First things first! Name the former ‘Stro pitcher that has the most all time balks as a
‘Stro? You’ll never guess!
Yesterday evening the Chron endorsed Carol Alvarado for State Senator, District 6. They made the right call and said some important things. It is a very nice write-up. Here is the entire endorsement:
Copyright 2013: Houston Chronicle: 07:34 PM (FEb. 19)
Residents of Texas State Senate District 6, a heavily Hispanic area that winds from the Heights through the east side of Houston and Harris County, are lucky to face a tough choice at the ballot box as they pick a replacement for the late Sen. Mario Gallegos. Runoff candidates Sylvia Garcia and Carol Alvarado are both dedicated public servants with a long history of representing the area.
In terms of political positions, there’s not much difference between them. Both are Democrats who vow to strengthen state education spending and expand Medicaid. They differ chiefly in the way in which they’d go about achieving their goals. Garcia vows to go toe-to-toe against Gov. Rick Perry and other Republicans. Alvarado says that she’d continue to do what she’s done as a member of the Republican-controlled Texas House: work with members across the aisle to get legislation passed.
We believe that Alvarado’s approach will serve her district best. In part, that’s pure pragmatism. Given Republicans’ utter dominance of our state’s government, a Democrat who hopes to accomplish anything at all has to play nicely with the GOP. But it’s also the solution to a larger problem. Both Texas and the United States need more politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, who can find middle ground and nudge the body politic forward. Alvarado is that kind of legislator.
Residents of the district are familiar with Alvarado and her staff, who are frequent presences at civic club meetings and neighborhood events. That sort of ground-level constituent service might not be notable elsewhere, but it is in places like the east side of Houston, Galena Park and South Houston. Many of the area’s neighborhoods receive too little attention from the elected officials who are supposed to serve them.
Members of the Legislature also are familiar with Alvarado. That’s especially important in this runoff because its winner will have to hit the ground running. She’ll be sworn into the state Senate with only a few days left in which bills can be filed. As a third-term member of the House, Alvarado knows the legislature’s ins and outs and has already established many of the relationships she’ll need to serve her district.
It’s essential that the winner of this office – like all members of the Houston delegation – support the mayor’s efforts to bring local oversight to the firefighters’ pension fund. The pension’s fast-growing costs threaten the city’s financial health. And as a matter of good government, it only makes sense that the city, which foots the bill for the pension, should be able to negotiate directly with the firefighters. Alvarado, who has both the endorsement of the firefighters union and experience in city government, could be important in brokering a deal.
Her diplomatic skills and ability to find common ground make her the right person to represent District 6.
Don’t forget to vote! Early voting runs today through Feb. 26. The election is Saturday, March 2. To vote in the run-off, it’s not necessary to have voted in the previous election. For poll hours and locations, go to www.harrisvotes.org.
Here is a sampling of reactions from Carol’s supporters:
ROCKSTAR!!!
Congratulations on this superbly written endorsement! (From a Bexar County State Senator)
Nice!
Woo hoo!
The other side is kind of poo pooing the endorsement even though they wanted it.
Early Voting in Person starts today and some interesting things are happening. Stay tuned!
We got Chron!
Jim Deshaies of course leads the ‘Stros all time with 27 balks as a ‘Stro.
The latest from Spring Training is about a ‘Stro rumored to be on the PED user list.
