Not being a resident of the city of Houston, but having been born there and having lived there until 4 years ago, I was an interested observer of yesterday's run-off election for mayor. Reading 2 accounts of the results, one in the New York Times and one in the Houston Chronicle, the opening paragraph in the Chronicle puts the election in much better context, in my opinion. The NYT:
The Chronicle:
Not to detract from the significance of the 4th largest city in the country electing an openly gay person as mayor, but to me the first part of that sentence is something which I hope signals a trend that starts in Houston and sweeps across the country, "the first contender in a generation to defeat the hand-picked candidate of Houston's business establishment." As has become all too clear lately in Washington, D.C., we have too many hand-picked and hand-fed elected officials whose allegiances lie with big business and not with the people who they are supposed to represent.
Could voters, not only in Houston but across the country, finally be waking up to the reality that what's good for the "business establishment" isn't necessarily what's good for their city, their state, or their country? Here's hoping so.
"Houston became the largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor on Saturday night, as voters gave a solid victory to the city controller, Annise Parker."
The Chronicle:
"Annise Danette Parker was elected mayor of Houston on Saturday, winning her seventh consecutive city election and becoming both the first contender in a generation to defeat the hand-picked candidate of Houston's business establishment and the first openly gay person to lead a major U.S. city."
Not to detract from the significance of the 4th largest city in the country electing an openly gay person as mayor, but to me the first part of that sentence is something which I hope signals a trend that starts in Houston and sweeps across the country, "the first contender in a generation to defeat the hand-picked candidate of Houston's business establishment." As has become all too clear lately in Washington, D.C., we have too many hand-picked and hand-fed elected officials whose allegiances lie with big business and not with the people who they are supposed to represent.
Could voters, not only in Houston but across the country, finally be waking up to the reality that what's good for the "business establishment" isn't necessarily what's good for their city, their state, or their country? Here's hoping so.
i voted for parker and i'm so glad she won! to me there is a distinction between running an "openly gay" campaign and campaigning on issues while not backing down from being openly gay. i was very happy that cnn ran with it saturday night, and it IS a big deal when tea bag texas can boast a mayor who lives a lifestyle dictated by her own terms, whether that includes a husband and kids or a wife and kids. i also noticed parker supporters gathered at the george r. brown while locke was at the hyatt, maybe worth mentioning or maybe not.
For those of you who were not paying attention..BOTH sides slung some mud in this campaign. But not unexpected. Whether Miss Parker will be a good mayor is TO BE SEEN.
It is notable that in a mayoral race with a
1) lesbian
2) black guy
3) white guy
4) Hispanic
the white guy WITH OVER A $1.25 MILLION$$ invested in the campaigh was only a few percentage points of finishing FOURTH.
You're right, of course. But maybe their current pension fund guarantees a specific amount in pay outs? Certainly, my 401K doesn't do that. :-)
Most "pension" funds are also invested in the stock market.
So, they probably are all subject to to the same ups and downs of the Dow. And, the same Wall Street predators.
I don't know that something like that could be accomplished -- without a vote of City Council... but maybe it could. However, most Houston Mayors need Council approval for most stuff having to do with city business, especially as it affects city employees.
I do read in the local paper this morning... she wants a new chief for HPD... and she wants the Chief ... to come from within the department.
We'll see how that works out.
Don't read too much into it. The "business community", with agendas as varied as any interest group, backed the candidate they figured was most aligned with their interests. (Would have been Morales, but...) They know Parker has the financial chops, making it that much harder to influence her.
At worst, business interests are watching to see what her progressive side does vis a vis taxation and illegal immigrant labor. At best it's a toss up between infrastructure and development.
I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of departures she takes from White's style of governing. Might be time to either move to midtown or just outside Brenham.
A cop friend told me yesterday that Annise has suggested that HPD's retirement fund be converted to 401Ks -- making them just as vulnerable to those jerks on Wall St. as the rest of us poor slobs.
Are HPD AND HFD covered by the same retirement fund? I don't know.
He said the change wouldn't affect him because he's been on the force for a long time, but that new cops would have 401Ks.
Miemaw, I don't think the national media was incorrect in their assessment that she was openly gay. She has never denied nor hid her sexual orientation during the general election or this runoff. The fact that she did not campaign on that or made an issue of it does not detract from the fact that she was openly (and proudly) gay.
I don't think it was blown out of proportion that the fourth largest city in the US in a red conservative state in the South no less, has elected a mayor on the merits of her abilities and experience and that her sexual orientation was not a (major) distraction or detriment to her candidacy.
Congratulations are in order for Annise and the City of Houston. And hopefully progress as a society of equality for all in America.
I've been an observer of Houston politics for a lot of years.
I read in the national media that Annise Parker was "openly gay" candidate for Mayor of Houston.
Since Annise Parker was never billed as an "openly gay" candidate for City Council -- or Controller, I concluded that the national media --- to suit their own agenda -- was blowing -- out of proportion -- the fact that a very competent public servant -- happens to also be gay.
I'd like to think that some of us voted to finally get back at MayorBob -- for running the Oilers out of town.... but that probably wasn't the case, either.
Annise Parker was, of the two candidates left in the runoff election, the most qualified for the job as Mayor of the City of Houston.
That was the main factor in my decision.
The fact that I don't like Steven Hotze, and his methods of spreading hate -- also figured into the equation --- just a tad. I think that may have backfired on the "bigot" crowd. That it cost them some $40K plus.... is frosting on the cake.
Annise ran a good campaign. She was well-funded. She got out her vote. And... it paid off for all of us.
I wanted to ask the firemen, at my polling place yesterday -- that were handing out literature for, and holding "vote Gene Locke" signs --wearing jackets that read "Houston Fire Department" on the back, if the problem they had with Annise was that she is gay --- or given the state of affairs lately in the Houston Fire Department --- if it was simply because she is a woman.
I would hope that it would be neither -- but I suspect that it was a combination of both.
Since HPD (in part) and the HFD both endorsed, and campaigned for her opponent --- it may be a while for they see a pay raise.
However, I do think she campaigned on adding additional police officers and firemen, to present staff. Lord knows, we need them.
She has a good plan for some of the problems we have encountered with undocumented workers -- who end up in jail. A common sense approach -- on how to enforce immigration status. Not to ask people on the street -- but to check those who have been arrested. In addition to their original crime, for which they were arrested, if they are here illegally -- ICE is notified. They then face deportaton.
She has some common sense approaches to some complex issues.
She will make a good Mayor. IMHO.
Yay! Houston may be finally growning up and electing the most qualified person for the job!
Imagine that!
I hadn't paid enough attention to the race and made a decision until recently when someone helped make it for me. I found out from a friend that KBR was endorsing Locke. That made it obvious, and I did my research. What's good for them is definitely not good for the rest of us.
Shame on me for not paying attention earlier.
The most progressive candidate won? in Houston? Houston, TEXAS? Wow! and CONGRATULATIONS HOUSTONIANS!!
(I guess even slow learning Texans can eventually get there!)
I agree! Congrats to Annise.