Monthly Archives: July 2015

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…

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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, 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?

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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!!

Texas, Texas Politics

Texas Government Risks Treason By Denying United States Citizens’ Birth Rights

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As astoundingly diverse as we all may be, members of the human race do share some common denominators.  Every single one of us that is living or ever had the opportunity to live, shares this basic experience… we were born.

Duh, right?? Obviously not that much of a shocker.  But if you stop to think about it for a second, this information being a known fact has huge implications that impact the rest of our lives.  Especially with regards to citizenship– where we enter this planet also determines in essence who we belong to. Per the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, if a person is born on American soil, they are American.  No ifs, ands or buts…

Section 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Yet for some strange reason, members of the Texas government seem to think they are above the law.  As Melissa del Bosque of the Texas Observer reports, there is some disturbing news coming from the Texas-Mexico border…

For nearly 150 years, the United States, under the 14th Amendment, has recognized people born here as citizens, regardless of whether their parents were citizens.

But Texas has other plans. In the last year, the state hasrefused to issue birth certificates to children who were born in Texas to undocumented parents. In May, four women filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Texas Department of State Health Services alleging constitutional discrimination and interference in the federal government’s authority over immigration.

Jennifer Harbury, a lawyer with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, who is representing the women, said the deluge of birth certificate refusals began last winter. “I’ve never seen such a large number of women with this problem,” she says. “In the past someone might be turned away, but it was always resolved. This is something altogether new.”

According to the lawsuit, the women who requested birth certificates for their children in Cameron and Hidalgo counties were turned away because of insufficient proof of their identities. State law allows the use of a foreign ID if the mother lacks a Texas driver’s license or a U.S. passport.

But local officials, which issue birth certificates registered by the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Unit, told the women they would no longer accept either the matricula consular, which is a photo ID issued by the Mexican Consulate to Mexican nationals living in the U.S., or a foreign passport without a current U.S. visa. Undocumented Central American women are also being turned away because they only have a passport without a U.S. visa. “They are locking out a huge chunk of the undocumented immigrant community,” says Harbury.

By refusing to issue the birth certificates, these officials under direction of the state government, are technically committing treason against the United States of America.   It matters not what Texas’ opinion of the parents may be.  If they give birth to their child in the United States, the child is an American citizen, and therefore has the right to a birth certificate.  Denying Americans their citizenship has often been classified as an act of treason, and this case is no different.

Whoever is responsible for this catastrophe needs to be brought to justice, and these young Americans must not be denied their rights any longer.  Let’s hope that Attorney General Loretta Lynch or someone else from the Obama Administration gets involved.  For all the yelling and screaming that some people in Texas politics do about defending the constitution, it’s quite sad and shameful that they turn a blind eye to it now.

hosptx

(photo credit:  Harlingen Economic Development Corporation)

Texas Politics

Texoblogosphere: Week of July 13th

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The Texas Progressive Alliance does not put peas in guacamole as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff notes the first appearance of lawyers bound and determined to help a few recalcitrant County Clerks deny marriage licenses to same sex couples in Texas.

Horwitz at Texpatriate says farewell as he enters the next chapter of his life.

Lightseeker at Texas Kaos exposes Rick Perry and Greg Abbott’s myth that tort reform ensures more public access to affordable healthcare. In GOP Texas tort reform means insurance companies and corporations are the winners while real people pay the price. Abbott and Perry: Tort Reform as a Trojan Horse.

SocraticGadfly discusses the decline and fall of Walmart, especially in small towns and rural areas.

Should Sen. Bernie Sanders ultimately be eliminated from contention for the Democratic nomination, what’s the best choice for progressives moving forward, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs asks.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants everyone to know that Jeb Bush’s son is following the GOP anti-environment playbook in ploy to kill songbirds. The apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.

Neil at All People Have Value posted a number of interesting pictures from his trip this past week to beautiful Cincinnati, Ohio. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

2012 saw the Republican Party lose the Presidency once again, mostly because of their complete refusal to learn from their mistakes, and evolve. As we inch ever closer to 2016, Texas Leftist is left to wonder if the GOP learned anything from the last cycle. Given the dominance of Media Harlot Donald Trump, the answer is a likely “no”.

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

Mike Tolson hears the echoes of Loving v. Virginia in the arguments made by same-sex marriage opponents.

Paradise in Hell counts down the last days of freedom in Bastrop until the inevitable Obama/UN takeover of Texas.

Charlotte Coyle confesses her reluctant patriotism.

Texas Clean Air Matters envisions Houston as a leader in zero-emission cargo transport technologies.

Better Texas Blog celebrates beautiful, messy democracy.

Grits for Breakfast analyzes Rick Perry’s speech on race relations and criminal justice reform in the context of his time as Governor.

Bucees Texas City

This week’s feature photo is of some swag from the Texas City Buc-ee’s.  Just because it’s summer, and I like Buc-ee’s.  The hugely popular gas + knick knacks + bathrooms + everything mega-chain opened its 10th flagship store in Terrell, Texas last month. They still need one somewhere on US 59 north (soon to be Interstate 69) between Houston and Texarkana though.  Maybe just maybe founder and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin will stumble across this blog post??

Equality, Houston, United States

Houston Dash, NWSL Players Make FAR Less Than Male Counterparts

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Houston got to welcome some true sports champions home over the weekend, which is not something this city gets to claim in a regular fashion.

Fresh off of their astonishing win of the 2015 World Cup, blazing media and press victory tour, and even full-blown ticker- tape parade down New York City’s infamous Canyon of Heroes, Houston Dash players Meghan Klingenberg, Morgan Brian and Carli Lloyd rooted on their teammates to face the Chicago Red Stars.  And even with Chicago besting H-Town in Sunday’s game, it can still be counted as a “win” for the Dash, as they garnered record attendance at BBVA Compass Stadium.

But even as the whole nation celebrates a well-deserving championship team, the National Women’s Soccer League continues to endure blatant inequality.  While their male counterparts in the MLS (Major Leage Soccer) receive average salaries well in excess of 6 figures, NWSL players are lucky to earn a living wage, with some paid as little as $6,000/yr. Shocking as it seems, these numbers are not made up.  Women playing professional sports and doing every bit of the same work as men (let’s be honest… more work given that they likely have full-time jobs just to support their passion for the game, and other life needs) are literally being paid pennies on the dollar.  And need we be reminded that men’s soccer in the United States has yet to produce a World Cup championship team?

In terms of information specific to Houston, Texas Leftist could not locate published salary figures for the Dash at press time.  But as of 2013, here are the salaries for Houston Dynamo players.

After all of the focus during the Obama Presidency on equal pay for equal work, it almost doesn’t seem possible that this disparity could go unnoticed by the rapidly-growing community of US Soccer fans.  It may be true that players are doing what they do “for the love of the game” but their hard work deserves the same respect and financial security as the MLS.  So as we continue to celebrate an incredible victory for Team USA on the world stage, let’s be mindful of the battles that still need to be fought at home.

#DashOn #EqualPayForEqualWork

Houston Dash

 

 

(photo credit:  BBVA Compass Stadium)

Texas

Alamo, San Antonio Missions Become 1st World Heritage Site in Texas

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Last week was an big one for the city of San Antonio, and for Texas History.  Already of special importance to the Lone Star State, the Alamo and the original San Antonio missions have all been designated as official UNESCO World Heritage sites.  They are the first such landmarks to earn that designation in the state of Texas, and only the 23rd site in the United States of America.

Here’s more from Vincent T. Davis of the San Antonio Express-News…

Hundreds of people visited San Antonio’s five missions Monday, a day after an international panel of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated them a World Heritage Site, the 23rd in the United States.

[…]

The site includes the state-owned Alamo complex and four federally run missions — San José, Concepción, San Juan and Espada — and a ranch near Floresville.

Though many Texans have been concerned about previous wranglings over how to care for the site and guide it’s future, those issues have also seen progress.  A bill to preserve and protect the Alamo was approved by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott last month.

The new designation is expected to encourage even more tourism interest and visitation of the sites, and was celebrated by city and county leaders.  Well, except for a small group of protesters that somehow think the UN is trying to stage a takeover.

But besides the factually-inept, this is truly a great thing for the city of San Antonio, and all of Texas.  We can truly say that the entire world Remembers the Alamo.

THE Alamo

(photo credit:  D.Boone/Corbis at Brittanica Kids) 

 

Houston

Texas- Based Salata Preps For National Expansion

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For Houstonians, the fresh, fast and healthy restaurant chain known as Salata is already a local favorite.  But what many citizens may not know is that the company was actually founded in Houston by Berge Simonian and maintains its headquarters in the city.  But in the near future, this salad chain could become a major player in the fast food scene.

As Laura Furr of the Houston Business Journal reports, Salata is mixing up some ingredients for national success…

Houston-based Salata opened its first Pearland restaurant July 9 with a new design that it plans to roll out nationwide.

The newest location at 2810 Business Center Drive is the 10-year-old salad and wrap company’s 23rd restaurant in the Houston area. Its new design, including natural wood, white tile and clean lines, is meant to reflect Salata’s focus on fresh foods and healthy eating, Salata’s director of product development David Laborde told HBJ during a tour of the Pearland location.

The restaurant also features a new bar-style iced tea tap that the marketing team hopes will help create “Instagram-able moments” to potentially drive traffic to the restaurants through social media, Laborde said

The new design was developed in conjunction Houston-based Norton Creative and Austin-based Concept Services.
The chain plans to roll out the design to 10 restaurants as it expands to new markets and locations.

After a trip to the new prototype store, Texas Leftist can confirm what is discussed above. Fresh Tea and Lemonade are on tap.  And it was some very good stuff…

Salata2

 

Built on the simple concept of providing a healthy alternative within the vast fast food landscape, Salata has thrived in its expansion efforts thus far by setting the standard for easy, fresh salads, and great customer service.  Tea Tap or no, if they stick to their core principles, there’s no reason to believe the chain won’t find nation-wide success.

Have you been to the new Pearland store or any other Salata location?  Share your experiences in the comments.

Houston, Texas

University of Houston Celebrates ‘Powerhouse’ Year

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To say that the 2014-2015 school year has been a dynamic one for the University of Houston is an accurate statement. But the term dynamic barely seems to scratch the surface.  Recent years saw huge improvements in academic standing, with UH ascending to the ranks of UT and Texas A&M as the state’s third Tier One public research institution. Since then, the pace of academic achievement and investment has seen rapid growth.

The urban campus, now home to over 40,000 students and the third largest university in Texas, has endured a construction boom that could rival any mid-sized central business district.  UH opened a brand new football stadium at the beginning of the year, and it’s only the largest of over 40 major projects completed since 2010. If you’ve visited the University of Houston in recent years, you may not recognize the school when you come back.

But the building done at the University of Houston has been much more than just physical structures.  President Renu Khator and her team have done meticulous work to transfigure and elevate the University of Houston brand.  From increased visibility to aggressive social media campaigns and a new slogan, UH leaders understand that a truly great university is built with more than bricks and hammers.

This transfiguration hasn’t come without controversy.  Just months ago, UH made the headlines for agreeing to pay its celebrity commencement guest Matthew McConaughey a whopping $135,000 speaking fee to appear at the school’s first ceremony in TDECU stadium.  The large sum had many questioning Khator and the investment.  Could the university really afford such a high-stakes gamble just to recruit one celebrity speaker?

But if the unofficial motto for Texas is indeed “go big or go home”, the University of Houston’s big gamble paid off in a very big way.  UH’s 2015 commencement received world-wide press coverage which generated over $17 million dollars in earned ad revenue. McConaughey’s first ever commencement speech was one of the most talked about of the 2015 season.  This level of national press coverage, particularly for a non-athletic event, is unprecedented in the school’s history.

All signs point to 2015-2016 being another big year for UH.  With light rail service now connecting the campus to downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center, students, faculty and staff now have convenient access to the region’s vast economic opportunities.

If 2014-2015 is any indication, it does seem that UH is living up to it’s recently re-branded slogan.  The school proved itself a true ‘Powerhouse’ this year.

UH Powerhouse

Check out this youtube video recapping the big school year.