Sheriff Lupe Valdez
Posted on 12/13/2009 2:06:24 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
HOUSTON – The first openly gay person to be elected mayor of Houston says she hopes her victory in Saturday's election will change how the world views the city.
Houston is the nation's fourth-largest city and the biggest to elect an openly gay mayor.
Mayor-elect Annise Parker spoke Sunday at a press conference after defeating former city attorney Gene Locke with 53.6 percent of the vote in the hotly contested runoff election.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Oh, I see, you live in Pennsylvania.
So, what is the unemployment rate in Pennsylvania?
How are your property values in Pennsylvania?
What is the foreclosure rate in Pennsylvania?
And do you really want to compare any of those numbers with Houston?
My nephew has a house (and lives in it) in Houston, and he likes the place. I only visited there once and don’t really remember it. But I have nothing against Houston and I’m glad the city is doing well; if the voters stumbled into an arguably better-of-two-choices candidate and elected her, then lucky them.
But I do wonder how much of Houston’s well-being is directly related to the overall well-being of Texas?
Pennsylvania is doing okay, at least in the Philly metropolitan area where I work in a real estate-related line of work. Prices are generally holding steady.
Somebody did...last night already!
While Texas has a stereotype of being a rural state, it is actually one of the most urbanized states in the Union with three of the nation's top ten biggest cites, of those, Houston is the largest. In addition to Houston there is Dallas, San Antonio and Ft. Worth which each have thriving economies.
So, the economic success of Texas is a product of the success of these cities to attract businesses and and educated workforce.
Now, Texas does have an advantage of not having an income tax, but the state and local governments extract their money from an 8.0% sales tax and very high Property Taxes.
So, once a year, instead of writing that State Income Tax check, Texans are instead writing a giant check to their County for Property Tax.
I live in Austin and know lots of people that pay $7,500 to $12,000 in Property Taxes each year.
Thus, things here are local, the locals get your property tax money and it is the cities in Texas that foster the business environment.
Yikes! You live in the belly of the beast.
I love Texas. Besides my nephew in Houston, my sister-in-law and the rest of the family split living between their houses in Dallas and (near) Waco. My brother-in-law was born and raised in Silverton (pan handle). We have taken a few road trips and stay with them for several weeks when we do. San Antonio was one of the coolest cities I ever saw. I would definitely consider moving to Texas.
If that were true,then if Bill Clinton had been a conservative,his adulterous escpades wouldn’t have mattered at all! Character wouldn’t matter at all. If choosing between a morally degenerate “conservative” on one hand and a liberal on the other hand is an easy call for conservatives, then we’re sunk!
“Yikes! You live in the belly of the beast.”
Perhaps, but it has an economy that is still rolling with a low unemployment rate, a highly educated population, a great environment, outstanding music scene, very low crime rate, appreciating property values, nice weather, great places to ride my bikes but it is the most liberal city between NYC and SF.
And people are moving here in droves.
You see, while you are in your parka this winter digging your car out of the snow, I will be riding my bike down a clear road wearing bike shorts and sunglasses.
While you are watching a polka band, we are watching Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett or even the b-hole surfers.
While you are smelling the Delaware River, we are swimming in a spring fed pool called Barton Springs which is always 68 degrees and where the college co-eds sunbathe topless.
No, the fact that Parker is a lesbian in a committed relationship with two adopted children does not impact the way she does her job.
LOL, not me! I have a big garage, and a guy who plows every inch of my 1/4 mile driveway, and all my vehicles have 4-wheel drive anyway. As for me, I enjoy four distinct seasons, and I enjoy the snow and white Christmases, and skiing and snowboarding and skating and snowball fights... But have fun biking in your shorts. Each to their own, I guess.
The same argument that Clinton’s liberal defenders used in reference to Monicagate.
Our sheriff is gay, not the mayor. Keep the facts straight.
Bingo. It goes to show how knee jerk reactions result in total misrepresentations. Of the larger cities, Houston is probably the best place to live.
And what makes you think that you can bring logic and common sense into this discussion? :-)
Why did her sexual lifestyle even have to be a factor here?
That’s the problem in a nutshell.....gays wear their sexuality on their sleeve.
Gonna be interesting times in Houston y’all.
I like to pretend I’m Powers Boothe’s wife! *Hee Hee*
LOL!!!
Oh Gezzz...Is that the Sheriff of Dallas County?
Dallas County Sheriff, Ms. Fruity Lupe?
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