I Won’t Be Voting For Ronald Green For Houston City Controller—A Democrat Should Pay The Taxes He Owes

I will not be voting for Democrat Ronald Green to serve as City of Houston Controller.

Mr. Green owes more than $100,000 in taxes. 

The above link is to the Houston Chronicle. Here is how Mr. Green’s tax problems are reported in the Texas  Watchdog. 

Mr. Green, an incumbent member of the Houston City Council, is the only Democrat in the three candidate race. The top two finishers on Election Day will advance to a runoff. It is not likely that any candidate will win a majority in the first round.

I’ve written I would be voting for Mr. Green because he was the only Democrat on the ballot for City Controller.

However, this was before I knew Mr. Green had not paid all his taxes.

Mr. Green says he is resolving these issues. All right– Mr. Green does need to resolve these issues. However, the right time to do so is not in the final weeks before an election. This should have already been addressed. 

A city finance officer should be able to keep up on what he owes to the IRS.

A Democrat should pay the taxes he owes was an example to all citizens. We can’t say others should pay all taxes owed when we do not. 

How will needed government programs be funded if people don’t pay all taxes owed?

At my blogging space at the Houston Chronicle, where I’m a featured-political reader-blogger, I’ve been asked if I will vote for a candidate simply because he or she is a Democrat. 

No–Democrats do not have my automatic vote.

In the City Controllers race I will leave my ballot blank because I can’t support the Democrat.

In City Council At-Large positions #1 and #4, I will likely be supporting members of the third party Progressive coalition.

I’ve often said that Democrats in big cities around the nation take votes for granted without always offering much in return. This does not mean I’ll be voting for Republicans. Republicans offer even less.

What it does mean is that I’m open to other options. It also means that Democrats don’t get my vote without any questions asked.

Vote Yes On Texas Proposition 9—Keep Texas Beaches Open To All

It might be hard to imagine given the popular and often correct notion of Texas as place where the little guy gets sand kicked in his face, but all Texas beaches are open to the public.

The law in Texas says that people can come and set up shop with a beach towel and a good book all the up the point where  the sand ends and vegetation begins.

It does not matter who owns the land behind the vegetation line–All Texas beaches are open to the public.

On the Texas ballot next week is a measure that would make this law part of our state constitution. This is proposition 9 on the ballot.

Here is a Houston Chronicle story on this issue.

This blog urges a yes vote on Proposition 9. Let’s make sure that Texas beaches remain open to all folks and that this farsighted policy of beach access never changes.

A good book on Texas beaches and the Texas coast is The Formation and Future of the Upper Texas Coast by John B. Anderson. I have this book at home and can vouch for it being worth your time.