Houston Democracy Project Notes & Observations, 9/26-Does Twila Carter Believe Immigrants Eat Pets?

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Here are Houston Democracy Project Blog Notes & Observations for September 26. Election Day is in 39 days on November 5th & Early Voting begins in 25 days on October 21st.  

* Above is word of a Republican get out the vote rally this Saturday. Dan Simons is the Republican nominee for Harris County District Attorney. He was a losing Harris County judicial candidate in 2022 and unsuccessfully sued to overturn the results. Despite this disregard for democracy, Mr. Simons thinks he should be in charge of enforcing the law.  Imagine that.   

On the list of attendees is County Commissioner Ramsey & Republican Houston Councilmembers Julian Ramirez, Twila Carter and Willie Davis. Do these people support mass deportations and are they willing to accept election results they don't like? Do they think immigrants eat pets? Local journalists & the people of Houston and Harris County should ask them.      

* Hurricane Helene is really powerful because of record warm water in the Gulf of Mexico caused in good part by climate change. Project 2025 would eliminate NOAA. Do Houston City Council Republicans support getting rid of NOAA?    

* A reminder on how to change and invalidate Houston city ordinances, such as the sidewalk ordinance, without a vote of Council. This is the model used successfully this week by Houston Councilmembers Tiffany Thomas, Ed Pollard and Carolyn Evans-Shabazz.

1. Use Proposition A meant to expand democracy to bring the proposed changes to Council. 2. Have no meaningful public discussion. 3. When you don't have the votes, allow the reactionary Mayor you've been arguing with for 8 months to write a memo that simply nullifies the part of the ordinance you want gone. 

​Here are more details.   

* Trump and his Republicans promise violence if they lose and authoritarianism if they win. It can't be repeated enough. We are being told lout loud. You should prepare for this in whatever way best serves you and the people in your life. The mainstream political system just chugs along and it'll go on with whatever measure of democracy survives this election. I'm not fatalistic and I push back.           
    
* Sample ballots have been released for the upcoming election. Click right here and see who is on your ballot.

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