If you don’t agree that John Whitmire is the best thing that has ever happened to Houston, then you are a “Hater.” At least according to one Latino blogger in Houston.
Commentary has been in the political business longer than most. I get why folks love to hate. I get why there are H-Town Mayor John Whitmire haters. Even the Mayor Whitmire haters won’t acknowledge his accomplishments. See this story from Chron business writer Erica Grieder on the George R. Brown Convention Center expansion:
The first phase of a massive expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center is fully funded and on pace to open in May 2028, city leaders announced Wednesday.
The city of Houston and the Houston First Corporation, the local government corporation that operates Houston’s convention venues, on Wednesday announced they sold $1.38 billion of Hotel Occupancy Tax and Special Revenue Bonds in sales that closed March 25 and April 1. This will cover the construction of GRB South, a new 700,000-square-foot building connected to the existing convention center, as well as a new pedestrian plaza linking both buildings to the Toyota Center.
Michael Heckman, Houston First president and CEO, said in an interview the bond sales reflect “the strength and resiliency of the Houston economy”— as well as the city’s ability to deliver projects of this scale.
“It’s a really big deal, on a development of this size and magnitude, to be able to have it fully funded, and in a way that gives us flexibility, is affordable for us, and also retains the pathway in the future for additional funding,” Heckman said, adding: “Massive projects of this scale in other parts of the country are not delivered on time.”
The expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center has been a priority for Houston Mayor John Whitmire since he was elected to that post in December 2023, and is tied to legislation he authored earlier that year, as a member of the Texas Senate.
The measure in question allows the city and and Houston First to receive an incremental portion of downtown hotel taxes, collected over the course of a 30 year period beginning in 2023, to be dedicated to the downtown project.
Here is the entire Grieder read: Houston secures $1.4 billion in funds for GRB expansion project.
The haters are going to hate. The haters don’t have room for not hating.
This expansion does not happen without Mayor Whitmire’s legislation. I have said it before, then Sen. Whitmire sponsored the legislation in 1997 to help create the sports authority that built what is now Daikin Park. The ballpark was the impetus for all the development in that area of Downtown H-Town since 2000. Whitmire told H-Town leaders back then that he would not carry the legislation unless the ballpark was built Downtown.
Mayor Whitmire does not get credit for the role he has played in the development of East Downtown. The haters won’t give him credit for passing legislation that allows for expansion of the GRB. That is how haters run, I guess.
Not casting stones, but I do believe that the blogger was a paid political consultant for John Whitmire when he ran for Mayor of Houston. Well, maybe I am casting stones. Because he labeled me as a hater. I may not like John Whitmire, but I think I have made that clear on this news blog. I have my reasons; he is bad for the Latino community, in my opinion.
My first article was in November 2023.
What kinda man is Whitmire? The kind that can be bought? – El Tejano “Meme”
About 150 articles on my thoughts on John Whitmire, one of my latest postings on John Whitmire.
John Whitmire, I am telling the truth this time trust me. Trust us. – El Tejano “Meme”
I am not paid by anyone, and I have not been paid in decades to help someone with their campaigns. Like Elijah.
Elijah the Prophet (Eliyahu Hanavi) is widely regarded as the prophet who restored spiritual light to the Jews, particularly by defending the worship of Yahweh against idolatry in the 9th century BC. Known for his miracles and fiery zeal, he is celebrated in Jewish tradition as a protector, a harbinger of the Messiah, and a frequent visitor at Passover Seders.
No, I am not sent by God to do his work; it is just that I have seen the Latino community slide into the bowels of Houston, where they are now the lowest figure on the totem pole supporting all the others above. As Jasmine Crockett stated, we have a slave mentality, and the people that are elected to represent us are, for the most part, all Bandidos, selling their souls and our people for pieces of silver.