For information purposes only, here are all of the TLCQ 2015 Respondents. Hopefully this will serve to increase the available information for Houstonians as we head into Early Voting next week.
If you live in the city of Houston, this election matters. Houston is a growing city that will face many challenges over the coming decades. It is the next Mayor and City Council which will decide how we handle them. Get informed, and V-O-T-E!!
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Back on October 3rd, I published the questionnaire response from Council Member Cohen, and she not only confirmed full support for the Non- Discrimination Ordinance, but gave valuable insight into how to move it through Council…
TL: With the exception of city government and some other select businesses, Houstonians can still be fired for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender because we do not have a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance for general employment. This lags behind other Texas cities such as Dallas, Austin, and Ft. Worth. Do you support a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance for the city of Houston? If not, please explain why. If so, please explain how you would work to pass such a measure.
EC: I absolutely support a comprehensive non-discrimination measure a consider it to be a major civil rights priority. Demonstrating community support and dispelling misconceptions will be critical in getting such a measure passed.
Not sure whether that last statement is more politics or prophecy, but whichever the case, it’s certainly coming true. In the short time since the Ordinance’s public debut, declamatory shots have been fired by all sides. Here’s more on that from Mike Morris of the Houston Chronicle…
The City Council is expected to discuss the measure at a committee hearing next week and to vote on the proposal next month, the mayor said.
Parker, the first openly gay mayor of a major American city, said she is aware most of the debate will focus on sexual orientation and gender identity – two groups not covered by federal law – but stressed that the proposal, Houston’s first nondiscrimination measure, is comprehensive.
“It has been surprising to me how many people in the African-American community I have heard from in recent months talking about still having problems getting equal access to the hottest clubs in the evening or restaurants, bars, music venues,” she said. “It gives the city of Houston an opportunity to weigh in and try to help smooth a path for those who want access to those facilities.”
Churches’ criticism
Dave Welch, of the Houston Area Pastor Council, said Parker is imposing onerous rules on businesses for a problem that does not exist.
“She is using anecdotal examples of discrimination, which may or may not occur, based on race and veterans’ situations as a front for her promises to ‘her people,’ as she described them in her inaugural address, the GLBT community,” he said. “It’s dishonest.”
Parker initially had talked of creating a human rights commission to hear complaints, but that idea was left out of the proposal announced Monday.
Contrary to what the article implies, not all churches are against equality. As Texas Leftist readers know, many faith-professing congregations around the Bayou City are proud to support this Non- Discrimination ordinance, and others like it. But from people like Dave Welch, this response was to be expected. After all, he and the Houston Area Pastor Council have led the charge against Parker since before she was even elected, and have opposed her every step of the way. In summation… Haters gonna HATE.
But if a couple of enraged pastors and irate bloggers is the best that the anti-equality side has, then this vote really should be a no-brainer for Council. And in case anyone needed a reminder, equality is not a right vs. left issue. Many Conservative Houstonians are willing to support this Non- Discrimination ordinance as planned, and some, like the Log Cabin Republicans of Houston have been working behind the scenes towards its passage. Here’s what LCR had to say on the group’s Facebook page…
The Log Cabin Republicans of Houston applauds Mayor Parker’s plans to introduce the upcoming Equal Rights Ordinance. The ordinance is a significant step to promote the economic development of Houston. The great city of Houston is currently experiencing an economic highpoint, and it would be well served by protecting its workforce from incidents of discrimination. This proposal is good policy which will move Houston forward into the 21st century.
The history of the Republican Party has been one of supporting equal treatment of all people before the law, including supporting the civil rights movement for Black Americans, women suffrage, and the 1964 civil rights act. It is in this same vein that we today urge all city council members and citizens of Houston to support this important step for our city.
As Cohen stated above, dispelling misconceptions about this ordinance is just as key as anything else. Thanks to groups like LCR, we can put one more to bed… Houstonians on both the Left and the Right support equality, and want to see this ordinance move forward. Hopefully Council Members will keep this in mind as they consider their vote.
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.
State Senator and Gubernatorial Candidate Wendy Davis appeared at Houston City Hall with Mayor Annise Parker, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, and City Council members Wanda Adams, Ed Gonzalez, Ellen Cohen and Mike Laster. The Press Conference was not broadcast live, but all local media outlets appeared to be present.
The Press Conference with Senator Davis and City leaders was to announce some major news… the City of Houston no longer has a rape kit backlog, according to the Houston Chronicle. Further Twitter reports from reliable sources are as follows
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s success in clearing its backlog of untested rape kits should be held up as a model for other cities around Texas to follow, officials said Wednesday.
Houston has spent $4.4 million in federal and city funding to address its backlog of more than 6,600 rape kits, Mayor Annise Parker said.
The funding was used by the city to send its rape kits to two outside labs for testing. Parker said she expects the testing to be completed by the end of this year or early next year.
Parker said Houston’s approach wasn’t easy or inexpensive and it came during a difficult economic time but it was the right way to deal with a problem that had been decades in the making.
“My hope is other cities around the state can learn from our approach,” she said at a news conference.
Testing and reports have been completed on nearly 2,800 cases, with 464 cases yielding usable DNA that is being entered into federal databases. Parker said one charge and one arrest have so far resulted from the testing.
Parker said while Houston was able to pay for its testing of the backlog with the help of federal funding, she is hopeful other cities around Texas will be able to take advantage of $11 million in state funding that was appropriated during this year’s legislative session to pay for the testing of a backlog of about 20,000 rape kits around the state. Officials estimate the backlog around the county is about 400,000.
State Sen. Wendy Davis, a Democratic candidate for governor who helped secure the $11 million to address the backlog around the state, attributed Houston’s success in part to bipartisan cooperation at city, state and federal levels of government to secure funding to deal with the problem.
“The city of Houston is making remarkable progress in bringing victims of sexual assault closure, bringing perpetrators to justice, making our streets safer for families … and I’m pleased it is a stellar example of what a city can do when given the kind of partnership and resources that have been provided here,” Davis said.
Davis made sure to speak about Mayor Parker’s role in the success…
“Mayor Parker has been an incredible leader on this issue.” said Davis.
In the Twelfth installment of the 2013 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Hon. Ellen Cohen, incumbent Houston City Council Member for District C. She is running for reelection.
Please note: Responses have been received directly from the candidate, and have been posted ver batim from the email received. This is done out of fairness to all candidates. Publishing these responses does not constitute an endorsement, but will be considered during the endorsement process.
TL: What is your name, as it will appear on the ballot?
EC: Ellen Cohen
TL: Are you a current or former elected official? If so what office(s)?
EC: I previously represented HD 134, including Meyerland, Bellaire and the Rice U areas, in the State Legislature from 2007-2010. I’ve represented City Council District C, which overlaps with many areas in HD 134, since January 2012.
TL: As a political candidate, you clearly care about what happens in certain levels of government. In your own words, why is government important?
EC: Government is a place where everyone can come together to solve our communities’ problems. Everyone should have a voice and a seat at the table so we can make progress as a group instead of going it alone.
TL: If elected, what is your top priority in office for the upcoming term? Describe how you plan to accomplish it.
EC: Public Safety is always my first priority and to that end I’ve been working to come up with innovative solutions to deter crime. Currently, I’m working to install security cameras in Fourth Ward. Once this is complete, I intend to look at other areas which might benefit from this. Additionally, parking remains a major concern in District C communities. Now that the Washington Ave. Parking Benefit District is underway, I will begin conducting stakeholder meetings in other parts of the district so that we might come up with solutions to address unique concerns in those neighborhoods. Additionally, I want to pursue a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance in the next two years.
TL: With the exception of city government and some other select businesses, Houstonians can still be fired for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender because we do not have a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance for general employment. This lags behind other Texas cities such as Dallas, Austin, and Ft. Worth. Do you support a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance for the city of Houston? If not, please explain why. If so, please explain how you would work to pass such a measure.
EC: I absolutely support a comprehensive non-discrimination measure a consider it to be a major civil rights priority. Demonstrating community support and dispelling misconceptions will be critical in getting such a measure passed.
TL: There have been an alarming number of complaints filed against officers in the Houston Police Department, accused of unwarranted police brutality towards citizens. A disproportionate amount of this violence occurs in minority communities, and in the vast majority of these cases, officers have gone unpunished. As a result, these incidents cause a cycle of mistrust between Houstonians and the very officers sworn to protect them. What can you do to increase oversight of the Houston Police Department, and help ensure that these incidents do not continue?
EC: Police brutality must not be tolerated. Even one rouge officer is one too many. When such incidents come to light we must act swiftly and transparently in order to ensure the matter is handled appropriately. Education and training play a vital role in preventing these instances, and in-vehicle cameras are a critical part of transparency and citizen protection.
TL: What makes you the best candidate for this office?
EC: Over the past six years I have proven myself as a problem-solver both in the State House and on Council. I believe that solving our communities’ problems is the first job of an elected official, and I feel up to the job for another four years.
TL: When not on the campaign trail, how do you like to spend your free time?
EC: I like to work out, spend time with my family and socialize with my friends. I also love enjoying the many beautiful parks around our city.
