Tag Archives: Brenda Stardig

Houston Politics

Stardig Against Equal Rights Ordinance

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Houston City Council Member Brenda Stardig has finally revealed how she plans to vote on the proposed Equal Rights ordinance. In a District A newsletter, here’s what she said about the proposed ordinance…

Thank you for your recent email about the proposed equal rights ordinance.  While most Houstonians and I agree that discrimination of any kind is wrong, this proposed ordinance does nothing more than duplicate existing laws, add bureaucracy, and highlight the city’s endless overstepping of their jurisdiction.

The real question is not whether or not someone should be discriminated against. The real question is: What is the proper role of municipal government?  Cities are created to provide basic services such as water, sewer, fire and police protection, and infrastructure.  Cities are not created to govern comprehensive issues like discrimination.  We have different levels of government for a reason, and it is imperative that each level does not exceed their jurisdiction.

If passed, this ordinance would create a new bureaucracy for the city to address discrimination complaints.  Houston would have to expand government to handle the same issues already funded for and overseen by the state and federal government.  It is incomprehensible to me how the city can waste our time and your tax dollars to duplicate these services.  There are still pot holes, road repairs, and additional police and fire needs to which your city tax dollars should be allocated.

Cities should stick to what they were created to do. I was elected to represent my district on city matters, and I will not stand for the city overstepping their authority.

Sincerely,

Brenda Stardig

Houston City Council Member, District A

It’s not exactly a surprise that Stardig would choose to vote against the ordinance.  After all, she did just reclaim her seat from Fringe-Right phenomenon Helena Brown. But of all the issues for Stardig to choose to prove her ‘Conservative’ bonafides, this is a choice that could ultimately come back to haunt her. Groups like the Log Cabin Republicans of Houston, which endorsed the Council Member and were some of her strongest supporters and campaign volunteers in the 2013 election against Brown, are reconsidering those actions now.  Here’s what the organization had to say in a press release…

The Log Cabin Republicans was shocked and saddened to hear about Council Member Stardig’s statement of opposition to the proposed Equal Rights Ordinance. The ordinance, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, is a fair minded and solid proposal.

Council Member Stardig’s recent statement of opposition is based on the falsehood that these protections already exist in federal law. As it stands any Houstonian can be fired for no other reason than being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.

It saddens us that despite receiving our endorsement, hearing the stories of those who have faced discrimination, and telling us that she did not believe in discrimination, Council Member Stardig has stood up for the right to discriminate.

We call on Council Member Stardig to reconsider her opposition which stands on the wrong side of history and equality.

Stardig’s decision may seem sensible in the short-term, but it’s a foregone conclusion that equality is supported by young adults across the political spectrum.  From ultra Liberal to staunch Conservative, they believe in the rights of anyone to be protected from discrimination, and have the same opportunities as anyone else.  As more Millennials become regular members of the voting citizenry, politicians should consider carefully how they treat these issues.  This will be a campaign issue for Brenda Stardig.

For more on this and other NDO developments, check out coverage from Texpatriate and Off the Kuff.

Stardig

(photo credit:  ABC 13)

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Houston Runoff Elections: Less of the Extreme

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Over the weekend, the winds of change blew through the halls of Houston and HCC municipal governance. In Saturday’s runoff election, turnout was expected to be light and that certainly proved to be true. With a meekly 4 percent of overall voter turnout, some of the most contested races of the year were decided. Given that such a small number of voters lent their voice to the runoff, it’s hard to garner any real indications of how this reflects the city’s political trend map. But one thing is for sure… people who vote in runoff elections are the most determined voters you will find anywhere.

There is no better evidence for this fact than in Houston’s District A. In 2011 Tea Party Challenger Helena Brown, armed with a bevy of anti-government, anti-establishment voters, defeated then- Incumbent Council Member Brenda Stardig by 605 votes. In the year and a half that followed, district residents got to know Council Member Brown as being true to her word. After racking up an extraordinary record rejecting even the most mundane city business, District A citizens (at least those precious few that voted in the December 14th runoff) decided that they have had enough, rejecting Brown’s extremism and reinstating Stardig to her former seat. Interesting what honesty in politics gets you these days.

Though At Large 2 Council Member Andrew Burks is far from a ‘right-wing extremist’, he is known for some measures of extremism just the same. In his first term, he had several instances of berating constituent speakers that disagreed with him, and perceived hostility toward some of his elected colleagues. These very public shows of difficulty certainly didn’t do him any favors during the 2013 election, but finally on Saturday, they may have proven to be his downfall, as Burks was defeated by challenger David W. Robinson. Once again, extremism lost out.

Perhaps the most fiery race of this years election season was in District I. Prior to the November elections, four candidates fought hard to encourage turnout in the low-performing district, and each candidate ended up with close to equal shares of the votes. So much so in fact that only 25 votes separated second-place finisher Robert Gallegos from 3rd place Ben Mendez. But a second-place finish turned out to be the right prescription, as Robert Gallegos defeated Graci Garces in the runoff election, and will now represent the citizens of District I.

There were some less exciting race results as well. In District D, frontrunner Dwight Boykins went on to handily defeat Georgia Provost. Adriana Tamez, who was the top vote-getter in the General Election, went on to oust incumbent Herlinda Garcia for HCC District 3. Zeph Capo won the HCC seat for District 1 by defeating incumbent Yolanda Navarro- Flores, and Robert Glaser retained his top position and went to win against Phil Kunetka in HCC District 5. Even with the defeat of 2 incumbents, these races at least gave an indication of what may occur from the General Election totals.

But to have a runoff election that results all 4 incumbents beaten? To say the least, it’s an anomaly. Or perhaps (particularly in the case of City Council), the anomaly was actually 2011, and 2013 was simply a course correction back to less of the extreme. Texpatriate, Off the Kuff and Brains and Eggs have much more.

Only time will tell. But for now… so long Helena Brown.

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TLCQ 2013: Endorsements in City Council Districts A-E

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Municipal government may not have the huge budget that Texas lawmakers do in Austin, but as a $4.9 billion-dollar entity, Houston’s city budget is still larger than many countries around the world. The Bayou City is one of the world’s economic powerhouses. As such, being a City Council Member is a big job.

District A is sometimes considered Houston’s “most Conservative”, at least when one considers who shows up to vote in elections. Given this fact, it’s fair to say that the persons challenging incumbent Council Member Helena Brown live up to the political philosophies of their constituents. The field has a wealth of strong candidates, including newcomers Ron Hale and Amy Peck. But former Council Member Brenda Stardig seems the most determined to win back the seat. And it is a seat that she deserves to win back. Brown is no longer an unknown entity spewing rhetoric… she has a record of stiff opposition to various types of investment, and has proven herself to not be cooperative member on Council. Brenda Stardig did a much better job during her brief tenure. The pick for District A is former Brenda Stardig.

As one of Houston’s most underserved communities, District B is an area with great challenges, but also great potential. What’s been needed for a long time there is a politician that’s not there just to point out the issues, but one that can be a true community member and set good examples for the constituency. Council Member Jerry Davis is off to a fantastic start. He regularly leads service projects with his residents, even doing manual labor when he’s not at the Council table. Beyond the important political work, his commitment to service is encouraging residents to make the community better as well. Davis has started to great things in the District B, and deserves another term to make it even better. The pick for District B is Jerry Davis.

The sheer fact that District C Council Member Ellen Cohen is running unopposed for reelection is a sign that most of her constituents are thankful for the job she’s done, and want her to continue. She strives for the highest commitment to open, accountable and responsive government… whether that be her frequent attendance at District Super-neighborhoods and Civic Clubs, or her willingness to address constituents via social media. Though she started with state politics, Cohen has proven that she has a true passion for local government, and as such has earned another term on Council. The pick for District C is Ellen Cohen.

Though it’s perhaps best known as one of the city’s great historically African-American communities, District D is starting to experience monumental changes. As home to both the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, District D is already one of the city’s educational powerhouses. New investment in rail transportation and education set to make the district better than ever before, but good leadership is required to see the area reach it’s full potential. The race has a crowded field of strong candidates, including Dwight Boykins and Anthony Robinson. But Assata Richards rises above the pack as an experienced voice that sees District D from all sides. As a University of Houston professor, she understands the growing needs of the area’s educational institutions. As a deep-rooted community member, she’ll fight to protect what residents love most about their neighborhoods, while leading them to aspire to the next level. As a young single mother and college dropout, Richards not only found the motivation to go back to school, but did so with the help of the District D community. She is an inspiring voice that has helped and will continue to help others who need a view of how to change their circumstances. The pick for District D is Assata Richards.

District E Council Member Dave Martin is a proud Conservative, and as such, has some viewpoints that do not assuage to the political philosophy of this blog. In practice though, Martin has proven to be a voice of reason on City Council, delivering his fair share of concerns, but also voting mostly in the best interests of his constituency. Elected in January of 2013, he’s had the shortest time on council, but given his very brief record, Martin has earned a full term to work for District E. And of course he will get that full term as he is running unopposed. The pick for District E is Dave Martin.