[WB1] After two officers were charged in HPD’s Harding Street Massacre, Urban Reform argues that HPD (and Mayor Sylvester Turner) should get no pass when it comes to the deadly fiasco. Interestingly, Sylvester Turner’s police chief continues to say the department “had probable cause to be there” and that he thinks the officers who participated in the massacre are “heroes” and acted “in good faith.”
[WB2] Nevertheless, the police union (whose president, Joe Gamaldi, behaved disgracefully in the immediate aftermath of the massacre) has dropped its support of Gerald Goines, the retired officer that Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg charged with murder (Houston Chronicle, Reason).
[WB3] Meanwhile, another appeal of a Goines-related conviction was filed this week.
Prediction: Sometime after enablers Sylvester Turner and Art Acevedo are gone, Houston taxpayers will be facing a massive, multi-million dollar settlement to the families of the victims of the (deadly) behavior of these sketchy HPD officers.
[WB4] On the two-year anniversary of Harvey’s inundation of the Houston area, KTRK-13’s Ted Oberg notes the lack of progress on recovery. Bill King also questions the city’s lack of progress and transparency (nay honesty) on flooding.
In the meantime, the Democratic-led Harris County Commissioners Court adopted project priority guidelines that now include a “social vulnerability index” as part of the evaluation criteria (Houston Chronicle, KHOU-11 News, Urban Reform, The Texan).
[WB5] KPRC-2’s Amy Davis reports on the latest egregious example of a politically connected Houston tow operator behaving badly. This is not new, of course, since Houston tow operations have long been part of the Houston Way of doing business (which is to say, highly political). Mayoral candidate Bill King notes that Mayor Sylvester Turner behaved in his usual disagreeable manner when confronted with the matter.
[WB6] The Harris County AFL-CIO chapter declined to endorse a candidate in Houston’s mayoral election this cycle. The labor group unanimously backed Sylvester Turner last time.
[WB7] HCC board member and watchdog Dave Wilson has updated his residency status and announced he’ll be running for a different seat on the HCC board.
[WB8] Don Hooper checks in with his latest observations on Harris County crime and politics.
[WB9] Christopher Rufo observes that new left urbanists want to remake our cities – which is worth keeping in mind as one-time fringe groups like Houston Tomorrow (previously The Gulf Coast Institute) increasingly influence policy in Houston (and reduce affordability).
[WB10] Tweeting a childhood photo of herself on the first day of classes for most schools in the Houston area is Peak Amanda Edwards (also known as Councilmember Selfie).
[WB11] Lefty Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo tweets from the Houston AFL-CIO picnic that “If you’re enjoying this long weekend, or any weekend for that matter, you can thank a union for that.” Who knew that labor unions were the single source of joy on weekends? Give your thanks, subjects; Your twentysomething leader has thus tweeted.
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