Commentary just learned that an Early Voting location where African American and Latino voters participate was broken into. Minority voter suppression?
Saturday night will end this year’s campaign season here in H-Town – the sooner the better. Here’s a bit of what was said on a recent radio program. (Remember, Commentary is part of Team Locke.)
Question: I would like find out the position on the illegal immigrants in the City of Houston?
Annise Parker: I wish we didn’t have illegal immigrants in the City of Houston, but that is a federal issue. What happens is cities are left to deal with the situation. I have been clear throughout the campaign I believe that if someone is arrested here in Houston for a violation of a local law and goes to the City jail, we should ask everyone who is booked into the City jail what their immigration status is either through using the 287g program or what’s called the secure communities program. We need to find out just as they do at the Harris County Jail but I don’t want anybody to ever ask someone on the street and I don’t want my police officers to become immigration enforcement officers. But, if you go to jail, you can take your consequences and then you’re going to be turned over to ICE if you’re here illegally.
Gene Locke: That has been my platform position from day one. I don’t believe that we as a city can determine the immigration problem and hope that because it is a federal problem. We have to end up living with the consequences with a failed federal problem, um, policy and it plays out certainly in the issue of public safety. For me, I too would not have police officers asking people about citizenship on the streets. I think that goes to racial profiling that they could also be constitutionally impermissible and it’s, uh, with our police department so small it is not the appropriate use of the meager resources that we have, having said that if somebody is arrested we need to screen people in our jails so that we know who is in our jails. I believe that screening should take place in the jails. I think that is the appropriate place for it.
Be careful what you wish for Annise Parker. Like it or not, paperless folks have contributed mightily to H-town’s economy and they were there to help clean up the Ike mess.
This past weekend, the Chron called out the Parker campaign by pointing out a “glaring error” in their latest TV ad. The ad says as City Attorney, Gene Locke blew a case and it cost the city $22 mil. The ad doesn’t say that the city won on appeal. The ad is still running.
A panelist at yesterday’s Channel 11 TV debate pointed out that the latest Parker radio ad was trying to trick voters into thinking that Parker had the support of the major police officers union – HPOU, when in fact, HPOU was supporting Locke. The ad is still running.
A Chron reporter on the panel pointed out that under Parker, the city lost millions in a deal similar to the Sports Authority deal that Parker is criticizing Locke on in her TV ad. The ad is still running.
Meanwhile, HPD wants a $4 miil special expenditure because the finger print department is messed up which I’m sure the GOP will use against the H-Town Mayor next year.
It looks like Hutch stopped reading Commentary because she will be filing against Guv Dude today.
Harris County Department of Education Board Trustee Jim Henley said this about Anna Eastman yesterday (she’s Commentary’s client):
“HISD board candidate Anna Eastman knows full well that it will take all of us, teachers, parents, students, community and business leaders to break the status quo that is currently failing a large percentage of our children. We must not allow efforts toward true school reform to be characterized as an anti-teacher movement. The goal of candidates such as Anna Eastman, is to attract, retain and reward teachers who are effectively teaching their students. We cannot allow school reform to be characterized as public schools VS public charter schools, we need to strengthen and improve both.
“Every student deserves the opportunity of an excellent education. Today, that opportunity is extended to less than half of Houston’s children. Are there ineffective teachers? Yes. Should they be replaced? Of course, along with an ineffective governor, legislators, superintendents, board members, and administrators. No one should be allowed to stand in the way of children achieving their God given potential.”
That’s politics.
Commentary was at the “in” party for “players” Saturday night and the topic of the evening was – you guessed it – who is going to win. Afterward, as I was waiting for my car in the Hotel ZaZa valet parking line with my security detail and I heard shrieking – Jay Leno, Jay Leno. The man himself Jay Leno walked right past me into a limo. He did pose for a few pics with some fans – cool.
A lot of folks across the U.S. of A. are wondering if the big guy upstairs was wearing burnt orange Saturday night.
Commentary likes the head coach of the Texans but I don’t think he’s going to be here much longer after that botched call yesterday.
Let’s hope the ‘Stros pick up some players at the Winter Meetings.
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