Not A Good Look for Local Democrats
You don’t need Commentary to tell you the following isn’t a good look for Harris County Democrats. The Harris County Elections Commission is made up of four Democrats and one Republican. Of course, this all started when they hired the wrong person to serve as Elections Administrator. I can’t fault Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett on this. I respect them for taking their position. You also know that I don’t think much of the dumbarse Dem Party Chair. Check this from the Chron:
Attempts to start the process of replacing Harris County’s embattled elections administrator stalled Wednesday, when members of the election board differed on whether they should accept Isabel Longoria’s resignation before they post her position.
By a 3-2 vote, the five-member commission adjourned before discussing any posted items, citing the lack of an item on the agenda to accept Longoria’s resignation. Though she announced on March 8 her intent to resign, effective July 1, the election board has yet to accept her departure, simply because it never has been asked to.
That made three members of the commission — Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett and Harris County Republican Party Chairwoman Cindy Siegel — reluctant to begin the work of replacing her.
“I believe we have not been transparent about this entire process,” Hudspeth said. “I would like an agenda for us to move forward that includes accepting the resignation.”
The other two members of the board, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Democratic Party Chairman Odus Evbagharu, strenuously argued for moving ahead with the hiring of a search firm and posting Longoria’s position.
“The clock is ticking to get this appointment moving,” Hidalgo said. “You are delaying all these things.”
She said the reasons for the delay — after county lawyers told them they could — were unclear.
“Guys, we have got to move past the politics on this,” Hidalgo said. “I would plead we not delay because we need to get this process started.”
Evbagharu called it a delay tactic aimed at eroding trust in the local election process.
“This is no different than essentially giving us a two-week notice before she departs,” he said. “It’s the responsibility of the Election Commission to provide a timeline to the public and make this process as transparent as possible. Today, we failed the public.”
Siegel said the failure was not immediately sacking Longoria. In order to plan for her replacement adequately, the board should discuss that first, then proceed with finding a suitable elections administrator.
“Until we have had this discussion at this table, I do not think we should be here, having these discussions today,” Siegel said of posting the position to start in July.
Whether to wait for the resignation action or press forward with hiring a search firm to solicit potential replacements and officially post the job hinged on whether or not state procedures require an election board to have a resignation in place before seeking a replacement.
Texas code says a “an appointment to fill an anticipated vacancy arising from a resignation to take effect at a future date may be made at any time after the resignation is accepted.”
What it does not say, however, is that work on that replacement cannot start prior to the resignation.
Jonathan Fombonne, a first assistant county attorney, said the election board could proceed with hiring a search firm and posting the position. Then Longoria’s resignation could be approved at a later date.
“There is nothing in the code that requires you to accept the resignation today,” Fombonne said.
The Democrats on the Commission need to get their sh_t together. The Democrats on the Commission would be smart to let Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth take the lead on this. She is the only one with experience helping to run the elections. As usual, nobody listens to Commentary anymore.
I don’t understand why the current Elections Administrator hasn’t been sent packing. She has done a lousy job and we are just handing the local GOP a ton of ammo.
Judge Hidalgo put out this ill-advised tweet after the meeting:
It’s a shame that today some Election Commission members decided to delay the urgently-needed search for the next Harris County Election Administrator. We should have begun the national search today.
All this does it make Democrats look like they don’t know how to run stuff. Who in the heck is advising her? It also acknowledges that she just got her arse kicked by fellow Democrats. This tweet is very bush league.
Tiger will tee it up this morning.
The Astros without Carlos Correa era starts this evening in Anaheim. Jeremy Peña will be our new shortstop and I will be rooting for him mightily. Justin Verlander is back and I will also be cheering him on.
On this Opening Day, 2022, SPIN.com has a take from over 100 musicians on how their favorite team will do this season. Dodgers going to and winning the World Series gets a lot of takes. White Sox and Blue Jays, too. Astros get respect but there is still hate out there and Dodger fans still want payback for 2017.
A lot of these musicians came across as knowledgeable about their team and recent player acquisitions. I would hope that their takes were their own and not from their PR folks. Jesse Dayton and Taylor Englert were the only Astros fans out of the 100 plus.
Joan Jett, a huge B-More fan, Alice Cooper, and Jack White also provided takes.
It is a long read that you can check out here: 108 Musicians Predict the 2022 Baseball Season – SPIN.
As always, the Astros will roll out new grub options at The Yard. From a Channel 13 story:
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Fajita and margarita lovers, rejoice! One of Houston’s most beloved Tex-Mex restaurants is set to open inside Minute Maid Park in just a few days.
El Tiempo Cantina will have a location on the second level of the stadium near the party deck, as well as a small stand on the main concourse, according to Rafael Hernandez, the restaurant’s marketing director.
On the second level, they will be serving carnitas and fajita tacos, nachos, and more, with their homemade tortillas. They are also partnering with Hornitos to serve the only tequila-based frozen margarita in the ballpark.
On the main concourse, they will be serving chips, salsa and frozen margaritas.
Hernandez said the Minute Maid Park location will open Sunday, April 10 for FanFest.
I will say it again. Commentary will pretty much stick to hot dogs and peanuts, unless I snag a suite invitation.
To recap. Last year, we finished at 95-67 and lost to The ATL in six games in the World Series. Our first eight games of this season are on the road. I am wearing gear today.
Play ball!