Now in our 12th year on KPFT!

FYI: WordPress is forcing me to work with a new type of editor, so things will look … different … for a while. I’m hoping I’ll improve with a learning curve. Please bear with me, and let me know of any odd glitches you see that I may not, so I can try to fix them. — Mike

Beginning April 20th, Thinkwing Radio will air on KPFT 90.1-HD2 on Sundays at 1PM, and will re-air on Mondays at 2PM and Wednesdays at 11AM. Thanks for listening!

AUDIO: 

Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio) is now on Sundays at 1PM and re-runs Wednesday at 11AM (CT) on KPFT 90.1 FM-HD2, Houston’s Community Media. You can also hear the show:

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1. The next election is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, and early voting began on April 22, and will run through April 29^th. Polls are open for early voting on Sunday the 27^th from noon to 7PM, and on Monday and Tuesday from 7AM to 7PM.
   1. After Tuesday the 29^th, your last opportunity to vote will be on Election Day, Saturday May 3^rd.
   2. As near as I can tell, in Harris County, there are no elections within the city limits of Houston, but there are numerous elections in surrounding towns, cities, school districts, and utility districts.
   3. Outside of Harris County, check the website of your county clerk or elections clerk to find out what elections are being held in your precincts. You can also go to the Texas Secretary of State at VoteTexas-dot-Gov,
   4. I will preface the rest of this information with a reminder. I think we’ve all learned the hard way that there is no such thing as a trivial or unimportant election.
   5. Local elections may still be the most important elections in the sense that they are most likely directly to affect you, your children, your quality of life, your water service, etc.
   6. This time around in Harris County, at least, the elections are for bond propositions, school board trustees, and more.
   7. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot was April 22.
   8. In Harris County, you can early vote at any polling place in the county. I strongly encourage you to vote as soon before election day as possible because stuff happens.
   9. You can find voting and ballot information at HARRISVOTES-DOT-COM if you live in Harris County, or at VOTETEXAS-DOT-GOV for anywhere in Texas.
   10. If you’re in Harris County, I’ve linked to “What’s on my Ballot?” in this show post. Looking at the county-wide sample ballot, not everyone will have elections this time around. You can find a personalized sample ballot there, and you may or may not have an election this time around.
   11. I’m going to read a list of the places in Harris County that are having elections for positions, or bonds, or other things. This list is as complete as I could ascertain, but it was a long ballot so I might have missed something.
   12. There are elections for positions and/or bond propositions in the following places: Cities of Friendswood, Jersey Village, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, South Houston, and West University Place. Also Humble ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Waller ISD, and Tomball ISD, as well as the Lee College District, and the San Jacinto Community College District.
   13. There are also elections in the Cypress Forest Public Utility District, Harris County Emergency Services District No. 5, Harris County Fresh Water Supply District-No. 1A.
   14. There are Municipal Utility District elections in the Green Trails MUD, as well as Harris County MUD Nos. 16, 105, 118, 167, 182, 188, 230, and 1570D and the Mayde Creek MUD.
   15. Other utility districts with elections are the Harris County Water Control and Improvement Districts Nos. 74, 92, and 116; Hunter’s Glen [MUD], Memorial Hills Utility District, West Harris County MUDs No. 5, 10, and 15, Oakmont Public Utility District, the Weston Municipal Utility District, and last but not least, the Trail of the Lakes MUD.
   16. Again, I urge you to go to HarrisVotes[dot]com for your personal sample ballot. And remember that you can bring that sample with you to your polling place for reference as you cast your ballot.
   17. Interestingly, May 3^rd at-large council elections for Spring Valley have been cancelled. I’m providing a link in this show post that you can use to view that information and any updates.
   18. Also interestingly, elections for three positions on the Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees are not being run by Harris County. Early voting and election day are still scheduled concurrent with the current regular elections. Election day is still scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2025, but if you are in Spring Branch, you will have to click on the link I’m providing in the show post to learn about that ballot. HarrisVotes-dot-com will not have that information.
   19. Again, elections for the Spring Branch ISD are still being held concurrently with state and county elections, but under different auspices.
   20. Yup, nothing encourages voting participation like making things this easy [Sarcasm alert].
2. Texans urged to prepare for disasters with tax-free emergency supplies, April 26-28; By Jovanna Aguilar | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 2:46 PM Apr 22, 2025 CDT/Updated 2:46 PM Apr 22, 2025 CDT. TAGS: Emergency Preparation Supplies, Texas Sales Tax-free Days, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Storm Preparedness,
   1. Certain emergency preparation supplies can be purchased tax free in Texas from April 26-28, according to an April 21 news release from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The tax holiday was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2015. …
   2. … [Comptroller Glenn Hegar said in the press release that] Texans can purchase tax-free emergency supplies for events that can cause physical damage such as hurricanes, flash floods and wildfires. The tax holiday starts 12:01 a.m. on April 26 and ends at midnight on April 28.
   3. [Hegar said,] “Don’t wait for disaster to strike. I’m encouraging Texans to take advantage of this tax holiday to save money while stocking up for emergency situations.”
   4. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items that can be purchased, including: Household batteries, fuel containers and flashlights priced below $75; Hurricane shutters and emergency ladders priced below $300; [and] Portable generators priced below $3,000.
   5. A complete list of qualifying supplies can be found on the comptroller’s website. [MIKE: Which I’ve linked to in the body of this story.]
   6. Per the [press] release, delivery, shipping and handling, and transportation charges are part of the sales price for purchases made online.
   7. MIKE: As per the web page, “Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax HolidayApril 26 – 28, 2025.”
   8. MIKE: Since the first broadcast of this show is on Sunday, April 27 at 1PM, you have the balance of this Sunday and all day on Monday the 28^th to take advantage of this tax-exempt day for emergency supplies.
   9. MIKE: I’ll note in passing that I always consider these sales tax-exemption days to be a sop to citizens, so they think they’re getting a generous offer from the State.
   10. A line in the story that I didn’t read says, “The comptroller’s office estimates Texans will save about $2.3 million in state and local sales taxes.”
   11. MIKE: Saving 8-1/4% on a major purchase is no small thing, but I think that a better way to serve the Texas consumer would be to abandon the notion that Texas should be a flat-tax state. Instead, lower the sales tax and introduce a progressive income tax and/or a progressive property tax system where the rate goes up as an assessed value of, say, $1 million dollars is exceeded.
   12. MIKE: If you wanted to pitch this to Conservatives, you might point out that a lower sales tax rate would bring in more sales from consumers around the borders of Texas. This would help to make up for the sales tax rate cut, and also generate business and jobs for Texas businesses and workers.
   13. MIKE: Perhaps an idea worth considering?
3. In property tax news, from THELEADERNEWS-dot-COM — HCAD encourages homeowners to take advantage of homestead exemptions; COM | Apr 14, 2025 Updated Apr 14, 2025. TAGS: Harris Central Appraisal District, Homestead Exemptions, Property Taxes,
   1. The Harris Central Appraisal District is encouraging homeowners to make sure they have the homestead exemptions they are entitled to.
   2. [Said Roland Altinger, chief appraiser,] “One of the easiest ways a homeowner can lower their property tax bill is to file a homestead exemption and apply for any other exemption they might be eligible for. The state tax code mandates certain exemptions and many jurisdictions offer optional or additional percentage exemptions.”
   3. A homestead is generally the house and land used as the owner’s principal residence on January 1 of the tax year. Recent legislation allows a homeowner to apply for a residence homestead exemption the year they own and occupy the house as their principal residence. If the owner acquires the property after January 1, they are eligible to receive the exemption for the applicable portion of that tax year immediately on qualification if the previous owner did not receive the same exemption for the tax year. However, the homeowner must apply for the exemption for the applicable portion of that tax year before the first anniversary of the date the homeowner acquires the property.
   4. [Altinger said,] “Homestead exemptions can reduce the appraised value of your home, and as a result, could lower your property taxes.”
   5. Available homestead exemptions include:
   6. School taxes: All homeowners may receive a $100,000 homestead exemption for school taxes.
   7. Age and disability exemptions: Individuals 65 years of age or older or disabled as defined by law may qualify for a $10,000 homestead exemption for school taxes, in addition to the $100,000 exemption available to all homeowners. Also, any taxing unit may offer a local optional exemption of at least $3,000 for taxpayers age 65 or older and/or disabled. Older or disabled homeowners do not need to own their homes on January 1 to qualify for the $10,000 homestead exemption. They qualify as soon as they turn age 65 or become disabled.
   8. Local Option Exemption: Taxing units may offer an exemption based on a percentage of a home’s appraised value. Any taxing unit can exempt up to 20 percent of the value of each qualified homestead. No matter what percentage of value the taxing unit adopts, the dollar value of the exemption must be at least $5,000.
   9. Partial exemption for disabled veterans: Texas law provides partial exemptions for any property owned by veterans who are disabled, surviving spouses, and surviving children of deceased disabled veterans. This includes homesteads donated to disabled veterans by charitable organizations at no cost or not more than 50 percent of the good faith estimate of the homestead’s market value to the disabled veterans and their surviving spouses. The exemption amount is determined according to the percentage of service-connected disability on January 1 of the tax year.
   10. 100 Percent Residence Homestead Exemption for Disabled Veterans: A disabled veteran who receives 100 percent disability compensation due to a service-connected disability and a rating of 100 percent disabled or of individual unemployability from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs is entitled to an exemption from taxation of the total appraised value of the veteran’s residence homestead. Surviving spouses of veterans who qualified for this exemption or who would have qualified for it if it had been in effect at the time of the veteran’s death are also eligible with certain restrictions. The residence homestead application must be filed if this exemption is claimed.
   11. Surviving Spouses of Members of the U.S. Armed Services Killed in the Line of Duty: The surviving spouse of a member of the U.S. armed services who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty is allowed a 100 percent property tax exemption on his or her residence homestead if the surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the armed services member.
   12. Surviving Spouses of First Responders Killed in the Line of Duty: The eligible surviving spouse of a first responder killed in the line of duty is allowed a 100 percent property tax exemption on his or her residence homestead if the surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the first responder.
   13. For more details on homestead exemptions, contact the Harris Central Appraisal District at 713.957.7800 or by web form at hcad.org > ABOUT > Contact Us.
   14. Property owners may obtain an application online at hcad.org under “Forms.”
   15. MIKE: DO make sure that you take advantage of any and all the special deductions to which you are entitled. It’s your right, and it can have a major impact on the affordability of your home.
   16. MIKE: I once had reason to investigate homestead rules at one point in the past. As I understand it, you can only have one homestead. That’s a national rule, because it not only determines your property taxes and any exemptions you may be eligible for, but it also determines where and how you may vote.
   17. MIKE: As an example, I have a primary homestead in Houston, Harris County. We own another home near Texas A&M. That is not our technical homestead, even though we make regular use of it, so it gets no homestead tax exemptions.
   18. MIKE: It is also not our voting address. That is registered at our homestead in Harris County.
   19. MIKE: If you own a homestead in any county or city and then buy what is termed “a second home”, even if it’s in another state, you can still only have one “official homestead” for voting and taxing purposes.
   20. MIKE: Now, you can have a voting address designated outside your technical “homestead”, but just because you designate a residence as your voting address, that does not automatically make that address your official “homestead”.
   21. MIKE: So, “The More You Know …”
4. League City designated as “Music Friendly Texas certified community” by the state; By Haley Velasco | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 3:04 PM Apr 22, 2025 CDT/Updated 3:04 PM Apr 22, 2025 CDT. TAGS: Governor Greg Abbott, League City, Texas Music Office, the Music Friendly Texas program,
   1. Governor Greg Abbott announced League City has been designated by the Texas Music Office, or TMO, as a Music Friendly Texas certified community, according to an April 21 news release from Abbott’s press office.
   2. The Music Friendly Texas program was introduced by TMO in 2016, and “seeks to foster music business-related economic development and job creation in Texas cities and communities,” the press release notes.
   3. League City is the 80th Music Friendly Texas certified community, and the ninth in the Greater Houston and Galveston area, according to the program’s website.
   4. MIKE: There’s more to the story, and you can go to the show post and click on the article link if you’re interested. I only include it because I thought that it was worth mentioning, but not worth spending a whole lot of airtime on.
5. New developer proposes residential concept for Lake Pointe redevelopment; By Aubrey Vogel | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 1:01 PM Apr 23, 2025 CDT/Updated 3:32 PM Apr 23, 2025 CDT. TAGS: Fluor Corp. Campus, Sugar Land, Planned Community Developers, Lake Pointe Green, Multifamily Development The Pearl,
   1. Lovett Commercial, a Houston-based real estate developer, has proposed a residential-focused project for the former Fluor Corp. campus in Sugar Land.
   2. The new proposal comes after Sugar Land-based developer Planned Community Developers’ [PCD] redevelopment plans for the campus stalled, city officials announced in August. [PCD’s] vision for a $1 billion mixed-use site called Lake Pointe Plaza was not selected by the city. The plan included residential, retail, office and community spaces. …
   3. … [A] new proposed development, dubbed … Lake Pointe Green, could take a trail-oriented approach, surrounding various types of housing opportunities, Lovett officials said at an April 22 joint Sugar Land City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
   4. Lovett officials said the 53-acre development would include: 2 acres of multifamily housing totaling 699 units; 31 acres of town homes, duplexes and multiplexes; [and] 10 acres of civic and recreational space.
   5. … Several City Council members and [Planning and Zoning] commissioners, including council member William Ferguson, shared their concerns about the proposal’s lack of retail options. Additional concerns from others included the proposal not having enough parking for residents and guests.
   6. [Ferguson said,] “I would love to see some high-end retail, some high-end dining, high-end something that could become completely walkable.”
   7. However, Lovett President Frank Liu said the company is focusing on the market demand for housing. He also said he believes it’s too early to ensure retail could be successful at the property.
   8. [Liu said ,] “Putting retail here today is suicidal. Five years from now, maybe, still suicidal. … This is just not the right location for retail. Maybe someday — 50 years from now, 100 years from now — people’s traffic patterns can change, but not today.”
   9. Additionally, Mayor Joe Zimmerman said nonpermanent retail, such as food trucks or pop-ups, could be considered to add the retail mix.
   10. … Meanwhile, [a multifamily development called The Pearl] is undergoing city permitting for its project located adjacent to the vacant Fluor site. Developer Morgan Group will bring 385 units with the 6.5-acre community, Community Impact
   11. In addition to one- and two-bedroom housing, the site will also feature: 9,600 square feet of flexible coworking office space; 4,425 square feet of meeting space; A fitness and gaming center; Cafe and coffee shop; [and] Five “live-work units,” which combine residential and business space.
   12. The project is expected to be completed between 2027 and 2028, according to the city’s website.
   13. … Lovett [hosted] a community meeting [on]April 23 to engage with nearby residents and receive feedback on the proposed development. Meeting seats were limited to those in the immediate area of the project.
   14. [Redevelopment Planning Manager Ruth Lohmer said that] Additionally, City Council and [the Planning and Zoning Commission] will host a joint public hearing May 6, where [Planning and Zoning] commissioners will share the board’s recommended action. Council is expected to vote on the item at a May 13 meeting.
   15. If approved, Lovett officials expect to begin the phased project in 2025, with first housing deliveries in 2028 and completion in 2034.
   16. MIKE: I strongly encourage residents nearby this project go to the May 6^th Whichever project goes forward, this is a major development that the residents of Sugar Land will have to live with for many decades.
   17. MIKE: I’m including in this show post the link to Sugar Land’s Public Hearings. If you’re interested in attending or just learning more about it, you can click on that link.
6. Conroe City Council discusses potential city-wide development moratorium; By Nichaela Shaheen | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 3:36 PM Apr 24, 2025 CDT/Updated 3:36 PM Apr 24, 2025 CDT. TAGS: Conroe City Council (TX), Development Moratorium, Water Capacity, Texas Commission On Environmental Quality,
   1. During its April 23 and April 24 meetings, Conroe City Council discussed the potential of a city-wide development moratorium due to constraints on water capacity, as recommended by Norman McGuire, assistant city administrator and director of public works.
   2. … Amid rising concerns over water infrastructure, McGuire and Jason Miller, assistant director of public works, discussed the potential for a city-wide development moratorium.
   3. The northern portion of the city is already under a temporary development moratorium, as previously reported.
   4. “It’s a very serious matter, and this might be the time to look at more drastic action when it comes to the boundaries of the moratorium, to include consideration of the entire city of Conroe,” McGuire said at the April 23 workshop. “I know that’s a lot to swallow, but we are looking down that road.”
   5. Miller said last April, the city was producing 15.4 million gallons a day. This year, the number has increased to 17 million …
   6. “We went from a connection point of 40,750 [connections] to 49,189 [connections],” Miller said. “That’s extreme growth, … and so there’s huge concerns that we have.”
   7. The city is at 85% water capacity, which is still within the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s threshold, as previously reported. Before the development moratorium was enacted in August, the city was at 96% capacity, McGuire said.
   8. … McGuire said the city has added Water Well No. 27 online and plans to add more infrastructure, including: Water Plant No. 29, anticipated to be online in July; Water Plant No. 30, scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of this year; Water Plant No. 32, for which a bid has been awarded; [and] The bypass line to Water Plant No. 15, with construction set to start soon.
   9. “To sum it up, all the projects just described are going to put a scratch on the surface of the situation that you’re looking at,” McGuire said.
   10. Council member Harry Hardman said enacting a city-wide moratorium is a “nuclear option.”
   11. [Hardman said April 24,} “Before we trigger that nuclear option, I want to make sure that we get it, because we have one shot at this.”
   12. … [Council member Marsha Porter said in the April 23 meeting,] “I don’t want to be in a moratorium, but if that’s what we have to do in order to protect the citizens that we have now … that’s what I want to do.”
   13. … Last April, city staff first raised concerns with City Council about the strain on Conroe’s water capacity, according to prior reporting. By May, officials estimated that addressing critical infrastructure needs would require approximately $50 million in funding, as previously reported.
   14. In response, City Council approved implementing seasonal irrigation restrictions last June, limiting watering from May through October to help conserve water amid growing demand, per reporting.
   15. A temporary development moratorium for the northern portion of the city was then enacted in August before being extended in December and again in April, according to prior reporting.
   16. … City officials will present a more in-depth look into the city’s water infrastructure needs during a special city council meeting at a later date.
   17. MIKE: To my mind, important elements of this story are missing. For example, the story only mentions a municipal well once, in regard to Water Well 27. All other references are about “Water Plants” being added.
   18. MIKE: What is the nature of these water plants? Are they wells? Purification plants for surface or ground water? Sewage treatment plants that generate potable water, or perhaps water that is only suitable for agriculture and irrigation?
   19. MIKE: If the new plants are exclusively pumping and treating ground water, that creates concerns for the long-term health of the aquifers as well as long-term concerns about subsidence.
   20. MIKE: And note that aquifers used by Conroe are not infinite and are not the exclusive property of Conroe. Aquifers run under other areas that might also need and tap into them.
   21. MIKE: If these plants are for purifying surface water for city use, Conroe is also competing with other municipalities needing that surface water, either now or in the future. Who apportions it?
   22. MIKE: I feel that many important questions are left unanswered in this reporting. I’ve emailed the reporter for further information.
   23. This is what I said: “To my mind, important elements of this story are missing. For example, the story only mentions a municipal well once, in regard to Water Well 27. All other references are about “Water Plants” being added.
   24. MIKE: “What is the nature of these water plants? Are they wells? Purification plants for surface or ground water? Sewage treatment plants that generate potable water, or perhaps water that is only suitable for agriculture and irrigation?
   25. MIKE: “If the new plants are exclusively pumping and treating ground water, that creates concerns for the long-term health of the aquifers as well as long-term concerns about subsidence.
   26. MIKE: “And note that aquifers used by Conroe are not infinite and are not the exclusive property of Conroe. Aquifers must run under other areas that might also need and tap into them. 
   27. MIKE: “If these plants are for purifying surface water for city use, Conroe is also competing with other municipalities needing that surface water, either now or in the future. Who apportions it? 
   28. I feel that many important questions are left unanswered in this reporting. Can you elucidate?”
   29. MIKE: On Friday, I got this response from the reporter: “Thank you so much for your email! Our story about the City Council discussion came from the meeting itself and therefore did not include any information that was not discussed at the meeting yesterday. However, we are working on a longer story about the water capacity concerns within the city for our upcoming issue and I will make a note of your questions so we can potentially include them in that longer, more in-depth story.”
   30. MIKE: It’s impossible to say if my email had anything to do with future in-depth reporting on this story, but it’s nice to know that inquiries to Community Impact are heard.
   31. MIKE: I think that this exchange also points up how important it is for reporting to go beyond press releases and transcripts when writing a story, and to consider the implications of the actions reported in this press releases. There is frequently a need to think of the inferences beyond the words and actions described in government releases.
   32. MIKE: Thank you, Nichaela Shaheen, for your response to my questions.
7. Last week, I mentioned that Mayor John Whitmire is basically a Conservative, even though he’s technically a Democrat. This next story from CHRON-DOT-COM is another example that supports my analysis — Democrats may admonish Houston mayor over Dan Crenshaw fundraiser; By Faith Bugenhagen, Trending News Reporter | CHRON.COM | April 22, 2025. TAGS: Harris County Democratic Party, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, GOP U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw,
   1. Members of the Harris County Democratic Party signed a resolution [last] Tuesday to formally admonish Houston Mayor John Whitmire amid a looming fundraising event he plans to attend for GOP U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw. 
   2. Roughly 30 precinct and congressional chairs with the party signed the resolution, which accuses Whitmire of undermining the “values and mission of the Democratic Party.” 
   3. Per party rules, precinct chairs are not allowed to endorse, fundraise, or support candidates from opposing political parties. The resolution applies the same rules that precinct chairs [must] comply with. The resolution additionally outlines that Whitmire would not be allowed to seek endorsement from the party in future elections.
   4. A spokesperson with the mayor’s office told Chron that Whitmire has consistently stated that he will work with anyone in the best interest of the city of Houston to get things done.
   5. [The spokesperson said in a statement to Chron,] “He is proud of his record in the Texas Legislature, where he built relationships and earned a reputation for working across the aisle to benefit Houstonians. Nothing has changed. He maintains the same work ethic as the mayor of Houston.”
   6. Per a report by Abby Church of the Houston Chronicle, the precinct chair’s statement described Whitmire’s agenda as “indistinguishable from that of a MAGA mayor,” taking issue with Whitmire having “stood on the sidelines” when it came to the trickle-down effects of the recent administration. 
   7. Precinct chairs notably called out the [Houston] Police Department’s involvement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 
   8. [The statement read,] “We deserve to have a fighter who wants to represent us, not a willing enabler of an emerging dictatorship.”
   9. The statement added that if Whitmire wanted to be Republican, that was okay, but he shouldn’t count on the support of thousands of grassroots volunteers who shed “blood, sweat and tears” to knock on doors and elect people “who represent our values.”
   10. The resolution will need to be brought forth to the party’s resolution committee before it is presented to the party as a whole for a vote. 
   11. Since first running to replace the late Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who went on to serve in Congress before his death last month, Whitmire has garnered praise from Republican colleagues for his ability to work across the political aisle. 
   12. Whitmire rallied support from progressive and conservative voters in his battle to sit at the city’s helm, handily defeating the late congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Houston’s mayor is nonpartisan; however, Whitmire was a Democrat in the Texas Legislature for decades. 
   13. Whitmire [joined] Crenshaw at a fundraiser [last] Tuesday night [April 22^nd], which has stirred up notable criticism from Democrats and progressives. Political experts noted that it’s not unprecedented for elected leaders of major cities to collect support from those outside their party. 
   14. If the resolution comes before the full party and members vote to admonish Whitmire, it will not curb any authority the mayor has as an elected official in his role. 
8. There’s a follow-up to this story from the next day: John Whitmire faces backlash for attending GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw fundraiser; critics say ‘MAGA mayor’; By Dominic Anthony Walsh | HOUSTONPUBLICMEDIA.ORG | Posted on April 23, 2025, 1:35 PM. TAGS: City of Houston, Harris County, Houston, Houston Mayor, Politics, Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Dan Crenshaw, Harris County Democratic Party, Houston fundraiser, Houston Mayor John Whitmire,
   1. A group of Harris County Democratic Party officials are criticizing Houston Mayor John Whitmire over his participation in a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican.
   2. Thirty precinct chairs signed onto a formal admonishment, which was first reported by the Houston Chronicle. It “condemns the political behavior of John Whitmire and finds that his conduct undermines the values and mission of the Democratic Party” and calls for the party to deny endorsements in future elections. According to Mike Doyle, the county chair of the party, the admonishment will be voted on by all 591 precinct chairs.
   3. In a statement, the group said, “We deserve to have a fighter who represents us, not a willing enabler of an emerging dictatorship,” arguing Whitmire “stood on the sidelines during the Trump Administration’s authoritarian takeover of the United States.”
   4. [Precinct chair Cameron “Coach Cam” Campbell told Houston Public Media,] “I don’t have to necessarily love all of your policies to agree that we’re teammates on the same page. But the moment [you] decided to fundraise for a Republican, you made a decision to stop being our teammate. Like that is, if you ask me, that is treason. That’s treason.” …
   5. As Whitmire exited the fundraiser for Crenshaw on Tuesday evening, protesters shouted “MAGA mayor.”
   6. A spokesperson for Whitmire said he has “consistently demonstrated he will work with anyone in the best interest of the City of Houston to get projects done for Houstonians.” …
   7. [University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus told Houston Matters on Wednesday,] “There’s been long discussion among Democrats in the region about Mayor Whitmire’s partisan leanings. The fact that he now has kind of thrown in his efforts to help a fairly conservative member of Congress definitely solidifies some of those concerns.”
   8. Pointing to a daunting budget deficit, which Whitmire has said could be helped by state and federal funding, UH political scientist Jeronimo Cortina added that “any help that the city can get in terms of money, I think, is going to be welcomed by residents.” …
   9. In addition to the formal admonishment, the local Democratic precinct chairs are also pushing for an update to the party’s rules that would prohibit Democratic candidates, in partisan and nonpartisan races, from endorsing, fundraising or appearing in political advertising for Republican or Republican-endorsed candidates.
   10. MIKE: In Dallas, longtime Democrat Eric Johnson, was elected mayor in a technically non-partisan race, He switched parties on Sept. 22, 2023, and became a registered Republican. That resulted in a failed recall effort by folks who felt he had deliberately misrepresented himself as a Democrat just to get elected, and that that amounted to a fraud against Dallas voters.
   11. MIKE: I’m linking to that story from 2023 in a reference link below this story post.
   12. MIKE: I’m not directly comparing Whitmire’s political ambidexterity to Johnson’s party switch. And Johnson’s case doesn’t do much for the case of eliminating non-partisan elections because that might not have made much difference in Johnson’s election to mayor. But it does say something about political honesty to the voters about where your true political sympathies lie and coming clean about them during an election; not after.
   13. MIKE: Dallas Mayor Johnson is likely to serve out his term, which ends in December 2027. That’s when the next election for Dallas mayor takes place.
   14. MIKE: There is a nascent effort to recall Mayor Whitmire, but he is likely to survive as mayor until Houston’s next mayoral election, which is also in November 2027.
   15. MIKE: Here’s a little Latin paraphrase that fits the situation: “Caveat suffragatores!” is Latin for “Let the voters beware!”
   16. MIKE: Let that be among our important watchwords.
   17. REFERENCE: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson switches to Republican Party; Though the mayor’s position in Dallas is technically nonpartisan, Johnson joins Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker as one of two Republican mayors to lead a major Texas city. By Joshua Fechter and Brian Lopez | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | Sept. 22, 2023
9. Texas school districts got their first A-F grades in five years. See how your school did here.; By Sneha Dey, Yuriko Schumacher and Rob Reid | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | April 24, 20252 PM Central. TAGS: Public education, Texas Education Agency,
   1. Texas released long-awaited grades for school districts on Thursday. It’s the first time [that] scores for underperforming schools have been made public in five years.
   2. Under the state’s school rating system, all districts and campuses got a letter grade for the 2022-23 school year. Of the nearly 1,200 districts evaluated in the state, 10.4% got an A, 73% got a B or a C, and 16.6% got a D or an F. Fort Worth ISD is at risk of shutting down a school or facing a state takeover because of failing grades.
   3. The 2022-23 school year ratings had been held up in courts after several districts sued the state to challenge changes to rating standards. But the 15th Court of Appeals earlier this month cleared the Texas Education Agency to release the ratings, ruling Commissioner Mike Morath had the authority to make those changes.
   4. TEA still cannot release the ratings for the 2023-24 school year because of a separate lawsuit.
   5. Before then, schools went without ratings for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They got partial ratings for the 2021-22 school year.
   6. Public education advocates celebrated the release of the ratings, which they say can help parents see how successful their local school districts are, [and help] businesses decide which communities to invest in, and school boards identify areas for growth. Critics of the A-F system say it harms districts that serve poor communities, which are more likely to get failing grades and face state sanctions for them.
   7. Districts and each of their campuses are graded on an A-F scale based on three categories — Student achievement: How well their students perform on state standardized tests and whether they are ready for college and careers. The state imposed higher standards to get an A under the new rules; School progress: How much students are improving on state tests; [and] Closing the gaps: How well schools are boosting scores for specific groups of children like as students with special needs and English language learners
   8. Each category is weighted differently. Seventy percent of the overall grade comes from the better score between the “student achievement” and “school progress” categories; the remaining 30% is based on the “closing the gaps” category.
   9. MIKE: Included in the story is a search box labeled, “Search for your district or school to see how they did below:”
   10. MIKE: This is where you can, “See what ratings Texas schools received in the 2022-23 school year.”
   11. MIKE: The story explains that, “Each school district and campus receives a rating, which is based on three categories: how students meet graduation benchmarks and perform on state tests, their improvement in those scores and how well schools are educating disadvantaged students. The better score out of the first two categories — student achievement and student progress — counts for 70% of schools’ overall grade. The remaining 30% is based on the closing the gaps score.”
   12. MIKE: Using the search box is a little tricky. For example, typing in “HISD” gets you nothing, but typing in “Houston ISD” is what it takes to get a response. Be guided by that requirement if you decide to go to the article and search schools or school districts.
   13. MIKE: This is the response given for “Houston ISD – Independent School District (Harris County).”
   14. Overall district rating – C: In this district, 189,290 students were enrolled in the 2022-23 school year. Of those, 5% were economically disadvantaged, much higher than the statewide average of 62.1%.
   15. C – Student Achievement: This category is based on STAAR performance, college readiness and graduation rates.
   16. C – School Progress: This category shows students’ growth and performance compared to other schools with similar amounts of economically disadvantaged students.
   17. D – Closing the gaps: This category shows how well schools are at making sure students of all backgrounds are successful.
   18. MIKE: As noted in the body of the story, “Critics of the A-F system say it harms districts that serve poor communities, which are more likely to get failing grades and face state sanctions for them.”
   19. MIKE: So, HISD has a ways to go, but maybe part of the problem is a lack of government support for students coming from economically disadvantaged background.
   20. MIKE: Texas fancies itself to be a so-called “bootstrap” state, where if you fail, it’s all your fault, based on the “I built it” philosophy. Democrats know that life is more complicated than that, and “lending a hand” is more useful than leaving someone holding an anchor.
10. In a post that’s since been deleted for some reason, Bluesky user AnvilHammers said this: I always ask, “Or what?” [TAGS: SCOTUS, Andrew Jackson, Donald Trump, ]
    1. What happens to him if he defies the SCOTUS? The [US] Marshalls report to the Department of Justice that is clearly now a division of Trump Inc.
    2. What is the plan when he crosses that line? Again, beg Republicans to please do something & have them put Party Before America, AGAIN?
    3. MIKE: The first line in that quote caught my attention. I thought that AnvilHammers asked the exact right question: “Or what?”
    4. MIKE: What happens if Trump takes Andrew Jackson’s reported position on a SCOTUS decision. Google AI expressed it thusly: “Andrew Jackson famously challenged the authority of the Supreme Court, particularly regarding its rulings on Native American land rights. While the Supreme Court ruled against Georgia’s laws regarding the Cherokee nation, Jackson refused to enforce the decision, famously stating, “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!”. He also appointed six justices to the Supreme Court during his presidency, shaping its direction.”
    5. MIKE: Does this start to sound familiar? Trump is all too willing to accept court orders that favor him, but criticizes judges who rule against him.
    6. MIKE: In spite of court rulings, Trump has been denying the due process rights of people snatched off the streets and people sent to El Salvador.
    7. MIKE: This is especially ironic given the fact that Trump uses a crazy amount of due process, but he gives immigrants — even legal immigrants — little or none.
    8. MIKE: Now increasingly, the courts are telling Trump that all people within the United States, regardless of legal status, are entitled to due process. And increasingly, the Trump regime has at least implicitly been forcing the question: “Or what?”
    9. MIKE: In a story that hasn’t gotten nearly enough coverage, POLITICO reported that Rubio’s State [Department is telling] employees to report on one another for ‘anti-Christian bias’.
    10. MIKE: This is a place where totalitarians of the left and the right ‘totally’ agree. It’s essential to make tattling on family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers a “patriotic” act.
    11. MIKE: This is a tactic that was used in Mussolini’s Italy, Hitler’s Germany, and Stalin’s USSR. It was fairly successful at getting children to denounce family members and, of course, people with an axe to grind were only too happy to denounce people they didn’t like.
    12. MIKE: It’s even reminiscent of the Chinese Cultural Revolution of 1966 to 1976, where Chinese citizens were strongly encouraged to denounce people who were perceived enemies of the revolution.
    13. MIKE: With little or no due process, even by Chinese Communist Party standards, denounced individuals were often marched through the streets with placards around their necks proclaiming their counter-revolutionary “crimes”, before being sent to “re-education camps”.
    14. MIKE: This is one answer to, “or what?”
    15. MIKE: How far is MAGA now from these sorts of acts? Once the regime gets to the stage of asking for ideological denunciations, how far down the road are we? And if we get to this stage, it’s way too late to ask, “or what?”
    16. MIKE: The question then will be, “What now?”
    17. MIKE: We dare not wait to act against these sorts of outrageous demands posed by the Trump regime, because once we’re asking, “What Now?”, it’s way too late.
11. ‘The US is no longer a reliable partner’ – Mark Carney responds to Trump tariffs [2025-MARCH 28] VIDEO 32:06. TAGS: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, US President Trump,
    1. MIKE: On March 28^th, Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney made a speech to Canadians that also has far-reaching implications for the long-term economic and security health of the United States.
    2. MIKE: I’m going to play an edited version of that speech because I think it’s important that Americans hear it and understand just how badly Trump’s actions have damaged our relationship with Canada.
    3. MIKE: I’ve edited it for time. I’ve also shortened breath pauses but tried to keep the dramatic pauses intact. I’ve also taken out the Quebecois French. Otherwise, the English version of Carney’s speech is complete and runs about 7m:17s.
    4. MIKE: I’ve included a video link to the entire press conference, including the Q&A that followed, which is in both English and French.
    5. MIKE: [PLAY 7m:17s AUDIO CLIP]
    6. MIKE: Essentially, Donald Trump has managed to F-up one of the decades-long best international relationships in the world within just 2 months of becoming president.
    7. MIKE: Make no mistake. The United States may never be able to rebuild this relationship to what it was. Even getting close may take generations, which is the time it will take for this ignominy to fade from living Canadian memory. But it will never be erased from Canadian historic memory.
    8. MIKE: Trump’s betrayal of Canadian trust and loyalty may be the most serious since the War of 1812, when the United States invaded Canada with the hope of taking it from Britain and annexing it to the United States.
    9. MIKE: It took over a hundred years for that distrust to begin to fade in Canada, but trust me … They still learn it in history class. And when it comes up in conversations with Canadians, they know it very well, and I still detect a bit of resentment about it.
    10. MIKE: Trump has probably brought all that historical memory back to the fore of Canadian minds.
    11. MIKE: Thus, I believe that it’s impossible to overstate just how serious a breach that Trump has unnecessarily created between the US and Canada, and how serious the implications are for future US security and economic vitality. In short, Trump has us screwed. Some of the language I’ve used in this segment may sound undiplomatic and even unprofessional, but in my opinion, it’s the only way to emphasize just how bad this is.
    12. MIKE: In this show post, I’ve linked to the entire press conference at a link I’m providing. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-LFo8CK7Wc)
12. I haven’t talked much about Ukraine recently because there’s just so much bad news to report in the US, but now there’s this — Trump meets Zelensky, then threatens new sanctions against Russia; By Siobhán O’Grady and Serhiy Morgunov | WASHINGTONPOST.COM | Updated April 26, 2025 at 4:59 p.m. EDT/today at 4:59 p.m. EDT. TAGS: President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Pope Francis’s funeral, Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin, St. Peter’s Basilica,
    1. President Donald Trump met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral Saturday, their first face-to-face encounter since their Oval Office blowup in February, and then threatened new sanctions against Russia.
    2. Zelensky used the rare gathering of world leaders in Rome to launch a diplomatic blitz, meeting with several European leaders in an effort to head off a U.S. proposal to end Russia’s war with Ukraine on terms favorable to Moscow.
    3. Trump, meanwhile, took to social media to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin for recent missile attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine. It was his second public rebuke of the Russian leader since a missile strike on an apartment building in Kyiv on Thursday killed 12 people and wounded nearly 90 others.
    4. [Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform,] “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions? Too many people are dying!!!”
    5. The quiet, one-on-one conversation between Trump and Zelensky in St. Peter’s Basilica came before the funeral of a man who had repeatedly advocated a just end to the war.
    6. The intimate setting in the Vatican contrasted starkly with the chaos in the Oval Office meeting, at which Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky before journalists handpicked from conservative outlets.
    7. [Zelensky wrote on X after the meeting Saturday,] “Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you @POTUS.”
    8. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha shared a photo of the moment on X. Trump and Zelensky sit facing each other knee-to-knee, leaning in to talk. …
    9. The United States this month proposed a “final offer”: Washington would recognize Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s strategic Crimean Peninsula and acknowledge other territorial gains, and would ease sanctions if the fighting stopped.
    10. The pro-Russian proposal stunned Ukraine and its European allies. Kyiv insisted on a ceasefire before it would discuss territory. Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled plans to attend high-level meetings scheduled for Wednesday in London, and the meetings were abruptly downgraded.
    11. On Wednesday, Trump said he found Russia easier to work with than Zelensky. Hours later, Russia bombed Kyiv. Europe renewed its support for Ukraine’s position on a ceasefire. Trump then urged Putin on social media to “STOP!” …
    12. European leaders drafted a text to counter the U.S. proposal that addressed some of Ukraine’s major concerns, including the ceasefire. It is not clear whether Washington is willing to consider a new text.
    13. It’s also not clear what document or ultimatums Witkoff might have presented to Putin on Friday. …
    14. But Europe’s steadfast support for Zelensky was apparent on Saturday. [Zelensky] clocked face time with allies from across the continent, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a powerful partner who helped coach him through the aftermath of his White House visit; [as well as] French President Emmanuel Macron; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
    15. [Meloni wrote on X,] “Seeing Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky talking about peace at the funeral of the Pope of Peace has a such huge meaning. Today has been a historic day.”
    16. MIKE: I’ll note here in passing that Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party is a direct political descendant of Mussolini’s National Fascist Party. Make of that what you will. Continuing with the story …]
    17. Zelensky was greeted by a huge round of applause as he arrived at the [Pope’s] funeral on Saturday.
    18. Other meetings between top Ukrainian and U.S. officials also took place around the funeral. Sybiha, the foreign minister, and Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, met Saturday with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and national security adviser Michael Waltz. “Grateful for the constructive work, ongoing engagement, and the strong partnership between our countries. We keep moving forward,” Yermak wrote.
    19. MIKE: It’s often said that Trump can be quite malleable on policy and is often most influenced by the last person to speak to him. Perhaps Putin’s failure to make Trump look like an effective peacemaker — in spite of Trump outlining a plan that would give Putin everything he wants in Ukraine with the exception of complete annexation — has made Trump amenable to being influenced now by Zelensky and the other European leaders.
    20. MIKE: Of course, there are pro-Putin advocates in Trump’s orbit, so we’ll have to see who gets the last word on whether and how much to support Ukraine in the war.

There’s always more to discuss, but that’s all we have time for today. You’ve been listening to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig from KPFT Houston 90.1-HD2, Galveston 89.5-HD2, and Huntsville 91.9-HD2. We are Houston’s Community Media. I hope you’ve enjoyed the show and found it interesting, and I look forward to sharing this time with you again next week. Y’all take care!

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