By Terry Lowry Editor/Publisher the LINK Letter Host: The What’s UP Radio Program Over 95,000 identif ied conservative voters stayed home during the last Mayoral Election. Turner won in the run-off by approximately 4,000 votes. When you don’t vote, a liberal Democrat wins. Nearly 97,000 identified conservative voters did vote during the las Mayoral Election. Thank you for voting. PROBLEM Over 45,000 registered voters who live with an identified conservative voter (who voted) stayed home. Let that sink in: conservative voters took the effort to vote but left a registered voter at home. Again, Turner won in the run-off last Mayoral Election by approximately 4,000 votes. It’s Easy To Vote Early Vote Early, just because you can. Earlier this year, Democ- rats floated the idea of placing voting booths inside City jails. They are masters of turning out their vote. On Page 2 is an Early Voting Map. For the location, time and days each location of open, visit our website at www.TerryLowry.com and use the Voting Information Link. If you are going to vote, take a like-minded voter with you. Inside this publication you will find a Sample Ballot covering the Houston City Elections and the Ten Texas Constitutional Amendments – Propositions. It Is Legal To Carry This Into the Voting Booth Terry Lowry 10924 Grant Road, Suite 133 • Houston, Texas 77070 • www.terrylowry.com On the web at www.TerryLowry.com Archives posted since January 1st 2005 October 2019, Volume 28, Number 3 LINKING TEXAS CONSER V ATIVES SINCE 1993 WEEKDAYS 2:00-3:00PM ON KKHT 100.7FM THE WHAT’S UP Radio Program EARL Y VOTING HOURS OCTOBER SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 NOV 1 2 3 4 NOV 5 6 7 8 9 7:00am - 7:00pm 1am - 6pm Election Day 7:00am - 7:00pm Rise UP – Take City Hall And: Metro Wants $3.5 Billion Dollars www.TerryLowry.com September 2019 2 If applicant is unable to sign or make a mark in box 10, the witness shall check this box. (Si el solicitante no puede firmar o hacer una marca en la casilla 10, el testigo deberá marcar esta casilla.) Failure to complete this information is a Class A misdemeanor if signature was witnessed or applicant was assisted in completing the application. (Si no se completa esta información es un delito menor de clase A si la firma fue atestiguada o solicitante fue asistido en llenar la solicitud.) NAME - AS REGISTERED TO VOTE (NOMBRE - COMO REGISTRADO PARA VOTAR) Check this box, if acting as a Witness (Marque esta casilla si usted está actuando como testigo) Check this box, if acting as an Assistant (Marque esta casilla, en caso de actuar como asistente). If you are acting as Witness and Assistant, please check both boxes (Si usted está actuando como testigo y asistente, por favor marque ambas casillas) Witness’ Relationship to Applicant - See Instructions. (Relación del testigo al solicitante - Vea las instrucciones) If applying once for all county elections in the calendar year, select “Annual Application .” (Si se aplica una vez por todas las elecciones de su condado en el año calendario, seleccione "Solicitud Anual.") Annual Application - For 65+ or Disabled (Solicitud Anual - Para 65 + o Incapacidad) If applying for one election, select appropriate boxes (Si solicita una elección, seleccione casillas correspondientes). May (Mayo) November (Noviembre) Other (Otro) ________________ Any Runoff (Cualquier elección de desempate) VOTER SIGN HERE (VOTANTE FIRME AQUÍ) EMAIL ADDRESS - Used in case our office has questions. (Optional) (E -Mail - Se utiliza en caso de que nuestra oficina tenga preguntas.) CITY (Ciudad)STATE (Estado) ZIP (Zona Postal) ADDRESS - WHERE REGISTERED TO VOTE (DIRECCIÓN -DONDE REGISTRADO PARA VOTAR) NUMBER (Número) STREET (Calle)Apt. (Apartamento) LANGUAGE PREFERENCE - Select type of ballot you wish to receive: (Preferencia de idioma - Seleccione el tipo de boleta que desea recibir:) English/Spanish (Inglés/Español) English/Vietnamese (Inglés/Vietnamita) English/Chinese (Inglés/Chino) DATE OF BIRTH (mm/dd/yyyy) (FECHA DE NACIMIENTO) TELEPHONE NUMBER (NUMERO DE TELEFONO) FOR WITNESS and/or ASSISTANT (PARA TESTIGO y/o ASISTENTE) APPLICATION FOR BALLOT BY MAIL FROM HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE (SOLICITUD DE UNA BOLETA ELECTORAL DEL CONDADO DE HARRIS, TEXAS USANDO LETRAS DE MOLDE O A MAQUINA) Signature of Witness/Assistant (Firma del Testigo/Asistente) X CITY (Ciudad)STATE (Estado) ZIP (Zona Postal) NUMBER (Número) STREET (Calle)Apt. (Apartamento) Printed Name of Witness/Assistant (Nombre en letra de molde del Testigo / Asistente) Check one: (Marque una:) Mailing Address on my voter registration certificate (Dirección postal en mi certificado de registro de votante) Hospital (hospital) Nursing home or long-term care facility (centro de enfermeria o de cuidados medicos a largo plazo) Retirement center (centro de Retiro) Address of the Jail (Dirección de la Cárcel) Relative; Relationship: (Pariente; Relación:) ___________________________ Address outside the county. Complete dates (Dirección Fuera del Condado. Complete las fechas). If you are requesting this ballot be mailed to a different address (other than residence), indicate where the ballot will be mailed. (Si usted esta solicitando que esta boleta se envié a una dirección diferente (que no sea la residencia), indique a donde se e nviará la boleta.) First day to receive mail at this address (Primer día para recibir correo en esta dirección) Date of return to residence address (Fecha de regreso al domicilio de residencia ) MAIL MY BALLOT TO: (Enviar mi boleta a:). CITY (Ciudad)STATE (Estado) ZIP (Zona Postal) NUMBER (Número) STREET (Calle)Apt. (Apartamento) Democratic (Demócrata) Republican (Republicano) Signature as Registered to Vote (FIRMA COMO REGISTRADO PARA VOTAR) X 1) 65 years of age or older2) Disability (65 años de edad o más)(Incapacidad) If “Absent From County”, BALLOT MUST BE MAILED OUTSIDE THE COUNTY. (Si "ausente del Condado", boleta debe ser enviada fuera del condado) If applying for one election, select appropriate boxes (Si solicita una elección, seleccione casillas correspondientes). May (Mayo) November (Noviembre) Other (Otro) ____________ Any Runoff (Cualquier elección de desempate) 3) Absent From County4) Confinement In Jail (Ausente del Condado)(Está encarcelado) Dates of absence:(Fechas de ausencia:) For Official Use (Sólo para uso oficial ). Complete dates as needed. (Fechas completas según sea necesario) For Official Use Only (Sólo para uso oficial). Mail to: (Correo a:) DIANE TRAUTMAN , P.O. Box 1148, Houston, TX 77251 1148 OR Deliver by Common Contract Carrier ONLY to: (O entregar por transportista contratado común SOLAMENTE a:) DIANE TRAUTMAN, Harris County Admin Building 1001 Preston, 4th Floor, Suite 440, Houston, TX 77002 1 I CERTIFY THAT THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THIS APPLICATION IS TRUE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT GIVING FALSE INFORMATION IN THIS APPLICATION IS A CRIME. (“CERTIFICO QUE LA INFORMACIÓN INDICADA EN ESTA SOLICITUD ES VERDADERA Y ENTIENDO QUE ES UN DELITO DAR INFORMACIÓN FALSA EN EST A SOLICITUD.”) 3 5 6 YOU MUST CHECK THE REASON YOU ARE APPLYING FOR A BALLOT BY MAIL (TIENE QUE INDICAR POR QUE ESTA SOLICITANDO UNA BOLETA ELECTORAL POR ADELANTADA.) 7 9 10 11 12 PRIMARY ELECTIONS (ELECCIONES PRIMARIAS) You Must Declare One Political Party to vote in a Primary (Debe declarar un partido político para votar en una primaria) 8 4 2 3 September 2019 www.TerryLowry.com Residence Address - G i ve ful l addres s as s h ow n on y our vo ter r egi s t ra ti on c e rt i f i c at e. If you have moved within the county but not yet changed your voter registration address with the voter registrar, indicate your new residence address. Mail Ballot To - Give full address where you wish to have ballot mailed, if the address is different from your residence address. Mailing Ballot to a Different Address - Your ballot must be mailed to your home where you live or to your mailing address on your voter registration certificate. The re are some exceptions that allow you to have your ballot mailed to a different location: Expected Absence from County - If you chose expected absence from county, you must expect to be absent from the county on election day and during the hours of early voting in person or for the remainder of the early voting period after you submit your application. Your ballot must be mailed to an address outside the county. Important: Give date you can begin to receive mail at the address given. Annual Application - If you are 65 years of age or older, or disabled you may apply to receive all ballots by mail for a calendar year. Please note this application will only apply to elections held by the county. If you do not select any elections in Box 7, your application will be considered an Annual Application. 1. Sign and date your application - If unable to sign, please go to Witness/Address box 11 and have a person witness your mark. Witness/Assistant instructions follow below. 2. Deliver to Early Voting Clerk - You may submit your application via these methods: In Person: You may submit your OW N application in person to the Early Voting Clerk until the early voting period begins. However, after the early voting period begins for an election, you may only submit your application via mail, fax or common contract carrier. By Mail: You may mail your application via the U.S. Postal Service. By Common Contract Carrier: You may submit your application via a common or contract carrier which is a bona fide, for profit carrier. Your application must be received by the Harris County Clerk not later than the 11h day before election day. If the 11th day is a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the first preceding business day. -If you are voting by mail because you are 65 years of age or older or are disabled and are submitting an Annual Application f or county elections, you may submit an application throughout the calendar year, beginning January 1. Please remember that the application must be received not later than the 11th day before the first elect ion in which you seek to vote by mail. -If you are voting by mail for any reason, and are not submitting an Annual Application, you cannot submit the application to the Early Voting Clerk until the 60th day before the election. Witness: If you are unable to sign your name (due to a physical disability or illiteracy), the application may be signed in Box #11 fo r you by a Witness. You mus t make your mark to the application in Box #10 or, if you are unable to make a mark, then the Witness must check the appropriate box in #11 indicating the inability to make a mark. The Witness must state his/her name in printed form and indicate his/ her relationship to you or, if unrelated, state that fact. The Witness must sign and provide his or her printed name and resi dence address. Unless the Witness is a close relative of the voter (parent, grandparent, spouse, child or sibling), it is a Class B misdemeanor for a person to witness more than one application for ballot by mail. Assistant: If a person (other than a close relativ e or person registered to v ote at the same address) assists you in completi ng this app lication in your presence or mails/faxes this application on your behalf, then that person must check the “Assistant box.” The Assistant must sign, provide his or her printed name, and his or her residence address. A person commits a Class A misdem eanor if the person provides assistance without providing the information described above unless they are a close relative or registered at your address. INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICATION FOR BALLOT BY MAIL FROM HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS Deadline Witness/Assistant Section Submitting Application Reason for voting by mail Location to mail ballot 65 or disabled Nursing home, assisted living/retirement center, relative, hospital In jail Address of jail or relative Absent from county Address located outside of county INSTRUCCIONES PARA UNA SOLICITUD DE BOLETA POR CORREO DE HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS Dirección de residencia - De la dirección completa como aparece en su certificado de registro electoral. Si usted se ha mudado dentro del condado pero aún no ha cambiado su dirección de registro de votantes con el registrador de votantes, indique su nueva dirección de residencia. Enviar Boleta a - De la dirección completa a donde desea que su boleta sea enviada, si la dirección es diferente a su dirección de residencia. Envio de Boleta a una dirección diferente - Su boleta debe ser enviada a su casa donde usted vive o a su dirección postal en su certificado de inscripción del votante. Hay algunas excepciones que permiten que su boleta por correo sea enviada a una ubicación diferente. Ausencia prevista del condado - Si elige ausencia prevista del condado, usted debe estar ausente del condado el día de las elecciones y durante las horas de votación anticipada en persona o por el resto del período de votación temprana después de presentar su solicitud. Su boleta debe ser enviada a una dirección fuera del condado. Importante: Indique a partir de que fecha puede empezar a recibir correo en la dirección indicada. Solicitud Anual - Si usted tiene 65 años de edad o más, o con discapacidad puede solicitar recibir todas las boletas por correo durante un año calendario. Atención: esta solicitud sólo se aplicará a las elecciones celebradas por el condado. Si no se selecciona ninguna elección en el recuadro 7, su solicitud se considerará una solicitud a nual. 1. Firmar y fechar su solicitud - Si no puede firmar, por favor dirijase a la caja de Testigo / Dirección 11 y consigua una persona para atestiguar su marca. Instrucciones Testigo / Asistente siguen a continuación. 2. Entregar al Secretario de la Votación Temprana - Puede presentar su solicitud a través de estos métodos: En persona: Puede presentar su solicitud en persona al Secretario de Votación Temprana hasta que comience el periodo de votación temprana . Sin embargo, después de que el período de votación temprana comienze para una elección, sólo podra enviar su solicitud por correo, fax o por portador de contrato común. Por Correo: Usted puede enviar su solicitud a través del Servicio Postal de los EE.UU.. Por Portador de Contrato común: Usted puede enviar a través de un portador común o de contrato, esté debera ser autentico y de una empresa con fines de lucr o. Su solicitud debe ser recibida por el Secretario del Condado de Harris, a más tardar el día 11 h antes de la jornada electora l. Si el día 11 es un fin de semana o día festivo, el plazo es el primer día hábil anterior. -Si usted vota por correo, porque tiene 65 años de edad o más o está discapacitado y está sometiendo una solicitud anual para elecciones del condado, usted puede presentar una solicitud durante todo el año calendario, a partir del 1 de enero. Por favor, recuerde que la solicitud debe ser recibida a más tardar el día 11 h antes de la primera elección en que usted desea votar por correo. -Si usted está votando por correo, por cualquier razón, y no está presentando una solicitud anual, no se puede presentar la so licitud al Secretario de Votación Temprana hasta el día 60 antes de la elección. Testigo: Si no puede fir mar su nombre (debi do a una discapacidad física o el analfabetismo), la solicitud podrá ser fir mada en la casi lla # 11 para usted por un testigo. Usted debe poner su marca en la solicitud en la casilla # 10, o, si usted es incapaz de hacer una marca, el testigo deberá marcar la casilla # 11 que indi ca la imposibilidad de hacer una marca. El testigo debe declarar su nombre en letra de molde, indicándo su relación con usted o, si no relacionado, debe declararse este hecho. El testigo debe firmar y proporciona r su nombre y dirección de residencia en letra de molde. A menos que el testigo es un pariente cercano del votante (padres, abuelos, cónyuge, hijo o hermano), es un delito menor de Clase B para una persona prese nciar más de una solicitud para votar por correo. Asistente: Si una persona (que no sea un familiar cercano o persona inscrita para v otar en el mismo domicilio) le ayuda a llenar esta so licitud en su presencia o env ia por correo o por fax esta solicitud en su nombre, entonces esa persona debe marcar la casilla nombrada “Asistente”. El Asistente debe firmar, proporcionar su nombre y su dirección de residencia en letra de molde. Una persona comete un delito menor Clase A, si la persona presta asistencia sin proporcionar la información escrita anteriormente a menos que sea u n pariente cercano o este registrado en su dirección. www.HarrisVotes.com ✪✪ 713-755-6965 Ballot-By-Mail@cco.hctx.net Sección Testigo / Asistente Fecha Límite Presentación de Solicitud Razón para votar por correoUbicación para enviar boleta por correo 65 o discapacitadoAsilo de ancianos, vivienda assistida / centro de jubilados, pariente, hospital En la cárcelDirección de la cárcel o pariente Ausente del condadoDirección ubicada fuera del condado Mail to: (Correo a:) DIANE TRAUTMAN , P.O. Box 1148, Houston, TX 77251 1148 OR Deliver by Common Contract Carrier ONLY to: (O entregar por transportista contratado común SOLAMENTE a:) DIANE TRAUTMAN, Harris County Admin Building 1001 Preston, 4th Floor, Suite 440, Houston, TX 77002 Common Contrac t Carrier ✪✪ ✪www.TerryLowry.com September 2019 4 What’s UP: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly By Michael Kubosh Guest Editorial Houston City Council Member There is no doubt that Houston has one of the strongest Mayor-Council governments in the country. This “strong-Mayor” form of government is traditionally headed by a Mayor who serves as a city’s Chief Executive and a City Council, which serves as its Legislative body. However, the structure of the City of Houston govern- ment raises many questions concerning transparency, pay-to-play, and hidden agendas, due to the very nature of how the City Charter has been set up by our forefathers. Contributing Factors To Houston’s “Strong-Mayor” The Mayor of Houston has complete control of the weekly agenda. The agenda includes all items that are brought to City Council members for a vote – ordinances, appointments to boards and commissions, acceptance of work on contracts, purchasing and tabulations of bids, resolutions, and more. Council members may propose amendments to that week’s agenda items, but are not able to place a new item on the agenda during the meeting. This would be, at minimum, a viola- tion of the Texas Open Meetings Act, which requires that all items to be brought for a vote must be posted in a place readily accessible to the general public at least 72 hours before the meeting. The only way for a Council member to place an item on the agenda is to call a special meeting, which requires a quorum of City Council members in order to approve the addition of the item to an upcoming agenda. As this would be in conflict with the Mayor, it is nearly impossible to have a meeting with the required number of Council members in attendance, although it has been attempted. The Mayor has a vote on Council and always votes first (signaling how he wants the vote to go). There are sixteen City Council members – f ive are “at-large” with the others representing one of the Houston’s eleven Council districts. Council members (especially those representing a Council district) may be reluctant to “vote against” the Mayor, who has control of budgets and projects affecting their district. The Mayor directs all employees and departments of the City of Houston. The city charter prohibits a Council member from directing any employees of the City of Houston. Department heads are nominated by the Mayor and approved by Council Members, but once approved, never have to answer to the Council again. Michael Kubosh5 September 2019 www.TerryLowry.com Majority of Federal Arrestees are Foreigners All purchases and expenditures under the amount of $50,000 can be made without the approval of City Council. The city controller reported that, last year, $396 million was spent on items under the $50,000 threshold. This amounts to SIXTEEN PERCENT of the total annual general fund budget. Possible Solutions: 1 Revise the city charter to remove the vote by the Mayor at Council meetings, unless it is required to break a tie vote. 2 Allow Council members to place items on the weekly agenda if at least three Council members “sign on” to present the item. 3 Require monthly reviews of all expenditures that are greater than $25,000 but less than $50,000. 4 Department heads should be reviewed by Council every two years and require a two-thirds majority vote to approve their re-appointment to that position for another two years. 5 Consider the addition of a CITY MANAGER to reduce any “pay-to-play” political favoritism. In the Council- manager form of city government, the City Council makes laws and broad policy decisions for the non- partisan city manager and staff to carry out. NOTE: Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso have all moved to the Council-Manager form of government. As we approach the November election, it would be interesting to see how candidates for Mayor feel about any of these suggestions and how each would personally address the issues of transparency, pay-to-play, and hidden agendas. By Judicial Watch JudicialWatch.org Edited Months after the U.S. Sentencing Commission revealed most federal crimes are executed by Hispanics and involve immigrants and drugs, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that foreigners accounted for the vast majority of federal arrests last year. Apprehensions Doubled Apprehensions in the f ive judicial districts along the Mexican border, home to a quarter of all drug cases in 2018, have nearly doubled in the last decade. It doesn’t end there; the number of Central Americans captured by federal authorities in the five border districts tripled in one year alone and has risen 30-fold in the last two decades. The disturbing f igures were released by the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, the government agency responsible for collecting crime data. In a 25-page report, the agency outlines a distressing trend of criminal activity involving foreign nationals, revealing that non-U.S. citi- zens accounted for 64% of all federal arrests in 2018. Federal Arrests of U.S. Citizens FELL “From 1998 to 2018, the share of all federal arrests by country of citizenship rose from 28% to 40% for Mexican citizens, rose from 1% to 20% for citizens of Central American countries, and fell from 63% to 36% for U.S. citizens,” the DOJ report states. The document details the alarming increase in immigration crimes, from 20,942 back in 1998 to 58,031 in 2017 and an astonishing jump to 108,667 by 2018, marking a breath- taking 418.9% increase in two decades. 539.6% INCREASE in Immigration-Related Arrests The five judicial districts along the Mexican border— California, Arizona, New Mexico and western and southern Texas—have experienced an eye-popping 539.6% in immigration-related arrests in the last two decades. www.TerryLowry.com September 2019 6 What’s UP: Laws Matter By Mike Knox Guest Editorial Proponents of “open border” immigration argue our country was formed by immigration and very few citizens exist whose ancestral lineage does not include someone who immigrated to the United States. Therefore, we should let anyone, and everyone, immigrate to our country. Opponents of “open border” immigration argue too many criminals, and other miscre- ants, cross our borders and cause mayhem for our citizens and puts unnecessary stress on our public education, med- ical systems, and employment opportunities for our citi- zens. The fact is we have immigration laws because we are a compassionate people and we want to share our model of self-reliance and prosperity with all whom are interested in freedom. Our immigration laws seek a balance between protecting our resources while welcoming as many as we can to enjoy the fruits of the United States. “Socialist/Communist” faction of the Democratic Party There are some, however, who are more interested in tearing down this country than on building it up. I call this group the “Socialist/Communist” faction of the Democratic Party. The immigration issue is a tool being used by this group to obtain control of our country and create a ruling elite, of which they plan to be members. These enemies of America use words designed to tranquilize the general public and play to their compassion for others. Americans are, after all, a compassionate people. We used to use words like “illegal alien” to describe persons who either entered or overstayed in this country in violation of our immigration laws. Then we changed to “Illegal immigrant”, which is a softer, more compassionate, term intended to imply that people who violate our immi- gration law just want to immigrate to this country. From there we went to “undocumented worker”, implying the immigration law violators were simply looking for work. Finally, we arrive at “undocumented immigrant”, granting the status of immigrant to persons who intentionally ignore our immigration law. These words have effectively been used to soften immigration policy to the point where we simply did not enforce our existing immigration law. Afterall, no one wants to be the bad guy. Nevertheless, those who violate the process are violating our federal laws and therefore their presence is outside the law or, in simpler terms, illegal. Let us explore for a moment what happens if the law is followed. Those who follow the legal process and meet the requirements to immigrate to our country are welcomed with open arms and invited to explore their full potential and bounty of our great country. Now let’s compare the two concepts on a much smaller scale. Let us talk about your home. Most of us lock our doors and some set alarms Most of us lock our doors and some set alarms when we leave our homes. We lock our doors and set our alarms to make sure burglars, or in more polite terms “uninvited guests”, do not enter our “borders” and use our resources without our permission. We, as individuals, do not want strangers entering our homes, wearing our clothes, eating our food, or using our water or electricity without our consent. Can you imagine the chaos that would follow if Mike Knox7 September 2019 www.TerryLowry.com we could walk into anyone’s home and use whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted? What would happen, do you think, if someone entered your home and decided they liked it better than their home and simply decided to move in and live with you, expecting you to maintain the home and environment at your expense? On the other hand, when we invite someone into our homes, we have no problem sharing our resources. Again, we are an inherently compassionate people. However, we do need to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others. This simple example is, I believe, the basis for our national immigration policy. Nations cannot exist without defined borders At the end of the day we must acknowledge that nations cannot exist without defined borders. We cannot have defined borders without the ability to protect them from encroachment. We already recognize this simple fact in our daily lives. We have property lines, fences, and yes, walls, to separate what is ours from that which belongs to our neighbors. Open border immigration creates chaos and breaks down the social contract on which this country was founded. We simply don’t have the resources to handle it and sustain our health as a nation. It is time we reject the narrative of the left and speak clearly and unequivocally. From a philosophical, political and policy viewpoint those who intentionally violate our immigration laws and enter this country, for whatever rea- son, are illegal alien persons. Just as the owner of a home has the right to secure their resources for the benefit of their own family and friends, we have the right, as a sovereign nation, to control who is invited to enjoy our resources because we have an obligation to protect the existing citizens of this country. The United States of America is the home we all share. We want to share our prosperity and way of life with the world and certainly want to invite those who share a desire for independence and freedom to join us. Just as an individual could not sustain the entire popula- tion of their town or city living within their home, we cannot, as a nation, afford to allow the entire population of the world to enter and live in our home. ? www.TerryLowry.com September 2019 8 What’s UP: Pay To Play Exposed Guest Op-ed: Roy Streckfuss Harris County Precinct Chairman #706 I have lived in Houston through many Mayors and find this election one of the most dishonest and disingenuous I have ever witnessed. Mayor Turner has a litany of corruption issues he has to explain to the voters, including paying his law partner $6 Million for essentially nothing to do with legal services; his staff running their private enterprises out of City Hall; the raiding of the drainage fee supposedly earmarked and protected for drainage projects; and the circum- vention of City Council by hundreds of actions under the cap that would require a council vote. What’s most peculiar, though, is the conduct of Bill King, who for the first time now fancies himself as the anti-corruption can- didate and is vehemently against “pay to play”. An art Bill King actually per- fected with the City of Houston during a time when Mayor Turner was actually working for him. King’s recent ethics plan is opposite of his own busi- ness conduct in the past. King w as Managing Partner of a law firm called Linebarger, Googan, Blair & Sampson. It is not a traditional “law firm” but rather a collection firm for unpaid taxes, tickets, toll fees, etc. It lives and survives with government contracts, with one of its biggest clients being the City of Houston. This contract is voted on by Houston City Council every few years, and is the poster child of “pay-to-play” politics. In simple terms, simply make multiple donations to each council member in exchange for their vote to renew their tax collection contract. But wait, this story of King hypocrisy gets better. Linebarger and King took council members, State Reps, and State Senators to play golf, to professional sports games and on fancy trips. Linebarger also employed Texas State Representatives as “advisors” to make sure state law didn’t impact their business model. That’s right, it employed the regulators – of which Mayor Turner was one -- in a bizarre example that perfectly displays the “pay-to- play” conduct and exposes King’s hypocrisy. The story with Mayor Turner gets better (or really worse). When King was Managing Partner of Linebarger, then State Representative Sylvester Turner introduced a bill in Austin to limit f irms like Linebarger to only 15% of delinquent taxes collected —rather than 20%. Due to Linebarger’s influence, the bill failed. In response, Linebarger and King then HIRED Turner and his law firm, which gave Turner a portion of the millions in profits in the tax collection proceeds, which in Houston sometimes totaled over $50 Million per year. You can find these numbers in City archives; they are buried deep in the numbers though. Guess what happened after Mayor Turner was hired? The very next year, Turner never tried to file that bill again in the Texas legislature or in the many years after this money-making contract with Linebarger was in place – draw your own conclusion. Don’t be fooled Houston. Two of the most famous play- ers in the “pay-to-play” corruption history of this city are running for mayor. We deserve better at City Hall and the hypocrisy of Bill King proposing an ethics plan is an insult to the memory of many voters like me who remem- ber his past conduct in perfecting this all too obvious “pay-to-play” scheme at City Hall. 9 September 2019 www.TerryLowry.com ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ City of Houston Sample Ballot Mayor Demetria Smith Naoufal Houjami Victoria Romero Roy J. Vasquez Kendall Baker Derrick Broze Sue Lovell Bill King Sylvester Turner o Tony Buzbee Dwight A. Boykins Johnny “J.T.” Taylor City Controller o Orlando Sanchez Chris B. Brown City Council District A Mehdi Cherkaoui Amy Peck Marina Angelica Coryat Lois Myers o George Harry Zoes Iesheia Ayers-Wilson District B Alice Kirkmon Ben White, Jr. Karen “KKC” Kossie-Chernyshev Robin J. Anderson Broderick F. Butler Alvin D. Byrd Cynthia Bailey o Prince E.W. Bryant II Karisma D. Gillam Tarsha Jackson Kenneth Perkins Renee Jefferson Smith Huey German-Wilson Alyson Quintana District C Kevin Walker Amanda Wolfe Michelle Ganz Sean P. Marshall Gladys House o Mary Jane Smith Bob Nowak Abbie Kamin Rodney Hill Daphne Scarbrough Candelario Cervantez Greg Meyers Shelley Kennedy District K Gerry Vander-Lyn Martha Castex-Tatum o Kim Sauke City Council Position 1 o Mike Knox Georgia Provost Raj Salhotra Yolanda Navarro Flores Larry Blackmon Position 2 David W. Robinson o Willie R. Davis M. “Griff” Griffin Emily Munoz Detoto Jim Honey Position 3 Jose Carlos Gonzalez o Michael Kubosh Marcel McClinton Janaeya Carmouche Position 4 Ericka McCrutcheon Tiko Hausman James “Joe” Joseph Jennifer Laney Nick Hellyar Bill Baldwin Jason Roe o Anthony Dolcefino Christel Bastida Javier Gonzalez Letitia Plummer Position 5 J. Brad Batteau Ralph “Rafa” Garcia Catherine Garcia Flowers o Eric Dick Sonia Rivera Michelle Bonton Sallie Alcorn Ashton P. Woods Marvin McNeese, Jr. District D Jerome Provost Ken Moore Carolyn Evans-Shabazz T. “Nissi” Hamilton Carla Brailey Mike Grissom Travis McGee Brad “Scarface” Jordan Dontrell L. Montgomery Anthony Kirk Allen Dennis Griffin Rashad Cave Terrill D. Thomas Marlon A. Christian o Andrew C. Burks, Jr. Write in: Jeremy Darby District E o Dave Martin Sam Cleveland District F Tiffany D. Thomas Jesus Zachary Zamora G. “John” Nguyen Richard Nguyen Anthony Nelson o Van Huynh Write in: Adekunle “Kay” Elegbede District G Tom Baker o Greg Travis Crystal Pletka District H Gaby Salcedo Cynthia Reyes-Revilla Karla Cisneros Isabel Longoria District I Robert Gallegos o Richard “Rick” Gonzales District J Andrew “Drew” Patterson o Barry Curtis Sandra Rodriguez Nelvin Adriatico Federico “Freddie” Cuellar II Edward Pollard Rafael Galvan Next >