Annise Parker Scores An A- With Texas Conservative Review—She Offers Little Of Relevance To Liberals And Progressives In Houston

Houston Mayor Annise Parker gets an A- grade for fiscal conservatism from the Texas Conservative Review.

From TCR—

Annise Parker, Grade A-. TCR was pleasantly surprised that Mayor Annise Parker scored near the top. Her answers and performance in office indicate Parker is the most fiscally conservative mayor in over a decade, and she balanced the budget in hard economic times. She is a former executive at Mosbacher Energy and has been involved in City government for 14 years.

The Texas Conservative Review is edited by Gary Polland. Mr. Polland was for six years the Chairman of the Harris County Republican Party. He was once named “Reaganite of the Year” by the Reagan Alumni Association.

You’ll be glad to know that Mayor Parker is on record supporting such things as a Council supermajority being required to raise taxes.

Here is what I’ve written about Mayor Parker’s reelection bid in a recent post about options for liberals and progressives on the 2011 Houston ballot—

“I’m leaving my ballot blank for Mayor. I simply don’t believe Mayor Annise Parker has any consistent commitment to progressive values. Good people will disagree, but the Mayor has had two years to offer leadership on pressing issues of poverty and on the lack of broad political participation in Houston. She seems to have little interest in these subjects.

Mayor Parker is likely to win reelection in 2011. The absence of competent and credible opponents, and her campaign war chest of more than $2 million helps make this so. Yet despite her good electoral outlook for 2011, the Mayor is concerned with winning a strong majority of voters in 2011 so as to strengthen her hand with City Council, and to help her fend off challengers in 2013.

I’ve no desire in helping the Mayor accomplish these goals. No matter what percentage of votes cast in 2011 Annise Parker ends up  winning, it will be done with an overall turnout of somewhere between 10% and 15%. There is no way the Mayor will have a credible mandate from an involved public. Why should Mayor Parker be given the illusion of a mandate when she has never engaged in serious grassroots efforts to expand voter turnout in Houston, and when she does not pursue policies that are inclusive of Houstonians of every economic status? “

Whether she is busy terminating 750 mostly blue collar city workers as part of her Fire Houston First austerity budget, or out attending Republican fundraisers, Annise Parker isn’t relevant to the hopes and aspirations of progressive Houstonians. She is content to raise her millions, win with the support of a small fraction of the people of Houston, and cater to those who are already influential in our city.

Regardless of if you vote for the Mayor or not, there are far more hopeful and positive ways of taking part in the political and civic life of Houston than engaging in active support of Annise Parker.

Work hard on your own for a more hopeful and inclusive Houston. Don’t rely on people who don’t respect your views. The work of freedom and progress is up to each of us.

Some Occupy Wall Street Links—General Strike Called In Oakland

University of Oregon professor Gordon Lafer writes in The Nation how Occupy Wall Street is not looking to Washington for solutions. Our p[olitcal system is so corrupt with money that people are begining to see that they will have to take personal responsibility for addressing the problems.

(Above—An Occupy supporter in Egypt.)

Occupy Oakland is preparing for a November 2 general strike in Oakland to respond to police violence against Occupy demonstrators in that city. Oakland is where Marine veteran Scott Olsen was attacked and seriously wounded by police.

In Des Moines last week, Occupy Iowa protestors marched to the Obama Iowa headquarters to protest the President’s policies on the economy and immigration. Anybody who thinks that Occupy is a recruiting station for the Obama 2012 campaign is going to be disappointed.

Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich writes that public opinion is shifting towards the views of Occupy Wall Street on issues such as distribution of wealth and additional taxes for the most wealthy.

England’s The Guardian newspaper has been giving extensive coverage to Occupy efforts across the globe.

Here is the Occupy Wall Street website.

Please take the time to learn about and consider the Occupy movement.