Houston Democrats

This sounds great. My only thoughts are that the properties then need to be sold to the highest bidder and builder. Under Bill White I expect the perameters will be set for big business only and small investors will lose out. It just seems to be the onlyu way Bill White knows how to do business. Safe and clear and the storage yard is the best example.
Houston is losing it's appeal as a haven for start up businesses.

We are moving down a slippery slope when we discuss foreclosing on tax delinquent property in low income/minority areas. I understand that the city is trying to create tax generating properties for their coffers but who decides on the definition of affordable housing. This program hints of gentrification at full speed. Are we in for a New London approach to economic development? Will the city take on the position of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that expanded Eminent Domain? I believe in making my community better but maybe it would be better to educate the people on how they can make the difference instead of looking at big business developers for the solution.

The guidelines for "affordable housing" are set by HUD - not the city. However, as a small developer who only does affordable housing, the main problem I see is all the corruption going on down at city hall. Things like condemned or HUD forclosed property being turned over (given or sold for a nominal fee- like $1) to a "non-profit" to develop as affordable housing that instead sits on it for 6 months to a year doing absolutely nothing, and then "goes out of business" with all their assets being turned over to their creditors...which just happens to be a major developer who plans on putting in townhomes.
The end result is that a major developer gets several hundred thousand dollars worth of land for free. Oh, and they get a nice big tax write off for any services such as surveys, "as-is" appraisals, environmental and soil reports they they "donated" to the "non profit" before it folded and which by "pure coincidence" happen to roll-over to the new owners benefit....
so for less then $1000 to incorporate and register a nonprofit in your brother-in-laws name, and with a friend or two downtown you have pretty much an instant quarter to half million in profit before you've even built anything... no wonder all the "Good 'ol boys" are jumping all over this...
And us small guys who actually want to do stuff for the community dont stand a chance... (we cant afford to hire city officials family members as high paid consultants that dont actually do any work)

Kevin WALKER nails this, but neglects to name names, not a few of which, I expect, are very prominent in this political party.

Let me repeat, this party is still devoted to bi-partisan concession-tending which, at its lowest level, is precisely the sort of racketeering and land-speculation that Kevin describes.

Watch for a major developer to take over the San Jacinto Armory shortly.

And, remember that the City of Houston has a reliable Democratic voting majority. It does not, though, have a Democratic Party that has broken with its own Jim Crow past other than wrapping itself in "civil rights" and "affirmative action" sanctimony.