Bill White the Man on the Move, Winning Over Moderates

Success in Houston? (1.00 / 2)

Bill White left a financial disaster area in Houston which even Annise Parker has acknowledged and one of his legacies is a lawsuit over a hirise that Bill White decided wouldn't be built to appease a select few who didn't want it built. Just one of many legacies that most likely will come back to haunt him.  

He still refuses to completely disclose with regard to his fortune which was built primarily in the oil and gas industry. And of course what was disclosed, under pressure from the media, was that he has a conflict-of-interest with regard to the potential problems caused by fracturing in the Barnett Shale. Which may not seem important to anyone except those who are watching the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that resulted from the "self-regulation" of the oil and gas industry that Bill White supports. He may pick up the support of the oil and gas industry. But not the support of environmental groups who have had enough of the "self-regulation."

No one is suprised by the endorsement of the Kay Bailey Hutchison supporters. They merely want access to the "goody box" in Austin that Rick Perry has denied them access to.

Most will hold their noses in November as they vote.  I doubt many Republicans, save the Kay Bailey Hutchison supporters, will vote for Bill White.

As in 2006, the Democratic candidate is running on a campaign of "We Hate Rick Perry" which didn't work in 2006 and won't work in 2010.

We may hate Rick Perry. That is not sufficient reason to love Bill White.  

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by: Baby Snooks @ Mon May 03, 2010 at 14:38:20 PM UTC

There is no reason... (0.00 / 0)

That you would ever love Bill White, or anyone from Houston. Bill White could save your life, and you would still have something you didn't like about him.

I don't think any of us are concerned about persuading you.

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Mon May 03, 2010 at 14:52:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ditto on you (1.33 / 3)

Phillip,

Isn't the same true of you and all Republicans? Have you ever said anything nice about a Republican? I've never seen it. You are about as virtriolic in your partisanship as anyone. Rick Perry could save your life AND that of your family and you would still walk a thousand miles to bash him.  

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by: TexianPolitico @ Mon May 03, 2010 at 15:59:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks for reading! (4.67 / 6)

Yes, I have many times before in the past, and I'll say something else right now:

I would like to praise Republican State Senator Kevin Eltife for calling Rick Perry's decision to turn down $555 million in unemployment funds "insane." Perry's decision has led to a doubling of the tax rate on small businesses. It's an issue too many Republicans, including Perry, ignore, and I applaud Republican State Senator Kevin Eltife for taking that action.

For those who want to watch the video of Sen. Eltife slamming Perry's decision as "insane", go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Mon May 03, 2010 at 16:27:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I like lots of people in Houston... (0.00 / 0)

I like lots of people in Houston.  Just not the ones you like.  

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by: Baby Snooks @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 04:07:50 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I live in Houston and there are (5.00 / 2)

no financial disasters.  There are financial challenges but certainly  not disasters.  Nor are disasters likely given that Mayor Annise Parker, a Rice graduate, is experienced and well versed in financial matters.  The city's financial challenges are like those in other cities within the U.S. given the state of today's economy and diminished tax bases due to high jobless rates.  Bill White is one of the best mayors this city has ever had, hands down. My Republican colleagues and neighbors would agree. White's handling of Hurricanes Katrina's victims, Rita and Ike were remarkable.  I was here for all three events.  Following the brutal aftermath of Ike Bill White fought day in and day out with the utility companies and other vendors who were slow in delivering services and products, including gasoline.  

Rick Perry has a big problem and that is he is obviously out of touch with just how big, diverse and how rapidly demographics are shifting in this state.  He panders to tea party people, secessionists, Palinstas and others on the far right while cities like Houston are extremely diverse and are comprised of mostly moderates while the number of progressives continues to grow.   My life long Republican neighbors next door cannot stand Rick Perry, by the way.  They have a lot of friends in Dallas who feel the same way. According to them, Perry is a clown.

I could not agree more.

Perry has turned down three federal programs that would have thrown economic life lines to struggling Texans.  Many of those struggling are minorities and it is obvious that Rick Perry has no use for  minorities, moderates and certainly never for progressives.  

Unlike Rick Perry, Bill White will put people ahead of politics. I have seen him do it, time and time again, just like everyone else in Houston has.  This is something that politicians like Rick Perry would not remotely know how to do.  

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by: Libby Shaw @ Mon May 03, 2010 at 21:48:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You need to start reading the Chronicle... (0.00 / 0)

There have been several times Annise Parker has referenced "the previous administration" with regard to questions about the "challenges" and she wasn't being complimentary. Although of course she was part of the previous administration.

I don't agree with everything Rick Perry does. But some of the things he has done has prevented taxpayers from being bankrupted further by Washington.  

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by: Baby Snooks @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 04:16:02 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please provide links (0.00 / 0)

I do read the Chronicle and I have never seen a story that has Parker referring to the previous administration disparagingly. Please provide links to your claim or I will delete this comment.

The reason for it, is because I have had coffee with multiple Republican operatives who have told me to my face that this is a whisper campaign they are trying to start.  

I have also talked to nearly a dozen people close the Mayor who said she has nothing but respect and admiration for what Mayor White did in the face of all the Perry roadblocks in a tough economic climate. So if this rumor is going to stick, prove it is a fact.  

Help build a progressive movement in Texas. Join Progress Texas.

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by: Matt Glazer @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 12:05:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Here are a couple of links (0.00 / 0)

http://www.politifact.com/texa...

and

http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2...

"As far as comment from the current administration on whether Bill White left the city in fine financial form, forget it: "We're not getting involved in the gubernatorial campaign," said Janice Evans, spokeswoman for Houston Mayor Annise Parker."

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by: TexianPolitico @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 12:44:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Reading those stories (0.00 / 0)

you've linked to...not too much substantial support, there. If you provide "links," as Matt has requested, they should be good support for your statements.

Your first link:  

Summing up: Houston took in more money than it spent for most of White's six-year tenure as mayor, and socked some of it away. Since fiscal 2009, the city has been drawing on those reserve funds, ending each year with less than it started. So far, it has drawn $56 million from the fund.

Parker is correct that the city has spent more than it's taken in for years, though her time reference works only because the city's fiscal year always includes portions of two calendar years - in this case, 2008 and 2009.

Put another way, the city has taken in less than it's spent for about a year and a half, which includes one complete fiscal year and part of the current one. We rate Parker's statement as Half True.

This truly reflects what is going on with our overall economy. Not some kind of Bill White mismanagement issue.

Your second link offers only a critical headline as a quote from the Perry campaign with little information to substantiate it in the article. Speculative article.

Baby Snooks has a team, now?  

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by: Elsbeth @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 14:22:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

How is that different? (0.00 / 0)

So, everything bad in Texas is Perry's fault, but anything bad in Houston can't be blamed on White, but rather just a bad national economy?

Also, don't you think its interesting that the mayor of Houston won't be getting involved in the governor's race to help out White?

No team. I honestly have never met anyone that posts on here. I think I saw Matt Glazer at a forum one time, but we didn't meet.  

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by: TexianPolitico @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 15:52:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Different problems (0.00 / 0)

The problems in Houston are basic economic problems.  They aren't as bad as they are in the rest of the country, just like the Texas basic economic problems are not as bad as they are in the rest of the country.  It's hard to fully blame or credit White or Perry with these basic economic indicators, because there is so much national trend.  (Perry tries to take credit for Texas not being as bad economically, but it has really been a bunch of Democratic mayors who have attracted jobs to Texas, I think.)

That said, the problems we blame Perry for go beyond that.  Corruption problems.  Education problems.  Childrens' healthcare problems.  These are problems that go beyond the most basic economic indicators, that would not be as obvious if there was good governance.  

"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write."  -  John Adams

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by: Michael Hurta @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 16:28:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

No Baby Snooks does not have a team... (0.00 / 0)

Twist and turn. Slash and trash. The response to those who disagree with you is always the same whether you're a rabid Rebublican or a slightly delusional Democrat.

Kill the messenger in order to kill the message.

I don't have time to search the "blog-with-a-print-edition" formerly known as The Houston Chronicle for the comments she has made. But the one commented printed, from Texas Watchdog, that obviously rabidly Republican propaganda machine, is curious since it makes it rather obvious she does not intend to endorse Bill White. But then he didn't endorse her. And that's where it all gets twisted.  And where he may get slashed. And trashed. Just by a "no comment" and "the mayor does not intend to become involved in the governor's race."  Whether it was put out by the Rick Perry campaign or not, that is what her spokeswoman said. Or is Janice Wilson denying she said it?  

In Bill White's defense, I doubt there is a municipality, or state, including Texas, in the country that didn't "cook the books" particularly when the economy headed south in 2008.  But woe be to the mayors and governors who did so.

Of course in this case, both the mayor and the governor did so.  

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by: Baby Snooks @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 15:59:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I read the Houston Chronicle (0.00 / 0)

everyday.  I know what Mayor Parker has said about the budget, thank you.  

Rick Perry has done zip, zero, zilch to keep taxpayers from being bankrupted further by  Washington.  Helllllllooooooooo, it is the Republicans in Washington that have bankrupted we taxpayers.

A 30 year Republican  majority in Washington has led to the economic and environmental carnage we've been witnessing since 2008.  Nearly 30 years of deregulate, baby, deregulate has enabled the financial sector to run roughshod over the American people.  Wall St. crashed and burned while tens of thousands if not millions of Americans  lost their life savings, jobs and homes.  I guess we should bow and say thank you to St. Ronald the Great, Bush I and Bush II.  We should also offer our deepest thanks to today's Republicans in Congress who want to water down the finance reform bill that would reign in the Wall St. fat cats.

Republicans in Washington are tripping all over themselves trying to protect Wall St. while Texas Republican lawmakers are tripping all over themselves sticking up for BP.

Today's BP oil carnage is another product of a Dick Cheney energy policy.  I guess we should say thank you to him, too.

I don't get why you Republicans keep voting for politicians who work 24/7 against your self-interests if not your self-preservation.  I guess y'all must be listening to nut jobs like Rush and Glenn day in and day out.

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by: Libby Shaw @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 15:29:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A 30 year Republican majority? (0.00 / 0)

What are you talking about? The Democrats controlled the House from 1955 to 1995 and the Senate from 1955 to 1981 and then again from 1987 to 1995. Also, Carter was president from '77-'81 and Clinton was in office from '93-'01. Seriously, why do you say it has been a 30 year Republican majority? That's some pretty fuzzy math.

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by: TexianPolitico @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 15:56:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Republicans controlled WH (5.00 / 1)

and/or Senate for 27 years since 1981.

Reagan:  two terms
G.H.W. Bush: one term
W.: 2 terms

=20 years of Republican presidents.

R Senate majority:
1981-1987 (Reagan)
1995-2001 (Clinton)

The Republicans held the majority in the Senate during the Clinton administration (1993-2001) for much of the time.

That translates to a big world of Republican control in Washington 1981-2008.    

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by: Libby Shaw @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 21:44:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ha (0.00 / 0)

That's still far from a "30 year Republican majority" like you claimed. Every single piece of legislation that Reagan or Bush 41 signed had to come out of a Democratic House. How is that a Republican majority for those 12 years?

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by: TexianPolitico @ Wed May 05, 2010 at 14:09:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And (0.00 / 0)

the Republican Senate and Republican Executive Branch could stop any legislation. This isn't that complicated.

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by: Elsbeth @ Thu May 06, 2010 at 00:36:54 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Confused by the lead paragraph. (0.00 / 0)

Is Perry winning over the KBH moderates or is Bill White? The second sentence seems to indicate that Perry is picking them up (I believe it should read "Maybe that's why he ISN'T winning over the Kay Bailey Hutchison moderates.")

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by: Rich Bailey @ Mon May 03, 2010 at 15:11:05 PM UTC

Actually (0.00 / 0)

by leaving out that sentence it's a jump to the chase. If half of the Republican Primary voters voted for someone other than Rick Perry, then it's fathomable that they might just vote for Bill White...especially since he's vigorously courting them.

The longtime Republican mayor of Grand Prairie, Charles England, this afternoon endorsed Democrat Bill White  for governor.

"We need to change Austin. For too long, the state has been divided into red teams and blue teams," England said.

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by: Elsbeth @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 03:54:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Some might, some won't.... (0.00 / 0)

Those who voted for Medina aren't exactly liberal let alone moderate and I doubt they will vote for a Democrat no matter how conservative he portrays himself. They will vote for the lesser of the two perceived evils. Which is Perry.

If everyone who voted for Hutchison votes for White then Perry will become Former Governor Still 39%.  But that will take Hutchison openly endorsing White. And that won't happen. Despite many believing it might.

If half of them vote for White, then he might still be able to win. Depends on how many "straight ballot" Democrats and how many "straight ballot" Republicans turn out.

If there is a wild card, it may be the Hispanic vote. Which isn't necessarily a given for either Perry or White.

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by: Baby Snooks @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 04:31:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh, Good Lord. n/t (0.00 / 0)

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by: Elsbeth @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 14:06:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

no no no no no no no (0.00 / 0)

medina supporters aren't going to vote for perry.  remember TTC? that is one of their biggest issues.

i think they are far more likely to be angry at perry and vote against him..

clearly hutchison voters are open to any alternative to perry or they would have abandoned her when the campaign was an obvious failure and going nowhere.  i suspect white has a slightly better chance to pick up a fair number of them than perry.

the Hispanic vote will not be a wild card.  greater than 3/4 will vote for white.  they only question for Dems is: "how many will turnout?".

Please refer to KT's signature.

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by: colin @ Tue May 04, 2010 at 15:07:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]