State Representative Jarvis Johnson and Molly Cook are the two remaining candidates for the State Senate District 15 seat vacated by John Whitmire when he became Mayor.
Here is a Houston Landing story about the race. Rep. Johnson and Ms. Cook advanced to the Democratic primary runoff in the March 5 primary. They are the also the only two candidates in the race to complete Mayor Whitmire’s term. The election to fill the remainder of Mayor Whitmire’s term is May 4. The primary runoff election is May 28. Rep. Johnson served on Houston City Council and has been in the Texas House since 2016. Ms. Cook is a registered nurse who ran a strong race against Senator Whitmire in 2022. ( I had a paid role in Molly's 2022 campaign doing writing, strategy and voter outreach.) There was a debate between the two candidates this evening conducted by Bayou Blue Democrats. Above are two pictures from the debate. One shows Rep. Johnson standing up & the other shows Ms. Cook standing up. The debate was contentious and enjoyable. Lots of back and forth between the two. When considering candidates, the Houston Democracy Project has a focus on who will be the strongest, most imaginative and most courageous advocate for democracy. Who would be willing to take political, career, and if need be, physical risks in an authoritarian crisis Rep. Johnson is get-along-to-go-along business as usual. Here is something he told the Houston Chronicle editorial board: “Anybody who makes a donation to my campaign, that means they have access,” said Johnson, “Doesn’t mean that they get a yes.” Same old stuff. If he is saying that in public, imagine how he operates in private. I don't give him points for honesty. What I see in the comment is disregard for the access of people who can't afford write him a check or don't want to write him a check. Rep. Johnson talks about his experience in public office. That's fine. But talk about experience should include reflection about being part of systems that have brought us extreme right wing government in Texas, and to the brink of authoritarianism and mass round-ups of migrants from our national politics. Why will more the same bring us something better? (Speaking of mass round-ups of migrants, there was no mention of the subject in last night's debate despite the fact that SD 15 is 40% Latino and very diverse.) Ms. Cook has recently pivoted her campaign to a tougher more negative approach to Rep. Johnson and to more talk of Texas Republican extremism. This may well be what she believes-she is an honest person-, but it also seems attuned to her second place finish in the March 5 primary. It is an approach she could have taken all along given the gravity of our current political situation. Ms. Cook is the best bet to strongly address far-right extremism, and to be on the right side of a police line in an authoritarian crisis. But should Ms. Cook be elected, we will have to demand that she be there when needed most. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com
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Below is a letter I've sent to each member of Houston City Council regarding Republican Houston Vice Mayor Pro-Tem Amy Peck serving as Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Public Safety Committee membership is four Republicans and two Democrats. Given the extreme nature of today's Republican Party, are these the people who should be supervising public safety forces and public safety unions?
There is no public safety without democracy. Here is how the Houston City Council webpage describes the committee: Will review but not limited to: Performance and policies of any city department providing public safety services, purchases related to public safety, Independent Police Oversight Board. (I've been watching Houston City Council sessions. You should as well.) I'll have further posts right here at the Houston Democracy Project to update responses-or lack of a response-from councilmembers. Here is the letter: In the new Council Committee structure, Mayor Whitmire has appointed Republican Vice Mayor Pro-Tem Amy Peck to be Chairwoman of Council's Public Safety Committee. Bipartisanship is essential to democracy. There is virtue in keeping divisive state and national politics distant from Houston City Hall. The business of the city must be conducted. At the same time, Vice Mayor Pro-Tem Peck represents a political party led by Donald Trump. Five other Houston City Councilmembers do as well. Where do these members stand on election denial and relentless Republican voter suppression? Where do they stand on the mass migrant round-ups promised by many Republicans? Houston would likely be an epicenter of such round-ups. Authoritarianism will require a local infrastructure. Our public safety unions are comfortable with supporting election deniers. Harris County Republican political leaders work to overturn elections, and are silent as Governor Abbott says he would shoot migrants other than that he would be prosecuted by the Biden Justice Department. Is Vice Mayor Pro-Tem Peck the right person to have a critical role in supervising and holding our public safety forces accountable as we face a clear authoritarian threat? The six member Public Safety Committee has four Republican members. Republicans Peck, Huffman, Ramirez and Carter along with Democrats Jackson and Martinez are on the committee. Is this the right committee composition to ask questions about public safety union support of anti-democratic politicians, and to discuss the public safety threat to our diverse city represented by the political extremism of the Republican Party? Republicans such as Mike Pence and Liz Cheney have said they will not vote for Trump. So has Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Many Republican voters are choosing someone other than Donald Trump in Republican primaries. Vice Mayor Pro-Tem Peck and the other Republican members of the Public Safety Committee must publicly distance themselves from party officials calling for the shooting of migrants and “bloodbaths.” This is the least to be expected of those selected to oversee our public safety forces. There is no public safety without democracy. History shows that the person next door or the person you work with daily is fully capable of repression and brutality. I urge Democratic Houston City Councilmembers to directly ask their Republican colleagues where they stand on the authoritarian threat, and to to call out political extremism among elected Republicans. Thank you. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com Harris County Sheriff deputies were involved today in a shootout with a so-called "sovereign citizen." The sovereign citizen was killed and an innocent woman was shot and seriously wounded in the gunfight. From Houston TV station KPRC: In simple terms, a sovereign citizen is an individual who believes they are not subject to the laws and regulations of the government. They typically claim to possess a unique status or immunity that exempts them from legal authority. This ideology stems from a range of conspiracy theories and distorted interpretations of legal concepts. Sovereign citizens often engage in tactics such as filing frivolous lawsuits, creating fraudulent documents, or using obscure legal arguments to justify their actions. According to the Anti-Defamation League, “sovereign citizens engage in a large amount of criminal activity, including 1) harassment and retaliation tactics collectively known as “paper terrorism,” 2) scams and frauds, sometimes large in scope, and 3) violence, including armed standoffs, shootouts, murders and terrorist plots.” They reject the legitimacy of government institutions, including law enforcement, courts, and taxation systems. Above you see a tweet from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on the matter. Right wing extremists are a threat to law enforcement across the country. And yet still police unions endorse far-right candidates. Just imagine if someone identified with Black Lives Matter or as a socialist had been in a shootout with cops that also injured an innocent bystander. What a big fuss that would be. It would be on all the radio shows and all the internets. Where is Crime Stoppers? Where are the public safety unions? The political extremism in America mostly comes from the right. It comes in the form of so-called sovereign citizens who go around doing whatever they want, & from the everyday dangerous radicalism of Republican Party. We should be clear and vocal about the real sources of the threats to our democracy. It is an active daily threat from the right. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com Recently I interviewed Egberto Willies about his new book Tribulations of an Afro-Latino Caribbean Man. Egberto hosts the Politics Done Right broadcast and webcast. The broadcast is Monday-Friday from 6AM to 7 AM on 90.1 KPFT-FM. The webcast is each Monday through Friday at 3 Central time.
Alexander Montavlao of Tarrant for Change also helped conduct the interview. Egberto discussed his overlapping identities, being a Black man in the software industry, living in the conservative Kingwood neighborhood of Houston & thoughts on activism and about remaining hopeful even in tough times. Here is the link to buy the book. Here is the interview with Egberto. Egberto, Alex and myself are all part of the Texas Grassroots Alliance. TGA is a statewide organization of progressive and pro-democracy organizers. The interview was part of the Texas Grassroots Livestream series. The shows can be seen on the TGA Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube spaces. The Texas Grassroots Alliance works to establish our networks of action, ideas, communication and safety. Please follow and support our efforts. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com Commissioner Briones Does Good By Telling Voters About HCAD Election-Elected Officials Must Help4/12/2024 Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones has sent out a card to tell people about the upcoming Harris County Appraisal District election. Above you see one side of the card. This is the right course. Here is a Texas Tribune article with additional details about the new elected position. The property tax issues involved in the HCAD elections are a big deal, but are not the focus of the Houston Democracy Project. Every elected Republican contributes to the local infrastructure of authoritarianism. Republicans are serious when they talk about suspension of civil liberties and mass round-ups of migrants. These attacks on our freedoms and our communities will require many local partners and boosters. We don't need to elect more of these people. A leading advocate of this new elected office is far-right, election-denying State Senator Paul Bettencourt. That tells you much of what you need to know. Here is who I am voting for in the HCAD races: Place 1: Kathy Blueford Daniels Place 2: Melissa Noriega Place 3: Pelumi Adeleke I talked to Commissioner Briones for 15 minutes or so at the West Gray Multi-service Center during Harris County Democratic Primary voting last month. I shared with her my concerns about threats to democracy in 2024. I said that in addition to voting, we may well have to show up in non-conventional ways. I felt she listened. You never know. We'll see where events take us all. All elected officials at every level have an obligation to act forcefully on behalf of democracy. This can be informing voters about important elections, speaking clearly about anti-democratic threats & fully understanding that more than voting may be required of all of us and being will to share that fact with voters. All too often our Democratic Party elected officials are no place to be found when we need help at election time. Thanks to Commissioner Briones for sharing this information with Precinct 4 voters. Let it be one step along the way of relentless action by Houston and Harris County elected officials on behalf of freedom in 2024. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com * The Houston Democracy Project is featured weekly on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right broadcast and webcast. You can hear it each Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM on KPFT 90.1 FM and also watch it later on Egberto's website. Please tune in! * Also, I'll be interviewing Egberto tomorrow on Texas Grassroots Alliance Livestream. I'll be with my Texas Grassroots Alliance colleague Alex Montalvo who is Fort Worth. You see above that we have a nice graphic. We'll be discussing Egbertos' new book Tribulations of an Afro-Latino Caribbean Man. The show can be watched on the Texas Grassroots Alliance page on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. It'll then bon Egberto's YouTube page and I'll be posting the link here. * Please like the Facebook page of the Texas Grassroots Alliance. The Houston Democracy Project is an active member of the Alliance. I'm taking part in a series called Texas Grassroots Alliance Livestream which is giving voice to progressive and pro-democracy organizers across the state. * Please take part in the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. We are at 5300 Memorial Dr each Tuesday from 11:30-1. We are 375 weeks and going strong. We show up visibly and openly for democracy at a busy corner. It's important for people to see others like themselves willing to stand up for democracy even as the political climate in Texas and the nation worsens. * Please sign my Change.org petition to commit to showing up as needed as we confront anti-democratic threats in 2024 and 2025. Here is the link to sign. Sign and share the petition. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com. Someone has thrown a lit cigar butt at the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest Team four times in the past seven or eight weeks. It happened again today. The cigar has been tossed from a balcony above where we stand on the sidewalk at Memorial & Detering. We think it is from one of the lower floors of the nine story building.
We've twice before today told HPD officers who watch us it was happening. They said they informed building management. Building management does not like us. Today one of our team had had enough of having a lit cigar tossed at us. She spoke with clarity about the matter to a building security employee. That conversation was to little avail. Our colleague then went over to one of the three HPD units watching us today to voice her concerns. To his credit, the HPD officer, who was a sergeant, went up to the first three floors of the portion of the building that has the balconies overhead. He said he asked if anybody knew anything about it & said he took a look at the people in the offices. What the sergeant did not do was blame us. We appreciated that and thanked him. HPD in the past has blamed us for having softballs and eggs thrown at us & for other aggressive reactions to our protest. But we are not the ones who support a court-determined rapist and a traitor to be President. The public safety danger is people who support Trump & Republicans. Last week our team had a big hand in getting a misdemeanor conviction in Houston City Court against a very angry man who threw eggs at us from a moving car. An HPD sergeant & a city prosecutor also helped make it happen. It took a lot of work to get the conviction. I say all this for the following reasons: 1. We don't have to take it. The right wants us to be afraid. We will not give in to that. 2. Demand the justice you deserve. We are told law enforcement and the courts are there for justice to be done. The Cornyn Team will always insist that justice be done. Hold the right accountable for violence and aggression. 3. Please refer back to the 1st point. Be ready for whatever is ahead. The Cornyn Team stands up for democracy each week in an open & exposed place. It is important for people to see others like themselves willing to stand up. The John Cornyn Houston Office Protest is each Tuesday, 11;30-1, 5300 Memorial Drive. please join us next Tuesday, 4/16, for Week 375. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com Steve Norris of Brazoria County has been going to Hermann Park each Saturday from noon to one with the sign you see above. He is a semi-retired professor. He is at the roundabout near the statue of Sam Houston. He has extra of the those signs that he paid for on his dime for people who join him. Steve is on the right & I'm on the left. I've been out there with Steve for I think five of the 8 weeks he has been in the park. Others have taken part as well. Most reactions are positive . A few people have been negative. But nothing aggressive. Steve says that some people he knows have expressed interest in coming out to the park, but are afraid something bad would happen. Each week I've been part of his effort, one or two people have come up to us and asked if we are nervous. We are not nervous. That doesn't mean somebody won't someday get very angry. But we are not nervous. It's important that people see others like themselves willing to put themselves out there. The right wants us to be afraid. We can't be afraid. Please join Steve at Hermann Park. In addition to voting, we must be willing to show up and proceed in whatever ways required to combat the anti-democratic right. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com Much of the Democratic political class in Houston/Harris County/Texas would be fine enough finding a way to keep operating business as usual in Trump 2nd term, and with whatever right-wing nightmares Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton bring about.
These officials already operate in low turnout, big money, authoritarian dominated environment here in Texas. They are well-acquainted with looking the other way at trouble. People in politics are very attuned to personal survival. Worrying about our fates may not be consistent with what works for them. We must demand our political leaders be engaged & willing to take risks. It is essential to vote & essential to hold the officials we vote for very accountable. Don't let anybody off the hook when to comes to fighting for our collective freedom. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com Above is Donald Trump recently accepting the endorsement of the Police Officers Association of Michigan. Here is some of what the Michigan Officers say: "As representatives of law enforcement in Michigan, we believe Donald Trump is the candidate best suited to lead our nation forward. His unwavering support for law enforcement, commitment to public safety, and dedication to upholding the values that define our country make him the clear choice for the 2024 Presidential Election. ..The Police Officers Association of Michigan proudly endorses Donald J. Trump for President of the United States." Stomping police officers on January 6, saying you'll be a dictator and calling for "bloodbaths" are actions and values these Michigan officers hold dear. Police and fire unions across the country back anti-democracy candidates. This is the case in Houston and Harris County as well. It's a mistake for the City of Houston to give so many resources and great political influence to public safety unions that enthusiastically back election deniers and officials calling for mass round-ups of migrants. Authoritarianism will need a substantial local infrastructure. We should not be in a rush to fund that infrastructure. We should instead make clear that there is no public safety without democracy. Public safety unions that support anti-democracy candidates and officials are public safety threats. Attacks on civil liberties and migrant round ups in communities across Houston and Harris County will require people willing to get those things done. We must realize this resources will come in part from our own tax dollars right here at home and demand our elected officials take the threat seriously. Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to naa61840@gmail.com |
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April 2024
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