Gallagher

Just in from the Chron:

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat who has emerged as a relentless advocate for gun restrictions after last year’s massacre at a Uvalde elementary school, announced on Monday he is running for U.S. Senate in 2024.

Gutierrez, an immigration attorney who has served in the Texas Legislature since 2008 and the state Senate since 2021, said in an interview that he is running because “Texas is just broken, and it’s been broken for a long time.” He joins U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a Dallas Democrat, in mounting a challenge against two-time incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Gutierrez is best known for his advocacy in the months after a teenage gunman wielding an assault-style rifle murdered 19 fourth-graders and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. The senator, one of the most progressive members of his chamber, focused almost exclusively on firearm safety and police accountability measures during this year’s legislative session, though they failed in the GOP-controlled Legislature.

“I’m not going to sit down and I’m not going to wait for things to miraculously get better,” said Gutierrez, 52. “We have to push and we have to talk to people, and we have to enrage people a little bit.”

Gun policy will be a top issue of his Senate campaign, and some of the family members of Uvalde victims were featured in his campaign launch video. But Gutierrez also plans to focus on a range of other issues, from health care and education to infrastructure and the electric grid, he said.

He characterized Cruz as “a senator that does nothing but vote no,” blasting his votes against the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which implemented moderate gun safety policies and offered billions in mental health funding after the Uvalde shooting. Cruz said he voted against those bills because they raised government spending and targeted law-abiding gun owners.

“The Republican policies of the last 30 years are exactly the kinds of policies that have put us in a state of chaos that we’re in,” Gutierrez said.

The 2024 election will be Cruz’s first since a hotly contested race against Democrat Beto O’Rourke, which he won by less than 3 percentage points in 2018. In the lead-up to this election, Cruz has been underscoring his efforts to reach across the aisle on infrastructure, space exploration and other issues.

“My role in the Senate has been, No. 1, standing up and leading the fight against bad ideas, against extreme policies hurting the people of Texas, and, No. 2, working to deliver meaningful victories that make a difference in the lives of Texans,” Cruz, 52, said in an interview with Hearst Newspapers last month.

Gutierrez similarly highlighted his legislative record while explaining his Senate run, pointing to bills he championed over the past several sessions to prevent farmer suicides and offer mental health treatment to veterans.

As for his Democratic competition, Gutierrez said Allred is a “nice fellow,” but he has only served in Congress for four years.

“I worked hard all my life, and I’ve been in office longer than he has, been in office longer than Cruz has, and I’ve done more for people than most,” Gutierrez said. Before joining the Texas Legislature, Gutierrez served on the San Antonio City Council for three years.

And while Allred said he is “running to beat Ted Cruz, not turn Texas blue,” Gutierrez said flipping the state is exactly his goal.

Here is the entire read: State Sen. Roland Gutierrez launches Senate campaign against Ted Cruz (houstonchronicle.com).

Sen. Gutierrez has certainly fought and led the fight. Let’s see how he does in the fundraising department.

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My green bin was scheduled to be picked up last Thursday. It is still out there this morning – Monday.

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The Chron E-Board had a take yesterday on the drainage fee fund and it being spent properly. The take then shifted toward the revenue cap and here is a part:

 Is it time to finally go back to voters and ask them to lift the revenue cap?   

We’re inclined to say yes. We asked a few mayoral candidates for their thoughts. 

State Sen. John Whitmire said he’d take a targeted approach, telling us he’d ask voters to lift the revenue cap only for public safety, as former Mayor Bill White once did. Voters approved it, but that extra leeway has run out. 

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was less specific: “My view is that as a mayor coming into the office, one would immediately have to make a choice to deal with retaining as much revenue in the city as possible to address public safety, housing and keeping a strong professional group of municipal workers among other responsibilities.” 

Lawyer Lee Kaplan said he’s willing to present to voters the choice of lifting the cap “as starkly as it needs to be presented to people, and they can make the choice.”

Gilbert Garcia, bond investor and former Metro chairman, said lifting the cap isn’t the answer and that he’d instead go after waste and corruption in city government to free up resources. He called Turner’s approach to infrastructure funding “outrageous.” 

Here is the entire E-Board take: Did Turner break his promise on infrastructure funds? (Editorial) (houstonchronicle.com).

In the spirit of full disclosure, Commentary worked on the campaign to approve the drainage fee back in 2010. I also am working for the John Whitmire for Houston Mayor Campaign.

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Let’s see. Framber Valdez started and pitched 6 solid innings Saturday night. He had to miss a start last week because of a sore ankle. Framber said after Saturday night’s game that he wants to be the starting pitcher for the AL All Stars tomorrow night in Seattle.  That would be pitching on two days rest.  That is not a good look for a starting pitcher.

AL All Star team skipper Dusty Baker said yesterday that Framber would not be pitching tomorrow. Period.  Here is from Dusty in the Chron:

“He’s not pitching at this point. We can’t risk Framber on two or three days’ rest for an exhibition game. I know it’s important, but our season is far more important than the All-Star Game. I mean, it’s an honor to maybe start, but he’s pitching on the route he’s in, he’ll have three or four opportunities to start in the future. So now we got to take care of Framber.” 

“He’s probably not happy with it, but you’ve got to make tough decisions for the player and the team. He’s just coming off of an injury. If something happened to him again, I couldn’t live with myself.” 

Get over it, Framber. 

Two of our starting pitchers, Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers, Jr. are out for the season.  José Urquidy is on the dinged-up list. We can’t take the risk.  Going deep into the playoffs is way more important than Framber starting tomorrow night.

Nice call, Dusty.

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We sat in the Gallagher Club Saturday night. I had sliders, a hot dog, onion rings, French fries, peanuts, Cracker Jack, an apple fritter, and a brownie. The Saint Arnold Art Car tap wasn’t working, so I had Crawford Bock.

One of my best friends, Carol, went with me. She also leads our Baseball Buddies text group.  She knows her baseball. It was a fun evening chatting local and state politics, the Texas Lege, family and friends, and of course, baseball. It was an exciting game that we won. Plus, it is always fun to be around Carol, especially at an Astros game.

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The Astros have three premium seating areas that have name sponsors. We know who the Phillips66 is of the Phillips66 Diamond Club. Same for Insperity Club.

I didn’t know who Gallagher was of the Gallagher Club. You know me. I am always eager to learn.

The club is actually on the suite level.  Want to know who they are?

Here is from their website:

Gallagher is one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting firms. 

Who we are

Founded by Arthur J. Gallagher in Chicago in 1927, Gallagher has grown to be one of the leading insurance brokerage, risk management, and HR & benefits consulting companies in the world. With significant reach internationally, our organization employs over 43,000 people and our global network provides services in more than 130 countries.

Next to Wrigley Field, home of the Cubbies, there is an area filled with shops and restaurants called Gallagher Way that folks flock to on game day and non-game days.

Gallagher has an office in the Uptown/Galleria area of H-Town. They are headquartered in Illinois.

Now you know.

The featured photo is a fancy paper napkin that I picked up the other night.

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We lost three out of four to the Mariners and still trail the Rangers by two games at the break.  We need the break. We also need Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez back in the starting lineup. 71 games left on the schedule.

Our next game is Friday in Anaheim.

I may have on the flat screen the Dinger Derby this evening.