Category: Advocacy

Hey Y'all!

For those who don't know me, I grew up in Ft Bend county, my family has been in Katy, TX for over 20 years, my children attend schools in Katy ISD.

I’ve been active in get out the vote and coordinated campaign initiatives since 2008, volunteered with non-partisan election protection groups, and this past fall I ran the voting center at the Katy Civic Center.

I’ve been doing community advocacy for over a decade, working with various local governments, local leaders and other key stakeholders to find compromises that benefit the community as a whole.

Last fall I spent hours speaking with leaders from groups in other districts who were successful in electing reasonable, pro public education candidates to their school board.

I wanted to share some of those notes here with the hope that others will find the information gleaned from successful groups helpful.

Prior to living in our neighborhood, I served my community in northwest Houston for the past ten years on various boards like my Civic Association and the school PTO. In those communities and adjacent ones, neighbors worked together to advocate for the community’s best interests.

It is in that spirit of working together for the benefit of everyone that I am writing to you now.

The short version is that MUD 345 has higher arsenic levels (9.7parts per billion) than the City of Houston water supply (2ppb) and also of other MUDs on the same aquifer as we are on (e.g. MUD 365 is at 3.2ppb).

Since MUD 345, Green Trails MUD, West Park MUD, Longhorn Town MUD and MUD 216 all have or have recently had agreements for emergency interconnects (e.g. Green Trails MUD received water from MUD 345 during their tank repairs), the quality of water in one MUD affects residents in other MUDs.

If this concerns you, please plan to share your concerns with the board by attending the next meeting on June 19 at 12pm at 1300 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 2500 Houston, TX 77056 or by emailing the board, care of Kate Henderson, the lawyer for MUD345, at khenderson@sphllp.com. If you also send me a copy or CC me, I will print out the emails I receive and deliver them to the meeting. 

The longer version:

The levels in MUD 345 have skirted just below the EPA maximum (10ppb) for years but in August the reading exceeded the EPA maximum. Houston having less arsenic is understandable since they are on surface water, but we should be able to have as little arsenic as other MUDs that use the same aquifer.

As a result of learning this information, I began attending the board meetings of MUD 345.

These meetings are held once a month, 18 miles away in the Galleria, at noon during the work week. There is no virtual option.

In January 2023 Inframark, the company contracted by MUD 345 to operate our facilities, reported to the board that they received notice (dated September 2022) that the levels of arsenic in our water exceeded the EPA maximum of 10 parts per billion in a sample dated August 4, 2022.

As a result of the August reading, TCEQ is now requiring that MUD 345 arsenic levels be tested quarterly as opposed to yearly.

But it is also important to point out that as long as the “running annual average of all samples taken during the preceding twelve months” does not exceed the EPA maximum, they are not legally required to notify the community about water quality levels (with the quarterly tests, the average has so far stayed below the EPA maximum and no legal requirement to notify exists).

At this point, it is unclear when a MUD like Harris County MUD 345 would be required to take action to reduce arsenic levels. But changes could be made without being legally required to do so.

I am writing this summary in order for you and our other neighbors to be aware of the potentially dangerous arsenic situation in the water supply to your home and to encourage you to learn more.

The MUD 345 board has agreed to add to the June agenda a discussion on what can be done to improve the arsenic levels in our water. The Harris County MUD 345 board of directors meets on the 3rd Monday at 12pm at 1300 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 2500 Houston, TX 77056. For June it will be on June 19.

The possible options for the MUD 345 board to consider to address this dangerous situation include:

• Obtain new source of water
• Blending
• Treatment via
  • Precipitation
  • Adsorption
  • Ion exchange
  • Membrane filtration

In preparation for the meeting, I strongly encourage you to learn more and to share your concerns by attending the June 19 MUD 345 board meeting.

If you can not attend the June 19 MUD 345 board meeting, please share your views with the five board members who represent your interest in the health and vitality of our neighborhood.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with our neighbors, either in person or via emailing the board care of Kate Henderson, the lawyer for MUD 345, at khenderson@sphllp.com. If you also send me a copy or CC me, I will print out the emails I receive and deliver them to the meeting. 

I've been hearing from a lot of people who want to do something, anything, to help change the way things are right now. I hear you and that's why I am redoubling my efforts to encourage people to become more involved. Marching and assisting to Get Out The Vote are essential to positive change and if that is your passion, please continue in your efforts. But also know that there is more you can do, and it sounds like you want to do more.

I've also been hearing a lot of people frustrated with the current Democratic party and snarking about "voting harder." But here's the thing. Lobbing insults about voting does not actually DO anything. It does not change the current Democratic party (which is ostensibly still a better choice for people who are not socially conservative). It does not get legislation passed. It does not get leftist candidates elected. In fact the only thing it DOES do is discourage voting. Which is the absolute LAST thing we need in this country right now. Please stop. Your feelings are valid, but put that energy to productive use or you risk being just as detrimental to positive change as those you oppose.

So whether you are desperate to do more or are enraged that more hasn't already been done, if you are well and truly serious about Doing Something more than just voicing frustration, we need you to show up. As I have said repeatedly before, the party is not a monolith. It is literally comprised of those who show up. They are the ones debating resolutions, rules and platform planks. They are the ones voting for party leaders. If you consider voting to be fundamental (which it is), voting for who leads the party you most align with is even more fundamental.

It does take more work than walking in to a polling place every couple of years or so, but not overwhelmingly more work. Just a little more work. Just show up to your Senate District meetings at least a few times a year. They aren't long. Then become a State Delegate. Yes, just like that. It's just as easy as that. If you are mad as hell and serious about change, this is what you do.

We need you to attend your party's senate district meetings. They are the building blocks of the party.

But here's the thing, you don't have to attend every meeting or donate money to participate. In fact, in the Democratic Party in Texas, there is such low participation in "off-cycle" (midterm election) convention years, you don't even have to attend the Senate District Convention to be named a State Delegate to the Democratic State Convention. The only condition is that you have voted in the most recent primary. Then you can just sign up to be a delegate. That's literally it.

At the State Convention you can then work with others (caucus) to form the platform, resolutions and rules that literally make up the party. All you have to do is be in the room where it happens and it is remarkably easy to do so.

In fact, it is SO easy that some Republicans advocated for their party members to "to take control of the local Democratic Party by having their own candidates run for Democrat precinct captain positions."

We NEED you to get involved. Especially if you want to see change.

There is no charge for the convention itself at any level. And most of the people I see complaining are not people who are economically disadvantaged, but if financial reasons prevent you from being able to travel to and attend the convention, there are scholarships and people willing to help. There are ride shares and room shares. There are people who have the money, but not the time and are willing to help fund those who can attend. There are ways to make it happen, so please do not feel like you can't participate for financial reasons.

And yes, while I am speaking from my personal experience with the Democratic Party, this applies to the entire political spectrum.

If you are a Democrat, which is intentionally a big tent, we need your participation to effect change from the old guard that is less inclined to move away from the status quo.

If you are more leftist, your party HAS GOT to show up down ballot and build a deep and wide field of strong candidates. Do not rely on one or two superstars. Build. Your. Party. It would be amazing to see a viable third party. I know it can be done. People just need to show up.

If you are more conservative and appalled at what you are seeing in the January 6 hearings, I BEG you to get involved and veer your party away from what it has become. You HAVE to show up and take back your party. Or start a new one. But you have to stop aligning yourself with the fringe right.

In politics, because so few people speak up, when an elected official hears from a constituent they consider that one voice, depending on the location, to represent on the order of 20-200 other constituents. We know that calling and writing works. What works even more is when those constituents are involved in the party.

Show up.

Be in the room where it happens.

Texas (and I’m sure most other states, too), it’s time to get registered for your county convention.

Go. Do it. Literally no one goes to these things and just assumes a party is a monolith. They are not.

THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE CHANGE IN POLITICS.

The county convention is the first step in how political parties decide their platforms and rules. And it’s local. No travel required.

It’s also where State delegates are elected and sent to the state convention where state rules and platforms are voted on and national delegates are elected. National Delegates, pledged to a candidate based on primary results, vote for the presidential candidate who will represent the party on the national ballot. They also take the state platform to the national convention to work with other states to form the party platform. An “off cycle” (midterm) convention is an excellent way to get your feet wet and see what they’re all about.

Other parties follow the same general procedures.

Feel free to ask me any questions.