Burnt Orange Report

Bill White Really Is Popular

By Jim Dallas

I went to the HCYD meeting last night because I figured it was about time to start getting involved in city and county politics around here, something I've been delinquent at.

Conversation arose regarding the November city elections, which, to be sure, I've been sorely ignorant of. I was somewhat surprised and skeptical to hear that Bill White was really very popular. First, going through the last two national and state cycles has taught me to be very wary of be overenthusiastic. Second, the city has gone through a couple of debacles recently (most notably, SafeClear).

So I wake up this morning to find two things. First, it's raining cats and dogs. Second, that HCRP chair Jared Woodfill may need to change his undergarments:

The Harris County Republican Party has a warning for Republicans on Houston's City Council: Be careful about supporting Mayor Bill White.

In recent weeks, as the popular Democratic mayor was taking flak over of his Safe Clear freeway towing ordinance, the local GOP saw two opportunities to humiliate him on the council.

Instead, White garnered enough Republican support to prevail on both issues, maintaining Safe Clear with modifications and spending up to $100,000 for an outside law firm to defend his Proposition 1 spending cap in court.

"There's a lot of disappointment that the mayor was able to get Republican council members to support him," said Jared Woodfill, chairman of the Harris County Republican Party.

There hasn't been any polling recently (the last poll had White's approval at 76 percent, but a Rice University prof estimates its fallen since then). But when even Michael Berry has nice things to say, I think it's fair to guess that White is cruising towards re-election.