Monthly Archives: November 2015

Texas, Texas Politics

Texoblogosphere: Week of November 9th

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The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds everyone that runoffs matter too as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff gives his advice for how to re-approach the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

Libby Shaw at Texas Kaos and contributing to Daily Kos wishes to thank Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, former Harris Co. Republican Party Chair Jared Woodfill, eminent homophobe Dr. Steven Hotze, Republican smear artist Jeff Norwood and the Houston area’s prominent minister, the Rev. Dr. Ed Young, for bringing out the absolute worst of Houston. How the Good ol’ Boy Republicans, Bigots, Preachers Sold Hate in Houston.

SocraticGadfly takes a look at recently revealed Chinese cheating on carbon emissions claims ahead of Paris climate talks.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is sick of Republicans making life miserable for everyone but their rich friends. Destroying sanctuary cities and the war on public education just to name two idiocies.

The Travis County judge who was threatened by Rick Perry was shot in her driveway late Friday evening. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs believes the former governor should be considered a suspect in the attempted assassination.

Neil at All People Have Value said that everyday kindness and right behavior can be a revolutionary course of action. APHV is part of NeilAquinio.com.

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

Lone Star Ma supports Sustainable Development Goals.

The Current highlights Rep. Diego Bernal’s ability to deal with bullies.

David Ortez recaps the Houston elections.

Carson Lucarelli explains how he lives carless in Houston.

Randy Harvey remembers his sportswriting colleague, transgender pioneer Christine Daniels.

 

And the UH Cougars are currenty undefeated.  Let’s hope that continues this Saturday!!  #GOCOOGS

Houston Politics

5th Circuit Clears Way for Church Super PACS

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Remember that whole “separation of church and state”?  According to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, that’s so 2000 and late.

As David Saleh Rauf of the San Antonio Express-News reports, get ready for more activist churches moving to swing politics in their favor…

AUSTIN — A recent court ruling that cleared the way for super PACs to influence state and local races in Texas also allows churches to coordinate efforts in recall elections without running afoul of campaign finance laws, according to a federal appeals panel.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in an opinion issued last week, clarified that churches, designated as nonprofit corporations, are not only permitted to partake in campaigns to recall sitting politicians but can also form a super PAC to band together in those endeavours.

Three churches sued the Texas Ethics Commission last year claiming that a state law prohibiting corporations from spending cash in recall elections prevented them from launching such efforts in the two cities.

The churches — a San Antonio congregation, Faith Outreach International Center, and two Houston churches, Joint Heirs Fellowship Church and the Houston First Church of God — asked the court to strike down the law.

Yes, you read it correctly.  According to the 5th Circuit, church congregations have the right to spread any political message they want, raise money to defeat, promote or recall candidates of their choice, and still keep their non-profit tax-exempt status.  Basically, you can do whatever you want, as long as you’re recognized as a church!!  The US Pastor Council, the main group responsible for defeating the Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance with sinister tv ads, wasted no time taking another victory lap after hearing this new.

If your city has a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance on the books, it’s about to be in danger.  Get ready for recall petitions, “hate slate” candidates and a slew of lawsuits to come your way.

Regardless of one’s religious affiliation, this ruling should serve as an insult to the free country that Americans hold so dear.  If we give churches Carte Blanche to do whatever they want in politics, how long is it going to be before they start infringing upon the Constitutional rights of all citizens to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Ironic how the right-wing media always tries to stoke fear and falsehoods about Shariah Law… the broad-based moral code followed in Muslim communities, but taken far out of context by a few extremist groups.  The recent movement to “ban all foreign and religious law” across several states is based on Islamophobic stereotypes.

Yet with this ruling, the 5th Circuit has laid a golden path for activist churches and Christian extremists to do whatever they want in America’s political system. So if we’re going to worry about “religious laws taking over the country”, maybe we should start with efforts being done out in the open, and aided by our court system.

Houston, Houston Politics, Texas, Texas Politics, United States

HERO Election Results: Welcome to ‘HATE Town’?

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So about last night.  Katherine Driessen of the Houston Chronicle has the formal wrap-up…

Houston voters soundly rejected the city’s embattled equal rights ordinance Tuesday in one of the most heated local political contests in recent memory that drew national scrutiny and sparked months of impassioned back-and-forth about social issues, particularly transgender rights.

The decision leaves Houston the only major city in Texas and one of the few nationwide without some form of a nondiscrimination law. It also marks the third time Houston voters have rejected protections or benefits for gay residents, as they did in 1985 and 2001.

The equal rights ordinance, known by its acronym HERO, would have extended local protections against discrimination to 15 groups, ranging from veterans to pregnant women to gay and transgender residents, with the latter proving the biggest flashpoint for conservative opponents of the law. In recent weeks, the contest played out on a national stage, drawing comments from the White House and top state officials as well as media attention from a slew of top outlets.

Critics pinned their campaign on the controversial claim that the law would allow men dressed as women, including sexual predators, to enter women’s restrooms. Opponents’ most talked-about ad featured a man bursting into a bathroom stall occupied by a young girl as ominous music played in the background.

So that’s what happened.  And here’s what you need to remember, whether you live in Houston, or somewhere else in the United States of America…

Houston , Texas is a city of 2.3 million people.  Of that robust and rapidly growing number, 1 million Houstonians are eligible to vote.

Just over 1/4th of those 1 million Houstonians showed up to vote on the Proposition 1 issue.  15.7 percent of those eligible to vote in Houston rejected HERO, and 10 percent of voters wanted to uphold it.  And getting over 1/4th turnout for an off/off-year election is considered “historically high”.

Voter Apathy folks… the struggle is real.

As was pointed out in an earlier post, even this 25.7 percent doesn’t give the best gauge of what our city actually thinks about HERO, as over half of those showing up were in the 65 or older demographic.  Voters aged 18 to 24 came in at under 2 percent of the electorate, and when combined with those 25 to 34, the two groups were still under 10 percent.   At age 59, Mayor Annise Parker herself isn’t even in the age demographic that basically made this decision.   We saw some things in 2014 that were very similar.

And by the way… many Houstonians in that 65 and up  bracket did support equality, so we definitely don’t want assume the values of everyone.  But the demographic information is important to know.

Far from being “haters”, what we had here were a lot of good-hearted, mostly Senior Citizen folks that saw egregious TV ads and reacted as to them as many would expect.  Given those facts and the very long history of equality measures being defeated when put up for a popular vote, last night’s result seems less of a surprise.

To the titular question… Houston has absolutely NOT turned into ‘Hate Town’.  More like “we’re not ready” town, and “we were the latest forced to endure the embarrassment of an equality popular vote” town.  

Until we figure out how to increase Civic Engagement for Houston, Texas and across the country, we’re going to deal with elections where good ideas and candidates are defeated by misinformation and malice.  So before we battle for a new vote, maybe it’s time to double and triple the education effort.

 

Texas, Texas Politics

Texoblogosphere: Week of November 3rd

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The Texas Progressive Alliance hopes everyone took advantage of their opportunity to vote as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff noted that one way to improve turnout in municipal elections is to hold them in even-numbered years.

Libby Shaw at Texas Kaos and contributing to Daily Kos calls out Republican lawmakers for their cowardice in failing to pass a viable budget that will actually pay for things. TX Prop 7: GOP Asks Voters to Rob Peter to pay Paul.

SocraticGadfly notes that, unless the Clinton Foundation completes a massive accounting cleanup in just two more weeks, Hillary (and the other Clintons) could face a problem far worse than her email server or Trey Gowdy, and that would be the IRS.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants the world to see the 27 immigrant women standing up for themselves at Hutto immigration center.

A few late-breaking developments in Houston’s forthcoming elections were posted by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

Neil at All People Have Value took a picture of recent high water in Houston. Everyday life is interesting. All People Have Value is part of NeilAquino.com.

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

The TSTA Blog ponders the end of the standardized testing regime.

RG Ratcliffe names and excoriates the main climate villain at Exxon.

Patrick Michels analyzes Texas high school graduation data.

Paradise in Hell grades the latest GOP debate.

Better Texas Blog highlights the second year of modest rate increases for the Texas health insurance marketplace.

 

And one final question….

VOTE!!

You VOTED Yet??  

Equality, Houston, Houston Politics

Greg Abbott Opposes Houston Prop1, Forgets Minor Detail

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Is it a surprise that Texas Governor Greg Abbott is opposed to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance?  Not exactly, especially given his long record of being against LGBT Texans, equality in general and local control for cities.

But in his effort to stoke the flames of fear and falsehood, our esteemed Governor left out one small detail about the irony of his opposition to Houston Prop 1… his current place of residence.

Like the Lieutenant Governor, Mr. Abbott happens to reside in Austin, Texas… you know, the same city that has had comprehensive Non-Discrimination protections for its citizens since 2004.  Before being elected to his current position, Abbott served as Attorney General to the State of Texas

So umm, if the Governor and his family have resided safely in Austin for over a decade (assuming during that time that they also used restroom facilities), then why is it such an atrocity for Houston to implement similar Equal Protections?

Anytime you’d like to respond Governor, I am all ears.

Abbott Lies