I’m sure we’ll hear more of this in the next few weeks.
Business and tourism leaders worried Wednesday that voters’ rejection of a citywide anti-discrimination ordinance has hurt what had been one of their best recruiting tools: Houston’s emerging reputation as a diverse metropolis that supported an openly gay mayor and welcomes young talent looking to launch careers in a progressive environment.
Suddenly at risk, they say, are corporate relocations, nationally prominent sporting events and the lucrative convention business that generate millions of dollars and help the region thrive.
“In recent years, we have done a remarkable job of changing the perception and attracting people to Houston,” said Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. ” … We have to quickly re-establish that this is a modern, open city.”
[…]
Mike Waterman, president of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, the group that recruits conventions that draw tens of thousands of people here annually, said many of those top organizers hope the new mayoral administration will pass an alternative measure quickly.
“We can’t go on as a city without a non-discrimination ordinance forever,” Waterman said. “It’s a differentiator, and one we do not have today.”
The Greater Houston Hotel & Lodging Association, which like the other booster group was vocal in its support of HERO, echoed that concern.
“I think the issue we face is we want people outside our city to know the true Houston, that we are very open and welcoming to all visitors,” association president Stephanie Haynes said.
[…]
There also was concern Wednesday that the defeat of HERO could make the city unattractive to diverse job candidates, including the increasingly sought-after millennial workers, said Keith Wolf, managing director of Murray Resources, a recruiting and staffing firm in Houston.
“I think the larger concern is that it feeds into the misperception by some that Houston and Texas, in general, is an intolerant, unwelcoming place,” Wolf said.
“If you’ve been on Facebook and Twitter in the last 24 hours, you’ve probably seen millennials expressing their embarrassment that the ordinance did not pass,” he added.
Harvey, of the Greater Houston Partnership, said it will be hard to know how many companies might avoid Houston because of the vote, but he said he agreed that major companies are eager for young professional workers. Those recruits, he said, care about social issues.
I’ve said this a few times before, and I’ll say it again: This is a political opportunity for Democrats to try and drive a wedge between business interests that tend to support Republicans and the Republicans like Dan Patrick and Greg Abbott who oppose them on matters of equality (among other things). All it would really take, at least in the beginning, would be for some Democratic elected officials to point out how Republicans are actively harming businesses in Texas by things like their opposition to LGBT equality. (There are plenty of other issues one could cite, from “sanctuary cities” to schools and pre-kindergarten and infrastructure, but with HERO in the news this is the place to start.) Acknowledge that business interests won’t always agree with Democrats, but they already strongly disagree with Republicans on many things, and they are not being well served by a political party that is taking them for granted. This is obviously a long-term project, but it’s basically free and has plenty of upside. Naturally, the first politician to take this path needs to be Sylvester Turner, since he’s the only candidate in the Mayoral runoff who has any interest in revisiting HERO if elected. I’m just saying.