Tag Archives: Houston City Council

Houston Politics

Houston GLBT Caucus Calls Out Council on NDO

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In contemporary times, it’s difficult to win any election without endorsements. Short of spending a fortune on TV ads, they are often the best way to get a candidate’s name out to the voters. But as any candidate is well aware, endorsements typically have to be earned through a record of service and a rigorous screening process.

For Houston and Harris County, one of the most important endorsements that a political candidate can earn is that of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. The Caucus endorsement means additional votes, and has been the difference between victory and defeat in several local races. So it’s no surprise that most of the municipal candidates for office, both Democrat and Republican, seek this most esteemed prize.

Yesterday, the GLBT Caucus redefined the brewing debate over Houston’s coming Human Rights Ordinance. Though Mayor Parker made a firm pledge to pass a Human Rights Ordinance in her recent State of the City speech, the planned legislation, to the disappointment of many in progressive community, does not extend to private employment because it wouldn’t have the votes to pass Council. But judging from the GLBT Caucus’ 2013 candidate questionnaire, those votes should already be locked down. Eleven Council Members promised to support a comprehensive Non-Discrimination Ordinance during the Caucus screening process, and now that organization is calling them out on that promise.

Posted on the group’s Facebook page, the Caucus confirms that Council Members Jerry Davis, Ellen Cohen, Dwight Boykins, Ed Gonzalez, Robert Gallegos, Mike Laster, Larry Green, Steven Costello, David W. Robinson, C. O. Bradford and Jack Christie all pledged public support for a comprehensive Non-Discrimination Ordinance.

Eleven votes (presumably twelve including the Mayor) out of a Sixteen-member Council is certainly enough to pass the ordinance, with more potential votes lining up. Noah M. Horwitz of Texpatriate did some legwork on this, and even spoke to CM Bradford directly for a most interesting response. I called Council Member Michael Kubosh’s office, and here is what a staff member had to say…

“Council Member Kubosh is against discrimination in all forms, and is looking forward to seeing the proposed ordinance.”

Even with this cautious response from a staff member, sources close to Texas Leftist say that Council Member Kubosh would be likely to support a Non-Discrimination Ordinance that extends to private employment. Said source worked with Kubosh on this issue prior to his election to City Council, and has spoken with him recently as well.

Of course there is no record of Kubosh’s stance, as he did not seek the GLBT Caucus endorsement. But for the Council Members that did, they deserve to be held to their word. Some questions still remain here… What about the other side? Who in the Business community is pressuring Council to not pass the ordinance? Why do they want to support discrimination, and more importantly, why is their voice on the issue loud enough to counter the voices of citizens?

Those answers need to be discovered. Lone Star Q has much more on the topic.

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Diversity on Houston City Council

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It’s been quite interesting to see what amounts to a ‘minor freak out’ going on in the blogosphere right now. Suddenly, people are starting to realize that the Houston City Council isn’t as diverse as they expected it to be? And, particularly from a gender perspective, will be even less so in 2014. The Council, which currently has four women holding office, will be down to two in the new year.

My response to this… where was the concern before??

The truth of the matter? Houston City Council isn’t “diverse” right now… it’s still no where near parity to our actual city’s population. Four women on council is better than two, but still admittedly short of the 8 needed to be fully reflective of an even gender split. For a city that is over 40 percent Hispanic, Council is very much under-represented in that regard with just two Hispanic members. Not only will Council be losing 2 women in 2014, but it will also be flipping back to ‘majority white’ for the first time in nearly a decade. In a true reflection of the city’s racial makeup, the largest representative group should be Hispanic.

Those are just snapshot observations, but to truly understand the make-up of council requires a broader understanding. Given his expertise on all things Houston politics, I asked Charles Kuffner of Off the Kuff for some history on the subject.

Basically, Districts B, D, H, I, and K have been people of color barring anything strange. That’s five of eleven, or four of nine pre-redistricting. If District F is a non-Anglo, that will give you six of eleven (or five of nine), so you then need only two At Large members to be people of color to have parity.

Since 2003, District F has been represented by MJ Khan, Al Hoang, and now Richard Nguyen. During that time, there have been at least two minority At Large members every term except one, in 2005, when Ronald Green was it. So that was the last election that Houston had a majority Anglo Council. And [technically] Addie Wiseman, who served in District E from 2001 through 2007, was half Hispanic, though she never really identified as Latina.

In 2001, District F was represented by Mark Ellis, so three minority At Large members were needed, but there were only – Gordon Quan and Carroll Robinson. Annise Parker was also an At Large member, if that helps. However, Sylvia Garcia was Controller, and of course Lee Brown was Mayor, so I’d give 2001 a pass. In 1999 there were three minority At Large members – Quan, Robinson, and Orlando Sanchez, plus Parker, Garcia, and Brown. In 1997 there was Sanchez and Robinson At Large, but Martha Wong represented District C, so once again parity was achieved.

Interestingly, 2005… the last time City Council was majority white, was also the only term that it was majority female… 8 women to 6 men served. So by both measurements of race and gender, 2014 will be an anomaly as the most majority male and majority white Council in the 21st century.

That’s the data. But it’s important to frame all of this as an anomaly… simply a result of how the 2013 elections turned out. There were a fairly diverse group of candidates on the ballot, and certainly there is no reason to believe that the decision of voters had anything to do with race or gender. Nor does the lack of diversity serve as any indication that these Council Members will not serve the people of Houston fairly. But perhaps it should cause the city’s political community to take another look down the pipeline to make sure that people from all backgrounds remain interested and motivated in city government. That’s the only way to really ensure that the decision-makers in government truly reflect their constituents in as many ways as possible.

And one more point…

Before you go away and decide that local government is suffering from a loss of diversity, don’t forget that District I set an historic milestone in 2013. Council Member-elect Robert Gallegos will be the first openly gay Latino male to be elected in the city of Houston, and one of a handful of GLBT elected officials statewide. Here’s more from Lone Star Q…

Gallegos’ victory makes him the only openly gay Latino city council member in Texas. It also gives Houston two out council members, in addition to lesbian Mayor Annise Parker. Out Councilman Mike Laster was elected to a second term in November. Together Gallegos and Laster are two of only four openly gay city council members statewide — along with Joel Burns in Fort Worth and Scott Sherman in Pearland, according to the Victory Fund.

So even in a very odd election year, Houston City Council still finds ways to make progress.

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Houston City Council PASSES Payday Lending Reforms

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Today Houston saw yet another huge ordinance brought forward, in what many are referring to as Mayor Parker’s post-election “Progressive cram”. Like college kids studying for the most vociferous of finals, the Houston City Council passed major regulations on Credit Access Businesses, or issuers of Payday and Auto Title loans. The ordinance proved to be one of the year’s most contentious issues, and CM Christie even attempted a last-minute amendment that would’ve essentially gutted the whole ordinance. It would scrap the requirement to pay a portion of the principal with each payment, and increase the amount of income used to calculate the loan. These issues form the purpose for the ordinance because it gives borrowers a pathway to break the cycle of debt for the loans. The amendment failed 11 votes to 6.

After much discussion, the Payday Lending ordinance passed by a vote of 15 to 2, with only outgoing Council Members Brown and Rodriguez voting against it. This brings Houston in line with other major cities across Texas have already passed payday reforms. But as Texas’ largest city, Houston’s passage will allow the reforms to have a significant impact.

The heart of the new regulations is as follows…

a) Creation of a new database that catalogs (and presumably monitors) all credit access businesses.

b) Loan amount cannot exceed 20 percent of gross monthly income for a payday loan. For an auto title loan, the amount borrowed must be the lesser of either 3 percent of the borrowers annual income, or 70 percent of the automobile retail value.

c) Loans must be paid off in a maximum of 4 installments, and each payment must reduce the loan principle by at least 25 percent.

d) Distribution of consumer credit counseling materials to all borrowers who seek to renew their payday or auto title loan.

The ordinance joins prominent legislation to combat wage theft, and an executive order extending employee benefits to same-sex spouses… all enacted after Parker’s reelection on November 5th.

Direct from Mike Morris of the Houston Chronicle…

“Something must be done; something should be done,” Councilman Andrew Burks said. “Our Legislature, they had the ball and dropped it. I don’t like this, but I have to vote for it because … this is the only thing on the table, and it does do something.”

Councilwoman Wanda Adams, who said her office has helped seniors get back cars that had been repossessed after they defaulted on title loans, praised the outcome.

“I’m so proud to know we are taking a stand in protecting our constituents throughout our community,” Adams said. “I think this is something right.”

Yet more evidence that Mayor Annise Parker’s final term promises to be an exciting one for Progressive Texans. It was also a fitting final meeting for Wanda Adams, one of the Mayor’s strongest allies, as she concludes her tenure at City Council. Payday lending reform was one of the last major issues she wanted to tackle as a Council Member. Adams moves on to the HISD Board of Trustees.

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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.

Houston Politics

TLCQ 2013: Endorsements in City Council At Large Races

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Though he’s drawn one challenger in perennial candidate Mike “Griff” Griffin, Council Member Stephen Costello is looking strong for reelection in At Large Position 1. Costello is a Republican, but his style of politics is far-removed from the grand-standing hyper-partisanship of Washington. As head of the Budget Committee, Costello has become an important ally to the Parker administration and helped to garner much consensus among his council colleagues (no government shutdown in H-Town). He has chosen to go after some of the city’s biggest issues, including the municipal pension fund, the continuing struggle with food deserts and Rebuild Houston. To the latter, Costello has been a leading voice for not only the passage of Rebuild Houston, but also worked hard to monitor its implementation and see that tax dollars are spent wisely. For all these reasons, Council Member Costello deserves a final term. The pick for At Large 1 is Stephen Costello.

Though only in his first term, At Large 2 Council Member Andrew C. Burks has already left a dramatic impression on Houston municipal politics. In many instances, he has been an important voice to issues that previously had little focus in government, especially those relating to the city’s minority communities. He has continued to remind council of the vast poverty and inequality we see in our underserved neighborhoods, and at times has even lodged political power to ensure that these issues are addressed. For Texas Leftist, fighting for Houston’s most vulnerable citizens is something to be admired. This is Burks at his best. But for all of these moments, Council Member Burks has also publicly berated constituents appearing at City Hall, openly threatened his opponents, and done other things that are counter to the mission of good governance. For all of these reasons, it is time for a change in At Large 2, and that change David W. Robinson. As an architect, President of the Super-Neighborhood Alliance and committed civic leader, Robinson will lend a wealth of experience to some of the next great challenges. He was an important leader of the passage of Chapter 42, and like Council Member Costello, I suspect Robinson would be just as committed to seeing the new density requirements implemented successfully. The pick for At Large 2 is David W. Robinson.

In At Large 3 Texas Leftist will not be issuing an endorsements a I am already supporting candidate Jenifer Rene Pool’s campaign as a volunteer. But I highly recommend that readers consult other endorsements in this race, all of which are conveniently compiled on Off the Kuff’s 2013 elections page.

At Large 4 Council Member C.O. Bradford is not without his dramatic moments, but on the whole he has done a good job of representing the views of a diverse constituency. For all of the vocal opposition he gives to the Parker Administration, ultimately Council Member Bradford works to find good compromise and keep the city moving forward. As a former Police Chief, his tireless advocacy for our public servants is a voice that needs to be heard in local government. The pick for At Large 4 is C.O. Bradford.

Eccentricity is a word that comes to mind with At Large 5 Council Member Jack Christie. As the Chronicle endorsement points out, Christie’s sensationalist remarks are still mostly rhetoric, and have not caused any genuine harm around the Council table. When it comes time to vote, Christie has shown much willingness to work with his colleagues and get the business of the city accomplished. Texas Leftist is grateful for that, but the whole purpose of having elections is to find the BEST persons for the job. Why can’t Houstonians have both a good role model on City Council and someone that espouses more sound judgments in his public views? It’s what we deserve. Amongst two strong opposing candidates, the standout in this race is James S. Horwitz. The Houston attorney has a strong record of community service, and Progressive views that would be a great asset to council. As the city continues to grow with bold new initiatives like Rebuild Houston, Chapter 42, rail line expansion and complete streets, Houstonians need stability within our municipal leadership. Unlike the Chronicle staff writers, Texas Leftist does not believe that Christie’s behavior should just be ignored. The pick for At Large 5 is James S. Horwitz.

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TLCQ 2013: Endorsements in City Council Districts F-K

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Bolstered by unprecedented growth and diversification in Houston’s Asian community, District F is rapidly becoming a second epicenter of the Bayou City. The Asia Town area is exploding with new businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, and needs a council member with the energy, vitality and commitment to voice all of these interests within city government. After a tough campaign in 2011, current incumbent Al Hoang reclaimed his seat. Council Member Hoang’s primary focuses have been crime reduction throughout the district, and to bring in more public investment. Efforts to reduce crime have yielded significant success. While the increased public investment has been much slower, this element is finally coming into the picture. As he seeks a final term, I am hopeful that Hoang will realize what a critical role he has on Council, and fight even harder to bring investment dollars to the area. The pick for District F is Al Hoang.

As home to some of Houston’s wealthiest residents in the River Oaks, Galleria and Memorial areas, District G is not short on power and influence within city government. But even with such affluence, the district also has its fair share of challenges. Conservative Council Member Oliver Pennington has represented his constituents very well. Far-removed from the Teapublicanism of Washington, Pennington has exercised common sense judgment and good stewardship for the needs of Houstonians. Even when voicing reservations of some projects he considers “spending”, he always shares a well-reasoned opinion before casting his vote. As a Liberal blog, Texas Leftist have not agreed with all of Pennington’s actions on council. But he is respected for always being willing to all sides of an issue and acting in good faith for his constituents. Though his opponent Brian Taef has run an impressive campaign, Council Member Pennington deserves another term. The pick for District G is Oliver Pennington.

The pick for District H is incumbent Ed Gonzalez, who is running unopposed.

Though District I may have seemed a more simplistic neighborhood community in previous years, the area has really began to heat up. With massive new investments underway in Downtown, EaDo and in other areas, Texas Leftist agrees with the Chronicle that whoever represents this District ‘should have no learning curve’. All four candidates in this arena have a wealth of experience and qualifications, and any would probably be a good addition to City Council. So much so that it’s quite surprising that none of them (particularly Graci Garces) thought to run for an At-Large seat. But one person in particular seems the best fit to represent District I. Robert Gallegos’ decades of service as a Civic Club President and Founding member and President of the Eastwood/ Lawndale Super-neighborhood have given him a proven record of success for the area. One of his most recent accomplishments was the building of an extensive coalition to support an underpass for the East End rail line. He’s also been proven in the political arena, working as a critical community liason for then-County Commissioner (now State Senator) Sylvia Garcia. With such disparate interests set to converge within District I, Gallegos the person with the skills to bring everyone to the table. The pick for District I is Robert Gallegos.

The pick for District J is incumbent Mike Laster, who is running unopposed.

The pick for District K is incumbent Larry Green, who is running unopposed.

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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.