The 01-31-24 Edition of The Fort Bend Star

2023

READERS’ CHOICE

Painting music you can see at the 2024 Sugar Land Arts Fest - Page 3

281.690.4200 WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 31, 2024

Fort Bend law enforcement officials discuss crime stats at forum

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

A capacity audience filled a ballroom at Safari Texas Ranch last week as Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton and other law enforcement officials discussed the prevalence of crime in the county.

The event, billed as the inaugural “State of Criminal Justice,” was presented by the Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce on January 25. It was subtitled “Are You Safe in Fort Bend County?”

Middleton and other speakers discussed key findings of a multi-jurisdictional study recently concluded meant to determine the actual crime rates in Fort Bend County with context. The study was led by two criminal justice professors at the University of Houston-Downtown, Beth Gilmore and Kevin Buckler.

According to a flyer presented at the event, the study found that the most recently reported “crimes against persons,” including assaults, homicides, human trafficking, and sex offenses, in Fort Bend County are down 1 percent since 2021.

“Crimes against society,” including animal cruelty, drugs and narcotic offenses, gambling, pornography are up 3 percent in the same periods, and “crimes against property,” including arson, burglary, fraud, and theft, are up 10 percent.

A spokesman for Middleton’s office said the full study was not yet publicly available, but soon would be.

The ensuing panel discussion was moderated by Ibrahim Khawajan, first assistant district attorney for Fort Bend County. A series of videos narrated by Gilmore discussed specific crime issues in some of the largest cities in Fort Bend County Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond and Fulshear.

In one of the videos, Gilmore said that perceived “spikes” in crime that have been seen in media reports are largely driven by anomalies in federal crime reporting requirements that don’t account for certain contexts. Meanwhile, she said, Sugar Land has in recent years become a hub of entertainment and lifestyle facilities like the Smart Financial Center, Constellation Field and Sugar Land Town Square that attract opportunistic crimes such as vehicle burglaries.

Among these, Gilmore said, were an increase in reported thefts and vehicle burglaries in Fulshear that include burglaries from vehicles driven by construction workers at new residential developments in the fastgrowing city. While those crimes are important, it’s important to note they aren’t necessarily victimizing Fulshear residents, Gilmore said.

SEE CRIME PAGE 2

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Mathew says 'no' to property tax at Stafford town hall meeting

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Stafford Mayor Ken Mathew said maintaining the city’s “zero property tax” policy in place since the mid-1990s is his top priority during last week’s Annual Town Hall Meeting.

Mathew, elected mayor in June 2023 after serving on City Council since 2006, gave his inaugural State of the City address at the Stafford Civic Center on January 24. In his election, Mathew edged out

incumbent Cecil Willis in a run-off that eliminated two other candidates, former Council members Don Jones and Wen Guerra.

In his campaign, Mathew said he was opposed to reimposing a property tax.

The zero-property-tax policy, first introduced by longtime mayor Leonard Scarcella in 1995, has long been Stafford’s primary calling card for attracting new residents and businesses. The city’s finances have largely been driven by sales taxes, fees, and other sources of revenue.

Stafford Mayor Ken Mathew said he’s opposed to the city imposing a property tax at the Annual Town Hall on Jan. 24.

Courtesy City of Stafford

In recent months, there has been a new discussion on whether the city should re-impose a sales tax in order to help alleviate longstanding budgetary concerns.

“Looking at the cash balance, called the fund balance, there is no urgency for reimposing a property tax,” he said.

Mathew said that as of December 31, the city’s fund balance total fund balance (including the city’s total fund balance and that of the Stafford Economic Development

Corporation, a separate entity) is $25.9 million.

Today, the city’s separate fund balance is $4.5 more than in the 2021 fiscal year, a 62 percent increase. The city and EDC’s total fund balance is 11.4 million more over than in 2021, a 75 percent increase.

“Count me as a ‘no’ vote for property tax,” Mathew said. There are seven members of City Council, including the mayor.

SEE TAX PAGE 2

Missouri City native and Miss America first runner-up aspires to communicate, bridge gaps

Missouri City native and Miss Texas Ellie Breaux visits with school children while promoting her “Cops in the Community” program. Contributed photo

By Marianne Horton NEWS@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Miss Texas Ellie Breaux greets hometown fans at the Missouri City Community Center before competing in Miss America 2024. File photo by Ken Fountain

She was the big sister on the sidelines, cheering on football games at Kitty Hollow Park. She was the teen who worked summers as a lifeguard and regularly met friends at the Chick-fil-A restaurant on Highway 6. She was the dancer for the Royals Dance Team at Ridge Point High School.

“I never thought I would compete in pageants,” said Ellie Breaux, first-runner up in the recent 2024 Miss America pageant.

The Missouri City native and Dallas resident earned the title of 2023 Miss Texas, competing for Miss America 2024 on January

14. She was named firstrunner up, while Grace Stanke of Wisconsin took the crown.

Before taking the spotlight, Breaux attended Settlers Way Elementary, First Colony Middle School and graduated from Ridge Point High School in 2019. She stayed active in dance, gymnastics and Girl Scouts. At the age of five, she started dancing at Cookie Joe’s Dancin’ School, 1415 Highway 6, transitioned to rhythmic gymnastics and went on to dance for her high school.

“I would say I was a pretty busy girl,” Breaux admits.

SEE ASPIRES PAGE 2

THE STAR

PAGE 2 • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Traveling African-American museum open to the public on Feb. 6 Community Reports On February 6, the general public will have the opportunity to view the “Fluor African-American Pioneers Traveling Museum” at the Fort Bend County Fair Grounds in Richmond.

The museum highlights the creative contributions of African-Americans in science, technology, engineering, architecture, and math (STEAM).

The exhibits are complete with biographical storyboards, along with models of the pioneers’ inventions. In addition to the triumphs, the stories include the struggles and discrimination the innova-

tors faced in their fields, highlighting the importance of perseverance.

The latest addition to the museum is the “Sky’s the Limit – Celebrating Black Aviation” exhibit.

“This is the first time the African-American Pioneers Traveling Museum has come to the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds and we are honored to be a part of it. Everyone should come out and learn how these brilliant African-American minds contributed to the world we live in now.

Many of these stories did not make it into the history classes we were taught.

Students and adults of all backgrounds will have a

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great experience that is not traditionally available in this way, so I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity,” Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy said in a news release.

The museum has been at the fairgrounds since a ribbon-cutting on January 8. Until now, most viewings have been open to school groups and municipal and county employees.

On February 6, the general public is invited to view the museum from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. in the Club Room in Building D of the Fort Bend County Fair Grounds, 4310 TX-36 S., Rosenberg.

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TAX FROM PAGE 1

Mathew said improving the city’s infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, and drainage system, is his second goal, while attracting new retail businesses is his third goal. “The sales tax is the lifeline of our city,” he said.

Supporting new residential subdivisions is his fourth goal, Mathew said.

“Attracting young families is crucial. It will be beneficial for the school and the city,” he said. Stafford is the only city in Texas with its own school district, the Stafford Municipal School District. The children of newly arrived families will most likely attend SMSD schools, while their purchases will benefit the city’s sales tax revenues, Mathew said.

He said his fifth goal is to “revitalize the Island area,” the central core of the city’s business district and governmental complex. “The Island area is the capital of the city of Stafford. Cleaning and beautifying this area will improve the image of our city,” he said.

Mathew said his sixth and seventh goals are eliminating wasteful spending in the city’s operations and enhancing the city’s

ASPIRES FROM PAGE 1

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She continued dancing while working toward her marketing degree at The University of North Texas, where she first became involved in the pageant scene.

When Braeux wanted to pursue a master’s degree in broadcasting, her dancing coach encouraged her and other team members to compete in Miss America because of the scholarship opportunities available through the program.

Breaux signed up and entered a rhythmic dance routine with a prop ribbon for her talent.

She was confident in the talent portion of the competition, but said she was most interested in the community outreach component of Miss America.

Each contestant is required to have a platform, and for Breaux, it was obvious what that should be.

Her platform, “Cops in

diversity. Stafford, like Fort Bend County at large, has a population that has roughly equal representation among the four major racial groups (white, Black, Hispanic, and Asian). “We are proud to be in Stafford,” he said.

“Let us all stand together and united for the purpose of building our beloved city. It is the people who have given us that responsibility. We should not disappoint them,” he said to his fellow council members.

“Our city is unique, and it is vibrant,” Mathew said.

In the fairly unique format of Stafford’s state of the city address, each of the members of City Council had an opportunity to speak and respond to the mayor, as did members of the public who attended.

In their own remarks, City Council members Alice Chen and William Bostic voiced agreement with Mathew on the issue of a property tax.

Council member Virginia Rosas, who was elected and last year (after having previously served) and instigated the recent property tax discussion, said that while she supports the mayor generally, she disagreed strongly with the numbers he presented.

“We cannot mix EDC money with city operating

money. It can’t be done, it’s already been explained,” she said. “A pretty picture is being presented to you that we have all this money, it’s not a problem. There is a problem.”

She noted that the city last year had to pull out $2.6 million from its fund balance in order to balance the city’s employee salaries and benefits, which she said is an unsustainable path going forward.

“We cannot maintain this city at the service level expected without something happening,” she said. “It’s urgent, and we have to have discussions.”

Council member Tim Wood, who last year had campaigned on not instigating a property tax, reiterated that he has reconsidered the issue and is open to considering all new options, including such a tax.

“We have to be honest about the situation we’re facing. And the situation we’re facing as I read the numbers is not entirely optimistic,” he said.

Likewise, Council member Christopher Caldwell said he was open to considering a property tax. Mayor Pro Tem and Council member Xavier Herrera was not present.

A video of the full town meeting can be found at the city’s YouTube channel.

the Community,” is meant to bridge the gap between police officers and their communities.

“My father has been a [Houston Police Department] officer for 27 years,” she said. “In a world where trust is hard to come by, I am committed to fostering understanding and collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

Breaux’s mother and Ridgepoint High School teacher, Sue Breaux, said if there is anyone who can bring people together, it is her daughter.

“She’s alway been able to talk to anybody regardless of who they are,” Sue said, adding, “She was always the kid who was friends with everyone.”

Breaux first implemented “Cops in the Community” after winning the title of Miss Tarrant County. The program can be tailored to fit a range of age groups from elementary through high school.

She expanded its reach

throughout the state when she was named Miss Texas her senior year of college.

Before the recent holiday break, she brought “Patrol Stories” to elementary school students in Uvalde, which included stories read by police officers and an opportunity for students to dance with local first responders.

“It’s a program where kids can see first responders as friends and as someone they can always go to for whatever reason,” she said. “We teach our youth how to be safe inside and outside of school.”

Breaux has not yet presented the program in her hometown but plans to continue her effort while serving as Miss America First Runner Up. For information about Patrol Stories, visit patrolstories.com. For information about booking Breaux as a guest speaker, visit misstexas.org.

Marianne Horton is a freelance writer.

CRIME FROM PAGE 1

Worship Directory FORT BEND COUNTY

METHODIST CHURCH

EPISCOPAL

CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND • 281-980-6888

ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 281-499-9602

A United Methodist Community 3300 Austin Parkway • Sugar Land, TX 77479 Rev. Dr. Daniel Irving, Senior Pastor Sunday Schedule 9:30 am Blended Worship 9:30 am Sunday School for all ages 11:00 am Traditional & Contemporary Worship www.christchurchsl.org

605 Dulles Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477 SUNDAY: 10:30 am Worship Holy Eucharist www.allsaints-stafford.org

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • 281-240-3195 502 Eldridge Rd. -Sugar Land, TX 77478 Reverend Dr. Fred Seay, Pastor Sunday Worship In Person 11:00 am / Nursery Available Worship Online on YouTube www.fpcsl.org

Introduce Your Congregation to the Community with a listing in our Worship Directory

CHURCH OF CHRIST

STAFFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST • 281-499-2507 402 Stafford Run Rd. -Stafford, 77477 Stephen Higley, Preacher Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Wednesday 7:00 pm www.staffordcoc.com

Scripture of the week

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

Call Anqunette for more information

713.371.3740

- PSALM 136:1

The other speakers at the event included Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan, Fulshear Police Chief Kenny Seymour, Sugar Land Police Chief Mark Poland, and Richmond Police Chief Jeff Craig.

Craig said he had recently attended a panel discussion on community policing presented by a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was asked about the biggest challenge he faces in his job.

“As law enforcement professionals, the national media is painting the profession with a very broad brush,” he said.

“Getting past that is a huge challenge.”

Adding to that point, Poland said that a recent report in a newspaper “from the East Coast” reported on crime statistics in Sugar Land that “couldn’t be further from the truth.” Poland said he and other city officials decided they had to respond so that the public had a more accurate picture.

Craig noted that Richmond is the county seat as well as the site of a hospital the provides much of the mental health care service for the county. Many times, as Gilmore noted in one of the videos, people brought to that hospital don’t meet the criteria required for intake and wind up on the streets of Richmond, which presents challenges for Richmond police.

“Those two situations have a huge impact on our city,” he said. While the official population of Richmond is approximately 12,500, the number of people travelling in and through the city dur-

Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton, center, hosts a recent panel discussion on crime in the county, along with University of Houston-Downtown researchers Beth Gilmore and Kevin Buckler, Sheriff Ed Fagan, and Fulshear Police Chief Kenny Seymour. Not pictured are Sugar Land Police Chief Mark Poland and Richmond Police Chief Jeff Craig. Photo by Ken Fountain

ing the day is about 40,000 to 50,000, he said.

While one or two decades ago mental health would not have been foremost in his mind as a law enforcement challenge, today it is one the most prominent, Craig said.

“It’s a reality, and it’s unfortunate,” he said. “It’s about communication and collaboration, working with the hospital and working with other agencies, because it’s not just us.”

“It continues to be a challenge, but to the extent that we can continue to push for mental health services on the front end versus the back end, that’s where we are going to see more of a decrease,” Craig said.

Sheriff Ed Fagan noted that Fort Bend County is one of the fastest-growing counties in both Texas and the nation. Law enforcement agencies across the nation and Fort Bend County are having trouble attracting and retaining officers, he said.

“That means we have to think outside the box,” he said. That involves utilizing new technology and creating new systems to perform law

enforcement functions, he said.

Fagan said his office has recently created a special sixperson “crime reduction unit” to respond quickly to any area in the county that has seen a significant increase in crime.

The office has also created new task forces focused on reducing human and drug trafficking.

In his own remarks, Middleton, the district attorney, focused on shifting the focus on dealing with young people involved in the criminal justice system.

“One of the most disheartening things you can see is to see a 10-year-old shackled and walking into a courtroom,” Middleton said. “That image will invoke, ‘How did this child get here? What led to this child getting to this point?”

“If we’re going to be effective in keeping our communities safe, you’ve got to prevent crime. And the only way we can do that is by investing in our youth,” he said. “The best way to prevent crime is to put these youth on the right track and prevent them from committing criminal offenses.”

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • PAGE 3

The Reid Feed: Painting music you can see at the 2024 Sugar Land Arts Fest Janet Sue

Ryan Lee

Art and Culture Columnists

By Ryan Lee Reid and Janet Sue Reid

T

he Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation (SLCAF) is bringing artists together once again for the 2024 Sugar Land Arts Fest. All levels and types of artists are welcome whether you’re a seasoned pro or an ambitious amateur. You can show and sell your art to Sugar Land and greater Houston residents. This is the third year of the event and the inaugural one drew more than 3,000 people from Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, and the greater Houston area.

This year’s Sugar Land Arts Fest is a two-day event at the Smart Financial Centre on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28.

Presented by PrimeWay Federal Credit Union, the festival will include 100 artist booths, live mural painting, live music, local food vendors, wine and beer gardens, a children’s art activity area, and a good time for all ages.

Past festivals have included artists not just from Texas, but national and international artists reflective of Sugar Land

and Fort Bend County’s diversity. Artist mediums include calligraphy, glass (fused and blown), ceramics/pottery, digital, drawing (all mediums), functional art, jewelry, metal, mixed medium, painting (acrylic, oil, watercolors, all others), photography, printmaking, sculpture, stained glass, textiles/weaving, and wood.

Close to our hearts is this year’s Sugar Land Arts Fest live mural theme which is “Music Inspired Art.” Miles Davis once said, “A painting is music you can see, and music is a painting you can hear.” Our personal lives are filled with music as art. We create music in our studio inspired by the sounds of Sugar Land that echo through the air. This is not unique to us because music has been the muse of many artists throughout time.

Many painters’ art was deeply inspired by music.

French post-impressionist Matisse, Russian- French cubist Marc Chagall, and Russian abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky all played the violin, and their work was driven by it.

Musical themes and terms frequent their art such as Kandinsky’s aptly named “Fugue, Compositions, and Improvisations”, as well as Matisse’s project, “Jazz”, an illustrated book with cutouts that captured the similarities of art and musical improvisation.

Dutch painter Piet Mondrian was a big-time fan of jazz and boogie-woogie after he fled Europe to New York during WWII. Mondrian’s last two works were called “Broadway

Boogie-Woogie” and “Victory Boogie-Woogie”. You can feel the beat pulsating in the paintings’ grid lines and hear the melody in the colors as if your game of Pac-Man started glitching and though it looks glitchy, you can still hear the music in the background and see vague pixels of the ghosts chasing you around.

To more modern-day musical influences, American pop artist Jean-Michel Basquiat would listen to Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” on repeat while he would paint, sometimes more than eight hours a day. Another American pop artist, Keith Haring, was an original hip-hop head. He often listened to music while painting murals and was a huge fan of RUN-D.M.C. He created the album art for their “Christmas in Hollis.” Adidas Originals partnered with Run-D.M.C. and Haring to produce a special edition of the Superstar 80s sneakers. The “Christmas in Hollis” edition of the Superstar 80s was inspired by the bestselling 1987 single of the same name. They featured Haring’s artwork on the tongue with a laser-etched Run-D.M.C. logo in the midsole, and branded insole which captured the creative amalgamation of pop art, music, and fashion in true street style.

Lastly, we must talk about the legendary American pop artist, Andy Warhol, and his immense influence in pop culture.

He managed and produced music for The Velvet Underground. He created the iconic album cover for

“Velvet Underground and Nico,” which Billboard named the best album cover of all time in 2023. The Velvet Underground would also play live to Warhol’s films in the background in true performative multimedia art just like the Sugar Land Arts Fest is doing with live muralists.

If you or anyone you know would like to apply as a muralist, please see the accompanying box for instructions. The deadline to apply is Thursday, February 29, 2024. If you’re one of the lucky and talented four selected muralists for the festival, then you’ll get to paint a 4’ x 8’ mural live on Saturday, April 27 from 9:30 a.m.-4 pm. Perks included are a $500 stipend,

$150 for supplies, an artist lanyard for free entry, free parking, and two guest passes.

The murals will also later be displayed in the lobby of the Smart Financial Centre for all to see, which is a lot of people. The venue was ranked seventh the world in tickets sales for venues under 10,000 seats, according to Pollstar 2019 Mid-Year Rankings, number one in Houston’s Hottest Music Venues in 2018 by the Houston Press, and Best of Houston® Large Venues in 2019, and 2020 by the Houston Press.

SLCAF’s mission is to promote, connect, and empower local arts and culture. Proceeds raised

from the 2024 Sugar Land Arts Fest will go towards SLCAF’s programs supporting this mission within our diverse community.

You never know if the next iconic artist of our generation may emerge from the 2024 Sugar Land Arts Fest so don’t miss your chance to watch them paint live this year.

Janet Sue Reid, “The Culinary Cowgirl”, and Ryan Lee Reid, “The Piano Cowboy”, are artists and creators. They transform space and time to move and heal people through art.

They live in Sugar Land with their children. Find their full bios and contact them through ReidFeed. com.

To apply for the 2024 Sugar Land Arts Fest: • Live Muralist Application (Deadline: Feb 29, 2024): tinyurl.com/SLAF-Muralist • The artist application fee is $10. Four muralists will be selected.

• Selected Muralists must paint and be onsite for Saturday, April 27 from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

• $150 for materials will be provided upon execution of the Muralist Contract. $500 stipend payment will be made at the festival upon completion of the mural, on both days of the event.

• Artist Application (Deadline: March 1, 2024): tinyurl.com/SLAF-Artist • The artist application fee is $25 and accepted artists will receive a special discount on booth space if their registration is completed by March 1, 2024.

To have a good time and support our local arts community, go to the 2024 Sugar Land Arts Fest: When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2024 and Sunday, April 28, 2024 Location: Smart Financial Centre Plaza, 18111 Lexington Blvd, Sugar Land, TX 77479 To learn more about the 2024 Sugar Land Arts Festival, visit sugarlandartsfest.com.

The 2024 Sugar Land Arts Fest’s live mural theme is “Music Inspired Art”. Photo montage by Janet Sue Reid. Image credits: Sugar Land Arts Festival website; Piet Mondrian’s “Broadway Boogie Woogie”. via Wikipedia; Henri Matisse’s “Icarus (Icare)” from “Jazz”, via Wikipedia; photo of Janet Sue Reid and Ryan Lee Reid by Savage Henry Films)

THE STAR

PAGE 4 • Wednesday, January 31, 2024

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EDITORIAL Time to pop the campaign Lynn Ashby Columnist

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

A

re you ready for the 2024 elections? Probably not. Most people have other priorities, like keeping their jobs, hoping their kids’ college loans are paid by other taxpayers, leaky roofs and how to avoid jury duty. But it is our civic duty to vote, and you need to be one of the 6.5 percenters. (I shall explain in a moment.) In Texas, it’s easier to cross the Rio Grande than to vote – far less razor wire, armed guards and watchtowers along the river.

Our journey starts right away with the primaries: February 5 is the last day to register to vote. Then comes February 20: early voting begins. February

23 is the last day to request a mail-in ballot. March 1: early voting ends. March 5: Election Day. If no candidate receives a majority in the primary, the two candidates with the most votes will compete in a runoff election on May 28.

To vote, you’ll need a valid photo ID which can be a state driver’s license, a Texas election identification certificate, a Texas personal identification card, a Texas license to carry a handgun, a U.S. military ID card with a personal photo, a U.S. citizenship certificate with a personal photo or a U.S. passport. Also a note from your doctor, get swabbed for a DNA check and promise to vote for Donald Trump.

Cell phones, cameras, computers and other devices capable of recording video, images or sound may not be used within 100 feet of the polling place. Firearms and handguns are also prohibited.

It’s not like you will find a mob at the polling places, because Texas’s voter turnout has always been dismal -- about the worst in the nation. To be fair to us, it’s hard to vote in Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott signed sweeping legislation

that further tightened state election laws. One place per county to drop off ballots. No 24-hour voting, etc.

In the 2016 presidential elections between Trump and Hillary Clinton, only 56 percent of registered Texas voters – 46 percent of voting age – bothered casting a ballot. Florida had 4 million fewer voting-age people than Texas, but 1-million more Floridians voted than Texans. Spring forward to Election Day in 2020 when there were 29.8 million Texans. Of these, 21.6 million were of voting age, and almost 17 million were registered voters, or 78 percent. But millions of these eligible voters stayed home.

Only a little more than half (52.39 percent) of voting age Texans cast a ballot. Most votes went to Trump. He received 5,890,347 votes to Biden’s 5,259126, or 52 to 47 percent. The other 1 percent voted for somebody we never heard of. (It gets no better locally. Only 16 percent of Houston voters cast ballots in the recent mayoral runoff.)

Texas is a very red state.

Texas Democrats last won statewide races in 1994.

So we have eligible voters who have never lived with

a Democratic state office holder. This year promises to be the same – a one-party sweep, with the GOP candidates winning handily, including the presidency, which means we missed out on a fortune. In the 2020 presidential race alone, more than $1 billion was spent on TV ads, mostly to battleground states. Almost $9 out of every $10 spent on TV ads in the presidential race were invested in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arizona.

Among the top recipients, Florida got $257.5 million and Pennsylvania received $195.7 million. And Texas?

A lousy $7.3 million. Why bother with Texas?

Texans are voting for one U.S. Senator, one of three railroad commissioners (who do you like to run our trains?), 15 state senators, seven State Board of Education members, three members of the Texas Supreme Court and three members of the Texas Courts of Criminal Appeals.

For the Texas Courts of Appeals (we have 14 of them), five chief justices and more other justices. You’ll also be able to vote for various representatives, both U.S. and

Texas. And a partridge in a pear tree.

Let’s peel this voter onion down. As of last July 31, the Texas population was 30,503,301. That doesn’t include the tens of thousands of immigrants without proper authorization have joined us, but they are non-citizens and can’t vote. About one quarter (24.8 percent) of our citizens are under 18 years of age and can’t vote, either. We have a state prison population of 135,906.

Felons can’t vote. So our voting-eligible population is 18,875,542. Here’s the kicker: because Republicans will out-vote Democrats in most, if not all, statewide races, the real winners and losers will be decided in the GOP primaries. In the 2020 GOP primary elections, just 2 million people voted, and that number will probably be about the same this time around. So they will decide our leaders. That means our fate will be determined by 6.25 percent of us. I find that depressing.

Speaking of depressing, we have Section 1 of Article Two of the U.S. Constitution which, as you know, creates among other things the Electoral College. The college has a lousy football

the leader Puzzlers.

team, but Jimbo Fisher is being considered as the new head coach. The Electoral College actually elects our President. The voters meet in December following the November elections and vote for the President.

Each state gets one vote per Congressional district and two more for their senators.

Texas gets an overpowering 40 votes and in Texas, as in most states, it’s winner-take-all. So in the last presidential election those 5,259,126 Texans who voted for Joe Biden didn’t matter.

Only Maine and Nebraska choose one elector per Congressional district and two for the ticket with the highest statewide vote. That pro-rates the tally which makes a lot of sense. But remember in the last presidential election when some Trump backers tried to substitute the honest Biden vote for their own slate of Trump electors. Talk about voter fraud. That ploy has to go down as one of the dumbest stunts in the nation’s voting history. I’d rank it right up there with re-electing Ken Paxton.

Ashby votes at ashby2@ comcast.net

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss

1. Package 7. Wear away 13. Joins a leaf to a stem 14. Worsen 16. Promotes international cooperation (abbr.)

17. Your folks 19. Publicity 20. Moves up 22. Dept. of Labor 23. Physicist Enrico 25. Whitney and Manning are two 26. Human foot (pl.)

28. Coral is an example 29. Extended error correction 30. Small amount 31. Dash 33. The greatest of all time 34. Middle Eastern country 36. Ravine 38. Cup-like cavity 40. Chemical substances 41. Extremely stupid behavior 43. He built Arantea 44. Beverage beloved

by Brits 45. Cereal plant 47. Signal 48. A bar bill

51. Comedienne Faris 53. Preface to a book 55. Stores grain 56. In a way, medicated 58. Small island (British) 59. An Indiana-based hoopster 60. Measures width of printed matter 61. Riders use this to transport goods 64. Once more 65. Thin layers 67. Says again 69. Cleans thoroughly 70. Warnings

dOwn

1. Relating to male organ 2. Indicates position 3. Covers with frost 4. Makes a soft murmuring sound 5. Wood 6. Type of fuel 7. Confused 8. Where you go at night 9. Canadian flyers 10. Type of birch tree 11. Beloved Welsh princess 12. Coated 13. Smooth substance of crushed fruit 15. Improves intellectually

18. A sign of assent 21. Island-based Italians 24. Pragmatic 26. Peter’s last name 27. A bag-like structure in a plant or animal 30. Mexican city 32. Sir Samuel __, Brit. statesman 35. Summer Olympics were just here 37. Fiddler crabs 38. Southern military academy 39. Tumors 42. Speaks incessantly 43. Sacred sound in Indian religions 46. Transactions 47. Et-__ 49. Reminders 50. Doesn’t interest 52. Norse gods 54. Canola is one type 55. Beloved sportscaster Craig 57. Irish mother goddess 59. Daddy 62. Press against lightly 63. Sound unit 66. Master of Ceremonies 68. Morning

WORD SCRAMBLE

THE STAR

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Wednesday, January 31, 2024 • PAGE 5

Just south of not enough Mark Garay Columnist

By Mark Garay MARKGARAY426@GMAIL.COM

“We’ll be fighting in the streets / with our children at our feet / And the morals that they worship will be gone / And the men who spurred us on / sit in judgement of it all / They decide and the shotgun sings the song / Meet the new boss / same as the old boss / We won’t get fooled again” The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

B

ack in 1930s America, conservative factions began co-opting Fascist tenants and Nazi iconography through a campaign which ultimately became known as the German American Bund. Much of what the Bund did was intended to preserve the sanctity of superior racial purity. As depicted in the recent PBS documentary “Nazi Town, USA,” it also sought to solidify the U.S. as a white Christian nation.

Indoctrination kids’ camps sprang up coast to coast. And like the philosophies of Nazism, the unveiled truth

behind the Bund ideals were anti-democratic, pro-dictatorial and decidedly antisemitic. In the end, Bund didn’t last long out of the gate due to America’s eventual entry into World War II and the self-inflicted wounds resulting from internal corruption and discord.

(The PBS documentary can be viewed at pbs.org/ wgbh/americanexperience/films/nazi-town-usa.)

But it was frightening to many Americans. And today, similar undertones are emerging into our own political atmosphere. Immigration again a top-shelf campaign conflict. Priorities reshuffled.

Loyalties tested and violent justifications endorsed.

I chose this week’s lyrical reference with extreme effort.

It’s a song that holds substantial importance to both me and my best friend from high school. I’ll call him Ron. We used to crank it in my El Camino, and quoted that line “meet the new boss… “ often.

Ron has an enviable resume. When I met him, he was growing up in a secluded, unimpressive beachside enclave, in a very modest house. I don’t remember the exact moment we met, but we both enjoyed athletics, brazenly explored laughing fits at inappropriate times, and seemingly camped out in similar political fields.

We both hovered just left of center politically.

Ron went on a tear after high school. He worked hard to earn a spot at the U.S. Naval Academy in An-

napolis. He walked on to the military school’s football program despite being only 5’8”.

He earned All-American honors and his picture occupies space on the Academy’s Hall of Fame. He completed Navy Seals training in the mid80s and went on to serve in combat missions during the first Gulf War. When he got home, he began a career in commercial construction and married a Seattle Seahawks cheerleader.

Most recently, he served as a Navy rear admiral (he retired last year) and still calls the shots as CEO of one of the leading property management companies in America.

We’ve known each other since 1981. And yet today, we look at each other with bewilderment: he a staunch conservative and me ... not.

And it’s been really bothering me lately. Not just because it calls into question what I thought was our common belief in certain ideals, but what it says about our divisions on some basic questions.

Granted, Ron is levelheaded, pragmatic and immeasurably self-assured.

I think I’m just as analytical, but deeper into the benefits of knowing where people are coming from. It’s occurred to me how my political disagreements with Ron represent the ideological divides that are making liberals like me seeing red. But for us, the MAGA movement is where it all began to go south.

My anxiety really pegs when he defends Donald Trump, whom he describes as a great president. Now,

our history justifies my honesty when I asked him “why TRUMP?” What he said fascinated me.

He explained that he knew Trump was a bad person but also a brilliant leader. He acknowledged that as president, Trump was bombastic, nasty and egotistical. When I asked about Trump’s accusatory language and tendency to lie, Ron suggested hidden agendas behind the rebukes.

When I asked about separating families at the border, I didn’t get much more than a shrug. When I asked about added debt under Trump, he referred me to conservative columnist Ben Shapiro, in a text which begins with a quote about the former president: “Unpredictable guy who says crazy things and tweets wild stuff, but the President thing, he pretty much nailed it.”

Shapiro makes a fivepronged argument to explain his support.

On the economy front, Shapiro argues that Trump’s policies were working until Biden “blew unneeded trillions into the economy and prolonged the bailout atmosphere incentivizing people not to work”. As a result, Shapiro says inflation skyrocketed with gas at $5.00 a gallon and groceries up 30 percent. I don’t buy this since anyone can create a happy economy by giving such huge tax breaks. And he doesn’t mention how COVID shut everything down.

On immigration, Shapiro calls Biden’s leadership the clearest example of all the

president’s failures. He says the current administration tossed Trump-era policies which has led to incentivized illegal crossings. That, he says, has created a strain on our services, and serves to feed the Fentanyl epidemic.

I agree Biden’s record on immigration sucks. But as I understand it, fentanyl is creeping into our borders mostly through American ports. Conservatives point to the fentanyl busts at the border as something to be concerned about. I conversely find such border seizures reassuring in that security is working. I don’t know how to handle the influx, but I’m one of those Americans who doesn’t like turning away someone who needs help.

Shapiro also blames Biden’s foreign policy for what he says are shrinking enlistment numbers in the military and recent aggression abroad. He credits Trump for not entering any new wars. He compares Biden’s exit from Afghanistan to Custer’s last stand.

Events in Ukraine, Israel and Iran the result of Biden weakness, Shapiro argues.

This is perplexing, not so much in reading that “no new wars” is something that takes skill when there’s no obvious national security risk, but also because wars are typically driven by historical developments or foreign threats. I’m not going to celebrate a bully just because he avoided picking any fights.

Shapiro argues that Biden’s government has weaponized the government,

and he cites the disparity between treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters versus those accused (and convicted) in the events of January 6. 2020. “There was no insurrection,” he says.

“And Trump has never been charged.”

I disagree, mainly because if January 6 wasn’t an insurrection, I’m not exactly sure what it was. The footage I saw of that day looked decidedly un-peaceful.

Ron and I are of course still tight. But I’ve noticed us drifting. Fewer phone calls. Unreturned texts. Just a general easing of contact. I hope I haven’t sent him too many judgmental Trump memes, or too many links critical of a man whom my friend obviously thinks of very highly. I left Facebook years ago because I didn’t like who I was becoming when it came to political discourse. I’ve lost several friends along the way.

But I see reminders of the Bund everywhere. National leaders talking Civil War and dividing our nation. A vanishing belief in the validity of our courts and elections. A hyper-mistrust of people who aren’t from here. Accusations of dictatorial aspersions and predictions of imminent doom. These times are terrifying, and yet I lived through Watergate.

So, there’s that.

Garay, a retired television news professional who lives in Sugar Land, can be reached at MarkGaray426@ gmail.com

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Deadline is noon every Friday. Limit entries to the “5 Ws” Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Email to awilliams@txstreetmedia.com

FOR NON-PROFIT EVENTS

ONGOING LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FORT BEND

The League of Women Voters of Fort Bend, a nonpartisan organization, will provide voter registration and education events prior to the Feb. 5 deadline to be a registered voter in the March 5 Primary election.

Locations, dates, and times include: (1) Wednesday, 1/24 -- Fort Bend YMCA, 4433 Cartwright Rd, Missouri City 7:30am - 12:30pm and 5 - 7pm; (2) Thursday, 1/25 -- First Colony Library 3:30 - 5:30pm; (3) Sat., 1/27 -Cinco Ranch Library 10:30am - 1:30pm and University Branch Library 11am - 2pm; (4) Tuesday, 1/30 and Wednesday, 1/31 -- WCJC Sugar Land, Brazos Hall, 9am - 2pm; (5) Thursday, 2/1 -- ThriftWise, 501 Hwy 90E, Richmond -- 10am - 1pm. Register to vote, update your current voter registration, and get nonpartisan voting information at any of these events, or contact lwvfortbend@gmail.com.

BOYS CAN SING WITH THE AWARD-WINNING AND EMMYNOMINATED FORT BEND BOYS CHOIR!

Do you know a boy who loves music and singing? If so, encourage him to audition for the Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas! No previous singing experience is necessary and boys should be around eight years of age or older with an unchanged voice. Boys have a limited time to sing in the unchanged, treble voice so it is important to take advantage NOW! At this time, auditions are by special appointment at the First United Methodist Church Missouri City, 3900 Lexington Blvd., Missouri City, TX. Visit the Fort Bend Boys Choir’s Audition page at https://fbbctx.org/auditions/ or call (281) 240-3800 for more details. Make the holiday season brighter for you and the boys in your life … check out the award-winning and Emmy nominated Fort Bend Boys Choir today as they celebrate this season’s theme: Singing Boys are Nothing but Treble!

SAVE THE DATE JANUARY 27, 2024 FELICIA SMITH JIGSAW PUZZLE COMPETITION

Register now for the family fun Hope For Three Autism Advocates, Felicia Smith Jigsaw Puzzle Competition.

This exciting event is on January 27, 2024, at Fort Bend Christian Academy, North Campus Gymnasium, 1250 7th., Sugar Land 77478. Teams of four, young and seasoned, have two hours to complete a 250-500-1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Awards immediately follow, and bragging rights are guaranteed! Check-in is at 9 am, and the timed competition is from 10 am to noon. The event is one way the local nonprofit raises awareness and funds for families with autistic children and loved ones. Register your team ($160) now. To volunteer, serve as a sponsor, or for autism resources, visit www.hopeforthree.org

AMERICAN LEGION POST 942

311 Ulrich Street, Sugar Land meets the fourth Tuesday of each Month at 7:00 pm. All Veterans are welcome.

LOVING FRIENDS IS A GROUP OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS THAT MEET MONTHLY FOR LUNCH, FRIENDSHIP, AND SOCIALIZATION

Lunches. are planned for the fourth Tuesday of the month at various local restaurants. Please contact Bobbie Tomlin at {281} 967-0718 For more information about us and to learn about this month’s planned lunch. We hope to meet you soon.

QUAIL VALLEY GARDEN CLUB

The Quail Valley Garden Club is very busy, not only with meetings, but with some fun “stuff” for our members and the community. Please find our fall schedule of events that the QVGC will be involved with this fall leading up to the holidays.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH

In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC offers ESL classes on Tuesday nights 6-8:30 from August 22, 2023 through May 21, 2024. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond.

Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths. All are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway.org

FBJSL IS ACCEPTING CAF GRANT APPLICATIONS

We provide grants of up to $5,000.00 to charitable causes serving Fort Bend County with requests to fund a critical need, pilot a program, or expand a significant service to the community. If your agency or organization is interested in applying for a CAF grant, please visit the Request Support page of the FBJSL website (www. fbjsl.org/request-support). All applications should be submitted via e-mail to brccom@fbjsl.com

THE SANCTUARY FOSTER CARE SERVICES

We are a child placing agency that provides wrap around care support for foster children and foster families. We provide free therapy services, 24 hr. crisis intervention, respite/alternative care services and community-based support. For more info, www.sanctuaryfostercare.org

EXPERIENCE COUNTS! 35+ YEARS SERVING FORT BEND COUNTY 14090 S.W. Freeway Suite #200

281-243-2344 (Direct) Sugar Land, TX 281.243.2300 (Main) • KenWoodPC.com

ALIEF AARP CHAPTER 3264

Meets the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at Salvation Army Church, 7920 Cook Road, Houston, TX 77072. Educational Program/Entertainment at each meeting. Bus Trips every month. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281-785-7372 for more information.

SUGAR LAND ROTARY CLUB

Sugar Land Rotary Club, the nation’s oldest community service organization, wants you to be its guest at a meeting that could turn out to be the best fit for getting involved with a local, non-political, humanitarian service organization with a global presence to satisfy your passion. We’re on a quest for new members! Call or email Dean Clark, 469-850-2424, dean7351@gmail. com. We’re a friendly group that meets once a week for lunch.

FT. BEND ACCORDION CLUB

Meets on the 4th Sunday of every month from 2:pm - 4:pm at: CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND (in the Chapel) 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX 77479 FREE and Open to the Public! We welcome everybody!

If you play accordion, beginners to professional and would like to play Call, Text or email: Vince Ramos Cell: 281-204-7716 vincer.music@gmail.com

FORT BEND JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS FOR 2022-2023 YEAR

To join, the membership application can be accessed at https://www.fbjsl.org/join/how-to-become-a-member/.

FBJSL will also be hosting multiple virtual and in-person recruitment events over the summer where potential new members can learn more about the League.

Information regarding attending these events is available at www.fbjsl.org or on the FBJSL Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FortBendJuniorServiceLeague/.

LITERACY COUNCIL OF FORT BEND COUNTY

We enhance lives and strengthen communities by teaching adults to read. We need your help. Literacy Council is actively recruiting Volunteer Tutors to provide instruction for English as a Second Language (ESL) Levels 0-5, three hours a week. For more information, call 281-240-8181 or visit our website www.ftbendliteracy. org

JAM WITH SAM

Join Sam Grice Tuesday evenings at 6:30 for a casual evening of music. We play a variety of music including bluegrass, country, gospel and some western. We request acoustic instruments only please. We welcome both participants and music lovers who enjoy listening to good live music. There’s no charge and we welcome beginners and gladly offer gentle assistance. We meet at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land. Please call Sam at 832-428-3165 for further information.

GIVE A GIFT OF HOPE

Give a Gift of Hope one-time or monthly. Your help provides access to therapies and services children with autism might otherwise go without. Please consider Hope For Three in your Estate, Planned, or Year-End Giving.

Register now, or learn more about exciting events: www.hopeforthree.org/events

DVD-BASED ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WITH NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED

Weekly class designed to help you understand and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:30 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more information call 281-240-3195

EXCHANGE

EXCHANGE, America’s Service Club, always welcomes guests and is in search of new members! Various Fort Bend clubs exist and can accommodate early morning (7 a.m.), noon and evening meeting time desires.

For more info, contact Mike Reichek, Regional Vice President, 281-575-1145 or mike@reichekfinancial.com We would love to have you join us and see what we are all about!

MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801

Meets the second Monday of every month at 11:30 a.m., at 2701 Cypress Point Dr., Missouri City Rec Center.

Lunch, education, and entertainment. All seniors over 50 invited. For more information, call 713-859-5920 or 281-499-3345.

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713-433-6421 14700 Almeda Rd Houston, TX 77053 www.HoustonHumane.org

BRAZOS

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Hello, my name is Brazos!

I am 3 years old and a sweet boy!

I enjoy laying in my bed and eating snacks all day!

Stop by the Houston Humane Society and consider making Brazos a part of your family! ADOPT BRAZOS!

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BETTER APPROACH TO CANCER CARE in Sugar Land

At Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, we treat every aspect of your cancer. Leading oncologists work with our specialists across disciplines to minimize cancer’s effects on major organs. One comprehensive team — dedicated to your individual care — uses the latest research, treatments and technology to stop your cancer. From infusion and clinical trials to surgery and reconstruction, our innovative care is available in Sugar Land.

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