Downtown Houston To Get First Dedicated Bikeway

Houston continues its green transfiguration with an exciting announcement.  In the coming months, Downtown will be bisected by its first official bikeway. Here’s the story from Mike Morris of the Houston Chronicle

Houston may get its first protected on-street bike route as early as October, as city officials prepare to convert a lane of Lamar Street downtown into a two-way cycling path connecting the popular Buffalo Bayou trails west of downtown to Discovery Green and points east.

The nearly three-quarter-mile connector, from the east end of Sam Houston Park to the edge of Discovery Green, will be painted green and separated from the remaining three lanes of traffic by a two-foot barrier lined with striped plastic humps known as “armadillos” or “zebras,” said Laura Spanjian, the city’s sustainability director.

Signals will be added at intersections to direct cyclists headed east on one-way westbound Lamar. Officials hope to begin work in September and open the lane in October.

Michael Payne, executive director of Bike Houston, said the 11-block dedicated lane will be a crucial link to safely get cyclists from the Buffalo Bayou trails to the well-used Columbia Tap Trail east of downtown that runs past Texas Southern University. A link from that trailhead to the George R. Brown Convention Center is under construction.

This is big news for area cyclists, who know all too well the difficulties of trying to lawfully cross downtown during rush hour or a high traffic event (while resisting the temptation to ride on the area’s extra-wide sidewalks).  It also sends a message that cycling in Houston is accessible to everyone… not just ultra-sleek, ultra-daring crowds like Critical Mass and others willing to “take over” city streets.

The ever-expanding bikeway system is yet another accolade for Laura Spanjian, the Mayor’s Sustainability Director.  When Mayor Annise Parker hired Spanjian in 2010, few Houstonians could have predicted the rapid pace of innovations and changes she would help lead in the city.  Four years later, Houston has a thriving B-Cycle program, the introduction of car-sharing services like Zipcar, rapid expansion of recycling services, leads the nation in alternative fuels production, and one of the largest bikeway networks in the nation.  As this week’s announcement proves, the work of making Houston a greener city is far from over.

Greg Abbott’s ‘Debate And Switch’

In early 2013, months before the HB2 filibuster, and before anyone was seriously contemplating the possibility of a strong Democratic ticket in Texas, I sat down with Lane Lewis, chair of the Harris County Democratic Party for an interview.  One of the things he said was regarding how to turn Texas blue…

Texas is going to turn blue, but it is not going to be an event. It’s going to be a process.

As we enter the Fall of 2014, it’s becoming clear that Mr. Lewis is absolutely correct.  Election nights are what make the headlines, and what go in the history books.  But those events are merely the sum total of an entire process… knocking on doors, making calls, contributing a few dollars here and there, fleshing out major issues, and solid use of the press. All of these things are the process by which Texas becomes a battleground state, and all of them are happening right now. After enduring years of weak candidates, Republican posers running on the Democratic ticket, gross campaign mismanagement and misdirection, Texas Democrats are getting their act together, and much faster than anyone thought they could. As a result of this process, Texans are realizing that we finally have a real choice in 2014.

On Friday, the Democrats were handed a test of their burgeoning strength when Republican Gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott announced that after originally agreeing to debate his Democratic opponent Wendy Davis, he decided to cancel the event due to “formatting issues”. This is after both gubernatorial campaigns had set up the debate on May 28th.

With the Texas Democratic Party of yesteryear, this simple cop-out would’ve worked.  After all, Governor Rick Perry got away with no debates in 2010, only to deliver a Texas-sized embarrassment on the national stage the next year.

But Greg Abbott is not so lucky.  Within minutes of his pathetic reversal, blow back from the Davis campaign, the Texas Democratic Party, Battleground Texas, and a slew of other groups was swift and insurmountable.

Once they realized that Texas wouldn’t stand for such a lame excuse, Abbott’s camp quickly fabricated a new plan… weasel out of the WFAA event (because it was sure to be televised across the state on major media outlets), and instead offer up an alternative on another area station in the hopes of dramatically decreasing viewer exposure. Doing so a month beforehand leaves TV stations scrambling to commit to even carry the event instead of their scheduled programs, and of course ruins all the pre-planned advertising for stations that have been committed since May. Yes folks… Greg Abbott is trying to pull the ole ‘Debate and Switch’.

Just so we’re clear… Abbott does not want a debate with Wendy Davis at all.  If the current trickery doesn’t work, there is no doubt that he and his campaign will concoct some other last-minute stunt.  To put it simply, Abbott is afraid.  Probably not afraid of Wendy herself, and given that he’s been a statewide elected official for a decade, he’s certainly not afraid of politics.  What Abbott is afraid of is that Texans will learn the truth about the him and his TEApublican colleagues.  He is afraid of having to answer the questions that Wendy is going to ask.  How is he going to go on camera in front of millions of Texans, tout the “Texas miracle” and simultaneously justify draconian cuts to education? What will be a “miracle” is if Texans don’t see through the lies.

Abbott’s ‘Debate and Switch’ may hinder an event or two, but it cannot stop the swing state process.  If anything, these tricks should serve as encouragement that the process is working faster and better than most would have previously imagined. Texas Republicans are in for some big surprises this November, and unlike Greg Abbott, that fact is not up for debate.

Off the Kuff and Brains and Eggs have more.

 

Federal Judge Blocks Major Provision of Texas Anti-Abortion Law

HUGE news from Texas yesterday, as the mega-controversial HB2, Texas’ 2013 law which was set to close all but 7 comprehensive women’s health facilities in the state, is given a major rebuke.  Here’s the story from the Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN – A federal judge struck down a key piece of Texas’s tough new abortion law Friday afternoon, just three days before its implementation was expected to force all but seven clinics in the state to close.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled that requiring abortion facilities to comply with the standards of ambulatory surgical centers would reduce access so much that it would put an unconstitutional burden on Texas women seeking the procedure.

“The ambulatory-surgical-center requirement is unconstitutional because it imposes an undue burden on the right of women throughout Texas to seek a previabilty abortion,” Yeakel ruled, blocking enforcement of the requirement scheduled to take effect Monday.

The ruling represents a major victory for a coalition of abortion providers who challenged the law, but it may be a short-lived triumph. The case is expected to be appealed, and the providers will have to hope to avoid a repeat of last fall, when Yeakel struck down a different part of the law only to have his decision quickly reversed by the Fifth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Ultimately, both cases could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Who knows what the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will do at this point.  But it is good to know that the lower court has once again sided with the right of Texas women to have the healthcare that they choose.

Everyone is fixated strictly on the abortion aspect of these cases… HB2’s whole purpose was to virtually eliminate abortion in only the largest of Texas cities.  But just as important here is the fact that these clinics offer comprehensive healthcare in their communities… not just abortions.  If these doctors have to shut their doors, it endangers the very lives of Texas women.  Without a community health provider to go to, are these women supposed to just put off their yearly check-ups?  Does the legislature expect someone living in McAllen or Pharr to make an expensive trip to San Antonio every year just for a well-woman exam?

It’s these very arguments that Democrats in the Texas legislature made sure to point out last summer as HB2 was being hotly debated, almost crafting a court case against the law before it was even passed. Hopefully the Fifth Circuit will look at all the evidence as well if this decision is appealed.  But for now, Texas women can be thankful that some clinics will remain open.

Music Musings: The Ride of the Valkyries (Walkürenritt)

Often cited as one of the most epic moments in all of music, there’s nothing better to get the blood boiling than the Walkürenritt from Richard Wagner’s Die Walkürie, the second opera from The Ring Cycle.  This scene open’s the opera’s third act, and takes listeners on an epic journey of sight and sound.

Most will recognize the main theme or may know Walkürenritt as a strictly instrumental piece, as it’s been widely commercialized as such.  But there is particularly special magic when engaging with the original operatic setting. Here’s a brief summary of the action from the Utah Symphony’s program notes

Act III of Die Walküre begins with the image of a rocky mountaintop flanked by storm-driven clouds. Four of Brünnhilde’s Valkyrie sisters wait there in full armor, ready to perform their noble duty – the transportation of fallen heroes to Valhalla. What follows for the next eight minutes is the most popular music Wagner ever wrote and is certainly still among the most beloved orchestral excerpts ever written by anyone.

As many in Texas have just survived a flurry of back-to-school preparations, this excerpt seemed a fitting end to the week.  Check out this stunning performance by the New York Metropolitan Opera, and recorded for DVD by Deutsche Grammophon.

Yes Dan Patrick… You Voted For School Funding Cuts

Dan Patrick, State Senator and Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, is trying to pull one over on the people of Texas.  But thankfully, Democratic candidate Leticia Van de Putte isn’t letting him get away with the lies any longer.  Here’s an EPIC press release (with sourcing) from the Van de Putte campaign…

San Antonio, Texas – In 2011, Sen. Dan Patrick voted for the budget that slashed over $5 billion from Texas’ education system.

Then, in 2013, Patrick voted against the budget that partially restored funding to Texas’ neighborhood schools.

Today, State District Judge John Dietz ruled that Texas’ system of funding neighborhood schools is unconstitutional.

Dan Patrick responded to the decision, saying, “As chair of the Senate Education Committee, I led the charge to restore most of the education funding cuts from last session.” [Dan Patrick for Lt. Governor, 8/28/14]

However, Republicans and Democrats alike can see through Patrick’s hypocrisy when it comes to funding education for Texas children.

In 2013, Senate Finance Chair Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, said, “Patrick was directly responsible for these same education programs not being funded…Such revisionism cannot go unchallenged.” [Texas Tribune,06/21/13]

And if that’s not enough for you, just listen to Dan Patrick speak for himself. He’s proud of the 2011 education cuts and even considers them an important credential for his TeaPublican bonafides. Leticia’s not making this up!!

Oh, and by the way… Dan Patrick wanted to cut teacher salaries too.  He says he wants school districts to be able to cut administrative jobs only, but admits that if they can’t reduce teacher salaries, then educators themselves will lose their jobs.  And boy was he right on both counts.  Thanks to the funding cuts Dan Patrick championed, over 25,000 Texans lost their jobs, more than 11,000 of which were teachers.  Contrary to the Senator’s claims, Texas schools could not simply “get by” after the severe cuts of the 2011 legislative session.  They lots so many jobs that over 600 districts are suing the state saying their funding levels are unconstitutional.

But thankfully this November, Texans have a chance to cut Dan Patrick’s job.  One thing is for sure… we can’t afford to have him as Lieutenant Governor.

Cut Patrick

HERO Opponents Beg Texas Supreme Court For Repetitive Action

Apparently the opponents of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance cannot take “yes” for an answer.  Even after Mayor Annise Parker already agreed that HERO will not be enforced until all matters are settled in court, the anti-equality group is not satisfied in the least.  Here’s the Houston Chronicle’s Mike Morris with more…

Opponents of Houston’s equal rights ordinance have asked the Texas Supreme Court to force the city secretary to certify the signatures on a petition they submitted seeking to trigger a repeal referendum on the law.

Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals denied a similar request on Aug. 15, ruling that the emergency writ of mandamus would have the same result as a favorable ruling in the pending lawsuit opponents filed against the city earlier this month. The plaintiffs, the judges wrote, could appeal after a ruling comes down at the trial court level.

Trial in that case is set for Jan. 19.

The new filing with the Supreme Court, turned in late Tuesday, is similar to the group of conservative pastors and activists’ previous requests. It seeks to have the court force the city to suspend enforcement of the ordinance, to put the ordinance to another vote of the City Council and, if the council does not repeal it, to put the issue before voters.

The case already scheduled for January is seeking a writ of mandamus— a court-ordered directive for the signatures to be certified, and therefore require a referendum.  But the filing to the Texas Supreme Court asks for virtually the same thing, though both sides know the January trial is already pending.

Some may wonder… if the Mayor and the City are already giving HERO haters what they want by suspending enforcement of the ordinance, why is it necessary to keep crying for a court-ordered suspension?  It’s proving to be not only a waste of time for our court system, but as Off the Kuff points out, is surely costing a mountain in legal fees.

The simple answer?  Because politics.

For one thing, the recently ousted Jared Woodfill needs something to do, or else he risks losing all relevance with the political elite.  Parker’s decision to preemptively suspend the law is a special thorn in the opponent’s side because it denies them any possible political win.  If the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance is not in effect, they don’t get to shout from the rooftops that their court order was able to suspend it.  So instead they’re trying for the next best thing… a milk-toast version of victory via paper.  In order to give their cause any hope, they are desperate for something to cling to.

It’s true that anything could happen with the Texas Supreme Court.  They may choose to take the case and push HERO to a referendum.  But even in that event, supporters are the law are ready for the fight… whether it takes place today, in January or years down the line.

See Texpatriate for more analysis on this, including a better explanation of the actual legalese.

2014 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire

It’s happening!!

As time gets closer to the November election, it is important that voters have a variety of resources with which to research candidates and make an informed decision 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 decision-making, 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 2014 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire.  Questions have already been sent out to several candidates, with a goal of covering even more in the next few days.  As responses are received, they will be published on Texas Leftist.

Here is an example of the TLCQ 2014…

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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, name your top 3 priorities you hope to accomplish for 2015 legislative session. Describe how you plan to accomplish them.

5. A 2013 survey found that 54 percent of Texas voters support Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Expansion is also supported by the Texas Hospital Association. Without Medicaid Expansion or an alternate solution, Texas Hospitals are having to provide over $5 billion dollars annually in uncompensated care to patients who lack insurance. This leaves Texas taxpayers paying not only for the uncompensated care of our residents, but also paying for expanded healthcare benefits in other states. If elected, would you support Medicaid Expansion or an alternate solution for the state of Texas, so we can bring our tax dollars back where they belong? If not, please explain why. If so, please explain how you would work to pass such a measure.

6. In the coming years, the state of Texas is projected to have a population boom of historic proportions. But with more people and more opportunities comes an ever-increasing strain on Texas roads and infrastructure. Describe your thoughts on what needs to be done to improve Texas infrastructure now so we can plan for a bright future for the state.

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

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

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The above format is going to be used for legislative races, but formats will vary for the other statewide offices.  There are a lot more races to cover than in last year’s municipal elections, but I’ve decided to give it a try.