Last EV Day
I have been around politics and campaigns for over five decades. I have seen it all. Or at least I thought I had. I have never seen anything like this. See this from the Chron:
He only meant to stay five minutes, but five minutes passed almost half an hour ago.
He is still here, standing on the edge of a street in the East End in front of a bungalow-turned-barbershop, chatting with a few people beside bright fabric flowers arranged in a line and wind chimes and flags and crosses guarded by a wooden barrier with SOMOS LORENZO painted in pink.
Lorenzo: His father, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
Lorenzo: His father, who worked long hours in construction under the hot Houston sun to provide for his wife and three sons, and ended each day on the porch with the dog who waited for him to come home.
Lorenzo: His father, who was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent here, on this street, on the morning of July 7.
Ronaldo Salgado, his father’s eldest son, breaks away from the small group with a smile and an apology — he has to go — but when he notices a newcomer he asks: “Did you leave a sticker yet, or are you marveling?”
It is the first day of the second week of early voting, and the wood barrier — erected by a neighbor when the city began repaving the street — is adorned with small stickers that declare: I VOTED.
And this:
Yesterday, on the only Sunday for early voting, he met people who had fought their way south across traffic from Humble, New Caney, Conroe, Cypress. He is grateful for each mile they drove, each thumb that smooths a sticker onto his father’s name.
Voters leave stickers at site where ICE killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
That is State Sen. Carol Alvarado in the featured photo applying her I voted sticker to the mural in State Senate District 6. I initially thought folks were coming from nearby early voting locations like BakerRipley, Denver Harbor, Galena Park and HCCS. Nope. They come from all over the H-Town region. This is organic. If they are taking the time to bring their I voted stickers, believe me, they are going to be telling their familia and close amigos to go vote. A huge problemo for MAGA candidates. This is what happens when MAGA sends masked cowardly thugs into our neighborhoods. Absolutely incredible.
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I got double dinked yesterday. The flu and COVID 19 vaccines. I am set.
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I was watching “Today” yesterday, and 102-year-old Edith Mincberg was featured on a Smucker’s jar. Edith is my pal David Mincberg’s mom. David is a Democratic donor and former Chair of the Harris County Democratic Party. I called David to let him know I watched. Nice.
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Speaking of “Today,” they had their Halloween show this morning. Carson as Ella Langley, Craig as Snoop Dogg, Dylan as “I Dream of Jeanne,” and Willie as Carnac from “The Tonight Show” were my favorites. I will post photos next week.
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From the trick or treat department, see this from the Chron:
Right-hander Tatsuya Imai won’t opt out of his deal with the Houston Astros, a person with knowledge of the decision confirmed Thursday, positioning him to return for a second season with the team in 2027.
Imai, who struggled in his first MLB season and lost his spot in the Houston rotation, signed a three-year deal last winter with a base value of $54 million that included opt-outs after each season. He will earn a base salary of $18 million in 2027 and will have the option to opt out again next offseason.
That figure made it unlikely Imai would opt out to test free agency again after a rough 2026 campaign. Imai, who played for eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, admittedly struggled with adjustments to MLB on and off the field in his first season with the Astros.
The Astros had better spend the offseason teaching this fella how to pitch on an MLB level. Just saying.
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Today is the last EV day.
Vote! Early!
Have a safe Halloween Weekend.