Houston Firefighter Union Has Role In National Union Not Endorsing Harris-Hou. Democracy Project Notes, 10/9

​













​Here are Houston Democracy Project Blog Notes & Observations for October 9th. Election Day is in 27 days on November 5th & Early Voting begins in 12 days on October 21st. (Above is the picture of the day. Today was another great sunny day in Houston. Stay your best course as we navigate this stressful election.)  

* Politico ran an article recently about the decision of the International Association of Firefighters to make no endorsement in the presidential race. The article says the firefighters were close to endorsing Harris but yielded to pressure from local chapters to not endorse.

From the article: 

"But the union president, Edward Kelly, was under intense pressure by key local chapters — including New York, Boston, Philadelphia and some officials in Los Angeles and Houston, along with a swath of rank-and-file members — to withhold endorsing Harris, with some threatening to pull out of the larger union if it did. Some chapters followed through on threats to leave the union after it endorsed John Kerry in 2004, and the IAFF declined to endorse in 2016. The pressure this year was even higher."

Just remember when mass deportations are taking place, women are dying from untreated pregnancy complications and authoritarianism prevails, that it is not of much concern to the Houston Professional Firefighters Association. Also seemingly fine with the union are the attacks on unions that are part of Project 2025.    

The firefighters got the money they wanted from Houston taxpayers. All good.  

* The Houston Chronicle endorsed Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt for reelection. 

From the Chronicle:

"We disagree with some of his tactics and many of his positions, such as voting for appropriations for a border wall or co-sponsoring the controversial Senate Bill 4 that sought to create a new state crime that would allow police to arrest people they suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border. But even on other issues where we differ, including school vouchers and the administration of county elections, we often find him reasoned and thoughtful."
 
It is not that Senator Bettencourt is a Republican in and of itself that makes this endorsement wrong. It's that he is an aggressive advocate of policies that lead to mass deportations and overturning election results.  Endorsing Senator Bettencourt normalizes brutality and attacks on democracy.    

* Mayor Whitmire secured $50 million from the State of Texas to help pay for damage from our two storms this year.  Because of this money, the four councilmembers who had been pushing a tax increase withdrew their proposal. Councilmembers Alcorn, Martinez, Castillo and Plummer should be commended for putting themselves out there to do the right thing & also for creative use of of a virtual town hall format this past Sunday to help sell the idea.        

From the Houston Landing: 

​"At-Large Councilmember Sallie Alcorn, one of the council members proposing the increase, said they withdrew the measure because of the state announcement. However, the city still faces financial questions from upcoming police, fire and municipal workers union contracts, and Alcorn said the city still may have to consider tax increases in the future.....“I believe that when you find yourself in a hole, it’s best to stop digging,” Alcorn said. “I believe that this rate increase was the right thing to do, absent the information that came today.”
​
This money from the state is not a gift or favor. Houston/Harris County is an economic engine of Texas & the state often operates in an antagonistic way toward the city and county. They are not doing us any favors.

And again--striking the same theme as the two matters discussed above--State of Texas leadership supports the Trump/Vance/Musk ticket that is coming for our freedom. They can direct $50 million or $500 million or $5 billion to the City of Houston--The bottom line democracy issue will still be there.      

* I'll be on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show tomorrow, 10/10. I'm on the show with Egberto each 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 on Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

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. 
​
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 CONTRIBUTE