13 January 2008
Lack of data won't hinder city's effort to stop Ashby high rise*
As he noted here, Neal Meyer has written a post about a meeting he attended last week regarding the Ashby high-rise ordinance Mayor White is pushing at the behest of Southampton residents. (Did any local media attend the meeting?)
What stands out is how capricious and ill-defined this ordinance seems to be. Not to mention that it will move broad powers from elected officials to the city's public works director -- an alarming thought, indeed, after you read some of the things the public works representative had to say.
Anyway, give it a read, and be glad someone attended the meeting and wrote about it!
(*The title refers to an answer given by an official in response to a question: "We don't know yet. We are limited by the lack of data."
Remember, this is an ordinance Mayor White attempted to fast-track ... when the city lacked data.)
KEVIN WHITED ADDS:
That's a good essay by Neal Meyer that ought to be read in its entirety.
Two snippets in particular really caught my eye, though.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/13/08 07:36 PM |
Mayor White warns Council to stick with his agenda
Did you see Carolyn Feibel's post last week on Chron.com's City Hall blog, about Mayor White's warning to the new city council?
Bill White began today with a little lecture to the newly-constituted council. He laid out three rules of diplomacy for everyone to follow, while half-apologizing if he came off as schoolmarmish.
Nevertheless, White made clear he wants council members to do their homework, read reports, go to committee meetings, and traffic in specifics, not loose rhetorical generalities.
His strongest admonition: don't exaggerate!
When giving examples of unacceptable exaggeration, White seemed to be alluding to the growing controversy over the 23-story Ashby high-rise proposed near Rice University, and the city's consideration of a traffic ordinance to limit its density.
Translation: Let my communication team set the agenda and the tone for issues, especially divisive ones.
Mayor White has to be especially relieved that Addie Wiseman has been term-limited out of Council.
Mayor White's warning comes off as heavy-handed considering councilmembers are elected by their constituents, not the mayor. Councilmembers answer to their constituencies, not Mayor White. But as we have seen in his previous two terms, Mayor White is a master at building consensus behind the scenes, and if he can't build a consensus (a rarity!), he won't press forward with an issue. Most of all, though, he does NOT appreciate surprises.
White also seemed to make a preemptive statement against those who might contend he is interfering in the Ashby high-rise plan because the neighborhood is home to politically active, influential and affluent residents.
"The most modest citizen and the most humble dwelling has every right of the most powerful citizen, no matter how much money they have," White said, apropos of nothing, it seemed.
Might that be directed at Councilman Jarvis Johnson, who said this when the initial Ashby high rise brouhaha erupted?
But Councilman Jarvis Johnson, who represents District B in northeast Houston, said residents of the poor and working-class neighborhoods he represents had a difficult time getting a sympathetic ear at City Hall when they complained about single-family housing developments with no parks or other amenities.
"The city said there were standards that we set that (the developers) followed," he said. "How can this community (Southampton) push the envelope so much?"
It's not hard to figure out why Southampton residents are getting preferential treatment, no matter how hard Mayor White and his press office try to characterize it otherwise.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/13/08 07:52 AM |
09 January 2008
Rearranging councilmember offices in the City Hall Annex
Via Matt Stiles at Chron.com's City Hall blog:
One of the perks of being Mayor Pro Tem, at least during recent administrations, is the spacious and private office suite on the second floor of the City Hall Annex, where council members and their staffs work.
Councilman Adrian Garcia, the new pro tem, is moving there this weekend. His new digs will have relatively spiffy furniture, and his staff will be separated from the open-cubicle maze that other council workers endure.
Garcia's move, however, means new Councilman James Rodriguez, who's been on the job less than a week, has to abandon the space once held by his predecessor, former District I Councilwoman (and pro tem) Carol Alvarado.
She kept the office, by the way, even after former Councilman Michael Berry served as pro tem for nearly two years after the bonus scandal.
How completely unsurprising that Carol Alvarado didn't move out of the spacious and private mayor pro tem office suite even when she was forced to give up the title. As her recent complaints about terms limits make clear, she STILL thinks she should be in that office, blessing Houstonians with her numerous talents, which include (but are not limited to) road work, garbage pick-up, park beautification, and airport construction.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/09/08 10:50 AM |
07 January 2008
Just because he doesn't have to resign from Council...
Last week was a busy one for Adrian Garcia, as the councilmember announced he was running for Harris County Sheriff AND was named Mayor Pro Tem.
Councilmember Garcia says not to worry, that he can campaign for another office AND handle his municipal duties:
Garcia's position is largely ceremonial but is high profile as he prepares to run for Harris County sheriff. He said he does not see a conflict between his city council position and his campaign for higher office.
"I don't believe there will be a conflict in terms of the balance," he said. "I think you know me to be a hard worker. I spend a lot of time in my office, I spend a lot of time in my community and so it is just going to be really challenging myself to do more of that."
A recent Chron story on a Friendswood councilmember who was forced by state law to resign to run for another office raised questions about whether Garcia would also be forced to resign, but Matt Stiles explains that Garcia will not be forced to resign.
Nevertheless, just as we once suggested that Doctor Councilwoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs should resign her council seat to campaign for another office, we also think that Councilmember Garcia should resign his council seat if he believes campaigning for another office is more important than tending to the one he currently occupies.
As an interesting sidenote, Garcia's campaign is yet another local one that has the backing of Mustafa Tameez's Outreach Strategists. Given Tameez's involvement in a number of high-profile area races this time around (and with his party looking to make a big dent in the GOP's dominance of Harris County politics), it may be time for some local journalist to update this out-of-date profile of the political consultant.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/07/08 10:42 PM |
02 January 2008
DA Rosenthal won't seek reelection (updated)
Via the Chronicle's Alan Bernstein:
Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has withdrawn his name from the Republican ballot for re-election today amid pressure from his own party following last week's release of intimate emails he wrote to his personal assistant.
Rosenthal publicly had rejected the local GOP's call for him to drop his re-election plans or face the prospect of the party endorsing another Republican for the March primary.
His decision to drop out of the election was confirmed about 5:35 p.m. by Michael Wolse, the Harris County Republican Party's primary director.
Minutes earlier, Republican Jim Leitner filed paperwork to put his name on the primary ballot for district attorney.
Former Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford is among those seeking the Democratic nomination for district attorney.
And that's the end of that. Now we'll see how Leitner matches up against Bradford.
UPDATE: Er, now we'll see how Bradford matches up against:
Harris County prosecutor Kelly Siegler, known for effective theatrical tactics in the courtroom, is set to run for district attorney as a Republican after the withdrawal of her boss, District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal.
[snip]
Prosecutors Denise Bradley, Steven St. Martin and Marc Brown expressed interest Wednesday.
Defense lawyer and former prosecutor Jim Leitner already is on the ballot, and the Republican winner will face Democrat C.O. Bradford, the former Houston police chief, in the November general election. Leitner, however, indicated he might withdraw if another Republican candidate looked to him like a top-notch prospect.
Oooookay.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/02/08 06:48 PM |
30 December 2007
Perhaps not the best person to call for the end of term limits...
(Almost former) Councilwoman Carol Alvarado continues complaining about Houston's term limits in an op-ed for today's Chronicle:
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/30/07 07:23 AM |
20 December 2007
Alvarado: It's a cryin' shame Council is losing my talent
(Temporarily Permanently not mayor pro tem ) Carol Alvarado exited the City Council stage today in a less-than-dignified manner: She whined about term limits:
"I think communities get shortchanged," said Councilwoman Carol Alvarado, who bid farewell to her colleagues Wednesday after six years representing District I on the city's east side.
"We lose talented people," said Alvarado, who plans to file today to run for state representative in District 145, the seat vacated by Democrat Rick Noriega in his bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. senator.
No one can say Ms. Alvarado lacks self-esteem. But she should look on the bright side -- Houston's loss is the state's gain. And she left a lasting mark on Houston, since the mayor pro tem's office will never be the same. That's called a legacy!
As for departing Councilwoman Ada Edwards, she's not going anywhere. Mayor White appointed her as his Deputy Chief of Staff for Neighborhoods:
“The city of Houston has benefited tremendously from the leadership and knowledge of Ada Edwards. We want to continue to use her skills to make Houston better,” said Mayor Bill White. “In this position, Ada will join a team helping to revitalize neighborhoods, increase affordable housing, support neighborhood organizations, schools and nonprofits that all enhance our quality of life.”
Unclear is how Ms. Edwards' stances on HPD (increasing manpower = police state!) and the homeless (they should be allowed to bathe in the libraries!) will enhance Houston's quality of life.
BLOGVERSATION: This Blog is Full of Crap, Lose an Eye, It's a Sport
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/20/07 07:37 PM |
18 December 2007
Is Harris County ready for Bill White Jr. as judge?
Friend of Bill David Mincberg hopes so:
Democrat David Mincberg called for ethics reforms in county government and a focus on environmental quality Monday as he filed papers to run for Harris County judge.
Mincberg, former chairman of the county Democratic Party, expects no significant opposition in the March primary for the job of Harris County government chief. County Judge Ed Emmett, appointed to the position this year after the resignation of Robert Eckels, faces former District Clerk Charles Bacarisse in the Republican primary.
"The public has lost confidence in Harris County's leadership, which is out of touch, indebted to big donors who 'pay to play' for county contracts and raises taxes via appraisals while pretending to cut tax rates," Mincberg said. "There is no focus on the critical issues of growth, jobs and quality of life."
Harris County residents have not lost confidence in Harris County's leadership. On the contrary, when a government focuses "on the critical issues of growth, jobs and quality of life," that's when the problems start. When government stays out of those critical issues, people and businesses thrive.
On his website Mincberg says, "The office of County Judge requires a person with great understanding of and experience in financial management and a leader with the skills necessary to implement the number of reforms and improvement so vital to Harris County's future success." Any Democrat advocating "reforms and improvement" means government heavy-handedness and regulation. We can look at Bill White's leadership in Houston as the example.
Mincberg says he wants to focus on ethics reforms, but interestingly, nowhere in the Chronicle's story does Alan Bernstein mention Mincberg's time as head of Houston's Department of Housing and Community Development, the Housing Authority of the City of Houston, and the Houston Housing Finance Corp. And on Mincberg's website, it is only briefly mentioned.
The best remedies for any ethics issues are transparency and a watchdog media. Everything possible should be made available online, and local media should thoroughly cover all local issues. When has the Chronicle ever covered Harris County politics, except in the most superficial manner? It took KTRK-13's Wayne Dolcefino to unearth Jerry Eversole's problems. And the Chronicle's Houston coverage isn't overly aggressive -- Mrs. White won't allow that.
So let's unearth details of Mincberg's tenure as the $1 per-year head of Houston's Housing Authorities. Let's see how this businessman runs things. We've heard there might some interesting tidbits if a full accounting emerged.
And if Mincberg really wants to run on a platform of ethics reform, let's find out where this Houston insider stood on the city's Yellow Cab contract, including the airport shuttle disaster that put a local company out of business; and on a long-term, no-bid airport concession contract. Give us the quotes where he came out against "big donors who 'pay to play'" for city business.
We certainly won't see that in Houston's Daily Information Source, because Mincberg's wife works for the Chronicle. We can expect nothing but glowing reviews for the Democrat candidate for Harris County Judge.
The critical issues for Harris County are public safety and public infrastructure -- roads and flooding. We don't need Bill White-lite micromanaging county residents' lives. You can bet Mayor White has already been whispering "county-wide smoking ban" in Mincberg's ear. If I recall correctly, Houston complained to the county that its lack of a smoking ban was harming Houston businesses, since smokers could go to restaurants and bars outside city limits. And just think of all the new red-light camera opportunities outside MayorWhiteChiefHurtt's reach.
Most likely Mincberg will aim to keep a low profile for now, counting on a bruising battle between Judge Emmett and Charles Bacarrise. Then with the Chronicle on his side, FOB Mincberg can run as an above-the-fray candidate, spouting soothing platitudes of "change."
In the big picture, Harris County is running just fine, as local governments go. Mincberg's idea of change will translate into regulation and stealth-taxes, à la Bill White.
CORRECTION: We are informed that David Mincberg's wife, Lainie Gordon, no longer works for the Chronicle.
ANNE ADDS: Excellent! Now there's no reason for the Chronicle not to dive into Mincberg's record as head of Houston's housing authorities.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/18/07 08:22 AM |
13 December 2007
Stiles: Councilmembers preparing for Controller run?
In two interesting blog posts today, the Chronicle's Matt Stiles speculates that certain councilmembers may have begun positioning themselves for a possible City Controller run.
Wouldn't it be nice if these so-called public servants, instead of "positioning" themselves for future political offices, concentrated on doing the best job possible in their current jobs, for their constituents and for the City of Houston?
There I go, being naïve. Sorry.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/13/07 09:10 PM |
Alvarado: new ordinance will make no difference, but who cares?
Councilwoman Carol Alvarado today led City Council in addressing an issue of critical importance to Houstonians: taxi cab emissions (via KHOU-11):
[...]city leaders want new taxi cabs to be more eco friendly.
“We understand that’s not going to take care of our clean air problems, but we all have to do our part,” said Councilmember Carol Alvarado.
Under a proposed taxi cab ordinance, staring next year cab drivers applying for a new permit must drive either a hybrid or a four cylinder cab.
Cab drivers stood in unison as they voiced their opposition.
Their united opposition was to no avail. Today Council passed the ordinance with a "grandfather" provision for current cab drivers.
The whole thing is reminiscent of this: An unserious City Council tackling unserious issues.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/13/07 06:10 PM |
07 November 2007
Did the residency issue contribute to Tahir, Christie losses?
There are several good, comprehensive roundups of yesterday's elections posted on local blogs, but this post from Bayou City Madman made one particularly interesting point:
On Tuesday, Houston, or at least a slim representative sample speaking on behalf of a couple million folks, said No to lying carpetbaggers running for the only open at-large seat on city council.
Liberal Republican former school board member Jack Christie, a resident of Bunker Hill, scored 4th despite spending over 70k trying to convince Houston voters that he gave a crap about the city. We didn’t like Christie when he was on the State Board of Education pushing a ludicrous vendor-driven scheme to replace textbooks with laptops, and we hope this latest failure represents the end of his public career.
The greater pleasure was in seeing gas station owner and Fort Bend County Democratic Party officer Zaf Tahir spend close to $200,000 trying to convince Houston voters that he lives in Houston, only to finish 5th.
It's hard to say if the questionable residency status of Tahir and Christie played a role in their losses (maybe voters just thought they were bad candidates in general), but we second the Madman's conclusion: "Kudos (whatever those are) to the Chron for exposing the attempted fraud in this race." At least Houston voters had that information as they decided whom to support.
PREVIOUSLY: Council candidates follow the lead of Harold "Arizona" Hurtt.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/07/07 10:54 PM |
31 October 2007
Lifestyles of the less well-heeled
When voters aren't as "well-heeled" and "civically-active," this is what happens:
After a lengthy debate that at times got tense, the Houston City Council approved a low-income housing complex planned for Beltway 8 and the Gulf Freeway.
11 News first revealed neighbors’ concerns about the project last week.
Residents in the area said they have supported other low-income housing in the past, but said the proposed Regency Park complex was one too many.
No Mayor White riding to the rescue!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/31/07 07:31 PM |
High-rise Clear Thinking; Mrs. White to the rescue; Mistreated Mayor
Clear Thinker Tom Kirkendall today blasts Mayor White for "capriciously manipulating local governmental power to sidetrack development of a condominium project in a neighborhood where he raises ... substantial political campaign funds."
Additionally, KRIV-26 reporter Isiah Carey reports that Mayor White actually whined yesterday that the media don't spend enough time highlighting his accomplishments!
Discuss.
PREVIOUSLY: Density is great (except when it's in the neighborhoods of the powerful), Mayor White assists "well-heeled" residents in high-rise fight.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/31/07 11:08 AM |
27 October 2007
Mayor White assists "well-heeled" residents in high-rise fight
As we all know, some wealthy/influential Houstonians are in a tizzy about a high-rise going up in their neighborhood, so Mayor White has sprung into action, proposing a new ordinance aimed directly at cutting the high-rise down in size. Really!
Mayor Bill White's administration has proposed an ordinance that could require developers to reduce the size of a planned high-rise building that's ignited a bitter dispute over what's appropriate to develop in Houston.
The ordinance, distributed to City Council members Tuesday, could be on the council's agenda next week — an unusually fast timetable for a new regulatory law in Houston. Such measures typically take months to work their way through the city bureaucracy.
White acknowledged that the ordinance was drafted in response to a controversial high-rise planned near Rice University that has not yet received a building permit. Residents of the adjoining Southampton and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods hired a prominent attorney and staged a street protest against the project.
The ordinance would require traffic impact studies of projects on two-lane, two-way streets that include at least 100 dwelling units and increase density 100 percent or more. This description fits the 23-story building that developers Kevin Kirton and Matthew Morgan of Houston-based Buckhead Investment Partners want to build at 1717 Bissonnet.
The measure would give the public works director broad discretion to require steps to ease traffic problems involved. In the case of the Bissonnet project, White said, reducing the building's size would be the most logical solution.
Wow.
New legislation directed at one construction project. Do you think this ordinance could have a wider impact? Of course:
In its current form, the ordinance would have an impact on nearly all multifamily developments, not just high-rises, said Andy Teas, vice president of public affairs for the Houston Apartment Association.
But let's not worry about that right now. Some Houstonians are concerned about their view, and that needs to be addressed, immediately! I mean, it's possible a big shot at the local daily newspaper lives in the vicinity!
Just to emphasize how absurd this is, recall that Councilman Johnson noted his constituents could hardly get anyone to listen when they had complaints about housing developments in their not-quite-as-affluent neighborhoods, a point that didn't impress the Chronicle editors:
Influential opponents of the Ashby Tower have won considerable support at City Hall and are represented by prominent litigator Rusty Hardin. Their clout has led some Houstonians to charge favoritism and inequity.
Well, of course. Well-heeled, civically active voters wield more influence than low-income residents who might have less time or inclination to vote and take part in civic affairs.
Nor have we seen Mayor White propose ordinances to help residents along Metro's University Line. From today's story, here's Mayor White's rationale for the Bissonnet ordinance:
"The development on Bissonnet that will dump more than 2,000 (daily) trips onto a two-lane, two-way street exposed a loophole" in city regulations, White said, explaining why he put the ordinance on such a fast track.
When residents and business owners along Wheeler and Richmond have complained about what the billion-dollar light rail line would do to traffic, Mayor White has ignored their concerns. He says running rail down those streets will ease congestion, contrary to what actual studies have said.
As the Chronicle admits, well-heeled voters wield more influence. We can only conclude this is the case with Mayor White's administration. Something to keep in mind when Mayor White tries to become Governor White.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Mayor White previously asserted that no special treatment was being doled out to the well-heeled:
White and other city officials denied that the Southampton and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods near the site at 1717 Bissonnet had received any special treatment.
We made light of that dubious assertion at the time, and today's story (as highlighted by Anne above) confirms we were right to do so.
The ordinance, distributed to City Council members Tuesday, could be on the council's agenda next week — an unusually fast timetable for a new regulatory law in Houston. Such measures typically take months to work their way through the city bureaucracy.
Clearly, the well-heeled ARE receiving special treatment, and they are receiving special treatment in the form of a punitive, reactionary ordinance that hasn't received proper vetting (committee meetings, input from the public, input from ALL stakeholders, input from municipal and other experts) and thus could have unintended consequences and implications. Even worse, this poorly vetted ordinance moves significant power ("broad discretion" in fact!) from the city's elected officials (Council) to the city's director of public works -- again, without any real vetting or any real guidance.
This is running the city like a business?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/27/07 11:17 AM |
21 October 2007
City ordinance kills property values; councilman pleads ignorance
In today's Chronicle, Mike Snyder looks at the effect of the city's floodplain ordinance that prohibits construction on vacant land that sits in a floodplain:
The ordinance, adopted unanimously by the City Council on Aug. 30, 2006, affects almost 10,000 developed or vacant properties around the city, including nearly 2,400 single-family houses.
It has triggered at least five lawsuits in the past few months by Norcini and other property owners who say the city is essentially taking their property — robbing it of most of its value — without providing compensation.
"This is one of the greatest land takings in the history of Texas," said Norcini, 48, an oil company engineer whose lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
The growing revolt against the ordinance illustrates the painful choices public officials face as they struggle to craft policies that effectively manage the impact of development on flood hazards in one of the nation's most flood-prone metropolitan areas.
[snip]
A few months after the ordinance was approved, city officials began getting phone calls from residents of Shady Acres, a 100-year-old neighborhood off T.C. Jester just inside Loop 610 near White Oak Bayou.
These residents were gradually learning not only that their property was now in the floodway, but that the city had adopted rules prohibiting new construction or expansion of buildings in the floodway.
What comes next is just typical of how the city operates:
Nancy Wilcox, another Shady Acres resident whose home is in the floodway along with her mother's nearby house, said the city should have explored other options to help reduce flooding risks.
"Instead of taking my property and my mother's property as a last resort, it was a first resort," she told the council's flooding and drainage committee on Sept. 20. "It is wrong to sacrifice a few thousand people."
[snip]
Councilman Adrian Garcia, whose district includes Shady Acres, said during the Sept. 20 committee meeting that council members didn't get enough information about the measure's impact before they voted on it.
"Why didn't we let folks know in advance that we were going to be going down this track?" Garcia asked. "Everybody has reared up because a lot of people were caught by surprise. At council, we had almost no discussion on this."
Garcia also noted that many property owners whose land is now in the floodway have rarely, if ever, experienced serious flooding.
"How do we justify the restrictions on property that since (Tropical Storm) Allison, have never been flooded, but are currently under the restrictions?" Garcia asked. "How do we justify that?"
Because that's how things happen in Houston: The city imposes the most punitive actions as a first resort, instead of exploring alternatives. Think $AFEclear, and red light cameras, to name just a couple of examples.
And then Councilman Garcia complains that council wasn't given enough information. Well, why in the heck is council passing these laws, if councilmembers don't know what's going on?
It's stunning.
MORE: In the forum, Neal Meyer notes that he wrote about this on his blog back in June. It's very interesting reading.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/21/07 08:29 AM |
09 October 2007
Chron covers local political race (!?)
The Chronicle's Robert Crowe examines the District C Council race. Here's an excerpt:
In the race for City Council District C, the two challengers to incumbent Anne Clutterbuck say the city must do more to regulate developers, plan for urban density and invest in neighborhoods.
"Special interests and developers are in the front of the line at City Hall at the expense of citizens," said Robert Glaser, a Southampton Democrat who owns an engineering company.
"Houston is the living embodiment of capitalism with all the destruction that goes with it," said Alfred Molison, a Social Security Administration employee who co-chairs the Harris County Green Party. "I want something that is also more sustainable."
Clutterbuck, a full-time councilwoman with a law degree, said she has served her diverse constituents well by implementing crime-fighting strategies and working on ordinances to regulate development and industry.
"There is more to be done on these issues, so I am running for re-election," said Clutterbuck, 46, a Southampton Republican.
Municipal elections are officially nonpartisan, but apparently the Chron reporter thought party affiliation important.
The Editorial LiveJournalists have endorsed Clutterbuck in District C (for what that's worth).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/09/07 09:22 PM |
07 October 2007
Council candidates follow the lead of Harold "Arizona" Hurtt
The Chronicle runs an op-ed by Roy Reynolds that takes aim at two candidates for City Council for being residents of Houston in name only. Here is an excerpt:
It didn't take long past the filing deadline for November's election to discover that Jack Christie and Zafar Tahir, both running for the vacant at-large Position 5 council seat, had only tenuous connections to Houston citizenship. Both candidates rented property in the past year they now claim as their homes, though both own much nicer houses outside the city limits.
Neither candidate is breaking the law, even if their rented homes appear to be as empty as a campaign promise.
On the other hand, strict adherence to the letter — if not spirit — of the law is hardly a compelling reason to support a candidate.
Indeed, such transparent political avarice insults the intelligence of voters even as it also threatens to become a Houston tradition, with Piney Point Village resident M.J. Khan running unopposed for his third term as a council member this fall.
Tahir, with little experience in elected office past leading the Pakistani-American Association of Greater Houston, will likely have less impact on the November ballot than Christie, who threatens to take votes away from Tom Nixon. Nixon is a more conservative candidate who might at least object to the increasingly intrusive directives of city government. He also actually lives in Houston.
Therefore, it is Christie, of Bunker Hill Village, who has caught the worst flak for his subterfuge. At one point, he said he would drop out of the race after being cited for a stagnant swimming pool that attracted both mosquitoes and knowing glances from neighbors sure the house was unoccupied.
Like Reynolds, I have no use for either of these carpetbagger candidates for Houston city council, but your mileage may vary. Let us know what you think in the forum.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/07/07 04:30 PM |
23 September 2007
Houston billionaires give to local politicians
The ever-enterprising Matt Stiles took last week's list of Houston billionaires and gave it a local politics-angle:
Business reporter Purva Patel has a story today about the Houstonians who made Forbes magazine's annual list of the 400 richest Americans.
The list includes John Arnold, a 33-year-old former energy trader at Enron who now heads the energy-market hedge fund Centaurus Energy.
Arnold, the youngest billionaire noted by the magazine, is among several on the Forbes list who donated campaign money to city politicians.
The Houston billionaires and their spouses gave at least 44 donations, totaling more than $100,000, in the 2005 and 2007 election cycles, according to campaign finance records.
Mayor White, of course, received the most money, collecting at least 17 donations totaling $80,000, the data show.
I compiled a list of all the donations, and then the totals by elected official. Check out both files on Google Docs.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/23/07 09:20 AM |
22 September 2007
Mayor White talks leadership...during the week he was lacking some
So, last week Mayor White admitted he lacked leadership by ignoring his instincts, and instead doing what Council wanted:
"One thing I've learned from this experience is to go with my instinct," said White, who originally wanted the contract put out to bid. He said he later decided to negotiate an extension at the request of council members.
Ironically, last week he gave a speech at Rice University detailing what's needed to be a leader:
Speaking as part of the International Leadership Competency Forum at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, White began by dispelling societal misconceptions about what it takes to be a leader.
“Pop culture often confuses leadership with celebrity or wealth, or where you stand in a hierarchy,” White said.
In fact, he said the qualities that make a person well known will not make them a leader. The most important qualities for leadership are not necessarily the most publicized and most appreciated ones, he said. Intelligence and academic proficiency, while valuable assets, are overrated leadership qualities, and trustworthiness and reliability are more important, White said.
“You’re much more likely to succeed as a leader if the people around you are rooting for you to succeed,” he said.
White said leadership styles are highly influenced by one’s parents and the leaders one observes. If people do not deliberately develop a leadership style, they will begin to copy what they see. He said he reads about his political heroes for guidance.
If Mayor White's instinct truly told him that the airport concessions contract should have gone out to bid, he should have followed it. By not doing so, he demonstrated a tremendous lack of leadership.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/22/07 09:07 AM |
20 September 2007
Mayor White: Council made me do it! Really!
After yesterday's Terminal C food contract passed by an 11-2 margin, Mayor White decided to play the victim:
"One thing I've learned from this experience is to go with my instinct," said White, who originally wanted the contract put out to bid. He said he later decided to negotiate an extension at the request of council members.
"From now we're going to put it out for RFP," White said. "And if some council member says it ought to be extended, we'll replay back this debate and be accused of not being transparent."
Right. Because as we all know, Houston has a weak-mayor form of government.
Let's not forget he used a variation of this we'll-do-better-next-time excuse after Council approved the sale of Bolsover to a private developer.
So ... since the Terminal C contract was last bid upon in 1990 and won't be up for bid again until 2016, that means a local government contract will not have been through the process that ensures taxpayers are getting the best value for their money for 26 years.
Imagine if the vendor's name was this.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/20/07 05:07 AM |
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