Halloween has provided many a treat for California Attorney General Jerry Brown.  His only Democratic challenger, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, just threw in the towel after realizing he couldn’t beat Brown, the once (and future ?) Governor.

The most painful part for Newsom:  he was beaten by a candidate who has not even declared his candidacy!  That’s right — Brown has yet to officially announce he’s running for Governor.

To be sure, this race isn’t over.  The Republicans have to choose between two billionaires (Meg Whitman, Steve Poizner) or a savvy policy wonk who’s actually trying to campaign on the issues (former Congressmember Tom Campbell).

We’ll find out out next year which candidate wins the ultimate treat:  the California Governor’s Mansion.

– Gautam Dutta

California, Campaign Update, Democratic Party, Gautam Dutta | 1 Comment »

Los Angeles City Council runoff candidate Paul Krekorian has endorsed Instant Runoff Voting (IRV).

Currently, Krekorian represents California’s 43rd Assembly District, which first elected him in 2006.

A past member of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, Krekorian chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Renewable Energy.

Krekorian joins fellow Council District 2 candidate Christine Essel as an IRV supporter.  A runoff election between Krekorian and Essel will be held on December 8, 2009.

In the coming days, AAA-Fund Southern California will make an endorsement in this exciting race.  Stay tuned.

– Gautam Dutta

AAA Fund, California, Gautam Dutta, Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), Political Reform, Voting Rights | No Comments »

Prominent APA attorney Phoebe Yang was just appointed to the Obama Administration:
Dear Friends:

Just a note to let you know that I am pausing from the private sector to accept a short-term appointment to serve in the Obama Administration, as Chief Counsel of the National Broadband Plan team that is creating a strategy to expand broadband access throughout the country as part of the economic recovery efforts.

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Congress authorized the creation of a National Broadband Plan to “seek to ensure that all people of the United States have access to broadband capability and [to] establish benchmarks for meeting that goal.” The plan will be submitted to the President and Congress in February 2010 and is viewed by consumer and industry groups alike as the most important communications priority today, akin to infrastructure projects such as railroads, telephones, and highways from previous generations.

I am very excited about this mission, and I believe — if planned and executed appropriately — it will have a long-term impact on the economy, jobs, small business, education, health care, and homeland security, and it will position our nation for the future.  This work leverages much of my previous professional experience in the media industry as well as in law, and it enables me to contribute in some small way to our economic recovery efforts.  If you are interested, there is a great deal of information about the project on www.broadband.gov.

Best wishes for a good fall season!

Kind regards,
Phoebe L. Yang

Obama Administration, The Editors | No Comments »

Ed. Note: AAA-Fund strongly supports Creigh Deeds‘ campaign for Virginia Governor.

This television advertisement for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds includes our friend Ruby Roy.

Civil Rts/Liberties, Media, Running for Office, Virginia | No Comments »

Asian Pacific American Legal Center
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 27, 2009
Contact: Dan Ichinose, 213-977-7500 x 249
Eugene Lee, 213-977-7500 x212

NEW REPORTS HIGHLIGHT GROWING CLOUT OF ASIAN AMERICAN VOTERS
Survey shows strong support for universal healthcare reform

LOS ANGELES – Two new reports released today by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) showed that get-out-the-vote campaigns conducted during the 2008 General Election contributed to a record number of Asian American voters in Los Angeles County.

Record numbers of Asian Americans countywide (293,000) voted in the 2008 General Election. The number of Asian Americans casting ballots in 2008 jumped 39% from the 2000 General Election, almost double the rate of growth in the number of all voters.

APALC’s get-out-the-vote campaigns in 2006 and 2008 provide first-of-its-kind evidence that Asian Americans respond to conventional voter outreach methods. Bilingual phone calls placed before the 2008 General Election increased turnout by almost 6 percentage points among Asian American voters contacted. Similarly, phone calls placed before the June 2008 Primary Election increased turnout by 17 percentage points among voters contacted.

“These results easily surpass the typical 3 to 4 point increase generated by phone calls,” said Eugene Lee, Voting Rights Project Director at APALC. “Asian American voters are ripe for mobilization.”

“With growth in the Asian American electorate poised to change the political landscape, both campaigns and elected officials can no longer afford to ignore our community,” said Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director of APALC.

Speaking out on a key issue facing the country, 90% of Asian American voters said they supported universal healthcare. Support cut across ethnic groups, with Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese American voters in favor.

“Millions of Asian Americans are without health insurance nationwide. It is critical that the Asian American community’s concerns around healthcare reform be addressed by lawmakers,” said Sara Sadhwani, Immigrant Rights Project Director at APALC.

The two reports, Asian Americans at the Ballot Box: The 2008 General Election in Los Angeles County and Getting Out the Asian American Vote: Achieving Double Digit Increases in Turnout During the 2006 and 2008 Elections, can be found online at www.apalc.org.

Selected highlights of Asian Americans at the Ballot Box: The 2008 General Election in Los Angeles County include:

Voter Registration and Turnout: Los Angeles County

• Over 412,000 Asian Americans were registered to vote and 293,000 Asian Americans cast ballots in the 2008 General Election.
• Asian Americans made up 10% of registered voters and 9% of voters countywide.
• Between the 2000 and 2008 General Elections, the number of Asian American voters grew 39%. In contrast, the number of all voters countywide grew only 22% over the same period.
• 71% of Asian Americans registered to vote cast ballots.
• 75% of Asian Indian, 56% of Cambodian, 69% of Chinese, 76% of Filipino, 83% of Japanese, 67% of Korean, and 66% of Vietnamese American registered voters cast ballots.

Voter Behavior and Attitudes: Los Angeles County

• 63% of Asian American voters supported Barack Obama for President, including 86% of Asian Indians, 69% of Chinese, 57% of Filipinos, 60% of Koreans, and 51% of Vietnamese Americans.
• 90% of Asian American voters expressed support for universal healthcare, including 90% of Asian Indians, 87% of Chinese, 89% of Filipinos, 90% of Koreans, and 96% of Vietnamese Americans.

Methodology
Information on Asian American voter registration and turnout was drawn from the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters Office’s Los Angeles County Voter File, while information on how Asian Americans voted was drawn from the 2008 Southern California Voter Survey. The Voter Survey was an exit poll conducted on Election Day during the 2008 General Election that surveyed nearly 3,300 voters in Los Angeles County, including almost 1,000 Asian Americans.

Selected highlights of Getting Out the Asian American Vote: Achieving Double Digit Increases in Turnout During the 2006 and 2008 Elections include:

Campaign Summary and Methodology

• APALC volunteers made bilingual phone calls to “low-propensity” Asian American voters, generally defined as individuals who are registered to vote, but have infrequent voting patterns. These calls were placed during the weeks leading up to four elections (June 2006, November 2006, June 2008, November 2008).
• APALC conducted its get-out-the-vote efforts as “field experiments” in which voters were divided into two groups – a treatment group that received phone calls from APALC volunteers, and a control group that received no phone calls from APALC. A statistical analysis was conducted to estimate the increase in turnout generated by the calls.

Increases in Voter Turnout Generated by Phone Calls: Los Angeles County

• June 2006 Primary Election (low overall turnout): While voters not targeted by APALC for phone calls voted at a rate of 8.4%, voters successfully contacted by APALC volunteers voted at a rate of 10.9%. This represents an increase of 2.5 percentage points attributable to the calls – or a significant 30% relative gain in votes compared to voters not targeted.
• November 2006 General Election (moderate overall turnout): While voters not targeted by APALC voted at a rate of 27.4%, voters successfully contacted by APALC voted at a rate of 31.1%. This represents an increase of 3.7 percentage points attributable to the calls.
• June 2008 Primary Election (low overall turnout): Phone calls increased turnout by 4.0 percentage points among voters contacted by APALC volunteers, and reminder phone calls placed just prior to Election Day increased turnout by an additional 13.2 percentage points among contacted voters. This represents a total 17.2 point increase in turnout. In other words, voters not targeted by APALC voted at a rate of 11.2%, whereas voters contacted twice by APALC voted at a rate of 28.4% – more than double the rate of voters not targeted for phone calls. Notably, Asian American low-propensity voters contacted by APALC actually surpassed the turnout rate of all voters countywide (20.0%).
• November 2008 Primary Election (high overall turnout): Phone calls, coupled with reminder calls placed just prior to Election Day, increased turnout by 5.7 percentage points among voters contacted by APALC volunteers. Voters not targeted by APALC voted at a rate of 65.3%, whereas low-propensity Asian Americans contacted by APALC voted at a rate of 71.0% – the same rate as all Asian Americans countywide.

###

Founded in 1983, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for civil rights, providing legal services and building coalitions to positively influence and impact Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and to create a more equitable and harmonious society. APALC is affiliated with the Asian American Justice Center in Washington, D.C.

APALC Online: www.apalc.org

Contact Us:
1145 Wilshire Blvd. #200
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 977-7500

Grassroots Activism, Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), Running for Office | No Comments »

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                                                        October 28, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AT RECEPTION COMMEMORATING THE ENACTMENT OF THE MATTHEW SHEPARD AND JAMES BYRD, JR. HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT

East Room

5:45 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much, everybody.  Thank you so much, and welcome to the White House.

There are several people here that I want to just make mention of because they helped to make today possible.  We’ve got Attorney General Eric Holder.  (Applause.)  A champion of this legislation, and a great Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.  (Applause.)  My dear friend, senior Senator from the great state of Illinois, Dick Durbin.  (Applause.)  The outstanding Chairman of Armed Services, Carl Levin.  (Applause.)  Senator Arlen Specter.  (Applause.)  Chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the House, Representative John Conyers.  (Applause.)  Representative Barney Frank.  (Applause.)  Representative Tammy Baldwin.  (Applause.)  Representative Jerry Nadler.  (Applause.)  Representative Jared Polis.  (Applause.)  All the members of Congress who are here today, we thank you.

Mr. David Bohnett and Mr. Tom Gregory and the David Bohnett Foundation — they are partners for this reception.  Thank you so much, guys, for helping to host this.  (Applause.)

And finally, and most importantly, because these were really the spearheads of this effort  – Denis, Judy, and Logan Shepard. (Applause.)  As well as Betty Byrd Boatner and Louvon Harris  – sisters of James Byrd, Jr.  (Applause.)

To all the activists, all the organizers, all the people who helped make this day happen, thank you for your years of advocacy and activism, pushing and protesting that made this victory possible.

You know, as a nation we’ve come far on the journey towards a more perfect union.  And today, we’ve taken another step forward.  This afternoon, I signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.  (Applause.)

This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a decade.  Time and again, we faced opposition.  Time and again, the measure was defeated or delayed.  Time and again we’ve been reminded of the difficulty of building a nation in which we’re all free to live and love as we see fit.  But the cause endured and the struggle continued, waged by the family of Matthew Shepard, by the family of James Byrd, by folks who held vigils and led marches, by those who rallied and organized and refused to give up, by the late Senator Ted Kennedy who fought so hard for this legislation — (applause) — and all who toiled for years to reach this day.

You understood that we must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones, but to break spirits — not only to inflict harm, but to instill fear.  You understand that the rights afforded every citizen under our Constitution mean nothing if we do not protect those rights — both from unjust laws and violent acts.  And you understand how necessary this law continues to be.

In the most recent year for which we have data, the FBI reported roughly 7,600 hate crimes in this country.  Over the past 10 years, there were more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone.  And we will never know how many incidents were never reported at all.

And that’s why, through this law, we will strengthen the protections against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart, or the place of your birth.  We will finally add federal protections against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.  (Applause.) And prosecutors will have new tools to work with states in order to prosecute to the fullest those who would perpetrate such crimes.  Because no one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love.  No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are or because they live with a disability.

At root, this isn’t just about our laws; this is about who we are as a people.  This is about whether we value one another

– whether we embrace our differences, rather than allowing them to become a source of animus.  It’s hard for any of us to imagine the mind-set of someone who would kidnap a young man and beat him to within an inch of his life, tie him to a fence, and leave him for dead.  It’s hard for any of us to imagine the twisted mentality of those who’d offer a neighbor a ride home, attack him, chain him to the back of a truck, and drag him for miles until he finally died.

But we sense where such cruelty begins:  the moment we fail to see in another our common humanity — the very moment when we fail to recognize in a person the same fears and hopes, the same passions and imperfections, the same dreams that we all share.

We have for centuries strived to live up to our founding ideal, of a nation where all are free and equal and able to pursue their own version of happiness.  Through conflict and tumult, through the morass of hatred and prejudice, through periods of division and discord we have endured and grown stronger and fairer and freer.  And at every turn, we’ve made progress not only by changing laws but by changing hearts, by our willingness to walk in another’s shoes, by our capacity to love and accept even in the face of rage and bigotry.

In April of 1968, just one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, as our nation mourned in grief and shuddered in anger, President Lyndon Johnson signed landmark civil rights legislation.  This was the first time we enshrined into law federal protections against crimes motivated by religious or racial hatred — the law on which we build today.

As he signed his name, at a difficult moment for our country, President Johnson said that through this law “the bells of freedom ring out a little louder.”  That is the promise of America.  Over the sounds of hatred and chaos, over the din of grief and anger, we can still hear those ideals — even when they are faint, even when some would try to drown them out.  At our best we seek to make sure those ideals can be heard and felt by Americans everywhere.  And that work did not end in 1968.  It certainly does not end today.  But because of the efforts of the folks in this room — particularly those family members who are standing behind me — we can be proud that that bell rings even louder now and each day grows louder still.

So thank you very much.  God bless you and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END                 5:53 P.M. EDT

Anti-AA Violence, Obama Administration, Social Justice, The Editors | No Comments »

Now that Los Angeles Police Chief Chief Bill Bratton has stepped down, whom should Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa nominate to replace him? AAA-Fund strongly recommends Jim McDonnell as the next Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.

October 28, 2009

The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa

City Hall

200 North Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dear Mayor Villaraigosa:

Asian American Action Fund strongly recommends the appointment of Jim McDonnell to become the next Chief of Police of the Los Angeles Police Department. In many minority communities, little communication with the police leads to a lack of trust. Building an accessible police force starts with strong leaders committed to and experienced in building bridges with Asian Pacific Islanders and all minority communities.  With his proven commitment to reaching out to every community of Los Angeles, Jim McDonnell stands out.

AAA-Fund is a national political group devoted to empowering the nation’s burgeoning Asian American community.  AAA-Fund strives to ensure that the halls of government truly and meaningfully represent this nation’s citizens.  We have a strong media presence.  Our award-winning Blog was recently recognized the US Library of Congress for outstanding political coverage of the 2008 Presidential campaign.

McDonnell’s intimate knowledge of the department as well as his experience in Los Angeles makes him the most qualified candidate. The many hats that he has donned attest to his prodigious management abilities and showcase his thorough understanding of the Department.

AAA-Fund proudly endorses Jim McDonnell as our candidate for the Chief of Police position. His 28 years with the Department have familiarized him with its numerous divisions and compartments. His current titles of First Assistant to the Chief and Chief of Staff further illustrate his in-depth understanding of how the Department runs. Previously, as Commanding Officer of the Southwest Operations Support Division, he worked closely with diverse neighborhoods across South Los Angeles. Currently, he serves as the Department’s Lesbian and Gay Coordinator.

We have no doubt McDonnell will continue the Department’s efforts to reach out to the unheard voices of Angelenos. We proudly endorse Jim McDonnell as our choice for Los Angeles Police Department Chief of Police.

Very truly yours,

Gautam Dutta
Executive Director
Asian American Action Fund

AAA Fund, California, Gautam Dutta, Grassroots Activism | No Comments »

A message from AAA-Fund Chair-Elect Bel Leong-Hong, who’s also Chair of the DNC’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus:

PLEASE COME

For fun and for camaraderie

Come help keep Virginia BLUE

Come help make a difference in this CRUCIAL election:

What: AAA Fund  GOTV  Day  and  help elect

*               Creigh Deeds for Governor

*               Mark Keam for Delegate

LOTS TO DO:  Phone banking, canvassing, pamphleting, visibility/business walks for Deeds and Keam

When:  October 31^st, 2009

From  11:00 am to 5:00pm

Where: Arlington Staging Location

3440 Fairfax Drive,

Arlington VA,

(Right in front of the VA  Square/GMU Metro exit!)

RSVP To: Alvina Yeh (alvina.yeh AT gmail.com)

Thanks!

Bel Leong-Hong

Chair, DNC AAPI Caucus

AAA Fund, Campaign Update, Democratic Party, Grassroots Activism, The Editors, Virginia | 1 Comment »

Remember David Vitter, the Louisiana pol who cavorted with prostitutes while proclaiming his strong family values?  Well, it appears the Janus-faced GOP Senator has returned to what he does best:  bashing immigrants.

Vitter just introduced a bill that would ban millions of immigrants from being counted in the census.  How?  By only allowing US citizens to be counted in the 2010 Census (via NY Times):

Mr. Vitter’s proposal, which would generally benefit nonurban areas where Republicans tend to dominate, could also affect reapportionment within each state.

“If Congressional and other redistricting was done in this manner, it would mean that regions of states that had fewer immigrants, such as upstate New York, would gain, while those with many immigrants would lose,” said Andrew A. Beveridge, a Queens College sociologist who analyzed the census data. “This is going to disempower immigrants massively.”

As we all know, it can take years to become a US citizen.  At any given time, millions of Asian Americans and Latinos are waiting to become naturalized.

So Vitter’s scheme is rather simple:  if immigrants aren’t counted in the Census, the states in which they live will suffer in two critical ways.  First, they could lose representation in Congress.  What’s more, they’ll be deprived of their fair share of federal funding — which is based on the census.

To her credit, Louisiana’s other Senator, Mary Landrieu, rejected Vitter’s ploy as an unconstitutional “political stunt”.

Disappointingly, Republican Anh Joseph Cao, the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress, tried to have it both ways — but not before selling out the rights of immigrants:

Princella Smith, Cao’s spokeswoman, said he is “emphatically against noncitizens being used in counting population numbers.”

“However, as an immigrant, Congressman Cao understands that it is a priority that minorities and non-English speaking citizens participate in the census,” Smith said.

Eh?  Methinks Rep. Cao lacks some serious spine.

Vitter’s bill is unfair, undemocratic, unconstitutional, and un-American. Please call your two Senators and tell them to reject Vitter’s odious plan.

Update: I just called Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office (225.342.0991) to ask whether he supports Sen. Vitter’s plan to disempower immigrants.  I’ll let you know if I receive a response.

– Gautam Dutta

Congress, Gautam Dutta, Grassroots Activism, Immigration, Social Justice | 1 Comment »

Election Day is almost here! There are many offices up for election in Houston fron mayor to district city councilperson, not to mention eleven state constitutional amendments to vote on. To read up on the candidates and the amendments see my posts about:

• The race to be the next Mayor of Houston
• Peter Brown
• Gene Locke
• Annise Parker and
• The other mayoral candidates
• The race to be the next Houston City Controller
• Houston City Council At-Large races
• Houston City Council District races
• Proposed Texas Constitutional Amendments
• Election Day

If you’d prefer to check out other blogs to see what they’re saying, I recommend: The Blogfather himself, Charles Kuffner, who has the best snapshot of who is running, Martha Griffin, Burnt Orange Report, John Cobarruvias, Stace Medellin, Dr. Richard Murray, Perry Dorrell, Greg Wythe, and David Ortez.

I also suggest checking out the League of Women Voters [PDF] guide (Thanks, Kuff!).

The future of Houston’s public transportation is among the major issues of all the races. Citizens’ Transportation Coalition has the transit positions for all the candidates (Thanks again, Kuff!).

If after reading through all this or just skipping over it all you still don’t know who to vote for, Martha and Burnt Orange Report are wise.

Early voting continues 7 AM to 7 PM today until Friday the 30th. You can vote at any of the following locations:

View Early Vote 2009 – Harris County in a larger map

If you want to wait until election day, you can find your polling place, which will be open from 7 AM to 7 PM.

- Justin Gillenwater

2009 Campaign, Campaign Update, Education, Justin Gillenwater, Texas | No Comments »

The Houston Chronicle has at the end of each of their recommendations about the proposed amendments the following language:

As is usual in odd-year elections, Houston voters will have an outsized say in the outcome of the voting on state constitutional amendments. This owes to the larger turnout here for City of Houston mayoral, council and controller elections, as well as elections for HISD board members. There are no comparable local elections in other large Texas cities.

This accident of the electoral calendar places a special obligation on Houston voters to cast well-informed votes on the constitutional amendments.

As a general rule, I lean towards NO until otherwise persuaded. The Texas Constitution is notoriously lengthy with over 450 amendments. Yes, 450. Firming my general oppositional position is the YES endorsement Conservative Republicans of Texas has given every amendment.

Proposition 1:

The constitutional amendment authorizing the financing, including through tax increment financing, of the acquisition by municipalities and counties of buffer areas or open spaces adjacent to a military installation for the prevention of encroachment or for the construction of roadways, utilities, or other infrastructure to protect or promote the mission of the military installation.

Proposition 2:

The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the ad valorem taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of the property’s value as a residence homestead.

I think the Austin Chronicle best describes Proposition 2:

Just another backdoor way to slash taxes on valuable property, thereby undermining the public schools and other community needs.

Proposition 3:

The constitutional amendment providing for uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for ad valorem tax purposes.

Proposition 4: YES

The constitutional amendment establishing the national research university fund to enable emerging research universities in this state to achieve national prominence as major research universities and transferring the balance of the higher education fund to the national research university fund.

“AAA-Fund Texas” strongly recommends a YES vote for Proposition 4. AAA-Fund endorsee State Representative Hubert Vo supports the proposed amendment as well. The University of Houston, UT Dallas, UT Arlington, UTEP, UT San Antonio, Texas Tech, University of North Texas will all have an opportunity become better centers of higher learning If the proposed amendment becomes part of the state’s constitution. Further sweetening the favorability of this amendment, the esteemed positions of The University of Texas and Rice will not be threatened. Aside from a few wingnuts, everyone agrees with this proposed amendment, which passed with unanimous support in the legislature.

Proposition 5:

The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to authorize a single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities that elect to provide for consolidated equalizations.

Proposition 6:

The constitutional amendment authorizing the Veterans’ Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in amounts equal to or less than amounts previously authorized.

Proposition 7:

The constitutional amendment to allow an officer or enlisted member of the Texas State Guard or other state militia or military force to hold other civil offices.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram best explains Proposition 7 in recommending a NO.

A Fort Worth City Council member can’t join the Texas State Guard, but a Tarrant County commissioner can. Honest, that’s the way it is under the Texas Constitution.

That council member could join the National Guard or any U.S. military reserve outfit. But not the Texas State Guard. The state constitution says no one can hold more than one civic office for which they get paid.

Prop 7 would change that by adding the Texas State Guard to a list of dual-office positions excepted from the constitutional rule.

A better way to do this, rather than holding an election every time some exception seems like a good idea, is to scrap the list and give the Legislature the authority to make exceptions by statute. Voters could hold the Legislature responsible for bad decisions.

While I agree with the Star-Telegram on the merits, that’s not where we’re at. We can fix this loophole now and next cycle fix all the loopholes.

Proposition 8:

The constitutional amendment authorizing the state to contribute money, property, and other resources for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of veterans hospitals in this state.

Proposition 9:

The constitutional amendment to protect the right of the public, individually and collectively, to access and use the public beaches bordering the seaward shore of the Gulf of Mexico.

Proposition 9 deals with the intersection of public and private land rights even more so than Proposition 11. If a hurricane, global warming, or other event moves a beach, private formerly non-beach land will become public land. I support this amendment because beaches should be accessible to the public. If someone wants to buy and build on land that could easily become beach, they’re taking their chances.

Proposition 10:

The constitutional amendment to provide that elected members of the governing boards of emergency services districts may serve terms not to exceed four years.

Proposition 11:

The constitutional amendment to prohibit the taking, damaging, or destroying of private property for public use unless the action is for the ownership, use, and enjoyment of the property by the State, a political subdivision of the State, the public at large, or entities granted the power of eminent domain under law or for the elimination of urban blight on a particular parcel of property, but not for certain economic development or enhancement of tax revenue purposes, and to limit the legislature’s authority to grant the power of eminent domain to an entity.

Burnt Orange Report’s endorsements, which Kuff and I tend to agree with are as follows:

YES on Propositions 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

NO on Propositions 1, 2, 3, 11

Burnt Orange Report did not make an endorsement for Proposition 10, which Kuff will support.

- Justin Gillenwater

2009 Campaign, Education, Environment, Justin Gillenwater, Texas | No Comments »

GOVERNMENT REFORM COALITION SUBMITS

BALLOT LANGUAGE CALLING A STATE

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

What:                  Members of Repair California, a broad coalition of government reform advocates, will hold a press conference before submitting ballot language calling for a state Constitutional Convention.

When:                 Noon on Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Where:               California Attorney General’s Office, Sacramento

Significance:       Supporters of the ballot initiative will place the measure on the 2010 ballot to convene the assembly in 2011.  Supporters believe a convention is necessary to address the paralysis gripping the government of the state.

RSVP:                 Please contact agonzalez@repaircalifornia.org

California, Political Reform, The Editors | No Comments »

Houston’s mayoral race between Peter Brown, Gene Locke, Annise Parker, and several others is proving to be one of the most interesting mayoral races Houston has seen in some time. In fact, Swing State Project considers Houston’s mayoral race one of the Top 10 Mayoral Races around the country.

The race hasn’t developed significantly since February, when we already knew the frontrunners were running. It’s still difficult to figure just which of the three is the frontrunner. At the end of August, half of voters were undecided (thanks, Kuff!) and Parker held a slim lead among the few who were decided. A poll earlier this month undecided down to about one third with Brown leading Parker by a few points (poll details). Brown is promoting the poll, exclaiming he is the leader, but with the money he has spent, he should have should have purchased far more poll points. Parker recently released support is weak.

Michael Hurta best explains the situation:

We cannot say with any certainty, now, who leads the mayoral race, but reaching a majority is unlikely for any candidate next Tuesday. I just care about who reaches the top two, and three polls over a week and a half shows a likely runoff between Parker and Brown. Clearly, Gene Locke has a lot of last minute work in order to reach the Finals.

Interestingly, Locke has his own internal poll that he isn’t releasing. Martha suggests this indicates Locke’s poll shows he’s not going to make the runoff.

The Houston Chronicle issued a bizarre dual endorsement for both Parker and Locke. With Brown obviously the odd man out, the Chronicle seems to have strongly endorsed “not Peter Brow,.” but the Chronicle did a poor job of explaining their case for not Peter Brown. For more on the bizarre endorsement, see Martha’s breakdown of the points the Chronicle endorsement evaluates.

Public safety, the city’s participation or lack thereof in 287(g), and the future of Houston’s public transportation are among the major issues of the mayoral race. Citizens’ Transportation Coalition has the transit positions for all the candidates (Thanks, Kuff!). All three candidates are promising better policing or more police without raising taxes. Kuff points out in a post with links to each candidate’s positions on crime and public safety that police aren’t cheap. As Parker pointed out at the Houston Asian American Mayoral Forum, a 40% increase in the budget over the past five years has gone to HPD with nothing to show for the extreme expenditures. Another aspect of public safety, only because it is a program through police departments, is 287(g), or legalized discriminatory profiling of the foreign-looking. Locke seems to have a different 287(g) policy depending on his audience. It’s certainly an issue on which the candidates’ policy difference are not difficult to discern. Stace was disappointed with all the candidate’s 287(g) positions at the Houston Latino Summit Mayoral Debate back in July, but either he or Annise has come around to where Stace can at least tolerate her position. One wonders if the candidate’s varying level of desire to have the 287(g) program in Houston is simply a way to woo Republican voters.

Locke and Brown are fighting over the Republicans who prefer voting for a winner instead of Crazy Roy Morales. Kuff is enjoying the schadenfreude of Republicans having to choose between which Democrat to support. If the Chronicle poll’s subset of Republicans is to be believed, plenty are undecided, but Locke has little chance against Brown, who is behind Parker. One wonders if this has something to do with Brown’s numerous donations to Republicans including George “Macaca” Allen or has something to do with Brown being a rich old white guy and Locke being not white.

Locke and Brown are also fighting over the African American vote, without which Locke will have extreme difficulty winning. That the same candidates are fiercely competing for both the Republican and African American vote is a delightful peculiarity of this election. Locke claims Brown is trying to buy black support, but I don’t understand the hit. Brown is trying to buy everyone’s support. Locke’s going negative shows he’s scared. Brown has great radio ads targeted towards the African American community. As Martha points out:

The words “Peter Brown” are said nine times in the one minute radio spot. That’s once every 6.8 seconds. I’m a fan of Team Brown’s quick responses today.

No one knows what the ultimate outcome will be. Kuff thinks Locke will be difficult to beat if he reaches the runoff unless Brown and Parker team up. Brown has the possible advantage of being first on the ballot; Parker and Locke are at the bottom. The poll from earlier this month shows in head-to-heads Brown and Parker virtually tied with Locke losing to either, but Undecided remains an extreme factor.

In the final stretch, the race will come down to the outcome of these three questions:

Can Brown, who is distrusted by some prominent Republican and conservative business leaders, hold onto his unexpected lead among Republican voters?

Can Locke, who is neck and neck with Brown among blacks, win over enough African-American supporters?

Can Parker, who was back on the air last week after two days without television advertising, overcome her cash disadvantage?

As Nancy Sims put it

In our modern democracy, people tend to be more driven to vote “against” someone than “for” them. When you have a collective of qualified individuals, the voters are stumped.

And as Coby said:

[T]he city of Houston is lucky to have three great candidates running for Mayor.

Indeed, one wishes Houston had Instant Runoff Voting not only to save money from the inevitable runoff but to create the best result from the three candidates.

- Justin Gillenwater

2009 Campaign, Campaign Update, Immigration, Justin Gillenwater, Texas | No Comments »

Dear Friends,

Please see below and join us for an online chat on Health Insurance Reform with Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett.

The White House Blog

Valerie Jarrett: Health Insurance Reform for All Americans

On Monday, November 2nd at 3:30 EDT, Valerie Jarrett will hold an extended online chat to discuss how health insurance reform will impact minority communities and all Americans.

Submit your questions now, or join us on Monday here at WhiteHouse.gov or at Facebook.com/WhiteHouse to submit your question live during the discussion.

Submit your question.

Kalpen Modi

Associate Director

White House Office of Public Engagement

Grassroots Activism, Healthcare, Obama Administration, The Editors | No Comments »

Gene Locke has plenty of experience in and around the city in unelected capacities including serving as Congressman Mickey Leland’s Chief of Staff in the 80s and Houston city attorney in the 90s. From that position and going forward, he:

has had a hand in just about every headline-grabbing step taken by local government the past decade: Three new sports stadiums, annexation of Kingwood, light rail, Houston Independent School District and Harris County redistricting, Houston Community College System expansion.

Locke’s experience is also the source of many concerns. Locke worked as special counsel to METRO and as general counsel for the Houston-Harris County Sports Authority. Locke has received at least $33,000 from METRO leadership and has said he would not seek major changes in METRO, contrasting with his all his serious opponents’ plans to do so. Locke may have continued in his position of general counsel after becoming a mayoral candidate. Martha explains why that’s a problem, but I certainly don’t understand the problem with the $640/hour legal fees Locke earned.

Locke has done an impressive job of locking up endorsements, no pun intended. Locke was one of two candidates receiving the Houston Chronicles’s dual endorsement. He also received the endorsement of Houston 80-20. Asian American Democrats of Texas endorsed no mayoral candidate because no candidate could muster the 2/3 vote required. When reached for comment about the 80-20 Houston vote, Social Media Strategist & Director of APA Outreach Grace Rodriguez — a person whose hiring is probably the best thing the Locke campaign has done — said

I don’t know who in Houston 80-20 stood where on what or whom, since I’m not privy to the discussions of their Board. But in his answers to their questions, Gene showed that he listened to their concerns, researched the issues, and provided real substance in his solutions – not just stump speeches. He’s done this with every group – that’s why he has the most labor/union/group endorsements.

As you know, all candidates had to submit their answers to the same H80-20 questionnaire; then go through a private screening/interview; and THEN answer public questions at the debate. Many of them didn’t even know Gene and seemed to be leaning in other directions. But throughout the process, I think Houston 80-20 appreciated his specificity, directness, and thoughtfulness in answering their questions. That’s what I think it came down to – he cared enough to go the extra mile and come up with real solutions that addressed APA community issues.

In addition to 80-20 Houston, Locke has received great endorsements from the likes of former AAA-Fund endorsee Congressman Al Green, State Senator Mario Gallegos, the man who risked his life to block voter ID in Texas, and State Representative and former City Councilwoman Carol Alvarado. Locke also has endorsements from State Representative Senfronia Thompson, Houston Fire Fighters Association, restauranteur Tilman Fertitta, Houston Black American Democrats, State Senator Rodney Ellis, former mayors Lee Brown and Bob Lanier, former Continental CEO Larry Kellner, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Houston Association of Realtors. But Locke also has disconcerting endorsements from the anti-tenant Houston Apartment Association, the anti-homebuyer, pro-undocumented immigrant exploitation Greater Houston Builder’s Association,. Locke even proudly displays endorsements of more questionable characters such as the President of the Houston Police Officer’s Union, which sent out a mailer supporting Locke. I don’t trust any organization that will try to protect abusive cops. Locke also proudly displays the endorsement of anti-Voting Rights Act Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman. Keep in mind that as County Clerk, she will oversee the election. Martha has more on the Kaufman robocall and its implications

Much of Locke’s campaign was based on resurrecting the Black-Brown coalition of decades past, but that strategy has been tossed in favor of a Black-Republican pincer, called a “broad coalition” by the Locke campaign.

As Dr. Murray puts it:

Will this strategy work? That remains to be seen, as Peter Brown and Annise Parker also understand the heightened potential of Republican voters this year. Ms. Parker especially aims to do well with Republican women voters, much as Kathy Whitmire did in her mayoral victories in the 1980s. And Peter Brown hopes his “blueprint for Houston” theme will win over a sizeable number of white Houstonians, including some Republicans, who support more vigorous urban planning.

Locke’s campaign has had three bizarre incidents so far, and will need to avoid any others through election day. In July, Locke briefly turned into a pander bear, promising a Hispanic museum before a Hispanic audience when such a museum is on no one’s radar. In September, a row erupted when someone in or with the Locke campaign issued the below flyer before receiving proper authorization, thus embarrassing the campaign.

Annie’s List then sent out a powerful email attacking Locke from all angles. They called Locke:

• “Offensive” for the flyer
• “insensitive” for firing his fundraiser while she was recovering breast cancer treatment after she had surpassed expectations.
• “Unprofessional” or saying at a candidate forum, “I said to my wife the other day, I am going to hustle business in Houston just like I hustled you when you were single and you wouldn’t go out with me. I am going to be all over it.”
• “Out of touch” for saying at a candidate forum, “I do some of that with my law firm at Andrews Kurth, and one of the things that I have noticed with talented young people coming into Houston is, particularly women, they want to have the flexibility of options. Women are burdened with responsibility of both being professionals and homeowners – homemakers, and they are involuntarily homemakers sometimes. You have to put in place flex hours, meaningful arrangements to allow women to advance.”
• “Unreasonable” for offering a $5,000 settlement to a shooting victim of a murder-for-hire plot the police failed to warn of and then his employees “engaging in a ‘finger-pointing tirade’ against” the paralyzed victim in court.

Some of the Annie’s List attacks seem to be over-the-top stretches, but Locke called “uncle!” instead of defending himself.

Just days ago, Locke’s campaign, in their third bizarre incident, claimed early voting would end on October 23. As Martha said about early voting in Locke:

So, if you are a Locke supporter, your early voting experience has concluded. If you are a Parker or Brown supporter, please feel free to early vote through next Friday, Oct. 30th – the date early voting actually ends.

Locke was last to hit the airwaves, waiting until October to do so. His first ad is just stellar, although a little empty on policy substance. KT agrees. If you think about what Locke’s experiences he’s touting in the ad mean, you might start to look for another candidate. In the second ad, notice how Locke strategically manipulates the English language to suggest he is the only candidate to receive the Chronicle’s endorsement. Kuff has more on Locke’s recent television and radio ads and the resulting fallout. You can listen to that negative radio ad here.

Part of me wants to be behind Locke, especially with his having Grace Rodriguez on board, but with so many legitimate questions about his record, it’s difficult. Add on his support from Kaufman, et al. and I just can’t. Nevertheless, I would not be upset should he eke out a victory.

To learn more about Locke and his campaign, read Houston Chronicle’s signature piece, Nancy Sim’s insider look, or listen to Charles Kuffner’s interview of Gene Locke.

- Justin Gillenwater

2009 Campaign, Campaign Update, Justin Gillenwater, Texas | 1 Comment »