​Two Harris County grand juries have refused to indict a motorist who killed Lisa Martin as she was walking in a downtown crosswalk last year. 

(Above-A traffic sign I saw while taking a walk in a Houston neighborhood.)

From Axios Houston: 

"Harris County prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury Jan. 30 seeking a state-jail felony charge against (Emmanuel) Megrelis under the Lisa Torry Smith Act, a 2021 Texas law named after a woman killed in a crosswalk that created a criminal offense for drivers in such instances. The panel issued a no bill — meaning it declined to press charges — under the statue, according to Harris County court records. Prosecutors the next day asked a different grand jury to indict Megrelis on a state-jail felony charge of criminally negligent homicide, but that panel also declined.......Victim's families and advocates have pressured Harris County prosecutors to pursue charges under the relatively new law In January, Axios reported that Teare said he would not pursue charges under the Lisa Torry Smith Act in crosswalk crashes involving death, opting to pursue other charges.He also told Houston Chronicle subscribers in a Q&A last month that while the law is a "tool in the toolbelt," he wanted "more Court of Criminal Appeals opinions" on the statute "before we go forward with it.​ Martin's family. met with prosecutors last week but left without many answers, Martin said......"We feel defeated," Martin said. "(With) all the effort we put in it in the past year and everything, we really thought it would lead to at least an indictment. We just don't know what to do."
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Jay Jordan at Axios Houston has been out in front with coverage of the apparent inability or reluctance of the Harris County District Attorney's Office to prosecute motorists who kill pedestrians with bad driving. 

From reporter Jordan and Axios Houston back on January 30th:

​"New Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told Axios he doesn't plan on filing charges under a relatively new law aimed at protecting pedestrians in crosswalks, choosing instead to pursue a different statute against drivers..... Teare's policy, which he also employed as a prosecutor under his predecessor, has so far resulted in zero drivers facing charges for killing pedestrians in Harris County crosswalks, per an Axios analysis of 21 crash reports and court documents."

How we use public space & the safety and accessibility of public space is an essential matter of democracy. The importance of public space to democracy was highlighted last year when Mayor John Whitmire unsuccessfully sought to limit the First Amendment right to protest at the homes of elected officials. The importance of public space is why I've been following the flawed revision process for the City of Houston Sidewalk Ordinance.

A recent report showed that Houston traffic fatalities were at a record level in 2024. Mayor Whitmire has an odd and narrow concept of public safety that does not seem to include road safety. (Or include an aggressive protection of democracy.)

Houstonians know--as do lawful and kind drivers all across Harris County--that daily driving around here is menace after menace of aggression, red light running & drunk and drugged up motorists. The same can be said for walking in Houston. I'm certain it is the same for riding a bike. Red lights and crosswalks exist to be ignored & many seem to have strong objection to the use of turn signals. 

It's frustrating to take your life in your hands to do routine things like just go about town & on top of that feel that roadway wrongdoers will go unpunished. 

Why do we treat each other this way? The two grand juries not moving forward with the indictment on the death of Lisa Martin remind me of the 2010 vote in Houston to end red-light cameras. People just wanted the ability to run red lights and maim each other. 

If we can't trust each other to something as simple as stop at the red light and trust the legal system to aggressively prosecute reckless drivers here at home, then how can we build the trust and respect for one another and for the law necessary to fight back against the cruel and corrupt people currently running our country?

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​​​

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Some Houston Democracy Project notes:

* I'm the guest speaker at the March Oak Forest Democrats meeting. 

Here is how the club describes the meeting:

Come join your friends at Oak Forest Area Democrats as we hold our March 2025 General Membership Meeting. It will be held on Monday March 3 at the Spaghetti Western at 1951 W TC Jester Blvd 77008 at 7pm (Social hour starts at 6pm) We are pleased to be hosting Neil Aquino from Houston Democracy Project as our featured speaker. See you there!

I'll talk about the Houston Democracy Project & the weekly John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. I appreciate the opportunity to address the group as a rank & file activist. I'll be talking about our strength as the people who hold the party together and lead the party. Please come to the meeting and take part & consider joining the club when there.

* Above you see notice for a protest at Houston City Hall on President's Day, February 17th. It's being put on by 50501. 

50501 held a series of protests at state capitols on February 5th. I was wary at first. It was not clear who the organizers were and the group came out of the blue. (Not that being around for awhile merits implicit trust.) Since the 5th, I've joined the Discord account of 50501 and I think they are real and sincere. I don't know if they are effective or if it will go anywhere. But they are out there and trying. Street protest is important & is something we need to be in the practice of as Trump ignores the courts and threatens civil liberties. 

I'll go on Monday and see how many people they get, who speaks, how well it is run and what level of policing it receives. 

* I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​​

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Today I e-mailed the letter below to each member of Houston City Council calling for an evaluation of Republican At-Large #3 Councilmember Twila Carter's suitability to serve as Chair of Council's Resilience Committee. Council's Resilience Committee is charged with addressing the City of Houston's response to climate change & the response to the many storms and endless heat that impacts Houston. Councilmember Carter does not seem the right member of Council to confront these big issues with urgency. In addition, Councilmember Carter spoke at a Mattress Mack political rally this past October. Above is a picture of her at the rally. How on Earth can a supporter of Trump/Musk be someone we can trust as Chair of such an important committee? 

​Here is the letter: 

The Trump/Musk Administration has stated its intent to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and to substantially reduce funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. 

As Houston faces climate change-storm after storm and heat waves-and a budget crisis compounded by the recent high-dollar firefighters contract, the loss of federal scientific, weather forecasting and financial resources are all a direct threat to our city. 

These are matters that must be urgently be addressed by Houston City Council's Resilience Committee and Committee Chair Twila Carter. 

The City of Houston web page for the Resilience Committee describes the purpose of the committee like this: Will review but not limited to: "All items, actions or policies related to the existing City of Houston Resiliency Plan and Climate Action Plan."

Trump/Musk's planned demolition of the federal partnerships Houstonians rely on to manage and survive our most difficult challenges, are clearly a matter for the Resilience Committee. 

Chair Carter appears poorly-suited for the leadership now required. 

The most recent session of the committee scheduled for February 6th was canceled. This meeting was time that could have been used to acknowledge the threats coming from Washington, and to begin local conversation on how Houston will address the crisis. 

This past October, Councilmember Carter attended and spoke at a political rally sponsored by Mattress Mack. Houstonians have a right to know if the Chair of the committee charged with responding to climate change and help to guide Houston's response to devastating storms, is in fact an ideological and political associate of those willing to do so much damage to our great city. 

Councilmembers have an obligation be certain Councilmember Carter is the right person for the job of leading the Resilience Committee. If she is not, then given the stakes of today's politics and impact of severe weather on Houston, it would be right to ask Mayor Whitmire to remove her as Chair. If Mayor Whitmire will not do so, Council then has the opportunity to use Proposition A to bypass Mayor Whitmire and Councilmember Carter and hold hearings of its own.

Business-as-usual has elevated systems that have messed up the weather and left us at the doorstep of authoritarianism. People who acquiesce to or boost these failed systems don't need to be in positions of high-responsibility in Houston as we fight for our freedom and our lives. What we've been doing before has brought us to this dark moment. Let's do something else and something better. 

(If you'd like to share your thoughts on Councilmember Carter or discuss any issue with Council, here is the information you need: Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched on HTV Houston Television and is live simulcast and available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook.)

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​​

​Yesterday I attended a ceremonial inauguration celebration for new Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez. 

Above you see Ms. Ramirez speaking yesterday. She spoke strongly about her belief in democracy and about using her office for fairness for all. Ms. Ramirez discussed these themes in her campaign which is good. 

Later in the afternoon, I went to an organizing  fair at the Axelrad beer garden for a bunch of left and left-leaning groups. There were groups discussing labor issues, education, Palestine, socialism and so on. 

Below is some literature from the Houston Tenants Union I got in exchange for a donation to the outfit. They've done some good work. I'd have taken a picture of the big crowd at the organizing fair, but some left-types are wary of having their picture taken by a 57 year old white guy. Who can blame them in this political climate and in general?

As we face Trump/Musk and the hemispheric Christian white male reich they are working to create, I need a foot in as many camps as possible. We need to find our way to one another as soon as possible. These people in charge want to take our rights and would be fine to kill us. We must be strong and connected for the fight. 

One of the speakers at the ceremony yesterday was County Commissioner Leslie Briones. Commissioner Briones used the term "In the arena." It's a term describing a person holding office who knows the weight of office and decision making far better than the ordinary citizen can. 

I don't like the term. I find it elitist. The original term was "The man in the arena" & was spoken by Theodore Roosevelt. His definition of the idea was extremely masculine. In The Arena was later the title of a political memoir by Richard Nixon. (You can order it for $14.95 from the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California. I've been to the Nixon library and it's pretty good.) And the phrase in the arena references gladiators and most gladiators were slaves. 

Commissioner Briones put a good spin on the term. She said it applied to anybody taking on the challenges of public life and public affairs no matter if they are in office, or at a community or neighborhood level. I was open to an egalitarian definition of the expression rather than whatever from Teddy Roosevelt or Richard Nixon. The way Commissioner Briones put it gave everybody a chance to use their abilities and to be acknowledged.  

There is a lot of trouble ahead. I have to believe we will win. But I can't tell you I'm certain how we will win. I'm going to keep at and you can decide how you'll proceed. I know we won't win just with elected officials. We'll need each other, we'll need to be intellectually flexible & we'll need to be as brave as we can muster. 

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​​

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​Above you see a tweet recently sent by Senator John Cornyn mocking Texans who protested at some of his offices across the state this past week. He thinks his fellow Texans are people to be made fun of. Call Senator Cornyn and tell him what you think of his shameful attitude. 

People were protesting at Senator Cornyn's offices because he is helping the traitorous white-supremacists Musk/Trump destroy our freedoms and our futures. The bottom right picture in the tweet is of the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest

We are at Senator Cornyn's office each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Dr. Next Tuesday, 2/11, will be our 418th week. Below is the full team we had on Tuesday. 

​Please share word with others & join us this Tuesday or on any Tuesday for whatever amount of time works for you. We have extra signs-or bring your own-and are a friendly group. 

It is important people see others willing to stand confidently and openly for freedom. Our politics are moving in some part to the street as attacks on our rights and our lives escalate. Please join us.

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​

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Above is a picture of two police officers talking to a member of the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest this past Tuesday. The Cornyn Protest is each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Dr. We have been there for 417 weeks. That is 8 years and 1 week.

The officers saw us and stopped. They said they are supposed to stop at any "pop-up protests." We are not a pop-up since we've been there for 417 weeks and we are watched by police every week as it is. 

They were polite, professional and made clear we had a First Amendment right to be there. This post is not a complaint about the officers.

Before the officers left, I highlighted to them our peaceful conduct in contrast to the cop-stomping traitors of January 6th, noted that Trump has pardoned those criminals, pointed out Trump is defunding the FBI and shared that things we've had thrown at us on the corner are batteries, eggs, lit cigars, potatoes and a softball. My colleague you see in the picture told the officers how we got the City of Houston to successfully prosecute a man who threw eggs at us with a misdemeanor. 

They didn't offer any views on our comments--But they heard me. It wasn't hostile. Just the facts. They can decide for themselves where the real trouble is coming from. I'm uncertain what they'll decide. But we told them. 

​There is a lot of trouble ahead. Our freedom is under attack by horrible bigots

Some portion of our politics will be on the streets. We'll be interacting with police officers. We must be ready for it. Nobody in the Cornyn Protest is looking for confrontation. We will speak clearly and be certain police know we are lawful freedom-loving Americans. Because that is exactly what we are. 


I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​

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Houston Mayor John Whitmire has a narrow and inadequate concept of public safety. 

The Houston Chronicle reported recently that fatal road crashes in Houston are the at highest level ever. 

From The Chronicle

"Asked amid a flurry of design changes and shifts in street policy whether he was abandoning Houston’s goal of eliminating vehicle deaths by 2030, Mayor John Whitmire in February 2024 said a goal for the future wasn’t what the city needed ...“My commitment to ending the loss of lives starts right now,” the mayor said at the time. “Not years from now.....Less than a year later, 2024 ended as the deadliest year for drivers, passengers and pedestrians in the city’s history. At least 344 people were killed on Houston area streets last year, a record high after two years of declines. ...More than one-third of Houston road deaths, 118, were pedestrians, with more than half of those fatalities occurring on roads with a speed limit of 45 mph or higher. ...“These aren’t the results you might expect from a mayor who is supposedly focused on public safety,” said Joe Cutrufo, executive director of BikeHouston. “But when you consider how Mayor Whitmire spent his first year in office, killing projects designed to save lives and slamming the previous administration’s efforts toward eliminating traffic deaths, this isn’t surprising at all."...After Whitmire's office initially agreed to an interview, his spokesperson canceled, citing his busy schedule. "

​Mayor Whitmire's view of public safety doesn't appear to involve traffic safety. This despite the fact many people are dying on Houston streets. Anybody who drives in Houston knows it is awful on the roads with aggression and stupidity. This might seem outside of the democracy issues I focus on. But how we use public space and the quality of public space is a matter of democracy. This is why I've spoken at Council and made an impact on the debate on issues such as the right to protest on sidewalks & Houston's Sidewalk Ordinance. 

It seems also Mayor Whitmire does not see our basic freedoms as a matter of public safety. There is no public safety without democracy. 

We know democracy is at stake. It has been for some time. Mayor Whitmire has been silent on these threats and was missing from the 2024 campaign trail. He has nearly 10 million dollars in the campaign bank. He could have been of great help in 2024. ​

While Mayor Whitmire sat out the 2024 election, he does have time to praise Dan Patrick as seen above. He should meet with statewide officials as part of being Mayor--Even far-right officials such as Lt. Gov. Patrick. 

But relationships with Republicans taking our basic rights can't compromise Mayor Whitmire's needed advocacy for democracy. When meeting with Lt. Gov. Patrick, did the Mayor ask Mr. Patrick to step away from his anti-democratic course?

Crime and firefighting are critical public concerns and core purposes of municipal governance. Public safety though has many other aspects. Those other aspects are front and center right now in Houston. Mayor Whitmire and all of Houston City Council should recognize this fact and act with urgency.  

(Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched on HTV Houston Television and our simulcast on the HTV feed on Facebook.)

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​

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​Yesterday I stood for about two hours at the busy junction of Allen/Shepherd/Kirby with a sign saying "Trump + Musk Are Tyrants And We Must Fight Them."  Below is a selfie I took. A lot of people appreciated that I was there. That's good . People need encouragement. I know I do. 

I say this over and over--It is essential people see others willing to stand for our freedom no matter the aggression of the right. Our politics are quite possibly headed to the streets. Let's be ready for that prospect. It's pretty clear that our established systems can't keep us safe. 

Above is a picture of today's John Cornyn Houston Office Protest Week 417. We had a great team of 28 today. We are out each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Dr. 
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We must be ready for whatever is on the way. Recently many Houstonians spoke up and contacted the office of Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare over the wrongful arrest of citizen/activist Sarah Terrell. Our calls and e-mails were heard and the charges were dropped. 

I'll say it again-Our established systems are not keeping us safe. Republican elected officials will not stop anything. They agree with pretty much all of it. Democratic elected officials seem uncertain how to proceed.

It was great to see reports of the thousands of people at Hermann Park & on the Montrose Bridge this past weekend opposing the deportations. There is all sorts of advocacy going on in Houston /Harris County. In my view and in my hopes, it is all connected. We must find our way to each other and fight for one another. We have to be ready for the fight no matter where it takes us. 

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​

With democracy and our futures clearly on the line, below is what I'll be doing to support local democracy in the week ahead as part of my work on the Houston Democracy Project. I hope this list offers you some thoughts on what you can do this week. We can't be paralyzed. There is something that each of us can do.

The Houston Democracy Project plan for this week:  

* E-mailing a letter to all ten Houston City Council Democrats making clear the need for local officials to act with urgency. I'll post the letter soon in a blog post. And the six Council Republicans must answer for what is taking place. I'll be pressing on that as well. 

* Attending and actively participating in the monthly meeting of the Houston LQBTQ Political Caucus. The guest is Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum. I will ask her how the city is responding to what is happening in Washington. 

* Watch, as I do each week, the public comment session and the agenda session of Houston City Council. and posting as needed about what takes place. Our local officials must always be held accountable. 

(Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. The agenda session to conduct Council business is  Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched on HTV Houston Television and on simulcast on the HTV feed on Facebook.)

I'm a resource for information about Houston City Council. Please e-mail me at [email protected] with any questions or thoughts about what is going on at Council. I'll do my best to answer or work to find an answer. 

​* Appearing on my weekly Houston Democracy Project Hour on the Egberto Willies' Politics Done Right Show. It is every Thursday on KPFT-FM at 6 AM. You can watch it on Egberto's YouTube page at any time. We discuss local politics and local democracy. We'll have a lot to discuss this week. 
 
* Taking part in Week 417 of the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. It will be on Tuesday, February 4th from 11:30-1 at 5300 Memorial Dr. Please join us. We have extra signs for everybody and are friendly. It is essential people see others like themselves willing to stand confidently and openly for democracy no matter the aggression of the right. We have to be ready for anything. 

* Standing at least twice at busy drive times at the well-traveled juncture of Kirby, Allen and Shepherd with a sign saying "Trump is a tyrant who is taking our freedom." Again, people must see others like themselves staying the course. Good people tell me they are concerned they will be attacked for pubic advocacy in this political climate. That is a valid fear. It's up to each of us how we fight. 

* Working consistently on this blog & sharing what I write.

* Maintaining my active social media presence that has a wide audience. Find me on Bluesky, where I have over 7000 followers @neilaquino.bsky.social 

​* Promoting other people's advocacy and protest. We are all in this together. 

* Having numerous conversations over the week with rank and file democracy advocates and with candidates/elected officials about the crisis at-hand. 

* Contacting often my federal representatives in Washington as well as Democratic Leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer. Call them with your concerns whether you feel they are listening or not. They need to know we are paying attention and fighting for ourselves and each other. 

* Continuing my active participation in the Texas Grassroots Alliance, which works to support autonomous Texas grassroots organizers. I'll be involved in TGA planning sessions this week. 

​*Whatever comes up over the next 7 days. 

Also, I'm the featured speaker at the Oak Forest Democrats monthly meeting on March 3rd. 

Everybody can make a difference. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. 

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​