Monday, April 12, 2021

The Weekly Wrangle from Far Left Texas, Midday Edition

Too much to corral into one pen.  More on the way, hopefully later today.

I have never seen a mass shooting disappear so quickly from the headlines.


Governor Second Amendment Sanctuary set a new land speed record for looking asinine.


Abbott is only capable of hearing what's screamed into his right ear.  Polling us on this topic reveals a gaping partisan chasm.


But Texans are united with respect to legislation pending in Austin.


Let's cut our legislators a little slack; they have some really important bills to get to.


Moving on to less trivial matters, the Lege's actions to curtail voting were a hot topic among Texas bloggers -- and newshounds -- this past week.


Progress Texas highlighted the efforts to put pressure on the Rethugs under the Pink Dome to reject voting restrictions.  Kuff posted his take on the Senate and House bills.  Jef Rouner for Reform Austin makes a good point; don't count on the courts, SCOTX or SCOTUS, to bail us out here.  And the Texas Civil Rights Project reminds that there's other malicious voter suppression legislation to watch for.

The delay in processing data from the decennial Census so that lawmakers can perform their redistricting function will -- very probably -- lead to putting off the Lone Star State's 2022 primary elections.  TXElects details the latest.

The Senate approved legislation that would move this year’s filing period and next year’s primary and runoff elections based on when a redistricting plan becomes law. Senate Bill 1822 by Joan Huffman would establish temporary provisions in the Election Code that would be triggered depending on when redistricting plans can be created by the Legislature.

-- The primary would remain on March 1, and the runoff on May 24, if a redistricting plan becomes law on or before November 22, 2021. A truncated filing period would run from November 29 through December 13.

-- The primary would (move to) April 5, and the runoff on June 21, if a redistricting plan becomes law between November 23 and on or before January 3. The filing period would run January 10-24.

-- The primary would be (delayed until) May 24, and the runoff on July 26, if a redistricting plan becomes law between January 4 and February 14. The filing period would run from February 21 through March 7.


And weed is on the agenda.


Socratic Gadfly says that with new legislation on the table in Oklahoma and passed in New Mexico, Texas faces new pressure to liberalize its marijuana laws.  And Jacob Vaughn at the Dallas Observer wonders if we will at least normalize medical cannabis rights.

More Lege, more Abbott and Republicans acting like fools, more environmental, criminal and social justice updates will all appear in the next Wrangle to keep this one from extending too far.  Here's some art projects going on around the state.

Glasstire brings word of brewer Pabst Blue Ribbon and San Antonio’s Aztec Theatre hosting a free immersive pop-up, "In Living Pixels", in the Alamo City this week.  The Houston International Film Festival kicks off on April 22.  And LareDOS announces that Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises, will headline Casa de Misericordia’s April 22 virtual fundraiser.

The award-winning journalist will share her exploration of the domestic violence epidemic via Zoom link. Her book is the recipient of the Book of the Year Awards of both Esquire Magazine and The New York Times.

Casa de Misericordia, directed by Sister of Mercy Rosemary Welsh, empowers survivors of domestic violence and their children to move forward with their lives by receiving holistic, comprehensive, long-term services that support abuse victims as they reclaim their lives.


And here's a couple of my favorite soothers to close.


That's real grass the teams were playing on.  It died within days because the Dome's roof wouldn't let in enough sunlight, and the cost to re-sod the field was prohibitive.  This led to the invention of something called Astroturf.

Much more in the next Wrangle.
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Saturday, April 10, 2021

Sunday "Avoid the Politicks" Funnies


Wayne LaPierre hid on luxury yacht after Sandy Hook shootings


And now for something completely different ... Oglaf. "Who Knew?"



Last: All the best to Matt Bors, who has drawn his final political toon.

My last original cartoon was two weeks ago. Today’s comic is a re-run based on my Mr. Gotcha comic, which became a bit of a meme.

I will continue to run The Nib in an almost full time capacity, publishing and editing our magazine and daily comics, while making some space in my life for other kinds of comics that I’m excited about but have never had the time to fully pursue.

Support the efforts of the surviving political cartoonists here.
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Tuesday, April 06, 2021

Tuesday 'Ridiculous Theater' Wrangle


I needed a Monday off from Havana Ted and his twice-weekly stunts, but I'm back at it today.




This week is looking like it will belong to Gov. Helen Wheels again, though.


I don't think anybody really cared.


As with his mentee Cruz, Abbott simply doesn't comprehend his own hypocrisy.  Either that, or he doesn't give a shit what anybody thinks.  My money's on the latter.


It's hard to pick winners from among so many Texans Behaving Badly, so I'll make the easy choice and run with Deshaun Watson.


Something something "deeper buttocks massage" something "HPD investigation" something "team taking allegations very seriously" something.

Not the best way to have kept your trade value high if you really wanted to leave Houston, among the variety of poor decision-making here, De.  I'm just surprised that the Tony Buzbee-Rusty Hardin duel hasn't garnered more local media attention.  I feel certain that story is about to pop.

Stephanie Stradley answers all of your questions about the Watson lawsuits.  Moving on ...


Backstory if you missed it.


That's my segue to the criminal and social justice updates.


And Grits for Breakfast concluded that Texas was able to greatly reduce the number of traffic stops conducted without any negative effect on crime.  And here's a couple of developments regarding the renters' crisis in the Lone Star State.


Here's the latest from underneath the Pink Dome.


Facebook is funding the charge of Republican legislatures across the nation restricting voter access.


Kuff also commented on the state Senate's omnibus voter suppression bill and the fight against it.  And Lilli Hime discussed the current legislative session with LGBTQIA advocates.

You'd think Texas Democrats could walk to victory in 2022, but they won't.  Among the many reasons? Here you go.


"If it's a choice between a genuine Republican, and a Republican in Democratic clothing, the people will choose the genuine article, every time..." Who said it?

Billboards are great.  Won't flip a single vote.


And it's springtime, so Beto must be vacillating again.


Socratic Gadfly blew up this Betomania lead balloon, and also that of another of his 2018 election pals: Kendall Scudder, ConservaDem.

That's a lot of suck for one post.  I'll have environmental and COVID news later in the week; right now I need to lighten it up.  First, congrats to the Baylor Bears on their history-making national championship victory last night.


The San Antonio Current introduces us to Kaitlin Teniente, the first female coach of a college E-sports team in Texas.

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Saturday, April 03, 2021

Hippity Hoppity Funnies

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Thursday, April 01, 2021

Thursday Lone Star Lege (and more) Revoltin' Roundup


Your Texas Legislature, hard at work into the wee hours this morning.


Unlike Georgia, where there is a backlash against the corporations headquartered in that state for supporting their voter suppression laws ... here, not so much yet.


Gonna be more than a little difficult to fight this now.  And previously under the Pink Dome ... Texas women aren't winning, either.


But hey!  Soon, at least, you can sue Facebook if one your posts gets taken down!


That was an injustice just whining for relief.

Before they take a break for Easter, they'll solve our power generation problems.


"Experts" should not be conflated with "lawmakers".

Had enough yet?  Too bad; there's more.


Those last three might be the most atrocious of all.  All of this -- and I am certain, a lot more -- led to the resignations of two of the Texas Tribune's top staffers this week after a year on the job.  Neither woman was from Texas; one was working remotely from New York.  I don't blame them, frankly.


Looks like Scott has the same lofty opinion of Evan Smith as me.

The victories for the good guys are few and small, but we should mark them anyway.


The rest of the climate and criminal justice news, alas, is not so positive.


Grits had this as well.


The most distasteful story about police abuse I read this week (and that's quite an accomplishment).  See also Tribune of the People.


More pollution is headed for Midlothian, the 'Cement Capital of Texas'.  And Downwinders at Risk wants you to know that there are members of Dallas City Council up for re-election this year who do not deserve your support.

Which reminds me to remind you ...


And no Roundup would be complete without a few Rethugs acting badly.

Living Blue in Texas reports on the Texas Young Republicans' first annual Legislative Dinner spotlighting the War on Women.  LareDOS verified that a domestic terrorist was a featured speaker at a TXGOP event in Laredo last week.


Elon Musk wants to be the next saviour of the Great State.


And as promised, a few pieces of art.


And some of the rest that soothes.  Except for the snakes.

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Wednesday, March 31, 2021

'Election Integrity' extends to Judge Hidalgo, too

Not just the Republicans at the Lege, mind you.



We're not speaking of voter suppression today, but actual election integrity, a problem that many people think the new voting machines purchased by the Harris County commissioners have solved.  I don't think so, Judge Lina Hidalgo.


What were those concerns again?


That's a thirteen-count thread -- here's the unroll -- and it's pretty alarming.  Note in the replies there the experts who express misgivings, and the local activist who lobbied Commissioners Court in vain prior to the county's $54 million buy.  I asked Brad Friedman of BradBlog to weigh in; he is, to my experience, one of the nation's pre-eminent experts in the field of what we used to call black box voting, a topic he's covered -- and one detailed by many others -- for 20 years.


Uh oh. What about local authority Dan Wallach, of Rice University?  He's expressed no concerns that I can find about the Hart InterCivic Verity Duo, this new tech from the same vendor which supplied our old e-Slates with the scrolling wheel.  Wallach testified last week (.pdf) before the Texas Senate's State Affairs committee about election security; he writes at Medium, his Twitter page contains more geeks talking voting tech, and he's been published frequently, including by Zach Despart of the Houston Chronicle in October of last year about this topic.

My interpretation of his recent remarks is: "these latest machines are better than what Harris County had before, but that's not saying much". (Professor Wallach, if you read this and I have you mistaken, please feel free to correct me.)

Of course if Judge Hidalgo, or Elections Aministrator Isabel Longoria, or whoever monitors the Twitter accounts of Harris Votes or Hart InterCivic had wanted to respond to my concerns, they could have done so already.  Maybe they're all too busy to do so.  Maybe they have their Twitter notifications turned off.  Maybe I'm just a lowly blogger who isn't worthy of a response.  Maybe they didn't know about these issues (that doesn't fly for Hart); maybe they just don't give a shit.  We don't know, because nobody has said anything.

Somehow I expected more from a public servant whom I have voted for, donated to, and praised on these pages as a "rising star in the Democratic Party".

At any rate, if you want to take a look at how the new voting machines work, Judge Hidalgo and John Coby have a preview.


As for me, I'm voting by mail.  With an actual hand-marked paper ballot.
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Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Taco Tuesday Wrangle from Far Left Texas

Here in H-Town, we'll also be celebrating World Taco Day tomorrow.


Efforting today to get everything I can into two posts; this early edition and another later today tomorrow morning.  *heavy sigh*  Opening with some of the less-than-usual subjects to clear out my Texas Republicans Behaving Badly file.



This toon commemorates the bastardizing of Toby Keith's "Beer for my Horses" by Rep. Chip Roy, who tried to normalize lynching as an excuse for the way AAPI Americans have been treated since the pandemic began ... a story about two weeks old.  Roy has had almost as much trouble with 'old sayings in Texas' as did GW Bush.  Stupid is as stupid does.


If you haven't read this yet, please do so.

About a week after the March 10th order went into effect, I was working a closing shift with two other young women. A man came in with a mask on but pulled it down to order. My 18-year-old coworker asked him nicely to keep his mask up. He pulled the mask down farther, and she asked him again. He went off the rails: "I am a 40-year-old man, I can scratch my nose if I want to. Give me your manager's phone number. I don't think he's going to be impressed with your attitude. I was going to give a tip to you and your friends, but your attitude just lost it." And on and on until he finally left.

My co-workers and I were shaken. If we had asked him to leave, he might have gotten more agitated. If my other co-worker or I had stepped in, he might have seen it as a threat and the situation might have escalated. We had heard about violent, even fatal attacks on customer service workers who were trying to enforce mask policies. Despite all the signage on our doors and our manager's policy to not serve those without masks, we still had to sweetly listen while this man berated a young woman less than half his age who is working to pay her way through college. We felt completely helpless.

While leaving the decision up to businesses and "individuals" sounds like a very Texan way to handle a global health crisis, it's not protecting Texans.

Thanks again, Greg Abbott.

Here's a few legislative updates to yesterday posted in non-chronological order.


HB17 is a bad bill, according to Luke Metzger at Environment Texas, who says it makes the state less secure from electrical blackouts, like what happened with Winter Storm Uri.  Metzger also has a list of the best and worst bills his organization is supporting. (More eco-news in the next Wrangle.)


There's my segue to the aggregation of BLM, social justice, and 'cops behaving badly' stories.  This rally, below, was yesterday.


Darius Tarver.  Israel Iglesias.  Botham Jean.  Javier Ambler.  And Mike Ramos.  Say their names.  As you watch the trial of Derek Chauvin this week, keep in mind that these are not isolated cases.  Police killing POC for minor offenses, or no offense at all -- and not killing extremist white men who've slain multiple people, often POC, with guns -- is an American epidemic.  It will require the full urgency of white men and women to make it stop.

Environmental news and a few of the more uplifting stories, including what I intend to be a regular feature, art and the arts, will be in this afternoon/evening tomorrow's Wrangle.  Closing here with some Texans we say goodbye to.


And the passing of Don Bankston, husband of "Juanita Jean", also an associate judge and the former Fort Bend County Democratic party chairman, is a loss that reverberates throughout southeast Texas politics.  My most sincere condolences to Susan, their sons, and her extended family.
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Monday, March 29, 2021

The Weekly Wrangle from Far Left Texas


The Lege is holding many hearings on various bills this morning, and there's a lot of play-by-play under the hashtag.


The Dallas Observer warns of the threat to voters with disabilities in the Legislature's vote suppression bills. Ballot Access News reports that state Rep. Phil King's HB1848 would allow the governor, lieutenant governor, and House speaker to change the date of the 2022 primaries, in case census data needed for redistricting is too late for the state to hold its regularly-scheduled March primary. They could choose a date as late as July 1, 2022.

Moving the (primary elections) to a later date would have big consequences for ballot access petitioning in 2022. Petitions for independent candidates and new parties can’t begin until after the primary.


Lots and lots more for tomrrow morning, including updates to the above, some criminal justice news, and more Republicans behaving badly, but today -- tonight, this is the evening update -- let's relish the mockery of Ted Cruz's latest stunts at the border.

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Sunday, March 28, 2021

Sunday "Back to Normal" Funnies

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