Vote 2011 - Occupy a Voting Booth.

With all the noise and disillusionment of the 2012 campaigns already well underway, it would be easy to overlook the 2011 vote.  Easy but unwise since there are a number of  proposed amendments to the State of Texas Constitution, city of Houston office and school district seats to be filled.  Early voting is already underway.

Here is a link to the Harris County Clerk for polling locations and sample ballots:

http://harrisvotes.org/

Here is a link to a sample ballot for the city of Houston:  http://www.harrisvotes.com/SampleBallot/SampleBallot_ENG.pdf

Here is a link with details and comments from those who support and those who oppose the Constitutional Amendment Proposals:

http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/pubsconamend/analyses11/analyses11.pdf

I'm planning to vote like this:

STATE of TEXAS Constitutional Amendments

Prop. 1 (exemption for residence homestead of surviving spouse of 100% disabled vet)  FOR

Prop. 2 (Texas Water Development Board bonds) FOR!!!

Prop. 3 (bonds for educational loans to students) I'm still a bit undecided but leaning FOR

Prop. 4 (county bonds for blighted development) AGAINST

Prop. 5 (city and county interlocal contracts) FOR it makes good business sense

Prop. 6 (permanent school fund pay out)  still undecided but leaning AGAINST

Prop. 7 (El Paso County) FOR because the citizens of El Paso county will be able to vote and decide this issue for themselves.

Prop. 8 (water-stewardship) FOR

Prop. 9 (pardons) still a bit undecided but leaning FOR

Prop. 10 (unexpired terms running for office) FOR because elected officers in small towns and counties often need to keep their jobs

CITY of HOUSTON

Mayor Annise D. Parker !!!

Council District K (yep, we're in the new one)  Larry Green

Council At-Large Pos. 1  Stephen C. Costello!!!

Council At-Large Pos. 2 looking forward to a run-off to narrow the field.  In that regard I'll probably go with either Elizabeth C. Perez or Bolivar "Bo" Fraga rather than the front-runner Kristi Thibaut.

Council At-Large Pos. 3 Melissa Noriega

Council At-Large Pos. 4 probably C.O. "Brad" Bradford

Council At-Large Pos.5 Jack Christie!!! the man who has Bill White's only endorsement which I think says a lot.

City Controller Ronald C. Green who is unopposed

HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE (I'm always a bit mystified as to which of the districts we're in) but my choices are:  Carroll G. Robinson, Richard Schechter, and Chris Oliver.

HISD TRUSTEE:  Manuel Rodriquez, Paula Harris, Juliet Kathy Stipeche

Fellow Citizens, in a democracy we-the-people get to make the choices.  
Occupy a Voting Booth!