Saint Valentine’s Day

Let’s see, the U.S. House voted to impeach the Secretary of Homeland Security by one vote, and a few hours later, Democrats flipped a GOP House seat.  Out of touch GOP.

_____

Commentary loves to see GOPers go after each other. See this from the Chron:

WASHINGTON — A $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that passed the Senate overnight has sparked a battle between two of Texas’ most prominent Republicans, with Attorney General Ken Paxton calling U.S. Sen. John Cornyn an “America Last RINO” and Cornyn raising Paxton’s ongoing legal troubles.

Paxton went after Cornyn on social media early Tuesday for supporting the foreign aid bill, writing it is “unbelievable that (Cornyn) would stay up all night to defend other countries borders, but not America.”

Cornyn, a former attorney general, responded: “Ken, your criminal defense lawyers are calling to suggest you spend less time pushing Russian propaganda and more time defending longstanding felony charges against you in Houston, as well as ongoing federal grand jury proceedings in San Antonio that will probably result in further criminal charges.”

Paxton is accused of encouraging investors in 2011 to invest in a technology startup without disclosing that he was being paid by the firm for those referrals. He has pleaded not guilty and the case is expected to go to trial this year. The FBI separately began investigating Paxton in late 2020 after eight of his senior aides accused him of corruption. No charges have been filed and Paxton denies any wrongdoing. 

Here is the article: John Cornyn calls out Ken Paxton’s legal troubles in spat over vote on Ukraine aid (msn.com).

I wonder if Sen. Cornyn has inside info on how the FBI investigation is going. I love it.

_____

Arsehole Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted this about a GOP Texas House member who opposes Abbott’s voucher scam:

“All of them have used state $$ to support public education for illegal immigrants. So, they’re just a bunch of hypocrites. They should be ashamed for doing some gimmick like that and Texans are smarter than that.”

Dumbsh_t Gov. Abbott. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled decades ago that all children must be provided a public education regardless of citizenship status. In fact, it was a Texas law that was struck down, moron governor.

_____

My pal Elizabeth Brock got a great appointment by Mayor John Whitmire yesterday. See the Mayor’s announcement here:

February 13, 2024 — Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced today his appointment of Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock as Board Chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston METRO), pending City Council and board approval. She would be the first Hispanic woman to Chair the state’s largest transit authority, which has a 1,309-square-mile service area and an annual budget of $ 1.6 billion.

“Elizabeth is the leader we need for METRO today. She brings a ‘customer first’ mindset, which is exactly the thinking our community deserves,” Mayor Whitmire said. “Safety and reliability are key for all who depend on or commute alongside public transportation. I am confident that Elizabeth will use her results-driven expertise to drive METRO to deliver a user-friendly and fiscally responsible transit system to all. She understands that my priority is providing mobility options for all Houstonians.”

Brock is Vice President of Utility Infrastructure Planning and Policy at CenterPoint Energy. In this role, she supports the company’s capital planning needs. Her responsibilities have ranged from leading large customer service, business, and economic development, and local relation initiatives for six states and over 100 cities in her service territory, which include cultivating opportunities for the company’s energy efficiency programs, emerging energy technologies, and resilient infrastructure planning. Before joining CenterPoint Energy, Brock held leadership positions at Reliant Energy, Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston. She graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

“I am grateful to Mayor Whitmire for the honor and opportunity to lead  METRO as Board Chair and to be entrusted with this important responsibility. By appointing the first Hispanic woman in this role, the mayor confirms his commitment to identifying experienced, qualified, and diverse individuals to serve our city and his administration,” Brock said. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the mayor, the METRO Board, and all levels of government to transform METRO into a best-in-class model of transit, accountability and transparency. We will empower a strong management team that will drive measurable results and work directly with customers to understand their real needs to make public transit a safe, clean, and viable option for everyone.”

Brock has been a member of the Board of Houston First Corporation since 2017. She was a founding member and Chair of Evolve Houston, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing air quality by promoting and adopting electric vehicles. Brock’s other leadership positions include serving as a board member of the Greater Houston Area Women’s Chamber, which she chaired in 2019, and as a board member of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas.

Brock will replace Sanjay Ramabhadran, whose term as METRO’s Chair has expired. Mayor Whitmire thanks him for his service to the people of Houston.

Congrats, to Elizabeth!

_____

Astros Spring Training gets underway today and MLB returns to The Yard in 41 days when we host the Space Cowboys for a couple of exhibition games.

_____

Today is Ash Wednesday. Today is Saint Valentine’s Day. Most folks call it Valentine’s Day. 2018 was the last time Ash Wednesday and Saint Valentine’s Day were on the same day.

Go get your ashes. Go take the special person in your life, some fancy chocolates or roses or both. If you give a card, make sure you include a handwritten note. Go have a nice dinner, share a delicious bottle of wine, and then watch a nice romantic flick like “Casablanca,” “Notting Hill,” “The Notebook,” or “Valentine’s Day”, whose cast includes Taylor Swift.

All you need is love and Happy Saint Valentine’s Day.