Dear Editor,
Well, it appears that Dwight Boykins is running for Mayor! If not, he’s doing his level best to make sure that Sylvester Turner is no longer Mayor! The latest of his antics over the last few years include tagging almost the entire City Agenda on March 6th and again on March 20th. (See his March 11th Press Release on his Facebook page bragging about it.) I have never seen a single Councilmember so focused on showing up a Mayor and so engaged in so much grandstanding as Boykins does! He never did this to Annise Parker when she was Mayor and LORD knows she wasn’t perfect! So, why’s he doing it?
Officially, municipal races in the Texas are nonpartisan. But, ever since term limits were established for elected officials in the City of Houston during the ’90s, partisanship and political ideology, especially on the part of those who identify as Republicans on the Council, have been a major hindrance to the forward progress of this City (e.g. the nixing of monorail, the Revenue Cap, and the opposition to drainage fees to prevent flooding by calling them “Rain Taxes.”) All he’s going to do is wind up getting a Republican, Tony Buzbee, Bill King, or maybe Orlando Sanchez, elected by splitting up the Democratic Vote specifically the Black Vote. They aren’t going to do anything for anybody except for their friends and relatives and of course the corporate fat cats in the Greater Houston Partnership. They’ll be massive cuts and layoffs to pay for their corporate giveaways and budgetary mismanagement. So, again, I ask, why’s he doing it?
Look, personally, I like Dwight Boykins. I knew him from his days as an administrator at Texas Southern University. He’s done some good things while on Council like the Second Chance Job Fair for ex-cons and getting two new grocery stores in 3rd Ward. But, he ain’t gonna win the Mayor’s chair and he knows it! So, why’s he doing it? Maybe, it’s because his corporate contributors from the Greater Houston Partnership are egging him on while they play both sides against the middle? Maybe, he really believes he’s helping the firefighters? But, a new $80 a month tax he calls a garbage fee ain’t gonna cut it! He will be hurting the very low and moderate income residents of his district he claims he’s so concerned about if this new tax would take effect because they can least afford it. Many City of Houston firefighters don’t even live in the City. Some don’t even live in the State. Plus, they have lucrative side jobs. But, Dwight wants City residents to give them even more money! He also was one of the big proponents of Prop. B, but instead of all the firefighters getting raises, 400 of them are facing layoffs. So, how did that work out for them? Perhaps, one day, Dwight, will become Mayor of Houston or even Governor of Texas and I’m sure he’ll do a fine job. But, until then, he needs to be a good soldier and wait his turn by supporting Mayor Turner’s re-election bid.
Bryan C.
Spring, TX
