Houston mayor's race 2009

[BryanS]

Don't leave us, White.

He's going on to better things... Look on the bright side: Please Bill White, please be one of 2 that represent this whole state in the US Senate. Our country needs you to balance out the evil known as John Cornyn.

[Porchman]

whoa! I said that? Sweet.. Porch and I must have some special telepathic bond.

Really...I don't think White comes across as awkward... i've always liked that he come across more a businessman than politician.

Pretty groovy, eh? Actually, it looks like you were briefly posessed by musicman. We've always wondered about him .

I tried to edit, and it looks totally normal.

[musicman]

OK, music, you've been griping about this for some time. What are you looking for? Who would you propose as candidates?

unfortunately, these are the only candidates we have a choice on. like i said earlier......ms parker's story has changed on the budget from we don't have a problem to we're 100 million in the red. i really enjoyed the budget debate exchange which again, annise is on the defensive.

here are three paragraphs from Bill king's editorial in the chronicle in may which i posted earlier.

A few weeks ago there was an exchange between Councilmember Pam Holm and Controller Annise Parker over whether the city’s budget was balanced and what it actually means to have a balanced budget. The controller asserted that the city’s 2009 budget was balanced. Let me assure the reader that is not the case. Here are the facts.

The city’s 2009 budget projects that the city will have general fund revenues of $1.84 billion. These revenues are derived from property taxes, sales taxes, fees and fines and certain miscellaneous categories such as interfund transfers and the sale of capital assets. However, general expenses were originally budgeted at $1.93 billion, leaving a projected deficit of about $70 million. The budget called for this shortfall to be made up by borrowing $20 million and reducing the city’s general fund balance (the amount we have left over in the bank at the end of the year) by about $50 million. In other words, the budget was “balanced” by borrowing money and going into our savings.

However, since the budget was adopted projected revenues have been falling and are now estimated to be about $30 million to $40 million less than originally expected. The city has reduced budget expenses by about $10 million, leaving a projected general fund deficit of $90 million to $100 million.

Ms parker's response in may was that Houston doesn't have a deficit. in the past few weeks, she now admits there's a deficit of over 100 million. i did enjoy her response to gene locke that "you don't understand the budget." Seems like she doesn't either.

now, the city has just recently determined that they cannot account for over 1 billion gallons of water pumped in the last yr. (11.9 billion gallons of water pumped 10.2 billion gallons were billed) so about 13% of the water pumped is missing.

On Monday, 11 News reported that Houston’s Combined Utility System, which processes drinking water and operates the city’s sewer system, is raising far less money than it spends. In addition, nearly $1 billion in credit must be renegotiated early next year, and debt payments have spiked $50 million above earlier projections. All told, the system currently faces a $100 million cash shortfall – a significant problem for a department that took in $332 million in water bills last year.

shouldn't one of annise's audits caught this before now?

btw there's another debate next monday on ch 26 at 9pm.

[Porchman]

sounding human isn't enough. we need a leader and none are running.

{Long rant by former mayor of Kemah who recently appeared on the local news all proud of how he survived his beach house being out of whack for 9 months, and how he made the best of it by making a dining table out of the piers where his yacht once parked}

OK. So, you don't like Parker. My question is who would you propose...and why?

Oh, BTW, it will come as no surpise to you that Brown (I know how your fondness of him exceeds all boundaries ), still did not believe there to be any fiscal challenges for the City as of four weeks ago during a debate.

[TheNiche]

Ms parker's response in may was that Houston doesn't have a deficit. in the past few weeks, she now admits there's a deficit of over 100 million. i did enjoy her response to gene locke that "you don't understand the budget." Seems like she doesn't either.

The difference in our economic well-being between May and October is pretty staggering. Most Houstonians still seem to think that we're well-off in the jobs department; such is not the case, and tax revenue from commercial properties is going to be especially responsive to economic conditions. Parker is not an economist--and frankly even economists aren't very good at making forecasts. This time last year, Barton Smith estimated the annualized rate of job losses at around 15,000; the actuals are in the 90,000's now.

now, the city has just recently determined that they cannot account for over 1 billion gallons of water pumped in the last yr. (11.9 billion gallons of water pumped 10.2 billion gallons were billed) so about 13% of the water pumped is missing.

On Monday, 11 News reported that Houston’s Combined Utility System, which processes drinking water and operates the city’s sewer system, is raising far less money than it spends. In addition, nearly $1 billion in credit must be renegotiated early next year, and debt payments have spiked $50 million above earlier projections. All told, the system currently faces a $100 million cash shortfall – a significant problem for a department that took in $332 million in water bills last year.

shouldn't one of annise's audits caught this before now?

Sounds like it was probably the audit that did uncover the problem. It is impossible to tell from the data you presented whether the water loss was recent or whether it was a problem that affects multiple years, retroactively.

[musicman]

OK. So, you don't like Parker. My question is who would you propose...and why?

Oh, BTW, it will come as no surpise to you that Brown (I know how your fondness of him exceeds all boundaries ), still did not believe there to be any fiscal challenges for the City as of four weeks ago during a debate.

like i said....i don't have the ability to propose any new candidates for this election. we are stuck with these 4 candidates.

I've been aware of peter's incompetency for yrs now as he has been a do nothing councilmember.

oh thank you for attempting to attribute quotes to me. says quite a bit.

[musicman]

Sounds like it was probably the audit that did uncover the problem. It is impossible to tell from the data you presented whether the water loss was recent or whether it was a problem that affects multiple years, retroactively.

the discovery was recent (last 2 months) and is just adding debt to an already serious problem. if we have a problem, i want a mayor to have some guts to tell us we do when the problem is first discovered and not because they are pushed to do so at a debate.

I still personally enjoy the wayne dolcefino expose last yr regarding her pet project to put public art in city buildings, only to discover they've only done one project in 5 yrs. Where was the audit for this?

i could talk about how she used city funds to put out a press release stating that she's promoting public art only later to discover it's a private art project put on the wall of her partner's property, not a city building.

we could talk about her minimum lot size requirement ordinance development that she sponsored. after yrs of work it was finally passed only to discover a loophole which still allowed the parcels to be divided due to a poorly worded ordinance developed by ms. parker.

[Porchman]

like i said....i don't have the ability to propose any new candidates for this election. we are stuck with these 4 candidates.

went to a debate last week and gene locke sure had the best performance of the big three

I've been to three debates now and gene was the clear leader.

So, what are your issues with Locke?

[musicman]

So, what are your issues with Locke?

well...it starts with the bob lanier years. locke was the city attorney under lanier. as a person who follows neighborhood interests, lanier did two specific things that many people were appreciative of 1) adding sidewalks and 2) retopping roads. the one thing that i frowned upon most is the change in the permit process that lanier (enforced by locke) introduced, which basically bypassed the old affidavit process (to ensure permits would not be issued in violation of deed restrictions) and is still in effect today. bill white campaigned that he would introduce a deed restriction database to help ensure that permits would no longer be issued in violation of deed restrictions. after 6 yrs of bill white, there is no database as promised. with the backing of bob lanier, i'm afraid that gene locke will also have policy that favors developers vs neighborhoods.

[musicman]

don't forget debate on now...ch 26

[Heightsite]

The candidates who have announced themselves ready to answer such tall orders are as follows;

Democrat Peter Hoyt Brown, a 73 year old U of H alumnus, adjunct professor, architect, and current City Council member, styles himself as a lifelong Houstonian. Brown served in the United States Army for six years after college and has, since 2005, been elected twice to At-Large Position 1 in Houston's City Council. Brown's official campaign biography lists "fighting crime and making our neighborhoods safer with tougher, smarter policing tactics and expanding economic opportunity and prosperity in our city with an Office of Economic Development and Job Creation" as among his top priorities. With respect to fundraising, Brown is currently ahead of the pack as his campaign has over 1.7 million dollars at its disposal.

Fellow Democrat and attorney Gene L. Locke of Andrews Kurth fame is also in the race. Under former Mayor Bob Lanier, Locke was appointed to serve as City Attorney in 1995 and lays claim to a role in the negotiations surrounding Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium, the Toyota Center, and the City of Houston. Among other accomplishments, Locke is also a recipient of the NAACP Freedom Award for Outstanding Service. Relatively unknown as a politician, Gene Locke "will bring a new perspective to city hall and offer new ideas on how government can work to create opportunities for both its citizens and its businesses" as indicated on his campaign webpage.

A third Democrat in contention for mayor is three term City Council Member and current City Controller Annise Parker. In a landmark 1997 election, Parker made history joining Houston's first African American Mayor Lee P. Brown as she became the city's first openly gay elected official (Verhovek, Sam H., December 8, 1997, New York Times). Prior to her career in public service, Parker spent two decades in the business world employed in the oil and gas industry. A graduate of Rice University, Parker claims via her website that she "has what it takes to manage our city through tough economic times as a businesswoman and neighborhood leader".

The lone Republican vying for the position of mayor in the 2009 race is Lt. Col. (Ret.) Roy Morales. Morales is a UT Dallas graduate who spent 23 years serving the United States Armed Forces and NASA, respectively. Among his underscored accomplishments in the military, Morales "managed the integration of $1 Billion satellite projects that were launched on the Space Shuttle and Titan rocket" as noted in his official biography. In hopes of connecting with an increasingly diverse population in Houston, Morales points to his roots as a member of a hardworking Mexican-American family and a desire to immediately begin reducing the size of Houston's local government if he is indeed elected.

[musicman]

The candidates who have announced themselves ready to answer such tall orders are as follows;

there are more candidates than these.

City of Houston, MAYOR

(Vote for none or one)

Peter Brown

Amanda Ulman

Luis Ralph Ullrich, Jr.

Dan Cupp

Roy Morales

Annise D. Parker

Gene Locke

[AtticaFlinch]

there are more candidates than these.

City of Houston, MAYOR

(Vote for none or one)

Peter Brown

Amanda Ulman

Luis Ralph Ullrich, Jr.

Dan Cupp

Roy Morales

Annise D. Parker

Gene Locke

Amanda Ulman is listed as a member of the Socialist Worker's Party. Dan Cupp is listed as an independent. Luis Ralph Ullrich, Jr is curiously only listed as Plumbing Contractor.

As an aside, I remember a time when city government candidates weren't allowed to run under a party banner. While from their policies and positions, it was obvious where they stood, but I'm curious when the restriction against partying was lifted.

[sevfiv]

Just got my LWV guide - Ullrich says his major fields of study are mechanical engineering and construction management (and he also lists other courses he took in college...hmm).

As for the others I am not familiar with:

Dan Cupp: "My education is 60 hours of college and training in the military as an aviation electronics electrician. I receive monthly pension retirement from being a construction and maintenance worker where I worked in the field at job sites becoming a supervisor. I also negotiated bidding federal and business contracts."

Amanda Ullman: "I am a garment factory worker and have two decades of activity with the Socialist Workers Party in support of workers and farmers struggles the whole world over that strengthen our unity and confidence in the battle to eliminate capitalist exploitation and oppression."

[musicman]

Luis Ralph Ullrich, Jr is curiously only listed as Plumbing Contractor.

he does have classy shirts though. guy on the front holding a pipe wrench and a plunger with the text "flush city hall".

[gto250us]

Well, it looks like both Pete Brown and Gene Locke have lost my vote. As I said earlier, Pete didn't even make an effort in his TV add to make the cops look like Houston cops. His cops had black shirt while everyone knows that Houston Cops wear blue shirts. That is pretty short sighted in my book.

I noticed that in Gene Locke's new TV ad he says that he worked at an oil refinery. In that background they show an roughneck working on a rig floor. That certainly is not an oil refinery position. Again, a little short sighted on the imagery. I guess that we are now down to Parker, Morales and the also rans.

[kylejack]

How come you're making your decision based on whatever the video editor for the commercial chose to include in the commercial? Aren't there more substantive things to judge on?

[gto250us]

How come you're making your decision based on whatever the video editor for the commercial chose to include in the commercial? Aren't there more substantive things to judge on?

Hey, if these guys don't care enough about the easy details how will the deal with the difficult stuff? Yes, some vid-ed made the film but some staffer or the candidate himself gave the final ok.

This is the easy filter at this point in the game. Basically I think the current crop is very poor.

[kylejack]

Well Peter Brown is out in my book because of his failure to answer the bikes on trains question correctly when Bike Houston asked him. He hedged and said he would look closely at all options, bla bla bla. Annise Parker looks much better on this.

[rsb320]

One more week to go and P. Brown appears to be on top. I'm disapointed because he's my least favorite of the top three. Least favorite is putting it mildly. I do not like him. He seems dithering on topics and flails his hands, when he's answering a direct question, abstractly.

This race is gaining such little attention that it'll sure be interesting to see who votes and who wins.

[crunchtastic]

One more week to go and P. Brown appears to be on top. I'm disapointed because he's my least favorite of the top three.

I know. Bleh. Doddering old dilettante.

He certainly has assaulted my mailbox, though. I've probably gotten 10 mailers from his campaign this past month.

[musicman]

One more week to go and P. Brown appears to be on top.

This race is gaining such little attention that it'll sure be interesting to see who votes and who wins.

on top of what? his performance in the debate on saturday evening was abysmal. I enjoyed greg hurst repeatedly cut him off. For it being the last televised debate, I'd hoped for better from all of them. Annise's answers were robotic. it was nice to see roy morales throw the jabs in esp since he has no chance of winning. with the article coming out today regarding funding for stadia, i'm sure gene's regretting his comments on how he shepherded the deals through.

[rsb320]

on top of what? his performance in the debate on saturday evening was abysmal. I enjoyed greg hurst repeatedly cut him off. For it being the last televised debate, I'd hoped for better from all of them. Annise's answers were robotic. it was nice to see roy morales throw the jabs in esp since he has no chance of winning. with the article coming out today regarding funding for stadia, i'm sure gene's regretting his comments on how he shepherded the deals through.

New KHOU, KUHF Poll

24% Brown

16% Parker

14% Locke

05% Morales

Annise says in her only TV ad public monies would not be used to build stadiums, etc. That may help after today's article.

I need to look for the Sat. debate on khou.com. I only saw clips from the League of Womens Voter debate. (On CH2)

[ricco67]

Well, I was hoping to vote by now, and considering the debates weren't that enlightening, I still have no clue to vote for. Of course, I already decided against Annise.

[frheard]

October 26, 2009 | ANNISEPARKER.COM

New Poll Shows Parker in the Lead for Mayor

Annise Parker for Mayor Campaign

Houston, TX – The Annise Parker for Mayor campaign released the results of a recent poll that show Parker in the lead. Peter Brown, Gene Locke, and Roy Morales trail behind and are still in a race to see who can make the run-off with Parker:

Annise Parker: 27%

Peter Brown: 21%

Gene Locke: 17%

Roy Morales: 11%

Undecided: 24%

I Guess it depends on who is asking and who is answering. This is from her website. It references a pdf of the poll by Lake Research Partners, but I'm unable to find it.

[rsb320]

OMG - Kathy Whitmire will be here Thursday and is holding a fundraiser at Tony's for Annise. I haven't seen that ole gal in years. Last I heard, she got married and lived in Hawaii.

http://users.activatedirect.com/fs/distribution:wl/xqlqmk7sqblisb/ydcfbnpvy1hv0w/daid/.preview

[BryanS]

October 26, 2009 | ANNISEPARKER.COM

New Poll Shows Parker in the Lead for Mayor

Annise Parker for Mayor Campaign

Houston, TX – The Annise Parker for Mayor campaign released the results of a recent poll that show Parker in the lead. Peter Brown, Gene Locke, and Roy Morales trail behind and are still in a race to see who can make the run-off with Parker:

Annise Parker: 27%

Peter Brown: 21%

Gene Locke: 17%

Roy Morales: 11%

Undecided: 24%

I Guess it depends on who is asking and who is answering. This is from her website. It references a pdf of the poll by Lake Research Partners, but I'm unable to find it.

Run off between Brown and Parker. I would guess nearly 50-50 split between those two candidates during the run off. I still believe it will be difficult for Annise. Money and the obvious.

[AtticaFlinch]

Run off between Brown and Parker. I would guess nearly 50-50 split between those two candidates during the run off. I still believe it will be difficult for Annise. Money and the obvious.

Because she's blonde?

[BryanS]

Because she's blonde?

No. The other reason.

[Jeebus]

I watched the debate recast on Sunday. Parker seemed entirely too nervous and Brown just seemed a little crazy. I liked what Locke had to say, he seemed the most grounded, least petty (in terms of mud slinging) and most in touch with reality.

Morales is just too conservative for me.