« November 2005 | Main | January 2006 »
December 30, 2005
Profiling a Houston Gem
In today's Chronicle, Kristen Mack offers a deservedly flattering profile of Jerry Wood, a longtime political strategist and researcher, former City Planning Department staffer, and current consultant on election logistics.
Wood, in addition to being an all-around interesting guy, is likely as knowledgeable a person one can find about Houston -- its neighborhoods, and the growth and development of its population. He is a veritable encyclopedia of such facts and figures, while maintaining a big-picture perspective on changes (good and bad) in Houston, relative to its past.
Wood is virtually a lifelong resident of the city, a Rice graduate, and one whose expertise is colored by a real love for Houston, and a desire to see it progress.
The piece mentions possible new redistricting of City Council districts, which would add two new districts to accommodate population growth (and may happen as soon as next year), and Wood's possible role in drawing the new lines. We should all hope for his involvement.
Posted by houtopia at 06:36 PM
December 21, 2005
From The "Yeah Right" Department
This week, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has returned to court in Baghdad for his trial, and the circus atmosphere has returned with him.
In an especially delicious bit of irony, Saddam suddenly claimed today that he has been beaten and tortured by his American captors since his incarceration two years ago. This charge from a man who indiscriminately tortured and murdered thousands of his own countrymen, and who got quite a makeover -- new suit, shave, dye job -- between his capture and appearance in court. Give us a break.
Sorry folks, think what you will about the Bush administration or the Iraq War -- Saddam's claims strike us as highly dubious. There's always a chance he's telling the truth we suppose, and the U.S. most certainly is facing legitimate claims of abuse from some ordinary Iraqis, but the nature and timing of Saddam's accusations just don't pass the smell test.
First of all, had he been abused, wouldn't it have better served his cause of rallying Iraqis to his side and poisoning the trial to disclose such abuse from the get-go? Second, U.S. personnel clearly understand the importance of this trial and the magnifying lense under which it is being conducted -- television, etc. That they would jeopardize a case with such high stakes and so high-profile a defendent strains credibility, to put it mildly. Finally, Saddam's wildly erratic behavior during his trial, not to mention a long history of such behavior throughout his reign, hardly gives one reason to trust a thing he says.
Interesting that Saddam's accusations surfaced only in immediate response to today's horrifying, graphic descriptions of his own regime's torturing of Iraqis over 20 years ago. Saddam and his supporters wasted no time, we might add, before berating prosecution witnesses, even calling one a "dog".
Saddam, who only recently (and conveniently) seems to have rekindled his Islamic faith, even began praying aloud after the judge refused to halt the trial for a prayer.
Sure, there's always a chance Saddam's claims of abuse and torture are legitimate, but given his well-defined pattern of behavior so far, don't bet on it.
Posted by houtopia at 01:55 PM
December 20, 2005
Perry Talks Leadership, Passes Buck
Texas Governor Rick Perry filed for reelection yesterday, promising four more years of the strong leadership he's provided since succeeding George W. Bush in 2000. Doesn't that make you feel good?
The Governor announced his plan to campaign on his record as a "fiscal conservative who has fought for lower taxes and responsible government spending while investing billions more in education." Really? Because taxes aren't lower, state government has hardly acted responsibly over the last four years, and the educational funding system is an utter mess that was just ruled illegal by the Texas Supreme Court. Quite a record.
It was heartening to see that a "few dozen" supporters packed the room for Governor Perry's announcement. The enthusiasm for him is downright palpable, isn't it? Catch the Rick Perry fever!
One reporter had the temerity to ask the good Governor about Texans who are concerned about the state of public education and school finance failures. "You're talking to wrong people, man", Mr. Perry replied, and directed the reporter to his list of reelection supporters. Man, that's leadership.
Perry then went on to disparage all his "sideline critics" and called criticism over four failed special sessions unfair. Let's see -- two regular sessions, plus four specials -- six bites at the school finance apple, and nothing, zippo, accomplished. But don't you remember the substantive, good-faith efforts the Governor made, like submitting a budget last session with zero dollar amounts? Hey man, you're talking to the wrong people. That's somebody else's problem.
That Mr. Perry actually stood before the public to run on his record of achievement is a bad joke. That he so flippantly dismisses the enormous gap between his campaign platitudes and reality is very unfunny indeed, yet that's virtually all he has to say.
State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn who, for now, is Perry's GOP primary challenger, leaves us on a note of pity, saying "he's done his best, but his best just isn't good enough." We don't pity Rick Perry, but rather fear for our state's future should he be reelected. Texas just can't afford another four years of this.
Posted by houtopia at 10:53 AM
December 19, 2005
Spies Like Us
We were not able to catch President Bush's news conference this morning. An event so rare is normally not to be missed, but it's tough to get out of those holiday obligations. Today's reports detail some fireworks, particularly concerning revelations of an Administration-approved plan that has been electronically surveilling Americans since shortly after 9-11.
The President vigorously defended the program, claiming it both legal and necessary to combat the war on terrorism, or "terra", as it is known at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He also chastised Congress for failing so far to renew the Patriot Act, despite the President's own rejection of a bipartisan plan to temporarily restore its powers. But apparently, surveillance was topic #1.
Mr. Bush asserted that the monitoring of telephone and email communications of other Americans is legal, and was done with proper civil liberty safeguards. He even called the leak of such surveillance "shameful", and abetting the enemy. He claimed Constitutional authority to do the monitoring, and said Congressional leadership was briefed repeatedly on what was happening. Mr Bush bristled at a reporter's suggestion that the surveillance may amount to unchecked authority by the executive branch of government.
Not surprisingly, Democratic Senators disputed the President's version of events and cried foul. Levin of Michigan and Feingold of Wisconsin scoffed at the notion that Congress was adequately briefed and reminded the public that we do not elect kings in America.
Perhaps more surprising was the negative reaction Mr. Bush's remarks drew from conservative legal scholars and Members of Congress, including John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Arlen Spector, suggesting that Congressional Members of both parties are tired of being railroaded by the Administration and are seeking to re-establish some distance between the branches of Federal government.
If Mr. Bush had hoped his remarks would quell the now bipartisan grumbling over the surveillance revelations, he must be disappointed. Maybe he could have listened in on their conversations about it and saved himself the suspense.
Posted by houtopia at 04:37 PM
December 17, 2005
Inside Scientology
For those of you looking for reassurance that Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise is a regular guy who practices a little-known but reasonable religion, don't read today's fascinating profile in the LA Times.
The piece details Cruise's lengthy training sessions at the Scientology Church's retreat outside L.A., and only instensifies our bizarro view of him and the religious cult to which he belongs.
The article also profiles church leader David Miscavige, who has had a long and intense "relationship" with Cruise (hmm...), and who frankly reminds us more of an upscale David Koresh than anyone else, as well as deceased church founder and science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, or "LRH" as he is known to the faithful.
Apparently Cruise has advanced far further on his spiritual journey than most of his fellow Hollywood practicioners, and is now seeking "OT VII", or Operating Thetan VII, one of the highest levels of Scientology training, which will reveal to him the secrets of human suffering. We wonder if among those secrets is having to watch Battlefield Earth, a suffering experience if there ever was one. Such advanced Scientology training, by the way, conveniently costs members hundreds of thousands of dollars. Well, Cruise can certainly afford it.
Cruise's progression in the religion also explains his open disdain for psychiatry (remember his feud with Brooke Shields and confrontation with Matt Lauer over mental health treatment), a disdain shared by Hubbard, whose beliefs were "dismissed as quackery" by the psychiatric profession.
As one former church member put it, Cruise is effectively channeling Hubbard from the grave. Our response to the whole piece -- yikes.
Posted by houtopia at 11:29 AM
December 16, 2005
On The Wrong Side Of Big Money
Disclosure: Houtopia worked for the Jay Aiyer campaign.
Reports of the Labor movement's death have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, it's alive and well, just in a new body. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has arrived in Houston, and wasted no time establishing a footprint.
Some may remember that SEIU, led by the brilliant and quirky Andy Stern, broke away from its long association with the AFL-CIO back in July, after a nasty battle over the Labor movement's direction.
Armed with deep pockets -- $60 million -- and a new campaign, "Change to Win", SEIU set out to make its own mark on the organizing and political scenes. SEIU played big in municipal elections in Los Angeles, Raleigh, NC, and most recently San Antonio, where it backed mayoral candidate Julian Castro, who lost in a runoff. This fall SEIU landed in Houston, with its sights set on changing the organizational and political scene at City Hall.
It recently made a splash organizing local janitors, along with ACORN, a community empowerment organization, and others. SEIU national swept in with money and muscle to supplement the ground work ACORN and others had been doing for months. On December 1st, the janitors won the right to organize. SEIU national, which has had a Justice for Janitors campaign for years, but only arrived in Houston two months ago, wasted little time claiming credit for a victory with many fathers and mothers.
Simultaneously, SEIU had begun a war with its former AFL-CIO brethren, the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) over the organization of Houston City employees. While City employees have no single official union, AFSCME has represented many of them for decades, and is less than thrilled with SEIU's intrusion. The battle has yet to play out and is likely to get nasty.
SEIU also decided to get involved in City races, mostly in a peripheral way, save one. While SEIU made modest contributions to unopposed City Controller Annise Parker, two incumbent Council Members with weak opposition -- Carol Alvarado and Adrian Garcia -- and Peter Brown, a well-funded candidate who won an open seat, it turned its real focus (and checkbook) to the open At-Large Position #2 race.
The race had five candidates, 3 Republicans and 2 Democrats -- Jay Aiyer and Sue Lovell. Aiyer, a virtually unknown attorney and Houston Community College Trustee, raised considerable resources -- some from the lobby, but mostly from his own Indian-American community. Lovell, a longtime Democratic activist who had run before, raised some money, mostly from traditional Democratic givers and the GLBT community. Enter SEIU.
In the November general election, SEIU did three citywide mailers for Ms. Lovell, plus thousands of paid phone calls, at least doubling what she spent on her own campaign, and blindsiding everyone in the race. After the dust had settled, both Democrats emerged into the runoff -- an outcome few had predicted. Exact figures are not yet known, but it looks like SEIU spent between $100,000-125,000 on Sue Lovell in the first round.
In the runoff, SEIU, understandably, wanted to see its investment through. Lovell's opponent, Aiyer, is a Democrat who received numerous other Labor endorsements and co-endorsements despite Lovell's longtime Labor ties (she's actually an AFSCME member -- we'll get to that.) Aiyer was hardly a natural enemy, but no matter to SEIU. They did five mail pieces in the runoff, both supporting Lovell and attacking Aiyer, and thousands more paid calls -- likely at least another $100,000-125,000 spent. Lovell won the race by 600 votes out of 36,000 cast.
As the dust begins to clear, we ask why? Why did SEIU make an unprecedented expenditure in a City race on a candidate who is herself an AFSCME member, with deep ties to the AFL-CIO and "old line" labor? What will SEIU expect of Lovell on difficult possible upcoming votes on organizing of City employees, or on the Mayor's plans for civil service reform at City Hall? Finally, the Aiyer campaign has lodged a City Ethics complaint over the huge expenditures, claiming illegal coordination, but even if the expenditures are found to be truly independent, should any one entity be able to spend unlimited amounts -- $200,000-300,000 or more -- on a City race?
We will likely never know why SEIU chose to invest so heavily in one candidate in one race, so we can only speculate. We suspect it had less to do with the individual personalities in the race than with making a statement about its ability to influence local elections here. SEIU likely didn't expect Aiyer to survive the first round, and was gearing up to take on Poli Acosta or another of the Republicans. That he did may have been too bad as far as SEIU was concerned, but of little consequence.
In the At-Large #2 race, SEIU had an opportunity to back an underfunded candidate for an open seat and make the difference, and that's exactly what it did. Makes for good bragging to donors and sends a message that, local roots or no roots, SEIU is here now and to be taken seriously.
Still smarting from a tough, narrow defeat, the Aiyer campaign is left scratching its collective head. How did we end up on the wrong side of big money?
Posted by houtopia at 02:40 PM
December 15, 2005
McCain Bests Bush
Just a day after Arizona Senator John McCain handed President Bush a stunning legislative defeat by getting the House of Representatives (normally reliable in delivering Bush's agenda) to pass his torture ban over strong White House objections, President Bush caved and agreed to most of McCain's proposals.
Considering McCain achieved veto-proof margins in both chambers -- 308-122 in the House and 90-9 in the Senate earlier this year -- President Bush had little choice to save political face. The measure bans torture and limits interrogation tactics in U.S. detention facilities, and is considered in line with the Uniform Code of Military Justice and in McCain's words "would not contradict the Nuremburg decision" that obeying orders is no excuse for engaging in torture.
McCain's success is not only a victory for human rights and the United States' damaged good name around the world, but is a remarkable testament to just how far the President has fallen politically.
President Bush's first term was notable for the extraordinary discipline he exercised and maintained over Republican lawmakers. Tax cuts (several of them), Medicare legislation, defense appropriations and No Child Left Behind were all legislative "victories" achieved for the administration by a compliant and unified Republican-controlled Congress.
Since Mr. Bush's reelection, however, amid rising casualties in Iraq, gas prices and health care costs at home, worries about the national economy, and government's failed response to Hurricane Katrina, many Republican Congressional members seem to have left the reservation.
Some who may have been previously cowed by the President now seem emboldened by his sagging approval numbers (mostly below 40%) and unafraid to buck him. Others who otherwise might be happy to follow the Administration's lead, fear a backlash in next year's midterm election and are running for cover from a President who has become somewhat politically radioactive.
Whatever the reasons, the effect is remarkable. Mr. Bush seems to have become a lame duck over a year before his time. His personal intransigence on so many big issues, coupled with limited, and mostly unpalatable options for the federal government to resolve the major public policy issues of the day portends much quacking over the next three years.
As we have said repeatedly, Democrats have a real opportunity to gain at least modest, and perhaps major political ground next fall. Will they seize the day or snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Recent history is not encouraging, but we haven't given up yet.
Posted by houtopia at 05:46 PM
December 13, 2005
Ronnie Earle Rubs It In
In Tom DeLay's political world these days, time is his enemy. Since the Sugar Land Congressman's indictment a few months ago, Mr. DeLay has been forced to at least temporarily resign his House Majority Leader post, and thus cede his real power in Washington.
In response to Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle's charges, Mr. DeLay has sought a speedy resolution to his case, which would enable him to resume his leadership post as soon as possible.
Mr. DeLay's attorneys failed to persuade Judge Pat Priest to throw out all the charges against him, though he did dismiss one conspiracy count. Judge Priest declared that Mr. DeLay's trial would begin shortly after the new year, and House Republicans seemed to indicate they would give Mr. DeLay more time to resolve his legal issues before permanently electing new leadership.
Well, Ronnie Earle just slowed things down. By appealing Judge Priest's dismissal of a conspiracy charge, Earle has now delayed Mr. DeLay's actual trial until the appeal is resolved, likely a few months. House Republicans will now have to wait that much longer to know if Mr. DeLay is free to reassume his leadership post, and have that much longer to get used to life without him at the top.
Additionally, federal investigations into Mr. DeLay's connections to fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff continue, and likely present much greater legal jeopardy for the Congressman than Earle's state charges.
Meanwhile, the 2006 campaign cranks up. Erstwhile DeLay opponent Mike Fjetland has announced that he will again seek the Republican primary nomination in District 22. Certainly, no-one expects Fjetland, a perennial candidate, to win, but he further complicates life for Mr. DeLay.
Recent District 22 polling suggests Mr. DeLay is vulnerable to a general election challenge from former Congressman Nick Lampson.
We keep expecting Mr. DeLay to bottom out, politically, and begin to regain his footing, but the floor keeps falling. Wow, sucks for him.
Posted by houtopia at 04:43 PM
December 12, 2005
Texas Redistricting Not Final After All
The Texas GOP's Tom DeLay-engineered Congressional redistricting plan has been in effect since 2003. It yielded significant Republican gains in Texas last year, giving the GOP 21 of the state's 32 Congressional seats after the 2004 election.
Democrats challenged the plan in court, only to have it upheld by a three-judge federal panel. On appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court remanded the decision back to the panel to adjust it. The panel again upheld the original plan, and today SCOTUS decided to weigh in.
Four of the nine votes are required on the Supreme Court to consider a case, which means enough Justices have a problem with the Texas plan to give it a hearing. Perhaps an important factor was the revelation last week that career voting rights professionals at the Justice Department concluded that the Texas gerrymander violated the Voting Rights Act, but were overruled by political appointees at the top.
The Justice Department's decision to grant "preclearance" and approve the plan in spite of unanimous disagreement from the career attorneys and analysts is described as "highly unusual". Given this Administration's emphasis on politics over policy in so many instances, however, we're not surprised.
That the Court decided to take the case, so soon after ruling on Pennsylvania's plan, suggests they have a problem with the plan. Undoubtedly, the new makeup of the Court will play a role in how this case is decided, but may not be determinant. We don't know for sure, but might assume that new Chief Justice John Roberts will follow his predecessor and support the GOP gerrymander.
It may surprise readers to learn that outgoing Justice O'Connor, often thought of as a moderate voice on the Court, has previously voted to uphold these Repbulican redrawings. She was a former state legislator in Arizona, and is considered quite partisan in these matters. So, even if Alito is confirmed, his vote is not likely to be any worse than hers.
The swing vote is Anthony Kennedy, who has expressed concern at overly partisan redistricting, and who seems to relish his role of swinging the Court -- a role that is likely to grow with O'Connor's departure.
So, it ain't over yet. Texas Democrats would be wise not to bank too much on the Supreme Court throwing out the Texas gerrymander, but it could happen.
Posted by houtopia at 03:01 PM
December 10, 2005
Please Vote
Tomorrow ends the 2005 City election cycle, and (hopefully) the sporadic nature of recent postings on Houtopia.
Please take the time to cast your ballot in the City Council, School Board and Texas House races that apply.
We have only one recommendation.
After that, we're ready for some holiday parties.
Posted by houtopia at 12:36 AM
December 05, 2005
Tragedy
Today came the word from Austin that nobody wanted to hear. Sugar Land Congressman Tom DeLay, the at least temporarily dethroned House Majority Leader, will have to stand trial in Austin. Say it ain't so.
This afternoon Judge Pat Priest declined to dismiss all charges against Mr. DeLay, dashing the Congressman's hopes of quickly returning to his House leadership post.
Judge Priest dismissed one conspiracy charge against DeLay, but upheld another conspiracy charge and a count of money laundering. Trial will not begin before early next year, and that's bad news politically for Mr. DeLay.
For one thing, GOP House leadership has expressed a desire to hold permanent new leadership elections after the first of the year, should DeLay's legal troubles remain unresolved. (Missouri Congressman Roy Blount is temporarily serving as Majority Leader.) It is now clear his troubles will not be resolved by then.
Second, these developments leave Mr. DeLay more and more electorally vulnerable, both in his primary and in the general election. DeLay would, at this point, almost certainly win a contested GOP primary over almost any opponent, but he would have a real contest that would force him to raise and spend considerable funds and take incoming fire from his own side.
As for the general election, the 22nd Congressional District is still majority Republican, but former Congressman Nick Lampson, who has attracted significant crossover support in the past, is positioning himself to make a strong challenge next year.
Finally, today's developments are totally independent of the ongoing federal investigations in Washington, which also appear to pose considerable legal and political risk to Mr. DeLay.
It's not shaping up to be the best of holiday seasons for the dear Congressman.
Posted by houtopia at 06:00 PM
December 01, 2005
Bills Coming Due For Katrina Victims
More than three months have now passed since Hurricane Katrina roared ashore on the Central Gulf Coast, irrevocably changing an important American region.
As time passes, for those of us not directly affected by the storm, memories of Katrina, the destruction and overwhelming needs it created fade. Such is human nature, for better or worse. Even here in Houston, which immediately absorbed as many as 200,000 displaced people and still likely has at least 100,000, many of whom remain in local hotels, Katrina (or Rita for that matter) is no longer front and center in most of our minds.
But for those directly impacted life remains, at best, difficult. Today's Washington Post reminds us that many victims' mortgages, after having a three-month grace period, are due -- often three payments at once. The article points out that government agencies and lending institutions are trying to work out extensions of the grace period in many cases, though the sheer magnitude and chaos of the aftermath, even now, make that difficult.
Today's Chronicle notes the progress made in moving victims out of hotels around the state, though some 13,000 remain, 7,000 of whom are in the Houston area.
All this, coupled with reports of very slow cleanup and reconstruction efforts in Louisiana and Mississsippi, reminds us that Katrina and Rita live on as full-fledged disasters for hundreds of thousands of our fellow Americans.
Human nature may slowly pull the tragedy from our collective memory, but please remember these people -- what has happened to them and what continues to happen -- during this holiday season.
Posted by houtopia at 01:45 PM