City Council District H Voting To Replace Adrian Garcia's Old Seat

[samiamj]

On Saturday, May 9, residents of District H will be voting to fill the vacated position of District H. The turnout is predicted to be rather light. It is predicted that only 5% or 4533 citizens will vote out of 90,473. To make the runoff election, you only need 25% of that vote.

To find your precinct, click here:

http://www.tax.co.harris.tx.us/voter/voter.asp

To find your polling location once you know your precinct number, click here:

http://www.harrisvotes.com/English_PollingLocations.aspx

The majority of us are in precinct 86 so you will vote from 7 am to 7 pm at:

Precinct Location and Address

0086 John H Reagan High School Auditorium

413 East 13th Street at Arlington Street Houston 77008-7021

To read more details of each candidate, click here:

http://www.shadyacres.org/index.php?topic=215.0

The front runners are Ed Gonzalez and Maverick Welsh.

To read the Chronicle endorsement, click here:

http://www.shadyacres.org/index.php?topic=221.0[/url]

or

[url=http://blogs.chron.com/kuffsworld/2009/05/projecting_district_h.html]http://blogs.chron.com/kuffsworld/2009/05/projecting_district_h.html

[musicman]

thread here

[RedScare]

On Saturday, May 9, residents of District H will be voting to fill the vacated position of District H. The turnout is predicted to be rather light. It is predicted that only 5% or 4533 citizens will vote out of 90,473. To make the runoff election, you only need 25% of that vote.

Sounds like if HAIF posters write in RedScare, we could have HAIF representation on the council. Vote early and often.

[samiamj]

Only 4.46% voted 4,186 out of 93,883

Runoff election between Ed and Maverick:

Date is pending.

Ed Gonzalez 31.35%

Maverick Welsh 26.93%

Yolanda Navarro Flores 18.28%

Rick Rodriguez 9.54%

Larry Williams 7.49%

Lupe Garcia 2.68%

Gonzalo Camacho 2.63%

Hugo Mojica 0.89%

James Parisch-Galvan 0.22%

http://www.election.co.harris.tx.us/Cumula.../cumulative.htm

[OSWisHome]

Only 4.46% voted 4,186 out of 93,883

Runoff election between Ed and Maverick:

Date is pending.

Ed Gonzalez 31.35%

Maverick Welsh 26.93%

Yolanda Navarro Flores 18.28%

Rick Rodriguez 9.54%

Larry Williams 7.49%

Lupe Garcia 2.68%

Gonzalo Camacho 2.63%

Hugo Mojica 0.89%

James Parisch-Galvan 0.22%

http://www.election.co.harris.tx.us/Cumula.../cumulative.htm

So, no discussion regarding the candidates who are in the run off? My vote goes to Ed Gonzales. Great candidate, and I like that he runs an above board campaign. I don't dislike Maverick, but being in a historic district, I pay attention to preservation issues, and Maverick has allowed one of the most anti-preservation people to be one of his vocal campaign operatives: the same Maria Isabel who tried mightily (and failed) to derail the protected historic district status for the Old Sixth Ward. HP is a main plank in his platform, so why does he allow this person to play a public role? He also received Yolanda's endorsement this week, and to me, that is not a plus. Listening to her comments at the candidate forum, she is not an advocate for preservation, and she alluded to an almost disdain for some historic areas of District H. So, now Maverick has her on board too? I have a concern that opportunism may trump staying true to his values. I have no such concerns about Ed, who was helpful and on board when the OSW was working toward it's protected historic district status. He's a stand up guy, follows through on what he promises, is a longtime police officer and highly educated. I will proudly vote for him.

[Tiko]

Do you have to have voted in the initial election to vote in the runoff? I, er, have a friend who, uh, didn't vote in the first round.

[samiamj]

Do you have to have voted in the initial election to vote in the runoff? I, er, have a friend who, uh, didn't vote in the first round.

No, anybody can vote the second round.

[Porchman]

So, no discussion regarding the candidates who are in the run off? My vote goes to Ed Gonzales. Great candidate, and I like that he runs an above board campaign. I don't dislike Maverick, but being in a historic district, I pay attention to preservation issues, and Maverick has allowed one of the most anti-preservation people to be one of his vocal campaign operatives: the same Maria Isabel who tried mightily (and failed) to derail the protected historic district status for the Old Sixth Ward. HP is a main plank in his platform, so why does he allow this person to play a public role? He also received Yolanda's endorsement this week, and to me, that is not a plus. Listening to her comments at the candidate forum, she is not an advocate for preservation, and she alluded to an almost disdain for some historic areas of District H. So, now Maverick has her on board too? I have a concern that opportunism may trump staying true to his values. I have no such concerns about Ed, who was helpful and on board when the OSW was working toward it's protected historic district status. He's a stand up guy, follows through on what he promises, is a longtime police officer and highly educated. I will proudly vote for him.

I think we have two, good candidates in the runoff. I am supporting Maverick Welsh.

As a Heights resident, I recognize the importance of historic preservation. My neighbors who restore homes throughout the Heights and who were active in trying to stop Harry James from tearing down the old house at 945 Heights, are endorsing Maverick, as well.

As a citizen of the City of Houston, I recognize that there are issues beyond historic preservation.

• Infrastructure
  
• Public Safety
  
• Finance
  
• General quality of life matters - (e.g. environmental policies)
  

I feel Maverick has articulated knoweldge of these issues and has offered proposals with greater breadth, depth, and innovation. I also think his experience as a Chief of Staff for a Council At-Large Member makes him better equipped to address these matters. Ultimately, the job description for a District Council Member is two-fold: (1) be a good representative for the neighborhood, and (2) help move the City, as a whole, in a good direction. I think both candidates represent themselves well on this first part. Maverick shows himself to be more accomplished and intuitive than Ed on the second part.

Now Welsh can add another controversial endorsement to his list.

[EMME]

I met Maverick at the Crime meeting and I honestly did not like him. I found him to be a glad hander with a cynical sarcasm.

I have worked with Ed Gonzalez particularly on crime issues in my neighborhood and he was very hands on. He coordinated the set up of some stings in my neighborhood which were effective and has always been available whenever we had a crime issue. He is and has been for a long time on our neighborhood distribution list and without fail, anytime an email goes out regarding crime he personally has called me to discuss details and to suggest solutions.

He has committed to putting a focus on reform at our city shelter, BARC which is almost criminal in its treatment of animals, many of which are your prized possessions (pets are considered property) that have somehow ended up there (through no fault of their own and often through no fault of their owners). For the money we are throwing at a bad system, we can do much better with greater use of many passionate and willing volunteers. Other cities have modeled it for us, it is time for Houston to step up.

He is pro-preservation which is a big thing to District H. That doesn't mean that all you developers out there are $^%t out of luck, it means that you may have to become more creative and invest more thought upfront to provide a better product in the end.

Yep, Ed's the guy for District H. He worked closely with Adrian Garcia while he was Councilman and has a thorough knowledge of the needs of the district.

[Porchman]

I met Maverick at the Crime meeting and I honestly did not like him. I found him to be a glad hander with a cynical sarcasm.

Really? In my conversation with him, I was struck by his unassuming nature.

[EMME]

Really? In my conversation with him, I was struck by his unassuming nature.

Maybe it was the highly charged political circumstances, but that was my impression.

[lwood]

I met Maverick at the Crime meeting and I honestly did not like him. I found him to be a glad hander with a cynical sarcasm.

I have worked with Ed Gonzalez particularly on crime issues in my neighborhood and he was very hands on. He coordinated the set up of some stings in my neighborhood which were effective and has always been available whenever we had a crime issue. He is and has been for a long time on our neighborhood distribution list and without fail, anytime an email goes out regarding crime he personally has called me to discuss details and to suggest solutions.

He has committed to putting a focus on reform at our city shelter, BARC which is almost criminal in its treatment of animals, many of which are your prized possessions (pets are considered property) that have somehow ended up there (through no fault of their own and often through no fault of their owners). For the money we are throwing at a bad system, we can do much better with greater use of many passionate and willing volunteers. Other cities have modeled it for us, it is time for Houston to step up.

He is pro-preservation which is a big thing to District H. That doesn't mean that all you developers out there are $^%t out of luck, it means that you may have to become more creative and invest more thought upfront to provide a better product in the end.

Yep, Ed's the guy for District H. He worked closely with Adrian Garcia while he was Councilman and has a thorough knowledge of the needs of the district.

Was Ed the candidate being supported by ACORN?? A piece of campaign literature from one of them showed that. Am I correct in saying it is Ed?

[EMME]

Was Ed the candidate being supported by ACORN?? A piece of campaign literature from one of them showed that. Am I correct in saying it is Ed?

I don't know about that.

[musicman]

Really? In my conversation with him, I was struck by his unassuming nature.

unassuming is not how I would describe him. he is a very calculated person.

[EMME]

unassuming is not how I would describe him. he is a very calculated person.

That is how I read Maverick as well.

[Tiko]

I don't know about that.

It's listed on his website. Eeesh. Rethinking...

My neighbor (a big "name" guy in the hood) had signs up for Ed and is listed on his website. Confusingly, he now has signs up in his yard for Maverick.

[EMME]

It's listed on his website. Eeesh. Rethinking...

My neighbor (a big "name" guy in the hood) had signs up for Ed and is listed on his website. Confusingly, he now has signs up in his yard for Maverick.

Acorn's endorsement means nothing to me, in fact nobody's endorsement can influence me. I have worked with him, he has helped my neighborhood immensely and I will go on my experience with him.

[EMME]

It's listed on his website. Eeesh. Rethinking...

My neighbor (a big "name" guy in the hood) had signs up for Ed and is listed on his website. Confusingly, he now has signs up in his yard for Maverick.

Here are his endorsements from his website (oddly enough, I am named):

Harris County Tejano Democrats

o Harris Council AFL-CIO Council

o Houston Professional Fire Fighters

o Houston Police Officers Union

o Afro-American Sheriff

[lwood]

Acorn's endorsement means nothing to me, in fact nobody's endorsement can influence me. I have worked with him, he has helped my neighborhood immensely and I will go on my experience with him.

The endorsement does not influence me but it must be important to Ed or it wouldn't be on his literature.

[EMME]

The endorsement does not influence me but it must be important to Ed or it wouldn't be on his literature.

What's wrong with ACORN? Don't they just get people signed up to vote? I don't necessarily believe in the "enormity" of the problem highlighted by the McCain supporters during the election. What's your thoughts on the organization, based on other than the rantings of one side or the other?

I like their mission statement, I can support that (from the ACORN website):

ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities.

Since 1970, ACORN has grown to more than 350,000 member families, organized in 850 neighborhood chapters in over 100 cities across the U.S. and in cities in Argentina, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Canada.

ACORN's accomplishments include successful campaigns for better housing, schools, neighborhood safety, health care, job conditions, and more.

ACORN members participate in local meetings and actively work on campaigns, elect leadership from the neighborhood level up, and pay the organization's core expenses through membership dues and grassroots fundraisers.

ACORN has constantly challenged the traditional notions of what a community organization is, and its family of organizations includes two radio stations, a voter registration network, a housing corporation, and several publications.

National Campaigns:

> Foreclosures > Paid Sick Days > Predatory Lending > Fair Tax Fees > Living Wage > Immigration > Social Security Protection > Better Schools > Affordable Housing > Community Reinvestment > Utilities > Health Care > Other Campaigns

[MaggieMay]

What's wrong with ACORN? Don't they just get people signed up to vote? I don't necessarily believe in the "enormity" of the problem highlighted by the McCain supporters during the election. What's your thoughts on the organization, based on other than the rantings of one side or the other? .....

A quick Google revealed a National Review article exposing the dreadful, anti-Capitalist roots of ACORN, "the largest radical group in America." You see, Barack Obama had worked with them. Since this is not a political site, I'll spare you the grisly details. Anyway, the story is dead. Some fearful folks swallowed it whole--but not enough to prevent President Obama's election.

This thread roused me to investigate the race. Ed Gonzalez will get my vote.

[lwood]

What's wrong with ACORN? Don't they just get people signed up to vote? I don't necessarily believe in the "enormity" of the problem highlighted by the McCain supporters during the election. What's your thoughts on the organization, based on other than the rantings of one side or the other?

I like their mission statement, I can support that (from the ACORN website):

ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities.

Since 1970, ACORN has grown to more than 350,000 member families, organized in 850 neighborhood chapters in over 100 cities across the U.S. and in cities in Argentina, Peru, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Canada.

ACORN's accomplishments include successful campaigns for better housing, schools, neighborhood safety, health care, job conditions, and more.

ACORN members participate in local meetings and actively work on campaigns, elect leadership from the neighborhood level up, and pay the organization's core expenses through membership dues and grassroots fundraisers.

ACORN has constantly challenged the traditional notions of what a community organization is, and its family of organizations includes two radio stations, a voter registration network, a housing corporation, and several publications.

</a><a href="http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=2626&L=" target="_blank">

National Campaigns:

> Foreclosures > Paid Sick Days > Predatory Lending > Fair Tax Fees > Living Wage > Immigration > Social Security Protection > Better Schools > Affordable Housing > Community Reinvestment > Utilities > Health Care > Other Campaigns

I hope the 20 states that had them under investigation for election fraud during the last two campaign cycles are wrong.

[EMME]

I hope the 20 states that had them under investigation for election fraud during the last two campaign cycles are wrong.

Lwood, EMME wonders if you work for the opposition. ACORN is only one of many many endorsements that Mr. Gonzalez has received. If there are no convictions, these charges mean nothing to me. If/when there are convictions, they would be against that defendant and not Mr. Gonzalez.

[MaggieMay]

Lwood, EMME wonders if you work for the opposition. ACORN is only one of many many endorsements that Mr. Gonzalez has received. If there are no convictions, these charges mean nothing to me. If/when there are convictions, they would be against that defendant and not Mr. Gonzalez.

ACORN was a b

[OutfieldDan]

I like Maverick. He was campaigning door-to-door this weekend, and came by our house. We discussed issues. He offered pratical advice on the Halbert Park problem and lives near a similar park in the Heights that has experienced crime. He has good presence, speaks intelligently, and is likeable.

He has my vote.

[EMME]

I like Maverick. He was campaigning door-to-door this weekend, and came by our house. We discussed issues. He offered pratical advice on the Halbert Park problem and lives near a similar park in the Heights that has experienced crime. He has good presence, speaks intelligently, and is likeable.

He has my vote.

I met Maverick at the crime townhall meeting a few months ago and I really did not like him. He seemed like a politician looking for a post rather than someone wanting to serve. But it's good to know that some intelligent and good people like him so that at least either way we will have good leadership. I will have to track him down and see where he stands on the BARC situation and at least get a commitment from him on that. Ed still has my vote. He is a former sargeant with the police force. He worked closely with us on crime issues in East Sunset Heights, setting up several sting operations. He personally called me when the bust happened last month or so of the gang members on Aurora that were members of LaRaza Unidas and gave me information about them. So for those reasons, I will stick with Ed. He is big on crime and neighborhood preservation as well as committed to making badly needed improvements to BARC.

When is the election?

[musicman]

I like Maverick. He was campaigning door-to-door this weekend, and came by our house. We discussed issues. He offered pratical advice on the Halbert Park problem and lives near a similar park in the Heights that has experienced crime. He has good presence, speaks intelligently, and is likeable.

He has my vote.

if you do need to find him, contact peter brown. he won't be far behind

[samiamj]

June 13 is the runoff election

[Porchman]

I like Maverick. He was campaigning door-to-door this weekend, and came by our house. We discussed issues. He offered pratical advice on the Halbert Park problem and lives near a similar park in the Heights that has experienced crime. He has good presence, speaks intelligently, and is likeable.

He has my vote.

This sounds very much like my conversation. He had a lot of insight regarding infrastructural issues.

if you do need to find him, contact peter brown. he won't be far behind

Actually, I give him credit for - ahem - taking care of Funky PBrown. Brown is not my choice for Mayor (even with his endorsement from George Clinton ). However, I separate that from this election.

[EMME]

Halbert park in Sunset Heights.

When asked what to do about drug dealers hanging out in Halbert Park, Maverick Welsh's response was to tear down the basketball courts and be done with the bad element. Now, while that may seem to be a quick fix, plenty of parks in Houston are hangouts for drug dealers that don't have basketball courts, so it is not really a fix.

On the other hand, Ed Gonzalez has assisted us in setting up COP (Citizens on Patrol), police stings in our neighborhood, given us information on what draws criminals into a neighborhood, and has made himself directly available by phone or email to us. He has been an advocate on the part of Sunset Heights (east and proper).