Musings

Politics of No and Can't

I want to live in a country of can and do. One where we set big goals such as we did in going to the moon. That goal and how it brought the country together still excites many of us. Just look that years later people still thronged to see the Space Shuttle “retired.”  There was sadness of an end to a dream, but the pride was still there.

We want to feel the excitement of doing important things, of working together, and yes, of even making shared sacrifices to see it happen. We want to feel the pride of achievement.

I respect conservative, centrist, and liberal political stances because it takes many viewpoints and a combination of approaches to make things work. In my column last week I opined how Southwest Airlines is successful because of its concentration on four areas: revenue, costs, innovation, and teamwork to make it all happen.

Unfortunately too much of our current debate is “no and can’t,” which in my opinion results in obstructionist tactics that produce continued gridlock and morass. Europe took a “no and can’t” approach to the financial crisis by using austerity tactics that appear to be creating rising unemployment. Not that some reality wasn’t needed, but a balance was also needed that addressed tough problems, but didn’t make things worse.  It’s easy to talk about, but hard to do. The name-calling and knee-jerk reactions to every measure taken by the “other side” certainly doesn’t help.

Folks, we’re in a “your half of the boat is sinking” ship. This is not a good thing.

So what can you as a voter do? After you hear some viewpoints that push your buttons the right way, get beyond the surface and find out from knowledgeable people whether an individual candidate can do something besides say “no and can’t.” Can she or he represent a viewpoint, but do so in a manner that respects other viewpoints? What kind of priorities did he or she select? Did those priorities make things better as well as find ways to adequately address problems? If a first-time public office aspirant, what community or civic endeavors has this individual championed that were tough to do? Did the issue(s) take concentration and listening to different sides to find solutions to issues? What were the results?

Can this individual make a mistake, admit it and course correct? In working in the recruiting industry for over 20 years . . . actual behavior was a bone-fide, fair way of evaluating a candidate. Past behavior was the best predictor of future behavior and job effectiveness. So in hiring an administrator, employee morale and ability to get things done are two equally important criteria for selecting a candidate.

As long as behaviors are reported fairly and objectively, I see no problem with behavior reported in the media. What I don’t like is demonizing individuals, assigning motives to behavior or twisting facts to come up with some often irrelevant point. Don’t look for ideological purity, but for demonstrated experience and behavior relevant to the job with a track record of getting things done that serve more than special interests groups.

If you know nothing about the candidates in a race, don’t vote in that race. Better yet, get a sample ballot and get informed. We get what we put into something. Take the time to be a good citizen.

How do you stay informed?

Reprint from 5-2-2012 Fort Bend Independent

Green Grads

One of the best answers I ever got from interviewing a green grad was during the horrible 80’s recession in Houston. When I asked her why someone should take a chance on her, she said . . . “I worked hard in college to develop skills that I knew people where using in all kinds of fields with computers, but I guess the main reason is I worked my way through college as a janitor in the local bank. They gave me keys to the bank. That shows I’m trustworthy and dependable.” She got a job offer at a terrific company . . . who told her the job was below her skills. She candidly replied, so was being a janitor, but “that’s what they hired me for and I did my best to be a good janitor.” My client was not sorry they hired her.

This has been a tough several years for new graduates, unless you’re an engineer or nurse. That is not always the case. What’s hot for a time, such as the MBA during the financial boom, never lasts forever. As you know if you just got an MBA, unless you’re also an engineer. And aeronautical engineers may be re-tooling.

When friends ask, the truth is from what I’m seeing this year is many young graduates lack insight into why organizations hire people. Newsflash, it’s to perform a job. It’s to use skills, it’s to free more experienced people from day-to-day tasks. It’s to help make whatever an organization does work better for its customers. It’s to make yourself useful.

Having a great personality and good grades are a plus, but it’s the kids who have worked or volunteered and can, in a sentence or two, convey what purpose they served who are getting interviews. The stars can tell you what results happened or something they made better, how they supported others, or something they saw that needed to be improved. And they can tell how they used gumption and sense to make it happen.  They can usually tell you what they would do different “next time.”

It’s the kids that know you need to come to work when you’re supposed to, be prepared for meetings, and there on time who usually do well initially—especially in businesses. However, it’s the individuals who continually adapt, learn skills and attitudes that are not their strengths, and who take on new challenges who thrive. Those people stay employed over the long haul.

Do people skills help? Absolutely.  But it’s more people skills of respect, friendliness, honesty, and insight into people and purpose that serve a career. Politics may work for a while, but being untrustworthy usually comes back to bite you. Not always. We all know exceptions.

Get some insight into the job you’re applying by asking specific questions and then be prepared to offer examples of something like it you’ve done or an attribute that shows you can learn and stay the course. Today examples of learning things without being spoon-fed may help. You may have to think hard about “the little things.” It’s “the little things” that make up life. It’s those people who keep adding them up into big things who get ahead.

Keep doing useful things while you’re looking. Develop a network, stay connected and keep a positive outlook. You’re looking for that organization willing to take a chance on you. Demonstrate why they should.

Reprint from 5-9-2012 Fort Bend Independent

 

Focus on the Right Things

Being successful requires focus and focusing on the right things: customers, expenses, optimizing systems, and innovation for business. An organization like Southwest Airlines does all four. As a result, they have consistently led the airline industry. 

After 911, I was able to experience this philosophy first hand.  While the other major US carriers focused on going to Washington for a handout, Southwest focused on getting fearful passengers back in the air and making new regulations work. I was scheduled to go to a professional meeting on the second day air traffic resumed.

With the new regulations of checking bags, passengers were warned of lines. When I got to Hobby Airport, I’d never seen longer ones. I was certain the two plus hours I had allowed would not be enough, but lined-up with my new check-in bag. Southwest  employees worked along the lines to ensure you were in the right one, you had the right documents, and that your bags conformed to the new regulations. By Southwest focusing on making the new system work and work faster, I was at the gate in one hour!

It was a Friday, and the other thing I saw was families flying. There were many strollers and all the paraphernalia that goes with kids traveling. While the other airlines raised prices because of the new restrictions, Southwest lowered prices to get a fearful public back in the air. They focused on getting customers back flying.

Moreover, they captured market from competitors. Two of the people I was standing by were very well-heeled, upscale customers. She was wearing jewelry that likely exceeded the worth of our house. They were flying Southwest for the first-time because the difference in an $800 ticket and a $300 ticket meant something, even to them. Meals and VIP treatment are nice, but are they worth a $1000 extra fare for what was a $600 trip on Southwest? They too were pleasantly surprised about the way Southwest handled the long lines with “can do” attitude.

My departure from Reno, illustrated the third thing Southwest has long been known for—planes in the air make money. When Southwest was about to lose aircraft during their start up due to cash flow, they developed the quick-turnaround system so fewer planes could fly more often. I was waiting next to a “whale.” One of those rich guys the casinos and hotels bring to Vegas, Tahoe and Reno to gamble. He commented that he usually flew first-class United, but liked the friendliness of Southwest. It was 20 minutes to boarding, no aircraft had arrived, and he said, “I guess they are going to be late.” I remarked they would have told us if they were behind, and we were trained how to get on and off fast. He told me no way, and then did what came natural, made a bet.  I won two drinks.

Flying to a client the next week, I saw more innovation. It was a 6 am flight and COO Camille Barnett was at the gate, talking with employees to find out what they needed to do their job in the new climate. I saw improvements on subsequent flights.  Just like innovation as the first airline to hedge jet fuel.

Couldn’t government be like that? Let’s focus on how to make a better government and country by talking about revenue needed, cutting fat with innovation, and how to make the system work for all.

Reprint from 4-25-2012 Fort Bend Independent

 

 

Real choices

During the tumultuous 60s and 70s, the country was going through extreme changes socially and politically. We were a divided country. It was not a time of moderation or listening. After John and I married in 1969, I joined the Oklahoma League of Women Voters. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done because it taught me to better listen and understand the many approaches and ideas a political issue could take. Notice it was about issues, not name-calling, cheap shots below the belts . . . And these were not shrinking violet women. The League formed out of the Suffrage for Women movement in 1920. In late 60s Oklahoma, it was composed of roughly an equal number of Republicans and Democrats.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan study group for finding ways to address local, state and national issues. The first thing you learned in League was democracy is for everyone and that having an informed electorate is a cornerstone of democracy. We spent a lot of time registering voters, but the major part of our work was studying issues and coming up with non-partisan positions on various issues. We sponsored Meet the Candidate forums. Our study groups came up with consensus on positions for addressing issues. So the second thing you learned was respect for other viewpoints as well as how to listen to understand and incorporate other ways of thinking into addressing issues.

It wasn’t about winning or maneuvering around other groups or endorsing candidates.  It was finding an approach we could agree would improve government. Seems a rather quaint idea today. 

I really learned the meaning of the phrase, “politics makes strange bedfellows.” You’d find yourself disagreeing with a particular individual only to work side-by-side with her to do something about the issue. As I said, it was wonderful training for learning how to find agreement and build consensus so that passion still existed to take on a tough and emotional issue with intelligence and resolve.

One example changed my life. Like many college towns, the University campus often becomes “land-locked” by the town growing around it. With that comes congestion. If your university has a popular sports team or other event, it gives new meaning to the word traffic gridlock. Long story short, Norman, Oklahoma, was considering a bond issue to cut down around 75 beautiful, mature oaks to widen a road to Owen Stadium. 

The League was about to endorse the bond issue. A group of “tree huggers” who thought quality of life in neighborhoods was important, asked if there was another way. Remember, OU was having trouble growing because of being land-locked everyway but south. By suggesting a southern route, instead of the proposed western one, OU was better able to grow her campus south. Everybody won. But we had to think in a new way no one had considered.

Might we be able to take on some of our daunting problems in America, if we cooled the rhetoric and name calling and looked at what we agree about . . . and find more ways to incorporate new ways of thinking about an issue? Yes, we’d have to moderate our voices and passions and re-focus them on resolve to solve the problem. We might reduce clone answers at candidate forums, predictable partisan knee-jerks, and get some real choices.

Reprinted from the 3-28-2012 Fort Bend Independent

Investment returns

 

Bluebonnets are beginning to bloom southeast of the FM 1092 bridge over Oyster Creek at Mosley Park in Missouri City.

 Sometimes investments pay off . . . other times they don’t. So it’s nice when one surprises.

A wild seed project funded by the Quail Valley Garden Club to plant Bluebonnets and Indian Paint Brushes along Oyster Creek at Mosley Park produced and was just beginning to bloom when it got mowed two years ago. Of course, if you want the project to repeat, it needs to go to seed. Well, there was a $500 investment that didn’t look like it would pay off.

Mother Nature knows how to protect herself . . . and the next year we had a modest number of plants and flowers. We contacted Commissioner Prestage’s office and the County waited until mid to late June to mow after the plants seeded. If the heavy rains don’t drown the plants on the banks, we have a good crop of Bluebonnets and Paint Brushes this year.

 

Some Indian Paintbrushes are coming back with the Bluebonnets as well.

A few flowers have already started.  You have to go into the field to really see them now, but we have pictures on the web. So this is a nice surprise and one we hope will radiate spring along this area . . . and eventually start Bluebonnet and Paintbrush to seed along the Oyster Creek Trail as well.

 

Yes, we need these rains to restore our water table that was depleted in the drought. So this is the yin and yang of life. Everything has risk and reward. Costs and payoffs.

In Missouri City several public safety programs have paid off with crime significantly reduced. Intelligence-led strategies, community partnerships and prevention programs have helped the Missouri City Police Department significantly reduce crime citywide for the second consecutive year.

The public safety initiatives were so effective that many of the worst felonies, classified as Part 1 crimes, dropped double digits and the worst felony, murder, dropped triple digits—in this case to zero. “We are cautiously optimistic about downward trends, because many factors contribute to declines in crime,” Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald explained at City Council. “With that said; every dedicated officer serving our citizens works hard on a daily basis and uses a combination of intelligence-led policing tools and good old-fashioned police work to protect our city. They have a strong commitment to the community and do a great job of ensuring citizens are safe and serviced quickly.”

A combination of involving the public and getting police manpower up to desired levels enhances already good policing. The investments are paying off. It is especially good news to see serious crimes against people and property going down for the second year in a row.

Not resting,  MC Police are providing training for our management level police to put them on a par with top law enforcement nationwide. In fact, we’re hosting for the first time a training program. The Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, based in Evanston, Ill., is an intensive 10-week program that prepares law enforcement managers for senior positions by uniquely combining academic principles with practical applications. Classes started on March 5 in Missouri City and participants will receive training considered to be on par with other top level law enforcement executive development programs such as the FBI National Academy and Police Executive Research Forum.

Thanks to everyone who gets involved to make our community safer as well as improve the quality of life.

Get involved yourself. I googled in “Tracking Crime Missouri City.” You get a myriad of tools on Missouri City’s web and links to television stories to learn more. 

 Illustrated from the 3-14-2012 Fort Bend Independent

More . . .

Or visit Missouri City's website and press the Tracking Crime button. You can also download the full report.

More on this story on page 1 of the 3-15-2012 Fort Bend Independent

There is a video story on KTRK . . . google in "Tracking Crime in Missouri City" to get the link.

Leadership

What’s the difference between leadership that looks at the big picture and impact to the larger community and leadership that only considers special interests and agendas? I had a telling experience about how minor issues can become tempests in a teapot, if we let them.

 I had written to City Council stating my opinion on a minor subject because I thought some larger issues might be overlooked in the discussion. I received some personal replies from various Councilmen acknowledging my concerns.  .  . routine, appreciated responses.

Then, I received an email from a stranger—all copied to Council. It seems that my communication with Council had been forwarded by one Councilman to this individual. He disagreed, which was fine. However, he also questioned whether I had any right to write to Council, and then ended with name calling. Probably not winning tactics if you want to influence Council. Rather than have a mud wrestling contest, I acknowledged his opinion and said I was sure Council appreciated receiving his remarks as well.

How did he get this communication? It seems one Councilman thought it important to forward my email to an individual constituent. They appear to be in close communication on the subject. Not that I write anything to Council I would care whether it was on a billboard, and I certainly am not naïve that a Councilman might let friends know there is “opposition.”

 But is sending out one constituent’s email to another individual really pitting two constituents against one another? Is that leadership that brings the community together to consider issues in a larger light or is it leadership that seeks to be divisive? Or idle amusement to see if you can start a mud wrestling contest?

Now where was the contrast of leadership? Another Councilman politely took issue by stating he appreciated all opinions from Missouri City residents, but he also discussed some of the practical issues around the point in question and offered to sit down with the individual to discuss it. He brought the discussion to a higher level.

What happened next was extraordinary. The taxpayer actually spurned the invitation and an opportunity to discuss his case with someone who would vote on it. And not once, but twice dug a deeper hole. Frankly, it was an up close and personal look at uncompromising special interest.  Yes, technically it was legal to forward my communication. Was it good judgment or the kind of action that brings people together? Not in my opinion.

Has our need to “win” superseded our judgment? It has certainly trampled all over our value of fair play much less respect for other people as well as respect for elected office.  We are dealing with a very dangerous world as well as dismantling all kinds of infrastructure and doing it in the name of various ideologies. I worry all sides have lost the ability to work through issues with practicality, common sense and courtesy. Do we want to lower ourselves to what is business as usual at our national and, more and more, state levels?

Yes, we all feel passion about subjects and have bad hair days. But do you want to win every battle or move your cause forward? Is looking at outcomes are we trying to achieve a better way to start? Can we be adults and take issues to a higher level especially on the local level? We are neighbors.

Send your opinion to janicescanlan@clear.net

Re-printed from the 2-29-2012 Fort Bend Independent

 

Hope and dignity

 

Tri-Cities Re-sale Shop in Stafford offers a wide variety of affordable merchandise. Proceeds from the shop fund, 37% of its mission.

Has poverty moved into the middle class in Fort Bend County—and how does it happen? I call it the “tumble-down effect.”  An example, the state cuts the education budget, the school district lays off 400+ teachers, their spouses in professional services have less work. Income tumbles. Savings dwindle. Resources from friends and families are “tapped out.”  Substitute teaching is available, but your income is cut in half. Or you’re a school bus driver, but don’t get paid in the summer and savings run dry because you had an unexpected car or home repair. Where do people go?

 Increasingly East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry is seeing not only first time clients, but has new programs in unexpected places. FBISD through its school nurses has identified 1/3 of its students (no, that’s not a typo) qualify for a nutrition program where each Friday, students take home food in their backpacks. These are your neighbors. This program is supplied and prepackaged by the Houston Food Bank and administered by East Fort Bend Ministries that for the past two years has seen its food warehouse empty by October.  Another hard hit group is the elderly living on fixed incomes. Then, there’s layoffs and ones looming such as Texas Instruments. Returning veterans. Yes, there is more demand in Fort Bend County, and not just from the working poor.

 

Connie Esposito and Vickie Coates

I interviewed Vickie Coates and Connie Esposito of East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministries (EFBHNM).  They have been serving our community since 1990 with help for food, clothing, electricity, and mortgages.  I came away so impressed that our county does pull together and help. And do it with heart. At the heart and conscience of our County is the George Foundation. Add the Executive Directors and the Fort Bend Alliance as well as many community and business organizations. Then, there’s you. I feel proud of the people in Fort Bend.

 Are there people trying to “work the system?” Connie related one client, a woman living on $584 per month. She was having trouble paying her electric bill. When they showed her they could help her more with her mortgage, she didn’t want to take the extra money because “other people need help too.” Yes, these are your neighbors who need a little help and hope to stay on their feet.

So what can you do? There’s lots. 37% of EFBHNM’s income comes from its re-sale shop in Stafford. And it’s an amazing store. I hope you’ll visit my website to see what a nice store it has become (and is getting nicer with a boutique of “special clothing.”) It looks and feels like a retail store. Furniture. Glassware. Maternity and kids clothes. But don’t think you can only send your gently worn clothing or other items. They also have grab bags of torn or stained clothing that particularly outdoor laborers like for work that’s dirty. If you have a garage or estate sale and have leftovers, EFBHNM will also pick up your leftovers or pick up heavy items. 

 

Press here to learn the many
ways you can participate.

Fort Bend Empty Bowls is an upcoming event March 23. In its third year, it has grown to need a larger room at Safari Texas. This event is meaningful, but fun. From 6:30 to 9:30 on Friday night, there’s both a silent and live auction—and some fun surprises. In keeping with their mission, area restaurants will supply soup and bread for dinner. You can also volunteer to help paint soup bowls or in many other places.

Help give hope and dignity.

Tickets for Empty Bowls are $25.

Illustrated from the
2-15-2012 Fort Bend Independent

More photos of Tri-Cities Churches Re-sale Shop at 425 Stafford Run , Stafford. East Fort Bend Ministeries is next door at 435 Stafford Run.

   Vickie Coates shows some of the new items in the special boutique so you don't have to look through all the racks if you need an outfit for a special event. Whether in the boutique or not, all items on the racks in Tri-Cities Resale have been inspected for stains, tears, missing buttons and mended. Grab bag items are available for clothing needed for "dirty work." Please click on images to enlarge them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there are a myriad of volunteer opportunities from clerical work and reception, interviewing clients, pick up and delivery, work at the retail store, or help fill orders at the food pantry.Yes, you can help. Volunteer, paint a soup bowl, donate, or shop.

 

Food pantry warehouse operation is full now thanks to Thanksgiving and Christmas donations . . . and the Souper Bowl of Caring. However, for the last two years the warehouse has been near empty in October. You can give hope and dignity to your neighbors who need a helping hand to stay in their homes or make ends meet during an emergency . . . or help kids better learn in school because they aren't malnourished.

 

 

 

Magic Moment

Because this is a complicated issue I have amplified some of my comments in red italics.

The lyrics, “This magic moment . . . so different and so new” keep running through my head.  What made me think of the song was the first meeting a true cross-section of Missouri City residents participated when the National Golf Association presented the feasibility report on buying the golf course. It fit those lines.

First I admired that the consultant ensured that we understood buying the course was no cake walk. The golf business is hard and golf as a sport was declining at that time. These guys were good. They re-made Houston’s Memorial Park Golf course that is often touted as a municipal golf success story. And municipal golf is different from Country Club Golf. He underscored several points that have never left me.

First, we would never be able to pay back the start up or land costs. So the taxpayers were on the line for whatever was put into the course.  Moreover, no matter how well managed, golf is prisoner to the elements. It is also a prisoner to oil and other commodity prices. Averaging break even on operations was about the best we could expect. Third, and likely very important, municipal courses aren’t country clubs and are distracted by trying to manage fancy amenities around them. 

The rub is that unless you are a Memorial Park and blessed by large work populations near the facility that bring in potential golfers, the community must support the idea of the golf course and in some way feel either connected or benefitted by it—or as in the case of Memorial Park have such support for other forms of recreation within the park, people support the park period.

Enter the magic moment. Residents from all over the city were wildly excited about getting the courses and everyone was seeing green. Problem was to the small number of committed golfers, green meant golf greens. To the rest of the community (or about 84%) green meant open space, access to trails, and a hub for recreation of all sorts. It meant starting to give Missouri City an identity and making it green. The problem we see today is that this dynamic still exists and taxpayers look at the numbers and proportions spent on various aspects of not only the golfing operation but also how it impacts the city budget. The issue raised about golf is that with 54,000 rounds of golf played, the course lost over $100K. If you add in the telephone and utilities, it's close to $450K. Other citizens have asked if we should review our fees structure to see how we might better optimize fees for golf play as a minimum.

Beyond that, we have an extremely complicated governance. The golf course is not under the Parks and Recreation Department. It is under a limited private corporation of which the City Council is the Board of Directors. Which hat does the Council wear in this arrangement? Of course, Council should oversee this aspect as they do other city operations, but a golf course that is competing in the private world of business needs agility to adjust fees and pricing, not just day-to-day operations making the course run. The amount of rounds of golf is likely doing a good job bringing people in, but this is supposed to be very close to break even. If we are still losing money, what will happen in rainy years?

To take politics out of the Parks Operations in Houston, both Memorial and Hermann Parks are run by foundations that have contracts with the City of Houston for clear roles and responsibilities of who does what--and who pays for what. John Walsh, who is one of the key board members of the Hermann Park Conservancy and former CEO of Friendswood Development, told Bob Gowens and I that the Hermann Park Conservancy outsourced their golf operations because despite having a stellar group of business professionals on the board Mr. Walsh said, "We were lousy at running a golf course."

How might we move forward? How might we re-capture the magic moment where many groups saw a way to make our city better? First, the new Recreation and Fitness Center on Cypress Point has much community promise, and we have the horsepower in Parks and Rec to manage it. Running this center and MacNaughton Park is our City's Parks and Recreation people, who have experience running these types of centers and developing programs for them. The Community or Civic Center will appeal more to business organizations and special events. So we need to involve our former cross-section again?  By this, can we agree on some measures of success as a community. Are there other ways to make the community feel more invested in this golf course--particularly those who live outside Quail Valley who do not play golf?  What might those be? What do other communities do?

This is not an involvement or marketing problem alone. It is a Strategic Problem that we do not have a systematic plan showing how this amenity will live up to some of its magic promise, the phases  that it will take to get there, strong and measurable goals of optimizing golfing operations as we go, and use figures of the facilities by various groups. Moreover, there need to be clear contracts with Missouri City of what her obligations are to the limited golf operation corporation and for continued maintenance of land and buildings. We initially intended to outsource the golfing operation to keep it professional and for the agility of private business. Perhaps that idea needs to be revisited now that barriers of ownership are resolved? When the City decided that it was feasible to purchase (or go to Emminent Domain as she was forced to do), the Finance Committee had suggested we outsource the operation of the Golf Course. Because the ownership was not settled, traditional outsourcing was not an option. So we brought in a consultant, Dave Elmendorf who worked on the strategic and project management issues while current director Tyson Stittleberg ran day-to-day. I personally think both people did and in Tyson's case are doing a good job. I cannot imagine an outsourcer would not want to keep a team in place that is bringing in 54,000 rounds. They would, however, have time and a bigger picture to look at some of these fee or any other issues. No one can do more than they have time to do--no matter how good. Many of the strategic and optimization issues are analytical and strategic that require constantly gauge what the competition and market is doing. The reason for a private umbrella is for agility of operation. Getting decisions and educating Council to the why may consume a lot of time  and totally undo any speed advantage.

I suggest our new City Manager Edward Broussard lead this effort. He has not been party to the decisions and his resume touts strength in strategic planning, community involvement and mixed use development. Let’s build on that past magic to make our city greater.

I hate the throw this to the new guy, but frankly, I foresee this as being a constant political issue if we do not find a way to remove politics from the operation of this golf course. And we have elections every year. That's a constant whipsaw. I'd rather see us debate the future of the city, not continue to re-hash the past.

Amplified from Musings column in the 2/9/2012 Fort Bend Independent.

Approach

I believe very strongly that we don’t put American interests first when it comes to politics nationally and both sides are guilty. Is Texas becoming part of the same mess? 

Let’s get down to what should be the most simple function of state government: elections. Right now we don’t even know when we’ll have elections for the primaries. Will our process be subject to law suits and counter claims post election? And practically, what length of time will we have to prepare for elections—that means arranging locations, having adequate tools and workers for each site? When do candidates legally file much less develop supporters and a campaign in changed districts?

Put in a nutshell, re-districting comes about because of changed demographics in a political area. The notion of one person, one vote is that if I am in a place where 200,000 voters have equal representation to areas with 400,000 voters, my vote counts more than the other district. We do this every ten years based on census data and voting patterns supposedly to keep it fair. That’s the theory.

Having served on the Fort Bend County re-districting panel, I’ve been very interested in state re-districting and the contrasts between approach by our county leaders and our state leaders.

Fort Bend is one of the most changed places in Texas—both from a population standpoint and from an ethnic standpoint. While we still roughly have the same proportion of white and black residents, the rise in Hispanic and Asian residents has outpaced the influx of Caucasian and African American residents.

So why did Fort Bend County re-districting raise little more than a ho-hum? And State Redistricting went to the Supreme Court? Approach. One was done with practical considerations paramount; the other was done with political issues paramount.

Do both come into play? Of course.  In my mind, our county redistricting overarching goal was to come up with a plan that did not bring our elections into question. To do that our process needed to respect that not only other political viewpoints existed, but also needed to be represented. Where the arguments came was which “community of interest” was more germane than the other. Who won those debates mostly came down to politics and voting strength. But Fort Bend’s approach was respect that other viewpoints legitimately existed.

It seems the approach at the state level was that the Republican Party of Texas was more important that the Republic of Texas.  Instead of taking an approach Democrats could “live with” they took the approach it was better to blame the Democrats for complaining and take the issue to Federal Court. The Supremes have thrown it back for the San Antonio Federal Court to re-draw where the state legislature’s plan does not respect population, voting and ethnic demographics. They slapped the court’s hand for re-drawing the entire plan, but sent the plan back to be re-drawn. Multiple courts as well as the Justice Department are now involved.

So we are practically seeing what Al Gore chose not to do—that was keep the Presidential elections in limbo while we fought out things in the courts—and for the first time since the beginning of the United States of America be unable to inaugurate our new President.  Rule of law and a democratic process of elections have supposedly separated us from other countries. Now we’re seeing what sounds good on the talk shows, may not work too well in the real world. 

From Musings column in the 1/25/2012 Fort Bend Independent.

More . . . .

A prime example of "real world" occured on the Channel 8 program Red, White and Blue on January 27, two days after this column appeared in print. Jared Woodfill, chair of the Harris County Republican party was bemoaning what this did to elections. He was especially concerned with what it might do to political conventions . . . and I paraphrase, "We have contracts to pay for them to occur on a specific date." Folks, that's practical and real world.

The San Antonio Federal Court threw it back to both parties to come up with something they could agree on by tomorrow, February 6, or the April 3 primary elections will need to be postponed. It will be interesting to see the posturing and blame game if these politicians pull a Congressional level "we can't work it out."

02/15/2012  Looks like that the Texas Republican party will have no opportunity for primaries to be part of Super Tuesday . . . and may have trouble holding their conventions if something doesn't give.

Getting Fit

New Year’s Resolutions often include losing weight. Besides eating sensibly and eating more whole foods, exercise is a must for physical and mental fitness.

We have a new opportunity for fitness with the completion of the second phase of the Missouri City Oyster Creek Trail from the Fort Bend YMCA on Cartwright. It is mostly complete. Lots of bikers and hikers already on this 1.1 mile leg of Oyster Creek. Missouri City has done a terrific job laying out the trail to wind and capture the views. With many birds and large water fowl plus some heritage Pecan trees as well as several large drainage projects that create waterfalls into Oyster Creek, the trail is interesting. 

Now what’s really special about the trail is it connects Missouri City’s Mosley Park, the Edible Arbor Trees on the Oyster Creek Trail south of the YMCA with Sugar Land’s Oyster Creek and Lost Creek Parks across Dulles Avenue on the trail head at Oyster Creek and Dulles. I guesstimate that round trip you have about 15 miles of trail opportunities on safe trails packed with nature watching.

The connection under the bridge at the YMCA will eventually be completed, but John and I walked under the bridge safely with no problems. However, the drainage and configuration of the bridge at Dulles Ave does not lend itself to an under-the-bridge solution. I hope both cities provide directional signage and consider painting a cross walk across Dulles.

Getting fit does not just involve a physical regiment, but an eating and mental fitness regimen. To both of those ends, landscape designer Renee Brown and I had the pleasure of working with Quail Valley Elementary School over the holiday break and with 4^th grade Math and Science Specialist Judy Harper and Counselor Lisa Jones on a grant from Whole Foods Market’s Whole Kids Foundation to build a community garden. Don’t let anyone tell you we don’t have dedicated faculty in FBISD. On December 23^rd, we were doing our second run-through of the garden plan in the rain.  We completed the grant application after Christmas and filed it for the Dec 31 deadline.  Renee and I are part of an outreach program developed by Quail Valley Garden Club chair, Sharon Wright. Quail Valley Garden Club will be providing practical gardening expertise to QVE.

What is special about this grant is schools are encouraged to develop school cafeteria salad bars and use the food from the garden to acquaint children with healthier eating. We have an obesity problem at the elementary school level. Moreover, research shows how kids relate better to fruits and vegetables they’ve grown.

Now the mental fitness is all the science and math kids use figuring out seed count, using sun and shade and combinations for various plants, and dozens of other learning by doing applications. Mrs. Harper took coursework last summer for the Junior Master Gardener program and plans to utilize Urban Harvest resources. She is full of curriculum plans and enthusiasm for this garden. Mrs. Jones will be scheduling QVE students in age appropriate experiences. Quail Valley Proud has also pledged $500 to the garden program. In the summer, the Girl and Boy Scouts have promised time.

Think of what these community programs can do to improve the fitness of all of us. Get involved yourself!

Illustrated from Musings column in the 1/11/2012 Fort Bend Independent.

Please click on photos to enlarge them.