Here is a gift link to the Houston Chronicle article. Watch and listen to the video. She states she does not always support Democrats, and it seems she voted for the Republican who ran for County Judge.
The Chronicle never ceases to amaze me with its inability to maintain any type of principles. Their principle is to make money, and I guess the Hearst Corporation is doing a good job of it, as it keeps buying Texas newspapers.
However, their suggestion that kissing Greg Abbott’s ass is a good indicator of what Harris County needs is no different than all those elected Republicans doing the same to Trump’s behind. One would think that, as purveyors of news, they read some of the stuff that is happening and how Trump, with his bullying, always wants more after he gets some ass-kissing.
Last year, the White House had issued a diktat demanding the removal of colorful crosswalks, and Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to withhold state highways dollars if cities didn’t comply. Parker had recommended a strategic path forward that included replacing the crosswalk with a surfeit of rainbow banners and celebrating Montrose’s history as a gay-friendly neighborhood, but not risking the loss of taxpayer funds.
“You don’t do stupid fights,” she said. That’s good advice.
Plummer, on the other hand, said she would be willing to lose the $12 million if that’s what it took to stand up to a “bully.”
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Do Democrats really want someone who will kiss ass to the Donald Trumps and the Greg Abbotts of the world?
The Chronicle makes a big deal that Annise Parker was marching and protesting for Gay Rights when it was illegal to be Gay. Really, there are no records of Texas ever arresting anyone for claiming to be Gay, so what risk was she taking?
Young progressives might not know she was out and marching on the streets for LGBTQ rights at a time when being gay in Texas was an arrestable offense.
Chronicle makes Annise Parker the right person for everyone.
Centrists might not know how Parker received robust support from Houston’s business community for her steely focus on fiscal responsibility and a pro-growth agenda.
Parker was lucky to become Mayor after the 2008 recession, when the oil industry experienced a tremendous boom, as did Donald Trump, who took over during another boom in 2016. Sometimes luck matters.
What did Annise Parker leave for the incoming Mayor, Sylvester Turner?
Pensions, police, and infrastructure are all challenges Sylvester Turner will face pressure to address next year.
When Houston Mayor-Elect Sylvester Turner takes office next month, he’ll have to hit the ground running. Below is a list of some of the most critical (and perhaps controversial) issues facing Houston as its first new mayor in six years takes office.
Economy — Houston boomed under Mayor Annise Parker, in part because she had extremely good timing: she led the city from 2010 through 2015, and for most of that period, Houston’s economy surged as the rise of hydraulic fracturing, coupled with high oil prices, spelled good times for the city’s bedrock industry: energy. Today, oil is priced at less than $40 per barrel, half what it was when Parker took office in 2010. Now, experts are warning that Houston’s economy will almost certainly sag in 2016. Though the mayor has no control over the global energy industry, that’s unlikey to stop Houstonians from demanding that Turner shepherd the city through this difficult period and find creative ways to shore up its economy.
Pensions — Though former Kemah Mayor Bill King failed in his bid against Turner, he had one major victory: making the city’s pension situation the most-discussed political issue in Houston. Political observers say King’s relentless message about the need to address the city’s pension expenses is one of the reasons he came so close to winning the election. The city’s police, fire, and municipal employee pension systems are underfunded by a combined $3.2 billion, according to the Houston Chronicle. But addressing those expenses won’t be easy. The terms of Houston’s firefighter pension plan are largely dictated by the state Legislature, which means the city can’t address the situation entirely on its own. Meanwhile, any reforms to any of the pension plans would likely be fought by employee unions, many of whom support Turner. Though Turner has not offered many specifics about how he would address the city’s pensions, there’s no doubt it will be a question in 2016, considering the topic dominated the 2015 campaign.
Infrastructure — Potholes are a perpetual problem that just about every candidate always pledges to address. But the issue took on heightened importance during this year’s mayoral campaign. Outgoing Mayor Annise Parker called Houston’s pothole problem a “crisis” earlier this year and acknowledged the city just hasn’t done enough to fix them. The ReBuild Houston, on the books since 2010, was intended to provide a way to address the city’s drainage and streets through a pay-as-you-go funding mechanism. That program has faced legal challenges, but Turner has touted the initiative. The debate over the program — and the problems it’s intended to address — will almost certainly continue through 2016.
Police — Turner’s campaign emphasized the importance of a robust police force, noting that the number of Houston police officers has remained roughly the same size over the last decade, even though Houston’s population surged during that period. According to a 2014 report commissioned by the Houston Police Department, even though Chicago is only slightly larger than Houston (2.2 million residents compared to 2.7 million), its police force is more than twice as large (5,300 cops compared to 11,900). Turner says he wants to examine the revenue cap, which limits the amount of money the city can collect in taxes, as a way to potentially direct more funding toward public safety. But any efforts to increase taxation would likely encounter fierce resistance from his critics.
Mobility — Last year, the Kinder Houston Area Survey revealed that residents think traffic is the biggest problem facing Houston. Indeed, 65 percent of residents say traffic has worsened over the last 3 years. Houstonians — who’ve enjoyed the expansion of light rail and improvements to bus service — are continuing to demand improved transit. Can the new mayor help provide it? While the mayor appoints the majority of Metro’s board, it’s a separate entity from the city. Turner will have to figure out a way to help meet residents’ desire for a transit at a time when Metro is just about done building light rail, and plans to build bus rapid transit in the Galleria-area are facing some serious legal hurdles.
Affordability — While Houston has long been known for its reasonably-priced housing, that’s starting to change quickly. In 2010, about 30 percent of residents spent 30 percent or more of their income on housing and transportation. By 2013, that number had risen to 35 percent. Put another way: over the last decade, the average home price in greater Houston rose 50 percent — about double the national rate. Those price hikes have been good for some real estate investors and sellers, but they’ve caused real pain for families struggling to find affordable housing. City leaders have already identified the need to foster affordability as a key goal in Houston’s general plan. But Turner has acknowledged the challenge of mandating affordability in a city that lacks many zoning and land-use controls.
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There are two constituents that will benefit if Parker is elected: the Rich and some in the Gay community. She is no different than Trump; she always comes first. While the Chronicle went out of its way to say they don’t endorse County Judge, they have a funny way of presenting Parker’s endorsement. They also claim the other person is unqualified to be a County Judge, my interpretation.
Maybe the Chronicle likes gay people and abhors people who practice the Muslim religion.
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