As promised, we’ll continue to assess term limits this week. The last post focused on the conjunction of term limits and city budgets. Today, let’s discuss rapid administration changes. Prior to term limits, Mayors would definitely replace officials from the previous administration – both staff and appointed – with their own choices. They would frequently […]
Continue reading →In 1991, Houston voters adopted Term Limits. It took another election cycle to truly remove the long-term Council Members due to a loophole that grandfathered them. However, by the 1993 cycle we began to see new blood on City Council. The first group of term-limited Council Members was very outspoken, engaged and active. Some of […]
Continue reading →Alas, the Texas Legislature has tackled redistricting this Session with the same approach they have used on the budget and school finance – with little regard for the consequences. Redistricting has been a favorite topic of this blogger for some time. Last year, I published a series on redistricting that explained the process and the […]
Continue reading →Just when you thought it was safe again, the Texas Legislature reconvenes. They didn’t even take a day off from their tireless end of Session rush. The reason – School Finance. Now the rhetoric moves to a whole new level of noise. The decibels are increasing by the moment. Some claim that the reason they […]
Continue reading →Really? Why would Ponderings write about Oprah? I know that is what you are thinking. Allow me to explain. Let’s not forget that the author of this Blog teaches Women in Politics and is extremely dedicated to the empowerment of women. Oprah took this cause to all new levels. First, she empowered herself. She overcame […]
Continue reading →Most of us believe that government is failing to govern well. At the federal level, we blame “partisan gridlock” and with good reason. A Democratic President strives to build consensus with a Republican House and a narrowly Democratic Senate. They constantly bog down in conflict and struggle to govern together. What is our excuse in […]
Continue reading →Dearest Children: We truly do have your best interests at heart. We know you are the future of Texas and we want the very best for you. Part of growing up is learning how to survive in tough times. Many of your families have faced economic challenges over the last few years. We know that […]
Continue reading →The City and County have been steadily handing out “pink slips” for the last few months. Each have been laying off employees, eliminating positions through attrition, and overall trimming their staffs to balance budgets. Government jobs are not as easy to eliminate as in the private sector. Due to the lower pay of most of […]
Continue reading →City Elections are finally kicking into gear as summer approaches. This is actually a late start to the campaign season. The City’s redistricting process has held up the usual frantic fundraising process as candidates study the lines and watch to see districts materialize. Mayor Parker drew an opponent last week. Deputy Fire Chief Fernando Herrera […]
Continue reading →The Mayor announced and presented a revised redistricting plan for the expanded City Council, surrounded by a diverse group of supporters. To the Mayor’s credit, she has made the city redistricting process an open and engaging experiment. To recap, the Planning Department staff initially presented a plan that added the two new seats but did […]
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