Gay Takeover Of Houston Underway—Let’s Have Both Social And Economic Justice In Our City

The openly gay Annise Parker has been elected Mayor of Houston.

Also, gay folks were elected to two of the five city council seats that are elected by the entire city.

(Correction–-A reader points out I am mistaken about the number of city at-large spots won by a gay candidate. It is one instead of two. Please see the comments below. Thanks to blog reader Horwitz for the help. One less solider for the gay takeover! )

Some on the right had warned of a “gay takeover” of Houston if these people were to be elected.

The gay takeover is here.

It seems to be going okay so far.

I’ve made myself a cup of tea and later I’ll do some reading before bed.

I think I can used to living in our new “gayocracy” here in Houston.

I hope these gay folks do a better job than straight folks have done of running this city.

Houston has had a black Mayor in recent years despite being the largest Jim Crow city in the U.S. in 1960.

Ms. Parker and her partner adopted black kids. You see the kids, now adults, in the grainy picture above that I took off of my T.V.

It really is all something of a miracle—Though a miracle that many worked hard to make happen.

Houston has plenty of problems. We have a lot of poor people in Houston.

But we must also be glad for the progress that has been made since Houston was the largest Jim Crow city in the United States.

Let’s now work for economic justice as well to match the ongoing process in our social relations.

Fetching Pin-Up Says Roll The Dice & Vote Your Hopes In Houston—Despite Locke, Green & Lovell

I promise—This is my last pre-election post about Houston City Elections.

Thank you to regular readers from outside of Houston for sticking with me as I write about his stuff.

I’ve got somewhat of a voice around here—Maybe— so I guess I should use that voice.

Runoff Election Day is Saturday, December 12.

Despite tax-dodger Green, gay-basher Locke and vindictive crud Lovell—All Democrats—We can still vote on Election Day and try to retain some hope about the future of Houston.

Without hope,what do we have?

Here are my endorsements for Election Day.

The theme of my endorsements post is gambling.

What is a bigger gamble than democracy?

Gene Locke Donor & Supporter Says Don’t Elect Lesbian As Mayor—Picture Of George Wallace

Today I got a political mailing from local Houston gay-basher Dave Wilson.

Mr. Wilson says we should not “elect a lesbian for Mayor.”

The mailing also says—“Vote For Gene Locke For Mayor.”

Youthful blogger David Ortez has shown that Mr. Wilson has donated to Mr. Locke.

Why not return this money? Mr. Wilson’s views are well-known.

Here is further information about  Mr. Locke’s involvement with gay-bashers.

Above is a picture of George Wallace—-Because how is one form of bigotry any different from any other form of bigotry?

Here are my picks for the December 12 runoff.

Why Won’t Gene Locke Admit What Types Of People He’ll Toss Under The Bus To Win An Election?

Houston Mayoral run-off candidate Gene Locke has denied any part in anti-gay mailings directed at his opponent Annise Parker.

Yet what Mr. Locke asserts may not be the case.

From the Houston Chronicle—

“The finance chairman and a finance committee member of Gene Locke’s mayoral campaign helped bankroll the conservative political action committee that sent out an anti-gay mailer targeting City Controller Annise Parker and other municipal candidates earlier this month, according to Texas Ethics Commission documents….The revelation immediately drew accusations of illegal coordination from the campaign of Parker, whom the mailer urged voters not to choose because she was endorsed by the “gay and lesbian political caucus.” Parker is openly gay.”

Here is the full story.

It seems we cannot trust Gene Locke to admit what types of people he is willing to toss under the bus to win this election.

(Above–One of our Houston city buses as photographed by Brian Reading. Gene Locke will —in a symbolic regard—run that bus over anybody!)

He’ll sell out one bunch of folks one day, and then maybe some other group of folks another day.

Regular readers of this blog–Thanks mom!!–will note that I’ve not criticized Annise Parker nearly as much in recent days as I have in the past few weeks.

Don’t worry! We’ll get Ms. Parker elected and then have two years to take after her.

Here are my endorsements in our Houston citywide races for 2009.

As I never weary of telling people, this blogger was in 1997 a Stonewall Cincinnati endorsed candidate for the Cincinnati Board of Education.

Who Are The Democrats Running In Houston City Election Runoffs?—Who Can A Liberal Support?

Who are the Democrats running in our Houston City Elections?

Runoff elections for Houston are taking place. Early voting ends on December 8 and General Election Day is December 12.

It is important to know who is running as a Democrat for our Houston city offices.

In this way, you can see who will do the least harm once elected.

This is not a hopeful view. It is not a 100% accurate view. But it is true enough.

Urban voters know they vote for Democrats time after time, and that our cities continue to decline.

While much of this has to do with factors beyond the control of city government, where is the effective advocacy and action on behalf of our cities?

Where can a liberal turn?

Where can someone who could use some help from government turn, when Democrats running for city office call themselves “fiscal conservatives” and talk about taxes as if they are the plague?

While I understand why candidates want the police endorsement, there are other things that matter in Houston as well. There is more to the public welfare than fear of crime.

Here are the Citywide races on the Houston ballot—

Mayor

In our Houston Mayoral run-off, both Gene Locke and current City Controller Annise Parker are Democrats.

Mr. Locke consorts with gay-bashers and I don’t see how he can be trusted to do the right thing in any regard. Bigotry towards one is bigotry towards all.

Ms. Parker is, I think, a decent person who has run, in many regards, a shameless campaign.

You have to have a belief in the future unless you are just going to sit around and hope 2012 is for real—So Ms. Parker has my vote. She strikes me as smart and at least aware of a course of action that would benefit Houstonians of all economic classes.

I guess we’ll roll the dice and find out about Ms. Parker if she is able to win the election.

(Below–Rolling the dice in an 1840 painting called The Last Blow by Charles Robert Leslie.)

City Controller—

The Democrat in this race is current City Councilmember Ronald Green. He is running against a Republican.

Mr. Green has not paid all his taxes. I’m not going to vote for a City Controller who has not paid all his taxes.

Mr. Green says is seeking to resolve the matter. I’m sure he is seeking to resolve the matter.

I wish Mr. Green had resolved the matter long before election season.

Not much is more central to how Democrats see the world than using tax dollars to enhance the public condition. I expect little-to-nothing of Republicans. I expect Democrats to pay up on taxes owed.

I won’t be voting for the Republican in this race. I’m going to leave this ballot space blank and let the chips fall where they may.

( Below–The chips are on the table. His Station And Four Aces from 1903 by Cassius Coolidge.)

Council At-Large # 1-—

Real estate agent  Karen Derr is the Democrat in this race. I’ve met Ms. Derr twice and we really did not hit it off. That is my problem. No doubt I was difficult.

Ms. Derr’s web home says she is for ethics and against crime. This is good to know.

Ms. Derr  appears to be a successful hard-working woman. I’ll spin the wheel on Election Day and hope Ms. Derr has a measure of longterm vision to go along with her day-to-day qualities.

(Below–These folks are spinning the wheel in early 19th-century Europe.)

Council At -Large #2—

Both incumbent Sue Lovell and challenger Andrew Burks are Democrats. Ms. Lovell has offered up four years of uninspiring service, but Mr. Burks is not really a credible alternative.  Mr. Burks runs for council every two years and this year lucked into a runoff he has little chance to win based on the first round of voting.

This will be Ms. Lovell’s last term on Council under the current term limits law. It would be great to hear a bit more from Ms. Lovell in this last term on behalf of people often left out at Houston City Hall.

(Here is some disturbing late information about Ms. Lovell. She has been helping a Republican in his effort to win against Jolanda Jones for At-Large # 5. Why must these people do this kind of stuff?)

( Below—In a two-horse race, somebody has got to win. John Herring’s Great Match (The Flying Dutchman and Voltigeur.) From the 1850’s.)

Council At-Large # 5—

Jolanda Jones is the Democratic incumbent in a tough race against a Republican.

I’m going to vote for Ms. Jones. She stresses in her campaign that she is an advocate for all people and not just the privileged.

Is she?

Who knows?

You can’t go by what they tell you— But you can’t leave the process to others when you have your own voice.

My gut feeling is that Ms. Jones cares about people and makes some effort on Council to help folks. She sure is a lot better than her challenger.

(Below–The People! The masses looking to enter Toronto’s Dufferin Racetrack in 1908.)

Houston’s municipal electorate is more affluent than the city as whole.

It is the concerns of this electorate that Houston politicians seek to address.

The fact remains, however, that many in Houston are playing for their last dollar.

These folks, as well as all people of Houston, should be on the agenda at Houston City Hall.

(Below–Gambling With Their Cotton Money. From 1939. Picture taken by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm  Security Administration.)

How Low Can Gene Locke Go?—Excellent Statement By Annise Parker

Just how low can can Houston Mayoral run-off candidate Gene Locke go?

Given a chance in a debate last night with rival Annise Parker to reject the endorsement of anti-gay hatemonger Steven Hotze, Mr. Locke did not do so.

( Above–Death Valley, California. The lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. Gene Locke is even lower than Death Valley. Here is information about Death Valley National Park.)

If one form of bigotry is acceptable, why all not forms of bigotry?

Mr. Locke is a black man and you’d think he’d know better. All people should know better.

Can you really picture Annise Parker seeking the endorsement of racists?

Ms. Parker is flawed.—Though we are all flawed.

Her campaign has been depressing in many respects.

Yet I just can’t imagine Ms. Parker going out and looking for the endorsement of hateful people just for the purposes of winning an election.

Mr. Locke did not limit his offensive comments last night to bigotry. He struck a strong note of selfishness as well.

In his closing statement, Mr. Locke suggested voters should ask “What’s in it for me?”

“What’s in it for me?”

Inspiring.

Ms. Parker, in great contrast, used her closing statement to say the first decent thing I have heard said in this campaign.

Ms. Parker used her closing statement to say “I want your commitment to our city.”

I hope Ms. Parker builds on this concept of obligations citizens have to the larger community.

Here is a video of the closing statement from the debate last night.

Here is the full debate.

Gene Locke Has Campaign Signs In Illegal Places & Consorts With Gay Bashers

Houston Mayoral candidate Gene Locke puts his campaign signs everywhere.

Above are some that have popped up like mushrooms.

( Here is a link to a U. of Illinois horticulturist writing about how the limit the spread of mushrooms on your lawn. Gene Locke could stop of the spread of his signs by simply being a good citizen of our community.)

The signs in the picture may well be legally-placed. However ,the Locke campaign has signs on highway overpasses all over the city.

I saw such signs last week on 45 South headed to Galveston.

I saw them again today on 45 North headed to the airport.

I wish I had a picture of the highway signs, but it did not seem a good idea to take pictures while driving on the highway.

Though if you have been on our highways in Houston, maybe you have seen these signs.

Such signs are illegal and will cost taxpayer dollars to remove.

It is not just that Mr. Locke has campaign signs where they should not be, it is also that he consorts with gay bashers.

My fellow Houston blogger, David Ortez, found that anti-gay activist Dave Wilson has given $2000 to the Locke campaign.

Mr. Locke very much wants the support of local gay-bashers.

Is there anything decent and hopeful about the Locke campaign?

If there is, Mr. Locke has kept it well-hidden.

If only he would keep his campaign signs well-hidden.

I’m Listed By Annise Parker As A Supporter—I Hope The Joke Is On Me

I went to the Annise Parker web page today to see if she had moved ideologically to the left in her campaign for Mayor now that she has released a poll saying she has a 13 point lead on Gene Locke in the Mayoral runoff election.

I thought that maybe being ahead in the polls would free her up to speak a little more truth than she has so far in the campaign.

Ms. Parker’s campaign has been touting Ms. Parker, a Democrat, as a so-called “fiscal conservative.”

It is obnoxious and disheartening that a Democrat is making this claim in a majority Democratic city.

If I want a so-called fiscal conservative, I’ll vote for a Republican.  Given the absence of a Republican in the runoff in our majority-Democratic City of Houston, maybe what folks in Houston want is a government that helps people and that has a place in people’s lives.

While visiting Ms. Parker’s web home, I checked out the list of supporters her campaign team has complied.

Below is the link to that list. (You’ll have to cut and paste it–Sorry. I’ve got this new Apple computer and it is giving me fits. I can’t get links inserted into the blog that you don’t have to cut and paste. I’m sure I’ll figure it all out with time. Maybe.)

http://www.anniseparker.com/supporters/

My blog is on the list!

I have indeed endorsed Ms. Parker. It is correct to put my blog on this list.

Though if you read the post, it was not a fully flattering endorsement.

https://texasliberal.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/with-hestiancy-im-voting-for-annise-parker-for-mayor-of-houston/

Nor is this more recent post 100% supportive of Ms. Parker–

https://texasliberal.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/gene-locke-willing-to-tell-bigger-lies-than-annise-parker-to-win-right-wing-voters/

The comment beneath the 11/15 post is one of my fellow Houston progressive bloggers suggesting that I was smoking weed while writing the post.

Ha!–Nope. Maybe just drinking some carrot juice.

I give the Parker people credit for putting my blog on the list of supporters.

Maybe they are thick-skinned—That is a good trait to have.

Maybe —To paraphrase the 1964 Barry Goldwater campaign—in their hearts they know I’m right.

Maybe it is a small joke on me. You can’t click though to my blog from the Parker site. So as far as anybody knows, I’m 100% on-board.

I hope it is to some extent a joke at my expense.

Better than playing a joke on others, is a joke at one’s own expense.

All the world is a stage.

I just hope that Ms. Parker recalls I was a supporter even before the first round of voting two weeks ago.

I’m looking for an appointment as city alligator commissioner. I’m hoping the city will give me a boat to cruise up and down the bayous and a net to catch the gators.

Gene Locke Willing To Tell Bigger Lies Than Annise Parker To Win Right-Wing Voters

Gene Locke, a Democrat running for Mayor of Houston, has apparently entered into a coalition or agreement of some kind with local far-right conservatives.

Mr. Locke’s rival for Mayor, City Controller Annise Parker, is a lesbian. These conservatives don’t want a gay Mayor. Mr. Locke, a black man, seems willing to use these prejudices to help get elected.

Ms. Parker has also sought the support of Republicans and conservatives in this election. The Mayor’s race has not featured a credible Republican candidate, so Democrats Locke and Parker have in essence lied to convey the idea that they are acceptable to Republicans.

( Does Ms. Parker think that Republicans here in Houston, Texas who might vote for her are enlightened in some fashion? Could she please point us to the enlightened wing of the Republican Party in Texas?)

Mr. Locke has no known history of bias towards gay folks. It’s clear enough that he’ll do pretty much anything to win.

Ms. Parker will not do anything to win. She would likely lose a “lie-off” with Mr. Locke. I doubt she’ll fake hating black folks to win that segment of the hate vote.

Another thing Ms. Parker hasn’t done to win is energize the Democratic base in our majority-Democratic city of Houston with a consistent focus on social and economic justice and fair play.

Mr. Locke is a wrongdoer. Decent folks in our city would be crazy to vote this guy.

As for Ms. Parker—I can offer my enthusiastic support of the clear fact that she is at least not Gene Locke.

With Hestiancy, I’m Supporting Annise Parker For Mayor Of Houston

With some hesitancy, I’m supporting Annise Parker for Mayor of Houston.

(Above–Annise Parker)

Ms. Parker, our current Houston City Controller, is the best bet to address issues of importance to Houston’s poor and working class. Ms. Parker is the candidate most likely to pursue anything approaching a liberal and progressive agenda that involves social, environmental and economic fair play.

Though all three serious candidates for Mayor of Houston are Democrats, each has run to the right so as to appeal to Republicans. It is not the fault of Democrats, and of people in Houston who could use help from government, that no credible Republican thought Houston important enough to run for Mayor.

Into this vacuum , Ms. Parker and the other leading candidates have talked at length about crime and so-called fiscal conservatism.

If you’re a Republican reading this please be clear—Annise Parker, Peter Brown and Gene Locke are Democrats. 

Nobody wants to be a victim of crime and it is the poor who are most likely to be victims of crime. Yet it must be noted that crime rates have been going down in Houston.

It is one thing to address an issue that all people are concerned about. It is another thing to use that issue to obscure the facts and to deflect attention from the wide range of critical issues that have been ignored in this empty campaign.

On economic issues, Ms. Parker’s occasional embrace of the “fiscal conservative” label has been disheartening. 

I was ready to write in support of Ms. Parker last week. However, I was given pause after the Parker campaign circulated a blog post written by my fellow blogger Martha Griffin. Ms. Parker’s campaign used Ms. Griffin’s post to appeal to so-called fiscal conservatives.

Ms. Griffin’s post discussed how Ms. Parker had saved the City of Houston taxpayer dollars in her capacity as City Controller.

That’s good. That is what Ms. Parker should be doing as Controller.   

However, fiscal conservatism is a philosophy of governance. It is about far more than how one  executes the duties of City Controller. To confuse the two is to confuse the voter. Ms. Griffin was saying that Ms. Parker has done a good job as Controller. Yet it is hard to think that this is what the Parker campaign was trying to convey in circulating the post.

Did Ms. Parker pitch herself as a fiscal conservative when she won the endorsements of the Houston Federation of Teachers, the Harris County AFL-CIO Council, HOPE Local 123 and the Service Employees International Union?

Is this what we have come to in our majority-Democrat City of Houston? If I want a fiscal conservative, I’ll vote for a Republican. The fact that no credible Republican is running suggests that voters in Houston are not as receptive to a Republican message as our 2009 Mayoral candidates seem to believe.   

Still, the union endorsements and some aspects of Ms. Parker’s record provide hope that Ms. Parker offers more to the people of Houston than she’s been advertising in her campaign.

Ms. Parker has done great work in helping low income residents of Houston gain access to banks. 

Ms. Parker has supported efforts by janitors in Houston to be better paid and to receive benefits.

Ms. Parker has a personal history of fighting for the political and social rights of people seeking a rightful place in society.

The Houston of 2009 is not of Ms. Parker’s making. We’re all trapped to some extent in a world we did not create. Ms. Parker must run a campaign that is mindful of Houston’s political climate.

That said, there is also a place for courage and for leadership. This is not a place Ms. Parker has yet realized in this campaign.

My hope is that Ms. Parker wins the chance to serve as our Mayor, and that her tenure is one dedicated to the aspirations and needs of all citizens of our city.

This post can also be found at the Houston Chronicle where I am a featured political reader-blogger. 

(For those seeking a better understanding of the social, environmental and economic landscape of Houston, the book Energy Metropolis–An Environmental History of Houston and the Gulf Coast connects many of the dots.)

I’ve Been Ethnically Profiled By The Harris County Tejano Democrats

I got a card in the mail yesterday from the Harris County Tejano Democrats. This group wanted to let me know who they were supporting in our 2009 Houston City elections.

Here is the web home of the Tejano Democrats. The web home could use a little work. Go to where it says “endorsed candidates” or “meet the officers” and you’ll see what I’m saying.  

People make mistakes all the time. I make mistakes all the time. Yet if you have a political website up two weeks before an election, please get it right.

I’m happy to hear from the Tejano Democrats—But I think I’ve been racially profiled.

Though my last name is Aquino, I’m not Hispanic. The name is Italian.  

On the side of my family not from Italy, I’ve got people off the Mayflower.

Maybe the Tejano Democrats sent out the card to all people in Houston who are of immigrant stock. 

The Tejano Democrats endorsed Gene Locke for Mayor of Houston. 

Why? 

Who knows? It does not say at the Tejano Democrats site why they endorsed Mr. Locke.

Could it be they endorsed Mr. Locke because he has been addressing issues of great importance to the Hispanic community in Houston?

No—The idea that Mr. Locke has been addressing issues of great importance to anybody is as likely as is me being Hispanic.

Mr. Locke, a Democrat, has been running around trying to get Republicans to vote for him in this election.

I’m not sure I want to know why the Tejano Democrats endorsed Mr. Locke. It is quite possible that the process was not very inspiring.

Anyway, if there is a meeting of the Very Liberal Italians of Harris County taking place anytime soon, could someone please get in touch with me. I’d be happy to attend.

So-Called Democrat Gene Locke Solicits Republicans—Locke Seeking To Trick And Bamboozle Black & Republican Voters

Houston politics blogger Martha Griffin has a post up this evening at her blog Musings reporting that Houston Mayoral candidate Gene Locke, a so-called Democrat, has solicited Republican Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman to annoy citizens of Houston with robocalls.

From Ms. Griffin’s post—“This is the same Beverly Kaufman who is on record as being against the pre-clearance portion of the Voting Rights Act. Pre-clearance is in place for nine Southern states that have a history of discrimination or suppressing minority voting, including Texas.”

Here is the link to the entirety of Ms. Griffin’s post. Ms. Griffin has an audio of the robocall that you can hear.

In the call Ms Kaufman talks about the support Mr. Locke has gained from “conservative business groups.” Ms. Kaufman makes it clear in the call that she is a Republican.

Mr. Locke assumes black voters in Houston will support him for Mayor because he is black—But black support may not be enough to reach a runoff. To get the extra votes he feels he needs, Mr. Locke will engage in low-down tactics

He’ll sell out his core supporters in a heartbeat.

Mr. Locke thinks black folks in Houston are stupid. He thinks he can trumpet the support of people who don’t at all share the beliefs of his most important voters, and that people won’t catch on that he is a fraud.  

People will indeed catch on to the fact that Mr. Locke is seeking to trick and bamboozle them on Election Day.

If you’re a Republican, please recall that Gene Locke is a Democrat. He is looking to trick and bamboozle you as well.

How can anybody trust this man to stick true to any belief? He is loyal only to his own ambitions.

Democrats Parker, Locke & Brown Must Earn Support Of Liberals, Progressives & Democrats

Recent stories in the Houston Chronicle detail tough conditions for people in Houston and all of Harris County.

These stories have reported…  

High rates of domestic abuse….

Houston leading the nation in teen mothers….

and

Low rates of health insurance in our city and area.

All these concerns are directly connected to the economic distress that is inherent to much of Houston even when we are not in a recession.

You’d think that with all three serious candidates for Mayor of Houston being Democrats, that these issues and concerns about poverty in our city would be part of the discussion as we approach Election Day.

The three candidates are Annise Parker, Gene Locke and Peter Brown. 

Health care reform is clearly a local issue and it is an issue currently on the table in Washington. When you’re a Democrat and you’re running for Mayor of a city of two million people, you’d think the prospect of health care for all would be a matter you’d address.

How can liberals, progressives and people in Houston who need some help count on any of these three Democrats when they are silent on such a big question?

Don’t believe the lie that City of Houston elections are non-partisan. Party identification can’t be made known on the ballot, but candidates are certainly free to identify themselves with a political party during the campaign. All three of the main candidates are Democrats.

If Republicans in Houston want to vote for one of these Democrats they are clearly free to do so—But these folks are Democrats. 

Ms. Parker, Mr. Locke and Mr. Brown are making calculations about who matters based on who they expect to vote in November. Other people, no matter how much in need they may be, don’t seem to count.

Liberals, progressives and loyal Democrats need to be sure they are not pushed aside in a race that they should in fact be defining.

All Three Candidates For Houston Mayor Are Democrats—Where Is Comment On Senator Kennedy And Health Care Reform?

All three leading candidates for Mayor of Houston are Democrats. These candidates are Annise Parker, Gene Locke and Peter Brown.

Despite the fact that these candidates are all Democrats, none I’m aware of have yet to comment on the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. None have offered any support to health care efforts that might well help many uninsured citizens of Houston get coverage. Health care reform was a lifetime concern of Senator Kennedy.

Health care reform is an issue with a direct impact on Houston.

These three candidates have actively sought out the support of local Democrats in Houston. I hope that these Democrats running for Mayor see party affiliation as more than simply something to be used when it suits them and ignored when inconvenient.

Not one serious Republican in Houston thought his or her city was worth putting forth a Republican vision for the future of Houston. Democrats should fill this void with strong leadership that puts the values of the Democratic Party at the center of where Houston should move in the years ahead.    

The lie is that our Houston city elections are non-partisan. The fact is that candidates for city office can and often do make note of their party affiliation. It is time for the Democratic Party in Houston and Harris County to assert control of Houston City Government that voters of Houston seem prepared to allow at the ballot box.  

(Update–Gene Locke has made a Twitter comment on Senator Kennedy’s death. That’s a small start.)