DAILY COMMENTARY
By Marc Campos


Alvarado Leads, Mini Man and Me, The Beatle Open

In response to those that wish to make our Houston Police Department an I.C.E. arm (Homeland Security's Immigration Customs Enforcement), Houston City Council Member Carol Alvarado is spearheading the effort to organize Houstonians to defeat this ill-advised attempt to amend the City of Houston Charter. The Alvarado led organizational vehicle is called Protect Houston (a web page is currently being constructed at www.protecthouston.com.) A communitywide meeting has been scheduled for next Monday, July 24. The following is the text of the invitation that is being sent throughout the city.



A Message From Carol Alvarado

Mean spirited Houstonians are gathering signatures on a petition that would force the City of Houston to call a city charter referendum that would compel police officers to demand proof of citizenship when interacting with Houstonians. If adopted by the voters, the city charter change would create a hostile relationship between the police and certain communities and limit their effectiveness in protecting Houstonians from crime.

In order to protect all Houstonians, it is imperative that the Houston Police Department maintain a respectful, professional and trusting relationship with the residents of all of the city's many neighborhoods and among all of the city's diverse ethnic communities.

This ill-advised city charter referendum threatens to divide the people of our diverse and welcoming community; tie the hands of the professional men and women who serve in our police department; and stigmatize the City of Houston in the eyes of the nation and the world.


ACTION ON OUR PART IS REQUIRED!

You are invited to attend and participate in a community meeting to help develop a strategy to defeat this mean spirited assault on our community.


PROTECT HOUSTON - COMMUNITY MEETING

6 P.M., MONDAY, JULY 24, 2006

CWA UNION HALL
1730 JEFFERSON STREET
HOUSTON, TX 77003


Your presence and involvement on this key public policy issue is requested. Please attend and bring other concerned Houstonians.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RSVP:

CONTACT 713-861-2244 OR EMAIL info@carolalvarado.com.

Pol. Adv. Paid For By Protect Houston, Massey Villarreal, Treasurer.


Needless to say, Council Member Alvarado's website is getting some interesting emails for taking the leadership role on this issue. Some fella who identified himself a Texas MinuteMan said he was coming to the July 24 meeting. Commentary contacted the fella and asked if I could forward the email he sent Alvarado to the local media. I told him that the local media might even consider doing a story leading up to event - kind of a confrontation in the making story. The MiniMan then realized what he may be stepping into and said that he was going to be out of town working that evening - chasing paperless folks somewhere down south, I guess. It sounds more like he was a CHICKEN - aren't they all.

The MiniMan then kind of tried to make niceties with me and informed me that some of his best friends, errrr, here it comes, were American citizens of "Latin" descent. "Latin" descent? Get a rope!

I have to give props to the Chron's golf writer, Steve Campbell, for yesterday's piece on the British Open that is being held this week at a course called Royal Liverpool. Campbell peppered his piece with 21 Beatles references - very entertaining. For Beatles fans, it is a must piece read.

I wonder how many times Tiger is going to have to use his Norwegian Woods, awwwwww?


July 18, 2006, 9:00AM


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