If you are like Commentary and are old school and snatch up the fish wrap from your driveway in the mornings then you know that the Chron’s Lisa Falkenberg has endorsed Early to Rise and Hunker Down is opposing. Here is how Falkenberg starts her column today:
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett is fighting a "nutty" petition drive for an early education tax with his own brand of nuttiness.
Emmett has been battling the Early to Rise campaign ever since he got wind of the creative, albeit hasty effort to use a dusty old law to force him to put a penny tax on the November ballot. Some $25 million in proceeds would be dedicated to improving the quality of child care across Harris County.
What is Early to Rise you ask? Well here is from their website:
We are a program designed to help young children up to age 5 get ready for Kindergarten through increasing the quality of early childhood education in Harris County.
This November, we are working to get an item placed on the ballot that would ask voters to approve a 1 penny increase per $100 of assessed home value. This tiny increase would average out to about $18 a year for a $180,000 home. This means that for $1.50 a month we can provide our area’s youngest kids with intensive early education and get them ready for Kindergarten and beyond.
Commentary hasn’t taken a position on Early to Rise. I have a lot of questions.
Name the first Red Sox pitcher to win the AL Cy Young Award?
This election cycle Commentary is going to do a scorecard on local elected officials endorsing candidates in local races. For instance in the Mayoral race The Mayor is supported by:
State Rep. Garnet Coleman
State Rep. Jessica Farrar
State Rep. Borris Miles
Ft. Bend County Commissioner Richard Morrison
Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan
Councilmember Ellen Cohen
Councilmember Stephen Costello
Councilmember Ed Gonzalez
Councilmember Al Hoang
Councilmember James Rodriguez
HCDE Trustee Debby Kerner
HCDE Trustee Erica Lee
HCDE Trustee Diane Trautman
HISD Trustee Anna Eastman
HISD Trustee Juliet Stipeche
HISD Trustee Paula Harris
Ben Hall has the support of:
Council Member C. O. Bradford ·
Constable Reuben Davis ·
Constable May Walker ·
After the election I’ll give 10 points to each elected official for each winner and take 10 points away for each loser.
I will also include initiatives like Early to Rise if itgets on the ballot.
It looks like The Dean has him a Dem Primary opponent. Here is from an email that Commentary received yesterday:
My name is Damian LaCroix and I’m running for State Senator for District 15 in the 2014 Democratic Party primary. I’m running because I believe now is the time to engage constituents, improve our educational system, create economic opportunities and promote equality for all. I’m committed to making a difference in the lives of the citizens in District 15.
As State Senator, I will be active in the District, highly visible in the community, and easily accessible to the constituents. A Texas resident for over 39 years and a product of Houston public schools, I can relate to the issues and needs of the highly diverse District.
You can go check out his campaign website here.
Of course, he’s going to need more than a website to take on The Dean.
In 1967 Jim Lonborg won the AL Cy Young Award of course, went 22-9, struck out 246 and had a 3.16 ERA and led the Red Sox to the World Serious where they lost out to San Luis in seven.
I don’t want to talk about the ugliness at The Yard last night. A 5-0 lead turned out to be a 15-10 loss.
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