Extend Leadership On Tax Rates To Democracy Fight-Houston Democracy Project Notes, 10/4

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​Here are Houston Democracy Project Blog Notes & Observations for October 4th. Election Day is in 32 days on November 5th & Early Voting begins in 17 days on October 21st.

* Above you see word of a virtual Tax Rate Town Hall scheduled for this Sunday, 10/6. It is jointly conducted by Houston City Councilmembers Sallie Alcorn, Letitia Plummer, Mario Castillo and Joaquin Martinez. All four of these officials are Democrats. The City of Houston needs more revenue and these Councilmembers should be commended to be willing to advocate on the issue. Contact them and thank them.      

In addition to standing up on the tax rate, our elected officials must address the upcoming election with urgency. Below is the letter I e-mailed today to the four councilmembers leading the town hall. ( Here is my recent letter to Houston City Council about the lawless and imperial way Mayor Whitmire gutted Houston's sidewalk ordinance & the need to protect democracy in Houston.)

Today's letter:    

Thank you for taking part along with three Council colleagues, in the October 6th Zoom Town Hall about the city tax rate. It is an act of leadership and political courage to be out in front on this issue.      

I’ve signed up as a Houstonian in favor of raising the money we need to be a functioning and livable city.  

An electronic town hall forum, or an in-person town hall meeting, would also be an effective way to inform the people of Houston about the issues at stake in the upcoming election. 

Under Project 2025 and with far-right extremists in control of state government, the City of Houston would be very much out of luck.  

Mass deportations of undocumented people and the stripping of protected status of immigrants living in Houston, would bring significant upheaval. 

The refusal to accept election results could easily lead to a significant erosion of our freedoms.    

Please consider extending your leadership on essential civic matters such as your important advocacy regarding the tax rate, to include as well the urgent concerns presented by the November 5th election.  

Thank you.

* Republicans promise violence and endless litigation if they lose the election, and authoritarianism if they win. We don't have any obligation to accept these options or just sit around and wait for them to happen to us. We can't ever normalize this stuff and we can't let up in demanding that elected Democrats fight for us.   

* Trump and Vance keep overstating the numbers of undocumented people in the United States because they intend to deport people here legally. He'll put them in camps. From there it will go to people who are the wrong color and ideological and policy opponents.  

It's remarkable that all Houston/Harris County elected Democrats are not doing everything they can to stop this from occurring.         

* The John Cornyn Houston Office Protest will mark Week 400 of being at the corner of Memorial & Detering this Tuesday, October 8, 11:30 AM-1 PM, 5300 Memorial Dr. It's important that people see others like themselves willing to stand openly and confidently for democracy. Please join us.    ​
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