Category Archives: Front

Front, News, Sports

NFL player, Hill, host Super Bowl 51 event

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NFL Offensive Tackle Tony Hills is taking advantage of Super Bowl LI being hosted in his home city. On Wednesday, February 1 from 7-10am, he will appear on Great Day Houston to share his pick for the win at Sunday’s game as well as his experience with the Saints this season, and more.

On Tuesday, January 31 from 4:30-6:30, the 6 foot 5 inches Hills along with Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, volunteers from Generation Hope, an outreach of Joel Osteen Ministries, and other community partners will host a “Super Football Fan Dinner” for the homeless women and children at Houston’s Star of Hope Mission.

The Alief Elsik High School graduate will tour the “You’re All Superstars” NFL Gridiron of Glory Exhibit at Texas Southern University on Thursday, February 2 from 4-6pm.

Celebrity Basketball Game

February 4, 2017, 3p.m

Madison High School

13719 White Heather Drive, Houston, TX  77045

Hills has played with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and other teams in his 10-year career.

 

 

 

 

Education, Front, News

Senator Miles files Job Training Legislative Package SB 574 proposes internships and career planning for high school and college students

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AUSTIN- Senator Borris L. Miles filed SB 574, to expand job training and increase the number of paid internships to high school and college students.

“Students need a pathway to success,” said Senator Miles. “Last week, I filed SB 482, to give youth in the foster care system access to higher education and career assistance. Today, I filed SB 574, to increase the number of internship opportunities for students in high school and college.”

Both, SB 482 and SB 574 are recommendations from the Governor’s Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative, which is comprised of commissioners from the Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission. They were charged to find solutions that would prepare the workforce to compete in the 21st century.

“These bills are vital to the future of Texas. We need to provide educational opportunities, career assistance and internships to ensure students are successful,” said Senator Miles.

In addition, Senator Miles filed SB 518 last Wednesday, which would create a franchise tax credit for companies who offer internships to high school students.

“This legislative package will increase paid internships, job training, and offer the business community an incentive to invest in Texas’ workforce. This will create a win/win opportunity for students, businesses and Texas as a whole,” said Senator Miles.

Business, Community, Education, Front

Senator Miles Raises Concerns of Lack of African American Representation on UT Board Nominations Governor Abbott’s UT nominations lack diversity

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AUSTIN- As a member of the Senate Nominations Committee, Senator Borris L. Miles is very concerned by the names brought forward by Governor Greg Abbott for the University of Texas System (UT) Board of Regents.

“Diversity is one of Texas’ greatest strengths. We attract the brightest minds from all over the globe, they work here, they pay taxes here and they raise their families here,” said Senator Miles. “UT is one of the best higher learning institutions in the state, and its leadership and student body should reflect the population.”

Only three African Americans have served on the UT Board in the 134 years of UT’s inception: Reverend Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr., Dr. Judith Craven and Printice Gary.

“Printice Gary was the last African American to serve on the UT Board, with his term ending in 2013. It’s been more than four years since an African American has served on this board, and we need to get back on the diversity track,” said Senator Miles.

According to UT’s “Fast Facts,” its fall 2015 undergraduate enrollment was comprised of 4.6% African American students. Texas’ overall population is 12% African American.

“The appalling statistics show that UT has a lack of African Americans from the bottom to the top. Rather than lead by example, the nominations from the governor show that this administration plans to continue business as usual at UT. On my watch, this will not go unnoticed. Texas is a richly diverse state, and nominations brought forward should reflect that. Texans demand it,” said Senator Miles.

Business, Community, Front

Deferred property tax payments announced

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Houston —Texans who are age 65 or older or who are disabled as defined by law may postpone paying current and delinquent property taxes on their homes by signing a tax deferral affidavit at the Harris County Appraisal District office.

Once the affidavit is on file, taxes are deferred – but not cancelled – as long as the owner continues to qualify for the exemption.  Taxes accumulate with 8 percent interest per year.  The law extends the tax deferral to the surviving spouse of the person who deferred taxes on the homestead if the surviving spouse was at least 55 years old when the deceased spouse died.

“Homeowners who are 65 or older or disabled also should be sure they have applied for and received the appropriate homestead exemptions.   These exemptions will reduce future tax burdens, and the tax savings from homestead exemptions are theirs to keep,” said Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger.

A filed tax deferral affidavit keeps homeowners from losing their homesteads because of delinquent property taxes.  A pending sale to foreclose on the homestead’s tax lien will also cease as a result of filing a tax deferral affidavit.  In addition, no taxing unit can start or continue a lawsuit to collect delinquent taxes once an affidavit is filed.  There are no penalties on delinquent taxes during the deferral period; however, a tax deferral does not cancel penalties that were already due.

“Homeowners with a mortgage on their home should first check with their mortgage company to make certain the deferral does not violate the terms of the deed of trust securing the mortgage on the property.  Most deeds of trust require that taxes be paid currently,” Altinger said. 

All deferred taxes and interest become due when the homeowner or surviving spouse no longer qualifies for the exemption.  If the tax debt remains unpaid at that time, penalties may be imposed and taxing units may take legal action to collect the past due amount.

For further details about property tax deferral, contact the Harris County Appraisal District’s information center at 713.957.7800 or visit the district’s offices at 13013 Northwest Freeway in Houston. Information can also be found online at www.hcad.org under “Resources > General Information > Frequently Asked Questions – Tax Deferrals.”  Information is also available on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division’s website at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/.

About HCAD

The Harris County Appraisal District is a political subdivision of the State of Texas established in 1980 for the purpose of discovering and appraising property for ad valorem tax purposes for each taxing unit within the boundaries of the district.  The district has more than 1.7 million parcels of property to assess each year with a total market value of approximately $556 billion.  The appraisal district in Harris County is the largest in Texas, serving approximately 500 taxing units, and one of the largest appraisal districts in the United States.  For further information, visit www.hcad.org.

Editorial, Front

Veterans Day thoughts from a widow

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Another Veteran’s Day without my husband, Lonal Robinson, a Vietnam Veteran. It feels different. A void has been left. I however, remember his work to reintegrate himself into life on the home soil. His work as a young man made him a great man because he did what was necessary to build a life for his family and contributed to society through unselfish volunteer work; such as the youth sports leagues in Illinois, Arkansas, and Houston, TX, with the Peggy Park Rebuild and #Emancipation Park renovation! His life was recognized four years ago by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee at Houston’s City Hall Veteran’s Day Ceremony. So, today, I will remember his service as I recall my uncles who served along with a brother, plus one son, who choose to call me his mom. I love them all for the lessons taught and the burdens they lifted from citizens back home who yet not know or understand what the soldiers had to do to return home to America. Being in the family of a service member brings with it many details of life. Happy Veteran’s Day America! Thank you for your grateful service statement may not be enough. We probably need to open doors of opportunity that have been closed and provide real regulatory benefits beyond the VA Education Bill and the VA Housing Loan Bill.

So, today, I will remember his service as I recall my uncles who served along with a brother, plus one son, who choose to call me his mom. I love them all for the lessons taught and the burdens they lifted from citizens back home who yet not know or understand what the soldiers had to do to return home to America. Being in the family of a service member brings with it many details of life. Happy Veteran’s Day America! Thank you for your grateful service statement may not be enough. We probably need to open doors of opportunity that have been closed and provide real regulatory benefits beyond the VA Education Bill and the VA Housing Loan Bill.

We have a new president-elect and a Congress with enough votes to get any legislation passed and signed that is desired and or needed by those who have served our grateful nation. We can and should do more for the families of those who have served. Lip service is not what families require. Tangible results are needed to advance American families.

May God bless and I will see you next week.

Editorial, Front

Defeat of HRC

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Franklin Jones
 

The defeat of HRC was based on her failure to deliver a large enough portion of white voters to coalesce with minority voters to win a majority of votes in the Electoral College.
If the split inside the white community is not great enough, the black vote will not determine the outcome. That was the case in this election. The increase in the number of white voters and the across the board support of white voters for Trump led to his win.
Half of the American public appears ready to join the xenophobic and European nationalist fervor that is gripping the western “democracies.”

The question for me is how can the high level of black participation in this election can be mobilized to participate in the liberation struggles of African peoples. We have to seriously discuss the limits of electoral politics and what else we must do to achieve equality and justice.

Front, News

AJC Congratulates President-Elect Trump, Urges Quick Steps to UniteNation and Reassure Allies

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NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, congratulates Donald Trump on his election as the 45th President of the United States.

“American democracy has spoken after a long and bitterly-fought campaign,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “We wish President-elect Trump well, as he prepares to assume the highest position in the land and the most powerful political position on the planet. And we also extend our best wishes to Secretary Hillary Clinton for her many years of distinguished public service to our nation, the strong campaign she ran, and, I would add, her friendship to AJC.”

“Now that the election is over, a first priority should be to address the wounds of an extraordinarily divisive contest. The United States is one country with one destiny, and any expression of bigotry and exclusion, as we’ve regrettably seen during the extended campaign, must never be allowed to corrode our pluralistic fabric,” Harris added.

Smooth post-election transitions are an essential requirement of our political system. In that spirit, AJC looks forward to working with President-elect Trump and his administration, as well as with the new Congress, on the priority policy concerns that AJC has advocated during this campaign, including at the Republican Convention in Cleveland and Democratic Convention in Philadelphia. Among them:

— America’s diversity must be defended against any further attempts to demonize or stigmatize on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender or faith;

— The United States needs to assert strong global leadership, which only our country is capable of, especially in support of allies and treaty obligations around the world, and in the face of dangerous regional and global state and non-state actors;

— The unique U.S.-Israel relationship, based on shared democratic values and national interests, should continue to go from strength to strength.

From its birth 110 years ago this month, AJC has cherished American democracy and the unparalleled opportunities and protections that our country’s system aspires to offer all its citizens, whatever their background or identity.

“The right to vote is a pillar of democracy, and the nation has spoken. We wish President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence a successful Administration that, we earnestly hope, will take early steps to reach out to every American, including concerned minority communities across the land; reaffirm our links to our friends across the globe; and, in the months and years to come, advance peace, security, and prosperity for our nation and the world,” said Harris.

AJC, founded 110 years ago this week, is the premier global Jewish advocacy organization, with 22 offices across the United States, 10 posts around the world, and 33 international partnerships. It is a strictly, non-partisan 501(c)(3) agency.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Front, News

Labor Voters Key to Winning Electoral Coalition in Harris County races

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Block-walks, Phone Banks, Mail, Social Media Fuel Turnout

 Houston, TX – Members of labor unions in Texas took advantage of a changing Texas political climate to help build winning progressive coalitions in Harris County, Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation Executive Director Hany Khalil said today.

   “Labor unions helped put victorious candidates over the top by running a multi-pronged ground campaign in which union voters heard about the importance of voting for candidates backed by the AFL-CIO’s Committee on Political Education (COPE),” Khalil said.

   The AFL-CIO campaigned heavily for Mary Ann Perez for House District 144; county-wide candidates Kim Ogg for District Attorney, Ed Gonzalez for Sheriff, and Anne Harris Bennett for Tax-Assessor Collector; Anne Sung for HISD District VII; and to defeat HISD Proposition 1.

   “The national picture was bleak, but in Harris County, working people made advances on Election Day,” Khalil said. “Unions knocked on 19,987 doors, sent mail to 14,028 households, and had 7,751 personal conversations with union families in Harris County. We were also pervasive on social media in calling for voter turnout.”

   “In 2016,” Khalil said, “we focused on driving up turnout of members who did not have a history of voting regularly. If you were a union member in the Gulf Coast area, you very likely heard from us several times, and we have long known that member-to-member communications highlighting a working families message are effective in turning out votes. Two-thirds of the 6,000 union members who voted early in Harris County were ones we targeted for turnout and may have accounted for a large share of the 7,855 votes that made Ann Harris Bennet our new Tax-Assessor Collector.”

   “Union members alone cannot form a majority, but in the Gulf Coast area in 2016 we spoke up together with allies to show it is possible to build a winning coalition here,” said Zeph Capo, President of the Area Labor Federation. “We are celebrating a strong result while resolving to continue our efforts to build a better Texas.”

   Texas AFL-CIO President John Patrick said the labor movement’s Get Out the Vote operations in and around Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and other parts of the state helped bring about a sea change from the results of the 2014 election, Patrick said.

   “This election marks a new era in coordinated campaigning for labor in Texas. The Dallas and Tarrant County Central Labor Councils (CLCs) worked together on block-walks of mutual interest. The Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation covered ground that used to be covered by several CLCs. The entire labor movement arrived at priorities in cooperative fashion.”

   “We appreciate the thousands of volunteer hours put in by union members around the state. The labor movement knocked on at least 50,000 doors and made many more phone calls and mail contacts during the campaign. On social media, the labor campaign generated more than half a million impressions across several platforms, all in service of turning out union members, family members, and allies. What we did this year laid solid groundwork for the future. We honor our affiliates who worked overtime to take our Get Out the Vote program to the next level.”

   “The conversations we had with union members were not merely about candidates,” Patrick said. “From the minimum wage to paid sick leave, from improving public education to equal pay for men and women, issues that affect our workers’ everyday lives took precedence. The candidates we endorsed were on board with our agenda to provide a fair shot for every working family.”

“Labor’s vote made a major difference in Texas. Amid a tragic national result, Hillary Clinton’s performance here, coming within a margin we have not seen lately, set the stage for pickups in congressional, legislative and local races around the state,” Patrick said. “Union members seized on the opportunity, and we are proud the 2016 election set a new standard for statewide union participation.”

 The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO is an umbrella organization that coordinates the political, community, and educational programs of 45,000 union members in 13 Gulf Coast counties.