A number of items this week didn’t manage to get their own posts, but are worth a comment at week’s end.
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Another week, another illegal immigrant killing a cop. It’s sad that we’re becoming so used to this that it gets the weekend roundup treatment. Here is some telling background from James Pinkerton and Susan Carroll for the Chronicle:
The gunman who shot and killed an undercover police officer during a Tuesday night sting operation was an illegal immigrant who had been picked up by the U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso and allowed to return home to Mexico 10 years ago.
Municipal records also show that Roberto Pedroza Carrillo, 37, had been stopped and ticketed by the Houston Police Department at least four times since 2002, most recently last November. In 2002, a warrant was issued for Carrillo after he failed to appear in court on a speeding ticket, but the case was resolved when he paid the fine.
[snip]
Municipal court records for a Roberto Carrillo, with the same address and date of birth released by investigators, show several traffic tickets from late 2002 to November of 2008. Several of the charges were dismissed after he provided proof of insurance and registration, and after HPD officers failed to appear in court. Records show Carrillo died owing the city $195 for a speeding ticket.
Under HPD policy, officers are not allowed to inquire about citizenship status during routine traffic stops. Suspects without valid identification can be fingerprinted, even for minor offenses. Carrillo, however, had several forms of ID, including at least two Texas driver’s licenses.
MayorWhiteChiefHurtt refuse to allow a frank discussion/debate/review of HPD’s sanctuary policy, claiming it’s a federal problem. Meanwhile, Houston cops keep dying. We grieve for the families who have to cope with these needless deaths of good men who have served the community bravely.
Commenter FilioScotia raises a good question in an email: “In view of the legal problems a lack of ‘consular contact’ has been for Houston and HPD in these circumstances, do you think someone could ask D-A Pat Lykos if those suspects were allowed to contact their respective consulates?”
Various reports indicate that consular contact has been requested, but we haven’t seen any indication whether it was granted.
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Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously passed ethics reform measures including “online posting of officials’ personal and financial disclosure forms, ethics training for all county employees and the voluntary registration of lobbyists” (“Harris County adopts list of ethics rules,” Roma Khanna, Houston Chronicle). The measures are weaker than those recommended by a task force. County Judge Ed Emmett, who made ethics reform part of his successful election campaign, stressed that he was pleased to pass the reforms that were possible under current state law. County Attorney Vince Ryan has hinted he may need to review the measures, which has drawn criticism from Emmett.
Like our friends at Texas Watchdog, we’re all for the posting of disclosure forms on the web, so let’s hope these measures passed unanimously by Commissioners Court pass muster with the County Attorney.
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The Chronicle‘s Nancy Sarnoff offered this blurb in her latest column:
The Downtown Redevelopment Authority wants to provide up to $20 million in funding to help build housing for people who work or go to school in and around the Central Business District.
The group has released a “request for information” seeking input from developers that could buy, develop and finance one or more housing projects with affordable price tags.
“We have so many people who have said they would like to live downtown but can’t afford it, like students, office workers and some of the people out of the medical center,” said Vicki Rivers, the authority’s executive director.
“We’re trying to attract a population to the downtown area that typically would not live there,” she said.
The project may be part of a larger mixed-use development or one that stands alone, according to the request. It may also include converting existing market rate condominiums or rental units.
How nice of the TIRZ to try to make it more “affordable” (we use quotes, even though the area’s newspaper of record doesn’t, because we find the reference ambiguous) for certain types of people to live in certain places! If only we could all have a beneficent TIRZ looking out for our personal welfare. What could possibly go wrong?
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KHOU-11’s Lee McGuire reports that Discovery Green has been so wildly successful that it’s going to cost us another $300,000 per year:
[C]ity council approved a plan this week to pump another $300,000 a year into the park for the next ten years.
“Well, it’s [referring to heavy usage] been a challenge no doubt, and we’re not solving this problem with city money only,” Hagstette said. “We were thrilled that we got that kind of support [from council]. We were thrilled that it passed.”
Taxpayers already spend $750,000 a year on the park in a 50 year deal. The park conservancy also spends three or four times that amount to keep Discovery Green running. Most of that comes from private donations.
The tiny little park has been used much more than we ever would have expected (we’re more partial to authentic green spaces like Buffalo Bayou park and Memorial Park), and the city has done a good job keeping it from turning into a haven for the homeless. Nonetheless, it’s costing us more than its supporters said it would cost (indeed, Mayor White predicted that the park would swell property tax revenues by millions! But his real–estate buddies are having some trouble helping him deliver on that promise right now).
