Tag Archives: Charles Kuffner

Texas Politics

Lone Star Rising: Voter Registration Soars Across Texas

Leave a comment

“Texas isn’t a Red State.  It’s a non-voting state.”

When most people hear this, they tend to laugh out loud.  Much of contemporary American politics hinges on the stalwart truth that Texas is and will always be a Red State.  The national Democratic Party, including President Obama, haven’t spent a lot of time in Texas because of this “truth”… they view the state mostly as a fundraising tool for more competitive races in other states.  Even with strong candidates like Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte, the majority of the country has written off the quiet, but persistent work of groups like Battleground Texas.  After all, who cares how many Tweets you post saying you are doing something?  It’s not real until official numbers start to come in.

Well this week, the Lone Star State got its first indicator of whether the coordinated efforts of BGTX, Texas Democrats and other groups have made any sort of difference. It is not unfair to say that many around the country may be in for a shock.  Here’s what’s going on, starting with the Houston Chronicle…

The number of Texans registered to vote in the state’s five largest counties increased by 2 percent since 2012, a reversal of the decline in total voter registrations that was seen before the last midterm election.

Nearly 150,000 more Texans in these counties are eligible to vote in November’s election between Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis than could vote in the 2012 presidential election, according to tallies released by Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties midday Monday, the last day to register.

[…]

Voter registration groups hailed the uptick in registration before a midterm election, which traditionally sees much lower turnout than during presidential years, as evidence that their efforts to register low-propensity voters had paid off. Five percent of those voting in Harris County are new registrants.

The Chronicle is comparing totals from the last presidential year, but a much clearer comparison to 2014 would be the non-presidential election year of 2010.  This was done by venerable blog Off the Kuff, who added in El Paso County and aggregated the numbers.  He found that the 6 largest counties in Texas now account for a whopping 373,000 more voters registered when compared to 2010 (the last non-presidential election year).  Kudos to blog author Charles Kuffner on this, whose research just became national news.

Kuff’s numbers aren’t even the end of the story, as one quick virtual trip to the Rio Grande Valley will reveal.  Here’s more from Zachary Roth of msnbc.com on that…

It’s not just the state’s most populated counties that have seen registration increases, either. Hidalgo and Cameron counties in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas saw increases since 2012 of 15,000 and 6,000 respectively, according to a local news report. The area has long had low rates of political participation, but was a focus of Battleground Texas’s campaign. According to Sackin, officials with both counties told Battleground volunteers that the group had registered more new voters than any previous effort they’d seen.

And the number of registered voters in the six counties that make up southeast Texas increased from 2012 by 8,000, the Beaumont Enterprise reported.

[…]

“If Latinos and Hispanics in Texas came out to vote, we’d be talking about a completely different electorate in Texas,” Daniel Lucio, Battleground Texas’s deputy field director, told msnbc earlier this year.

If you’re noticing a pattern with these counties, then you might be familiar with this blog’s Operation Think Swing Texas post, which lines out the counties that Democrats have to focus on if they want to win this year’s and any future elections in Texas.  So here’s some research on one more of those critical counties:  Fort Bend.  Here are their numbers from previous elections, including the 2014 number obtained as of October 1st (there were so many registration forms, they are still counting)…

2010 Registered Voters: 308,985

2012 Registered Voters:  341,523

2014 Registered Voters:  362,711

Even Lubbock County, home of Texas Tech and the panhandle city of Lubbock, has seen a substantial boost from 2010 to 2014…

2010 Registered Voters: 150,291

2012 Registered Voters:  156,140

2014 Registered Voters: 157,275

That’s 22,323 more registrants than in 2012, and 60,710 more than the last gubernatorial election in 2010, with more to go.  Add Fort Bend and Lubbock to Kuff’s total without the actual numbers from the RGV, and you’re up to 433,000 more voters on the books in Texas than in 2010.  The numbers in Texas’ largest counties are now surpassing 2008 registration levels, setting the stage for possibly historic turnout in the Lone Star State.

Those living on the front lines of Texas politics can definitely tell you that something special is going on right now.  We have to be careful of making too many assumptions before the votes are actually cast.  But one thing is for sure from these totals… the first goal of groups like Battleground Texas and state Democrats has been met:  register more voters.   Now that all of these citizens are on the books, they at least have the option of making their voices heard this election day.

Let’s see just how loud Texas’ “silent majority” can get in 2014.

 

If you liked this Texas Leftist post, please consider a donation.

 

 

Houston

‘Wings’ In Houston Sparks Interesting Arts Debate

Leave a comment

Few places in the city of Houston are more public, or more treasured than Discovery Green Park.  Though it’s one of the most recent public spaces created in Downtown, the park has quickly become a destination for residents, convention visitors and tourists.

But this month, Discovery Green  has also become the sight a brewing controversy over public art appropriateness.  Now through February 2015, the park is hosting the work of acclaimed Mexican artist Jorge Marín.  The exhibit, entitled Wings of the City, is a collection of nine sculptures which depict various aspects of the human body, including nudity.  Here’s more on that from Discovery Green’s website…

For over 25 years, Marín has presented his winged sculptures in more than 200 exhibits worldwide. Wings of the City had been viewed by more than one million people on Mexico’s Paseo de la Reforma before appearing at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts, and now at Discovery Green! The allegorical and fantastic creatures portray perfection of the human body, and spark dialogue around themes of desire, will and determination with the body and mind.

The images have left many Houstonians to wonder if such a public display of this work is appropriate.  The Houston Matters panel, consisting of myself, Charles Kuffner of Off the Kuff, local illustrator Maria Heg, and Houston Public Media’s Edel Howlin serving as moderator.   Like many across the city we had a lively discussion about the appropriateness of the artwork, and whether it should be displayed in forum such as Discovery Green.  Check out the segment below…

Since the segment, I have had a chance to view Wings of the City, and must say that it is an excellent collection of works, made even more effective by strategic placements around the park.  Venue makes a difference in this context, and the art simply wouldn’t be the same if it were confined within a museum.  After viewing the work, you can count me in the group that has no problem with it.  But as KPRC Local 2 reports, there are still plenty of people, even after viewing, that do take issue.

What is your view about Wings of the City?  Should it be allowed at Discovery Green?  Let me know your opinion in the comments.

 

 

 

 

Texas Politics

TPA’s 2013 Texan of the Year

Leave a comment

Texas Progressive Alliance Names Senator Wendy Davis 2013 Its ‘Texan Of The Year’

AUSTIN—The Texas Progressive Alliance, the nation’s largest state-based association of online and netroots activists, today named State Senator Wendy Davis recipient of its Texan of the Year Award for 2013.

“Senator Davis’ actions this year made her a clear choice. Our vote was unanimous,” said Vince Leibowitz, Chair of the Alliance. Leibowitz said Senator Davis’ June filibuster of Senate Bill 5 on behalf of Texas women and the preservation of reproductive rights was a courageous action that served to galvanize and energize Texas Democrats. “Senator Davis’ courage to stand up and block this outrageous legislation helped raise awareness in Texas of the assault on a woman’s right to choose that our legislature has waged for the last decade, as well as the extraordinary measures right-wing Republicans in Texas will take both to trample the rights of women and their own colleagues in government,” Leibowitz continued.

Not only did Davis’ actions draw national attention to Texas, but her filibuster and subsequent campaign for Texas Governor have galvanized Texas Democrats. “We have not seen this kind of excitement for a non-presidential election in Texas in many years. We see Democrats are energized, organized, and ready to take back our state for the people. To a great extend, we have Senator Davis and her courageous actions to thank for this; she served as a unifying figure for our party to rally around, and her actions will both strenghten the party in the long run and serve to expand our base,” said Charles Kuffner, Vice Chair of the Alliance.

Previous Texan of the Year recipients are: Carolyn Boyle of Texas Parent PAC (2006); Texas House Democratic Leaders State Reps. Jim Dunnam, Garnet F. Coleman, and Pete Gallego (2007); the Harris County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign (2008); Houston Mayor Annise Parker (2009); Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns (2010); and the protesters of the Tar Sands Blockade (2012). There was no award given in 2011.

Houston Politics

Texoblogosphere: week of December 23rd

Leave a comment

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone a joyful and joyous holiday as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff wants to know why no one is taking responsibility for enforcing voting rights in Texas.

Eye On Williamson digs deeper into how the Democrats in Texas must move the policy discussion back to the left, so it can get to where it needs to be. More on Democratic message strategy in Texas – the Overton Window.

After the blogosphere’s sudden realization that next year’s City Council will have just two female members, Texas Leftist decided it was time for a more in-depth look at diversity in Houston’s municipal government, with some invaluable help from Charles Kuffner. And surprisingly, we’re not as diverse as we appear to be.

“What the Duck?!” asked PDiddie at Brains and Eggs. The reality show quacks opened a new front in the culture wars, and just in time for Christmas! While everyone quarreled about it on Facebook and Twitter, the US Senate quietly re-authorized the federal government to continue detaining Americans indefinitely. The real outrages again get supplanted by the fake ones, as the USA! USA! hurtles toward Idiocracy.

The Republican war on women continues with voter id cards. Who wouldn’t love to see their ex-husband’s name branded on their voter id. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to you imagine the horror.

Neil at All People Have Value said resistance to a wicked culture is an everyday thing and is hopeful. All People Have Value is part of NeilAquino.com.

Texpatriate releases a list of Best and Worst members of the Houston City Council.

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

Texans for Public Justice exposes corporate-funded campaign consultants.

Jason Stanford calls for an investigation into testing company Pearson.

Better Texas warns that the state’s navigator rules could have the (completely intended) effect of impeding health insurance enrollment.

The TSTA blog says Greg Abbott is not listening to real education needs.

New Media Texas invokes Beyonce in a discussion of how to engage millennials.

Hispanic Houston lauds the diversity of TV’s Major Crimes.

The Lunch Tray reminds us that a little preparedness can help save the life of a child that is choking.

The Lone Star Project presents Greg Abbott’s Top Five Blunders.

The Makeshift Academic ties raising to minimum wage to closing the Medicaid gap.

Hair Balls demonstrates how not to use Twitter, in a story that was broken by the TPA’s Noah Horwitz.

Concerned Citizens analyzes the federal court decision that invalidated Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Uncategorized

Diversity on Houston City Council

Leave a comment

It’s been quite interesting to see what amounts to a ‘minor freak out’ going on in the blogosphere right now. Suddenly, people are starting to realize that the Houston City Council isn’t as diverse as they expected it to be? And, particularly from a gender perspective, will be even less so in 2014. The Council, which currently has four women holding office, will be down to two in the new year.

My response to this… where was the concern before??

The truth of the matter? Houston City Council isn’t “diverse” right now… it’s still no where near parity to our actual city’s population. Four women on council is better than two, but still admittedly short of the 8 needed to be fully reflective of an even gender split. For a city that is over 40 percent Hispanic, Council is very much under-represented in that regard with just two Hispanic members. Not only will Council be losing 2 women in 2014, but it will also be flipping back to ‘majority white’ for the first time in nearly a decade. In a true reflection of the city’s racial makeup, the largest representative group should be Hispanic.

Those are just snapshot observations, but to truly understand the make-up of council requires a broader understanding. Given his expertise on all things Houston politics, I asked Charles Kuffner of Off the Kuff for some history on the subject.

Basically, Districts B, D, H, I, and K have been people of color barring anything strange. That’s five of eleven, or four of nine pre-redistricting. If District F is a non-Anglo, that will give you six of eleven (or five of nine), so you then need only two At Large members to be people of color to have parity.

Since 2003, District F has been represented by MJ Khan, Al Hoang, and now Richard Nguyen. During that time, there have been at least two minority At Large members every term except one, in 2005, when Ronald Green was it. So that was the last election that Houston had a majority Anglo Council. And [technically] Addie Wiseman, who served in District E from 2001 through 2007, was half Hispanic, though she never really identified as Latina.

In 2001, District F was represented by Mark Ellis, so three minority At Large members were needed, but there were only – Gordon Quan and Carroll Robinson. Annise Parker was also an At Large member, if that helps. However, Sylvia Garcia was Controller, and of course Lee Brown was Mayor, so I’d give 2001 a pass. In 1999 there were three minority At Large members – Quan, Robinson, and Orlando Sanchez, plus Parker, Garcia, and Brown. In 1997 there was Sanchez and Robinson At Large, but Martha Wong represented District C, so once again parity was achieved.

Interestingly, 2005… the last time City Council was majority white, was also the only term that it was majority female… 8 women to 6 men served. So by both measurements of race and gender, 2014 will be an anomaly as the most majority male and majority white Council in the 21st century.

That’s the data. But it’s important to frame all of this as an anomaly… simply a result of how the 2013 elections turned out. There were a fairly diverse group of candidates on the ballot, and certainly there is no reason to believe that the decision of voters had anything to do with race or gender. Nor does the lack of diversity serve as any indication that these Council Members will not serve the people of Houston fairly. But perhaps it should cause the city’s political community to take another look down the pipeline to make sure that people from all backgrounds remain interested and motivated in city government. That’s the only way to really ensure that the decision-makers in government truly reflect their constituents in as many ways as possible.

And one more point…

Before you go away and decide that local government is suffering from a loss of diversity, don’t forget that District I set an historic milestone in 2013. Council Member-elect Robert Gallegos will be the first openly gay Latino male to be elected in the city of Houston, and one of a handful of GLBT elected officials statewide. Here’s more from Lone Star Q…

Gallegos’ victory makes him the only openly gay Latino city council member in Texas. It also gives Houston two out council members, in addition to lesbian Mayor Annise Parker. Out Councilman Mike Laster was elected to a second term in November. Together Gallegos and Laster are two of only four openly gay city council members statewide — along with Joel Burns in Fort Worth and Scott Sherman in Pearland, according to the Victory Fund.

So even in a very odd election year, Houston City Council still finds ways to make progress.