Music Musings: Clouds- Travis Garland

He may not have reached super-stardom, but Travis Garland is a pop singer that needs to be on everyone’s radar. He was formerly a member of the boy band NLT, which also produced Glee star Kevin McHale. After NLT parted ways, Travis decided to go solo. A good decision in my opinion, because Garland has all the talent, creativity and perseverance needed to make it to the music industry’s top tier. Besides an exceptionally strong Tenor voice akin to Stevie Wonder or Bruno Mars, what I appreciate most about this artist is his willingness to experiment with unique sound combinations. His recent duet with JoJo, titled Paint, is a testament to this.

Travis Garland’s long-awaited debut album will be released on September 10th, and if the first single Clouds is any indication, it should be something to look forward too. It’s a sultry R&B cut with sound influences from the Middle East, and an infectious beat. Check out the video for Clouds below.

Ben Hall’s Biggest Problem? An Eroding Base

So far in his campaign for Houston’s top job, candidate Ben Hall has had his ups and downs… most notably some issues with the wrong type of social media, timely payment of taxes, and a dispute over what exactly counts for residency. But it’s quite possible that the biggest problem with Hall’s Mayoral strategy has less to do with him, and more to do with how his chosen base of support is rapidly declining.

Houston Chronicle reporter Bill King took a look at shifting demographics in the city’s core African-American communities. Here’s what he found

“The principal reason that Turner and Locke lost their mayoral bids was a dramatic decline in African-American turnout in city elections.

I looked at the election results in five key, predominantly African-American precincts from around the city. In the 2001 election when Brown faced a stiff challenge from Orlando Sanchez for his third term, the turnout in the general election in these five precincts averaged just less than 30 percent.

For the runoff between Brown and Sanchez, the turnout actually went up to almost 37 percent. The five precincts produced more than 5,600 votes, and Brown won more than 95 percent of those votes.

In 2003, when Bill White, Orlando Sanchez and Sylvester Turner squared off in the general election, the turnout in these precincts was about the same as the 2001 general election, but Turner got only about 80 percent of the vote compared to Brown’s 95 percent.

This was the decisive factor in Turner not making the runoff. With him eliminated, turnout in the runoff in these precincts dropped by almost half to just 17 percent.

In 2009, Locke was unable to motivate African-American turnout or rack up the margins that Brown achieved in 2001. In the 2009 general election and in the runoff, turnout in these precincts was only 15 percent, with Locke winning about 84 percent of the vote.

From just these five precincts, Turner got 1,650 fewer votes in 2003 than Brown did in the 2001 runoff. In the 2009 runoff, Locke got a staggering 3,300 fewer votes than Brown did in the 2001 runoff. The significance of this drop in vote totals is highlighted when you consider that Locke lost by fewer than 9,000 votes citywide.”

First off, I do want to state that it’s not unfair to just assume that all African- Americans will vote for a candidate based solely on race. That is of course a stereotype. But it is fair to asses that each of these candidates campaigned heavily in the African- American community… so much so that they probably saw them as their “base of support”. By all indications, the Hall campaign is following a similar path.

So what is happening that so many African-Americans are moving out of the central city, and even out of Houston city limits altogether?

For poorer citizens, the reason is simple… gentrification. Houston’s historically black neighborhoods are being rapidly torn down and replaced by an upper income, young adult class. People that used to live in 3rd ward or 4th ward can no longer afford to be there. If they own property, they are under immense pressure to sell so that developers can build the type of housing that suits the “new urban” clientele. As a result, many African-Americans are leaving Houston proper for suburbs like Pearland and Missouri City, because it’s what they can afford. NPR covered this trend in 2012 where State Rep. Garnet Coleman discussed the alarming rate at which the city is changing.

Of course the way to confirm these trends is to take a look at the census records themselves. In 2000, the city of Pearland had 37,640 people, and was 5.3% African- American… or about 2,000 people. But by the 2010 census, Pearland’s overall population had exploded to 91,252, and the African- American population swelled from 5.3% to 16.4%… or about 15,000 people. That means the city of Pearland gained a net number of 13,000 African- American residents between 2000 and 2010, a disparity that’s probably grown larger now that it’s 2013. Of course Houston’s overall population, and it’s African- American population both increased during the decade as well, but by much smaller margins than the rate of growth seen in Pearland. It’s fair to assume that as newer residents moved into Houston, some of the people already in neighborhoods like 3rd and 4th Ward were priced out. Many of the newer citizens coming in don’t share the same cultural, communal or political alliances as those there previously.

Now for richer citizens like Ben Hall, other factors are at play. He certainly can afford to live anywhere he wishes, but he chose to build a home in Piney Point Village. That could possibly be because the tax burden is lower, or just because it’s an area where many wealthy people choose to live. It’s not fair to speculate on Mr. Hall’s reasons for that choice, but it’s worth recognizing that many others have chosen a similar path. Either way, it’s fair to say that it’s a decision that many have made over the last 10 years. And if assertions turn out to be true, that’s not a good indicator for the Hall campaign.

Texoblogosphere: Week of August 19th

The Texas Progressive Alliance is ready for Wendy as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff is there with the early news that Sen. Wendy Davis is leaning towards the Governor’s race next year.

Despairing about the sorry state of Houston’s mayoral contest, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs seems to be suggesting a vote for Nobody. But not if Nobody is a Dick.

Horwitz at Texpatriate notes that paybacks are hell as a Special Prosecutor is appointed against Rick Perry to investigate coercion and abuse of office complaints.

Rick Perlstein reminds us that the right wing is playing the long con. WCNews at Eye on Williamson has the details, There is nothing new under the wingnut sun.

Neil at All People Have Value wrote that he is donating 25 cents to Amnesty International for every negative attack e-mail he gets from the Ben Hall and Annise Parker campaigns for Mayor of Houston. Neil, who previously wrote Texas Liberal, now has the website NeilAquino.com. All People Have Value can be found at NeilAquino.com.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees Rick Perry hurt Texas children once again. Perry wants to privatize public education.

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

Bay Area Houston endorses Houston Mayor Annise Parker for re-election.

Better Texas examines the effects of the 2011 budget cuts to family planning.

Jason Stanford goes all in on Cruz-mania.

Greg Wythe looks at the national backlash against standardized testing.

New Media Texas breaks out the wrestling analogies for the Houston Mayor’s race.

The TSTA Blog discusses the changes made to the process for approving charter schools.

Texas Vox points out the double standards in Texas’ water laws.

Texas Water Solutions analyzes the Legislature’s plans for water infrastructure.

Grits for Breakfast reports on another Texas official making taxpayers fund an extravagant security detail for himself.

Letters From Texas eagerly awaits the prospect of Rush Limbaugh moderating a GOP Presidential debate.

BOR reports on racial disparities in drug arrests in East Texas.

Concerned Citizens condemns the homophobic remarks made by a San Antonio Council member and some of her staff while discussing that city’s proposed non-discrimination ordinance.

Can Democrats Take Back The House in 2014??

Or perhaps a better question… do they really want to?

It’s worth contemplating because it seems that our lawmakers have something of a very short memory. At a time when Congress has hit a point of historic divisiveness and the country stands on the brink of another potential government shut down, House Democrats have remained mostly mum on the cause for all of this chaos. But Democrats are not the reason that Comprehensive Immigration reform hasn’t been passed. Democrats are not the reason that local communities are being deprived of vital funds to repair our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. And Democrats are not the ones threatening to make matters worse just to hold Obamacare hostage. All of these things are being done exclusively by the GOP.

Many are saying that John Boehner is possibly the worst speaker ever thanks to his abysmal record of not being able to influence his caucus… a problem that Minority Leader and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi never had in all her tenure. Yet, back in 2010, the GOP was able to take Nancy Pelosi’s Speakership and drag it so far through the mud that they booted her out of office.

Remember the “Fire Pelosi” bus tour? “Fire Pelosi” bumper stickers, campaign signs, pins and hats? It was a bold calculation by then RNC chairman Michael Steele to go after the Speaker of the House, and it was marvelously orchestrated. Rep. Nancy Pelosi became more hated than anyone else in Washington, and, perhaps most importantly, she became a house-hold name directly associated with all that was wrong in our government. The general public, even those that didn’t follow politics, knew that in order to “Fire Pelosi” you had to vote the Democrats out of the House. The phrase was everywhere in 2010, and the campaign was so successful in fact that it helped raise millions of dollars for the RNC. Even back in March of 2010, “Fire Nancy Pelosi” was trending on Google!! It’s a testament to the effectiveness with which the GOP apparatus operates. Who cares if the message wasn’t predicated in truth or facts? It WORKED.

Heard any talks of a “Fire Boehner” campaign? That’s because no one is even considering it. But we should be. The Republican brand is in crisis mode right now, and even the party faithful are beginning to question whether the GOP has a place for them. The National Memo even came out with a piece discussing the 5 reasons Republicans are worried they could lose the House, and Democrats should be at the ready to remind voters of these reasons. Chief among them is Boehner’s failure to act on Immigration reform. The Speaker knows that his party’s true intention for the bill is to see it die. But instead of exposing the GOP’s lies, Democrats have chosen to sheepishly hide from confrontation, and as a result, provide them cover to steal another election.

The Left has got to break this cycle of never fighting back. They’ve tried being the “nice guys”… hoping the GOP would eventually see the logic of doing the right thing. I’m here to tell y’all, it ain’t gonna happen in the House. It’s time for the party to wake up… there is a real possibility that Dems could lose the Senate in 2014. Republican control of both Houses of Congress would be unacceptable at this point. They have proven time and again that they have no interest in actually governing the nation. Eventually, the Left must admit to themselves that this kind of back-biting against the other party is necessary. We need to stand together and launch an attack on the GOP. If we don’t, Republicans might pull a fast one like they did in 2010.

Texoblogosphere: Week of August 12th

The Texas Progressive Alliance thinks sine die are the two sweetest words in the Latin language as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff believes that changing the culture is necessary to change the Legislature.

Texpatriate went undercover in Montgomery, TX to attend Brandon Creighton’s big announcement…and lived to tell the tale.

Wendy Davis gave a speech at the National Press Club this week, the major theme was “giving voice to the voiceless”. WCNews at Eye on Williamson calls it a Must see video.

Though we just passed the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, Texas Leftist can’t help but have some “pseudo deja vu” from copious hours in History class. It turns out that once upon a time, there was a significant Pro-Choice contingency in the Republican Party. Though it’s a struggle, a few are trying to push the party back towards sanity, and cease the *latest* war on women.

There’s going to be at least one debate in the Houston mayoral race, because PDiddie at Brains and Eggs got all the inside dope on it.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants everyone to know the latest dirty deal Rick Perry gave the children in our state.

Neil made his first post at All People Have Value. This blog is at Neil’s new website called NeilAquino.com. Neil is open to all comments and input from folks as he debuts his new blog and his new website.

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

Too Twisted For Color TV detailed all of the things that she and other people with disabilities have to go through to enter the Capitol. These obstacles were even more daunting during the second special session.

Jason Stanford wants Dan Patrick to keep his word and debate Thomas Ratliff about CSCOPE.

Concerned Citizens calls on San Antonio to finish the job on equality.

Educate For Texas informs us that the state of Texas hasn’t updated its Cost of Education Index since 1991.

Beyond Bones castigates the Discovery Channel for its fake “documentary” on Megalodon.

Better Texas calls the sales tax holiday “well intentioned but misguided”.

Patrick Michels crunches the numbers and concludes we are still spending less per student today in Texas than we were a few years ago, and barely more than we were a decade ago.

The Texas Green Report documents the effect of coal pollution on people’s health.

Parker Ad Fires Back: “The Man Who Wasn’t There”

If there are any political animals out there looking for a good pre-2014 brawl, we’ve got one for you down in Houston. The Bayou City’s Mayoral race just heated up. After challenger Ben Hall introduced himself to voters with a huge tv ad last week, people in the city have been wanting to know more about him. And apparently, Houston Mayor Annise Parker wants to help with that task. Here’s her first big tv ad of the season…

“Ben Hall wants to be mayor of Houston, but he hasn’t bothered to vote in a city election in 11 years. In fact, Hall didn’t even live in Houston. Just last year he bought a house inside the city so he could run for mayor. When Houston was hurting in the recession, Hall offered no vision, no ideas and no leadership. Now that things are good, he’s back. Ben Hall really wants to be mayor. He just didn’t want to live here.”

The ad claims that Ben Hall hasn’t lived in Houston for eleven years, and cites two Houston Chronicle articles… one of which is located here. It’s mostly good-ole American oppo slandering, but done in an admittedly effective way. Though Of course Mr. Hall’s response is likely to be that he’s been a Houston property owner the whole time, regardless of where he actually resided. But the point about taxes, especially given Hall’s well-known trouble with paying what tax he owes very late, is one that will likely have some resonance. The fact that Hall has paid to another city means revenue lost to Houston. I stumbled upon this 2011 Houston Chronicle article from Rick Casey talking about then-prospective candidate Hall…

Two years ago [2009], attorney Benjamin Hall announced that he was going to announce for mayor but then un-announced his pre-announcement.

One potential impediment was that he didn’t actually live in Houston. He lived in an 8,000-square-foot house in suburban Piney Point Village with a tax appraisal of $2.9 million.

With Piney Point’s tax rate at a third of the city of Houston’s, had Hall’s house been in Houston last year our deficit would have been about $12,000 less.

Hall has yet to announce this year, but he did change his address for voter registration purposes to his law office on Lovett Street in Montrose.

I’m honestly surprised to see such a heavy-hitter in August, especially given how small of an ad buy the Parker campaign used… $25,000 compared to a massive $500,000 for Hall’s venture. Maybe more Houstonians will find it from friends or on YouTube, but for those who only get their election information via TV, it can’t be effective until its actually seen.

My thoughts on this… To put it simply, investment in a city matters. Whether that investment is through money like property and sales taxes, or through engaging in that city’s political process with a vote, both are important. For affluent citizens like Mr. Hall, where you live is most definitely a choice, and he chose to live and invest in the citizens of Piney Point Village. Of the property he did own in Houston, Hall was very late paying his taxes to support citizens of the city he now wants to run. It’s kind of unsettling to think that Hall was perfectly content as a Piney Point Village resident, and basically didn’t vote for Houston’s leadership during the time. It also plays into the issue Mr. Hall seems to be have with revealing specific things that he would do differently from Mayor Parker that would make the city better. If he hasn’t been a city constituent for 12 years, does he have a true grasp of all the issues, or how Houston was able to weather the economic recession? Does he realize that at a time when every tax dollar counted in a fight to save Houston jobs, protect Houston neighborhoods and educate Houston school children, his contribution to that effort was decidedly and noticeably absent? Yet another factor to weigh as we approach this November’s elections.