Category: Advocacy

It's a year into a global pandemic. My children have not returned to in-person school since they left for Spring Break 2020. We travel to the beach to try to find some semblance of normal for this year's Spring Break. In-between dinner and bedtime I peek at my phone and see my friend's notes on the City of Houston City Council meetings. Perfectly boring. Lovely. Except...

This issue will not stay resolved. Below are some of my notes to the community.

March 12, 2021

Apparently City Council is revisiting the widening of Antoine. 

Oak Forest, Mangum Manor, Super Neighborhood 12 and many other local stakeholders worked together six years ago to oppose it and the detriment to our area (quality of life as well as property values) if Antoine is expanded from 4 lanes to 6 is still a concern.

Please contact CM Kamin’s office to voice your opposition to widening Antoine.

Edit to add email info: districtc@houstontx.gov

Details from 2015: https://www.sn12.org/news/antoine-expansion-being-considered

Nov 8, 2021

Hi Neighbors!

If you do not want to see Antoine EXPANDED to SIX lanes and the resulting decrease in standard of living and property values, please voice your opposition at the link below.

Apparently someone in public works is claiming they haven’t had any community opposition. If you do report, consider commenting below so we have documentation it is widely opposed by the community.

We can absolutely get updated sewers, better walkable streets and bike lanes without expanding car lanes.

Edit to add link to Rebuild Houston’s plans for six lanes on Antoine: https://www.rebuildhouston.org/.../antoine_presentation.pdf

Your friendly, local National Delegate here to remind you that despite what some headlines say, since Sanders did not withdraw, there was more than one candidate and so procedurally there had to be a move to nominate and second all remaining candidates. It’s kind of the whole point of the convention. That and the platform and rules.

Which leads me to a big reason Sanders did not withdraw. It allowed progressives to influence the platform and rules. Maybe not as much as some would have liked, but definitely more than if they had not had a seat at the table.

Which also brings me to the definition of progressive: happening or developing gradually or in stages. It was designed to be slow, building consensus is a slow process, but we ARE making progress.

And finally, I did nothing special and gave no sizable donations to become a National Delegate. If you’re interested, I’m happy to talk more about it. But the short version: I showed up. It’s literally that simple.

I’m proud to have been a Texas State Delegate that voted for this platform. Happy to answer any questions you have to help you get (more) involved.

“Every two years at the state convention, the Texas Democratic Party adopts a new platform that articulates the core ideas and beliefs that govern the party. Planks in the platform — from healthcare to education to criminal justice reform — form the foundation of what Texas Democrats aspire to achieve for society, often through formal legislation introduced by the party’s elected officials. This year, the Texas Democratic Party passed a sweeping platform that rivals the most progressive states in the nation...Now enshrined in the Texas Democratic Party platform — which passed with 94 percent of the vote of all state delegates — are a slate of Sanders’ most transformative policies, including Medicare for All; a Green New Deal; abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE; eliminating student debt; providing free college tuition for low-income students; funding Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions; starting teachers’ salaries at $60,000; internet for all; reparations for the descendants of slaves; and decriminalizing border crossings. The passage of the state’s most progressive party platform in history is nothing short of a momentous victory for a political movement founded in delivering social, racial, economic, and environmental justice for working-class people, students and young people, immigrants, and communities of color.”

Texas Signal

If you've ever wanted to know what a State Democratic Convention looks like, it's currently streaming live and you can go back and watch anything you've missed as well.

This is my second year to be a State Delegate to the Texas Democratic Convention, so please let me know if you have any questions about how it all works. I'm by no means an expert, but I can find out!

Tomorrow morning, Saturday, June 6 at 10am (after the VDR training at 9am), is the closing general session with the following line up:General Session with Vice President Joe Biden, Former Congressman Beto O'Rourke, Former HUD Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, Texas Democratic Party Vice Chair Dr. Carla Brailey, U.S. Senate Candidate MJ Hegar, US Senate Candidate and State Senator Royce West, Congressman Al Green, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, State Senator José Rodríguez, Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee Chair Celia Israel, State Representative John Bucy, State Representative Senfronia Thompson, Annie's List Executive Director Royce Brooks, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes Executive Director Dyana Limon-Mercado, Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy, and Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Montserrat Garibay. Featuring closing musical guests Little Joe & La Familia and Robert Earl Keen.

The Democratic Party is not a monolith. Source: my participation as a State Delegate at the Democratic State Convention 2018, 2020.

How did I become a State Delegate?

• I signed up to attend the senate district convention (in Texas they happen in March).
• I opted-in to being considered for the role of State Delegate (you can be voted to be a delegate by your precinct, but there is such minimal participation (ESPECIALLY in non-Presidential Election years) that anyone who opts-in usually becomes an at-large State Delegate.
• Requirements: You have to have either voted in the Democratic primary or affirm you have not voted in any other party primary.
• Cost: $0 (in 2018 I did have to pay for my transportation and hotel at the convention, but people ride and room share, so that cost varies; this year (obviously) everything is virtual.

What does a State Delegate do?

• Vote on party rules, platform, and resolutions. A list of what I'll be voting on today can be found here: https://texasdemocraticconvention.com/delegates/ SIXTY-FOUR resolutions, y'all...I gotta get back to reading!

And during Presidential Election years, National Delegates are elected at the State Convention.

How does someone become a National Delegate?

• When registering for the district convention, you select your top three choices for presidential nominee.
• Prior to the State Convention you may file to run for various positions in the party, committees, and for National Delegate (including at-large and alternate delegates).
• Requirements: You have to file to be a delegate for one of the candidates you indicated at the district convention.
• Then you can request contact information of other state delegates in your district and you can reach out to them to campaign for their support.
• All State Delegates vote by senate district on their choice of who to elect to the various committees, positions and National Delegates.
• In addition to the number of National Delegates assigned to each district, there are additional delegate spots that are filled according to a set of rules intended to ensure diversity. One of the categories is someone participating for the first time.
• Cost: $0

I have worked and volunteered for two decades to advocate for underrepresented populations. As your delegate, I will use my years of community and consensus building experience to ensure our collective voice is heard.

Locally, I have served on neighborhood, super neighborhood and PTO boards, volunteered for progressive candidates up and down the ballot, and volunteered with Common Cause Texas and Election Protection to help ensure everyone can exercise their right to vote.

Professionally, I have worked tirelessly to build and nurture diverse, inclusive communities, including offering workshops at major international conventions to provide groups and organizations the tools to do the same. My previous work in higher education included becoming a certified LGBTQIA Ally, training on best practices to support first generation/low income college students, and supporting international students and scholars.

I will bring fresh energy to the 2020 National Convention. This is my second State Convention. In 2018 I spent my first Senate District and State Conventions live-blogging my experience to encourage people to get involved by helping them understand how these events work and to illustrate that the party is not a monolith. If elected as a National Delegate, I intend to once again share my experiences in real time to encourage even more people to get involved at all levels.

Thank you for your consideration.

Stay in. Be well.