Congratulations Houston! You've Moved One Step Closer to Detroit

by Kim D.

Get ready stupid Houston, your property taxes are going up! @JoseGrinanFOX26 @JacquieBaly @TexasGOP @FOX26Michelle https://t.co/N1NmxaJI62

— HΣCTOЯ {DLG} (@texasman2008) December 13, 2015

After Mayor Annise Parker's meaningless, anti-discrimination HERO legislation was overwhelmingly defeated this past November, I personally wondered if all of the legions of voters who came out to say no to public gender-neutral restrooms actually meant it. Were they really tired of nanny-state politicians imposing their will on the citizens who foot the bill? During the mayoral run-off election, would they show up and vote for something different instead of big-spending, meaningless liberal policies?

Last night, after all votes were counted, the answer to my questions was . . . no.

Turner, the pro politician, BFF of Jackson Lee and endorsed by Obama, wins Houston mayor runoff by 4k votes. voting matters people #HTown

— Infidel (@HeidiL_RN) December 13, 2015

It was a narrow win, but liberal, career politician Sylvester Turner edged out businessman Bill King 51% to 49%.  Turner has coveted the mayor's office since 1991 when he made his first run and was exposed to be corrupt and culpable in an insurance scam. This defeat denied him the title of Houston's first African-American mayor. He again failed in 2003 when Bill White, a democrat, secured a large share of the liberal voting base. However, in last night's run-off election the cliche rang true - the third time was actually the charm for Turner to the detriment of the 4th largest city in the United States.

Houston voters didn't just kick the can down the road with the election of Sylvester Turner, they kicked a 55 gallon drum! #fox26forlife

— Tony Muckleroy (@TonyMuckleroy) December 13, 2015

Amen! Houston has already been given a financial downgrade but, apparently, no one is listening:

A major credit rating agency dinged Houston for its rising pension costs and lagging revenues, revising the city's general obligation debt outlook to "negative" and heightening urgency around City Hall about grim financial projections.

But the negative outlook, the city's first such change in five years, warned of possible trouble ahead and drew on some persistent themes: spiking debt payments, rising pension costs and a revenue cap that limits property tax collection to the combined rates of inflation and population growth.

University of Houston economics professor Steven Craig said the outlook downgrade is a "serious problem," the beginning of "circling the drain if they can't get big policy changes."

Next year, early estimates show the city facing a $126 million deficit. 

Financial concerns aside, will Houston be a safer city with Turner at the helm? With border security being a hot-button issue, Turner was legislatively key to denying over $92 million in funding.

Houston Mayoral candidate Sylvester Turner led the effort to defeat additional equipment funding for border security that would have a positive impact on reducing Houston’s and neighboring Katy, Baytown and Channelview’s notoriety as one of 13 Texas sanctuary cities.

And with U.S. 59 through Rosenberg, Sugar Land and Fort Bend County—the human smuggling, drug smuggling highway leading to and through Houston—Houston voters need to ask themselves if they’ll feel safe with Sylvester Turner as their next mayor. 

No doubt, Houston is a great city but decades of liberal policy have proven that it now has a third-world city government. Expect Turner to continue Houston's tradition of fiscal irresponsibility and take the city further along the way to Detroit. Let's just hope that it doesn't take a detour through Chicago.