Texoblogosphere: Week of March 29th

The Texas Progressive Alliance is sad that Rick Perry won’t come out of retirement to run as a third-party alternative to Donald Trump as it brings you this week’s roundup. (Sad for all the missed comedy opportunities, of course.)

Off the Kuff would really like to see some general election polling of Texas soon.

Libby Shaw exposes how the Republican Party cleverly foments fear and outrage among Christian fundamentalists for the sole purpose of winning. How the GOP Foments Outrage and Fear Among Christian Fundamentalist Voters.

SocraticGadfly takes a deep look at the problematic background and connections of Tulsi Gabbard, the Congresswoman and former Democratic National Committee vice-chair who resigned the DNC spot to endorse Bernie Sanders.

Dan Patrick touts xenophobic, racist memes at the border while forgetting about community building trade. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes Patrick is a Republican and that’s what they stand for nowadays.

Hillary Clinton is eager to get her war on, and PDiddie at Brains and Eggs really doesn’t want to go down this road again: war protests, war criminals, torture, disabled vets who can’t get their VA benefits handled properly, etc. and so on.

Neil at All People Have Value encountered a Donald Trump window sticker on his travels around Houston. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

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

The TSTA Blog highlights a rural school district that is trying to hang on.

Better Texas Blog celebrates the 6th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.

The Texas Campaign for the Environment advocates for a Zero Waste plan for Houston.

Paradise in Hell asks the tough questions about Ag Commissioner Sid Miller.

The Current reminds us that SBOE candidate Mary Lou Bruner is still deranged.

Austin On Your Feet lists nine barriers to building housing in Austin’s central city.

Planes

Today’s feature photo is the work of Houston artist and Texas Southern University professor Jesse Sifuentes.  This incredible Mural sits on Navigation Blvd. in Houston’s East End.

Texoblogosphere: Week of March 21st

The Texas Progressive Alliance hopes your brackets are in better shape than its own as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff looked at the legislative and judicial primary runoffs for Harris County.

When Libby Shaw learned some of the drinking water supplies in the state well exceed the federal standard for arsenic, she asked how will small government, government loathing lawmakers react? What will they do? Nothing, of course. Pretend the problem does not exist. No Worries Texas. We Can Shoot the Arsenic Out of the Water.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is disgusted to see Greg Abbott leading the charge against legal voters in Texas, but, he is not the only one. The wrongly named American Civil Rights Union wants to disenfranchise voters, too.

Socratic Gadfly, with new news about it, updates a major blog piece from last fall about the First Amendment, politicization of academics, academic freedom, and fired professor Melissa Click.

Hillary Clinton admitted to Chris Matthews that she sold her vote to invade Iraq for $20 billion, to George W. Bush. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs is glad that’s finally cleared up.

Neil at All People Have Value said that people in the Houston area should stop doing dumb things that cause wildfires. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

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

The Texas Election Law Blog highlights what President Obama said about innovation in civic technological engagement.

Juanita contemplates the sheer awesomeness of a Trump/Carson ticket.

Grits for Breakfast wants to know why the Texas Rangers seem incapable of rooting out local corruption when they are called upon to investigate it.

Ty Clevenger complains about the State Bar of Texas’ refusal to take action against Ken Paxton.

Lone Star Ma focuses on the 9th of the United Nations’ new sustainable development goals: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.”

Dan Solomon talks to Wendy Davis about Dawn Porter’s abortion law documentary Trapped, among other things.

The Makeshift Academic reminds us that Merrick Garland has a lot of company in the confirmation process.

 

Galv Bay

Today’s feature photo is from the beautiful Harris County Coastline.  Yes!  Though we sometimes forget, the same Harris County which houses Houston is actually on the Texas Coast.  This is taken from Sylvan Beach in the city of La Porte.  Formerly known as The Grove, the historic beach front park has been in operation since 1893.

 

 

Texoblogosphere: Week of March 7th

The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates all the winners of last week’s primary elections as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff explored the pros and cons of Universal Vote By Mail.

Libby Shaw contributing to Daily Kos argues that there are subtle tactics taking place at election polls, at least in Harris County, that discourage voter turnout. The Texas Blues: The More Subtle Aspects of Voter Suppression.

Socratic Gadfly says RIP to Ponzi-scheming fracking grifter Aubrey McClendon and his apparent suicide by vehicle.

So is Democratic turnout in primary elections to date up, or is it down? PDiddie at Brains and Eggs is asking for a friend.

This week’s Texas Primary went as expected for most races, but Texas Leftist was happy to see some history made as Democrat Jenifer Rene Pool became the first transgender candidate to win an election in Texas. With so much news dominated by Trump and Cruz, it’s great to have some Progress worth celebrating.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is sad to see the tuition at Texas public universities go up. Oligarchs pay low taxes and greedy lenders get more student debt payoffs. Republicans like the rich best.

Neil at All People Have Value visited the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

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

The TSTA Blog reminds us that elections especially have consequences for education.

The Lunch Tray interviews Sen. Debbie Stabenow on child nutrition.

BOR pens a letter of greeting to the new Travis County GOP Chair. And Newsdesk digs a few of the ads he’s placed in the Austin Chronicle from their archives.

Grits for Breakfast laments the results of the Republican primaries for the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Better Texas Blog explains the Texas coverage gap.

The Makeshift Academic assures us there will not be a contested convention.

Finally, the TPA maintains neutrality in the breakfast taco wars.

Today’s feature photo comes from the Prarie View Trail Riders making their annual ride to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.   The annual event is the largest rodeo in the world, and not only celebrates Texas’ rich history, but also paves the way for the nation’s future.  The rodeo is expected to award over 25 million dollars in educational scholarships in 2016.

Trail Riders

Guess we better saddle up!!

(photo credit:  Pin Lin/ Forrest Photography)

Austin’s South By Southwest Gets Presidential

Long known for it’s natural beauty and idyllic setting in the Texas Hill Country, the state capital of Austin has been a favorite gathering place for many prominent music and arts festivals. The largest of them all is South By Southwest (SXSW)… over three decades strong.

In 2016 SXSW will enter a new level of prominence as it goes Presidential for the first time ever.

Here’s info via the SXSW official announcement, written by Hugh Forrest…

SXSW is honored to announce President Barack Obama will appear as part of a Keynote Conversation at SXSW Interactive on Friday, March 11 and First Lady Michelle Obama will be the opening Keynote at SXSW Music on Wednesday, March 16. This marks the first time in the 30-year history of SXSW that a sitting President and the First Lady have participated in the event.

On Friday, March 11, President Obama will sit down with Evan Smith, CEO / Editor in Chief of The Texas Tribune, for a conversation about civic engagement in the 21st Century before an audience of creators, early adopters and entrepreneurs who are defining the future of our connected lives. The President will call on the audience to apply their ideas and talents to make technology work for us – especially when it comes to tackling big challenges like increasing participation in the political process and fighting climate change.

[…]

On Wednesday, March 16, First Lady Michelle Obama comes to SXSW Music to discuss the Let Girls Learn initiative, which aims to break barriers for the 62 million girls around the world who are not in school today, more than half of whom are adolescent. The SXSW Music Conference brings the global music industry together and offers the perfect platform to celebrate Women’s History Month, as the First Lady provides her call to action to support girls’ education.

Texas may be a decidedly Red State, but the “blue dot” that is Austin is buzzing about the President and First Lady’s upcoming visit.  And from the tone of President Obama’s weekly address, the White House seems to be excited as well…

For more on the historic appearance at “South By”, check out coverage from The Texas Tribune.

Obama Tech

 

 

Jenifer Rene Pool Wins Primary for Harris County Commissioner

With a heated Presidential Election in our midst, it is sometimes tough to keep up with important news surrounding other races.  This is particularly the case in a state like Texas, which focuses so heavily on Republican/ Conservative media to start.  But the March 1st Primary did prove to be an historic one for Progressives as well.

With over 78 percent of the vote, local politician Jenifer Rene Pool has garnered a decisive win in her Primary Race for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 3.  The victory makes Pool the First Transgender Candidate to win an election in the entire state of Texas, and one of a precious few openly transgender candidates to have won elections across the United States.  She now moves on to face incumbent Republican Steve Radack in the November 8th General Election.  (For more information on the history of Transgender Elected Officials and candidates, see the 2015 Report by the LGBTQ Representation and Rights Initiative at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, prepared by Logan S. Casey and Andrew Reynolds).

Prior to Election Day, Pool had earned many high profile endorsements from the Houston Chronicle, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, and a host of other influential organizations.

Directly from Ms. Pool, here are some comments on this truly historic win…

I was gratified last night for the tremendous show of support.  I am truly thankful that voters recognize me as a leader who can address the many serious issues facing Harris County, from our growing population to our copious infrastructure needs.  I look forward to the campaign and General Election so we can build a better Harris County where it matters.

Pool has run previously for Houston City Council.  Though she did garner over 17,000 votes in 2013, she did not move to the run-off for that election.  However this week Ms. Pool was able to garner votes from over 24,000 Texans.  In what is always assumed to be a very Conservative state, this victory is decisively Progressive.

Congratulations Jenifer!!

Jenifer Rene Pool Winner