Monthly Archives: March 2013

Texas Politics

Paving the Road to Blue Texas: HCDP’s Lane Lewis

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I had the opportunity to sit down with Lane Lewis, chair of the Harris County Democratic Party. We discussed some of the activities of the county party, his thoughts about the renewed interest in Texas Democrats, and the possibilities of Texas Turning Blue. And as he said, talking about turning Texas blue is great, but it won’t get accomplished without decisive, coordinated action. There has to come a point where rhetoric meets the road.

Texas Leftist: Thank you very much for your time today, and I want to say Congratulations on the success of the 2012 elections, and a very exciting start to 2013. Now that we’ve had a bit of time to sleep and reflect, how do you think 2012 went from your perspective?

Lane Lewis: I thought they went very well, and we did what we needed to do. We are in the process of changing the culture of the party. We are creating a culture of organizing for 365 days per year. That’s what our Engage 365 initiative is about. We’re not staffing down after the 2012 elections… we’re staffing up.

TL: The notion of a year-round organization goes right into my second question. Do you think Engage 365 is going well, and will you be close to achieving that goal?

LL: It’s been going very well. We’ve had 3 events so far this year… a food drive, a blood bank, and a community garden project. All three have met or exceeded our expectations.

And let me talk about why these events are important. Some would say “you planted a garden… that’s cute.” But the big picture is to draw a series of bright contrasts between us and the other side. We partnered with a local, small health clinic, selected a plot of land on their property, and created a public space that benefits the life and health of the community. Right behind this future community garden is Booker T. Washington High School. Let’s work with the school to create a gardening club, and get the students involved in community service, as well as an educational opportunity. Republicans want to take away your health care, Democrats want to help you access it. Republicans want to do away with public and recreational spaces, Democrats help to create those public spaces. Republicans want to gut funding for education, Democrats want to build bridges and expand educational opportunities. We’re addressing healthcare, elevating community awareness, and building bridges with educators and community leaders.

You may ask, how do we get people to this event? Simple… we make phone calls, and invite them to the event. “There’s no election going on right now, but we’re creating a community garden in your neighborhood. Would you like to be involved?” and they say “Sure!”. At the same time, we’re cleaning up our voter list. We go to area elected officials to sponsor the event. That way, we’re elevating their profile in an off year, and it’s easier to get them reelected next time.

At the base of the project, we’re leaving a cornerstone that says:

“Engage 365- Community Garden Project for the Indepence Heights Health Care Clinic. Sponsored by the Harris County Democratic Party, and elected officials.”

We leave it there as a permanent reminder for visitors to the clinic. These people [the Democrats] believe so much in your need for these services, that we’ll put our money and our name on it. It’s not just a “cute idea”.

The garden received press coverage from both Univision Channel 45 and the Memorial Examiner, which you can read more by following the links.

TL: Sounds like an investment all the way around, and again a great segway into the next question. Do you feel that Democrats in our county are doing a better job at being on offense? Are we better able to set the political agenda instead of always having to respond to the agenda of the GOP?

LL: Yes, most definitely. We are taking action, and not reaction. Reactions over the long term typically arise out of a lack of leadership and direction. If we don’t know where we are going, then we’re forced to simply react to wherever we are. A great example of action is the new Harris County Democratic Party website. It’s integrated socially with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other sites. I challenge you to find another county party website in the entire country that is as sophisticated as ours. That, ladies and gentlemen is ACTION… where the rhetoric meets the road.

In my opinion, the off years are when it’s important to begin merging the ideas of community organizing with political organizing. That’s when people can say “it’s not just about getting me to vote. It’s about people participating in my neighborhood.” At HCDP we are marrying community organizing– finding solutions to people’s real life problems, with political organizing– getting people to vote, and better understand the importance of doing so.

TL: A very “small d democratic” solution. And that brings up an important point. With all of the crazy debates in our legislature right now… fighting tooth-and-nail to expand Medicaid and meet the growing needs of Texas schoolchildren… is there anything “off” about 2013 for Texans? Do you feel that the groundwork being laid with HCDP can be translated back into political action for 2014?

LL: Well, here’s an example… in 2010, I was the Senate District chair for SD15, and at that time I designed a program called 24/15. I wanted a test some theories regarding Social Pressure voting. So I took my list, and hired a group of CWA workers, and gave them each a co-hort of people on the list. They called the voters every week to give them information about the voting leading up to election day. We informed them about early voting, then found early vote locations that were convenient to their work and their home. We made notes on every call, and when we called the voter again, based our call on the previous conversation. The final call “you gotta promise me that you’re going to go early vote, ok?” until we get a good response from the list. 2010… Democrats got their butts kicked across the country, but in SD15? 62 percent of that list went out to go EARLY vote.

TL: Very impressive. With all of the buzz surrounding Texas Democrats all of a sudden, and many people giving the state party a second look, Harris County is sure to be a major focus of those efforts. As the largest county in the state, with the most potential to tip the scales in a statewide election, what are your goals for the county in 2014 and 2016.

LL: You’re absolutely right. 1 out of every 4 votes cast in Texas come from Harris county. So yes Harris is a player, it’s got to be a player. When Harris county goes reliably blue, Texas goes blue. The state certainly can’t go blue without us. When that happens and Texas flips, there is not an electoral map you can show me where a Republican candidate can win without Texas. It would be GAME OVER for generations. So what are we going to do to expedite that? We certainly need to focus on creating a larger voter share by identifying new voters and building relationships with them. Some reports I’ve read say there are as many as 600,000 non-registered voters in the county. We focus on them, and get even 80,000 to go vote, it’s game over here as well.

TL: Of course besides 2014, we have several local races in 2013, but many of these races are non-partisan. Given that fact, does HCDP play any particular function in these local races?

LL: Yes and no. I have absolutely no intention of placing the party in a position to endorse any municipal candidate… particularly if there is more than one Democrat in the race. However, I do think there is something to be said for providing voters two things. The first is a voter guide to inform voters of which candidates typically vote in the Democratic primary, whether or not they are a sustaining member with the Democratic Party, and to share candidate views regarding important Progressive issues. I think we have a responsibility to provide those things to the voters. I also think that HCDP has a responsibility to assist in the turnout of vote. We can still inform voters of Democratic issues, and use this as an opportunity to update our list with accurate voter information. We can also assist with information about the elections, such as where and when to early vote.

TL: Good to hear that HCDP definitely has an important role even in non-partisan election years. And that brings us to my last question. Maybe it’s too early to talk about 2014, but do you see any major races shaping up?

LL: Nope not yet. No one that is going to step forward that I know of. And sure there are always rumblings, but I don’t report on rumblings. The message here is this… 2013 is an extension of 2014. We cannot sit back and idle by waiting for 2014 to come. So the actions that we take now to increase our voter share are imperative. This is where the rhetoric meets the road. As fun and engaging as it is to sit around and strategize, there are very few political strategists in the world. And we don’t need more political strategists… we need more political WORKERS. Texas is going to turn blue, but it is not going to be an event. It’s going to be a process. And that process requires hard work. If Texans participate in that process, then the event will happen sooner rather than later.

TL: And what about statewide candidates?

LL: If we expect a Senator, Mayor or State Rep to put their name out to run for state-wide office, the first thing they will look at is their ability to raise money. The second thing they’re going to look at is capacity for voter turnout. Now the problem is this… the only way they can raise money is if the answer to the second question is already there. The big money isn’t going to contribute without knowing voter turnout and engagement (the answer to the FIRST question) is already in place. So when people ask me “who have we got running for Governor?” my question to them is “How many calls have you made today? How many doors have you knocked on today?” Because if the answer to my question is ZERO, then the answer to their question will most certainly be ZERO. The money will come… the candidates will come when we’re doing our job. That job is to raise a dollar, knock a door and make a call.

TL: It sounds like quite the job, but Texans are ready. Thank you very much for your time today.

For a previous interview with Chairman Lane Lewis, check out Charles Kuffner’s Off the Kuff article from last year.

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By Dome I Think He’s Got It… An Astroplan

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One thing that typically surprises visitors to Houston? We’re actually quite the town for art. Our museum district, opera, and ballet are world-class institutions, as well as some impressive structures like the Waterwall. And of course don’t forget the Art Car Parade, and biennial Bayou City Arts Festival. Houston in fact does love art.

Which is why the latest idea surrounding the impending fate of the Astrodome is highly intriguing. A University of Houston grad student has a plan to not destroy the Astrodome, but instead turn it into a sculptural homage to the building’s unique history, and special place in the hearts and minds of Houstonians. Ryan Slattery proposes that we turn the Astrodome into a massive sculpture by stripping the structure to it’s skeleton. As KHOU states, it would be kind of like an “Eiffel Tower” of Houston.

Now this is an idea that I can support. This structure is too important to just destroy and create yet another parking lot. This would give Houstonians a great place to observe their city’s history, while enjoying sports games and the rodeo. In my opinion, we have a winner here. As a town that is already crazy for its art, this would fit the 21st century aesthetic of Houston quite well, while still leaving future possibilities in the area.

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Let’s not ban gay marriage… Let’s DESTROY it

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If you’re reading this post, it’s quite possible that you know who the author is. You may have actually seen my face, or met me in person. Maybe you’ve heard me speak, or even sing before.

It’s also possible (perhaps more likely) that you don’t know me at all. You may have encountered my blog on the Internet, and the words on your screen are the only encounter you’ve ever had with me. If that’s the case, then it’s time for me to come clean about something to you.

I’m a darky. I was born one actually… No make-up or blackface here. Just my God-given skin. Yep, I’m a darky just like Oprah, Beyonce or MLK. We’re all darkies actually. That’s me, and that is my defining concept.

Or well, maybe it would have been in the 19th century. But actually, not even then.

My point with the concept is that the term “darky” used to be quite common in the United States, but now, it’s virtually extinct. Any clue why we lost “darky” from the lexicon? It was replaced by the term HUMAN. Race has become less important as a method of defining people… It is now less important than being a person. Make no mistake, I’m still a person of a certain race, but the most important descriptor of me is that I am a person.

Ok now let’s climb out of the 19th century and enter the 20th. This week, if you’re like me, you probably heard the term “interracial marriage” more in the last 48 hours than you’ve heard it used in the last 5 years. There is a reason for that… “Interracial” marriage is a THING OF THE PAST. People just get married. Those people may be white, or black or brown or any mixture thereof, but when they get married, they don’t define themselves by being interracially married anymore. They are just married. Most of the country has evolved beyond this being an issue. We’ve also evolved from the notion that these interracials produce children that are inherently evil, or they don’t have a soul. We just look at bi-racial and multi-racial people as… well… PEOPLE. Anyone asked Mariah Carey or President Obama if they have a soul lately?

Listening to the Supreme Court hearings this week, I became very upset by the continued assertion that somehow “gay” marriage is this great unknown. The justices referred to it as “uncharted territory” and “newer than cell phones or the internet.” But for us to even suggest that there’s anything new about either marriage, or being homosexual? It’s one of most ignorant arguments I’ve ever heard. As though somehow gay people didn’t want to be married before the year 2000, when the first contemporary marriages (as defined by the court) were recognized? In every moment of human history, homosexuality has existed. And in every moment of homosexuality, homosexual unions have existed, regardless of whether they were married on a government file or not. It seems that the judges and solicitors need to educate themselves on the reality of GLBT history. I recommend John Boswell’s Same-Sex Unions in Pre-Modern Europe as a start to unlock the church’s homosexual history. Or for an even quicker lesson, read the poetry of Amy Lowell or listen to the musical works of Samuel Barber and Gian Carlo Menotti… a testament to their relationship. All were Americans, and all were gay.

So here’s my suggestion… We need to not only ban the notions of “gay” marriage and “same-sex” marriage, we need to destroy them completely. Like “darky” and “interracial”, these terms will soon be relics of the past. Every time those in support of equality even acknowledge that there is somehow a “gay marriage” or “same-sex marriage” we lose the argument. Marriage is a union of people… It’s a merger. Two independent persons take an action together, and choose to combine their lives in various ways. As is said at virtually all wedding ceremonies, “marriage unites two families, and creates a new one.”

But even within this basic understanding of a marriage, no two of them are alike. Some married couples live together. Some don’t. Some have children. Some don’t. Some are monogamous for the entirety of their lives together. Some are not. But as a greater society, we honor all of these differences and recognize these people as being in a marriage… Mostly because they say they are.

So it’s time to ask ourselves… How is the action of marriage any different between two heterosexual people and two homosexual people? Do they create a new family? Does that family live together? Spend time together? Love each other? Do those families go out of their way to help each other? Do they stay together for the rest of their lives?

The answers are the same for gay and straight couples… and there’s not one perfect answer. It’s time for us to get rid of gay marriage. People meet, they fall in love, they get married. They commit their lives to each other, and it’s DONE.

Let’s stop living in the past people. The only way to truly achieve equality is to demand equality, and nothing less. So let’s do that… Say goodbye to gay marriage.

Marriage is marriage.

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If the Golden Girls Could Come Around on Marriage Equality

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Maybe we can too.

Funny how in one sense, everything old is new again. Of course to fans of the Golden Girls, it’s no secret that the show was way ahead of its time. But here’s Blanche (played by Rue McClanahan) struggling with the situation of her brother wanting to marry a man. She finally sees the light from the simple yet profound words of Sophia (the great Estelle Getty). When all the intellectual arguments are over, we have to be reminded what’s most important.

Thanks girls…

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From ThinkProgress: A Run-Down for SCOTUS’ Marriage Equality Hearings

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The folks over at ThinkProgress have done a spectacular job on summarizing the very complicated range of possibilities for what could happen this week. As the Supreme Court has historic hearings on both the Defense of Marriage Act and Prop 8, here’s what you’ll want to look for…

How The Court Could Rule

– A Broad Decision: The best, and most obvious, decision would be for the justices to follow the Constitution and the clear command of precedent and extend marriage equality to all fifty states. It is fairly likely, however, that at least one member of the majority will be too cautious to require Alabama to follow the Constitution, even if they are prepared to order California to do so. If the justices punt on the Alabama question, the important question is whether they hold that anti-gay laws are subject to “heightened scrutiny,” a skeptical kind of constitutional analysis that will make it very difficult for anti-gay discrimination to withstand court review in the future.

— A One-Off: The Ninth Circuit proposed a way to strike down Prop 8 while leaving most other states free to engage in marriage discrimination (the court said that voters were not permitted to withdraw the right to marry once it had been established by the state Supreme Court). The logic of the ruling was thus confined to California. Similarly, two of the Court’s most important gay rights opinions relied on very narrow reasoning that advanced equality only incrementally. It is possible the justices will repeat this performance.

– Jurisdictional Dodges: In both cases, the Court could potentially rule that it lacks jurisdiction to hear the case, a decision that would cast a cloud of uncertainty over the rights of gay couples.

– A Stealth Attack: Several prominent conservatives are pushing a dangerous legal theory that would strike down DOMA on states’ rights grounds, and potentially endanger Social Security, veterans benefits and progressive taxation in the process.

– A Loss: Ultimately, however, it is important to remember that this is a severely conservative Court, and even so-called swing vote Justice Kennedy is a severely conservative justice. Equality could lose.”

They even go into detail to examine the histories of the Conservative judges. Remember how the court is currently tipped 5 to 4 in favor of Conservative views? Oh yeah, how could we forget?? Well anyway, be sure to check it out.

Houston Politics

Thanks Chris: an ‘Uppreciation’

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In the fast-paced and fickle world of cable news, dramatic programming changes have come to be expected. Networks are willing to try new ideas and push the envelope, but are just as quick to abandon ship if they don’t achieve the desired results.

Add to this the improbable selection of a virtually unknown journalist as news anchor, with an innovative but untested show concept. And perhaps most perplexing… place the show at a time slot so early that viewers literally have to set their alarm clocks to see it. All of these ingredients could have spelled certain disaster for MSNBC, but as it turned out, the 8am (7am for us devoted Central Timers!) news program Up with Chris Hayes was one of the best decisions the network has ever made.

The show started on September 17th, 2011, and quickly set itself apart with a fresh new take on political talk. As a 2-hr panel discussion, Chris Hayes created a format that had the luxury of deciphering issues with more breadth and depth than the prime-time hourlies without getting caught in the whims of the breaking news cycle. Hayes had the ability to explore issues that were not only pushed aside, but to shine an important light on issues that were sometimes missed entirely. A particular topic that stands out was a thoughtful discussion about wage abuse in the American restaurant industry, and how workers continue to be underpaid thanks to our tradition of tipping. When discussion of the environment seemed all but missing during the 2012 Presidential race, and often glazed over by most of the national news media, Hayes and his brave show pursued climate change and kept it at the forefront of the national conversation. Up “went there” and often times gave a much needed voice to the voiceless.

And yes, on occasion Mr. Hayes and his staff would even break some major news. Take this example they uncovered of GOP Congressman Paul Ryan, a self-professed Conservative budget hawk arguing for why the government MUST spend money during a recession. It exposed Ryan as a sometime Keynesian… at least when politically convenient. This clip was brought to the national consciousness thanks to the hard-working team at Up.

Finally, who could forget one of the most epic analogies to date on political television, when Hayes commented on the disturbing trend of isolationism and falsification within Conservative news media polling. He accused them of breaking rapper Biggie Smalls’ fourth crack commandment… Never get high on your own supply.

As if all of this weren’t enough, Up with Chris Hayes even started a new tradition. With each airing of the show the popular hashtag #uppers would immediately trend worldwide on Twitter, and has now become a significant force within the Liberal lexicon. And all of these feats were achieved in a mere eighteen months.

Many MSNBC viewers are excited for what lies ahead… Steve Kornacki will take the reigns for Up’s next chapter, and many are excited to see Hayes forge a new prime time venture in the network’s coveted 8pm weekday prime time slot. Great things lie ahead for MSNBC. But in it’s short history, Up with Chris Hayes is a program that deserves reflection and appreciation.

So to thee Mr. Hayes, thanks for the fascinating chapter in political commentary, and we anxiously await the next one. Though ye may be no longer on UP, ye olde fans shouldst join thee to ‘Sup.

A new tradition? #suppers

Houston Politics

Tex-o-blog-o-sphere: Blog news 3/22/13

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Here are some great reads from other Texas and Houston-area bloggers…

Charles Kuffner at Off the Kuff is examining the fate of the near-defunct North Forest ISD. Will the district fall into the hands of KIPP charter schools, or will it be managed by HISD? Either decision is sure to be very emotional.

Perry Dorrell at Brains and Eggs is covering the unique story of a Fort Bend County Tea Party Patriot that used to be an American fascist. First the Tea Partiers give us Todd “legitimate rape” Akin, Foster “acid between the legs” Friess, and now Jim “heil Hitler” Ives? The gifts really do just keep coming!

Stace Medellin at Dos Centavos is totally not impressed with State Senator Dan Patrick… especially when he tries to remove cultural History electives from Texas schools. Apparently, Patrick’s idea of educational choice is choosing to be LESS educated.

I’m getting ready for Houston’s Chapter 42 fight coming in April. And I must say, I was very happy to get some feedback from the Mayor’s Office on the issue, and will be sure to add their comments to my post when received.

And one more thing… I’ve actually conducted the Texas Leftist blog’s first interview!! Be on the lookout for it next week. Ok, and I need to figure out what exactly the Texas Progressive Alliance is. Hey, give me a break… I’m still relatively new to the blog world!!