Sylvia Garcia Articles RSS Feed

Harris County Redistricting Hits the Supreme Court

Sylvia Garcia - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

With only a few sentences into his argument, the State’s lawyer was interrupted by Justice Sotomayor (one Wise Latina) with a pointed question “does that not turn Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (Act) on its head?” And, from there it was about an hour and half of lively and engaging oral arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States.

It was a “bucket list” item for me as a lawyer and former Judge but for all of us in Texas, it was a monumental hearing which will set the political stage for the next decade in Texas and could well have repercussions for decades to come.

I won’t dwell on how we got here except to remind us that there are many things at play. There is the Justice Department who enforces the Act and there was a lawyer there making arguments in behalf of the government. Then there is the San Antonio federal court that ordered the interim maps which are subject of this appeal by the State of Texas. The “State’s” lawyer was there and by State’s lawyer I don’t mean our Attorney General. He was there too, but not to argue though he did sit at the counsel’s table. Our State’s lawyer was a hired gun. Then there is the D.C. District Court who has jurisdiction of the redistricting case itself and has in fact scheduled a trial to begin in a couple of weeks. Now, if that is not confusing, let me make a few points about the Voting Rights Act (Act) itself.

The Act was designed to provide the opportunity for minorities to elect a candidate of their choice and to ensure the constitutional principle of “one person/one vote”. Early on it was about African American voting rights and recently, it’s about the growing Latino population. In Texas, it is about both. There are two sections of the Act which come into play: Section 2 which protects minority voters from changes that would deprive them of an effective vote for a candidate of their choice. That means no dilution of minority voting. Section 5 which prohibits changes that worsen the position of minority voters with a discriminatory purpose. That means that there can be no changes with a discriminatory purpose. I won’t pretend to try to unravel it all. I simply want to give a backdrop to what is at stake and provide a few personal impressions.

First, I was impressed that all the Justices except Justice Thomas who traditionally never asks questions, asked many questions. I didn’t expect it to be so lively, so engaging and almost to the point where Chief Justice Roberts couldn’t get a question in and at times had to sort through who was asking what as some Justices were gently interrupted. It was like watching big leagues point counterpoint.

Secondly, I was impressed that the Justices quoted transcript page numbers, talked specifically about maps, and genuinely appeared to know the case. Justice Sotomayor described the El Paso District as “antler-type district, a head and two unconnected antlers on top, nothing tying them together“. Justice Breyer quoted from transcripts to make several points. Justice Kagen quoted from the record below. I was impressed. If interested, the full transcript of the hearing is on line on the Supreme Court web page at www.supremecourt.gov. My impressions however are taken from my notes during the arguments. A side note, we had to check in all our electronics which meant no photos, no text, no tweets and no recordings. Nada.

Third, and what you probably are most interested in. What may or may not happen? I was relieved when Chief Justice Roberts noted “the Voting Rights Act is not at issue here”. Frankly, many of us feared the Court would use this case to hold the Act itself unconstitutional, another “Gore-ing”. Hearing the Chief Justice say that was good news. However, the same cannot be said with regard to Section 5 of the Act. Many of the Justices, clearly more than five and that’s all they need, had questions that would lead one to infer that they are prepared to end it, change it or set new legal standards for its application. Not good news.

Also, the Chief Justice was overly concerned about “coalition districts” and questioned whether the Act should even apply to them as the Act’s intent was to protect minority rights. As he put it, “It's one thing under the Voting Rights Act to say that this group votes as a bloc and has been discriminated against in its ability to elect representatives of its choice. It's another thing to say that two different minority groups are put together because they share some particular view so that one candidate is going to be each of theirs candidates of choice. That goes quite a step further from what we have upheld under the Voting Rights Act”. Clearly, coalition districts will get a hard look and may not receive any deference and may be eliminated when new maps are drawn. That could also be bad news.

Questions also seemed to suggest that the Justices are not overly concerned by Texas’ primary timeline. Justice Sotomayor pointedly asked, “… what's the real drop-dead date? It's not November 6th, because that's the date of the general election. What's the latest election -- primary election that any State has? June 26th? What is our drop dead deadline?’ With that and rather quickly other Justices pointed out Utah’s late primary, other states’ primaries and it was obvious that their only concern was the big deadline- November 6. 2012. Garza (challenging maps) pointed out that “The -- the critical date is 45 days from the election in order to ensure -- sending out a ballot to overseas voters, including the military. So if -- if you go back 45 days and then you give the jurisdiction sufficient time to develop a ballot, because you need a ballot to send to the -- to the soldiers, then that's about -- what they -- what the testimony was is that takes about -- 90 days, I believe is what they testified. So 45 days plus 90 days, and that's the drop-dead deadline. That would put us at about June 26.
It definitely appeared to me that the Court was more focused on what the D.C. Court will do in a few weeks than worrying about the primary time line in Texas.

Of note is that Garza (challenging maps) pointed out that “there are section 5 claims with regard to Harris County”. If the Court listened or if the San Antonio gets a remand for further review, Harris County lines may be looked at again. That could be good news.

The options then appeared to be (1) remand and ask the San Antonio Court to give deference to the Legislatively approved map and put burden on State to show it is not discriminating or (2) delay till the D.C. Court has its trial due to begin in a few weeks or worse (3) do nothing.

That is not good news. It could cause even more delays to the Primary schedule or ultimately could cause us to have two primaries- one as set in April for all but offices directly impacted by the maps-congress, Legislature and then a second probably in June for those races. Then everything gets on ballot on November 6. While the Court was reminded by all sides that the San Antonio Court’s order on the primary schedule was based on agreement by all parties, the Justices did not seem fazed by it. Justice Ginsburg said more than once it was a “complicated case” before the D.C. Court and no one can assume what they would or would not do. And, she cautioned that they may not act as swiftly as the lawyers think to keep the April primary schedule.

We will all now wait and see.

Finally, we should celebrate the whole notion of our three branches of government. The check and balance system was hard at play yesterday in that court room. As I sat with one branch of the government- members of Congress- I thought of how happy I was to be a lawyer, to be an American and to be able to say that no matter what happens “we had our opportunity to be heard”. But, as is always in politics “it is not over till it’s over" and we shall see. As a side note, I still don’t understand why the Court does not allow everyone to see what I saw on TV. Surely, CSPAN would not have interfered.

For those interested, I was not the only Texan there and while I’m sure I missed seeing someone- I was sitting in the front row with Members of Congress thanks to a reserved seat secured for me as NALEO President by Senator Leahy (D-Vermont). Others I spotted were Congresswomen Eddie Bernice Johnson and Sheila Jackson-Lee; Congressmen Al & Gene Green, John Culberson, Lamar Smith, Lloyd Doggett, Ruben Hinojosa. State Senators Wendy Davis, Rodney Ellis and Tommie Williams. State Representatives Jessica Farrar, Trey Fisher Martinez, Marc Veasey and Gary Elkins. Also, a number of lawyers from all the cases and their plaintiffs including Chad Dunn, lawyer on our Harris County redistricting case and lots of LULAC folks who also braved the cold and snow at a rally in front of the Supreme Court building.

11-Jan-12 9:00 AM

Immigration Summit: The Cost Savings of Implementing Immigration Reform

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:45:00 GMT

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AJC's Bridging America Task Force

Presents an Immigration Summit on:

The Cost Savings of Implementing Immigration Reform

Business: Larry Kellner - Greater HoustonPartnership
Social Services: Deacon Joe Rubio - Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Medical: David Lopez - Harris County Hospital District
Education: Juliet Stipeche - HISD Board of Trustees
Law Enforcement: Harris County Sheriff's Department

Moderated by Dr. Stephen Klineberg from Rice University

January 10, 2012

8:00 - 10:00 AM
Rice Memorial Center Ballroom on the Rice University Campus
**No charge to attend (includes continental breakfast)

RSVP: See below

Greetings,

The United States is currently involved in a complicated and conflictive moment regarding immigration. While the Federal Government maintains definitive authority related to issues of citizenship and naturalization, Texas is poised to assume a leadership position pertaining to the responsible management of what is estimated to be 1.7 million undocumented residents currently living in the state.

A diverse bipartisan group of Texans have arrived at this moment determined to assess the long-term economic consequences of our country's failure to implement comprehensive immigration reform. Our goal is to develop an effective, rationally driven, state model for the many undocumented workers who currently live and work in our communities throughout Texas and without whom our state economy would collapse.

A diverse group of Texans is determined to assess the long-term economic consequences of our state's failure to implement effective policies for our undocumented workers. The State of Texas can develop the creativity, the public understanding, and the political courage to establish an effective identification and taxation plan.

You are invited to attend "AJC's Bridging America Summit on the Cost Savings of Implementing Immigration Reform", January 10, 2012 from 8 am to 10 am at the Rice Memorial Center Ballroom on the Rice University Campus. You will hear from some of our state's experts in the field of business, health care, law enforcement, education and social services. By learning the facts and separating the fears and fiction associated with the immigration issue, we can respond effectively to both the challenges and the opportunities of today's immigrant experience.

This summit is coordinated by the American Jewish Committee - Houston Region and is co-sponsored by the Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

The topics and discussions will encompass:

The long term losses and risks associated with an uneducated, disenfranchised population of immigrants and the benefits associated with providing the types of educational incentives welcomed and embraced by past generations of immigrants to our country.
The Health care realities and the costly inefficiencies in our current health care policies towards undocumented workers.
The fallacies and misplaced security concerns regarding undocumented workers that are hindering our police and making it more difficult to secure our cities and neighborhoods.
The importance of creating and maintaining an exemplary education system for all Texas children, knowing that they truly are the future leaders or the future disenfranchised citizens of our State.
The reality of an undocumented labor force in our community of over 300,000 and its impact on unemployment and loss of tax revenues.

This invitation is predicated on the belief that you have significant insight and energy to offer. There are a finite number of spaces and we are expecting a huge response. However, if you know of someone who you feel should be included and wish to extend an invitation to them, please contact us.

A continental breakfast will be provided at no charge thanks to generous donations from Marcia and Mike Nichols and Stan Marek. Your RSVP will allow for us to effectively structure our groups and will facilitate our goal to use your time wisely and well.

Sincerely,

AJC's Bridging America Task Force

Marcia and Mike Nichols - Immigration Summit Chairs

Steve Amstutz Dawn Lin

Alan Bernstein Jorge Mancilla

Deise Blankfeld Stan Marek

Bob Borochoff Rabbi Steve Morgen

Beto Cardenas Dr. Steve Murdock

Reverend Mike Cole Laura Perez-Boston

Most Reverend Joseph Fiorenza Bishop Mike Rinehart

The Honorable Charles Foster Dinesh Shah

Commissioner Sylvia Garcia Richard Shaw

Dr. Fena Garza Martin Siegel

Benito Juarez Daniel Stoecker

Dr. Stephen Klineberg John Wilburn

Nat Levy

RSVP by sending in this form by Wednesday January 4th, 2012:
1. Email - kahnm@ajc.org
2. Fax - 713-439-1240

Name:_______________________________________

Phone Number:______________________________________

Email:______________

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

Paid for by Sylvia Garcia Campaign; Roland Garcia, Treasurer

6-Jan-12 3:45 PM

Happy Holidays!

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:00:00 GMT

Connect with Sylvia Garcia

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

Paid for by Sylvia Garcia Campaign; Roland Garcia, Treasurer

22-Dec-11 4:00 PM

Garcia on the Go - Fall Edition

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:38:06 GMT

Connect with Sylvia Garcia

WELCOME TO OUR 3rd QUARTER NEWSLETTER

While the unexpected drought has hit us all hard, I am hopeful that you and your loved ones have survived it all. We have and we did not let it stop us from doing work that drives our passions, our message for service and our love for this City and Region.

My work as NALEO President and for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has taken me to Washington, New Mexico, Kansas, Boston, Orlando and several cities in Texas, but as Dorothy famously said, “there is no place like home, there is no place like home.”

Here are a few hightlights:

CANDIDATE SERIES ON RADIO SHOW

We launched our first ever "Candidate Forum" on our radio show, "This Week with Sylvia Garcia". We are focused on contested and open races in the City of Houston, Houston Independent School District & Houston Community College elections. The first show aired September 27th, focusing on District B & C, the second show aired October 4th, focusing on District J & K.

We invite you to tune in to learn about the candidates, the issues and the future of the Houston/Harris County Region. The series will be broadcasted live from the studios of UCTC Radio every Tuesday morning at 10:30am thru Tuesday, October 25.

October 11
10:30am          Position 2        Fraga, Pool, Robinson, Thibaut
10:45am          Position 5        Christie, Jones, Robinson
October 18
10:30am          HISD 3            Fonseca, Rodriguez
10:45am          HISD 4            Daniels, Harris
October 25
10:30am          HCC                Boney, Robinson

COMMISSIONER'S COURT REDISTRICTING
Harris County recently released their new maps for redistricting. You will recall that the new census figures showed Latinos are now 40% of Harris County's population. Further, the Latino population drove 53% of Harris County's growth in the last decade. Despite this growth, Latinos will lose representation at Commissioner's Court due to their gerrymandering.

The map the County submitted to the Department of Justice is still under review. LATINOS SOS and several plaintiff's have filed suit against the County alleging that the new lines dilute Latino voting strength and is retrogressive as it effectively eliminates the opportunity for Latinos to elect a candidate of their choice which constitutes unlawful violations of the Voting Rights Act.

For more information visit the facebook page.

AROUND THE TOWN


Immigration Forum at Baker Ripley	Good Jobs = Great Houston with Texas Organizing Project

League of Women Voters	Congressional Hispanic Caucus

GARCIA HONORED IN AUSTIN
The Texas Democratic Party recently honored Commissioner at its annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Austin.

Together with Senator Royce West of Dallas, she was recognized for her steadfast leadership, vigilant dedication and continual support of the Texas Democratic Party.

Commissioner was presented with the Rosa Walker Leadership Award which honors Rosa Walker of Austin, a prominent labor figure in Texas. Like Ms. Walker, Commissioner was cited for her tireless efforts in making a difference in our community and upholding the ideals of justice and equality for all.

To view the video presentation at the dinner, click here.

FIRST EVER GARCIA FAMILY REUNION

Garcia Family Home in Palito Blanco

The highlight of this quarter was our first ever Garcia family reunion.

Over 250 GARCIAS descended upon Alice & Palito Blanco, Texas and gathered Labor Day weekend. GARCIAS from as far away as California and Nevada, many of us meeting 2nd & 3rd cousins for the first time, gathered for bbq, music, dancing and a heck of a lot of fun. The oldest Garcia there was 75 years old and the youngest not even a year old. We created a "Family Altar" adorned with candles, photos and mementos of our loved ones, reminding us of those who have gone before. On Sunday in Palito Blanco, it was a Memorial Mass, visit to cemetery and breakfast afterwards.

And as is the Garcia tradition, no handshakes were exchanged, only big hugs and kisses.

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

Paid for by Sylvia Garcia Campaign; Roland Garcia, Treasurer

10-Oct-11 11:38 AM

Tune into This Week for New Candidate Series!

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Connect with Sylvia Garcia


	LISTEN HERE!

For immediate release: September 22, 2011
Contact: Lillie Schechter, 713.385.3015, lschechter@gmail.com

UCTC Radio & Sylvia Garcia to Host Candidate Series
Tune into “This Week” to Hear More About the City, HISD & HCC Candidates

UCTC Radio’s “This Week with Sylvia Garcia” announced today that it will host their first ever “Candidate Forum” in contested and open races in the City of Houston, Houston Independent School District & Houston Community College elections. The first show will air Tuesday, September 27. The public is invited to tune in to learn about the candidates, the issues and the future of our Houston/Harris County Region.

The selected open or contested city of Houston races on the November 2011 General Election ballot to be featured are:

September 27, 2011

10:30am District B Blueford-Daniels, Bryant, Byrd, Davis, Smart
10:45am District C Cohen, Cweren, Derr, Verde

October 4 , 2011
10:30am District J Canedo, Laster, Romero

10:45am District K Frazier, Gonik, Green

October 11, 2011

10:30am Position 2 Fraga, Pool, Robinson, Thibaut
10:45am Position 5 Christie, Jones, Robinson

The selected open or contested Houston Independent School District races on the November 2011 General Election ballot to be featured are:

October 18
10:30am          HISD 3           Fonseca, Rodriguez
10:45am          HISD 4            Daniels, Harris

The selected open or contested Houston Community College races on the November 2011 General Election ballot featured are:

October 25
10:30am HCC Boney, Robinson

The UCTC Radio Candidate Series will be broadcast live from the studios of UCTC RADIO every Tuesday morning at 10:30am starting Tuesday, September 27 thru Tuesday, October 25. The public can log on to www.UCTCRadio.com to listen. There is no studio audience for the series and there will be no call in for questions. However, members of the media are cordially invited to listen in from a remote listening area within the UCTC Radio offices located at 1730 Jefferson, Houston, TX 77003.

Hon. Sylvia Garcia, host of “This Week with Sylvia Garcia” together with Stace Meddelin of Somos Tejanos, will moderate the series.

ABOUT UCTCRADIO
UCTCRadio is an innovative, progressive and informative talk radio about today’s events, issues and ideas. Combined with special guests, music, and educational insight into our community and world today, listen to industry leaders, community leaders, labor leaders, politicians and people like you. We are committed to providing the Houston/Harris County community with voter information and education which will encourage an informed choice on Election Day and we believe that this Candidate Series is an important element of this outreach.

###

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

Paid for by Sylvia Garcia Campaign; Roland Garcia, Treasurer

22-Sep-11 12:00 PM

Join Us for the Women for Barbara Breakfast This Friday!

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:02:34 GMT

RSVP

Women for Barbara Breakfast Celebration

Commemorative Stamp Unveiling

Friday, September 16, 2011

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Hilton Americas – Houston

1600 Lamar Street, Houston, TX 77010

. This event will be followed by the official unveiling of the USPS Commemorative Stamp in her honor.

We would love for you to attend this historic event.

Speakers

Lisa P. Jackson – EPA Administrator

Luci Baines Johnson – daughter of Lyndon B. Johnson

Please RSVP and purchase tickets online at www.tsu.edu/bjmlspa or

mail checks to TSU Foundation (BJMLSPA), 3100 Cleburne, Houston, TX 77004.

All proceeds go to support the establishment of the Barbara C. Jordan Endowed Scholarship at Texas Southern University

Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs.

Sylvia Garcia
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

13-Sep-11 3:02 PM

NALEO COMMEMORATES 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11th

Erica Bernal martinez - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

NALEO COMMEMORATES 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11th
“The Boards of Directors and staff of NALEO and the NALEO Educational Fund commemorate the ten year anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. We continue to remember the victims and the brave public servants who lost their lives in the tragedy that shook our nation a decade ago. We continue to pray for all the wives, husbands, children and loved ones of each of these extraordinary people whose life was cut short. Today, we also recognize the brave men and women who serve in the U.S. military whose personal passion and commitment to our democratic ideals have continued to ensure our nation’s safety and liberty for all Americans. They and their families have also paid a significant price that must not be forgotten. Today, we join all Americans in remembering the lives of the fallen victims and heroes of September 11, 2001 and commit to celebrating their legacy by continuing our work to ensure that our democracy remains strong and vibrant through the full participation of our communities.”
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ABOUT NALEO The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials is the leadership organization of the nation's more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials.

9-Sep-11 2:00 PM

You are Invited to a Fundraiser for Sheriff Garcia!

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:32:53 GMT

RSVP

Thursday, September 8, 2011

6pm - 8pm

The Rainbow Lodge

2011 Ella Blvd.

$250 - Dove Hunters - 1 Ticket
$500 - Quail Hunters - 2 Tickets
$1000 - Boar Hunters - 4 Tickets
$2500 - Buck Hunters - 6 Tickets

To RSVP, please contact Lillie by email at: rsvp@lillieschechter.com
by phone: 713.385.3015 or by fax: (832) 327-7493
or register and pay online at www.adriangarcia.com

First Name: ___________________________ Last Name: ___________________________
Company: _____________________________ Occupation: ___________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________ Fax: _________________________________
Email: ______________________________________________________________________

Make your personal or PAC checks payable to:
Adrian Garcia Campaign, P.O. Box 8530, Houston, Texas 77249-8530

Corporate contributions cannot be accepted, political contributions are not tax deductible.

Paid for by the Adrian Garcia Campaign

Sylvia Garcia
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

29-Aug-11 2:32 PM

[firstname], Tune in Today for "Red Light Cameras: They’re On, They’re Off, They're Back On!"

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Connect with Sylvia Garcia

Hello [firstname],

Today at 10am I hope you will tune in to listen to my radio show "This Week."

The topic of the week is “Red Light Cameras: They’re On, They’re “Off, They're Back On!

Texas Representatives Ana Hernandez Luna & Armando Walle will join us for the Capitol point of view - What happened on the Red Light Camera bill in Austin? What are the politics of Red Light Cameras in the State? What other Cities in State are facing same challenge as Houston & will we see more bills next session?

US Rep Gene Green will share with us, What can we expect for Congress to do after the Labor Day break?

Houston City Council Members Melissa Noriega, the Chair of the Public Safety Committee and Council Member Ed Gonzalez, Mayor Pro Tem will explain how we got here and where we are going with the cameras.

We will close the show with a special focus: President’s Action on Immigration: Case by Case Review of Deportation Cases—impact on Houston with guest Silvia Mintz, Immigration lawyer & activist.

What: This Week with Sylvia Garcia
When: Tuesday, May 10, 10am
Where: UTC Radio, http://www.uctcradio.com/

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

Paid for by Sylvia Garcia Campaign; Roland Garcia, Treasurer

23-Aug-11 9:00 AM

You are Invited to a Fundraiser for Sheriff Garcia!

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:37:56 GMT

RSVP

Paid for by the Adrian Garcia Campaign

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

15-Aug-11 9:37 AM

A step backward: County's proposed redistricting map turns back the clock for Hispanics

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:00 GMT

It's instructive to compare how the city of Houston and Harris County have handled redistricting of council districts and commissioners' precincts this year.

While the municipal effort was a lengthy, inclusive and transparent project that solicited and responded to citizen input, the county's proposed map to be discussed on Tuesday at Commissioners Court has been formulated by consultants behind closed doors with minimal influence from the public at four meetings.

Not surprisingly, the main impact of the county plan would buttress the positions of the four incumbent commissioners, who are effectively the clients of those drawing the maps: attorney and former Houston mayoral candidate Gene Locke and University of Houston political scientist Richard Murray.

Precinct 2 until this year was represented by the only Hispanic commissioner ever elected to the court, Sylvia Garcia. The proposed map would boost the precinct's Anglo strength while cutting Hispanic influence. That would solidify the position of Republican Jack Morman, who narrowly beat Garcia.

Although Latinos now make up 40 percent of the Harris County population and account for most of the county's population growth over the last decade, Commissioners Court consists of four Anglos and one African-American, all male. If the current redistricting plan is approved, that would likely continue.

A group called Latinos SOS/Save Our Seat contends the redistricting map violates the federal Voting Rights Act injunction against watering down minority percentages in existing electoral districts in Texas and other states covered by the law. Not waiting to see if commissioners approve the proposed map, Houston City Councilmen James Rodriguez and Ed Gonzalez, among others, sued the county in federal court Friday, claiming the redrawn precincts are an "illegal gerrymander" that diminishes Hispanic voting power.

Attorney Locke argues that the proposed lines actually increase Hispanic population in Precinct 2 from when the lines were drawn in 2001. But critics point out that the new boundaries dilute Hispanic voting strength from what it is now.

The consultants defend the proposed map as necessary to balance population between the precincts while preserving Precinct 1, represented by El Franco Lee, as a minority district. State Sen. Mario Gallegos counters that Precinct 2 could maintain its current racial mix by being redrawn to center on his Eastside district, while expanding to take in Hispanic neighborhoods on the near north and northwest sides of Houston.

When Hispanic activists made similar complaints about the initial city redistricting map, Mayor Annise Parker's administration took heed and acted to increase opportunities for Hispanics to elect representatives to City Council. We believe commissioners should follow that example and maintain Precinct 2's current racial balance.

At the same time, Hispanic leaders in Harris County must take responsibility for improving the abysmal voter turnout in their communities. Until that happens, Latinos will continue to be woefully underrepresented in both city and county government.

7-Aug-11 1:00 PM

Save the Date: Fundraiser for Sheriff Garcia September 8!

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:46:29 GMT

RSVP

Save the Date
for
A Taste of the Wild West
with
Sheriff Adrian Garcia

September 8, 2011

6pm – 8pm

The Rainbow Lodge
2011 Ella Blvd, Houston

Hosted By Commissioner Sylvia Garcia

Paid for by the Adrian Garcia Campaign

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

1-Aug-11 12:46 PM

Latinos: SOS! Save Our Seat on Harris County Commissioners Court

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 01:56:54 GMT

HARRIS COUNTY REDISTRICING

Community Briefing

10 years ago we faced this same fight and won. Here we are again fighting for representation.

The Harris County Commissioners Court has released a proposed redistricting map. Their map acts to eliminate the only Hispanic opportunity precinct on the Commissioners Court, a clear violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Senator Mario Gallegos & Commissioner Sylvia Garcia invite you to a community briefing this Saturday.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

9:00am Breakfast
9:30am Briefing
10:00am Q&A
10:30am Adjourned

Merida's Restaurant

2509 Navigation Boulevard
Houston, TX 77003-1512

Email LATINOSaveOurSeat@gmail.com to rsvp for briefing or for questions.

Time is of the essence - Hearings start Monday!

Join our facebook page today!

Harris County Public Hearing Schedule

Monday, July 25, 2011 6:30pm East Harris County Activity Center 7340 Spencer Highway Pasadena, TX 77505 (713) 755-6220 or (281) 479-4232	Friday, July 29, 2011 6:00pm Mangum-Howell Center 2500 Frick Road Houston, TX 77038 (281) 591-7830
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 7:00pm Harris County Precinct i Cavalcade Office 3815 Cavalcade Street Houston, TX 77026 (713) 675-0004	Monday, August 1, 2011 4:30pm Trini Mendenhall Sosa Community Center 1414 Wirt Road Houston, TX 77055 (713)956-0881

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

Paid for by Sylvia Garcia Campaign; Roland Garcia, Treasurer

20-Jul-11 8:56 PM

Commentary: So many Latinos, so few elected

Rick Casey - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:00:00 GMT

More Hispanics than Anglos live in Harris County, and by a large margin.

According to the recent census, 41 percent of us are Hispanic, 33 percent Anglo and 18 percent African-American.

Yet Harris County has not a single Hispanic congressman.

Nor is there a single Hispanic on the four-member county commission, since Sylvia Garcia was swept out of a seat drawn for Hispanic representation.

Garcia contributed to her own loss. A week before Election Day, she had $1.1 million in her campaign chest. Voter turnout in her Precinct 2 was the lowest of the four precincts, and a million bucks could have bought a lot of turnout.

That's water under the bridge. The question now is whether new lines being drawn as part of the post-census redistricting will make it easier or harder for a Hispanic candidate to recapture the seat in 2014.

"We're still a majority Hispanic precinct, just like we were in 2000, the last time the lines were drawn," said Commissioner Jack Morman, the Republican who defeated Garcia last November.

It is a classic political statement, both true and misleading. The fact is the new lines would produce a precinct that is both less Hispanic and more Republican than it is now.

The total population of the proposed new precinct is 57 percent Hispanic and 31 percent Anglo. But the voting age population is just 52.5 percent Hispanic to 35.7 percent Anglo.

And when you look further, at the numbers of citizens of voting age, the ratio changes dramatically. Estimates are that only 38 percent are Hispanic, and 50 percent are Anglo.

According to Columbia Law School Professor Nathaniel Persily, an expert on the Voting Rights Act, Justice Department lawyers who will review the new lines will look at total population and voting age population.

"However, the DOJ specifically asked for a special tabulation from the Census Bureau for citizen voting age population, as derived from the American Community Survey averages from 2005 to 2009," he said.

There may be a bigger problem with something called retrogression. Some county officials point out that the proposed precinct has a higher percentage of Hispanics than it did in 2000.

That's true, but both Persily and Steve Bickerstaff, who teaches voting law at the University of Texas law school and has a thriving practice in the field, agree that the law doesn't measure retrogression from 10 years ago, but from the precinct as it now stands.

It's complicated

By that measure, the proposed lines raise the percentage of Anglos by about 3 percent and lower Hispanic numbers by about the same.

What's more, the precinct would be substantially more Republican than it is today.

Democrat Bill White carried the current precinct in last year's governor's race by 49.4 to 48.7 percent. But Gov. Rick Perry carried the proposed precinct by 52.6 to 45.6 percent.

So is this a clear case of gerrymandering to protect an incumbent?

Richard Murray, a University of Houston political scientist who has never been accused of right-wing sympathies and who was a key consultant in drawing the lines, says it's more complicated than that.

"Incumbents weighed in for sure," he said. "They always do."

But he said a bigger issue was at play. Under the one-man-one-vote principle, which takes precedence over such considerations as retrogression, Precinct 2 had to add thousands of voters to become roughly the same size as Precincts 3 and 4.

But, said Murray, 90 percent of Precinct 2's border is with Commissioner El Franco Lee's Precinct 1. It also needed more population and is a "protected" district.

Follow it to court

To take precincts that included both blacks and Hispanics to bolster Precinct 2 would cause Precinct 1 to have to add more Anglos from its other borders and to retrogress regarding its black population.

So the new population for Precinct 2 had to be drawn mainly from Commissioner Jerry Eversole's decidedly Republican precinct.

Murray also cautioned against relying on the citizen voting population numbers, since they are survey averages going back to 2005. Many immigrant workers returned home in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown, he noted.

Look for these issues to play out in court. Whatever the resolution, Hispanics will continue to struggle to gain representation approaching the numbers their citizens merit.

18-Jul-11 5:00 PM

Thank You, San Antonio!

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:00:00 GMT

On behalf of the NALEO and NALEO Educational Fund Boards of Directors and NALEO Educational Fund staff, please accept our sincerest gratitude for your support of the NALEO 28th Annual Conference. With your assistance, San Antonio successfully hosted more than 1,000 policymakers and other leaders from throughout the country for three days of professional development seminars, public policy discussions, and exploration of the key concerns that most affect the Latino community and the nation. Our dynamic Conference program included addresses from such national and state leaders as U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar; U.S. Senator John Cornyn; U.S. Representatives Francisco “Quico” Canseco, Charles Gonzalez, and Lucille Roybal-Allard; Texas Governor Rick Perry; Texas Secretary of State Esperanza “Hope” Andrade; Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte; Texas State Representatives Trey Martinez Fischer and Aaron Peña; and San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro; among others.

For NALEO Conference Reports & Presentations, click here!

18-Jul-11 5:00 PM

Garcia on the Go - Summer Edition

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Connect with Sylvia Garcia

WELCOME TO OUR SECOND QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

Many of you keep asking, “what are you doing?”. The answer is simple- “Lots!”

I joined the Board of Directors of Annie’s List in April and have already attended my first Board meeting in Austin. Annie’s List is a statewide political network that raises money for Democratic women candidates.It’s great to be a part of such a remarkable organization committed to making a difference in Texas.

My work on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Community Health Leaders Advisory Board continues. This Foundation's mission is to improve the health and health care of all Americans. I have traveled to Chicago for a board meeting and to Columbia, South Carolina for a site visit. It’s amazing to meet community health leaders across the country who are so deeply commited to serving the needs of our most vulnerable populations.

Earlier this month, I joined Latino leaders from across the country on a trip to Israel, sponsored by American Israel Education Foundation, the charitable 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with AIPAC. The week-long trip provided an intensive understanding of Israel and offered a unique opportunity to learn more about the U.S. – Israel relationship. I returned with a renewed and deeper commitment to maintaining strong support for this essential democratic ally of the United States

And, as the photos below indicate, we are still “On the Go” supporting our passions and reaching out to our friends who do so much for our Region.

MAYOR PARKER TAPS GARCIA FOR SERVICE
Houston City Council unanimously approved Mayor Parker’s nomination of Commissioner Garcia to serve as Chair of the newly created ‘Independent Police Oversight Board’ (Board).

The Board will review internal police investigations of possible misconduct by employees of the Houston Police Department. These may include allegations of excessive force, discharge of firearms, serious bodily injury or death and all other internal investigations as well as investigations involving mistreatment of residents.

“I love my City and support Mayor Parker”, said Garcia. “I am honored by the vote of confidence from the Mayor and the entire City Council and look forward to working with them to achieve the Board’s mandate- to enhance accountability and transparency and to facilitate resident input into the internal investigative process of the Houston Police Department”.

13th ANNUAL TRIP TO FIGHT FOR NASA
This last month, Commissioner Garcia joined the Citizen’s for Space Exploration for the 13th time in their annual trip to Congress to lobby for NASA funding and for human space exploration.

Armed with the question, “Will the United States Lead or Follow?", the group of about 88 travelers from 25 states, visited 330 congressional offices. They expressed support for utilization of the international Space Station as a national lab through 2020; development of a multi-purpose crew vehicle for deep space missions; utilization of existing contracts, investments and workforce; and development of commercial space system. Members of Congress from the Region were reminded that for Houston, NASA is about 18,000 employees, has a 46,000 economic job impact and brings millions of dollars to the area.

Commissioner shared her story of fascination with space as a child and her history of commitment to the shuttle program including her travels to Cape Kennedy to watch shuttle launches. Most recently, she traveled there for the final launch of Endeavor in April. While the launch was rescheduled and she could not attend on the rescheduled date, Commissioner was encouraged with the outpouring of support for NASA and its mission during that visit.
Both trips give her renewed hope that NASA will continue its work and that our Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center will continue to play a role in space exploration. But, the fight continues.

AROUND THE TOWN


Senator Mikulski at Emilys List Conference	Battle of San Jacinto

Champions of Latina Health Reception	Visting with Pastores de Accion

GARCIA RE-ELECTED NALEO PRESIDENT
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), meeting in San Antonio in June, unanimously re-elected Commissioner Garcia as its President. This will be the final year of a three year term.

The first Texan and the first woman ever to be elected to a full three year term, Commissioner Garcia will serve till the end of June 2012. NALEO is a national Latino organization of the nation’s more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials from across 41 of the 50 states from all levels of government. NALEO’s core mission is to empower Latinos from citizenship to public service.

“I am honored and proud to continue my service with this important organization at such a critical time in our Nation for all Latinos. Our members continue to reflect the diversity and high caliber of Latino policymakers who serve our nation,” said NALEO President Garcia. “I look forward to working with them across the country as we work on the front lines to strengthen our communities and our nation,” she concluded.

For more information about the NALEO, visit www.naleo.org.

STAYING CONNECTED WITH SYLVIA
Staying connected with Sylvia couldn’t be easier!

Want to know what she is thinking? That’s easy too. Tune in every Tuesday at 10am and listen to her internet radio show at www.uctcradio.com. Her show, “This Week with Sylvia Garcia” covers the week’s hottest topics from politics to issues of the day. You can hear Congressman Gene Green with updates from Washington to Reps. Ana Hernandez Luna and Armando Walle with updates from Austin to the “Chisme (gossip) of the Week” with Yolanda Navarro Black.

Follow her on Twitter at srgpolitics or sign up to be a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SylviaRGarcia. She tweets often and posts comments, photos and videos on Facebook.

Want to get something to her attention? As always you can email her at srgpolitics@att.net.

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

Sylvia Garcia Campaign
P.O. Box 8530, Houston, TX 77249-8530
http://www.sylviagarciacampaign.com

Paid for by Sylvia Garcia Campaign; Roland Garcia, Treasurer

8-Jul-11 10:00 AM

Champions of Latina Health Wine & Cheese Reception

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:53:00 GMT

Friends,

I hope you will join us this Saturday to celebrate our elected and appointed champions of Latina Health from 4pm - 6pm at the Grand Hyatt, Presidio C, 600 E. Market Street, San Antonio, TX.

See you then,
SRG

23-Jun-11 3:53 PM

This Week with Sylvia Garcia!

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:00:00 GMT

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow at 10am I hope you will join us on my radio show, "This Week with Sylvia Garcia."

Our guests for this week are Randy Czarlinsky, the Director of the American Jewish Committee's Houston Chapter and Meir Shlomo, the Consul General of Israel. Saturday, I returned from an 11-day trip to Israel and tomorrow we will discuss current events in Isreal.

What: This Week with Sylvia Garcia
When: Tuesday, May 10, 10am
Where: UTC Radio, www.uctcradio.com

More information on the American Jewish Committee can be found at www.ajchouston.org and the Consulate General of Israel, http://houston.mfa.gov.il.

20-Jun-11 4:00 PM

Obama no-show miffs Hispanics

Julie Mason - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders of a national Hispanic organization are criticizing President Barack Obama for skipping their annual conference for the third consecutive year after he promised as a candidate in 2008 that he would return as president.

Some members of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials also are questioning Obama’s commitment to immigration reform, noting that deportations have increased under his watch — even as the administration intensifies its outreach for Hispanic votes. NALEO, which includes more than 6,000 Latino leaders who represent major blocs of voters in key electoral states, opens its annual conference Thursday in San Antonio.

The rift is noteworthy — and even a little puzzling — because of the administration’s aggressive push for Hispanic support ahead of 2012. Obama’s campaign team is trying to raise historically low rates of Hispanic registration and voter turnout in at least a half-dozen swing states, and one Obama adviser involved in his reelection effort recently told POLITICO, “Hispanics could very well decide this election.”

In recent months, Obama has invited several Latino groups to the White House. He has stressed his support for overhauling immigration policy and for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which would extend legal status to some young immigrants who go to college or into the military. He delivered a speech on immigration reform in El Paso, Texas, and last week, he made a quick trip to Puerto Rico.

“It is getting harder and harder for the president to go into a venue where he is confronted by Latinos because he is in a jam,” said Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), one of Obama’s earliest Hispanic supporters and a member of NALEO.

“In front of a group like NALEO, blaming Republicans for their intransigence on immigration reform and not addressing what the president’s own administration is doing to immigrants would not wash,” said Gutierrez, who traveled with Obama to the 2008 NALEO conference. “So it isn’t surprising to me that the president is not showing up.”

Luis Miranda, a White House spokesman, said the administration has shown “unprecedented” work and outreach on issues important to Hispanics.

“The scope of the president’s efforts on behalf of Latinos and all Americans is not defined by his participation at one event, but rather by the work carried out every day to put our economy back on track and spur job creation, improve access to health care, strengthen education and reform our immigration system so that it meets America’s 21st century needs,” Miranda said.

“The president looks forward to continuing to work with Latino elected and appointed officials in the coming weeks and months on these issues as he and his administration have done over the past two years,” Miranda added.

After POLITICO raised questions about Obama’s attendance at NALEO, the White House informed the National Council of La Raza, another Hispanic organization, that Obama would attend its annual conference in July, according to La Raza spokesman Julian Teixeira.

When Obama addressed NALEO in 2008, the group’s executive director, Arturo Vargas, asked whether he would return in 2009, if elected.

Obama replied, “As president, I am looking forward to being back and addressing you.”

Three years later, NALEO is still waiting. Vargas said the invitation for this week’s conference was delivered to the White House a year ago.

“It’s more than a disappointment,” Vargas told POLITICO. “I don’t get it. I don’t think he’s given our membership the attention they deserve.”

Vargas said the White House told him Obama’s schedule is too tight to allow his attendance. The White House pressed NALEO to accept a video address by the president instead, according to the organization. NALEO declined.

“We’ve had numerous folks call and write, asking [that] he honor his commitment,” said NALEO President Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat from Texas. “They said no.”

Garcia and others asked for Attorney General Eric Holder or Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano as potential substitutes for Obama. The administration is sending Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

Salazar “will discuss the Obama administration’s priorities and the steps the administration has taken and will continue to take on behalf of Latinos and all Americans to put us back on the path to long-term prosperity and growth,” Interior Department spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said.

She called the conference “a high priority for the White House as well as Secretary Salazar.”

But Juan C. Zapata, a Florida Republican and chairman of the NALEO Educational Fund, the organization’s nonprofit community outreach arm, called Obama “calculating” and “disingenuous.”

“He sent a very clear message to the Hispanic community that, ‘I want your support on the campaign, but I am not willing to do anything to earn it,’” Zapata said.

20-Jun-11 9:00 AM

[firstname], See You Tomorrow!

Lillie Schechter - noemail@sylviagarciacampaign.com — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:45:25 GMT

RSVP

Please Join Us

to show your support for

Richard Schechter
Houston Community College Board President

June 3, 2011
Friday
5pm - 7pm

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2-Jun-11 2:45 PM