting committee hearing in Houston on Wednesday of next week.

Wednesday, June 12 @ 2 p.m. - University of Houston – Downtown, Michael J. Cemo Hall, Room 100 D, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Houston, TX 77004

The Senate redistricting committee also will hold a hearing in Houston onSaturday:

Saturday, June 8 @ 11 a.m. - University of Houston – Downtown, Michael J. Cemo Hall, 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77004

But I think it’s at the University of Houston main campus on Calhoun, and not the Downtown campus, which is a whole different university. Anyway, FYI.