What Nonsequiteuse says: I’m really upset that the Houston Astros have left the Houston Area Women’s Center in the lurch as far as the gala this year. I know the people and the programs that will suffer without those funds, and let me tell you, it will hurt. I’d like to suggest some constructive next [...]
Posts Tagged ‘activism’
Another Battleground Texas story
There are three points of interest in this Statesman story about Battleground Texas. Point One: They’ve convinced the people who most needed convincing, the money people and the dedicated volunteers. Battleground Texas quickly won the allegiance of Steve Mostyn and Mary Patrick. Mostyn is a Houston trial lawyer who, with his wife, Amber, is the [...]
Saturday video break: For Boston
This is how you sing the national anthem: And switching sports, but with the same sentiment: Three cheers for Boston’s hospitals as well as their first responders. You are all amazing. For anyone who wants to help, here’s what you can do. I wish I had a song for Waco as well, but I can’t [...]
How you can help West, TX
Horrible. A massive explosion ripped through a fertilizer plant in the town of West, Texas, Wednesday night, sending scores of injured to area hospitals, sparking fires and triggering evacuations. WHAT’S NEW – “It was like a nuclear bomb went off,” West Mayor Tommy Muska said. – Some 10 to 15 buildings have been “totally demolished” [...]
At the Battleground Texas kickoff meeting
I attended the Battleground Texas kickoff meeting for Houston on Saturday. Houston was one of the last stops on their statewide introduction tour. I estimated about 300 people in attendance; BGTX gives it as 350, which is probably the more accurate number since they have the sign-in sheets. Numerous elected officials were also in attendance, [...]
Clean Water Forum
If you’re not at the Battleground Texas meeting today, Environment Texas has a fine thing to do instead: Houston Clean Water Forum on Saturday, April 6th at 3:00 PM As part of a Clean Water Forum sponsored by Environment Texas, three conservation experts will engage with members of the public about the potential for water [...]
Carl Whitmarsh
From the inbox: Here’s the donation link. I sent a check, because I’m just old-fashioned. Carl has done a lot for Democrats in Harris County for a long time, and he deserves our support in his time of need. Please help if you can. Thanks very much.
Meet the new budget
Same as the old budget. Republican leaders in both chambers of the Legislature on Monday offered spare first drafts of the state’s next two-year budget that continue $5.4 billion in cuts to public education made last session and freeze funding for an embattled state agency set up to find a cure for cancer. Upending recent [...]
Tar Sands Protesters Are Texas Progressive Alliance 2012 Texans Of The Year
The Texas Progressive Alliance, a consortium of Lone Star-based liberal weblogs, has selected the protesters of the Tar Sands Blockade as Texans of the Year for 2012. The award has been given annually to the person, or persons or organization, who had the most significance influence — for good or ill — on the advancement of progressive [...]
The Houston Food Bank could use your help
Times are tough, y’all. Despite a growing demand, food banks, charities and pantries face a dwindling supply of products to distribute to Houston’s hungry this holiday season. Food banks in Houston and across the country have less to give away because the federal government is purchasing fewer excess farm products to stabilize agricultural prices. At [...]
Tomorrow is the last day to submit comments to TxDOT on I-45
From the inbox: Dear Neighbors – TxDOT has plans for I-45, which will impact you! If you ever drive on I-45; if you live or work near the I-45 Corridor; if you live or work in the Heights, Old Sixth Ward, First Ward, Near North Side, Montrose, Midtown or Downtown – you will be impacted! [...]
I-45 public forum tomorrow
From the inbox: I-45 Public Forum ~ October 24th! Many people who attended the TxDOT public meeting last week (October 9th or 11th ) left with more questions than answers! Why? It appears that TxDOT is listening & trying to come up with several alternatives to help the traffic on I-45 … in fact, they came up with 33 [...]
TxDOT finally publishes comments from last year’s public forum on I-45
From the Inbox: Hello I-45 Coalition folks – There are finally some updates regarding I-45! As you may recall, back in mid-November 2011, TxDOT held 2 public meetings to get the public’s input on their thoughts on what should be done regarding the expansion of I-45. Comments were encouraged via email, website, comment forms, etc. [...]
Women’s Equality Day celebration
This seems like something we could all use right about now: The League of Women Voters of Houston Education Fund today announces Rising Stars of 2012, men and women who have made important contributions to the Houston community and whose work will continue to call forth a bright and hopeful future. Rising Stars will be [...]
NOH8 comes to Houston
Very cool. The NOH8 “photographic silent protest” comes to town Oct. 18 at the University of Houston. The shoot is hosted by the UH Council of Ethnic Organizations, from 4-7 p.m. in the University Center. NOH8 was created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in response to Proposition 8 in California, which amended [...]
Chick-fil-A
So there’s been protests and counter-protests and editorials and clever menu ideas, and that’s only in the past week. I don’t think the Chick-fil-A saga is going to come to a resolution any time soon, so let’s remember what it’s all about in the first place. It isn’t that Dan Cathy opposes marriage equality or [...]
Cindy Vara-Leija: Political Activism, Great-Grandma Style
The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, a mother of six would take her youngest children along as she set up her folding table and chair outside her local grocery store. She was there, as was [...]
Gene Wu: Backyard Progressivism
The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. Before I became involved in politics, I learned that there are real people in our communities who need hands-on assistance, people who are desperate for others to help lead them out of poverty. Beyond the typical [...]
Rally for women’s rights in Austin April 28
Seems like there’s been an awful lot of these lately. Here’s the next one: Go here to learn more and to register. I’ve generally been skeptical about rallies in the past, but at this point I’m glad to see evidence that people are paying attention and wanting to do something about all of the crap [...]
HISD announces public meetings to address proposed school start time changes
From the HISD News Blog: HISD has scheduled 10 public meetings to gather community input on a plan to add 19 minutes to the average student’s school day by coordinating the bell schedule among the district’s 279 schools. If approved, the extra 19 minutes of daily instructional time would be equal to an extra seven [...]
Hens for Houston
Looking for a new cause to get involved in? Here’s a movement to allow people to raise hens in Houston. Vision: “Hens for Houston” is working to promote a sustainable and progressive Houston in which city dwellers can keep 4-6 hens on the small city lots such as those found inside the Beltway and the [...]
Take the HISD start time survey
As we know, HISD is contemplating uniform start times for its campuses for next year. They have said they want public feedback on their proposals. Here’s your chance to give it. Implementing uniform schedules across the Houston Independent School District’s 279 campuses would free up $1.2 million while giving the average student an extra 19 [...]
How you can help support policies and funding for public schools
From the inbox, sent by Sue Dimenn Deigaard: Over the past week I have heard several legislators make the misleading claim that they increased funding for public education this past session. As a parent with a child that is in a classroom with 29 other students this year, and as a parent that regularly attends [...]
Not really buying it, Komen
So Komen has supposedly reversed itself on Planned Parenthood. I’ve read their statement, as well as TBogg’s improved version of it, and I don’t see a “reversal” so much as I see a bunch of weasel words that may very well lead to the same functional result. There’s a bunch of analysis out there, I’ll [...]
Komen outrage
I’m speechless. In a shocking move Tuesday afternoon, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the country’s most famous breast cancer charity, pulled its grants for breast-cancer screenings from Planned Parenthood. Komen claims that their reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation from Congress, but as it’s well-understood on both the left and the right that the [...]
National single payer health care conference in Houston this weekend
From the inbox: Healthcare-NOW! National Single Payer Strategy Conference in Houston WHAT: Over 120 Representatives from 25 states and 52 organizations meet in Houston to plan strategies to advance a single payer national health insurance plan in the USA. The best health care system plan for accessible, cost-effective, equitable and high quality health care is [...]
Rally redux
Many of the folks who rallied in Austin on Saturday stayed around for an encore today. “At a time when our educators and our educational system is under attack more than ever before, we are here to let our lawmakers in Texas know that our children should not be victims and we, as educators, are [...]
Thousands attend the Save Texas Schools rally
Our voices have been heard. Whether we are listened to remains to be seen. Parents, educators, and students from across the state marched to the Capitol Saturday for the Save Texas Schools rally to express their concern over what could amount to a $10 billion reduction in state funding for schools. Initial estimates put attendance [...]
Rally Day
Thanks in part to our only Governor, those attending today’s rally are even more fired up about it. As thousands of teachers, school staffers and parents prepare for a state Capitol rally Saturday against education cuts, they’ve found new recruits and fresh motivation from an unlikely source: Gov. Rick Perry. Reacting to Perry’s comments, some [...]
Getting ready for the Save Texas Schools rally
This needs to be big. Teachers, parents and school district employees will head by the thousands to the state Capitol over Spring Break for two rallies, hoping to show lawmakers what’s at stake with budget cuts to education. They’re ready to flex their political muscle over the possible loss of between 80,000 and 100,000 jobs [...]
Push for HB275
HB275 is the bill by Rep. Jim Pitts to spend money from the Rainy Day Fund to close the budget shortfall from the 2010-11 biennium. Here’s an update about it from a group called Spring Branch Speaks, sent to me via email: UPDATE ON HB 275: We were informed late last night that the hearing [...]
Activists for the disabled protest in front of Perry’s office
Go for it! About 35 Texans in wheelchairs, denouncing proposed state budget cuts, staged a sit-in outside Gov. Rick Perry’s Capitol office late Tuesday. Protesters with the disability rights group Adapt of Texas vowed to stay until they were removed or arrested. Chief organizers Bob Kafka and David Wittie said the group also would disperse [...]