HISD Votes

Donald Trump’s daughter was booed and hissed today in Berlin. That is A-Okay by me. Keep it up and make my day!

Among active pitchers currently wearing an MLB uniform, name the pitcher who has given up the most dingers in their career to opposing batters?

As expected, not very many folks showed up to vote on the first day of Early Voting in Person for the HISD Proposition 1 ballot measure. 84 at West Gray, 34 for Sunnyside, 35 at Palm Center, 39 at Bayland, 14 for Tracy Gee, 21 at Moody, 8 at HCC, 5 at Ripley and 4 at Hardy.   Somebody needs to tell Latino voters that we have an election happening. Other than that, you can’t really say anything about the first day of turnout.

Bethany and Commentary voted yesterday for the HISD Proposition I measure at Moody. Bethany took little Hayes with her when she voted but he slept through it. I am glad I finally got to meet the little fella. He is a cutie for sure.

At Moody, the pro-Prop 1 effort had a bunch of signs up. Nothing from the anti-folks.

380 showed up to vote early in Pasadena.

HISD Trustee Jolanda Jones has an Op-Ed in today’s Chron opposing HISD Prop 1. Here is how it starts:

Anyone who cares about public education should vote against HISD Proposition 1. Here’s why:

Our votes deserve respect. Last November, HISD voters were smart enough to vote against the recapture proposition, which applies to school districts that experience rapid growth in property value. At a certain point, according to state school funding formulas, these districts face unsavory choices, including sending some of their property tax revenue to the state or having some of their property tax base detached. Either scenario then funnels that local tax money to property-poor districts. HISD voters in November said no. Now, state bureaucrats have dressed up the same proposition and are selling it to the district, and thus, to voters, as a new, improved deal. It’s not.

The new deal is worse than the first. Yes, the new deal reduces the recapture payments for the first year; but it tacks them back onto future years. And HISD – like the victim of an unscrupulous payday loan company – ends up paying more, not less.

Lawmakers are still hiding behind the same trick question. The politicians who wrote the ballot language knew from the start that recapture was a bad deal. That’s why they say it’s about “attendance credits.” But it’s not. It’s about shutting down public schools.

Here is the entire Op-Ed: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Jones-HISD-Proposition-1-is-still-a-bad-deal-11095416.php.

Some H-Town business groups came out in support of Prop 1. Here is from the Chron:

The Greater Houston Partnership and other local organizations whose members own some of the city’s priciest commercial real estate have come out in support of a ballot measure over whether the Houston Independent School District should pay its share of property taxes to the state as part of the so-called Robin Hood system of school finance.

The business coalition, which also includes Central Houston, the Houston Building Owners and Management Association, Uptown Houston, the Houston Business Realty Coalition and the “C” Club, said the school district should pay the $77.5 million it owes to the state.

If not, it faces having $8 billion of the city’s highest-valued commercial properties permanently reassigned to another school district, a process referred to as “detachment.”

The detachment process would affect more than 80 commercial properties in the Galleria, Greenway Plaza, and downtown Houston, the coalition said in a statement Monday afternoon. While the value of commercial property slated for detachment this year is $8 billion, HISD estimates it would climb to $22 billion in 2018.

“No one in our community wins under detachment,” Greater Houston Partnership president and CEO Bob Harvey said in the statement. “We are encouraging a vote in support of Proposition 1 so that Houston businesses can continue to help fund Houston’s public schools and its future leaders.”

Here is the entire article: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Houston-business-group-urges-HISD-voters-to-11095304.php.

Commentary gets emails from the GOP congressman (Culberson) from Texas CD7. Here is part of what he sent me yesterday:

The next general election is more than a year and a half away, yet the Democrat National Congressional Committee is already targeting me for defeat. They have zeroed in on District 7 because Hillary Clinton carried our district in November.

That’s right, a New York liberal won our district just five months ago.

And:

We can’t let them win. I am working night and day to advance a conservative agenda in Congress. But I need your help.

So, he wants to advance a conservative agenda for a congressional district that was won by a New York liberal. That makes complete sense to me. I guess some moderation on his part is out of the question.

Bartolo Colon, currently with The ATL, has given up 382 dingers in his career to opposing batters to lead all active MLB pitchers of course.

The team sent me this yesterday:

Cheer on the Astros from the Lexus Field Club this Sunday, as they take on Division rival, the Oakland A’s!

For this Sunday’s game only, the Lexus Field Club will be available to a limited number of fans for only $75!

Besides a field level view of the game, the Lexus Field Club features a variety of amenities, including food, non-alcoholic beverages and access to a premium cash bar.

Our fans have been asking about this very unique game day experience.

Now is your opportunity to check out this great new space that provides fans with a one-of-a-kind experience.

Tickets for this Sunday are limited, so get yours today!

Please note that this area is a general admission, communal gathering space that includes a mix of standing room and limited seating.

Your ticket grants you access to this area, but there is no assigned seating and no guarantee that seats will be available. 

I can’t make it, drats!