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At today’s, 5/13, Houston City Council session, Councilmember Alejandra Salinas, expressed concern over Item 8. Item 8 was purchase and installation of a "Derq" system for Houston.

Below is the item itself so you can read it. The more each of us can directly speak to, the stronger we all are. Here is a link to the Derq company itself to explain the Derq system. At least as far as they want to explain.

Derq is an AI surveillance system for traffic. I don't know why we need this, because we turn over the streets in Houston to street racers and red-light runners with little resistance from the city. Maybe the AI system can give the street racers data-informed pole positions like at the start of the Indianapolis 500.

Ms. Salinas called this "The next frontier in surveillance." She said she hopes the city will be mindful of civil liberties concerns & the data will not be sold or used for purposes other than traffic.

Good luck with that. The revolution will be televised because we have no privacy. This is in part why I talk about mass actions and an open public identity for people opposing the right. I show up over and over, work to empower people, vote in every election and do my best. I encourage everyone to do their best.

Will ICE be given access to data from Derq?

Above you see Councilmember Salinas in her comments. Her two minute remarks start at the hour 28 minute mark of the HTV feed of the meeting.

​I appreciate Ms. Salinas bringing this up. No other councilmember said anything. She did the right thing.

Fighting this issue is outside my bandwidth even though it is very much a democracy concern. My first reaction when Ms. Salinas spoke was resignation. There is just no prospect that this council will provide meaningful oversight of any police matter.

Maybe the issue of AI surveillance in Houston is something you can lead. Maybe you know a lawyer who can take it up. Maybe a seed was planted today for a successful fight ahead.

I do know there are a number of efforts underway already for the 2027 election, to make Houston City Council better and more responsive. I am part of some of these efforts & will keep you informed. I encourage you to join these efforts as well. Or start your own.

We will stay the course.

Here is item 8:

Summary:

​Director Houston Public Works and Chief Procurement Officer recommend City Council approve award in the amount of $350,000.00 for purchase of ten (10) Derq video detection systems from MOBOTREX, LLC, through the BuyBoard cooperative purchasing program – Special Revenue Fund

Background:

DA-2025-0079 - The Director of Houston Public Works (HPW) and the Chief Procurement Officer recommend that City Council approve an award in the amount of $350,000.00 for the purchase of ten (10) Derq video detection systems from MoboTrex, LLC, through the BuyBoard cooperative purchasing program for HPW.

This is for the purchase of ten (10) Derq video detection systems that will provide real-time traffic monitoring and adaptive signal control. The advanced detection technology is necessary to proactively manage traffic operations, enhance safety, and maintain mobility during the FIFA World Cup.

The video detection systems will be installed along the Almeda corridor, a critical north–south route identified in the Arcadis Mobility Study. Almeda connects major FIFA World Cup activity centers, including the East Downtown Fan Festival site and NRG Stadium, both of which are expected to see significant increases in traffic. This investment aligns with the City’s goals to optimize corridor performance and ensure a positive experience for residents and visitors during this high-profile international event.

The Almeda corridor also serves as a designated detour route for SH 288 and includes ten consecutive signalized intersections between US69 and Holcombe Boulevard. Realtime traffic monitoring and adaptive signal control provided by these video detection systems will prevent congestion and delays that easily compounded during peak travel periods.

​This morning I was on the We The People broadcast on KPFT. This show is Each Tuesday 9:30 AM-10 AM. Thank you to host Jesse Castaneda for having me on. Below you see a picture of the KPFT studio.

( I'd be glad to speak at your club or org meeting. Please e-mail me at [email protected].)

Here is some of what I said on the radio:

* All of the Houston-region matters. Houston, small cities, unincorporated areas, suburban and rural. Everyone is in this fight.
* If you have some privilege, use it to advocate for others.
* We need multi-racial coalitions at the polls and also on the streets. Voting is not going to be enough.
* The Voting Rights Acts decision is terrible. You strip representation from people because you intend to deport, enslave and kill them.
* Democratic elected officials such as Carol Alvarado & Rodney Ellis who have millions in campaign funds, should use that money to boost 2026 turnout.
* Three goals for Houston City Council elections in 2027 are to defeat Twila Carter and Willie Davis & to make the endorsement of the police union toxic for any Democrat seeking election to council.
* You have 1st Amendment rights and you have 2nd Amendment rights. You have a right to consider your self-defense as we confront an authoritarian and white supremacist opponent.
* What I talk about in good part is autonomous actions done by individuals. We can act by ourselves or in groups. Each of us can make the decision to act or not to act. That is your call. I don't believe we can wait for elected officials or non-profits.
* Let’s be in the habit of advocating for ourselves. We need to be ready for rapid response to attacks on fair elections and civil liberties. We may need to be on the streets for a sustained number of days.
* The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. The work ahead is ours.

I also took part today in Week 483 of the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. This is each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Drive. We had people join us today from as far as Huntsville and Magnolia. You see above a picture of our crew today. We had 37 people.

It is essential that people see others like themselves willing to stand openly and confidently for democracy no matter the threats and aggression of the right. There are very many people who count on us to be there each week. Please join us.

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Houston Resistance News has been published twice. You see a picture of the May edition above. 

There is a schedule of both protests and Democratic Party events across the Houston-region as part of Houston Resistance News. Here is that schedule. 

Both voting and protest are essential. 

Also in Houston Resistance News is opinion, poetry, mental health suggestions and legal system safety tips. 

The publication reminds of the fanzines my punk rock comrades would create back in the day. You'd print them up at Kinkos.

You can check out Houston Resistance News at www.substack.com/@houstonresistance 

Share word of Houston Resistance News with others. 

Consider an effort such as this yourself. There is room for more than one publication like this across the Houston-region. 

​This all is very much in the do-it-yourself necessity of our current situation. 

Th next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. Voting is nothing to be enough. The work ahead is ours.

​I had a good-faith private ten minute conversation yesterday, 5/6, with one of the Houston City Councilmembers who switched on the ICE vote. It doesn't matter who it was. I'm not criticizing the person. I appreciated the talk.

(Above is picture I took of 2015 Veterans Day at Houston City Hall.)

The councilmember talked about the potential of lost resources from the state if the ICE ordinance had been allowed to stand. That's been the argument in favor of greatly diluting the ordinance.

It occurred to me later that this is the exact same point made at the beginning of each Texas Legislative session. Some Democrats-fewer every session-say we have to vote for a Republican Speaker and plead for committee assignments so that we can get whatever Republicans choose to grant.

Now the legislature is getting set to dismantle majority-minority legislative districts in the 2027 session & legislative Republicans support Trump and Abbott no matter how far-right they go.

I keep asking what/where is the off ramp? When do you stop cooperating? What happens when our Harris County elections are interfered with? When does it become a Vichy-type collaboration? The state and federal governments intend us tremendous harm. They are already doing us tremendous harm. They are coming for all our rights.

We are navigating without guardrails. But we do know that business as usual has failed. We have to ask ourselves everyday and assess everyday how to protect ourselves, fight back and move forward.

​My wager is that appeasing the current-day Republican Party is a losing bet.

The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. The work ahead is ours.

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​Here I am yesterday at Week 482 of the John Cornyn Houston Office with signs that say "The Next Action Is When You Organize It" & "The First Amendment Is Our Permit"

Thanks to Mauri Bird Lucas for making the signs & taking the pictures.

The last part which I don't have a sign for is "The Only Credential Needed Is Your Presence."

It is more clear everyday that Trump & Republicans don't intend to accept bad outcomes in 2026 elections.
Mayor Whitmire talked today in his budget press conference about more police overtime $ for protest. He specifically addressed that topic. The mayor says nothing about destruction of the Voting Rights Act. He has already made clear he supports HPD working with ICE.

The City of Houston has made clear they will never have our backs no matter the attacks on our freedom from the state & federal governments.

The work ahead is ours. Voting is not going to be enough.

The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment your permit. The only credential needed is your presence.

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​Here is a Texas Tribune article about the likely prospect of the Texas Legislature redistricting state legislative maps for the 2028 election. This task would be accomplished in the 2027 legislative session. They can do this because of the recent Voting Rights Act decision at the Supreme Court. 

(Above is a picture of the Texas House of Representatives I took in 2021.)

​As far as as I can see, there 3 ways to stop this from happening:

1. Elect a Democratic Governor.
2. Elect a Democratic Lt. Governor who would not allow the Texas Senate to take up the matter.
3. Elect a Democratic Texas House majority.
(There does not seem a realistic prospect of a Texas Senate majority.)

I hope we see our safe Harris County legislative incumbents campaigning relentlessly in 2026 in Harris County and wherever needed in Texas. This would be a great time for Rodney Ellis and Carol Alvarado to spend some of the millions they keep in their campaign bank accounts.

It's clear that business as usual has collapsed for us. Many of the hard-won gains of the Civil Rights movement are out the window. We'll be asked to donate and volunteer. Grift as usual for consultants and for electeds who don't show up for us will go on as normal.

We can't just sit back and accept this. Hold Democratic electeds accountable like never before in 2026. Our freedom depends on it.

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​Yesterday I spoke at a Unitarian Church in The Woodlands at May Day event put on by a coalition of pro-democracy groups in Montgomery County.

This is part of my work on the Houston Democracy Project. There I am speaking above. I’d like to speak at your club or org.meeting. E-mail at [email protected] Thank you.

This was the first time I spoke at a church. I wanted to cast out evil to the fiery pit.

Here is some of what I said instead:

* The lines between electoral politics and protest are blurring. We can do both. Many people active in electing Democrats are also organizing and taking part in protest.

* We must assert our own autonomous power. We are building our own power day-by-day, and also building rapid response networks for when habeas corpus is suspended or Abbott/Trump interferes in our elections.

* No Kings protests which drew a record number of people in a record number of locations, were an assertion of our autonomous power. We are building a bypass of structures that would inhibit our capacity to act on behalf of ourselves.

* The Voting Rights Act Decision is a nightmare. You take representation from people because you intend to deport, enslave and kill them.

* There is no bottom line to what the right intends.

* Opposing an authoritarian/white supremacist opponent will not be inherently safe. We have 1st Amendment rights and we have 2nd Amendment rights.

​* The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. The work ahead is ours.

​There are many May Day protests across the nation and across the Houston-region. 

We are encouraged to skip school, not go to work and not to buy anything. Here is the May Day Strong website with an overview. 

Here is a list of many of them across the Houston-region. 

Here is the event I'm speaking at in The Woodlands. I'll talk about empowering ourselves. The event is 2 to 6. I'm speaking around 2:30. It's at the Northlands Unitarian Universalist Church.

​Different May Day events across the Houston-region are taking different approaches. 

​Above you see a graphic for three Houston events organized by the coalition highlighted by the logos. Houston Democratic Socialists have taken a lead with these protests. This might be your thing. 

Below you see an event at McGregor Park in Houston being put together by local organized labor. You see the union logos and TOP and all of that. You see it is the only one that mentions connecting with local political campaigns. That's fine. I hope politicians who benefit from this, will show up for protests in the future. 

Finally you see a fully rank & file organized May Day in event in Katy. The theme in Katy is Workers over Billionaires. This protest is more my kind of deal. No financial resources and no connections to any established group. It's essential that we know who will show up for one another in a crisis. We must be in the habit of organizing for ourselves. 

Marsha Kamish is a citizen/organizer who is leading the organizing on May Day in Katy just as she has for Katy No Kings and other events. Go to the linked-to list above to find an event near you. There are a number of them. 

The next event is the you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. The work ahead is ours. 

​I've been fortunate enough to be asked to speak on four occasions in the past six weeks. I spoke at the East Houston Democrats March meeting, the March 28 No Kings protest downtown, the April Bayou Blue Democrats meeting and the Spring Democratic Club Spring Democratic Club meeting few days ago. 

(Above is the crowd in Spring. Below is East Houston, No Kings & me speaking at Bayou Blue.) 

East Houston represents Democrats in Sheldon, Galena Park and Channelview. Bayou Blue speaks for Democrats in neighborhoods including Montrose, River Oaks and Greenway Plaza. Spring Democrats serves North Harris County and Klein in addition to Spring. On Friday, May 1st, I'm a speaker at the May Day protest and rally in The Woodlands Montgomery County. 

I'm really appreciative to be asked by fellow rank & file Democrats and democracy advocates to speak. I'm an effective speaker to any audience and in any part of the Houston-region.  I'd be happy to speak to your club or organization. Please message me or e-mail at [email protected] and we'll set it up. 

Here are seven things I've been saying:

​1. The lines are blurring between conventional politics and protest. Both are essential. The people running the country and running Texas do not see much difference between dissent and voting.. The goal is to criminalize opposition. All opposition will be seen as inciting violence and seeking to undermine the government. That opposition is us. You may or may not want to view yourself as on the front line of an anti-fascist struggle. But the right views it as so just by the fact we oppose them.

2. We have a right to a collective identity and power as active rank and file democracy advocates and Democrats, that is independent from official party structures, candidates and elected officials. Harris County Democratic Precinct Chair admonishments of Kim Ogg, Shawn Thierry and John Whitmire are just some examples of this autonomy and power. Elected officials are our elected employees. You don't have to allow candidates and electeds who don't help the full Democratic slate to even address your club. 

3. March 28 No Kings protests were in a record number of cities and drew an overall record crowd. They were organized by people just like us. They were an expression of our autonomous power.  We have seen with the martial law crisis in South Korea and the resistance to ICE in Minnesota, that we must show up for ourselves.

4. We give a lot of free labor to candidates. It's often exploitive. Sometimes candidates don't money they promised. Politics is a multi-billion dollar industry. Many campaigns extract resources like a West Virginia strip mine. Primary candidates come and go like Christmas or Halloween pop up stores. Our need to live freely remains. We must organize ourselves.

 5. The recent process with the City of Houston/ICE ordinance shows that HPD is an extension of what Greg Abbott wants. Local control of HPD and HPD respect for local civilian direction that does exist are both in doubt. Also, there seems no opportunity through the conventional political process at Houston City Hall to meaningfully push back or even slightly mitigate, any outrage from  our authoritarian, white supremacist state and federal governments. We must organize ourselves. 

6. Police union endorsements must become toxic in Democratic primaries and in 2027 City of Houston municipal elections. At-Large Houston City Council Republicans Twila Carter and Willie Davis must be defeated and a better and more responsive Houston City Council is needed. Let's begin that work now. 

7. The next action is when you organize it, the First Amendment is your permit, The only credential needed is your presence. You don’t need to feel self-confident to act. Just proceed. The work ahead is ours.

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​Observations from the ICE/City of Houston ordinance fight:

1. There is no abuse from our authoritarian, white supremacist state and federal governments that will cause Mayor Whitmire & Houston City Council to push back or take any risk for our rights.

(Picture is Mayor Whitmire reporting at 4/22 council session on who is charge at Houston City Hall.)

​2. HPD is an extension of what Greg Abbott wants. HPD sent out a directive telling officers to not comply with the ordinance even before it was gutted yesterday. Local control of HPD and HPD respect for local civilian direction that does exist are both in doubt.

3. There is work already underway to find progressive and more responsive Houston City Council candidates for 2027. This effort can help connect and organize across communities in Houston beyond the electoral mission. Please join this effort.

4. Three top goals for 2027 are defeating right-wing At-Large Councilmembers Twila Carter & Willie Davis and also electing someone good in District A. District A was carried by Kamala Harris in 2024, but is represented at council by term-limited Republican Amy Peck. Share word of these goals with others so we can lay the groundwork of awareness now for 2027.

5. Endorsement by the Houston Police Officer’s Union must become an electoral toxin in 2027 municipal elections.

6. In part because there is no process through conventional political channels at Houston City Hall where city government will attempt to defend our rights, we must organize ourselves and show up for ourselves.
The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. The work ahead is ours.