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Fleck on the New City Council ...

Given the Houston Press' deadlines, you can always bet their election wrapup will always be a little different than can be found elsewhere. This time is no different. Tim Fleck takes a look at the history of Mayor & Controller relations and notes that if anything could spoil the harmony that the Chronicle predicts for the new council, ambition may be a wedge that keeps Mayor White and Controller Parker from working hand in hand.

Its an idea not without merit. But I'll predict he's wrong based on two things:

  • Their terms run together ... so just as Mayor White's six year clock is up, Candidate Parker would have a clear shot at the job if she were so inclined.
  • If (and I realize the conditional here ...), Annise avoids doing anything particularly back stabbing of White, I don't see White doing the same unless there's indeed a serious - perhaps irreparable - breach of faith between the two. The issue of audits will, as Fleck points out, be a major early test. Look for a happy medium compromise that allows both sides to declare victory. After that ... more of the same.

    While there's nothing sacred in politics, I just don't see it in either's nature to end up as the second coming of either previous duo listed.

    SIDENOTE: Ironic that the article would mention Leonel Castillo. His 1989 campaign for an At Large seat was my first taste of city elections. I got a surprisingly heavy dosage of exposure to Castillo and a few of his upper level campaign workers (and an odd volunteer that would later end up in a runoff for County Chair with Ken Bentsen despite being a transexual and convicted murderer). Most memorable was driving Castillo to an event on the north side, hobnobbing with the only table of bubbas that showed up at a Honduran restaurant. Castillo would end up losing the race to none other than Sheila Jackson-Lee. I had no idea at the time how we almost could have made Houston a better place were we to have won. Then again, compared to Craig Washington, literally ANYBODY is a step up.