Tag Archives: Houston 2015 municipal elections

Houston Politics

TLCQ 2015: Joseph McElligott

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In the Twelfth installment of the 2015 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire we hear from Joseph McElligott,  candidate for Houston City Council, At-Large Position 3.

Please note: Responses are directly from the candidate, and have been posted ver batim from the email received. This is done out of fairness to all candidates. Publishing these responses does not constitute an endorsement, but may be considered during the endorsement process.

 

TL:  What is your name, as it will appear on the ballot?

JM:  Joseph McElligott

 

TL:  As a political candidate, you clearly care about what happens in certain levels of government. In your own words, why is government important?

JM:  Government is important, but more important is transparency and cost effective ideas.  Many politicians like to use catchy phrases like “revenue cap” or “taxpayer bill of rights”. Houston refers to it as the revenue cap while other cities and states call it TABOR. (taxpayer bill of rights. As is to be expected with most politicians, the current formula used for the city of houston budget is neither a cap nor a bill of rights. Instead it is a corporate hand out and places the city budget on the backs of the veterans, poor and middle class.

The easiest way to solve the city of houston financial issue is to repeal the revenue cap. It would only cost taxpayers $12.27 per year, per home. Colorado is having serious problems in regards to infrastructure, education and revenue in regards to TABOR (taxpayer bill of rights).

 

TL:  If elected, what is your top priority in office for the upcoming term? Describe how you plan to accomplish it.

JM:  Educate voters about the stupidity of TABOR and put it on the 2017 ballot to be repealed.

 

TL:  After decades of deferred maintenance and neglect, Houston’s infrastructure is in a critical state of disrepair. Ask any driver, cyclist or pedestrian, and they can readily tell you that city streets and sidewalks are crumbling… some to the extent that they pose significant danger to those that would traverse them. The Parker Administration has attempted to address the problem by the voter-approved ReBuild Houstonprogram. Knowing that the next Mayor has no choice but to invest in city infrastructure, do you support the continuation of ReBuild Houston?  If yes, please explain why.  If no, please explain how you would address our copious infrastructure needs differently.  

JM:  I support repealing TABOR.  The elephant in the room is TABOR and getting it repealed, the state of Texas already has a TABOR. It’s either present years value or last years value plus 10%, this is more than reasonable.  The reason we just now hit the TABOR ceiling is because it was enacted in 2004, the recession started in 2007/2008 and we “came out” of the recession in 2013/2014.

 

TL:  At present the city of Houston has one of the strongest forms of “strong-Mayor governance” in the state of Texas, to the point that the Mayor alone decides what business comes before City Council. If elected, would you support an amendment to the City Charter that would allow any coalition of 6 Council Members to place items on the Council Agenda without prior approval from the Mayor? Whether yes or no, please explain your answer.

JM:  I believe this needs to be further explored.  There are 16 council members total.  I believe a simple majority could also be explored and could be viewed as more democratic.

 

TL:  If elected, would you support and seek to continue the current administration’s Complete Streets policy, which establishes that any new or significant re-build of city streets will work to prioritize and incorporate safe access for all road users, including pedestrians, persons with disabilities and cyclists?  

JM:  Yes, but again we can’t do this without repealing TABOR.

 

TL:  What makes you the best candidate for this office?

JM:  I’m the only candidate in at-large 3 with a public policy platform that discusses each issue in depth and offers 2-3 solutions for each one.

 

TL:  When not on the campaign trail, how do you like to spend your free time?

JM:  Spending time with family

 

Thanks to Mr. McElligott for the responses.

Election Day 2015 is Tuesday November 3rd, and Early Voting runs from October 19th through October 30th.  Check out this year’s Harris County Early Voting information for locations and times.

jm

 

 

 

Houston Politics

TLCQ 2015: Philippe Nassif

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In the First installment of the 2015 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Philippe Nassif, a candidate for Houston City Council, At Large position 5.

Please note: Responses are directly from the candidate, and have been posted ver batim from the email received. This is done out of fairness to all candidates. Publishing these responses does not constitute an endorsement, but may be considered during the endorsement process.

 

TL:  What is your name, as it will appear on the ballot?

PN:  Philippe Nassif

 

TL:  Are you a current or former elected official? If so what office(s)?

PN:  I am not. I am a first time candidate.

 

TL:  As a political candidate, you clearly care about what happens in certain levels of government. In your own words, why is government important?

PN:  Government is important not simply because it provides us as individuals with certain services and benefits, but also because it is the primary way to promote important values that are good for us and that is in the public interest.  Values such as Justice, Liberty, and Equality are important for all of us and government is here to protect and promote them for all of its citizens.

 

TL:  If elected, what is your top priority in office for the upcoming term? Describe how you plan to accomplish it.

PN:  My first priority in office would be to convene state and local elected officials after declaring Houston in an state of  “ traffic emergency” to  figure out quick and efficient practices the city can do with the resources we have to fix our traffic and pothole issues. This coalition will work with other transportation groups to see what has worked in other cities and states around the country and put those into our best practices, as we involve all levels of government and community organizations. The end result would be an overhaul of speed limits in neighborhoods, promoting bus usage, light rail planning, debris free roads, bike lanes and biker safety, and better planning for our highway systems to meet a booming population.

 

TL:  After decades of deferred maintenance and neglect, Houston’s infrastructure is in a critical state of disrepair. Ask any driver, cyclist or pedestrian, and they can readily tell you that city streets and sidewalks are crumbling… some to the extent that they pose significant danger to those that would traverse them. The Parker Administration has attempted to address the problem by the voter-approved ReBuild Houston program. Knowing that the next Mayor has no choice but to invest in city infrastructure, do you support the continuation of ReBuild Houston?  If yes, please explain why.  If no, please explain how you would address our copious infrastructure needs differently.   

PN:  I support ReBuild Houston, however there needs to be an increase in transparency so that Houstonians can be confident that funds are being spent efficiently.  I would like to see it strengthened in order to accommodate our rapidly growing population and increasing drive towards urbanization and densification. I would also like to see ReBuild Houston projects advance in low income communities where investment in infrastructure is needed most.

 

TL:  At present, the city of Houston has one of the strongest forms of “strong-Mayor governance” in the state of Texas, to the point that the Mayor alone decides what business comes before City Council. If elected, would you support an amendment to the City Charter that would allow any coalition of 6 Council Members to place items on the Council Agenda without prior approval from the Mayor? Whether yes or no, please explain your answer.

 PN:  I would most certainly support such an amendment. A healthy democracy is one that is characterized by debate and the free exchange of ideas. It is difficult for our city government to fully function and effectively carry out its duties if City Council is unable to even place an item on the agenda. I believe the time has come for us to correct this issue and empower City Council to play the role it is intended to play in order to better serve the people of Houston.

 

TL:  If elected, would you support and seek to continue the current administration’s Complete Streets policy, which establishes that any new or significant re-build of city streets will work to prioritize and incorporate safe access for all road users, including pedestrians, persons with disabilities and cyclists?  

PN:  I would absolutely continue to seek the complete streets policy implementation and support it in full. We need to repair our infrastructure and in that same process modernize it by making it more pedestrian and cyclist friendly.

 

TL:  What makes you the best candidate for this office?

PN:  Both of my parents immigrated to the United States. My father came in the 1970’s from Lebanon and my mother came from Mexico. They raised me along with my two siblings with a philosophy that we have to give back to the country that welcomed them and allowed them to build their career and family, and also to respect all viewpoints and beliefs of those around us. I am running for Houston City Council At-Large Position 5 because I want to serve the people of Houston and give back to the city that has given myself and my family so much. At-large position 5 is currently held by an incumbent who has continuously voted contrary to the interests of the majority of Houstonians. He took office promising Houstonians that he would serve the public and move our city into the future, but has instead voted against our interests time and time again, such as his vote against HERO, vaccinations for underserved children, fixing potholes, and other major infrastructure issues. What we need is a leader who will listen to the people, lead on issues that matter to Houston, and serve the public and not work against it. At-Large members should be in the community, looking at the larger policy issues that affect all of Houston, not hiding in city hall. I will be a community focused at large member who will stand shoulder to shoulder with the all Houstonians and working people, ensuring our rights are respected, our economy continues to grow, that people are safe, and our infrastructure is sound. This is why I believe I am the best candidate for Houston City Council At-Large Position 5.

 

TL:  When not on the campaign trail, how do you like to spend your free time?

PN:  I spend my free time with my girlfriend and family enjoying Houston’s many amenities! Experiencing Houston’s booming restaurant and café scene with friends and family is one of my favorite things to do. I also enjoy biking along buffalo bayou, running in memorial park, and other outdoor activities. I have been a lifelong martial artist and practice Muay Thai at Houston Muay Thai in downtown, in addition to going to the gym regularly. And I am a big reader as well!

 

Thanks to Mr. Nassif for the responses.

pn

Houston, Houston Politics

2015 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire

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Now that we’ve officially made it to the hot, yucky part of Houston summer, it’s time to add to the list of indoor activities and hone in on this year’s municipal elections.

As time gets closer to Election Day (being held November 3rd, 2015 for the Houston Municipal elections) it is important that voters have a variety of resources with which to research candidates and make informed decisions when they go to the polls.  One of the best ways to obtain that information is to ask the candidates directly. Not only  do these questions help voters in their choices, but they also help inform politicians of what their legislative priorities should be.  Sometimes they even influence policy directly.

For all of these reasons, I am happy to announce the 2015 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire (TLCQ).  Questions have already been sent out to several candidates, with a goal of covering even more in the near future.  As responses are received, they will be published on Texas Leftist.

Here’s the 2015 Questionnaire, in format for the Municipal races for Mayor and City Council.  The Questionnaire will be amended for City Controller, HCC and HISD races…

==================================================

1.  What is your name, as it will appear on the ballot?

2.  Are you a current or former elected official? If so what office(s)?

3.  As a political candidate, you clearly care about what happens in certain levels of government. In your own words, why is government important?

4.  If elected, what is your top priority in office for the upcoming term? Describe how you plan to accomplish it.

5.  After decades of deferred maintenance and neglect, Houston’s infrastructure is in a critical state of disrepair. Ask any driver, cyclist or pedestrian, and they can readily tell you that city streets and sidewalks are crumbling… some to the extent that they pose significant danger to those that would traverse them. The Parker Administration has attempted to address the problem by the voter-approved ReBuild Houston program. Knowing that the next Mayor has no choice but to invest in city infrastructure, do you support the continuation of ReBuild Houston?  If yes, please explain why.  If no, please explain how you would address our copious infrastructure needs differently.   

6.  At present, the city of Houston has one of the strongest forms of “strong-Mayor governance” in the state of Texas, to the point that the Mayor alone decides what business comes before City Council. If elected, would you support an amendment to the City Charter that would allow any coalition of 6 Council Members to place items on the Council Agenda without prior approval from the Mayor? Whether yes or no, please explain your answer.

7.  If elected, would you support and seek to continue the current administration’s Complete Streets policy, which establishes that any new or significant re-build of city streets will work to prioritize and incorporate safe access for all road users, including pedestrians, persons with disabilities and cyclists?  

8.  What makes you the best candidate for this office?

9.  When not on the campaign trail, how do you like to spend your free time?

===================================================

With a plethora of strong candidates across several races, voter information is more important than ever for 2015.  Check here for the responses as they come in, and for endorsements closer to election time.

Along with Texas Leftist, be sure to check out the Off the Kuff 2015 elections page, as Kuff has already begun his interview series.

Ok Houston voters, y’all know what to do. It’s your municipal government, so…

come and take it houston3

 

#KnowBeforeYouVote!!

Houston Politics

On the Road Again: Turner Enters Houston Mayor’s Race

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Most people are guided by an old idiom… “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”  Implied within is the assumption that even the most challenging tasks are worth at least three attempts.

That saying has now proven to be the case for State Representative Sylvester Turner, whom finally revealed Houston’s worst kept political secret this week.  Via campaign press release, he’s running for Mayor and bringing some big ideas with him…

State Representative Sylvester Turner announced his candidacy for Mayor of Houston this morning – and immediately proposed a new “Road to the Future” initiative to teach young Houstonians a combination of vocational and life skills they need to become employable while providing on-the-job training repairing Houston’s streets and roads.

“We all need smoother streets,” said Turner. “But we also need to build better roads to the future for so many of our young people who are being left behind. I know we can do both.”

[…]

As part of the Road to the Future initiative, Turner will bring together community colleges, businesses, labor unions and non-profit organizations to create a combination of classroom instruction and structured summer jobs, after-school jobs, after-high-school jobs and bridge jobs – real jobs with real skills that will help make the promise of Houston real for every Houstonian.

Turner said his priorities as mayor will include a top-to-bottom performance review of the city’s Department of Public Works and implementation of a quick-fix program for potholes; stepping up community policing efforts and improving relationships between HPD and communities of color; and addressing economic inequality through increased support for schools and better aligning community college-based workforce training with actual private sector job needs.

A veteran of Texas politics, this latest declaration follows a 12 year gap between his last run for Mayor in 2003, and a 1991 run 12 years before that.

Turner is entering the race with some important advantages, certainly not the least of which is the bold new jobs proposal discussed above, and in his first campaign video.  It may be no coincidence that the candidate’s Road to the Future proposal holds some similarities with a recent partnership formed by the city (via the Houston Airport System) and local community colleges.  The process Turner has put on the table is taking much of what Mayor Parker and CM Jerry Davis outlined, but applying it to other areas of city infrastructure.  But the major attribute of Turner’s plan is that it could occur all across the city, instead of having to transport participants to one training site like IAH.  Even if it doesn’t end up happening, it’s smart politics to start off the race with big ideas that are going to get noticed.

But along with big ideas, Sylvester Turner has also proven he can bring the big bucks.  As the Houston Chronicle‘s Theodore Schleifer reports, Turner has a huge fundraising advantage over other mayoral candidates right out of the gate.

On Friday, Turner is expected to name David Mincberg as his campaign treasurer of his mayoral account and inform the Texas Ethics Commission that his legislative account is effectively closed. He will begin the mayoral race with $900,000 of that $1 million to spend, according to his campaign, a head start that motivated a still-alive challenge by one of Turner’s opponents, Chris Bell, who argues that Turner is violating city campaign laws.

Who’s to say if fellow candidate Chris Bell’s complaints will gain any traction.  And of course anything can happen in the next 9 months.  But for today, the road ahead of Sylvester Turner appears quite promising in his run for City Hall.  We’ll all have to wait to find out if the 3rd time truly is the charm.

Houston Politics, Politics

SCOTUS Takes Up Landmark Pregnancy Discrimination Case

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In recent times, there has been a large amount of focus on discrimination waged against certain classes, particularly the LGBT community and certain racial groups.  But while it may not be as widely discussed, many Americans also face discrimination during a very important part of their lives… pregnancy.  What is should be a joyous time in a woman’s life is all too often one of the most dangerous situations for their professional career, as many employers have a long history of discriminatory practices against young mothers and mothers-to-be.

But a big move by the nation’s highest court will bring pregnancy discrimination into the national focus over the next year.  Here’s more from the Houston Chronicle (via AP)…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is taking up a pregnancy discrimination case with the potential to affect many American women who continue to work throughout their pregnancies.

The case before the justices Wednesday involves a former driver for United Parcel Service who wanted a temporary assignment to avoid lifting heavy packages after she became pregnant in 2006.

UPS refused to accommodate driver Peggy Young, who did not return to work until two months after she delivered her baby.

The court is weighing whether the company’s actions violated the 36-year-old federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

Young says she should have been offered light-duty work because some UPS workers were.

The Atlanta-based package delivery company says it will voluntarily offer pregnant women light duty starting in January. But the company contends it complied with the law in Young’s case.

The question at the Supreme Court is whether UPS was required to accommodate Young, 42, because it gave temporary assignments to some workers, including those who were injured on the job or had a condition that was covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act.

[…]

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is among those on UPS’ side. The chamber says many of its members do provide additional benefits to pregnant workers, but says policies at thousands of companies would be upended if the court were to rule for Young. Lower federal courts have rejected her claim.

Since the justices agreed in July to hear the case, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated guidance to employers to make clear that they should accommodate people in Young’s situation. Yet the U.S. Postal Service, an independent federal agency, maintains the practice that UPS has now abandoned, UPS said in court papers. The Postal Service declined to comment.

So while the Obama Administration has done more to protect pregnant with strengthened EEOC guidelines, a SCOTUS decision favoring the plaintiff could cause a landmark shift in the way companies treat pregnant employees.

Barring potential outcomes of the court case, there are still many state and local protections that go above those outline in the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.  When Houston City Council passed the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance earlier this year, pregnancy was included as one of the protected classes to combat discrimination in the workplace, housing and public accommodations.   This ordinance not only clarifies that discrimination is illegal in Texas’ largest city, but also gives Houstonians increased accessibility to file discrimination complaints.  And despite any of the copious lies out there, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance does NOT allow men to enter women’s bathrooms!!  Not a part of this law in any way.

HERO faces its own court challenge January 19th to determine whether the new law will be forced to face a recall.   Meanwhile after hearing the case today, a SCOTUS decision isn’t expected until June.

Houston, Houston Politics

Houston City Council Proposes 2015 Charter Amendments

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Many that follow Houston municipal government have expected a charter amendment proposal to remove the city’s voter-imposed revenue cap on taxes.  With rapid growth and exploding property costs, most Houstonians understand that the cap hinders the city’s ability to carry out basic functions.

But as Texpatriate reports, City Council is doesn’t plan to stop with just the one charter amendment for the upcoming elections…

Texpatriate has learned that the Houston City Council’s ad hoc “charter review committee” has assembled a memorandum of four proposed rule changes to the city’s constitution-like document and plans on holding a public hearing on the matter. On December 4th at 1:00 PM, a week from tomorrow, the council will hold a public hearing on these four proposals, which I will delineate below. Additionally, to call it a “committee” is a misnomer, as the whole council sits on this special group. Mayor Pro Tem Ed Gonzalez (D-District H) will preside.

The four proposals were initially suggested by City Councilmember C.O. Bradford (D-At Large 4). They are eliminating the so-called “revenue cap” for local property taxes, allowing for secret sessions of the council, modifying term limits and allowing a coalition of at least six councilmembers to add agenda items.

Removal of the municipal revenue cap seems to have support on both sides, so it is unlikely to stoke much in the of controversy as Houstonians head into November 2015.

But the proposal for term limits is a somewhat different matter.  Many expect the committee to propose shifting limits of the Mayor and City Controller from a maximum of three 2-year terms to a maximum of two 4-year terms.  This would not only lower the number of elections these public servants have to endure, but would also increase the total amount of time they could serve in office by 2 years overall.  There are points to be made on both sides of the issue. Points in favor would be that fewer elections means more time for governing and more experienced office holders. In opposition would be that the elected official doesn’t have to be held accountable to the public as often for their actions.  In a constituency as large and diverse as Houston, I tend to believe that our elections are important enough to hold every two years.  Rather than reform the frequency of when elections occur, it would be a better idea to reform how they are held– i.e. campaign finance restrictions that level the playing field.

On the other hand, allowing a contingency of Council Members to place an item on the meeting agenda without prior approval of the Mayor seems not only reasonable, but long overdue.  It is a way to go about the people’s business in a more efficient and direct manner.

For all of the positive that would come expanding agenda abilities to members of Council, the proposal to allow secret sessions of City Council seems confusing at best.  As Texpatriate pointed out, it has potential to cause conflict with the open meetings act of the Texas Constitution.  Of course the other side to that is many Council Members feel that the open meetings act is actually too restrictive– they’re not allowed to even informally discuss an issue if not convened in an official meeting.

All of this to say that November 2015 looks to be yet another very important election for Houstonians.  There won’t be a President or Governor on the ballot, but the new Mayor, Council Members and whatever charter amendments are passed could have a huge impact on the city.