Sunday, January 23, 2022
Friday, January 21, 2022
The Weekend Wrangle from Far Left Texas
I've been focusing on Democrats and Republicans as the March primary elections draw closer, so this Wrangle will go as easy as I can on the duopoly. A few unfortunate souls made news.
At the home of Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), “federal vehicles were seen with cases and other items taken from the congressman’s home as agents filed in and out of the residence Wednesday afternoon” per @MyRGVNews #txlege https://t.co/yTjG5ZdAPm
— Ian Saint (@iansaint_) January 20, 2022
https://t.co/Ti17PemVNf pic.twitter.com/OSTGHBjvqq
— steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) January 21, 2022
And the hits just keep on comin' #TXLege https://t.co/3b1Wwgyiho
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 20, 2022
After testing positive for covid, Texas Attorney General Paxton is said to be "very sick" #txlege pic.twitter.com/6bIzqMBSKr
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) January 19, 2022
Almost missed this in the shuffle. Houston congresswoman @RepFletcher also said earlier today she tested positive for a breakthrough COVID-19 case. Our story on General Paxton's positive test updated to reflect this: https://t.co/ok1wule0bJ https://t.co/yAnzL8gNAZ
— James Barragán 🌟 (@James_Barragan) January 19, 2022
I shouldn't leave Governor Helen Wheels out.
NEW: @GovAbbott has slammed Biden for relaxing Trump's immigration policies. But defense attorneys & a county official say Abbott's plan to jail migrants on state charges actually aids asylum seekers, shielding them from two of Trump's signature policies. https://t.co/BrPg5i5WBF
— Jasper Scherer (@jaspscherer) January 19, 2022
.@GovAbbott takes fire from all sides for indefinite National Guard border deployment https://t.co/qvQe6DHIGf #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 20, 2022
Defense attorneys have asked a Travis County judge to toss the misdemeanor trespassing cases of nearly 450 migrants arrested near the southern border, the most sweeping legal challenge yet to Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star initiative. https://t.co/Tzqk8KMlmQ
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) January 20, 2022
His signature issue -- the one featured in all those teevee ads -- is going to damage him. That's why he is suddenly shifting gears to education.
Vouchers in Texas:
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) January 19, 2022
- Rural opposition (does zero for them)
- Urban opposition (would siphon resources from schools in need)
- Far right opposition (some believe private schools might come under state mandates)
A non-starter tuition break for private schools for the rich #TxLege
So much incompetence, outdone only by the corruption.
Today was a great day in the Supreme Court for anyone who wants to bribe a lawmaker https://t.co/9McRJVy0Jx
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 20, 2022
With less than a month left for voters to request mail ballots for the March 1 primaries, mail ballot applications are being rejected by the hundreds, voters are confused, and counties have not yet received training on how to use the online system to fix them. https://t.co/YvVFeNLfbn
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) January 19, 2022
The League of Women Voters asked the @TXsecofstate for 2000 voter registration forms. The SOS said they'd send *50*. Houston Mayor @SylvesterTurner slammed the SOS for it. The SOS said "we have no idea where Mayor Turner got the number 50 from." It came from the SOS (see email) pic.twitter.com/7xVQlHBBlT
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) January 20, 2022
If you’re worried (rightly) about the Harris County DA giving one contract to one campaign donor, wait till we tell you about how county commissioners do business. Will blow your hair back. https://t.co/LzBPMkBgLU pic.twitter.com/hMtdRVVjUy
— Zach Despart (@zachdespart) January 19, 2022
NEW: Texas pipeline company walks back threat to cut off gas to power plants, but the underlying financial dispute stemming from February's winter storm is not resolved https://t.co/ypfFAqSZLN
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 20, 2022
That was as gentle as I could be. Hey, they bring it on themselves. I'll take that last as my segue to the climate news.
How Texas became an earthquake state https://t.co/tz01PoZxBi #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 20, 2022
Turns out the Permian Basin well that's been blowing briny water 100 feet high isn't the well the Railroad Commission thought it was. https://t.co/zdlMqXGeTU
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) January 20, 2022
Last year, a @Grist and @TexasObserver investigation found that the abandoned well count in Texas and New Mexico is poised to balloon by nearly 200 percent in the coming years. https://t.co/u6nqAKMl3N #TXLege #Permian
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 21, 2022
Yes, it's too late for the Ike Dike.
Texas may get a coastal storm barrier, but will it be too late? https://t.co/NHPpgWGUDP via @TexasTribune #txwater #txflood #txlege
— The Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TXWIN) (@TX_WIN) January 21, 2022
A few social justice posts.
A donation of $1 million from @titosvodka in spring 2020 was still more than any federal funding toward their project of releasing a patent-free, no-strings-attached vaccine to low- and middle-income countries.https://t.co/e4v3FC0OMK
— MySA (@mySA) January 18, 2022
Change is coming to Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs, but not at the cost of the bars that make up the historic Strip. “I was not going to be the person who tore down the gayborhood," says developer Mike Ablon. https://t.co/9pEnz3o21d
— D Magazine (@DMagazine) January 20, 2022
Austin @MayorAdler is pushing to build more affordable housing as the city becomes a prime destination for booming companies like Tesla.@shellykhagan explains how the city is fighting surging home prices that could displace residents https://t.co/bMmkTcZq4L pic.twitter.com/B530wjDN7H
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) January 20, 2022
And the calm-me-downs.
I am a Muslim community organizer. Let me tell you about my kind friend Rabbi Cytron-Walker | Commentary https://t.co/j0uGEJsREO
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) January 19, 2022
Some people will call them Maurice #HouNews https://t.co/P3aG6nDavJ
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 19, 2022
A new media shooter coming out
Unlike Chuckles, I don't necessarily see this as good news.
Pleased to announce that we have joined @HoustonEndowmnt & @KinderFound on a $20 million investment to establish a new, independent, nonprofit newsroom in Houston https://t.co/CbeeiljpI0 (1/)
— Arnold Ventures (@Arnold_Ventures) January 19, 2022
Let's see the scorecard for the players:
A search committee will look for an editor-in-chief and CEO. That committee will include the following people: Ann Stern, president and CEO, Houston Endowment; Dr. Anne Chao, manager of the Houston Asian American Archive; Rice University's Armando Perez, executive vice president H-E-N Houston, chairman, United Way Greater Houston; Jeff Cohen, executive vice president, Arnold Ventures; Reginald DesRosches, Howard R. Hughes provost and president-elect, Rice University; and Rich Kinder, chairman, Kinder Foundation and executive chairman, Kinder Morgan Inc.
John Arnold (together with his wife Linda) is the local billionaire who made his first fortune with Enron, getting out early before the implosion. He's a Libertarian. Houston Endowment sold the Chronicle to Hearst in 1986; they were started by Jesse Jones. The Knight Foundation was born out of a once-formidable newspaper outfit, and the American Journalism Project has its own list of benefactors, with quite a bit of overlap with the above. Two names stood out to me: John Thornton, the venture capitalist who birthed the Texas Tribune with Evan Smith; and Cohen, the former editor of the Chronicle. I'll let Amal Ahmed finish.
🧐 The Kinder Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the guy who founded Kinder Morgan, the largest oil pipeline company in the country, plus the fact that Enterprise Products, another pipeline company, signs the checks at Texas Monthly....https://t.co/u1s58ghwGA
— Amal Ahmed (@amalahmed214) January 19, 2022
And my favorite journalist at the Chron weighed in.
Axios is also starting a Houston newsroom. Hundreds of cities have no newspaper at all. These folks are not saving local journalism, they are going where the money is, which is a place that already has a daily newspaper. Don’t mind competition, but there is nothing noble here. https://t.co/3UbU8bXpKY
— ChrisTomlinson (@cltomlinson) January 19, 2022
I subscribe to the Axios newsletter for Dallas; it's barely tolerable. I had to stop the Austin newsletter, as it was not. The TexTrib has a few problems, but paying their staff and reporting on the Texas political duopoly isn't among them. The Chronic catches a lot of flak from the conservatives in town for 'librul bias', so I would guess those folks are applauding this announcement.
AJP has already funded many similar efforts, including El Paso Matters. Poynter spoke to Thornton and co-founder Elizabeth Green two years ago about their mission.
Several observations:
-- This really is an exciting time in online media in Texas. Reform Austin is doing a bang-up job with Nick Anderson at the helm. The Texas Signal has vastly improved with Fernando Ramirez's reporting, and for blue partisans Michelle Davis' Living Blue in Texas is a great resource.
-- Kuffner likes it because he thinks there'll be more local politics covered ... that he can then cut and paste into his blog posts. Amusing, because without a Chronicle subscription, about 75% of his blog doesn't exist. Hell, I just hope they offer him a job that pays well enough that he can quit the oil company. He can keep ignoring the corruption of local Democrats as long as they balance him by hiring some Republican who isn't a right wing freak. Probably rules out Big Jolly, but the Houston Watch person might have a shot if he/she can diversify his/her anti-Kim Ogg content a bit. (Not that Madam District Attorney hasn't earned it.)
-- Poor old Gadfly, the expert on everything, needs a better job than that POS newspaper in Sulphur Springs, but he hates Houston and all people and his life in general.
-- Cohen will probably find a place for some of the furloughed Chron folks like Evan Mintz and Laura Goldberg (the once-business editor and wife to my old former friend Neil Aquino). In fact there are lots of good well-paying jobs suddenly available in Texas journalism. That's a very good thing.
-- I have no interest. None. I'm retired.
-- Expect oil and gas money to flow like polluted fracking water into this venture.
It'll be a year before it gets off the ground, but today it smells like Michael Bloomberg's attempt to buy the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2020 by hiring every single Texas political rube off the street. Here's a few of my suggestions for names:
-- The Big Greasy Times
-- The Bayou City Bugle
-- The Space City Star
What's your take?
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Hump Day Wrangle
Texas Republicans' bad week is stretching into a month.
During the event in Houston today, Commissioner Miller repeatedly said there was nothing to the accusations against his top political consultant who has now been indicted by a Travis County grand jury #txlege https://t.co/ErCNETLbLa
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) January 19, 2022
Dan Crenshaw gets upset at a 10 year old girl at an event and gets heckled by the crowd. “Don’t question my faith.” pic.twitter.com/EYEXYpXKIB
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 18, 2022
Yes indeed--how in the world does a British national (not Pakistani) land in Texas and get a weapon? I mean, they're so hard to find https://t.co/2ejyS6cmOR
— Bud Kennedy / #ReadLocal (@BudKennedy) January 16, 2022
The massive Bastrop fire was the result of a "controlled burn" apparently initiated by Texas Parks and Wildlife chaired by Arch H. "Beaver" Aplin, III, chairman and CEO of Buc-ees. #txlege #quorumreport pic.twitter.com/PjOSeUWXtc
— harvey kronberg (@HKronberg) January 19, 2022
Buc-ee Aplin is a big buddy of Dan Patrick. The $65 million question is: does any of this matter to the TXGQP primary voter? I am inclined to say 'no'.
The Dallas QAnon Cult believes JFK was disguised as Trump at Arizona rally https://t.co/x55LBebeZ1 via @vicenews
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 18, 2022
After all, there are things happening that this subset of humanity is very likely applauding.
There are a lot of reasons to oppose Senators who use words like "hijacking" when talking about American #elections. From the man who will no longer support legal safeguards to protect the right to #vote. #txlege #VotingRightsAct https://t.co/pAYpirLsfC
— Lyndsey Rodriguez (@lyn13191) January 19, 2022
The Texas Secretary of State’s office says supply chain issues have limited the number of voter registration forms it can give out. | @AshLopezRadio https://t.co/5JOcXL7B3f
— KUT Austin (@KUT) January 18, 2022
When you registered to vote years ago, did you put your SSN or your DL number on the form? Better guess correctly if you want an absentee ballot in Texas. You have one chance.
— Patrick W. Watson (@PatrickW) January 16, 2022
Also, it is a felony for election administrators to help you find the answer.https://t.co/8XIZoCJfSm
The Texas Supreme Court is not going to strike down that state’s wild gerrymander. Under that gerrymander, even if Ds win 58% of the vote in Texas, they get 37% of seats. That’s a gerrymander, moreover, accomplished disproportionately at the expense of communities of color. 3/
— Michael Li 李之樸 (@mcpli) January 18, 2022
Fifth Circuit punts Texas abortion law to #SCOTX, prolonging restrictions https://t.co/fNAGT45axv #SB8 #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 18, 2022
School districts have said they will abide by the law, but it’s still unclear how they will determine if a birth certificate is original. https://t.co/cEXhJ2ek47
— San Antonio Report (@SAReport) January 18, 2022
Texas’ transgender sports ban went into effect yesterday. When I was approached to testify against this bill, I didn’t think I had anything to offer since my child didn’t play team sports. But the hearings exposed it was NEVER about sports. It was about votes. Disgusting.#txlege pic.twitter.com/M6EviC8ytW
— Molly Wills Carnes (she/her) (@mwcarnes1) January 19, 2022
The largest corporations in Texas and the nation are complicit.
A pair of watchdog groups called out companies and trade groups that continued to financially support the 147 congressional Republicans who voted last year to overturn the 2020 presidential election results even after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. [...] General Dynamics ($233,500), and Valero Energy ($207,500) are (among) the top corporate donors to those who objected to the election and their party committees,” the report says.
More:
Irving-based ExxonMobil and San Antonio-based Valero Energy joined other Fortune 500 corporations and trade groups in 2021 in spending $8.1 million to financially back these members. [...] The recipients include House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and nine Texas lawmakers: Reps. Brian Babin, Jodey Arrington, Randy Weber, John Carter, August Pfluger, Beth Van Duyne, Troy Nehls, Ronny Jackson, and Michael Cloud.
More:
Pharmaceutical company Merck signed a pro-voting rights statement that was published as an advertisement in the New York Times on April 14. [...] After signing the ad, Merck donated $1,000 in October to Texas Republican state Senator Lois Kolkhorst, the primary sponsor of one of the state’s two new voter suppression laws and a cosponsor of the other one. [...] JPMorgan Chase also donated to a cosponsor of SB 1, giving $1,000 from its PAC to Sen. Dawn Buckingham in September.
Then there's the rich country folk who aren't all that fascist-freaky but still send Greg Abbott millions of dollars like it was loose change in their pocket.
Interesting: Texas GOP mega donors Michael & Mary Porter step up, push pro-Abbott, not hard-right agenda.
— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) January 18, 2022
Her dad Frank Batten was giant in my industry: His Norfolk paper won 1960 Pulitzer for editorials urging school deseg. It's #BobsBreakdown:https://t.co/CHaQAjx7yv #txlege pic.twitter.com/kuyeRudbJb
Unlike Michelle, I see no path to anything for Texas Democrats but "a few small wins in targeted races", which I've been hearing since Boyd Richie was chairman.
Still, the young and the brave soldier on.
Join this live conversation this Thursday, January 20th @ 7pm CST with co-host @RamonaMassachi.
— Sema (@_SemaHernandez_) January 17, 2022
https://t.co/hIUpszmyKA
Houston DSA has re-endorsed @franklinbynum for Harris County Criminal Court 8 & endorsed @MollyforTexas Senate for the 2022 primary! Donate to our PAC to support our electoral work: https://t.co/8C4eHOrPVx More details to come for a PAC fundraiser event & canvasses for our slate. pic.twitter.com/OcPaqnzUql
— Houston DSA (@HoustonDSA) January 18, 2022
Best of luck to those good guys and gals. I won't be holding my breath that the TexTrib is suddenly going to realize there's more than two political parties, however.
Tell voters that there are more than two parties on the ballot in Texas. Tell them about the parties that nominate by convention @TXGreens @LPTexas. Report on ALL ballot-qualified candidates, not just those from the duopoly.
— Bexar County Greens 🌻💚 (@BexarGreensTX) January 17, 2022
Here's a few more Tweets that point to the challenges we're all facing.
Last year, the Texas grid came within a couple minutes of collapsing & leaving the state without power for weeks.
— Russell Gold (@russellgold) January 18, 2022
What I learned about what happened - and if it could happen again. #TexasBlackouthttps://t.co/IJXtk2njYX
The Texas power grid and the natural gas drillers, wind farms and solar arrays that supply it are facing their second test in a less than a month as sub-zero weather bears down on the Lone Star state https://t.co/tk5mtvM0Fe
— Bloomberg (@business) January 18, 2022
Need to jump that Bloomberg paywall? Here you go.
In climate developments: what's good for Texas is often bad for the planet.
The latest in Exxon's long series of attempts to bully its critics into silence:https://t.co/QT1DyAMKQs
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) January 18, 2022
A few criminal and social justice updates which add to the litany of grim news in this post.
1/ Texas Ranger James Holland is famous for getting serial killers to confess to their crimes. But have some of his controversial methods — from lying to suspects to having witnesses hypnotized — ensnared innocent people, too? https://t.co/yM4cA7iyG7 pic.twitter.com/6hVqRQZJhn
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) January 18, 2022
Dr. @peterhotez and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, professors at the Baylor College of Medicine and co-directors of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, revealed that their open-source vaccine had received zero funding from G7 countries.https://t.co/e4v3FC0OMK
— MySA (@mySA) January 18, 2022
A Michigan facility housing Texas foster care children was missing its front door while it was 28 degrees outside and there hadn’t been indoor heat for 24 hours.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 16, 2022
Staff didn’t make calls to get either the heat restored or the door fixed. https://t.co/RHH1LkTPEM
Reupping this reminder that in addition to being closed today for MLK Day, Texas state agencies are also on skeleton crew operations Wednesday in remembrance of... *Confederate Heroes Day* https://t.co/UUhqgWblAb
— Keri Blakinger (@keribla) January 17, 2022
"Given the scale and urgency of the need, it is extremely disappointing that the proposed redevelopment of the old Austin American-Statesman site, a prime tract in the heart of the city, offers precious little in the way of affordable housing."
— Austin Statesman (@statesman) January 16, 2022
https://t.co/yEUw8W7DfQ
So we should find a laugh where we can.
Politics is fun, actually: City Council edition https://t.co/wcUkTuOlkW
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) January 19, 2022
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Dallas City Council, the people of Dallas were greeted with perhaps the most perplexing public comment yet: a man dressed in blue surgical scrubs, shouting a pro-vaccination song.
Alex Stein, a YouTube comedian, hit the podium and performed a rap to the tune of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady,” with lyrics including “vaccinate me in my thong” and “Dr. Fauci, give me that ouchie.” His audience: some two dozen council members in a largely empty and silent conference room.
Are you craving a big plate of petty spaghetti this Valentine's Day season?
— Maddy Skye (@MaddySkye) January 18, 2022
The San Antonio Zoo is recruiting cockroaches and rats to help exterminate feelings for your ex.
🖊️: @camillesaccount https://t.co/lXs5QBCndh @mySA @SanAntonioZoo @MananaZoo