Houston mayoral fora next week

The weather is turning suitable to outside the home activities for the local citizen political activists.

With three mayoral forums scheduled for next week, the policy debate in the race to become Houston's next mayor is about to begin in earnest.

The events, which will focus on arts and culture, economic development, and labor and community concerns, kick off a months-long cycle in which the candidates will appear before various interest groups, speaking to their specific concerns.

Teddy Schleifer's departure from the Houston Chronicle resulted in the expected void of coverage of the scrum to be the city's next chief executive.  Hopefully that's improving with Rebecca Elliott on the beat, the Texas Lege wrapping up (without a special session), and that the only flooding to be concerned with is the runoff from North Texas (Brazos, San Jacinto, Trinity).

Wednesday's arts forum at the Asia Society comes two days after the conclusion of this year's legislative session in Austin and is expected to be the first time the candidates appear together since former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia entered the race.

The forum hosted by Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Museum District, Theater District Houston and Miller Outdoor Theatre begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be moderated by KTRK reporter Miya Shay. Each of the seven attending candidates -- Garcia, Rep. Sylvester Turner, former Rep. Chris Bell, City Council member Stephen Costello, former mayor of Kemah Bill King, 2013 mayoral runner-up Ben Hall and businessman Marty McVey -- will have a minute to introduce himself before being asked a series of four arts and culture-related questions, for which he will have two minutes to respond. Time allowing, the candidates also will take questions from the audience before offering closing statements.

Thursday's forum hosted by SPARC Growth Houston, a coalition of economic development groups, will focus on the city budget and economic development. It begins at 6 p.m. at the University of Houston and is structured similarly, with Rice University sociology Professor Stephen Klineberg discussing the results of his Houston Area Survey before representatives of area chambers of commerce ask the seven candidates five questions, to which they each will have 90 seconds to respond.

Then, on Saturday, the candidates are set to appear before area labor and community organizations for a 9 a.m. forum at Talento Bilingue. Each will have a minute to introduce himself and a minute to answer the 10 questions posed by panelists from the Texas Organizing Project, Harris County AFL-CIO, Fe y Justicia Workers Center, Mi Familia Vota and Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council. Six of the candidates, Costello not included, have confirmed their attendance, according to event organizer Linda Morales.

Charles has some good questions.  And two weeks from tomorrow, the Meyerland Dems host mayoral, council at-large, and controller candidates at their regularly scheduled meeting.  Hopefully many blog posts to come on the issues presented by Houston's next leaders to start the summer.

Sunday Funnies

It's floodin' down in Texas, Lucky Charms gets a new flavor, and I never really liked soccer anyway.

The good and the not-so-much about Martin O'Malley

Think Progress with these five things.

• Ended the death penalty in Maryland
• Raised the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour
• Legalized gay marriage
• Implemented stricter gun control laws
• Gave in-state tuition to the children of immigrants

Five Thirty Eight with at least these four things.  Maybe one more (click over).

1. Hillary Clinton.
2. O’Malley has essentially zero support from Democratic office-holders.
3. He’s garnering just 2 percent support in Iowa, New Hampshire and national primary polls — far worse than Barack Obama at this point eight years ago.
4. O’Malley made some noise about running to Clinton’s left, but Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is already occupying that ideological space. Meanwhile, O’Malley has been attacked from the left for his policing strategy during his time as Baltimore mayor.

O'Malley came to Houston and spoke at the Johnson-Rayburn-Richards dinner to Harris Democrats in 2013.   Even Matt Drudge likes him (that's a false flag).  The former governor of the Terrapin State does cut an impressive jib: tall, fit, handsome fellow.  And he's correct on many of the issues Democrats might be looking for in a presidential candidate in any other year but 2016.  But it's going to take lot more than good looks and good policy positions to gain some traction in the D primary at this point.

Update: The Onion with the candidate's profile. 

Armed protestors outside AZ mosque for Mohammed cartoon contest

More than 200 protesters, some armed, berated Islam and its prophet Mohammed outside an Arizona mosque on Friday in a provocative protest that was denounced by counterprotesters shouting "Go home, Nazis," weeks after an anti-Muslim event in Texas came under attack by two gunmen.

The anti-Muslim event outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix was organized by an Iraq war veteran who posted photos of himself online wearing a T-shirt with a crude slogan denigrating Islam and waving the U.S. flag.

The protest organizer won't be there, apparently; he claims he's been forced to lam it due to threats against him and his family.  Whether you prefer irony or poetic justice to describe it, it's no surprise.  The social media debate is happening at the hashtag #NotMyAmerica, if you want to check in on that.

Most of this reporting and pictures is from yesterday early evening; no reports of continuing strife during the night or this morning from what I can learn.  So let's hope the testosterone-poisoned rednecks got it all out of their system without bloodshed.

Update: More from the Daily Mail.

Hillary Clinton in Houston next week to accept award

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee comes to Texas Southern University next Thursday, June 4, at mid-afternoon to receive the Barbara Jordan Gold Medallion from Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.  This adds to the former Secretary of State's Lone Star itinerary of fundraisers in Austin and Dallas.

Attendance is free but seating is "very limited", so RSVP quickly.  We'll keep a lookout for media availability but based on her recent history, I'm doubting it.

The image below isn't transferring very well from the hosting source so go here for more details (if it hurts your eyes as much as it does mine.  No, I don't mean it that way).

Update: There's a big-dollar fundraiser now scheduled for Thursday evening.

The two-hour reception costs $2,700 to attend, $27,000 to co-host and $50,000 to host, according to the invitation from Houston-based lawyer Arthur Schechter, who was appointed ambassador to the Bahamas by President Bill Clinton.