Tag Archives: Houston municipal election

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TLCQ 2013: Modesto “Moe” Rivera

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In the Second installment of the 2013 Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, we hear from Modesto “Moe” Rivera, candidate for Houston City Council At Large Position 2.

Please note: Responses have been received directly from the candidate, and have been posted verbatim 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?

MR: Modesto (Moe) Rivera

TL: Are you a current or former elected official? If so what office(s)?

MR: Negative, this is the first time I have run for office.

TL: As a political candidate, you clearly care about what happens in certain levels of government. In your own words, why is government important?

MR: Government is essential since it represents its voting and non-voting citizens and has the power to rule and enforce laws. Government is necessary to manage its people’s affairs, offers rights and protection and certain services without government chaos would exist. We need to elect officials that look out for everyone’s interest.

TL: If elected, what is your top priority in office for the upcoming term? Describe how you plan to accomplish it.

MR: Promote a balanced budget and insure that expenses do not exceed its collected revenue (Tax, services and other revenues). I plan to do this by educating and influencing other members of Council s of such. I will also use my personal financial record, accounting, business experience and education as assets in obtaining a balanced budget. I will only approve responsible and reputable construction projects and service contracts.

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.

MR: I cannot support a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance for gays and lesbians; but will support a policy of “Don’t ask and don’t tell”. Gays and lesbians need to be protected from being ridiculed, bullied and treated unfairly; I promise to fight and defend them to the best of my knowledge and strength.

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?

MR: Agree that this is an ongoing issue; the Mayor through the back-up from City Council should inform the HPD Chief that this type of behavior and abuse will not be tolerated. If abuse is reported then the Mayor must appoint an independent commission to investigate the incident and take action based on its recommendation. Consequently this may lead to the suspension and or dismissal of the abusive police officer and its chain of command.

TL: What makes you the best candidate for this office?

MR: My candor, persistence, demeanor, work ethic, and respecter of social justice before God.

TL: When not on the campaign trail, how do you like to spend your free time?

MR: I spend my time training physically, mentally and spiritually and mentoring others.

Thanks to Mr. Rivera for his response.

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The Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire (TLCQ)

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After lots of consideration, I have decided to develop a candidate questionnaire, with the possibility of endorsements for some races. It’s important for voters to have as much information as possible when they go to the polls, and this blog is a way to add to that body of information. The questions will be emailed to all candidates, and responses will be published on the blog as they are received.

Along with the questionnaire, Texas Leftist will also issue endorsements once the responses are received, though I may not endorse for all races. For readers, here is what will be sent to the political candidates…

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1. What is your name, as it will appear on the ballot?

2. Are you a current or former elected official? If so what office(s)?

3. As a political candidate, you clearly care about what happens in certain levels of government. In your own words, why is government important?

4. If elected, what is your top priority in office for the upcoming term? Describe how you plan to accomplish it.

5a. (For Houston municipal candidates) 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.

5b. (For Houston municipal candidates) 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?

5c. (For Houston Community College district candidates) As our nation’s educational and professional landscape continues to evolve in the 21st century, institutions like HCC stand to be a critical part of that important process. In your opinion, is HCC ready for the monumental changes coming to education? What can the system do to best prepare?

6. What makes you the best candidate for this office?

7. When not on the campaign trail, how do you like to spend your free time?

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Responses will be published as they arrive, and will be considered during the endorsement process. In the mean time, I highly recommend similar work already being done by Off the Kuff and Texpatriate, which will factor into the Texas Leftist endorsement decisions as well.

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A Different Vision: Ben Hall

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There’s a substantive difference between gaining a first impression of someone on camera or in print, versus a face-to-face interaction. I think most would agree that the latter is always preferred. Even if it’s a brief contact, you’re just able to gather a world of information from someone when you see them with your eyes, and hear them with your ears. I was reminded of this last week in meeting Houston Mayoral Candidate Ben Hall. As a relatively new Houstonian (especially from a political standpoint) I don’t know much Mr. Hall’s time as City Attorney. But in one meeting with him, it’s clear that he is vastly knowledgeable about Houston. He understands the city’s struggles, needs, and perhaps most importantly, its aspirations.

Hosted by the Harris County Democratic Party (though important to note that all municipal races are non-partisan), Hall was introduced by chairman Lane Lewis, and then gave a broad-ranging speech about why he is challenging the present incumbent. Throughout the talk, Mayor Annise Parker’s name was never actually mentioned… Hall was able to focus the audience on his ideas and on what he called “a different vision” for the city of Houston. He started off by answering the question that was on everyone’s minds… why run for mayor now, in 2013?

“We decided long ago in America that we would not have dynasties. We chose to elect our leaders, as opposed to anointing people for some term. We are offering the voters an option to decide which is the better way forward for the city of Houston. That’s the privilege and right of voting in a Democratic society, and I welcome and embrace it. That’s why I have chosen to run this year.”

He went on to speak of bold and aggressive plans to create a dynamic downtown, and bring real private investment back to the city of Houston. He commented about several investors that have already approached his campaign and are interested in bringing upwards of 2 billion dollars in for downtown and East End retail. He also doesn’t agree with the present incumbent’s fee and tax system…

“We cannot continue to proceed under the present revenue scheme of this administration, and I offer a different way forward. As opposed to penalizing the domestic population with excessive fees, we should bring more businesses into Houston that can generate revenue, and not only cover the cost of city services, but help all of us rebound into a glorious and prosperous future. For the sixty percent of city properties that are under-performing in terms of revenue, wouldn’t it be better to negotiate a tax advantage, tax incentive, tax rebate, or even consider enterprise zones? That’s a win-win for the city of Houston, as opposed to losing money on these properties like we are right now. The task of a mayor must be more than simply balancing a budget. It must be to look for sustainable ways for the city’s continued growth.”

Of course many of the things Mr. Hall mentioned are being enacted by the current administration… most notably a recent (and hotly-contested) Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone established to help improve Memorial Park.

He did acknowledge that Houston has seen impressive growth and economic prosperity over the past few years, but chose to view this fact in comparison to other Texas cities, citing state-wide growth as the reason for this.

One thing is for sure, Ben Hall proved that he knows and loves the city of Houston. Though his talk was certainly enjoyable, he still lacks specifics of how he would go about achieving several of his ambitious goals. How would downtown and the East End generate the funds for these massive retail centers? Are we going to get rid of the voter-approved drainage fee for citizens, and let somehow encourage private businesses pay the tab? It was very open-ended as to how he wants to pursue such grand ideas. He did however promise to reveal more details as the campaign progresses. As the good news keeps on coming for the Parker administration, he will need a strong, deliberate, and detailed platform to run on. I for one will be watching closely.