President’s Day
Early voting in person starts tomorrow.
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This is on the front page of today’s Chron hard copy:
Patrick “Marty” Lancton’s meteoric rise from Houston firefighter to outspoken union leader has now catapulted him into the Republican race for Harris County judge, even as critics inside his union say his leadership has fostered a culture of fear and retaliation.
Three former union officials and one current member told the Houston Chronicle that Lancton’s election as union president a decade ago ushered in an era of intimidation, where dissent was silenced, critics were ostracized and calls for transparency were treated as challenges to his leadership.
“If you dared to speak up, you got squashed,” said Curtis Williams, a retired 30-year veteran of the Houston Fire Department who served on the union’s board for about eight years. “You got pushed out of the union, labeled a troublemaker, and everybody else learned to keep their mouth shut.”
Critics worry how that leadership style would translate into an elected position helping oversee Harris County’s $2.8 billion budget and nearly 22,000 employees should Lancton win the March primary and then the November general election. The judge also runs the county’s disaster response operations.
Lancton directed questions for this story to his lawyer and campaign spokesperson, who characterized the firefighters who spoke with the Chronicle as a group of disgruntled former members with vendettas against Lancton.
At least one former union official said this wasn’t just about his own experience, though; he was speaking out of concern for his fellow residents.
“I feel bad for the citizens of Harris County because, one, they’ll never know where the money’s going. And, two, if they ever question them, they’re going to be retaliated against,” said Steve Dunbar, an attorney and retired 27-year veteran of HFD.
Dunbar asked in 2020 to examine the union’s credit card statements to “know how much was coming out of my union dues” but was initially shown general financial information.
When Dunbar pushed again to see credit card records, the union stopped communicating and directed him to the union attorney, according to emails he provided to the Chronicle. Dunbar also was removed from union social media pages and “ostracized” from the union, he says.
Here is the entire read: Marty Lancton ruled union through fear, former officials claim.
I don’t know about this. County government isn’t like the Firefighters Union. Marty would have to think twice about intimidating county employees with four county commissioners closely watching. Also, if Marty is the MAGA nominee, I don’t think he wins in November. I don’t think this article was worthy of being on the front page.
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I watched Ilia Malinin meltdown Friday afternoon. I give him a ton of credit for being interviewed moments later and admitting he blew it.
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Today is President’s Day and the featured photo is former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama sitting courtside at last night’s NBA All Star Game. This was right after President Obama snagged an errant basketball during the game. During a break, President Obama was interviewed and let the viewing audience know that there would be a full-size basketball court at the Barack Obama Presidential Center that is schedule to open in Chicago’s Southside later this year. The Center will also include a replica of the garden the former First Lady had on the grounds of the White House. Cool.
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The Astros play their first Spring Training game on Saturday.