While it is true Texas outlawed gay marriage as the media and non-Texas bloggers like to point out, they do so without knowing the history on how the vote came about. Indeed, Parker’s victory shouldn’t be downplayed either. The election did not just put a spotlight on Houston, but as Houston’s local ABC Miya Shay so aptly stated, it “catapulted her to the national political stage.”

I didn’t blog about Houston’s recent city election because already knew I was moving. However, I did keep myself abreast of everything that was happening even after I moved to San Antonio. Parker’s victory can be compared to President Barack Obama’s Democratic primary victory over Hilary Clinton. Put it simply, David slain Goliath.

While I am thrilled for her victory, I also have some reservations. One of Parker’s campaign promises was to fire Houston police chief Harold Hurtt. Seeing the writing is on the wall, Chief Hurtt beat her to the punch by stepping down two days before Parker took office.

The Unchecked Undercurrent of Anger
Flying blow the radar during Houston’s low-key mayoral race was an undercurrent of anger toward immigrants. Right now the loudest voices are winning, and they are not voices of understanding or mercy, but of anger and division.

Leading the charge in linking immigrants as a scourge on Houston is Gary Blankinship, president of the Houston Police Officers Union. Following the shooting of Houston police officer Rick Salter in March 2009, Blankinship openly criticized Chief Hurtt and then Mayor Bill White for defending the City of Houston “sanctuary city” policy, a policy that does not allow officers to question the citizenship status of any person (General Order No. 500-5).

Blankinship’s sentiments reflect the general outrage that began prior to Officer Salter’s shooting. In September 2006 Houston police officer Rodney Johnson was shot to death by an undocumented immigrant the officer had just arrested following a routine traffic stop. Both shootings of law enforcement officers triggered intense criticism by Blankinship, which he expressed in an op-ed published in the Houston Chronicle and American Police Beat.

It is outrageous to learn that, as recently as November of [2008], you were fully aware that thousands of illegal immigrants eligible for deportation – all convicted felons like Joel Alfaro – were slipping through Houston’s jails undetected by federal immigration officials. You rightly noted the city of Houston “can’t deport people;” but isn’t that particularly true if the city policy you have repeatedly defended intentionally discourages our officers from reporting them?

The incidents gave ammunition to those demanding the the city participate in the Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Section 287(g) program, the federal program that grants broad immigration enforcement powers to local law enforcement agencies.

Few would argue against the deportation of felons who commit murder, rape or are violent gang members. However, the current rhetoric used in contemporary immigration is often compared to a hostile invasion. A wave of foreign labor captures US jobs in America itself, leaving burgeoning rates of unemployment, poverty and crime in its wake.

While supporters for 287(g) are quick to say that they are only “against” undocumented immigrants, the truth is local law enforcement forced to determine whether or not that person is in the country legally. It is estimated there are over 47 million Hispanics living in the United States. Of those, 8.5 million live in Texas. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, foreign-born account for 33% of the Hispanic population. Based on these numbers, approximately 67 percent of the entire Latino population of the Texas is native born. As for Houston, the city has the third-largest Hispanic population in the United States. Thus making it likely Latinos targeted by police for race-based immigration enforcement, would most likely to be living in the US legally.

Some of the fault for the anti-immigrant backlash lies with the media. While it is true sensationalized headlines attract people, but it also shapes how and what people think about an issue through the facts and opinions presented in a given story.

A review of immigration related headline news that dominated Houston reflect the underlying ambivalence to the complexity of the immigration issue. The local media’s love of violence and histrionic good guy-vs-bad guy related stories promote a never-ending message: Be afraid, be very afraid. As a result, the public remains profoundly uneducated or deeply misinformed about how the immigration system really works.

Shortly after the Presidential election, the Houston Chronicle ran a three-part series hoping to expose the dangers of the broken immigration system. The Chronicle’s Susan Carroll revealed how hundreds of convicted felons, child molesters, rapists and drug dealers have been released from prison instead of being deported or remain behind bars. No one will argue these immigrants have committed horrific crimes and are a menace to society. However, this is not an argument how current immigration policy is in need of major reform but rather it brought to light the failures in Harris County’s justice system and the state capital sentencing statute.

The Chronicle’s investigative report is just a plethora of stories that contributed to the climate of fear and racial hatred by making a clear distinction between a villain and a victim. Even worse, these stories make it appear that immigrant violent offenders are constantly getting off scot-free, when in fact violent offenders regardless of there citizenship status are released into society. Just recently, HPD arrested longtime sex offender Larry Allen Ricketts for the murder of a Lake Houston woman who was found stuffed into a footlocker.

Ricketts has a lengthy criminal history of violent acts in Harris County dating back to 1987. Convictions for indecency with an 8-year-old girl, a rape during a burglary and an aggravated sexual assault contribute to his status as a “high-risk” sex offender.

Court records also show several assaults and a 2009 child endangerment conviction for striking a woman who fell while holding a 1-year-old.

Ricketts was recently paroled.

Yet the coverage of this horrendous crime did not receive the same amount of coverage of similar crimes committed by immigrant violent offenders. It is for this reason their more public outcry for enforcement only immigration reform than there is for prison reform for a prison system that incarcerates over two million human beings in the United States.

The Campaign for 287(g)
With the current anti-immigrant, it is not surprising Latinos – US citizens and non-citizens alike – are perceived as “illegal” and violent individuals – such as Juan Leonardo Quintero, Jose Jesus Vieyra and Wilfido Joel Alfaro.

One reason for this may be a familiar storyline. In 2008, Media Matters for America, a media watchdog, conducted a study of conservative talk show hosts Lou Dobbs, Bill O’Reilly, and Glenn Beck and reported that the three “served up a steady diet of fear, anger and resentment” against immigrants by harping on “myths” and “urban legends.” One of the most popular themes was the notion of machete-wielding immigrants running amuck.

So it comes as no surprise the debate over whether local law enforcement should enforce federal immigration laws was brought up during Houston’s low key election which frustrated immigration activist.

…the whole 287(g) issue creeping into the race angered me. I wasn’t afraid to criticize Parker and the rest for taking a more punitive approach, rather than use the bully pulpit to demand comprehensive immigration reform in order to strengthen the Houston economy and families. After I realized that neither would take that sort of risk, it became about choosing who I thought would best serve Houston. As the run-off campaigning progressed, I thought that 287(g) would stay out; unfortunately, the Roy Morales mailer and Gene Locke’s “immigration-as-crime” add-on to his TV ad brought it back up.

During the campaign, Mayor Annise Parker said she would sign on, although expressed that police officers should not make it a habit to question ones immigration status during routine traffic stops.

While evidence suggests undocumented immigrants aren’t perpetrating a crime wave in Houston or anywhere else, but Mayor Parker’s reaction is no different from other public officials. According to Steven Camarota, director of research at the Washington-based conservative think tank Center for Immigration Studies: As soon as an immigrant is charged in a high-profile crime, Camarota says, elected officials tend to “run for cover” by backing closer cooperation between police and immigration agents.

Recomendations
If there is one thing anybody takes from this post, I hope it is this section. Throughout the four years I have been part of the blogoshpere, rearly does one find a blog that offers suggestions in public administration. As I enter a Master’s program in Public Administration, I am hoping to add a new dimension to this blog from what I recently learned. This section is based on a review of performance information in hopes of improving decisions on policy design and use of resources.

Long before setting sail to the New World, John Winthrop told his fellow colonists “that we shall be as a city upon a hill–the eyes of all people are upon us.” This famous statement was later used by both President Kennedy and Reagan in their speeches. Now that the election of Mayor Annise Parker has put Houston on the political map, Houston can become the “city on the hill” – the political community fit to be modeled.

A new Administration eager to successfully implement its policy goals has an opportunity to and draw lessons from recent experience about what will be most effective in achieving their priorities. James P. Pfiffner, a George Mason University professor of government and public policy, contends, “the government’s ability to carry out its primary functions depends crucially on capable civil servants, whose effectiveness is intimately tied to the quality of the leadership of the executive branch, that is, presidential appointments.” Houston’s current form of government is no different.

With a strong Mayor-Council form of government, Mayor Parker’s choice of Houston’s new police chief will set the tone for the Houston’s immigrant policy. If Mayor Parker and the new police chief were to listen to HPD Union President Gary Blankinship, immigrants would not be the only one living in fear, but whole Latino community.

There are two basic types of 287g agreement. Blankinship would prefer the city enter into the agreement that would allow HPD to go beyond immigration monitoring and enforcement functions, “Task Force Officers.” This agreement would empower HPD to check the immigration status of individuals they encounter in the course of their routine law enforcement duties. For a community that already fear the police, it would further alienate ethnic communities because this type of agreement would allow overzealous police officers to abuses their power. While one may argue this is paranoia gone awry, Rosalinda Ybanez, President of the Houston Police Organization of Spanish Speaking Officers (O.S.S.O.), also expressed this concern.

The 287g Immigration status program has been a very sore subject for Latinos in Houston. As I asked people their opinions about the program it seems that there is a fear in the Latino community in which they believe that they could be detained for something as simple as a class C misdemeanor Public intoxication arrest in order for an overzealous police officer to be able to have their fingerprints run through a system in order to satisfy his curiosity. Wow, could that happen? Yes it could. As I ponder my position on this subject I remember commenting to my non-Hispanic police partners that I would be offended if I got stopped on a traffic stop and was immediately asked if I was legal here. It started an argument in which I had to hold my emotions back because I really couldn’t articulate why.

As it is, immigration law is already complex and misunderstood. By entering into this agreement, this would empower HPD to enforce complex immigration laws based on rumors and misinformation instead of fact. For example, in his letter to the editor criticizing former Mayor Bill White and Police Chief Harold Hurtt, Gary Blankinship wrongfully stated a fact with very little evidence, “Every year, hundreds if not thousands of illegal immigrants enter Texas in broad daylight thanks to marriage fraud.” Another example, during a conversation with a friend within the police department revealed he was still under the impression an immigrant was given citizenship if they gave birth to a child in the US. All these claims are disputable at best and have largely been proven to be inaccurate, especially the “anchor baby” argument.

Statements made by Blankinship only allow people to continue to mistakenly believe that marriage to someone with US citizenship is a relatively easy and fast way of obtaining permanent residency and other immigration benefits. Despite this persistent fantasy, reality is, it is extraordinarily hard to prove the marriage is a bona fide relationship to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

For this reason, allowing local law enforcement to monitor immigration laws is inherently dangerous.

Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
Recommended: There are two people who come in mind to serve as either Chair or Senior Community Liaison for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Stace Medellin and Teodoro Aguiluz of CRECEN.

It is evident gaps in knowledge and service provision can present obstacles to successful community revitalization. All of this would have could have been resolved an effective Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. Throughout Mayor White’s term in office, there was little evidence this office existed. Compared to mayors from the country’s largest cities, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago, Mayor White didn’t seem to have any concern for immigration.

Without proper knowledge, it is easy convince public officials to implement a policy inherently dangerous. This was evident during the Bill White’s term in office. While it was true Bill White was in favor of the 287g program, it was not until he was informed he changed his mind. In an interview, Bill White had said given the wrong information and when he found out, he backed out.

It is not hard to determine who provided former Mayor White false information. Soon after the City Council fell short for allowing to the city to participate in the controversial program, Councilwoman Toni Lawrence told the Houston Chronicle, she tried working “behind the scenes” with Mayor White before talks broke down, which is why she brought it to a vote in city council. This is significant because this is the same councilwoman who felt the child who died in a Houston hospital from H1N1 should not have been treated here because the child was not an American citizen.

Legal System and Language Barriers
Recommended: Developing a policy that builds trust in immigrant communities.

When serving communities that include foreign-born individuals, local police undercut the goal to serve and protect the community when officers attempt to enforce immigration laws. Without realizing immigrants -legal and undocumented – enter this county without a clear understanding of state and local laws, combined with cultural differences, can lead to encounters with law enforcement.

Besides replacing police chief Harold Hurtt, Mayor Parker promised to bring neighborhood-oriented policing into the system. “Neighborhood policing” is a reciprocal policing strategy in which residents and local law enforcement each assume a role in promoting the safety of their communities. The success for this kind of police strategy hinges upon a trust between community residents and law enforcement officials. This trust is often broken when immigrants fear immigration-related consequences for approaching local police.

There is a reason law enforcement officials argue that punitive policies such as 287g agreements decrease the general public safety. Many chiefs of major metropolitan cities found that it detracted from their necessary mission of protecting residents and pursuing criminals. In a 2006 statement from 56 police chiefs, they detailing their concerns that immigration enforcement undermines the effectiveness of community policing strategies, which are built around trust and cooperation between residents and police:

It undermines the trust and cooperation with immigrant communities which are essential elements of community oriented policing… Most local police agencies have adopted policies of not inquiring about immigration status of individuals that are reporting crimes or in other encounters unless the person is suspected of committing a crime. Those policies have developed over the past 25 years because of law enforcement’s commitment to provide protection to everyone within their jurisdiction and more recently because of state and federal laws prohibiting racial profiling.

How can a police department that is already hampered by lack of bilingual officers? For one, Mayor Parker and who ever will be the new police chief should resist jumping at the whims of the anti-immigrant forces, like former Councilwoman Toni Lawrence and Houston Police Officers Union President Gary Blankinship and listen to the recommendations from the 2009 Police Foundation report.

Keeping immigration status out of the discussion is not good policy, it is more humane, as immigrant victims already fear going to the police. Keeping police officers focused on their main job of decreasing crime, will not only increase crime reporting by all residents, but it insure innocent people are racial profiled.

“I have recently informed the school board of my intention to retire within the next year,” said Dr. Saavedra. “I want to make sure that the board has adequate time to conduct a comprehensive national search for my successor. Selecting a superintendent is the most important decision that a board makes. Making the right decision ensures that the progress that we have made as a district, as a community, will continue forward. I have full confidence the board will select an individual who will take this district to the next level of performance.” (full text)

His announcement shocked everybody, especially the two Latino Board Trustees, Diana Davila and Manuel Rodriguez Jr. It’s not like he had done a terrible job as Superintendent. In fact, as Superintendent of the largest school district in the state and the seventh-largest in the US, he accomplished a lot and clean up the mess left by the two previous Superintendents, former Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Kaye Stripling.

Revisiting the “Houston Miracle” Con Artists
Before being appointed Secretary of Education, Dr. Paige was credited for the “Houston Miracle,” otherwise known as the “Texas Education Miracle,” – the phrase President George W. Bush used during his 2000 presidential campaign. Paige was put into the spotlight for turning the school district around by dramatically increasing test scores and dropouts in several inner-city high schools were reported near zero by making principals and administrators accountable for how well their students did. This success provided the impetus for the No Child Left Behind program. It turned out that the “miracle” was at best a myth and illusion, if not an outright fraud.

Kaye Stripling took over after Rod Paige was appointed Sec of Ed. It was business as usual at HISD. During her tenure as superintendent, pressure to raise scores from above continued, which meant that administrators continued to distort the truth. She not only continued the hoax, she expanded the myth to include college going behavior.

In 2003, a state audit conducted by Texas Education Agency (TEA) of Houston ISD uncovered not only a dropout hoax but also a “college matriculation” hoax of similar proportions. After the audit was released, Diana Schemo of The New York Times reported that many Houston high schools reported to the state that as many as 100% of their students were planning to attend college when the reality was less than 50 percent were attending.

It even got worse; school violence was getting out of hand. A complete report on the widespread misinformation at Houston ISD regarding its campus violence was broke by New York Times. Dr. Stripling, who made herself unavailable to be interviewed by The Times, held a press conference after the article appeared to denounce it but did not dispute the facts: “I take personal offense at this attack on the public schools of Houston.”

Changing of the Bush Guard
Saavedra was named superintendent in July 2004 after Kaye Stripling stepped down from the post. During Dr. Saavedra’s five-year tenure, he has made sure HISD was not the laugh stock of the nation. Here are few of his accomplishments:

• Achieved a record-breaking number of highly-rated schools—157 Exemplary and Recognized schools under the state’s current accountability system
• Made more progress on the TAKS test than the state average
• Created a college-bound culture throughout the district
• record numbers of HISD students are taking and passing Advanced Placement exams and dual-credit courses to earn college credit while they are still in high school
• Increased SAT scores of HISD students while state and national averages fell
• Established full-day prekindergarten
• Created Reach Out to Dropouts to go door-to-door to get students back into school, which has been replicated nationally, returning more than 5,000 students to school

So why would Abe Saavedra decide to drop this major bombshell? Back in he had told reporters back in October that he intended to stay. To answer this question, it is important to look beyond the surface of text of his statement. In other words, how he framed his message.

During the press conference, Dr. Saavedra said:

My parents taught me to leave a place better than it was when I arrived. I think I will be doing that when I leave HISD sometime within the next year. With the support of the board and the dedication and hard work of our central and regional administrators and their staffs, the tenacity and brilliant work of our principals, and the unwavering dedication and extraordinary work that our teachers perform in their classrooms every day, I am able to leave behind a school district…

There is no question that Saavedra was vague for his sudden retirement, yet, the statement above comes across as Dr. Saavedra has decided that it was better to quit while he was ahead. This would imply, this was more of a timely move to protect his name and legacy than is political cannon fodder.

In this era of accountability and standards, the role of a school superintendent can be mystifying and vague. The truth is, superintendents hold one of the most important and challenging jobs in America’s education system. Most people can explain that the superintendent is responsible for the success or failure of student performance. The truth is, superintendents also face a variety of challenges that are often largely unrelated to teaching and learning.

While nobody was publicly calling for Dr. Saavedra to step down, it is no secret there are some tensions in the relationship between the school board and Abe Saavedra. Last year, there were rumors that the board was trying to dump Superintendent Abe Saavedra instead of renewing his contract. In a pre-emptive move, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce rallied to show their support for him.

Saavedra had survived and his contract was renewed. The relationship between a superintendent and the board can be complex and must be handled well. It has been reported that Saavedra lacked the political savvy that comes with the job. Lisa Falkenberg of the Houston Chronicle writes:

Time and again, he failed to get buy-in from the board or community leaders on delicate matters like school closures and reform plans for troubled schools. He nearly lost the 2007 bond issue because of communication shortcomings, and he continued to alienate parents in failed attempts to tinker with the district’s most celebrated programs.
…
Being the superintendent of a large urban school district, holding the futures of 200,000 largely disadvantaged students in your hands each day, can’t be an easy job. But it becomes nearly impossible without some political savvy.

Gayle Fallon, spokeswoman for the Houston Federation of Teachers, put it this way: Houston’s schools chief has to work with a strong internal and citywide African-American political structure to run a district that’s 60 percent Hispanic on a tax base that’s largely white. Not to mention the fact that many of those white folks don’t send their children to HISD schools.

The problem with HISD’s school board, some school board members have a tendency to micromanage on issues not within the scope of its responsibility and at times have interfered in the superintendents’ administrative responsibilities. The fact is, Dr. Saavedra is at the mercy of the school board because they the only one who evaluate his performance.

While Saavedra can take credit for improved student achievement, it was district’s $805 million bond referendum and his recent plan to reduce busing to the popular magnet schools that did him in. As school board President Larry Marshall expressed during Dr. Saavedra’s press conference. During the $805 million bond campaign, many people from the Fifth Ward and other traditionally African African neighborhoods were very upset because the initial plan called for the closure of several historically old schools.

School boards and superintendents play a vital role in improving student performance. Level of board involvement in managing the school district and the politics involved can be troubling to many superintendents. This was the case for Dr. Saavedra as well. Back in October when the board renewed his contract, he told reporters that he planned to stay as long as the relationship remained strong. However, something must have happened for him to take the high road and quit while he’s ahead.

Now that Mayor Bill White is termed out, Houston will be electing a new mayor in November. Despite all the good, it is the shortcoming people tend to remember most. Inside sources inform me that Dr. Saavedra and his $805 million bond snafu would have become political cannon fodder to win over the African American vote.

Dr. Saavedra made a wise move, one, he should not have been forced to do. It is a sad day when those who are charged with the responsibility of our public school system allow political agendas come before the education of our children. It is even sadder when politicians take advantage of the situation for their personal gain.

No doubt that Latinos turned out in record numbers at the polls, claiming their spot as a political force to be reckoned with. Earlier in the year, NDN President Simon Rosenberg had projected that 14 million Hispanics would be registered to vote, and 12 million are likely to vote, which would translate to Hispanics comprising 10% of the overall vote in the next presidential election. Rosenberg was very close.

According to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) roughly 9.6 million to 11 million Latinas/os voted in the election, up from 7.8 million in the 2004 presidential contest. In Texas, especially in Harris County, Latino turnout did not turnout like many would have hoped. While we might be disappointed with the turnout, however, we also have to keep in mind that in Houston, Latinos have notoriously been weak at the ballot box. The truth is, people have a tendency to confuse voting behavior with voter turnout.

This is where analyzing precinct level data can be relevant. If analyzed correctly, it can reveal the diversity of the population and political preferences that underlie support for the two major political parties. However, we must also be mindful of the limitations and pitfalls when it comes to analyzing data. Two locations may cast their vote for the Democratic candidate, but do so for different reasons. The meaning of a vote in one part of the county may have a total different meaning in another.

The Latino Vote
If the primary elections are an indicator of voter turnout in the 2008 presidential election, it is projected that Latinos will vote in large numbers, and perhaps swing the election. In Texas, Latinos made up 32% of the primary vote, up from 24% in 2004. In Harris County, the Latino population makes up 15 percent of the county’s electorate and at roughly 38.6% of its population, compared with the national average of 14.8 percent, according to the 2007 American Community Survey.

The county has one State Senate district, Senate District 6 (Sen. Gallegos) and four State Representatives districts – House District (HD) 140 (Rep-elect Armando Walle), 143 (Rep. Ana Hernandez), 145 (Rep-elect Carol Alvarado), and 148 (Rep. Jessica Farrar) – that are considered Majority-Hispanic districts. These majority-minority districts are spread throughout Harris County, with Baytown to the East and Spring Branch to the West. These districts spread to Houston Intercontinental Airport to the north, with parts of Pasadena on the southern boundary, except for Senate District 6, which reaches as far South to Pearland. This district also included the Houston Heights, South Houston, Galena Park, Jacinto City, the Aldine area, as well as the East End portion of the Houston Ship Channel.

According to the County Clerk, Harris County saw over 1 million voters participate in the national election. Without having the actual numbers, it is safe to say that roughly over 100,000 Latinos voted; suggesting that between 8% and 9% of all voters in the general election were Latino.

In Harris County, President-elect Barack Obama won by a margin of approximately 18,000 votes and over 50,000 votes for Democrat candidate Rick Noriega, therefore it is safe to assume if there were no Latino votes cast, President-elect Obama, Rick Noriega, and down ballot Democrats in Harris County would have gone to the Republican Party.

The data indicate that Latinos supported President-elect Barack Obama over Senator John McCain by a 2 to 1 margin, ranging between 58 to 62 percent of their votes for Obama, which mirrors the exit poll data published by CNN. Essentially, there is no indication that Latinos would not support a black candidate. Note, most reports do not include undervotes nor the results from third party, independent, or write-in candidates. For this post, I choose not to make these adjustments because it would a provide clear picture.

The fact that Obama received above of the 60% of the Hispanic vote is impressive, considering local Democrats practically ignored using any Spanish-language TV.

What occurred in Harris County, mirrors 10 million Hispanic voters came out to vote, and of those who voted, 6 out of 10 cast their vote for Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. For somebody to claim, we won’t support a Black candidate is not only ludicrous but dangerous. In comparing the 2004 Presidential race, only one district (HD 143), Kerry received more support than Obama, the rest showed improved support for the Presidential candidate.

Surprisingly, only one district (HD 145) showed a noticeable increase in Republican support, while the three state representative districts loss a considerable Republican support. The “Gonzales Effect,” the appointment of Gonzales to the Attorney General post to appeal to Latino voters, could explain why the three state representative districts had a sudden drop of Republican support this year in comparison to the 2004 election. However, the “Gonzales Effect,” does not explain why HD 148 had an increase in votes during this election. There are a lot of factors that could play, such as suburban-to-urban migration, construction of new homes and apartment developments in rundown neighborhoods, whatever the reason, this one district to keep an eye in the future.

Lee Brown-Orlando Sanchez Mayoral Race
Sadly, people bring up Lee Brown’s run-off race against Orlando Sanchez as proof that Latinos will never support a black candidate. In November 2001, Orlando Sanchez came within 10,000 votes of being elected the first Latino mayor in the history of Houston. Brown had 165,865 votes (52%), to Sanchez’s 155,164 (48%).

Oftentimes, political junkies, party leaders, and academia are quick to cut corners to reach a conclusion. One of the problems in trying to investigate which strategy works best in garnering Hispanic support; external factors do play a role in the equation. When it comes to Lee Brown-Orlando Sanchez race, this is no different.

In Houston, our mayoral races are technically nonpartisan. While it is true, it is easy to tell which side of the aisle a candidate falls, we do have to keep in mind, there is a large majority of people who knows less about the US political system then we like to think.

One has to remember this was a re-election. Yet, it was the Hispanic vote that contributed to Mayor Lee Brown, Houston’s first African-American mayor, 6 percentage points win over Rob Mosbacher Jr., a businessman and son of a former commerce secretary in the Bush White House. According to an exit poll by Robert M. Stein of Rice University, Brown had won with 97 percent of the black vote, 66 percent of the Hispanic and 23 percent of the Anglo. Hispanics were an estimated 10.3 percent of the total on that Election Day, in a race that also included former Councilwoman Gracie Saenz, the first Hispanic in the City of Houston’s history to be elected to an at large position on the City Council.

So what happened in 2001? What made the infamous Lee Brown-Orlando Sanchez mayoral race different? Sanchez campaigned on a platform that a Latino should finally be elected as mayor of Houston. Sanchez was exploiting the tensions that were finally building up in Houston. Brown had two strikes against him. One, he was a Clinton insider and he was a former police chief of Houston. The Clinton administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration after 1996 was viewed negatively by many immigrant rights organizations in Texas.

At that time, the Houston police department was under scrutiny for their actions in heavily Latino neighborhoods. In part, this was the result of a collaborative effort between Houston PD and the INS in conducting “street sweeps” to find and deport undocumented immigrants. This lead to tensions increased between Latinos and the police department, in 1998 when six Houston police officers shot Pedro Oregon, a Mexican immigrant, was nine times in the back, twice in the head and once through his left hand.

Before George W. Bush was inaugurated for his second term as Governor of Texas, Karl Rove foresaw that Latino voters was crucial if Republicans were ever to win an election. What occurred in Houston, was Rove’s test case because capturing the Hispanic voters “was [their] mission and [their] goal.”

With the national Republican Party pouring money into Orlando Sanchez’s race, it is obvious that Karl Rove was involved. During the campaign Orlando Sanchez used his immigrant status to his advantage to muster up ethnic pride. Not only that, Sanchez was riding on the coattails of Bush’s wartime popularity. In the last five days before the Dec 1 runoff, the RNC was spending $200,000 a day to promote Orlando Sanchez’s endorsements by President George W. Bush, former president George H. W. Bush, then New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and other eminent Republicans.

The idea that Latinos would never support a Black candidate is a myth. It is disingenuous to assume the entire Latino community should have known the incumbent Mayor Lee Brown was a Democrat and his challenger, Orlando Sanchez, was Republican. By accepting this as fact, it absolves the local party of any responsibility and puts the blame on an entire community.

With the growth of the Latino electorate, both Democrats and Republicans are now investing time and resources in courting Latino voters in contrast to past elections when Latinos were largely ignored. While is vital to understanding the election prospects of both parties for the foreseeable future, at same time, it is vitally important not to jump to conclusions without looking at all the facts.

I think Mr. Thompson would disagree with the disgruntle reader.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In a two part investigative report, Greenblatt exposes the voter suppression tactics – which tend to be passed off as “simple mistakes” or “human error” – being used to disenfranchise thousands of voters their right to vote in Harris County. These tactics are being carried out by Republican elected Paul Bettencourt, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar.

It seems Bettencourt, has a nasty habit of excluding certain voters out of the voter rolls and is willing to lie to the Texas Legislature to make his case. Prior to this investigative report, the state office of the League of Women Voters and elections expert Lauri Van Hoose already noted that Harris County had “serious and widespread voter registration problem.”

Here are some of the details from part one of Mark Greenblatt’s report.

Van Hoose said that in Harris County there are “a high number of people being rejected due to inconsistent practices of reviewing applications.”

Van Hoose knows this because she reviewed registration records from the tax assessor’s office.

Greenblatt: “These aren’t just numbers you’re coming up with on your own?”

Van Hoose: “Right.”

Greenblatt: “These are numbers based off his information?”

Van Hoose: “Right.”

Van Hoose’s conclusion is that the problem is bigger than we think.

“This is not one or two registrations,” she said. “This is thousands of registrations.”

But on top of it, she found the county was in no rush to tell would-be voters they were ‘no good.’
….
Van Hoose passed her findings onto the non-partisan statewide League of Women Voters.

“Some people who tried to do this in July are just now hearing that their form is being rejected, and now its too late,” state board member Mary Finch said. She adds, “Putting roadblocks up in front of people, it’s not good”

Ultimately, Finch has come up with a conclusion for the voting troubles in Harris County.

“The problem is competence or actual election fraud,” said Finch.

As KHOU attempted to get to the bottom of this, it is obvious Bettencourt was hoping to spin this as human error, and that some people were unintentionally left off the voter rolls. While it is true honest mistakes do occur, given the number of people registering in the 3rd largest county in the US, however, it appears Houston/Harris County is not the only one experiencing this problem, but there is mounting evidence demonstrating similar patterns occurring throughout the US.

Not only was Bettencount’s demeanor during his interview a dead give, but the run around Mark Greenblatt received from the Director of Voter Registration & Gov. Liaison, George Hammerlein, in his attempt to get certain information was also telling. In one of the email exchange between Greenblatt and Hammerlein, Greenblatt had to remind Hammerlein in caps that they obligated to release “ALL DOCUMENTS AND DATA” he had requested under the Texas Public Information Act.

Part one of the report, do note Paul Bettencourt’s demeanor as he is being pressed to explain these “mistakes.” Also notice how Bettencourt easily placed blame on a temporary employee who is no longer working there.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In part two, Mark Greenblatt exposes the false information Paul Bettencourt gave to the Texas House Elections Committee in the beginning of the year.

Bettencourt’s statement to the 11 News Defenders was similar to one he made nearly a year ago. It was all a part of his testimony before the House Elections Committee in January of 2008.

“We have had a history of illegal voting as well as documented fraud cases in Harris County,” he said then. “What I’m providing to you are 381 absolutely verified and documented cases.”

The hearing was part of a push to strengthen laws that could prohibit voter fraud laws.

“The 381 cases that we have provided to you with this documentation are we believe are ironclad,” he testified.

It turns out those 381 “ironclad” cases were not so ironclad after all. After his testimony, Representative Rafael Anchia discovered that out of Bettencourt’s “381 ironclad cases” only 121 are still under investigation. Adding insult to injury, only one was charged in Harris County in the past eight years.

It gets worst too, it also seems Bettencourt was adding fuel to fire xenophobic fire. He also claimed his office found 315 non-citizens trying to commit voter fraud. However, it turns out that 34 actually had openly disclosed they were not a US citizen, yet, the “County registrar gave those individuals voter cards.” One has to wonder if this was a set up, so the GOP can say “Gotcha!” and drag them out into the public square as proof that “illegals” are trying to commit voter fraud. From part two of the series:

In addition, there were also reportedly 22 non-citizens who Bettencourt testified were able to register and actually vote. But Anchia and his staff found that five of those 22 were actually U.S. citizens. Another member of the 22 had also truthfully disclosed his status as a non-Citizen, and yet Harris County gave him a voter card anyways.

It is funny when they are caught red handed in their bombastic accusation. This was very evident in the interview when Paul Bettencourt lost it and was forced to catch himself and compose himself.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Oh what a tangled web they weave when the GOP practice to deceive.

Truth be told, I am concern when elected officials can easily make alarmist statement such a Bettencourt while nobody holds them accountable for these false claims. If we stand idly by while the right to vote is denied to some “other,” it is our own right that is lost. In the latest poll, Rasmussen found that 50% of Texans surveyed believe voter fraud will occur, but it comes to voter suppression, only 31% of Texans surveyed believe voters will be disenfranchised on election day.

While I applaud Mark Greenblatt for a great job exposing what is taking place in the office of our GOP elected Tax Assessor-Collector, however, this shouldn’t be a partisan issue. I really hope he does a follow up because I have already encountered a person who was questioned during early voting. This person was fortunate enough to be allowed to vote. But will the next person be so lucky?

Therefore, for this weekends video is Chingo Bling’s “Like This N Like That” because in his lyrics he mentions how Latinos were used to clean up Katrina, but this time around it is Ike. This is to you mi gente who seem to be blamed for everything under the sun. However, like I said, at the end of the day, it is the immigrant community who will be cleaning up after Ike and as Texano78704 mentioned in my comment section:

Every morning this week they have been lining up outside the Chase Tower in downtown Houston for clean up detail. Didn’t see anyone protesting against them…

The potential impact of a Latino voting bloc is particularly high this election season, especially here in Texas. I urge todo mi gente here in Texas to go out and register to vote, lets show that we can change Texas blue.

Chingo Bling – Like This N Like That

Click here to view the embedded video.

As the power companies take their time restoring electricity, I wonder if anyone has noticed how Houston is serviced by one power company, CenterPoint, that furnishes electricity to the area. Even though I signed up with a different electric provider, I am still at the mercy of CenterPoint because they are the local grid operator, which handles and services the electric grid. This is a result of the deregulation of electric services in Texas. Since CenterPoint controls the grid, they are responsible for all power failures.

As of this writing, of the total 2.2 million who lost power on Saturday, 1.3 million are still without power. Not only that, I and my entire apartment complex still don’t have water, despite Mayor Bill White’s assurance that water pressure is back to normal levels. I have mostly been eating out so I could avoid a build up of dirty dishes, however, laundry is piling up, and I am beginning to run out of water I stored in my bathtub for flushing my toilet. [Blogger's Note: 9/22/08 - I now have water.]

This is not the first hurricane I have been through a hurricane. In fact I did go through Hurricane Alicia. I also went through several tropical storms. This also not the first time I actually blogged a major hurricane. In 2005, I did the same thing with Hurricane Rita. There was something about Ike that made this one different than the previous ones I went through.

One day before Ike made its presence felt, on Sept 11, Harris County and City of Houston officials told people who weren’t living in Zone A & B of the evacuation zone to ride this out. This was done so the city would repeat the same mistakes three years ago and the steps New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin took with Gustav.

It is hard for people who live outside the Texas Gulf Coast to fully understand why so many decided to stay and ride out the storm. For some, the Rita evacuation process that took place three years ago is still fresh in people’s minds. When Rita was predicted to hit Galveston and Houston, more than 3 million people hit the roads almost simultaneously. When it was our turn to leave, it was being reported that people were stopped in traffic for hours in the Texas heat, many ran out of fuel waiting to get out, and there were rumors of traffic accidents. The gridlock was so bad, there was a fear if Rita did come in at a certain angle, it would have been a “death trap” if you were stranded on the road. As fellow Houstonian and blogamigo DP put it, “that was an experience I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.” I don’t except people to “get it” because it is something one has to personally experience to see why some people decided not to leave.

When Ike finally arrived Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center reported that the hurricane maintained it’s 110mph wind speed, therefore classifying it as a strong category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, 1 mph shy of becoming a major category 3 (winds 111-130 mph). In other words, Hurricane Ike was a borderline Category 2/3.

I would be lying if I said Ike didn’t have an impact on me. Recently, I seem to have trouble concentrating, my sleep patterns is a bit off, my apatite has decreased, and for the past couple of days I have been reminiscing about the roaring wind and rain of that night. I hate to say it, but it seemed like it went on for hours with no end in sight. I think I only got 2 hours of sleep. During the storm, I noticed something very eerie outside my window, the natural light that normally enters through the window, there were periods when the light would disappear right before my eyes, as somebody put a was putting a cover over the apartment complex because the room would suddenly become pitch black. I found some accounts of others reporting the same thing. Those who survived the storm in Galveston also noticed the same phenomenon. Nanc, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “it turned completely black, you couldn’t see five feet in front of you.”

As the southern eyewall approached, that is when things really started rocking. A storm chaser noted that the “southern eyewall was very similar to Katrina in duration and relentlessness.” Around 5:30 AM, the winds began pounding my apartment so hard I was sure that the next massive gust would implode my sliding glass door or my bedroom window. Because the rain fall sideways during a hurricane, the pounding of the blistering rain against my sliding glass door sounded like someone got a handful of pebbles and threw it at my door non-stop. Throughout the night, I hunkered down in my walk-in closet that was located inside the bathroom where the wall muffled the frightening sound, however, Ike made sure it’s presence was still felt. As I huddled on the floor with my dogs, I felt the apartment sway back and forth a couple of times, which brought about flashbacks of the first time I experienced an earthquake in Los Angeles.

I do have to admit, I and my family were lucky. Despite the rocking, there was no damage to my apartment, however, there were some within my apartment complex weren’t so lucky. Throughout the week, it was obvious that the people who lived on the bottom floor or in the mid-rise part of the complex were has rain enter as they were drying their towels outside. One tenant told me their entire ceiling was filled with water. As for my parents’ condo, they did sustain some minor flooding.

I think in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, there has been an unfair comparison between the tragedies Katrina left and the one left by other storms. In today’s post-Katrina coverage, if damage pales in comparison to Katrina, in the eyes the national media, it’s not going to be seen as a “big deal.” What people and the media have to keep in mind, Houston isn’t dependent on vulnerable levees or below sea level.

However, damage from the storm was extensive. Thousands of homes and government buildings flooded, roads were washed out, power lines were down and parts of trees and roofs were everywhere. Highways were full of debris, shredded billboards and cars stalled in high water.

It will take several months and millions of dollars to replace the glass in Houston’s skyscrapers that was shattered by Hurricane Ike. Some of the city’s big corporations did not open their offices until Tuesday because the building sustained water damage.

The city’s theater district was flooded and shards of glass blown out of downtown skyscrapers littered the streets. Ike’s winds ripped off windows on Chevron Corp’s two main towers at 1500 Louisiana and 1400 Smith. All windows on one side of Chase JP Morgan were blown out. The retractable roof of the newly constructed Reliant Stadium was damaged by Ike. HoustonPBS sustained experienced extensive damage to the section of their roof which covers the TV studios and set storage during Hurricane Ike. The damage downtown was comparable to Hurricane Alicia in 1983.

As of this writing, the Houston Independent School District just announced that more than half of their schools are unable to open next week because damage sustain by the Hurricane. On top of that, they will also take in all the students from Galveston Independent School District as the City of Galveston begins the rebuilding process.

The situation in Galveston and the adjacent Bolivar peninsular is more serious. The visible evidence is dramatic enough: parts of Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula are reduced to matchsticks because the stilted homes were ripped from their pilings.

Even though more than 2 million residents in Texas and Louisiana heeded evacuation orders, it is estimated that between 90,000 and 140,000 ignored evacuation orders and decided to ride out the storm. While not all those who chose not to evacuate were put in harm’s way, federal officials reported that 2,000 people were rescued – almost 400 by air – in 2,500 search and rescue missions. However, there are some who suffered greatly.

In the beginning there was constant coverage of the aftermath, however, the fate of Bolivar remained unknown. If houses are destroyed and people were there, where are they? What we do know is that the death toll in Texas from Hurricane Ike stands at 23.

Many local and online news sources have gone either silent regarding the casualties and deaths from the devastation the hurricane inflicted on Galveston. Despite an occasional glimpse of the devastation it left behind…

the full extent of damage wrought by Hurricane Ike still isn’t known.

Unfortunately, the exact number of people who died as the result of Hurricane Ike is anybody’s guess, and most likely it will take weeks and months to get an answer to that question. Sadly, Galveston authorities are now conceding that the waters of Galveston Bay and nearshore waters could have washed them out to the Gulf, which apparently happened to one woman on the peninsula.

In the midst of the presidential election, one would wonder if the blackout is part of a concerted effort by the corporate media and political elites to trivialize the disaster so those outside the impacted areas won’t ask the vital questions.

In Part II I how FEMA is slowly turning Houston and Galveston and the surrounding area into another New Orleans as the Texas GOP plays with peoples lives.

I will be back on shortly, I will plan to take a short nap, since I didn’t really sleep last night.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital requests that all Recovery Team employees come to the hospital as soon as safely possible to help relieve those who have ridden out Hurricane Ike. All Recovery Team employees must report to the hospital by 7 a.m. Sunday. Employees need to call 832-355-2647 for details.

Port of Houston Authority reports minor damage. All vessels were docked at its terminals excepted for one. The Rickmars Seoul marine vessel broke loose when Ike made landfall. Last night, I had heard that nearby tugboat were about to secure it quickly before it would have taken down the 610 bridge.

National Guard rescues Crystal Beach residents. Carl Thompson, 12-year homeowner and former tugboat owner, “There is no more Crystal Beach. We flew over it in the helicopter. It’s nothing more than pick-up sticks. Our house is gone.”

Downtown Houston closed for cleanup and assessment of storm damage. Only authorized personnel with a critical need to be in the area will be allowed to enter. Unauthorized persons should not attempt to enter downtown.

As of 8 PM CenterPoint Energy had restored power to 112,000 customers, primarily in the western portions of its service territory. Like I said, I am one of the lucky ones. My father is here with me because he still does not have power.

East Houston Medical Center, in Houston’s predominately Hispanic East End is will be shut down for two to three months. Patients had been evacuated Friday afternoon because hospital officials knew that nearby Greens Bayou has a history of flooding at the facility in the 13100 block of the East Freeway and the surrounding area. The Houston East End should have been on evacuation list because this area floods when rains hard.

In Galveston County, about 23,000 island residents are thought to have ignored the evacuation call. No fatality estimates have been available. It could take days to search flooded homes to assess the full impact of the storm.

Homes and a warehouse in Galveston burned unattended during the height of Ike’s fury; 17 of them collapsed because crews couldn’t get to them. There was no water or electricity on the island, and the main hospital, the University of Texas Medical Branch, flew critically ill patients to other medical center.

In Southwest Louisiana, Ike’s surge of water penetrated some 30 miles inland, flooding thousands of homes, breaching levees and soaking areas still recovering from Hurricane Gustav.

In Houston, power has been restored to a major water pumping station. Mayor Bill White assures us that tap water could be clean enough to drink as early as noon Monday.

First Galveston casualty – a woman with a bad heart died when a generator powering her oxygen equipment failed.

Rescue teams with city of Galveston said they have helped 200 people in the last few days escape their flooded homes.

Sunday – 9/14/08: City is now under mandatory curfew – lockdown – from 9:00PM to 6:00PM from now through Sunday. We are today for our safety since people are leaving their houses. However, here is the deal, if you don’t have a battery operated radio or televisions, you only can listen to it until your battery gives out. So, how in the hell do you expect 1.99 million households without power to get that information. It amazes me how indignant our media and city officials are getting when they see people out and about.

This is a photo of my apartment complex, even there, there is partial restoration of power.

I just came back from my local grocery store, you can tell people are desperate for certain items. The biggest demand is for ice and water. Ice to get keep their meats from spoiling. Much needed water and charcoal so people can cook out. When I left the store, a line began to form outside, the store began to allow only a few people at the time.

If you know anybody from the Southeast side of Houston can you tell me what the situation is like over there. Certain grocery stores are opening and I would like to know what is going on.

When I was coming back, I got the chance to drive around, it is was strange. There are trees everywhere – in the middle of the road, on power lines, on top of houses. It was awful. Carports are toppled, several buildings look like mini bombs went off. At a local park, trees everywhere where snapped like toothpicks.

From Brazoria County into Louisiana, 5 million people are without power, I thank God I am one of the lucky ones who got it. If you have power, please conserve your power because there are stories of people with power sharing it with their neighbors.

People who have power are reading this blog, please, please, stay off the highway you are doing more harm than good. I understand you want to look, I do too, but doing that, we are hindering truck drivers who are bringing in the supplies into Houston and Galveston.

Galveston, TX – Most structures and homes on the island have been damaged by the storm, but are still standing. Most of the island was covered by floodwaters. Citizens are asked to remain where they are until the City can restore power, water, and gas. Galveston police and the National Guard are patrolling streets to offer aid and protect property. Cell phone service should be restored sometime today.

So far, 8 deaths have been blamed on Hurricane Ike, according to the Associated Press. 5 were in Texas, 2 in Louisiana and 1 in Arkansas.

U.S. Rep. John Culberson, a Republican from Houston, blasted FEMA because first responders at two staging areas did not have food and water.

“It’s just outrageous,” Culberson said, calling on residents near those sites to share food and water with the emergency crews. “I think it’s inexcusable. … I was horrified to discover that our first responders needed our help.”

Power has finally gone out! Repeat my power has finally gone out! I am ok. I am about to post this last message because I have cable internet and it seems I am still able to have internet service. Thank you Comcast.
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Note: electricity is going out quickly throughout the city. In fact, part of the apartment complex where I live have lost power, I am ok, however, I am not sure how much time mother nature will give me to blog. For those of you who are concern for my safety, you noticed I am not updating this blog, it is most likely I lost power. If and when power is restored I will let you know I am ok and I have told some people I will call to let them know if I am ok.

Beginning a new tread. It is time to be scared, very scared. Ike has decided to stall before it decides to have fun with us. We are now experiencing tropical storm winds. Here is another short clip I took, an hour after I took the first one. You can tell, Ike is letting us know it is out there.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I was just heard there are reports that there are 18 people trapped on the roofs in Galveston.

Unfortunately, I do have have sad news. The first victim of Ike has been reported. He is a ten year old boy who could not get out of the way of a falling tree. The boy’s older brother tried to pull him away, but the tree hit him in the head. The boy was taken to Tomball Regional Hospital, where he died.

More photos – The first two pictures is located is Houston’s Manchester area which is prone to flooding because it very close to the Houston Ship Channel.

This is a picture is taken from Seabrook, TX, which is very close to the coast.

part of my apartment complex lost power, when I called my father to let him know, she saw three transformers blow right in front of his eyes. Centerpoint is reporting that 105,000 are without electricity.

My friend RoB from Houston IndyMedia took some photos from the Montrose area which is not far from where I live and from around the Houston area.

He and his girlfriend are “hunkering down” in the Bellaire to wait out Hurricane Ike. I just got found out from my father the whole Bellaire area just lost power.

Just heard that Galveston is now up in flames. The first one started at a boat and yacht repair warehouse has been destroyed by flames because the streets were too flooded by Hurricane Ike for fire trucks to reach it. There are now house fires throughout Galveston, the fire is jumping from house to house and there is nothing the fire fighters can do.

It is 8:42 PM, CenterPoint Energy is reporting 150,000 customers are now without electricity this evening.

Hurricane Ike, a colossal storm nearly as big as Texas itself. This is the image taken from NOAA via Getty Images.

Hurricane Ike is about 600 miles across, as big as Texas itself. Towering waves have been crashing over the 17-foot-high Galveston seawall, and floodwaters are rising in low-lying areas.

As of 8 PM Ike is about 70 miles southeast of Galveston, moving at 13 miles-an-hour. It’s close to a Category 3 storm with winds of 110 miles-per-hour, and is expected to strengthen by the time the eye hits land.

As of 9 PM, CenterPoint Energy is reporting about 300,000 customers are now without electricity this evening.

Levees breached, homes flood as Ike passes coastal Cameron Parish, Louisiana. About 1,000 homes and business flooded and is expected to rise.

It is 10:30 – this is the calm before the storm.

The places that are flooding in Houston -
Southeast Harris County flooding only related to storm surge flooding. No rain fall flooding reported yet.
Flooding in progress in and around Clear Lake
Near bank full conditions along Clear Creek east of Bay Area Blvd
Near bank full conditions along Greens Bayou south of Interstate 10
Little Vince Bayou in Pasadena is one third full at the lower end
Brays Bayou at Lawndale and eastward is half full
Flooding along Houston Ship Channel, San Jacinto River and San Jacinto River Tributaries

Second victim, a 19-year-old Corpus Christi man drowned from the storm surge.

I am going to try to get some z’s before the worse happens. You can tell Ike is making sure we know it is coming. If I still have power, I will let you know if everything is ok and what is happening.

New post on Ike’s aftermath.