Chronicle: For Karla Cisneros

The Chron E-Board made their endorsement in the H-Town City Council District H race. Here it is:

Editorial: For District H

Karla Cisneros will work for smartdevelopment in changing neighborhoods.

Copyright 2015: Houston Chronicle
Published 7:01 pm, Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Houston is a city of great diversity, but also economic disparity and segregation, and all these challenges come into full play in District H. The L-shaped district covers the booming single-family neighborhoods of Near Northside and Woodland Heights, and the townhouse rows of the East End. It also covers economically troubled areas north of the 610 loop and industrial developments along Buffalo Bayou toward the Port of Houston. The population is 71 percent Hispanic and nearly half lack a high school diploma, yet the blocks along Navigation Boulevard were recently praised by the insistently hip Vice Media as the scene of Houston’s musical golden age.

These conflicting images paint a picture of a district in transition, and it needs a city council member who is dedicated to harnessing growth to help old neighborhoods. Karla Cisneros is the woman for the job.

Cisneros, who will be 61 on Election Day, works as a teacher but resigned to run for office. She also served on the HISD board of education from 2000 to 2006, including a term as board president. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Master’s in Architecture from Rice University.

Cisneros told the editorial board that she thought the city’s pensions were unsustainable, but that City Hall needed to honor its promises to employees. She also said that she supported the Houston equal rights ordinance.

However, perhaps more than any other candidate we’ve met during this cycle, Cisneros targeted economic disparity as the key problem facing Houston. This is the sort of thinking that you often hear from policy experts like Rice University’s Dr. Stephen Klineberg, but not nearly enough from our elected officials. “We’re increasingly becoming a city of haves and have-nots,” Cisneros told the editorial board. “The city has a role, and I don’t think they’ve played it very well in supporting the success of children, our families and our neighborhoods.”

While her goals are idealistic, Cisneros’ policy solutions are strictly down-to-earth. She points to community involvement and communication at all levels to help encourage smart development that fits with neighborhoods. She also points to public-private partnerships as a way for new growth to help improve lives of long-time residents.

“Protect what’s important and help people transition into this more-dense, more-urban city that Houston has become,” she said.

Cisneros already has a record of using smart development to help neighborhoods. She led a grassroots effort in Woodland Heights to improve Travis Elementary, including building one of the first SPARK parks. That project helped make the school into the heart of the neighborhood.
Cisneros applies this policy of creating neighborhood cores to Metro, as well.

“One of the opportunities that I see in District H are the 12 Metro [rail] stations that are new,” she told the editorial board. “The stations themselves are nice, but they’re not connected to the neighborhoods around them.”

Cisneros pointed to 380 agreements as a way to transform the stations into transit nodes and encourage economic development.

“We need to be smart about our development and preparing for the future.”

That smart vote would be for Cisneros.

Voters should avoid Abel Davila, a former Houston Community College board member. In the internal investigation known as the Veselka Report, Davila was specifically fingered for violating board policies and his fiduciary duties.

Nice.

Name the ‘Stro pitcher who has given up the most dingers this season?

Here is another story from the Chron’s Rebecca Elliott on the race for mayor: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/election/local/article/Mayor-s-race-only-now-heading-to-TV-6525207.php?t=8ead44254c438d9cbb&cmpid=twitter-premium.

Commentary is never afraid to say I didn’t know that when I learn something new. Yesterday, I was watching the Pope at the White House and the military band played the Vatican’s national anthem. I didn’t know they had their own anthem tune.

We have fallen big time. Realistically, it is all about fighting for that second wild card slot and maybe a trip to Yankee Stadium.

Collin McHugh of course has given up 18 dingers to opposing players this season.

We have a needed day off. We are 3 back. Keep hope alive!