September, 2015:

Interview with Bill Frazer

Bill Frazer

Next up on our list of candidates to succeed term limited City Controller Ronald Green is Bill Frazer, who is attempting to build on his respectable showing against Green in 2013. Here’s the 2013 interview I did with Frazer, and in that spirit I’m largely going to quote from what I wrote then. Frazer is a career accountant, having served as President of the Houston CPA Society, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Society of CPAs for the past 20 years. He recently retired as Chief Financial Officer of CB Richard Ellis Capital Markets, and has been a board member of GEMSA Loan Services. Please note that during the interview, Frazer shows me a chart about Houston’s pension payments. A copy of that chart is here, for your reference. Here’s what we talked about:

You can see all of my interviews as well as finance reports and other information on candidates on my 2015 Election page.

Chron Mayoral profile: Marty McVey

Sep 30th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

3 comments

This is the sixth in a series of profiles on the top candidates running for mayor in Houston.

Marty McVey

Standing in his sparse west Houston office this summer, Marty McVey traced his route to victory across a city map hung on the wall.

The long-shot mayoral candidate began around the edges, pointing to the predominantly minority districts along the city’s southwestern border, before circling in toward downtown.

“I do see a path,” said McVey, 41, who has never held elected office and raised just $60,000 in the first half of the year, though he loaned himself another nearly $1.1 million.

In a city where the political world often feels so small, McVey is the odd exception: an investor who, when he arrived on the local Democratic fundraising scene about a decade ago, was unknown to many of Houston’s longtime political players.

His candidacy, too, took some by surprise.

“He’s been kind of a mystery man,” said former City Councilman Gordon Quan, for whom McVey previously fundraised.

This outsider status is one McVey touts, pitching himself as a businessman with the financial acumen required to spur Houston’s economic development and tackle its looming $126 million budget deficit.

“I see that we’re going to have to make some very tough decisions, and I’ve been through tough decisions,” he said in a recent interview. “I’ve helped companies to turn around and be successful, and I’ve seen the best and worst of a lot of financial situations.”

On the campaign trail, McVey advocates for filling city coffers, in part by bringing more businesses and residents to Houston, though the city’s revenue cap limits how much it can collect in property taxes from that new growth.

He supports issuing bonds to cover the city’s unfunded pension liability – a core issue in this year’s campaign – and often addresses budget gaps with vague references to getting more federal funding.
Throughout, McVey cites his experience creating and saving companies.

“I know what risk is. I know how to manage. I know how to look for opportunities,” McVey said at a recent mayoral forum.

Yet McVey declined to comment on the specifics of many of his investments and companies, saying they were private, and a recent child support case shows his monthly resources were $2,500 as of December 2014.

I’ve met McVey, but in keeping with the theme of this story I don’t really know him – I certainly don’t know him as well as the other candidates, and had never heard of him before he announced his candidacy – so I learned a lot from reading this. McVey has a lot of business experience, but it’s not clear how much any of that experience bolsters his case for Mayor. Honestly, and it gives me no great joy to say this, I don’t know what the case for McVey is. As a first-time candidate who wasn’t particularly well-known to begin with, he has no obvious base of support, and he doesn’t check off any box that Chris Bell doesn’t. He’s loaned himself a million bucks – and again, let’s be honest, that’s what separates him from the “minor” candidates – but he hasn’t spent much if any of that money introducing himself to voters. He could start spending it now, but I doubt there’s enough time to make a difference, and unlike a certain other unknown businessman Mayoral candidate who (at first at least) wrote his own check, he wouldn’t have the airwaves to himself. People run for offices for their own reasons, and in my experience most of those reasons are good. McVey’s reasons for running are honorable. I just don’t know what he expects to get out of the experience at this point.

We’re still #1!

Sep 30th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

Comments are off for this post

In uninsured people.

It’s constitutional – deal with it

For the first time in more than a decade, Texas’ uninsured rate dipped below 20 percent, analysts said [recently] following the release of U.S. Census data.

Slightly more than 5 million Texans were uninsured in 2014 — a 700,000 decrease from the year before. That represented a 3-point dip in the percentage of Texans without health insurance, to 19 percent — the largest gain in health care coverage in Texas since 1999, according to the left-leaning Center for Public Policy Priorities.

The data released Wednesday marked the first government-provided snapshot of the uninsured rate since the rollout of Healthcare.gov, the health insurance marketplace created by President Obama’s signature health law.

Texas remains the state with the highest rate of uninsured people, according to the federal survey. Nationwide, the uninsured rate fell from about 15 percent to 12 percent.

And it’s not just in the rate where we lead, it’s also in sheer numbers.

Texas’ decrease was just 40 percent of the size of California’s shrinkage of its uninsured population. It reduced the number of uninsured by 1.73 million folks. That’s out of proportion to population. The bureau’s latest estimates show California has about 1.4 times as many people as Texas — 39 million versus 27 million. California has expanded Medicaid and runs its own online health insurance marketplace.

For many years, the Golden State has had the largest uninsured population. No longer. Texas does.

The Lone Star State has not just the highest percentage but the biggest raw number of uninsured — 5,047,000. In 2013, California had 6.5 million uninsured residents, while Texas had 5.75 million. But last year, California’s number dipped below 4.8 million.

“California has seen robust increases in both private insurance coverage under the [federal law’s] marketplace and public coverage through Medicaid coverage for working poor adults,” said Obamacare supporter Anne Dunkelberg, a veteran health-policy analyst at the center-left think tank the Center for Public Policy Priorities. She noted that California posted a nearly 5 percentage point decrease in its uninsured rate. It dropped from 17.2 to 12.4 percent, compared with only 3-point drop in Texas from 2013 to 2014.

But hey, at least we surpassed California in something, amirite? Woo hoo, high five!

All five of the states with the highest uninsurance rate have one thing in common: They failed to expand Medicaid. Well, two things in common, that and having Republican Governors and legislatures. But if you knew the first part, you could have guessed the second.

Endorsement watch: For Jerry

Sep 30th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

2 comments

The Chron makes another easy call by endorsing CM Jerry Davis for a third term in District B.

CM Jerry Davis

In this race Davis is the only candidate who understands how the system functions and how a council member can pull the levers of power at City Hall to benefit his constituents.

In the private sector, Davis, 42, serves as executive director of Making It Better, a nonprofit youth program.

In his time on council, he has worked to place security cameras to catch illegal dumpers. He also successfully promoted a controversial tax incentive to encourage Krogers to expand its distribution center in northeast Houston. While we question the efficacy of these enticements, it shows that Davis uses every tool at his disposal to fight for District B.

[…]

The councilman said he supports the Houston equal rights ordinance, but only came to that position after talking with people and educating himself. It is an education that plenty of other politicians could use.

[…]

As Davis faces his third and final term, there is simply nobody else in this race who can match his knowledge and experience. Voters better start looking now for an effective replacement when term limits force him from office.

I agree on all counts. I didn’t do interviews in District B this year, but I have spoken with CM Davis twice before, most recently in 2013. The next Mayor will be glad to have CM Davis on Council with him.

Interview with Chris Brown

Sep 29th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

Comments are off for this post

Chris Brown

Continuing with my interviews with candidates for Houston City Controller to succeed the term-limited Ronald Green, today’s subject is Chris Brown. The son of former City Council member and Mayoral candidate Peter Brown, Chris Brown currently serves as the Chief Deputy City Controller, where he manages the day-to-day operations and leads the Executive Division of the Controller’s Office. He has previously served as City Council Chief of Staff, and worked as a trader at an investment bank and co-founded an equities trading firm. He is a fourth-generation Houstonian and graduate of HISD schools and TCU. Here’s the interview:

You can see all of my interviews as well as finance reports and other information on candidates on my 2015 Election page.

Bad choice, Lance

Sep 29th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

27 comments

Very disappointing.

Lance Berkman, former Houston Astros star and Texas native, has waded into the fight for LGBT protections, sharing his views in a new ad campaign this week. At the center of Berkman’s concern is Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), a nondiscrimination law similar to those on the books in cities across the country and the subject of an intense debate leading up to the November 3 vote.

Berkman is focused on the part of the law that applies to public accommodations like bathrooms; he echoes the anti-trans rhetoric used by HERO’s opponents as he urges Houston residents to vote against the measure, invoking his four daughters and his desire to protect them from “troubled men” going into women’s restrooms.

“Proposition 1, the bathroom ordinance, would allow troubled men to enter women’s public bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms. This would violate their privacy and put them in harm’s way,” he says in the ad, produced by Campaign for Houston.

In an accompanying video Berkman adds, “It’s crazy and it kinda makes me want to say… Wake up, America! That’s what I want to scream at people because I mean, what are we doing here? We have the potential for men going into a women’s bathroom. The very few people that this could even be slanted as discriminating against, is it worth putting the majority of the population at risk?”

[…]

Berkman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his opposition to the measure was based on the one equal-access application that would allow trans people to use any bathroom they consider to be consistent with their gender identity. He tried to walk back the reference to “troubled men,” saying it was not in reference to transgender people: “That language refers to that scenario or a voyeur — somebody who goes into a women’s bathroom and just likes to look at people. That to me is troubled.”

The situation Berkman describes is virtually unheard of, however. According to the Advocate, “although hundreds of trans-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances have been in force in cities around the country for several decades, there has never been a verifiable, reported instance of a trans person harassing a cisgender person, nor have there been any confirmed reports of male predators ‘pretending’ to be transgender to gain access to women’s spaces and commit crimes against them.”

See, that’s what happens when you make statements based on lies. You really look like an idiot when you get called on it. I have no idea where this idea that it’s okay to discriminate against some people, based on a fevered dream of something that might maybe someday happen, but I’m pretty sure that anyone who would say that is fully confident that he himself will never be part of any group that would ever be discriminated against. All I can say is that this attitude is exactly why we need anti-discrimination ordinances.

By the way, I don’t know if anyone has explained this to Lance Berkman, but the city Saint Louis (as well as Saint Louis County), where he played for two seasons and where he was just feted at a Cards game, has the same non-discrimination ordinance that Houston passed. Lots and lots of cities do. There’s a reason why the Houston Association of Realtors has endorsed HERO. It was good for Saint Louis, and it is good for Houston.

In the spirit of dispelling the kind of BS that Lance Berkman has unfortunately chosen to help spread, here’s the newest ad from Houston Unites:

I know that facts have limited capacity to persuade people whose minds are already made up, but they’re still the facts. Why would you trust anyone who would so shamelessly lie to you? OutSports has more.

Uber update, parts 2 and 3

Sep 29th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

Comments are off for this post

Driving for Uber is a tough way to make a living.

One hundred job applications and still nothing. Jennifer Cantrell, 34, partway through a master’s degree in social work, had depleted her savings and needed a new plan. Through Facebook, she found out about someone subleasing cars to prospective drivers for Uber, the smartphone-based ride service.

It seemed promising: She had a license and was willing to learn the road. Uber offered freedom and flexibility, she’d heard, and an annual full-time income of $90,000. So Cantrell leased a car and signed up.

Yet after several months of working as much as 70 hours a week, she found herself in the red, not only with the owner of her new Toyota but with her landlord as well. Her weekly earnings statements looked decent on their face – after Uber’s cut, around $400 for 35 hours – but she’d somehow be left with just $100 a week once she figured in gas and the lease.

Uber likes to boast that its casual, affordable service is powered by part-time drivers seeking work “outside the 9 to 5.” That sounds like a convenient sideline for people like Cantrell: a cooler, more middle-class population than is usually drawn to taxi driving. For Cantrell, though, Uber became a full-time job that paid less than the minimum wage.

Other Uber drivers interviewed in Houston and elsewhere, speaking on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution from Uber, cited problems including pressure to provide costly amenities or to accept too many passengers in order to get good customer ratings. One driver said immigrants who drive for Uber tend to draw lower ratings.

Others, mostly part-time drivers with other sources of income, said their Uber experience had been positive. Uber maintains most of its drivers are part-time.

“You have to find what works for you,” said Lateefah Eburuche, who lives and drives part-time from the Third Ward, near the University of Houston.

Eburuche said Uber gives her flexibility so she can go out of town for trips related to her clothing design business.

“To me, Uber was the perfect answer for the convenience,” she said.

[…]

Uber requires drivers to get a license and to use their personal cars, so long as they meet certain minimum standards: a 2008 model or newer, four doors and under 150,000 miles.

Drivers like Cantrell can’t afford to buy an Uber-compliant vehicle and thus resort to formal or informal leases. Uber itself offers vehicle discounts and financing options. Last year, Uber was criticized for partnering with Santander Consumer USA, a leasing giant investigated by the Department of Justice for illegally repossessing vehicles from military personnel.

“I have seen [Uber] try to finance cars for other people, and I’m like, ‘That’s a disaster. Don’t do it,’ ” Cantrell said. “They offer new drivers these subprime auto loans, to pay over $200 a week on their car note while the car depreciates like crazy.”

[…]

On each ride, a passenger chooses a rating between one and five stars, with five being the best. But, drivers say, anything less than a high four average can undermine their ability to get rides.

Such basics as the cost of a fare are similarly unpredictable, Uber drivers say. One Houston driver recalls starting with the company at a rate of $2.50 per mile in 2013, “but eight months later, it was $1.89 and last November, $1.10 a mile,” said the driver, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “Now, to make $200, I need to stay on the app for 15 hours.”

Houston’s current base Uber fare of $1.10 per mile can “surge” to as much as 10 times the regular amount in certain locations during periods of high demand. By offering this boost in fares through driver alert emails and text messages, Uber nudges workers to meet the increased passenger load of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, large conventions and sporting events.

There’s another incentive: “guarantees,” or minimum hourly rates paid to drivers who meet certain conditions.

In general, these surges and guarantees pull drivers into downtown and central Houston, the eight neighborhoods identified by Uber’s technology as having consistently high demand. But when Uber vehicles crowd into these zones in search of higher pay, supply sometimes exceeds demand. A driver may “chase a surge” only to find, upon his arrival, that the area is no longer hot. And those trying to meet the requirements of guarantees may find it difficult to snag the requisite rides-per-hour.

It’s been rough on cabbies, too.

Houston and other big cities have long debated how best to manage vehicles-for-hire. Are taxis private or public transportation, free-market animals or creatures of the state?

Cabs were first licensed during the Great Depression, when thousands of unemployed men flooded the industry, spurring violent competition. City by city, regulators set qualifications, normalized rates and issued permits or medallions to limit the number of cars on the road. Some drivers became owner-operators, while others were company employees paid wages per shift.

Since the 1960s, waves of deregulation and re-regulation have buffeted the industry. Deregulation in the late 1970s and ’80s created real competition, variable fees and new services. On the other hand, deregulation meant that drivers were converted from employees to independent contractors, depriving them of the rights to a minimum wage, overtime and collective bargaining.

Many U.S.-born drivers sold their permits and quit the industry. New immigrants have since taken their place – but mostly as leaseholders. They pay rents to garages that in turn funnel money to permit-owners with hundreds to their name. A study of the Houston taxi market found that “a driver working long hours could be expected to average $210 to $240 per day driving his cab.” Nationwide, the average, full-time taxi driver earns just $23,000 per year.

[…]

In cities such as Houston, Austin, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York and Boston, taxi drivers and worker organizers are playing defense. For decades, they’ve wrangled with medallion- and garage-owners; now, all eyes are on Uber.

“Oversupply – Uber’s economic model depends on that,” said Bhairavai Desai, leader of the National Taxi Workers Alliance, an informal union.

Ebrahim Ulu, president of the United Houstonian Taxi Drivers Association, understands a driver’s desire to go with Uber and escape the clutch of traditional taxi companies.

“But what did Uber do in every city?” he said. “They didn’t improve permits or driver conditions.”

In 2013, the association sent Houston a 22-page document listing grievances – lack of time off, abuse by lease owners, poverty-level income – that it says reveals the “slavery” of the lease-to-drive structure. It proposed that the city grant new permits to individual drivers for the purpose of forming a worker cooperative that would offer protections and benefits to owner-employees.

Nothing ever came of this proposal. In taxi-industry time, 2013 is ancient history. Back then, neither the city nor the UHTDA foresaw the effect Uber would have on Houston and beyond.

See here for part one. Both stories are basically anecdotal evidence, so one should be hesitant to draw broad conclusions. The complaints about oversupply are understandable given Uber’s intent to recruit more drivers here, but if it really is the case that its drivers can’t make decent money, that’s going to be hard for them to do. As for Uber’s drivers, the best thing that could happen to them may be for Lyft to be lured back to town, as this would provide competition for their services and a catalyst for their per-mile rates to increase. What might be done to help out cabbies that are having a hard time paying their leases is a harder question, and I have no ideas offhand. Again, this is a subject that maybe the Mayoral candidates should be asked about.

Endorsement watch: Stardig

Sep 29th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

I’m too lazy to think of a clever title for this one.

Brenda Stardig

Brenda Stardig is on the verge of completing her nonconsecutive second term as district councilwoman, and she has earned a third.

Stardig, 53, came into office with a resume impressive in its breadth and depth of civic involvement. She served on her neighborhood civic club, was head of a superneighborhood, sat on a tax increment reinvestment zone, a chamber of commerce and the Houston-Galveston Area Council. However, she was booted after her first term in a low-turnout election and replaced by Helena Brown. Rather than a constructive member of council, District A found itself with a ineffective rabble-rouser representative. Two years later, voters put Stardig back on council and she started to put important infrastructure projects back on track.

[…]

Stardig said she opposed the Houston equal rights ordinance because she believed there were other ways to address discrimination. While we believe that Stardig was wrong in her vote, she fares much better than her opponent. Iesheia K. Ayers-Wilson, a 35-year-old tax preparer, told the editorial board that she thinks businesses should be allowed to discriminate against people based on religion.

I got this one right, though it’s not like there was anything to it. I suppose we all owe Ms. Ayers-Wilson a bit of gratitude for demonstrating so succinctly that it’s always possible to coarsen the debate on a matter of public policy. Do you think it ever occurs to people like that that they could be discriminated against, or is it just the case that they think they already are by not being allowed to discriminate freely against others? And yes, I know I’m saying that about a candidate in the district that once elected Helena Brown. It can always get worse.

Interview with Carroll Robinson

Sep 28th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

Comments are off for this post

Carroll Robinson

We are coming into the home stretch for interview season. This week will be interviews with candidates for Houston City Controller, currently held by term-limited incumbent Ronald Green. First up is Carroll Robinson, who served three terms as At Large City Council member and three years on the HCC Board of Trustees, stepping down this year to mount his Controller campaign. Robinson is an Associate Professor at the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University and has served as Associate Dean of External Affairs there. He has a long list of board memberships, committees, and associations that’s hard to excerpt but can be seen on his HCC Board biography page, and there’s a long list of policy objectives, some of which we discussed in the interview, on his campaign webpage. Here’s what we talked about:

You can see all of my interviews as well as finance reports and other information on candidates on my 2015 Election page.

Uber update, part 1

Sep 28th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

2 comments

The Chron, in conjunction with Al Jazeera Americas, gives the first of what should be a four-part look at how Uber is doing in Houson.

Less than a year after Houston began regulating so-called transportation network companies, questions persist about safety assurances from Uber, the city’s sole entrant in the field. Uber is testing local officials’ good graces by criticizing the rules it agreed to follow and lobbying for the state to supplant them. In certain instances, Uber has failed to abide by rules that Houston changed to accommodate the company.

Some drivers, meanwhile, say Uber is squeezing them, saturating the market so it’s impossible for most to make a living wage.

“They want to own Houston, and they will,” said one driver, who asked not to be identified because she feared the company would disable her account. “But those of us out here, doing the work… we won’t see a dime they don’t want us to have.”

Yet none of the company’s problems – not even the highly publicized case of a driver accused of sexually assaulting a passenger in Houston – seems to have dented its popularity.

“I use it everywhere,” said Sami Tamska, 30, who moved to Houston last year. “Here, Dallas, whenever I go anywhere. It’s all the same.”

The enthusiasm of customers like Tamska suggests that Uber is likely here to stay. What remains to be seen is how the rules of the road will continue to evolve for the company, and what that will mean for consumers.

“Innovation has gotten out ahead of the public policy environment,” said Susan Shaheen, co-director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California-Berkeley. “Things haven’t changed in 100 years in this industry, and suddenly, it’s changing rapidly, and I think everyone is still figuring out what that means.”

That includes city officials in Houston, who went through a rigorous process to try to assure customer safety without stifling innovation. Rather than accept Uber’s background checks, the city demanded drivers go through the same, more rigorous process as cab drivers.

Less than six months into the new system, Uber acknowledged hundreds of its drivers were not licensed to drive in Houston and were removed from the platform only after an unlicensed driver with a federal prison record was accused of sexually assaulting a passenger.

[…]

In Houston, at least for now, Uber is undercutting cab prices. A typical ride from Bush Intercontinental Airport to downtown in a taxi could top $60, compared to around $40 in UberX, the company’s least-expensive option. Taxi fares, however, are standard and predictable, while Uber often increases its rates when demand is highest.

With Uber’s entry, on top of 2,446 permitted taxi cabs, the number of people offering rides for money is unclear. Uber, via court filings, has resisted public release of information on how many trips it has provided or its number of drivers, calling the data a trade secret.

“It’s safe to assume there are thousands (of drivers),” said Duane Kamins, owner of Lone Star Cab Company, part of a legacy industry that lobbied hard to prevent Uber’s entry into Houston.

It’s a good story, though I can’t say I learned a whole lot of things I didn’t already know. Given that this is the first part of a four-part series, here are some topics I’d like to see explored in the others:

– San Antonio has revisited its vehicles for hire ordinance, as its original version caused both Uber and Lyft to leave town. Lyft has since promised to return there, but it does not operate in Houston as it did not care for Houston’s background check requirements. Does anyone on either side regret Lyft not being here? Do any of the Mayoral candidates think revisiting Houston’s ordinance is a good idea?

– There was an effort in the Lege last session to create statewide regulations on vehicles for hire, which would have overridden city ordinances, at least in its initial form. One can reasonably expect a similar bill to be filed in 2017. What if anything did the city of Houston do to affect the outcome of the 2015 bill, filed by Rep. Chris Paddie? What if anything would the Mayoral candidates do in 2017 when the next such bill gets filed?

– How much business have the cab companies really lost, and how much of Uber’s business here in town is new users? How does this compare to other Texas cities?

– Uber drivers in Dallas recently went on strike to protest new rules promulgated by Uber about fares for UberBlack drivers. What do Houston UberBlack drivers think about this? What if any role should city regulators play in such disputes?

– Is there any local data to corroborate or refute recent claims that ridesharing companies have a positive effect on DUI homicide rates? I know it’s way too early to draw any conclusions, I’m just looking for anecdotal evidence.

What questions would you like to see examined?

Counting the number of same sex marriages in Texas

Sep 28th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

Fewer than I’d have guessed, but still a decent amount percentage-wise.

Statewide, an estimated 2,500 same-sex couples have received marriage licenses in Texas since the [Obergfell] ruling.

There is no exact accounting of how many same-sex marriage licenses have been issued in Texas or Tarrant County because gender is no longer listed on licenses.

But the Star-Telegram’s review of marriage licenses issued in Tarrant County the past two months shows that almost 9 percent of the licenses appear to have been issued to same-sex couples. Statewide, 5.7 percent of marriage licenses appear to have been given to same-sex couples.

“There are many same-sex couples who simply waited until it was legal to seek licenses,” said Jim Riddlesperger, a political science professor at TCU. “As a result, there have been a number of folks who might have gotten married years ago had it been possible to do so who are taking advantage of their opportunity to gain legal recognition for their committed relationship.

“My guess is that the overall percentage will shrink over time from this initial data once the ‘pent-up demand’ has been satisfied.”

[…]

Officials stress that state estimates of same-sex marriage licenses are just that: estimates.

“Since the application no longer has gender identifiers, this ballpark number is based on what we can assume from the applicants’ names,” said Carrie Williams, director of media relations for the Texas Department of State Health Services, which maintains vital records for the state, including marriage applications.

Overall, the state has received 43,522 marriage license applications since June 26, including the estimated 2,500 for same-sex couples, she said.

To get an idea of how many marriage licenses Tarrant County has granted to same-sex couples, the Star-Telegram reviewed a list of 3,427 applications from June 26 to Sept. 8.

The county does not keep a “breakdown of same-sex marriage license applications versus non-same-sex applications,” said Jeff Nicholson, chief deputy for Tarrant County Clerk Mary Louise Garcia. “Since June 26, the forms and our software have been modified so there is no way to discern this. It simply refers to applicants.”

The review shows that at least 296 licenses — or 8.6 percent — appear to have been issued to same-sex couples.

On the one hand, I thought the “pent-up demand” might have been higher. On the other hand, a lot of couples in Texas that really wanted to be married went and got married in other states rather than wait. Either way, I do think the number will decline some as a share of all marriages, then level off. We’ll get a much better handle on the real numbers when the 2020 Census is done. One hopes that by then the whole subject will be considered little more than a statistical curiosity. The Current has more.

Endorsement watch: Our first twofer

Sep 28th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

4 comments

My first clear misses, too.

Bill Frazer

For our next controller, voters should look for a candidate who can refocus the distracted office on the straight and narrow of Houston’s financial picture. In our current straits, we don’t have the luxury of electing a politician who wants to play public accountant. Controller has a specific job description and voters should limit their choices to the candidates who can boast an appropriate resume. This narrows the field of six candidates to two: Chris Brown and Bill Frazer.

We endorsed Frazer, 64, two years ago as a solid technician with impeccable qualifications. A retired accountant with 40-years experience as a certified public accountant, Frazer has worked as an auditor and as CFO for a series of oil industry companies. During his career he sat on the board of directors of the Texas Society of CPAs and served as president of the Houston CPA Society.

Chris Brown

“The controller’s office should be one of credentials and one that has the ability to give the mayor and City Council clear and concise, understandable financial advice so they can make well-informed decisions and good decisions,” Frazer told the editorial board.

There’s little doubt that Frazer could do the job – he’s already done it for decades in the private sector.

Chris Brown, 40, currently serves as chief deputy controller under Green. He also served as chief of staff when Green was on council. While we’re wary of continuing Green’s tenure through his subordinates, Brown boasts a background in finance and experience in the controller’s office that would make him a fine fit for the job. Before he joined the ranks at City Hall, Brown worked as a trader for an investment bank and co-founded an equity trading firm, where he served as head of operations.

[…]

However, voters should avoid Carroll Robinson, a former city councilman and former Houston Community College trustee. When he served on the HCC board, Robinson was accused of redirecting a contract to an unqualified friend. In his current campaign, Robinson advocates for casino gambling – a policy far outside the purview of the controller’s office. And when he met with the editorial board, Robinson hinted at Ted Cruz-style obstructionism if elected by refusing to sign city checks.

I thought the Chron would go with Dwight Jefferson, so I whiffed on this one. In my defense, I did give Frazer and Brown some chances of being endorsed, and I predicted the diss on Carroll Robinson, so I do get partial credit. Judge me as you see fit. I will have interviews with all four candidates mentioned in this paragraph this week, so you can decide for yourself. As for the dual endorsement, this isn’t the first time the Chron has done this – remember the Parker/Locke twofer from 2009? – and to be fair, the Chron cites the certainty of a runoff (as they did in 2009) and the need to have the best choices in that race. Seeing this makes me wonder if they won’t do the same thing in this Mayor’s race as well. We’ll know soon enough. What do you think – is this feckless or a reasonable approach?

Weekend link dump for September 27

Sep 27th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

“Japan now has enough women over 100 years old to fill Yankee Stadium”.

Freedom of speech, bitches.

“In the early days of space flight, menstruation was part of the argument for why women shouldn’t become astronauts.”

Giant Arctic mosquitoes: Yet another reason to be concerned about climate change.

“If she’s strong enough to handle this, I can handle this.”

“The story reads like the most paranoid anti-corporate fantasy, until you get to the line where the firm admits what it did”.

Remember when Target got hacked a couple of years ago? Here’s a report on what their IT security looked like then and now.

“As Fiorina admits, I have been critical of her for over a decade—long before she announced her political aspirations. I have studied her business record, challenged her leadership abilities and have come to agree with the assessment that she was one of the worst technology CEOs in history. I stand by that evaluation.”

I guess it’s a good thing that George Will isn’t a Catholic, because he is a lying liar who lies a lot, and we Catholics consider lying to be a sin.

From the “Funny, he doesn’t look Jewish” files.

How to tell if that viral story is a hoax, if you are so inclined.

“Millions of Swifties and KatyCats—as well as Beliebers, Barbz, and Selenators, and the Rihanna Navy—would be stunned by the revelation that a handful of people, a crazily high percentage of them middle-aged Scandinavian men, write most of America’s pop hits. It is an open yet closely guarded secret, protected jealously by the labels and the performers themselves, whose identities are as carefully constructed as their songs and dances. The illusion of creative control is maintained by the fig leaf of a songwriting credit. The performer’s name will often appear in the list of songwriters, even if his or her contribution is negligible.”

“Welcome to the 21st century pharmaceutical biz, working hard to find new and innovative ways of gouging the most vulnerable members of society. And for once, we can truly say that this could happen only in America, since no other country would allow this.” See here and here for more on that.

The rent-seeking is too damn high.

“But it will be worth talking about particularly considering that if the Republican wins, it is highly likely that Roe v. Wade will be history. Three of the five Supreme Court justices who have voted to uphold the decision will be in their ’80s by the time the next president’s first term ends; Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be two months shy of her 88th birthday.”

How – and why – to fool Penn & Teller.

“With upwards of 800 million parking spaces in the United States, or more than 2 million acres, we’ve paved the equivalent of Rhode Island and Delaware in parking alone.”

Here’s an Insane Clown Posse reputational injury lawsuit appeal update for you.

You can’t find what you’re not looking for, and if you’re not looking for gifted and talented students among poor and minority children, guess what? You won’t find them, even though they’re there.

RIP, Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame catcher and human being. He was a whole lot more than you think he was.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear you, happy birthday to you. And screw you, Warner/Chappell.

RIP, Yongki, endangered Sumatran elephant, killed for his tusks. The pictures are hard to look at, so click carefully.

“VW sold 500,000 altered cars in the US and 11 million cars worldwide, so this extrapolates to about 170 deaths in the United States and about 3,700 deaths worldwide.”

My dad and I attended the Mass that Pope John Paul II celebrated at Yankee Stadium back in 1979. We bought a commemorative Pope pennant while there, because of course someone was selling Pope pennants. Clearly, commemorative Pope souvenirs have come a long way since then.

Kim Davis is now a Republican, which is how it should be.

Harris Health wants more people to enroll in Obamacare

Sep 27th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

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Who can blame them?

Harris County’s public health care agency, responding to a budget crisis, will eliminate more than 19,000 people next year from eligibility for free or nearly free services, hoping most of these patients will obtain coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

The board of the agency, Harris Health, voted Thursday to reduce its income threshold for subsidized care from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to 150 percent, saving the system a projected $21.3 million in fiscal year 2017.

Of those losing coverage, more than 15,000 would be eligible to purchase insurance plans through Healthcare.gov, the health insurance exchange created by the federal law widely known as Obamacare. Most would qualify for large subsidies that would lower the cost of their premiums, deductibles and co-payments.

“We know the seriousness of what is about to take place, but something is going to have to take place for us to survive” in the face of a $53 million budget deficit, board chairman Elvin Franklin said before the vote. “We have to make some hard decisions from time to time, and sometimes those decisions are not going to reflect what everybody wants.”

Under the revised guidelines, an individual making more than $17,655 annually or a family of four with income exceeding $36,375 would no longer be eligible for subsidized care. The change would affect an estimated 19,527 patients, about 6 percent of the 325,000 clients the agency serves.

[…]

Harris Health and local advocacy groups will have a major challenge in helping people, like Walker, understand their options and how health insurance works.

Plans sold through the exchange are arranged into four tiers – platinum, gold, silver and bronze. Platinum and gold plans generally have higher premiums but lower deductibles and copayments. Bronze plans have the lowest premiums but high deductibles and copayments.

Federal subsidies, provided through tax credits, and cost sharing help are only available through silver plans. Often, paying a higher monthly premium for a silver plan will be less expensive in the long run for an individual patient.

“We’re talking to people who have never had health insurance before,” said Tiffany Hogue, policy director for the Texas Organizing Project, an advocacy group for the poor that has been conducting enrollment outreach. “Unless they’re sick, this is not their top priority or concern. And it’s complicated to show them the value of why they need it now.”

The education effort may get a significant boost from the federal government. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced Tuesday that Houston was among the five areas the agency will target with expanded enrollment outreach because they have high levels of uninsured people.

“We’ve found that costs are still a big concern – about half of the people who are uninsured have less than $100 in savings,” Burwell said. “And people are worried about fitting premiums into their budgets. Almost 60 percent of people who are uninsured are either confused about how the tax credits work or don’t know that they are available.”

While their monthly costs may increase, patients who enroll in the exchanges will have other benefits of health insurance. For example, they can seek care from doctors and hospitals outside the Harris Health System. And their plans can provide coverage when they travel out of the area.

This has been under discussion for several weeks now, as Harris Health has tried to deal with its deficit. They could apply some of the savings they’ll get from 15,000 people signing up for Obamacare to help the 4,000 or so that don’t qualify for subsidies, and still come out way ahead. It’s going to be hard on a lot of people, and some will unfortunately fall through the cracks, but it doesn’t make sense for Harris Health to not do this. Let’s put the blame for any problems that arise – indeed, for the shortfalls that are forcing this in the first place – where it belongs: on the state, particularly Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick and the Legislature, for refusing to expand Medicaid. That would have provided coverage to a large number of the people that will still be serviced by Harris Health. Medicaid expansion would also provide coverage to many people who suffer from mental illness, including a significant portion of the homeless and the people who make frequent trips to the local jails. Our state leadership isn’t interested in any of that. They want to push those costs down to the local level, where they don’t have to take responsibility for it, and they want to arbitrarily cut costs despite the huge negative effects that has. That is the root cause of these problems, and it will remain so until we have different leadership. I hope I live long enough to see it. KUHF and the Chron editorial board have more.

The dark side of SpaceX

Sep 27th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

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Be careful what you wish for.

People who live in Boca Chica Village, all 26 of them, knew Elon Musk’s SpaceX company would put the South Texas town on the map after it was selected last year as the world’s first commercial rocket-launch site. Now, many want SpaceX gone and their obscurity back.

The residents say SpaceX representatives told them recently they would be required to register with the county, wear badges and pass through checkpoints on launch days, which will occur about once a month beginning as soon as next year. During a 15-hour launch time frame, their movement around the village could be restricted. If they happen to be picking up groceries past a designated “point of no return,” forget about going home.

SpaceX’s proposed methods to enforce the safety rules — sweeping the beach with drones and video surveillance — aren’t helping matters. While the rules still might change, all this makes residents wish SpaceX would go away, with some even talking about acts of civil disobedience or maybe a lawsuit.

“I’m like, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ ” said Cheryl Stevens, 55, who settled in Boca Chica Village a decade ago in search of quiet, rustic beauty. “It’s like Nazi Germany.”

[…]

Boca Chica Village, in one of the state’s poorest counties, sits on a dusty fleck of land between wind-swept sand dunes, emerald marshes and a desolate white beach. It’s officially called Kopernik Shores, after the famous Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, which now seems a small irony. The community of about three dozen houses, filled with mainly seasonal blue-collar workers and retirees, originally was built by a Chicago real-estate developer in the 1960s.

Experts say the safety issues are real. David Kanipe, an associate professor in the aerospace-engineering department at Texas A&M University and retired NASA engineer, said that during Cape Canaveral shuttle launches, viewers typically were required to be at least three miles away from the site. Boca Chica Village is less than two miles away. Residents could be exposed to dangerous chemicals used during launches, such as hydrazine, and falling debris in the event of an explosion, he said.

In June, an unmanned SpaceX rocket burst into flames minutes after it left Cape Canaveral. In the following days, beachgoers were warned to stay away from any toxic rocket debris that washed ashore.

“I’m not sure I’d be comfortable living that close to it,” Kanipe said.

Read the whole thing, it’s kind of an amusing story if you’re not on the business end of it. I suppose this issue will come up again, as more private space launch companies emerge and need places to do their thing. Let Boca Chica Village serve as a cautionary tale and a starting point for negotiations about the procedures for launch days. See this 2007 Austin Chronicle story if you want to know a bit more about the history of this little town.

San Antonio implements Vision Zero

Sep 27th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

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Good for them.

Tuesday marked the official launch of San Antonio’s Vision Zero, a multi-national awareness and educational initiative that calls for zero traffic fatalities. It’s a lofty goal, but proponents of the plan say these deaths, especially those of pedestrians, are preventable accidents that can be systematically addressed with infrastructure and safety education.

Last year 54 pedestrians were killed while walking in San Antonio, an average of one death per week. To pay tribute to those individuals, 54 people stood on the steps of City Hall as Mayor Ivy Taylor, Council members, and City staff launched the initiative.

“We suffer human losses because of culture and public policy decisions that have resulted in the built environment we have today,” said Councilmember Shirley Gonzales (D5), who has long advocated for more City investment in complete street, or multimodal, infrastructure and led the Council’s backing of Vision Zero.

According to the ethos of Vision Zero, individuals and roadway design should share the burden of ensuring safe passage. Priority is often given to vehicles, leaving pedestrians and cyclists to fend for themselves in an environment built for tires and steel.

“We have a high number of traffic fatality rates because we have a fundamentally dangerous environment,” Gonzales said.

Aside from infrastructure like better sidewalks and safer street crossings, the City is looking into reducing speed limits to create a safer environment for those walking and bicycling.

“We’ve made and continue to make policy decisions and direct City staff to construct projects that keep everyone and every mode of transportation in mind,” Mayor Taylor said.

See here, here, and here for some background, and here for the city’s official plan. The basic idea here is that the way our streets are constructed now, it’s dangerous for anyone who isn’t in a car, and this is reflected in the number of accidents and fatalities involving pedestrians and bicyclists. This doesn’t have to be the way things are, it’s the way we currently choose to do them. If we do them differently, and think in terms of everyone who uses the streets and not just the cars, we could have fewer accidents and fewer deaths. That seems like a worthy goal, no? I look forward to seeing what kind of results they get, because that is how this will ultimately be judged. The Current has more, and you can sign petitions to bring this to Houston and Austin if you are so inclined. Streetsblog has more.

Endorsement watch: Let’s continue a success story

Sep 27th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

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The Chron endorses CM Richard Nguyen, first term Council Member whose win was a surprise in 2013 and whose service on Council has been easily deserving of a second term.

Richard Nguyen

A political neophyte when he stepped into office two years ago, Nguyen has supported Alief Independent School District’s COMET program, an after-school program that works with children living in multi-family housing and has secured future bond funds for District F’s first multi-service center. He’s shown that he’s responsive to the people in his district by directly funding overtime for Houston Police Department officers.

Opponent Steve Le is a physician specializing in family medicine. Although he offers an impressive resume, he’s not that familiar with city issues, and his opposition to the Houston equal rights ordinance is a mark against him, particularly in the district he hopes to represent.

A third candidate, Rev. Kendall Baker filed on the last day. His primary issue is opposition to HERO, ironic perhaps, since he was suspended as a manager for the city’s 311 customer service line after charges of sexual harassment against subordinate female employees were filed against him.

Nguyen, on the other hand, offered a passionate defense of the equal rights ordinance. (“We have nothing to lose but much to gain.”) He spent his first term learning the ropes and working with the mayor in an effort to get things done for his district. He deserves a second term.

Another one I called, though this one was no surprise. I agree with all the Chron says above. CM Nguyen has done a good job and deserves re-election. Steve Le has a good story to tell and his heart is in the right place, but like many first-time candidates he isn’t as strong on the issues and role of Council as he could be. Kendall Baker is an unworthy one-note candidate who should be avoided. Here’s the interview I did with CM Nguyen if you missed it before.

Saturday video break: Here Comes The Flood

Sep 26th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

Here comes a very young Peter Gabriel, doing a very acoustic piano version of “Here Comes The Flood”:

That was from a 1979 Kate Bush Christmas special. Who knew Kate Bush had a Christmas special? Who knew that was a Christmas song? All I know is that I’m glad this was a thing that happened.

I have a cover version by Robert Fripp, but I’d rather give you this video of Gabriel and Fripp, also from 1979:

Clearly, 1979 was a good year.

Ogg announces for DA

Sep 26th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

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Rematch time.

Kim Ogg

Kim Ogg, the Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for district attorney last year, launched her second bid for the office Friday, promising to pursue violent criminals, de-emphasize misdemeanor marijuana possession cases and aggressively combat prosecutorial misconduct.

Ogg took a series of jabs at how the incumbent Republican, Devon Anderson, has chosen to prioritize some cases over others, hinting that a rise in violent crime was being met with over-incarceration of low level, mostly black and Hispanic, nonviolent offenders.

Challenger Ogg said she spent the time since her last campaign researching law enforcement programs that are tested and proven elsewhere in the nation, and this time she is better equipped with programs that will turn the office around.

In her kickoff event across from the Harris County criminal courthouse, Ogg criticized Anderson for lenient handing of a misconduct case against a Houston Police homicide detective charged with failing to investigate 24 murder cases involving black and Hispanic victims.

She also accused Anderson of making a novice mistake, jumping to conclusions about the motive of an African-American suspect charged in the shooting of Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Goforth. Without evidence, Ogg said, the DA linked the suspect to a legitimate civil rights movement.

“It’s the DA alone who determines who will be charged and with what crime. The DA holds the key to the front door of the courthouse and the back door of the jail,” she said, “a lawyer’s job boils down to judgment.”

Anderson, according to her challenger, “lacks the experience and judgment to successfully carry out the duties of district attorney.”

Game on already, it would seem. Ogg ran slightly ahead of the Democratic baseline in the dumpster fire that was 2014. A Presidential year, as 2016 will be, ought to give her a boost. Ogg hit some themes from 2014 in her announcement – it wasn’t in the story, but I figure marijuana prosecution policy will come up sooner or later. I’m not paying very close attention to 2016 just yet – we still have to survive this year, after all – but as filing season begins four weeks after Election Day – before the runoffs, in other words – it’s hard to avoid. Dems still need to fill out the rest of the countywide slate, and I’d prefer sooner rather than later. Now that Ogg has made her entry official, I hope candidates for other offices will follow.

Why Ken Paxton isn’t going anywhere

Sep 26th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

It’s as simple as one:

Best mugshot ever

In a rare public appearance since his indictment in late July, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made an appeal for more Christian involvement in politics as he addressed the congregation at First Baptist Grapevine on Sunday.

“It takes a lot of courage for believers to step into this political process,” he said. “We are in the position as the church, and as believers, we have to stand up and speak out.”

Paxton, who was asked to speak at the church by a local tea party group, made his remarks during about 20 minutes of conversation with Pastor Doug Page.

[…]

On Sunday, Paxton did not directly refer to the charges against him. He instead emphasized the importance of faith and the support of fellow Christians in his life — and listed among his biblical heroes Daniel, Paul, Joseph, and Moses who he said had stood up to unjust laws and government as Christians though they faced the risk of imprisonment and death.

“I feel like it would be hopeless if I were out there alone and I didn’t feel the presence and knowing that there are believers praying for me. I don’t know that it would be possible for me to move forward,” he said. “It makes more of a difference than you think.”

As an example of what Christians could do if they made their voices heard, the attorney general described efforts to help pass legislation known as the Pastor Protection Bill, which affirmed the rights of clergy to refuse to conduct marriages that violate their beliefs.

“That bill was dead. Then 200 pastors all started calling their state representatives and it kicked into gear and passed. That’s the power of the Christian community if they’ll get involved in the process,” he said.

The former lawmaker also credited his victory in his first race for the Legislature — where he served as a state representative then as a state senator from 2003 until 2013 — to the engagement of the Christian faithful in politics.

“One of my opponents was my senator’s chief of staff, so he had all the endorsements of the community leaders, he had all the money,” Paxton said. “What I felt God was telling me was ‘get the Christian community out to vote.’”

Two:

First Baptist is the home church for a number of prominent North Texas tea party activists, and Paxton’s appearance was advertised as a Northeast Tarrant Tea Party event. Paxton and Page never spoke directly about them, but our AG’s legal unpleasantries were a clear subtext of the talk, witnessed by a crowd of several hundred faithful.

During a 20-minute conversation on the church’s unadorned stage, Paxton and First Baptist’s senior pastor, Doug Page, placed the attorney general neatly within the history of Christian martyrs persecuted for speaking biblical truths. They warned of a dark future for America if virtuous men like Paxton are allowed to fall.

“We’ve been so blessed in America because we’ve had an unusual couple of hundred years. There’s not very many countries that have had the religious freedom, and the freedoms that we’ve had in this country, and it’s so easy to take it for granted,” Paxton said. Some of his favorite biblical figures, he said, were men who suffered at the hands of the powers-that-be for standing up for what was right.

He continued: “So it’s not that unusual, as Christians, to have to confront not only the culture, but also the government. And so here we are in America, where we haven’t really had to do that. And I think that has changed. What America was 50 years ago — even what we were 10 years ago — is very different.” Christians nowadays had to speak up more in their personal and public lives, he said. Paxton had tried to do so while working at noted den of iniquity J.C. Penney before he was elected to the Texas House, but he said it had not made him popular.

David and Jeremiah had turned challenging times into opportunities to spread the word of the Lord, and Paxton said that Christians today could take solace from these men, unafraid to speak even “at the cost of their lives.”

Three:

Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to continue fighting against the Obama administration and “for the Constitution” during a meeting of the Williamson County Republican Leaders organization held at the Sirloin Stockade restaurant Monday night, but transparency wasn’t on the menu.

Members of the press were nearly asked to leave the meeting, claiming it was closed to the media. The group’s president, Mike McCloskey, said the meeting was for members of the organization and sponsored guests, though the group’s website implied events were open to the public.

McCloskey relented after members of the press agreed not to record the event or take pictures.

Ken Paxton knows who his voters are, he knows what they want to hear, and he knows how to give it to them. As long as they’re still with him, he will feel no pressure to resign. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it is entirely plausible to me that Paxton could be on not just the March 2018 ballot but the November 2018 ballot as well even after being convicted but still going through the appeals process. Barring a final conviction or an electoral defeat, he’s not going anywhere.

B-Cycle expansion coming

Sep 26th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

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Good.

Houston area officials are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into widening Interstate 45, and they could be paying much more for even larger upcoming projects along the corridor.

But a comparatively-paltry sum is about to boost bike sharing in Houston in a big way.

The same transportation improvement plan aiming $140 million at I-45 includes $4.7 million meant to expand the B-Cycle program in the city. The plan is set for discussion Friday by the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council.

The money, including a 21 percent match from B-Cycle, will add stations in the Texas Medical Center and Rice Village in one phase, increase density in the downtown and Midtown area from the Med Center in another, before expanding east and southeast to EaDo and the University of Houston and Texas Southern University area.

“By the time this is finished, our goal is to go from 29 stations and 210 bikes to 100 stations with 800 bikes,” said Will Rub, director of Houston B-Cycle.

[…]

Having 800 bikes at Houston kiosks would build on what supporters have said is strong use of the bikes by Houston residents and visitors. From January to July, more than 60,000 bike checkouts occurred. The theory, following on similar reaction in Denver, is more stations and bikes exponentially increase use, provided the stations are where people want to go.

See here, here, and here for some background. According to the Mayor’s press release, about $3.8 million is coming from H-GAC, and the rest is from B-Cycle, which as he story notes has generally covered most of its operating costs. Having more stations will make B-Cycle a lot more usable; I personally have had a couple of recent occasions where I needed to get somewhere on the edges of downtown from my office, but the nearest B-Cycle station was far enough away from my destination that it wasn’t worth it. Especially now with the rerouted buses and the new rail lines, expanding B-Cycle access will make transit that much more convenient as well. I look forward to seeing where the new kiosks go. The Highwayman has more.

Endorsement watch: A close choice

Sep 26th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

The Chron endorses Greg Travis in a close call in District G.

Greg Travis

Attorney Greg Travis, 52, is going head-to-head against media consultant and current Houston Community College Trustee Sandie Mullins Moger, 50. Each candidate brought an excellent resume and knowledge of government to our editorial board screening. We give the nod to Travis in a race that almost is too close to call.

It was an encounter that thousands of us regularly face that served as Travis’ call to action. He hit a pothole that blew out a tire and paid more than $700 for repairs. Days later, in another auto shop, he overheard a woman who was spending hundreds of dollars because of a similar experience. “I watched her face when she handed over her credit card … she was reprioritizing. I got angry and said, I’ve got time and money. I’m going to run for City Council to stop this.”

This is not Travis’ first venture into partisan politics. The University of Texas Law School graduate missed a runoff by fewer than 100 votes in a 1999 run for Houston City Council.

Travis understands that in a strong-mayor system, “one city councilman can’t solve all of the problems.” But he promises to work tirelessly to identify budget excesses. “We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem,” he said, as one of the few candidates to sound an alarm bell about the slumping energy market.

[…]

Both candidates oppose the Houston equal right ordinance but Travis does so on procedural grounds. Moger, however, bases her opposition on unfounded fear-mongering that lowers the standard of debate.

As for those nagging potholes, Travis says the solution will come with better management of Rebuild Houston, a task he promises to embrace.

Moger bills herself as a “motorcycle-riding, gun-shooting girl.” That may have worked for Ann Richards, but the attraction has faded.

Travis tells that pothole story – it’s a good one, and a good reason to want to run for office – in the interview I did with him. I made Travis to be a 55-45 favorite over Sandie Moger for the endorsement, so it’s another win for me, but I called it for the wrong reason. It wasn’t Moger’s involvement with the HCC Board that the Chron didn’t like, it was one part swagger and one part tone about HERO. They work in mysterious ways over there, that’s all I can say.

Friday random ten: Revisiting the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs list, part 14

Sep 25th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

Comments are off for this post

Here’s their list.

1. Foxey Lady – Jimi Hendrix (#153)
2. Me and Bobby McGee – Kris Kristofferson (featured cover by Janis Joplin, #148; also a cover by The Modern Barbershop Quartet)
3. Rock Lobster – The B-52’s
4. Purple Rain – Big Daddy (orig. Prince, #144)
5. I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles (#140)
6. Eleanor Rigby – Ray Charles (orig. The Beatles, #138)
7. Your Song – Rod Stewart (orig. Elton John, #137)
8. Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who (#134)
9. With Or Without You – U2 (#132)
10. Rock And Roll Music – The Beatles (orig. Chuck Berry, #129)

Song that is probably too inappropriate for use in a cruise ship ad: “Lust For Life”, Iggy Pop (#149). Didn’t stop Royal Carribbean from using it, however.
Song I don’t have but probably should, part 1: “I Wanna Be Sedated”, The Ramones (#145). I thought I had it from a collection CD, but I don’t.
Song I don’t have but probably should, part 2: “Kashmir”, Led Zeppelin (#141). I do have “Kashmere”, by the Kashmere Stage Band, so that’s something
Song I can’t believe I don’t have a cover version of: “Who Do You Love?”, Bo Diddley (#133). There’s gotta be a million of ’em out there. I should probably get the George Thorogood one.

It’s Joplin’s iconic cover of “Me and Bobby McGee” that’s on the Rolling Stone list. I have a version by Kristofferson, though not his original – it’s a lovely acoustic version from the “Live at KCBO” series. In my early days with The MOB, when the Rice football team was still not very good, we sometimes played our arrangement of “Rock Lobster” as a concession that the game was lost. I suspect there aren’t many people who remember that. (Why did we do that, you may ask. As Tevye sort of says, “I don’t know. But it was a tradition.”) If you haven’t heard one of Pete Townshend’s more acoustic solo versions of “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, from “Secret Policeman’s Ball” or “Deep End Live” (you have to search YouTube for that), you’re really missing out.

Get ready for the TV ads to begin

Sep 25th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

3 comments

Keep that DVR remote handy, because you’re going to have to start fast-forwarding through Mayoral campaign ads on TV soon.

After nearly topping the July fundraising that put this year’s mayor’s race on track to be the most expensive in recent city history, City Councilman Stephen Costello led the pack to the TV airwaves in late August.

His debut ad focused on three broad policy priorities: infrastructure, public safety and city finances.

Thus far, Costello has spent more on broadcast than any candidate in the race – about $625,000 across KTRK (Channel 13), KHOU (Channel 11), KPRC (Channel 2,) KRIV (Channel 26) and KIAH (Channel 39), according to his campaign – with ads scheduled in two waves through Nov. 2. He also has been advertising on cable since July.

“We saw the opportunity now to break out early, and thanks to successful fundraising and low overhead, we’re in a position to go back up and go back up strong,” Campaign Manager Ward Curtin said.

Meanwhile, presumptive frontrunners Sylvester Turner and Adrian Garcia, who closed out the first half of the year with more than $1 million in the bank apiece, have invested about $450,000 each in broadcast TV.

A Turner ad began airing this week on the same five Houston-area channels as Costello and briefly introduces the candidate and his policy initiatives: job training, a living wage, community policing, school partnerships and filling potholes.

According to his campaign, Turner also will begin advertising on cable on Oct. 12, having spent $75,000.

Garcia has opted for a more concentrated approach, with his ads slated to run only in the final three and a half weeks before the Nov. 2 election. They will air on six Houston-area channels, including Univision and Telemundo, beginning October 10, according to Campaign Manager Mary Bell.

“The Garcia campaign is communicating to all voters, including predominantly Spanish speaking voters, and paid communication is a part of that,” Bell said, adding, “we’re not finished buying.”

[…]

Federal Communications Commission records show [Bill] King has spent nearly $20,000 for time on KHOU next week, though campaign spokesman Chris Begala said King also will be going up on three other channels.

“Our intention is to stay up on broadcast until Election Day, but it would not be a deal-killer to be off a day or three,” Begala said in an email. “We are engaged in an aggressive mail program, social media, cable and radio buy.”

King has spent nearly $300,000 on cable, beginning in May, according to his campaign.

Chris Bell also has made a nominal foray onto television, spending nearly $25,000 to run a 30-second introductory spot this week on KTRK, KHOU, KPRC and KIAH, according to his campaign.

Greg goes into much more detail on this than I could, so let me direct you to him for an in-depth analysis. For what it’s worth, so far I’ve seen a few Costello ads and maybe on Bill King ad. I’ll just add that no candidates should overestimate their name ID. Adrian Garcia, by virtue of being elected countywide twice during Presidential years is the only candidate on this ballot that can feel reasonably secure that the voters know who he is. Everyone else from the Mayorals on down needs to assume they need to introduce themselves. An awful lot of people are just now starting to pay attention, and early voting starts in three weeks. Let’s see who does what with the opportunity they have.

Council approves inmate processing center deal with Harris County

Sep 25th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

Very good news.

An end is in sight for the inefficient process of shuttling prisoners in and out of redundant local lockups after the City Council on Wednesday approved an agreement with Harris County to build a long-discussed inmate processing center.

Public officials have discussed the need for a new booking center since the 1990s, because the current facility in the county jail tends to be over capacity even when the jail population is low and booking processes are inefficient. Roughly half the inmates booked into city jails also face state charges; they end up transferred to the county jail, where they are booked again.

City leaders have been enthusiastic backers of the processing center, knowing a larger booking facility will allow them to realize a longtime goal of shuttering the two aging municipal jails. Most big Texas cities closed their jails long ago, as these facilities typically only hold those arrested for low-level misdemeanors, usually for no more than 48 hours.

“The sooner we can get out of the jail business, the better,” said Councilman Ed Gonzalez, a former police officer who chairs the council’s public safety committee. “This will be a cost savings for us. It’s been a long time coming.”

The city and county committed a combined $9 million to design the center a year ago, and they are approving their shares of the $91 million needed to build the 238,000-square-foot, three-story facility. The building will hold 552 beds, along with offices, interview rooms, DUI processing areas, evidence lockers, lineup rooms, a clinic and courtrooms.

[…]

City voters in 2007 approved $32 million in bonds to build what would have been a larger, 2,500-bed processing center, but county voters that year rejected a $195 million bond issue for the same purpose. Presented again with a $70 million bond issue for the current, scaled-back proposal in 2013, county voters said yes.

The city’s ultimate contribution to the facility’s construction, barring any cost overruns, will be $27.3 million. Some of the other 2007 bond dollars were used to open the Houston Recovery Center, which diverts intoxicated prisoners from jail and pairs addicts with social services. That center has reduced the population of city jails and is expected to do the same at the processing center.

The facility, scheduled to break ground next month at the northeast corner of San Jacinto and Baker streets, will connect to the county jail via a tunnel.

Construction of the joint processing center was approved to begin last June, after both Harris County and the city approved finding an architect in 2013. The sobering center was opened earlier in 2013. Once this new facility opens in 2017, the city will spend more than $4 million less per year on handling inmates, and will free up about 100 cops now working at the city jail to do other things. The new facility will also have mental health treatment services, which will hopefully enable more people to get the help they need and keep them out of jail in the future. All in all, a very positive step forward.

No way to run a road bond election

Sep 25th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

Am I a bad person for being unreasonably amused by this?

A special prosecutor has been assigned to determine whether behind-the-scenes negotiations could void a last-minute deal struck by Montgomery County commissioners to get a scaled-back $270 million road bond package on the upcoming November ballot.

At question is whether some commissioners and a powerful tea party group violated the open meetings law. It would mark the third defeat of a road bond proposal in the past decade, with the last one coming four months ago when voters rejected a 20 percent larger bond proposal.

“We’re going to aggressively inquire into all communications and activities that led up to commissioners putting this latest bond proposal on the ballot,” said Chris Downey, the Houston attorney appointed as special prosecutor. “We need to move quickly to determine if anything criminal was done before the Nov. 3 election is held. It could be voidable.”

A Texas Ranger has been ordered to gather emails, phone records and statements from those involved in the negotiations. Downey will then use the information to determine whether a quorum of elected officials intentionally held secret deliberations with the Texas Patriots PAC tea party that decided upon the bond proposal.

County Judge Craig Doyal and Commissioner Charlie Riley have acknowledged meeting with the tea party group, but that doesn’t represent a quorum of the five-member court. However, if emails or phones were used to include other commissioners in the decision process, it could become a “walking quorum,” which violates the law.

“This can be a way for officials to avoid open discussions in a public venue. Under the law, the public is to be notified of when and where a meeting is held so that anyone can attend,” said Dan Bevarly, interim executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition. “It sounds like elected officials in this case might later come together in public only to rubber-stamp decisions made earlier in private.”

On Thursday night, The Woodlands Township Board voted unanimously to withdraw support given to the November bond package in light of the investigation.

“It stinks. It’s a back-room deal that lacks transparency,” said Township Chairman Bruce Tough. “A special interest group (Texas Patriot PAC) is dictating terms of the road bond to the county. They are not elected to represent us.”

See here and here for some background. I haven’t followed the details of Montgomery County’s efforts to get another road bond on the ballot, and I don’t have anything constructive to say. I’m just laughing at the comedy of errors going on here. For a region that has so much growth and projected growth, they sure have a hard time governing themselves. You have to wonder if this inability to do anything will eventually hinder all that growth they’re supposed to have.

And then there’s this:

The Texas Patriot PAC issued a written statement: “All private citizens have a right to petition people they elected to serve them. Meeting with two commissioners is not a violation of the open meetings laws. Any suggestion that these meetings violated such laws is entirely without merit.”

Because of the fast-approaching deadline to get a bond proposal on the ballot, the organization said there was insufficient time for more input from residents.

“Throughout this process, we thought of ourselves as representatives of all the conservative citizen groups. The framework ultimately agreed to was representative of what all the groups had been proposing since (the last bond defeat),” the statement said.

However, Duane Ham, who had served on the committee that supported the last failed bond proposal, disagreed. He recently formed the Texas Conservative Tea Party Coalition that the Patriot PAC called the “fake tea party.” “It’s sad when a few are controlling and dictating what happens in our county instead of our people.”

I’m not the only one who thought of this, am I?

I don’t know what this world is coming to when tea party groups start turning on each other.

Endorsement watch: In my neighborhood

Sep 25th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

2 comments

The Chron endorses Karla Cisneros in District H, proving that while one can guess who they’ll endorse, one has no hope of guessing in what order they’ll print their endorsements.

Karla Cisneros

Karla Cisneros is the woman for the job.

Cisneros, who will be 61 on Election Day, works as a teacher but resigned to run for office. She also served on the HISD board of education from 2000 to 2006, including a term as board president. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Master’s in Architecture from Rice University.

Cisneros told the editorial board that she thought the city’s pensions were unsustainable, but that City Hall needed to honor its promises to employees. She also said that she supported the Houston equal rights ordinance.

However, perhaps more than any other candidate we’ve met during this cycle, Cisneros targeted economic disparity as the key problem facing Houston. This is the sort of thinking that you often hear from policy experts like Rice University’s Dr. Stephen Klineberg, but not nearly enough from our elected officials. “We’re increasingly becoming a city of haves and have-nots,” Cisneros told the editorial board. “The city has a role, and I don’t think they’ve played it very well in supporting the success of children, our families and our neighborhoods.”

[…]

“We need to be smart about our development and preparing for the future.”

That smart vote would be for Cisneros.

Voters should avoid Abel Davila, a former Houston Community College board member. In the internal investigation known as the Veselka Report, Davila was specifically fingered for violating board policies and his fiduciary duties.

Here’s the interview I did with Karla Cisneros. I made Cisneros a slight favorite to win this endorsement, so I’m counting this as a success. I’m a little surprised that this is the first endorsement that I’m aware of that she’s received. She’s one of three good candidates (and one bad candidate, as the Chron rightly notes), and I’d have thought the group endorsements would have been a bit more evenly distributed. She got this one, which if nothing else is pretty visible. Now that the Chron has established its random walk behavior for an endorsement schedule, I can’t wait to see who’s next.

Texas Pulse Poll

Sep 24th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

4 comments

Hey look! Someone polled Texas.

A statewide poll of Texas likely voters finds that immigration and the economy are the top issues of concern for residents of the Lone Star State. The poll also found that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton lead the Republican and Democratic primaries. Barack Obama is viewed unfavorably by a majority of Texans. Gov. Greg Abbott is seen favorably, and Sen. Ted Cruz has a more mixed favorability rating.

The Texas Pulse, a periodic survey of Texans’ opinions on a variety of cultural, economic and political issues, was conducted by Crosswind Media & Public Relations from Sep. 11-14, using a survey of 1,000 Texans. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. A 2014 Texas Pulse survey was recognized by the Houston Chronicle as the most accurate poll in the governor’s race.

In a survey of 452 likely Democratic voters, Clinton leads Democrat Bernie Sanders 53 percent to 21 percent, with Sen. Joe Biden, who has not announced for president, in third with 14 percent in a hypothetical matchup.

“Despite some challenges, the Clinton name is still gold among Texas Democrats,” said Thomas Graham, Crosswind president and CEO. “Hillary’s support remains solid, particularly among minorities and women. While Sanders fares well among white and younger voters relative to his overall numbers, Hillary Clinton still beats him 2-1 in even these categories.”

Clinton even beats Sanders 52 percent to 31 percent among voters identifying themselves as liberal. The former secretary of state does best among African-Americans, with almost two thirds (65%) supporting her. Sanders’ only lead in any category is among voters identifying their ethnicity as “other.” This is a relatively small sample, however.

On the Republican side, as Crosswind announced last week, Donald Trump leads the field with 26 percent, followed by Ben Carson at 19 percent. Texas’ own Senator Ted Cruz is third with 15 percent, and Jeb Bush is fourth with 9 percent.

You can go here to ~~add yourself to their mailing list~~ enter your information to see the full poll information. Honestly, it doesn’t have that much – you will be shocked to know that Republicans like Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz but hate President Obama and Obamacare, while Democrats love the President and Obamacare but can’t stand Abbott or Cruz. There’s a bit more nuance than that, so go get yourself the full poll if you want to know the full details plus some other things. On the GOP primary side, that link above in this paragraph has a pie chart of the full field. Pre-dropout Rick Perry got 3% and Scott Walker got 2%, while pre-CNN debate Carly Fiorina was at 3%. Such are the perils of waiting to release poll data. I would have loved to have seen some potential November matchups, but no dice. There’s also some issues polling – Republicans continue to be obsessed with immigration and “border security” (a full 50% had it as their top issue), while Dems are interested in a broader range of things. The press release linked at the top has some of those numbers, though oddly they disagree with what’s on the full poll page – the release says “Among Republicans, the economy is second (18%) and taxes and spending third (15%)”, but the chart on the poll page shows “economy and jobs” at 15% and “taxes and spending” at 11%. Go figure.

Anyway, much of this is for entertainment value only at this stage. You can be sure it will be different in February, even if neither field is much smaller. The Texas Lyceum will be releasing the results of its 2015 Issues and Elections poll next Wednesday the 30th, so we’ll see how these two compare.

Getting back into the marriage game

Sep 24th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

It was too good to stay away.

Two Harris County justices of the peace have resumed officiating weddings this week after a brief hiatus in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on marriage equality.

Judges Russ Ridgway and Jeff Williams stopped marrying couples after the high court on June 26 legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, striking down the remaining bans in Texas and a dozen other states.

These two judges, who preside in the western outposts of the county, were among three of 16 sitting Harris County justices of the peace who opted to take down their shingles for weddings last summer. The third judge, Laryssa Korduba, a Republican who serves out of Humble, has remained off duty with respect to weddings, her staff said this week.

None of the three judges responded to multiple requests for comment on their rationale.

However, Judge Mike Parrott, a fellow justice of the peace, said Korduba told the other JPs she did not wish to marry same-sex couples, but Parrott never heard an explanation from Ridgway or Williams. Given heavy foot traffic in their offices and the number of walk-in requests they would have received, Parrott found it notable that his colleagues would pass on the income they would have earned.

“It really surprised me about Russ (Ridgway) and (Jeff) Williams,” Parrott said. “That’s a big population out there. Maybe they don’t need the money.”

Parrott said he understood the likely reason they changed their minds after a short moratorium. “I got a feeling it’s extra income.”

JPs in busy courts might do as many as 10 weddings a day and up to 20 or so on Valentine’s Day, Parrott said.

See here for the background. JPs are paid between $50 and $400 to perform a wedding, so that would be a significant piece of income to give up for one’s principles. Which, to be clear, is 100% their right and which I support. JPs are allowed to perform weddings but don’t have to, and as long as they’re consistent and not picking and choosing, it’s all good. Happy marrying, y’all.

Endorsement watch: HERO ain’t everything

Sep 24th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

50 comments

I predicted that the Chron would endorse CM Kubosh, so I can’t say that I’m surprised that they endorsed him. That said, their logic is always a sight to behold.

CM Michael Kubosh

At a City Hall filled with lawyers, urban planners and technocrats, Kubosh stands out as an elected official who tries to put the will of the people first. Often that means opposing referenda-driven politics, such as red-light cameras, the homeless feeding ordinance and the Houston equal rights amendment (HERO). But sometimes it just means dancing for the crowd.

Kubosh’s circus show might as well be a metaphor for his two years on City Council. He’s more jolly Santa Claus than nimble elf, but the 64-year-old bailbondsman has been able to deftly maneuver his way through Houston’s political beats like few other elected officials can. These skills were on full display during the passage of HERO. During the weeks of debate, Kubosh met with members of Houston’s LGBT community at town hall meetings, talking to them and listening to their concerns. At Council meetings, Kubosh routinely tried to assure HERO opponents that their voices were being heard. When he met with the Chronicle editorial board, he emphasized that his vote against the ordinance and his continued opposition was about procedure and unintended consequences, not hatred or fear of the LGBT community.

“This was all being done in the back rooms during the Easter holiday by the Greater Houston Partnership and with the lawyers from the city at the mayor’s bidding, and only two council members, I understand, were involved,” Kubosh said. However, this process argument hasn’t stopped him from propagating false, fear-mongering rhetoric against the non-discrimination ordinance. If HERO were the only issue on the agenda for City Council’s next term, Kubosh’s actions would be reason enough to boot him from office. Yet the days will pass, Houstonians will vote on HERO, and a new council will have to confront all the usual problems of potholes, pensions and public safety. On those important issues, none of the challengers for this seat have made a convincing case that they would do a better job than Kubosh.

[…]

In this race, Kubosh faces two serious challengers. Doug Peterson, 64, served as press agent for the astronaut corps at the Johnson Space Center and John LaRue, 30, is a local attorney who practices family law. Peterson, who lives in Clear Lake, makes a compelling argument about the need for an at-large councilman who can represent suburban issues, but that isn’t reason enough to boot an incumbent.

Whatever. I personally think that “propagating false, fear-mongering rhetoric” against a population that has every reason to feel hated and feared by it is a pretty big strike against someone, but maybe that’s just me. I said in my guess-the-endorsements post that outside of HERO Kubosh had done nothing to disqualify himself, and I’d even say that he’s done a good job otherwise. It’s a question of how much HERO – not just the vote, but the “propagating false, fear-mongering rhetoric” – means to you.

Texas blog roundup for the week of September 21

Sep 24th, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

Comments are off for this post

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone a happy and balanced equinox as it brings you this week’s roundup.

(more…)

Interview with Dr. Adriana Tamez

Sep 23rd, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

1 comment

Adriana Tamez

As I said last time, HCC Trustee races are a lot more important than you’d think from the amount of attention they get. Aside from the Dave Wilson problem, it’s an office with a six-year term, no resign-to-run requirement, and the power to raise your taxes. Are we paying attention now? Dr. Adriana Tamez is running for her first full term in office, having won in 2013 to fill out the unexpired term in District 3 of now-former State Rep. Mary Ann Perez. Dr. Tamez has had multiple roles in education in her career – teacher, principal, the HISD Central Region Superintendent, among others – and now serves as an education consultant. Here’s what we talked about:

(Note: This interview took place after the most recent contretemps involving Dave Wilson.)

You can see all of my interviews as well as finance reports and other information on candidates on my 2015 Election page.

JP Dale Gorczynski will not run for re-election

Sep 23rd, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

2 comments

Judge Dale Gorczynski

I’m not usually in the breaking news business around here, but today I have some: Judge Dale Gorcynski, who has served as Justice of the Peace in Precinct 1 since 1992, will not be running for re-election next year. I know this because he told me himself. He wanted to make sure that his decision became known early enough for people who might be interested in running for this bench to have the time to get organized and collect the petition signatures they’ll need to qualify for the ballot. He noted that when he first ran in 1992, there were nine candidates on the ballot. I don’t know that there would be that many this time around, but it wouldn’t shock me.

Judge Gorczynski will have been an elected official for 37 years by the time he finishes his term next December. He was elected to Houston City Council in 1979 – the first Council member in the newly-created District H – and served there for 13 years before winning election to the JP bench. Recalling what Leonel Castillo once told him, he said that people who want to make a career out of elected office need to have a certain madness in them, to go through campaigns and withstand all of the politics that goes with it. He said he may finally have gotten over that, and he looks forward to the next phase of his life.

What will he do next? He’s not sure yet. He’s been able to do other things during his life – advocacy, teaching, writing – and he may do any or all of them, as well as other things. He’s still figuring out what, and may not really get a handle on it till he’s not doing what he’s doing now. As someone who would have no idea what to do if I had to leave my job tomorrow, I have a lot of sympathy for that. He does say that his plans do not include any future runs for office.

Judge Gorczynski says he really enjoyed being a Justice of the Peace – if he could have had his choice of any bench to be on, JP would be it, as it was a great fit for him. It offers a lot of flexibility in devising outcomes, it has allowed him to bring in law students to do mediations, and as the saying goes, it’s “the people’s courthouse”. He gave a lot of thought to his decision to not run for re-election, and he feels confident that there will be plenty of good candidates to succeed him. As a resident of Precinct 1 – and of District H, for that matter – I thank Judge Gorczynski for his service and wish him all the best with whatever comes next.

GOP versus Hall

Sep 23rd, 2015

by Charles Kuffner.

9 comments

Pass the popcorn.

The Harris County Republican Party released a flyer Monday attacking Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall for his Democratic ties and previous support for a nondiscrimination ordinance.

Among top-tier mayoral candidates, Hall, a Democrat, is the most ardent critic of the city’s equal rights ordinance, known as HERO. The law is set to appear on November’s ballot.

“Ben Hall says yes to HERO ordinance in 2013,” the GOP flyer reads, citing a 2013 Harris County Democratic Party questionnaire on which Hall said he would support a nondiscrimination ordinance.

The ad also labels Hall a “current Democratic Party sustaining member” and claims he contributed more than $100,000 to Democrats, including President Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry, citing campaign finance reports.

Hall responded in a statement Tuesday afternoon saying he has been “crystal clear” on HERO.

“Ben Hall is the only candidate, Democrat or Republican, who has been opposed to the HERO ordinance from the very beginning, long before the campaign began for Houston Mayor, long before the court put it on the November ballot,” he said.

The full Chron story is here, and here’s the interview I did with Hall in 2013. I have no desire to go back and listen to it, but my recollection is that he said No when I asked if he would support an equal rights ordinance. He wasn’t a firebrand about it, just matter-of-fact. I also recall being surprised by that, as to my knowledge he hadn’t been opposed it before. I can’t swear to that latter part, I can just say what I remember thinking at the time. Whether Hall is virgin pure on hating HERO since the dawn of time or he cynically came to oppose it as a matter of political expediency somewhere along the line is irrelevant to me, and should be irrelevant to any decent person. He’s a hater now, he’s loud and proud about it, and that’s what matters.

Not that I really care, but I am a little curious as to why the Harris County GOP decided to pick this fight. I get their objections, I just think this is an odd hill to engage on. Hall’s HERO history was no problem for uber hater Steven Hotze, who endorsed Hall, among others. It’s fine by me if the antis spread their votes around in the Mayor’s race; better odds for good candidates making it to the runoff that way.

Anyway. I’ve seen some people asking about which candidates support what things – HERO and otherwise. You can listen to my interviews, of course, or do something crazy like check out the candidates’ websites and attend candidate forums and things like that. If you’re looking for a shortcut, both the local GOP and the HCDP have candidate guides that may help answer your questions. And at some point, one presumes, the candidates – the Mayoral candidates in particular – will start flooding our mailboxes and the airwaves. Greg has more.

September, 2015:

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