-- For Mayor of Houston: Chris Bell.
He's peaking at the right time. He wasn't always my choice, but he gradually demonstrated that he is not just the best but also the most progressive option. Sylvester Turner, the acknowledged front-runner, is a good man and a good candidate. Both men understand how to work the levers of power, and that cannot be said of any of the other candidates. Let's hope we get these two good Democrats to choose from in the runoff.
-- For City Controller: Dwight Jefferson.
It's probably going to be Chris Brown and Bill Frazer in the runoff, but in the first round Jefferson's experience as a judge and with Metro, along with an even-handed bipartisan disposition and his stated goal of managing the city's books in ministerial fashion makes him my pick.
-- For At Large 1: Lane Lewis.
Far and away the top choice in this contest. Tom McCasland is a good Democrat, a little too much on the conservative side for my taste, and because of Republican Mike Knox, probably won't make the runoff. The othersix five in this race will hold the top vote-getter well under the 50%-plus-1 threshold, forcing a December rematch.
-- For At Large 2: David Robinson.
It should be close, as it has been in the past, but the incumbent deserves re-election.
-- For At Large 3: Doug Peterson.
The Democratic and progressive community has coalesced behind Peterson. Even the Green Party passed over the only candidate they had running in these elections for him. That's the mark of a quality candidate. Peterson is bound for a runoff with incumbent Kubosh, and the community needs to return to the polls a month later and make a change in this seat.
-- For At Large 4: Amanda Edwards.
Far and way the best, but also essentially your only progressive option. All the rest of the candidates in this race oppose HERO.
-- For At Large 5: Philippe Nassif.
Tahir Charles is a good candidate, but the objective is to force the incumbent, Jack Christie, into a runoff, and that will only happen if the Democrats and progressives unite behind one of the two. My pick is the youthful Nassif, whose future in politics looks bright if he can prevail in both November and December.
For the District races I never got a chance to profile, here are my recommendations.
District A: No recommendation.
District B: Jerry Davis (incumbent)
District C: Ellen Cohen (i)
District D: Dwight Boykins (i, unopposed)
District E: No recommendation.
District F: Richard Nguyen (i)
District G: No recommendation.
District H: Jason Cisneroz.
District I: Robert Gallegos (i)
District J: Mike Laster (i)
District K: Larry Green (i) and my councilman.
I have no recommendations to make in the contested Houston Community College trustee's races. For Houston ISD District II: Rhonda Skillern-Jones (i). District III: Ramiro Fonseca, ousting the awful incumbent who deceived his way into office at the last election. District IV: Jolanda Jones over Dr. Ann McCoy. Both are qualified picks, but JoJo has long been the best progressive holding city office, and she's earned my vote. And in District VIII, please vote for the incumbent Juliet Stipeche over the tainted challenger, who's had her turn and blown it.
Statewide propositions:
Prop 1: I'm a NO. I don't need the tax cut and this state's budget is too austere already.
Prop 2: YES
Prop 3: NO
Prop 4: YES
Prop 5: YES
Prop 6: As Progress Texas has indicated, "it doesn't matter".
Prop 7: Not just NO but hell no. Force the Lege to do its job and fix the loopholes that are causing our highways to fall apart.
Update: Socratic Gadfly, crankier even than me, says a 'no' vote is in order on all of the state props except for 2. Read his take and see if you agree.
I'm also voting in favor of all four of he Harris County bond provisions.
I'm a Yes on HERO (City of Houston's Prop 1) of course, and as previously indicated, a Yes on changing the terms of Houston's council members (Prop 2).
Print this out and take it with you to the poll -- you can bring printed materials into the voting booth, but cellphone use, including using your camera to take a picture of your ballot, is a violation of the law. Or e-mail it to your friends at the link below or share it on social media if you wish.
He's peaking at the right time. He wasn't always my choice, but he gradually demonstrated that he is not just the best but also the most progressive option. Sylvester Turner, the acknowledged front-runner, is a good man and a good candidate. Both men understand how to work the levers of power, and that cannot be said of any of the other candidates. Let's hope we get these two good Democrats to choose from in the runoff.
-- For City Controller: Dwight Jefferson.
It's probably going to be Chris Brown and Bill Frazer in the runoff, but in the first round Jefferson's experience as a judge and with Metro, along with an even-handed bipartisan disposition and his stated goal of managing the city's books in ministerial fashion makes him my pick.
-- For At Large 1: Lane Lewis.
Far and away the top choice in this contest. Tom McCasland is a good Democrat, a little too much on the conservative side for my taste, and because of Republican Mike Knox, probably won't make the runoff. The other
-- For At Large 2: David Robinson.
It should be close, as it has been in the past, but the incumbent deserves re-election.
-- For At Large 3: Doug Peterson.
The Democratic and progressive community has coalesced behind Peterson. Even the Green Party passed over the only candidate they had running in these elections for him. That's the mark of a quality candidate. Peterson is bound for a runoff with incumbent Kubosh, and the community needs to return to the polls a month later and make a change in this seat.
-- For At Large 4: Amanda Edwards.
Far and way the best, but also essentially your only progressive option. All the rest of the candidates in this race oppose HERO.
-- For At Large 5: Philippe Nassif.
Tahir Charles is a good candidate, but the objective is to force the incumbent, Jack Christie, into a runoff, and that will only happen if the Democrats and progressives unite behind one of the two. My pick is the youthful Nassif, whose future in politics looks bright if he can prevail in both November and December.
For the District races I never got a chance to profile, here are my recommendations.
District A: No recommendation.
District B: Jerry Davis (incumbent)
District C: Ellen Cohen (i)
District D: Dwight Boykins (i, unopposed)
District E: No recommendation.
District F: Richard Nguyen (i)
District G: No recommendation.
District H: Jason Cisneroz.
District I: Robert Gallegos (i)
District J: Mike Laster (i)
District K: Larry Green (i) and my councilman.
I have no recommendations to make in the contested Houston Community College trustee's races. For Houston ISD District II: Rhonda Skillern-Jones (i). District III: Ramiro Fonseca, ousting the awful incumbent who deceived his way into office at the last election. District IV: Jolanda Jones over Dr. Ann McCoy. Both are qualified picks, but JoJo has long been the best progressive holding city office, and she's earned my vote. And in District VIII, please vote for the incumbent Juliet Stipeche over the tainted challenger, who's had her turn and blown it.
Statewide propositions:
Prop 1: I'm a NO. I don't need the tax cut and this state's budget is too austere already.
Prop 2: YES
Prop 3: NO
Prop 4: YES
Prop 5: YES
Prop 6: As Progress Texas has indicated, "it doesn't matter".
Prop 7: Not just NO but hell no. Force the Lege to do its job and fix the loopholes that are causing our highways to fall apart.
Update: Socratic Gadfly, crankier even than me, says a 'no' vote is in order on all of the state props except for 2. Read his take and see if you agree.
I'm also voting in favor of all four of he Harris County bond provisions.
I'm a Yes on HERO (City of Houston's Prop 1) of course, and as previously indicated, a Yes on changing the terms of Houston's council members (Prop 2).
Print this out and take it with you to the poll -- you can bring printed materials into the voting booth, but cellphone use, including using your camera to take a picture of your ballot, is a violation of the law. Or e-mail it to your friends at the link below or share it on social media if you wish.
3 comments:
We have a fair amount of disagreement; I follow Texas Election Blog and say vote no on all but Prop 2 on the state amendments; my post will be up with details tomorrow morning.
Post updated with your link.
Gracias, and your link is on my post. That's how we rock. Hopefully, whether no on three of seven, or no on six, we get the turnout to vote no.
And, if you're interested, I'll shoot you my professional print take on Friday. With intellectual judo, and since I'm new here in Uppah Deep East Texas, it's going to be written in a way it might sound like I'm shooting at the GOP water-carriers in the Lege **from the right.**
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