At the Swearing-In Ceremony: Steve Brown Takes the Chair

I went to watch and record this historic event. Here in Fort Bend County, a suburban area of the greater Houston metropolitan area, a county that is poised to be retaken by the Democratic Party, we have officially sworn in the new County Chair.

I went to watch, and as I said, I went to record it for those of us who couldn’t make it.

To those of you who couldn’t, it was definitely standing-room only. Every available sitting space was full and we all stood up along the wall in back.

I set up my video camera in back so I wouldn’t get in the way of people who came to see history being made. I failed to take into account my main man KP. As you view the video, you will see KP getting up right in front of my great focused shot to get a photograph. I immediately corrected but just be prepared for a few seconds of jostling and refocusing.

Oh well.

It wasn’t the last time KP did that, but fortunately I am getting better in my editing, and the back of my friend KP’s head definitely made it to the cutting room floor subsequently.

Anyway, here is the video of the short version of the ceremony and Steve’s brief words after the ceremony.

Sea-change Today: Steve Brown Gets Sworn In as FBC Democratic Party Chair

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong.
Hark! now I hear them — Ding-dong, bell.

-William Shakespeare - The Tempest

The day has finally come for a sea-change in Fort Bend County. Just as the demographic profile of the county is about to shift to a Democratic voter majority in this county, the county’s Democratic Party leadership has shifted onto the shoulders of an energetic young up-and-comer in Steve Brown, soon to be the Honorable Steve Brown, Chairman of the Fort Bend County Democratic Party.

It has been a long time in coming. A long time that Democrats have stood by powerless watching the Party Not raising money, Not recruiting candidates, Not returning phone calls and Not serving the interest of the Texas Democratic Party of which it is a part.

All of that ends today at 6:30 in the historic courthouse in Richmond, Texas.

Steve Brown ran on 4 basic principles:

Growing Our Base: filling precinct chair vacancies and organizing Democratic clubs and special interest groups.

Raising Money: Resources to fund a headquarters to promote Democratic Party visibility in Fort Bend County need to be raised through major fundraising events.

Campaigns and Elections: Recruiting electable Democrats and then helping their campaigns with resources and local volunteers.

Leadership: An active and engaged Executive Committee will energize and organize the county. Not to mention the holding of regular meetings per Party protocols.

It’s a tall order for a county that has literally been asleep for nearly two decades. But tonight begins the reawakening.

As our new chairman has said, now is not the time for recriminations and finger-pointing. The past is in the past. Now is the time to unite and fight.

But if that is not in the cards for anyone who still harbors ill intent at the new leadership, all one can ask is this:

Just don’t get in the way.

Congratulations Mr. Chairman

Let's hear it for the 29th prime number! One-Oh-One! One-Oh-One! One-Oh-One! One-Oh-One!

Fort Bend County Democratic Party Chair Agrees to Another Polling Location Change

Shades of 2008.

In 2008 the Elections Office in Republican-dominated Fort Bend County government pulled a fast one by changing the Election Day polling locations of two Democratic-dominated precincts.

I mentioned it in this piece back then.

Back then the county Elections Office changed the polling locations of Precincts 2123 and 1114, both of them strong Democratic precincts. But they made the mistake of announcing the change 3 weeks before Election Day.

I remember it well. My Democratic Club printed and mailed at its expense notification of the polling location change to each and every resident of the affected area.

At the same time we railed at each other why our County Chair, Elaine Bishop, would allow that to happen. Isn’t she supposed to protect the votes of each and every Democrat in Fort Bend County?

And now it has happened again.

Only this time the Elections Office waited until the last minute.

They do learn.

The polling location for Democratic majority precinct 1076 has been changed at the last minute. And obviously, with the assent of our Party Chair.

Precinct 1076 used to vote at Holy Cross Episcopal Church near just outside of River Park West. It has now been moved down the freeway to River Pointe Community Church on Ransom Road. Here is the precinct map.

Yes, two separate communities joined by one two-lane road.

So now, even if a Precinct 1076 voter looks on their voter registration card to remind themselves of where they go and vote, that address will be wrong. But usually voters don’t even look it up, they just go where they always go.

We can only hope that enough voters do show up at the polls and vote for Change in Fort Bend County.

Vote for Steve Brown for Fort Bend County Democratic Chair.

Oh, did I mention what was Elaine Bishop's reaction to my Democratic Club's action in response to her inaction? Were we thanked? Appreciated? Not on your life.

She criticized the group for meddling.

I am not kidding.

Top Ten Reasons to Vote For Elaine Bishop For Party Chair

You’ve probably seen Juanita Jean’s rant over at the World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc. on how Elaine Bishop in her push card laughably takes credit for any and all things good that has happened to Democrats recently. Her list of ten things the County Chair has accomplished is a magnificent thing. I could tell she had just as good a time assembling that list as I had reading it.

(I even added one of my own in the comments)

But I can’t let this thing go even though Juanita did such a marvelous job because you rarely get a pushcard that completely drips with prevarications and bald-faced exaggerations like Elaine Bishop’s.

I got one too, you see.

So without further ado, and with apologies (again) to David Letterman, here are the Top Ten Reasons to Vote for Elaine Bishop for County Chair.

10. She knows how to mis-spell candidate’s names really, really well. Her own name is mis-spelled on the ballot. Her real name is Elena.

9. When the rubber hits the road during election time, Elaine is busy organizing Get Out The Vote activities and calling voters – in Ohio.

8. We don’t need a “Can Do” Chair like Steve Brown, not when we have been served all these years by a “Can Don’t” Party Chair.

7. Thrift. Elaine Bishop is saving Fort Bend County thousands of dollars by approving their plan to let a Republican-dominated local government and the GOP operate Democratic Primaries.

6. Synergy. Elaine Bishop maintains close contact with Democratic Clubs all around the county and works tirelessly to derail any and all work they do helping to elect Democrats in Fort Bend County.

5. Inertia. When it comes to not moving a millimeter despite all indications that Democrats are on the verge of being the majority voters here, Elaine Bishop has gotten it down pat. Isaac Newton would be proud.

4. Credit Taking. The Chair is an expert at tooting her own horn by taking credit for the labors of others. Barack Obama doesn’t know this, but The Chair is personally responsible for his historic election in 2008. Ask Elaine.

3. Recruitment. Under her leadership 81 precinct chair positions are vacant in Fort Bend County and 7 of these vacant chairs are actually Voter Registrars. Don’t believe me? It’s here.

2. Communication Skills. With one hand on the pulse of Fort Bend County Democratic voters and the other hand on her cell phone, Elaine Bishop is skilled in not returning phone calls.

And the Number One reason to vote for Elaine Bishop for County Chair?

1. Experience and Reliability. Elaine Bishop has the most experience in not getting anything done and we can rely on that to continue when we re-elect her.

The Failure of Leadership in the Fort Bend County Democratic Party

You’ve heard me rail on about why, in Fort Bend County, Democrats who want to file in a primary election are made to wait until the last day of filing. Why something as simple as a name like “Steve” is difficult to spell on a ballot. You may have read elsewhere how mis-spellings are rife in the county party this year.

All of this underlines the bold incompetence that defines the cabal that currently serves as Democratic Party leadership in Fort Bend County. Elaine Bishop and her coterie of sycophants need a vacation. A long vacation.

I was struck by the incompetence of the Party Chair and her assistants a few evenings back as I sat and listened to two individuals, one who I knew from the ‘08 campaign and the other I had just met. These two offered their own personal experiences of the Chair’s incompetence and policies. We all knew the Chair has a problem returning her calls. We all know that her Voicemail inbox often fills up so you can’t even leave a message. It’s a joke among some of us. But the reality is that this gross incompetence does real harm.

And one thing we cannot afford in the coming years is incompetent Party leadership in light of the coming voter shift in Fort Bend County that is being forecast by demographers.

I sat and listened to them tell their stories, and then I sat and listened to Steve Brown, who is running against Elaine Bishop for County Chair. And, yes, I videoed the whole thing.

First, I apologize for the unsteady hand. Somehow I left at home that thingy that allows me to mount my camera to a tripod, so I held the camera in my hands and tried to keep as still as I could sitting turned around in my chair for 18 looooong minutes.

Steve had lots to say but I decided that I needed a theme. He was nowhere near as negative as he sounds. That was me. I edited the video to emphasize the incompetence of his opponent.

So here it is in all its 9-minute long glory (apologies again): why we need new leadership in the Fort Bend County Democratic Party.

Steve Brown for Fort Bend County Democratic Party Chair

I had the opportunity to listen to Steve Brown, a Democratic activist who currently serves as Secretary of the Fort Bend Democrats club, speak about his candidacy in the upcoming March 2nd primary for County Chair of the Democratic Party .

Brown has a broad range of political experience that uniquely qualifies him for this position, a position that has unfortunately been occupied by a woman who has not responded to the growth of the Democratic base in this county. A party chair who makes it difficult, if not impossible for people to run for office – one of her main functions as party chair.

A county party chair who has refrained from supporting the party’s nominees in the General Election.

Steve Brown promises to change all of that. But don’t just take my word for it. I videoed Brown’s speech at a recent meeting of the Fort Bend Democrats. During the speech Brown was interrupted several times by a woman who remains loyal to the current party chair despite the neglect that the chair has wreaked upon her own people. I understand that. I understand loyalty. I even understand blind loyalty because I am sometimes tainted with that very thing. But I don’t understand loyalty in the face of incompetence.

This is my way of explaining the video edits. In order to let Steve speak uninterrupted, I edited the video and did some rearranging. I don’t know, you tell me. I think it flows, and it highlights Brown’s strong points.



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