BOM

On Tuesday, Commentary said this:

Is the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) going to provide the defense of suspended and impeached Ken Paxton? The OAG needs to stop handing out defense materials immediately.

Nope. Some top OAG staff have taken a leave to work on Paxton’s defense.

I also asked this:

Does Paxton still get a taxpayer funded state salary while under suspension?

From a Quorum Report tweet yesterday:

comptroller hegar confirms paxton will not receive salary while suspended:

And from the Trib:

Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office confirmed Thursday that Attorney General Ken Paxton will not be paid his $153,750 annual salary while he is on suspension.

And this:

On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott named John Scott, former Texas secretary of state, as interim attorney general. The Texas Tribune has requested salary information for Scott. The compensation for Texas state employees can be found in the Tribune’s Government Salaries Explorer, which is updated quarterly.

In a Tuesday letter to Scott, Rob Coleman, director of the comptroller’s Financial Management Division, said that under the Texas Constitution, “no salary payment may occur to Attorney General Warren Kenneth Paxton while in a suspended status.”

I also said this on Tuesday:

Some of the board of managers have experience as prosecutors. Will the board of managers hire additional seasoned prosecutors to assist during the trial?

The managers brought on seasoned criminal defense attorneys Dick DeGuerin and Rusty Hardin.

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BOM. That is what I will call the HISD new Board of Managers.

The Mayor tweeted this today:

The State’s takeover of the 4th largest school district with a B/B plus rating where the State appoints Superintendent and Bd of Managers can never be an acceptable model. st

I saw a tweet yesterday that said the H-Town Mayor doesn’t know most of the new HISD Board of Managers.  Let me help out the Mayor here and introduce him to our Board of Managers:

Janette Garza Lindner is a former client of Commentary. She is a good Democrat. Her kids attend HISD schools. She is smart and works hard. She is involved in her community. She is one of the most ferocious block walkers and campaigners I have ever met.

Paula Mendoza is a longtime resident of the Heights. Owns her own business. Former UH Board of Regent. She is the Board Chair of the East End Chamber of Commerce Foundation. I know her through her involvement with the Latino business community.

Audrey Momanaee, an attorney, touts her involvement as a Board member of Community Family Centers which is a non-profit that helps families and kids in H-Town’s East End.

Ric Campo was tapped by the H-Town Mayor to head up the Port Commission.  That is one of the Mayor’s most important and prestigious appointments. I am pretty sure the Mayor knows Campo.

Folks close to Commentary know Michelle Cruz Arnold. She has experience in government relations, and I am told she used to work for a Democratic state legislator up in Austin. She is from Baytown.

Rolando Martinez is on the HISD advisory committee for the district. He has three kids in HISD and is involved with the Cornelius Elementary PTO. Cornelius is located over by Hobby Airport off of Bellfort and Telephone Road. Cornelius is definitely in the ‘hood.

Cassandra Auzenne Bandy resides over by Kashmere High. She went to Booker T. Washington High School. Her parents and grandparents are Wheatley High graduates. She has a ton of family members who have worked at HISD in teaching and administrative capacities.  Her roots are in the Fifth Ward and Clinton Park.

Adam Rivon, who is also from Baytown, is a Prairie View A&M grad and military combat vet.

Angela Lemond Flowers is a former HISD teacher and very active in her community. 

The HISD website already has the Board of Managers webpage up so go check it out here: Board of Managers / HISD School Board (houstonisd.org).

It looks like five Latinas and Latinos, three African Americans, and one white. Not bad at all.

Commentary gets that some folks including the Mayor are not happy how this all went down.  I get that some are going to whine, protest, and complain. That is all they can do for now.

Unless you get a Democratic Texas governor and legislature, it is what it is.  The Board of Managers will be here for a few years. I am going to root for them to get the job done so we can get our HISD back. 

I am sure some folks were probably thinking that TEA Commissioner Mike Morath would appoint a bunch of MAGA folks as our Board of Managers. Nope. Not even close.

I think the Board of Managers are a fine group. Good luck!

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Today is National Doughnut Day. I might.

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Today’s Chron Preview section has an article headlined “17 movies capture essence of summer”

Leading the list is Jaws. Can’t argue with Jaws.

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We won last night. 

Then Tags tweeted this:

Dusty Baker moves into 8th place on all-time managerial wins list with 2,126. In 7th place is Bucky Harris with 2,158.

That is a lot of wins. Congrats, Dusty!