Wednesday, August 06, 2014

Unfinished business

-- First, the proposal before Space City's council today for Uber and Lyft to finally begin operating in lawful manner in the city, with rules and regulations designed especially for them.

In Houston, officials have addressed some of the cab companies' concerns, though not to the satisfaction of taxi drivers and industry leaders. For example, city regulators wrote provisions requiring the companies to have insurance that's effective from the moment drivers log on to accept rides.

Other concerns raised by the cab companies remain unresolved. The rules as proposed allow the new companies to charge when someone doesn't show up or declines their ride, a right cab companies do not have, said Cindy Clifford, spokeswoman for Houston Transportation Company, the city's largest taxi business and parent of Yellow Cab.

Taxi companies also pay property taxes on their vehicles, and Councilman Michael Kubosh has filed an amendment requiring the drivers and dispatch companies to pay taxes as cab companies do.

[...]

After delays of a month and a week for additional study and debate, city regulators made minor tweaks, mostly to address concerns from the disabled community by mandating that 2 percent of vehicles for hire be capable of transporting passengers who are in a wheelchair or who require a lift to get into a car.

The city's delays did not soften the opposition from local taxi companies.

"We are happy to compete in a marketplace with a level playing field," said Clifford. "This is not a level playing field and it is widely unfair."

I really can't identify a single other instance in which a company entered several major US markets, openly flaunted their breaking of the laws by operating without being authorized, and were then approved with a new set of rules created especially for them that were less restrictive than the existing companies they came to compete with.

Can you think of any comparison in American business today?  Because I can't.

Update: Business finished, 10-5 in favor-- with Jerry Davis, Mike Laster, C.O. Bradford, Michael Kubosh and Jack Christie voting no -- and two CMs (one of whom was Dave Martin, opposed to the ordinance) absent.

Update II: Dug Begley, on the morning after, says it's not the end of the discussion.  I agree.

-- Rand Paul didn't finish his hamburger.  He didn't even finish chewing the mouthful he bit off before bolting the Iowa restaurant where he was having lunch with Steve King.  All because of the word "DREAMer".  King stuck around for the conversation though and humiliated himself repeatedly, grabbing the young woman's wrist and saying, "You're very good at English".



Just when you think these wads have gone as low as they can... they dig themselves deeper.

-- Greg Sargent at the WaPo's Plum Line has the stunning development that the GOP has collapsed in terms of its support among women, younger voters, and everybody that isn't Caucasian.  The unfinished business here is this: does it even matter if those folks don't turn out to vote in 90 days?

-- Walgreens knuckled under to the 45,000+ Americans who told them not to relocate their company's headquarters from Illinois to Switzerland to avoid paying taxes.  After that announcement, and for the remaining two hours the American stock market was open... Walgreens' stock got pummeled.

Wall Street just doesn't give a rip about Main Street, people.  Greed is NOT good, Gordon Gekko.  When the top 25 hedge fund managers in America make over $24 billion dollars -- enough to pay the salaries of 425,000 teachers -- something is wrong in America. 

When the wealthiest American family (the Waltons, whose $148 billion net worth is greater than the lowest 40% of the rest of America's) pays their workers subsistence wages and actively encourages them to apply for governmental assistance, something is quite obviously wrong in America.

When the second-wealthiest family in America (Charles and David Koch) contribute vast sums of money to hundreds of American politicians to persuade them to cut public pensions -- the only kind that are left -- and Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid... something is very wrong in the Land of the Somewhat Free and the Home of the Not So Brave.

(Thanks to both Bernie Sanders and jobsanger for the above stats.)

That is not sustainable.  Economically, politically, or morally.

Americans have some business to finish at the voting booth in November.  Whether they are up to the very necessary task of putting the trash out on the curbside remains to be seen.

Tuesday, August 05, 2014

Yes Texas, you executed an innocent man

And his name was, as we all know by now, Cameron Todd Willingham.  It has been said repeatedly before.  And most recently now, as a jailhouse stooge confesses -- again -- that he was coerced by the prosecutor in the case to frame Willingham.

A blockbuster report Monday from The Washington Post reveals prosecutors got a jailhouse informant to lie about a capital murder case in exchange for a lighter sentence.
In 1992, Cameron Todd Willingham of Texas was convicted of killing his three daughters by lighting their house on fire. Key to the prosecution’s case was testimony from Johnny E. Webb, who testified in court that Willingham told him how he started the fires. In 2004, Willingham was executed despite serious doubts about forensic evidence. Now, Webb says his testimony was coerced by prosecutor John H. Jackson, who arranged for Webb’s sentence to be lightened and to secure funds for him from a wealthy rancher.

If this behavior had been exposed before Willingham’s execution, he may have been entitled to a new trial. The Innocence Project, a New York-based advocacy group, called for an investigation into Jackson’s conduct, charging he “violated core principles of the legal profession, and did so with terrible consequences ... the execution of an innocent man.”

From the WaPo article.

In taped interviews, Webb, who has previously both recanted and affirmed his testimony, gives his first detailed account of how he lied on the witness stand in return for efforts by the former prosecutor, John H. Jackson, to reduce Webb’s prison sentence for robbery and to arrange thousands of dollars in support from a wealthy Corsicana rancher. Newly uncovered letters and court files show that Jackson worked diligently to intercede for Webb after his testimony and to coordinate with the rancher, Charles S. Pearce Jr., to keep the mercurial informer in line.

Please go read the entire article, complete with an image of Jackson's letter to Webb detailing the efforts to ease his incarceration because of his compliance in the fix.

Along with Webb’s account, the letters and documents expose a determined, years-long effort by the prosecutor to alter Webb’s conviction, speed his parole, get him clemency and move him from a tough state prison back to his hometown jail.

Some more.

...(T)he letters and court files show that Webb threatened to renounce his testimony against Willingham at least twice before. In 2000, he sent a formal motion to recant to the Navarro County District Attorney’s Office that was forwarded to Jackson, but never put in Willingham’s court file or shared with his lawyers.

Jackson — who was elected as a Navarro County judge in November 1996 and retired in 2012 — does not deny going out of his way to help Webb. But in a recent interview he said he did so only because he thought Webb was threatened by other inmates for cooperating with the prosecution. He has described allegations that he coaxed false testimony from Webb as a “complete fabrication.”

In response to a detailed list of questions about his dealings with Webb and Pearce, Jackson last week refused to comment further. Pearce died in 2008.

Oh, and this last part.

Webb’s latest allegations and the other new evidence in the matter could also have implications for the Texas governor, Rick Perry, a strong supporter of the death penalty and a possible Republican presidential candidate.

In 2004, Perry refused to temporarily stay Willingham’s execution despite the report of a leading forensic expert that sharply disputed the finding of arson by a Texas deputy fire marshal. Perry’s administration has also repeatedly undercut the authority of a state Forensic Science Commission, which agreed that the arson finding relied on flawed analysis. Defending his handling of the case in 2009, the governor declared that Willingham “was a monster.”

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, the members of which were all appointed by Perry, voted in March to deny Willingham a posthumous full pardon.

The day of reckoning is surely coming, and not just for John H. Jackson, Rick Perry, and all the rest. The day is fast approaching when we must, by all moral responsibility, abolish the penalty in Texas and throughout this nation.  And it can't come soon enough.

HERO haters fumble, lose

Nobody could have predicted this *snicker*.


Opponents of Houston's new non-discrimination ordinance did not get enough valid signatures to force a November repeal referendum, Mayor Annise Parker and City Attorney David Feldman announced Monday.

"With respect to the referendum petition filed to repeal the 'HERO' ordinance, there are simply too many documents with irregularities and problems to overlook," Feldman said. "The petition is simply invalid. There is no other conclusion."

[...]

Less than half of the more than 5,000 pages opponents submitted were valid, Feldman said, leaving the final valid tally at 15,249 signatures.

The 50,000 sigs the haters bragged about turning in fairly quickly became 35,000 upon cursory inspection, and when examined further it seems that many of the people who signed and collected signatures were neither Houston residents nor registered voters. Just over 15,000 made the cut, which was about 2,000 less than they needed.

Now that's just hilarious, I don't care who ya are.

The response from the haters was typical.

Dave Welch of the Houston Area Pastor Council helped lead the repeal petition effort. He pledged to fight the Parker's decision in court.

"We were well aware we were dealing with an administration that's willing to bend the rules," Welch said. "Courts typically uphold the rights of the voters. We feel very confident in how that will go. Frankly, there was no respect for the rights of the voters in this process."

Welll, he's almost correct on that last part.  The petition's opponents completely disrespected the process of validly presenting their opposition, the process of democratically redressing one's grievances, and by extension, all Houstonians who are registered to vote.  Everybody that is legal, in other words.

So it gives me great pleasure to be able to scream in the faces of the illegals: "Get out of my city!"

Special acknowledgements go to Noel Freeman of the HGLBT and Brad Pritchett of Equal Rights Houston -- and several others -- for their efforts in mobilizing and coordinating the signature verification.  This is what political activism looks like, y'all.  And this is what the city's report, complete with images of the various pages of petitions, looks like.  There's legal action to come without a doubt, but nothing that can happen in time for this November.  Kind of a shame really, because I was expecting this vote to motivate liberals and progressives to turn out.

Social media blew up with the news, Wayne ran first, and TFN, Lone Star Q, Culturemap Houston, BOR, and Charles all have something additional on the development.

Back to your regularly scheduled outrages over nothing, conservatives.

Update: A consqueeracy?

Monday, August 04, 2014

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance wouldn't mind if Congress stayed in recess all the way to November as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff marveled at the warmed-over banality of Greg Abbott's appellate brief in the same sex marriage lawsuit.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston wonders: "If a tree falls on you, would Gregg Abbott defend the tree?"  If it were incorporated AND made a large contribution to his political campaign, the answer would be easy, as Eye on Williamson expansively points out.

Libby Shaw at Texas Kaos discloses the cynical and deceptive efforts by Ted Cruz and other radical conservative extremists to sabotage the people’'s business in the U.S. House of Representatives. Only cowards would scapegoat children: Ted Cruz: The Texas Republican Anti-Government Demagogue Strikes Again.

The Democrat on the ballot for Harris County judge abruptly quit the race last week, and PDiddie at Brains and Eggs saw that as a pity for one candidate and his party and an opportunity for another.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme isn't surprised that for-profit, low oversight schools -- aka charter schools -- have severe performance problems.

Neil at NeilAquino.com started a new blog called Blog About Our Failing Money-Owned American Political System. This blog joins All People Have Value as the two blogs on the site. NeilAquino.com has nine pages total and is well worth your time.

Frustrating as it may be to see abject failure from state political leadership to address ongoing border challenges, Texas Leftist Is still heartened and inspired to witness such an extraordinary response from Texas faith communities. I wish someone would remind Austin and Washington that basic humanity should ALWAYS come first.

TexPatriate wants to make sure that every single candidate on the ballot gets an opportunity to answer their questionnaire and get it published on the blog.  So then; candidates, campaigns, consultants, get in touch via e-mail.

McBlogger wishes Wendy Davis well, and Dos Centavos thinks it's time for the talk.

================

And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Socratic Gadfly notes that Southwest Airlines doesn't seem to get it.

Fascist Dyke Motors says that even if she told you the truth, you wouldn't believe her.

Keep Austin Wonky proposes a better way to spend a billion infrastructure dollars in the capital city.

Better Texas Blog ruefully reports that Texas is a tough place to be a kid or a parent.

Lone Star Q reminds us that it is still perfectly legal in 32 states to fire someone for being gay.

Greg Wythe wonders how Republicans will react to truly free market pricing of new medications.

Concerned Citizens calls for a comprehensive transit solution in San Antonio.

Offcite reports on Plant It Forward, an ambitious vision for urban farming in Houston.

Scott Braddock details Michael Quinn Sullivan's bad week.

BOR has a suggestion for how Stop Patriarchy can do some actual good in Texas.

Grits for Breakfast knows that border surges don't actually work for anyone except for incumbent politicians.

Finally, State Impact Texas observes that the Lone Star State's wind and solar power generation have pulled ahead of hydroelectric, and TexasVox has the news that the sheep are doing their part to help out.

Saturday, August 02, 2014

"We tortured some folks"

Or as Glenn Greenwald observed: "Some nice folks tortured some other folks.  But we shouldn't judge them and we definitely shouldn't punish them."


As Booman noted, one of the worst moments of his presidency.

Field Negro pointed out that folks are people, too... unlike Ill Eagles or UACs.

Oh well, said emptywheel, at least John Brennan didn't fuck his biographer.  Speaking of coitus, does anybody else think Brennan has pictures of Obama in flagrante delicto?

Proud to be an American today.

Friday, August 01, 2014

Dem nominee for Harris County judge quits race

First at Texpate, courtesy the Chronic:

Democrat Ahmad Hassan has ended his campaign for Harris County judge, saying incumbent Republican Ed Emmett should be given a great big fat pass another four-year term to finish projects vital to the community.

Just wanted to take his vacation this summer after all, I guess.  "Nobody pays attention until after Labor Day" (sic) anyway, you know.  Quitting can't be considered a big surprise, considering...

Hassan unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee as a Republican in 2006; unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for county judge in 2008 and 2010; and unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for Precinct 3 county commissioner in 2012.

Hassan is really no more a Democrat than Junior Samples doppelganger and ag commish nominee Jim Hogan, but he was the only guy on the spring Democratic primary ballot.  Noah assigns a little blame for that.

With (his high praise of the incumbent) out of the way, I think Hassan totally made the wrong move in dropping out of the race. And I still hold it against the Democrats that a legitimate candidate did not run against Emmett. I don’t know why someone else didn’t run against him, and I am not being rude; I’m legitimately curious. Did the County Party make a decision not to contest the seat, or did they try and fail to recruit someone? I will freely admit that I do not know.

Those are all fair questions, but at this point in the cycle I would rather look forward than backward.  It will be David Collins, the Green Party nominee, against "Hunker Down" Emmett in the fall.

The county judge has come under withering criticism of late (read the comments) for his solitary opposition to the proposal to renovate the Astrodome into a park, the plan advanced by the Rodeo folks and the NFL's Texans.  But he drew no challenger in his GOP primary, and the Harris County Libertarians appear to have skipped the race, so it's incumbent against underfunded, third party challenger.  Collins did collect more than 67,000 statewide votes in 2012 as the Green candidate to the US Senate, with just over 10,000 of those from Harris County.  (That still shakes out under 1% of the total, state- and countywide.)

Unlike Noah, I won't be voting for Emmett.