Developer-backed Mayor Allen Owen of Missouri City Lead the Charge for Incumbent Endorsements--why?
Fort Bend Sun Covers Endorsement Controversy:
As reported in the February 28th Fort Bend Sun article an interesting piece rears its head on the move by the Fort Bend County Mayor & Council Association, lead by heavily developer-backed Mayor of Missouri City Allen Owen, to mostly endorse the status quo candidates. The big name getter in this attempt by Owen and this group is of course Mr. Delay's endorsement. This action has received much public criticism over this first time move as featured in this weeks FB Sun and in the FBNow.com online newspaper. Even many of the county commissioners who circulate the same campaign special interest supporters as Owen and Delay announced disapproval in the article by the FB Sun.
Questions generated by this tactic:
-Are such high handed moves by a relatively small group of special interest (many of them Houston based) really needed?
-Does this further complicate the voting picture for local voters wondering who to support?
-Why did Owen-Delay-etc. feel this desperate act so necessary?
-Aren't some in this group also backing the fight against a local grass-roots movement in New Territory and others in the area that may impact the '06 elections? (see Thode-Delay articles in FortBendNow.com and related comments)
-Were the republican party elites behind this move?
-Can elected officials really make impartial decisions for the voter when they are accepting contributions from the very corporate members that would benefit from some of these projects in our county? (see Apartments and Airport controversy articles in much of the local media)
__________________
Comment: Get out and vote this year, but be sure you know who you are voting for. Check the list many of the incumbents post in the local papers. It is the same list usually of campaign contributors. Then check on the ones that are repeated and see which companies they work for (this is the hard part). Next check the voting record of these candidates on local controversial issues and you will have a pretty good idea if they are really representing the voters and taxpayers or their special interest. Many of the incumbents/candidates endorsed by the Fort Bend County Mayor & Council Association accept contributions from Houston based company executives who are cashing in on projects in this county (many, many land developers and investors are on these lists along with associated businesses). Recently in the local media you saw the controversy generated by some of these politicians over HB914. This is a new election law intended to protect the voting public by improved disclosure of contributions and gifts to candidates and their families. The problem is pervasive and need to be put in check by you the voter. Look for alternative candidates this election season and VOTE! High turn out is the enemy of special interests!
*****
Committee for Responsible Development-MoCity Group
responsible_dvlpmnt@yahoo.com
http://missouricity.blogspot.com
Missouri City, TX
posted by responsible_dvlpmnt at Tuesday, February 28, 2006
19 Comments:
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See related piece:
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Residents Make Requests On Airport Expansion Project and Hammer Mayor Owen for Lack of Action on Apartments!
-a MissouriCityChatter.blogspot.com exclusive:
At last nights Missouri City Council open session, speaking to a near full house, several area homeowners made requests of city council to intervene on their behalf with the county and Bob Hebert to stop the S.W. Airport expansion project and road diversion that has been in the news recently and is supported by Sienna developers. This project has the potential to adversely impact some 10-15,000 area homeowners.
Citizens representing Colony Lakes, West Point, Waterbrook, Silver Ridge, Waterbrook West, Sienna Plantation, Oakwick, New Point Estates and others were in attendance at this timely session. As one resident entered the room he was greeted with the comment by one city official “I wasn’t aware there was anything important on the agenda tonight”.
This myth was soon dispelled once the open session arrived. The first area speaker, Rodrigo Carreon, asked the council to get involved in cutting down noise via the airport expansion rather than passing more silly dog noise ordinances. This seemed to get a chuckle out of one or two of the council members in attendance at the time. Carreon was followed by Paul Malone of the Waterbrook neighborhood off Sienna parkway.
As usual Paul’s eloquent delivery and gracious approach to the airport and apartment land use issues was evident. He said he had many concerns with what he’s seen in the local area with regard for “distrust of government”. Malone was referring to the December 13th flip-flop in front of abc13 news cameras he witnessed on the airport issue at Arcola city hall by Mayor Gipson and the July 2005 uninvestigated ethics complaints over the 2700 apartments forced on Sienna and Missouri City residents by Mayor Allen Owens’s #2 campaign contributor Larry Johnson of Johnson Development Co.-Houston (’99-’05).
Finally, Dr. Calvin spoke on four issues impacting his neighborhood of Sienna Plantation and surrounding communities. He lead off with a similar request that the council oppose the current airport and road diversion project because of the negative impact this may have on home values. He claimed “according to the research literature homes on average within 2 miles of either end of the fly-way are impacted by 1-2%. When this is factored to all residents living in this area and on both ends of the runway this runs into the millions of lost dollars in property value and taxes”.
Calvin also addressed the issues of the 3rd owner of South Sienna taking place (another resale in 7 months) “without our developer run HOA keeping Sienna residents informed of this action”. His concern on this issue seemed to stem from the promises made in June over no more apartments being built in the South Sienna area. This and other commitments made by the #2 owner (Regents Prop. Of California) may no longer be a condition of the new ownership (we believe a company out of Arizona has purchased the property according to city sources).
The final two issues addressed by Calvin were the uninvestigated city ethics complaints filed in July against Mayor Owen, which lead to a SLAPP suit against Calvin by the mayor's backers, and the fact that the city had taken no action to reduce or remove the 1800 phase 2 apartments as requested through a petition garnering over 1100+ area signatures last summer. These apartments are coming to North Sienna courtesy of Owen’s #2 contributor and benefactor for this land sale, Johnson Development Co.-Houston (Larry Johnson, President) and developer for Sienna Plantation and Riverstone communities here in Missouri City. He also mentioned the new attitude of the Greater Fort Bend County EDC against apartment over-development, by new president John Wiley (click title link for this interview by Mr. Kumar of the FB Sun).
For more on this and other South hwy 6/Sienna area updates. . . stay tuned here to MissouriCityChatter.blogspot.com.
Stay informed and keep in touch!
More related:
NOTICE: FB SUN ARTICLE ON SIENNA PLANTATION DEVELOPMENT SLAPP SUIT AGAINST HOMEOWNER!
Developers Sienna/Johnson sue resident for posting defamatory comments on website
By:SESHADRI KUMAR, Editor
Sienna/Johnson Development Corporation, developers of Sienna Plantation, have filed a lawsuit against Chris Calvin, a Sienna Plantation resident, who used to run a weblog called SiennaTalk.com where Calvin allegedly made several defamatory and libelous statements against the developers, under various assumed names.
The lawsuit filed in the 240th District Court of Fort Bend County asks for the maximum allowable damages and an injunction against Calvin from making any critical statements against Sienna, using false names on the Internet.
Sienna/Johnson had earlier obtained a deposition from Calvin, regarding the website and Sienna/Johnson claim that Calvin had admitted under oath that he had used more than 30 aliases and posted anti-Sienna statements.
Calvin says the lawsuit stems from actions taken by him and another Sienna homeowner Matthew Feinberg who ran the, now defunct, neighborhood website SiennaTalk.com, and follows his participation in a petition drive which garnered over 1,100 neighborhood signatures against extensive apartment development in their quiet single-family housing community of Sienna Plantation.
The original case was filed on Aug. 3, not more than a week after local media reported on a city council session where-by residents of nearby Sienna Plantation and several other area neighborhoods participated during the formal presentation of the petition drive against a second grouping of up to 1,800 additional apartment units to this area, Calvin says.
"This is a pattern of continued use of the legal system, through what is known as SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), to silence me and chill those that would speak out publicly against certain types of land use in our community," Calvin says.
John Keville, attorney for Sienna/Johnson Development Corp., says the main thrust of the lawsuit is that Calvin uses at least 30 different aliases and posts disparaging comments about the developer and spreads things that are dishonest and lies. He makes it appear as if lot of people are complaining, but it is just one person who makes those varied comments, Keville says.
"After the deposition where Calvin admitted to using 30 or more aliases, we tried to settle with him. We asked him to agree not to post comments critical of Sienna Plantation using false aliases. He could say truthful and critical comments with his own name. But, Calvin rejected the settlement," and hence, the lawsuit, Keville says.
©Houston Community Newspapers Online 2005
posted by responsible_dvlpmnt at Saturday, December 24, 2005 | 17 comments
Related info post from Jan. 17th Chatter:
Mayor Owen's Campaign Contributions '99-'05 (Repost)
Campaign Contributions (Public Record)-
Political Contributors To
Mayor Allen Owen
1999-2005
(Developers in order of giving)
____________________
1. Clinton Wong (Land Development Co.)
2. Larry Johnson (Land Development Co.)
3. Paris Schindler (Land Development Co.)
4. Rocky Lai (Land Development Co.)
5. Larry Wong (Land Development Co.)
6. Bob Perry (Land Developer)
7. Jim & Sandy MacNaughton (Land Developer)
8. Pat Cagle (Land Developer)
9. Thomas Cagle (Land Developer)
10. E. Blake Hawk (Land Developer)
11. Scott Reamer (Land Developer)
12. R.E. Reamer (Land Developer)
13. S. Jay Williams (Land Developer)
14. Eugene Arensberg, Jr. (Land Developer)
--This data can be confirmed via request from the Missouri City secretary for campaign contributions for anyone serving on the city council over the same time period. Many other contributions were made from corporate sponsors who live outside of Missouri City to Mayor Owen and this data will be released in a timely fashion.
--Question #1: With such a large percentage of Mayor Owens campaign contributions coming from those in the land development business can you trust him to represent your interests at council?
--Question #2: Has Mayor Owen violated the city’s code of ethics of which he has signed (see below)?
--Question #3: Has the mayor violated his oath of office concerning these matters?
--You be the judge!
From the Missouri City Council Code of Conduct & Ethics Policy (Adopted 10/5/98) Sections: L & M state “Council members should not use their positions to secure special privileges and should avoid situations that could cause any person to believe that they may have brought bias or partiality to a question before Council.”
“Council members should refrain from personally appearing on behalf of their own financial interest or personal interest of any kind or on behalf of any person, business entity, group or interest before the City Council, any city board, commission or committee except in matters of purely public concern. When legally permissible, with regard to a council member’s own financial or personal interests, he/she may designate and be represented by a person of his/her choice in any such personal business matter or may choose to “step away” from the table and speak to Council from the podium as a private citizen.”
--This paper does not address the decorum violations brought before council against the mayor by residents on July 18th, 2005. Has the mayor or council agreed to form an ethics committee to review these complaints or are some avoiding any actions.
--Please verify these reports via the TX ethics website and/or http://www.brazosriver.com/locals.htm or pay the fee at the local government agency for a hardcopy.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I think the best guess for the answer to the title question is he was told to. . . ;-)
Here's the full FB Sun article located at http://www.hcnonline.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16205488&brd=1574&pag=461&dept_id=532245:
Mayors' endorsements irk county commissioners
By:SESHADRI KUMAR, Editor 02/27/2006
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The Association of Mayors and Council Members in Fort Bend County has landed itself in a controversy by endorsing candidates in the party primaries.
The association includes mayors and city council members of area cities. The county judge and county commissioners are not members of the association, but attend the meetings as guests. However, the endorsement letter sent by the association last week suggests that the county judge and county commissioners are also endorsing the candidates. That is not the case.
County Judge Bob Hebert and Commissioner Andy Meyers said on Friday that they were not part of the endorsement process and they were inadvertently drawn into the controversy. Commissioners court has never approved of the process in the first place, they said.
Hebert himself was among those endorsed by the association though he had no opponent in the primary, but Hebert still distanced himself from the list.
In the January meeting of the association, the idea of interviewing candidates of both the parties and endorsing them was discussed. Meyers told the association that it was a bad idea. It was made clear to him that the commissioner was only a guest and not a member of the association.
Last week, the city of Rosenberg was the host city for the monthly meeting of the association, Meyers attended the meeting as a guest. The association adopted its endorsement list. But, Meyers had no idea that he would be made a part of the deal.
Hebert said he could not attend the meeting last week, but had the impression that the association would endorse only candidates in the statewide races and the congressional races, and not in the local county races. Hebert was surprised that the association did what it did.
Also, the county judge and the commissioners, being representative of political parties, cannot endorse candidates in another party primary. The mayors are supposedly non-partisan and they have endorsed candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.
One of the candidates for a county office said he thought he was supposed to introduce himself and was never told the association would endorse a candidate in his race. He was later surprised to learn that the association endorsed one of his opponents. Also, the endorsement letter did not carry a disclaimer that the endorsement was that of a majority of the association members and not individual members.
Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen took a lead in this issue. At press time Owen could not be contacted for comments. On Monday, Owen sent the following disclaimer: At the Fort Bend County Mayor and Council Association meeting in January, those members in attendance agreed to host a candidate forum to be held in Rosenberg on February 23, 2006. The FBCMCA meeting on February 23, was well attended. At this meeting a straw vote for endorsement of candidates was taken by those members of the Association who were present. The endorsement should not be construed as endorsement by individual persons, the County, member Cities, or any legislative body. The endorsement of the Association is not to be construed that individuals cannot or should not endorse candidates individually. It simply represents the majority vote of the members in attendance on February 23. Pursuant to an email sent last Friday by County Commissioner Andy Meyers, I confirm the Fort Bend County Judge and County Commissioners are not members of this association; and their names appear on the bottom of the letterhead invitation as invited guests only. They did not vote nor take a position on the endorsement of any candidate. I am copying this email to the members of press that Commissioner Meyers sent his email to in order to clarify the process of the candidate forum/endorsement. I encourage use of a disclaimer to all users of this information and the endorsement information stating this is not a vote by any respective City/legislative body. I hope this clarifies the events of the Fort Bend County Mayor and Council Association's meeting on Thursday evening, February 23, 2006.
Mayor Allen Owen of Missouri City lead the efforts on these endorsements.
It sure is good to see them all trying to distance themselves from this action now--and kinda funny.
More related comments from FBNow.com:
1 voterwise - Feb 25, 08:43 am
Why is this no big surprise? Of course Delay’s machine is going to endorse Delay’s people. I wish Campbell and Lampson good luck!
2 maized&cornfused - Feb 25, 09:15 am
“Every incumbent office holder won an endorsement…”
Well DUH.
Did the meeting go something like:
all those for status quo say, “I”.
3 marty littlewood - Feb 25, 05:47 pm
Does anyone else find it ridiculous that he has never answered the challenge of Tom Campbell. If the department of justice is looking into this, dont you think the voters of the district deserve to know. When are people going to wise up and get rid of this guy.
4 BrazoriaVoter - Feb 25, 06:47 pm
“the group endorsed candidates for the first time in its history . . .”
May I be excused if I believe DeLay directed this unprecedented action because he is afraid of Campbell?
Shame on local Ft. Bend officials if I’m right.
5 Eric Thode - Feb 25, 09:40 pm
Bob—
Only 6 out of 15 of the endorsements are Republican incumbents…most are first time candidates. The facts betray your headline. Bias may be showing.
Eric
6 William but you can call me "Bill" - Feb 25, 09:57 pm
This is nothing more than incumbents protecting the incumbents. Nothing more and nothing less. Just one more example why we need new blood in all these offices.
7 BG - Feb 25, 10:01 pm
It gets pretty irrational when DeLay starts getting accused of coordinating every political effort in the community. There are a lot of candidates and the Mayor & Council group has to work with all of them on a regular basis so it makes sense for them to endorse the candidates they believe will be able to effictively work with them. Not anything unusual.
8 Bob Dunn - Feb 25, 10:35 pm
Eric,
Really I think it was a matter of having to re-write the same headline to fit a smaller space 3 times in one day.
The point I didn’t succeed very well in making was that in most if not all cases where there was an incumbent involved in the race, an incumbent candidate was endorsed.
With the exception of Grady and Dora, only Republican candidates were chosen.
Not very earth-shattering news, but that’s what happened.
They can’t all be gems.
I wish Owen would resign before the election and give this town a break!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Check this article out from:
CBS 42 Investigates Campaign Contributions
Nanci Wilson
Reporting
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(CBS 42) AUSTIN Running for office is not cheap. Politicians spend a lot of money to get each and every vote.
If you contribute to a candidate, how do you know if the money was spent to get that candidate elected? Investigative reporter Nanci Wilson found out.
Yes, it takes a lot of money to run for office, but---wait a minute-- does it all go to get people elected?
"To run a headquarters, do mass mailings, to run an office you have to have a headquarter it's like a business office, to operate it, they have volunteers and all. They hire professional personnel like, public relations people, people who do the legwork and people to do the management. Also the money is used for press and commercials and advertisement," voter Susie Labry said.
Some is spent paying for TV and other advertising, but a surprising amount is spent in other ways. CBS 42 Investigates analyzed the campaign expenditure reports of a number of local and statewide officeholders.
Investigates found they spent thousands of dollars in campaign contributions living the good life--lavish meals, expensive trips, private planes and luxury hotels.
Investigates wasn't the only ones who found questionable spending.
Campaigns for People---a non-partisan advocacy group-- looked at how Texas state senators spent their contributions over a three year period and found, “Only 40 percent of donations were used for campaign activities, 35 percent went for lifestyle expenses, 20 percent was spent on office expenses and 5 percent for miscellaneous expenditures.”
"Well, I had a sort of Jimmy Stewart notion that it was going to be spent on their campaigns, but as it turns out, most of it goes to support their lifestyle, nice apartment in Austin, nice car, go on trips entertainment on the Super Bowl," Fred Lewis with Campaigns for People said.
"If they are truly spending it on Super Bowl tickets, cars, things like that I’d be very surprised,” voter Craig Brandenburg said. “Shocked surprised and kinda hurt surprised. That's definitely not what that money should be used for."
But it is. Investigates found trips to Rome and Florence, Italy are among the many travel expenses highlighting Governor Rick Perry’s campaign report. And even though the governor couldn't go, his campaign paid for a trip to Japan for first lady Anita Perry.
Speaker of the House Tom Craddick took his wife to Sweden last summer. He also spent more than $1,200 of his donors’ money on tickets to the 2004 Super Bowl.
Lots of elected officials use contributions for sporting events. Austin area state senator Jeff Wentworth’s campaign paid for his trip to the Cotton Bowl. And when there's been a presidential inauguration, whether it is President Clinton or President Bush, many elected officials spent their donors’ money to fly to Washington for the festivities.
Sometimes the parties and festivities are held here in Austin. In the past two years, Governor Rick Perry’s campaign has spent more than $247,000 on entertaining friends at the governor's mansion.
With millions of dollars in their campaign accounts some officials can afford to be generous. In the past two years, the governor spent more than $23,000 sending steaks to his biggest supporters. His wife spent more than $17,000 from his campaign account on gifts to constituents.
The Perry’s aren't alone in their generosity. Reports show lawmakers spend thousands of dollars on gifts to supporters and to each other.
'"Often times at the end of the session, committee members get together give their chairman a big gift, hunting trip to Alaska, or a fancy bowl or something like that as a memento of the year. And the chairman turns around and gives their members gifts as well. Fancy cowboy boots, rocking chairs the list is endless and goes on and on," Tom ‘Smitty’ Smith with Public Citizen said.
Sometimes campaign contributions stay in the family. House Speaker Tom Craddick pays his daughter a salary of $108,000 a year to work on his behalf. On top of that , CBS 42 Investigates found she is being paid from a political action committee supported by her father. Craddick gave $50,000 to Stars Over Texas Political Action Committee -- soon after it wrote checks for $45,000 to a company Craddick’s daughter owns and runs out of her west Austin condo. In the past year -- the PAC has paid her another $20,000. Investigates also found Craddick paid an undisclosed amount to his daughter through this company from his special Speaker of the House account.
"This is part of a political practice, it's not just Tom Craddick, it's Tom DeLay giving money to various entities who hire his wife and his daughter. This may be an issue of family values but we don't those think those family members have that much value to the political system that we ought to be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for work that could be done and should by somebody that is not in the family," Smith said.
Craddick, like other lawmakers, spends some of his donations on legal fees. During the time the grand jury was investigating the 2002 elections that ended in the indictment of US Congressman Tom DeLay, House Speaker Tom Craddick paid Austin criminal defense attorney Roy Minton more than $102,000.
"When you give money to a candidate you expect they are going to keep their business clean, their nose clean and are going to use your money to run for office, not to defend against practices that are shady or illegal,” Smith said. “And if you're spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawyers to keep you out of jail, the question is, is that why you got the money?"
One of the biggest surprises Investigates found? How many and how often politicians give away their campaign donations to other candidates. Thousands of dollars move from one campaign account to another.
Those are just a few of the expenditures that Investigates found.
So is this legal? Well -- yes. There are very few rules about how campaign donations can be used. They can't be used to buy real estate or for personal use.
. . . . for the rest of the story visit: http://keyetv.com/seenon/local_story_060214926.html
Can a mayor openly show favoritism for one of his council members for an election? Not wanting the council member’s opponent to be voted in?
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