The Texas Observer

Darn it. I got my Henrys confused. My apologies. Victor Morales actually ran against Ciro Rodriguez and Henry Cuellar (now both Dems serving in D.C.) in the 2006 Democratic primary for the remodeled CD 28 — not in the November 2006 special election against Ciro (the current Rep. from CD 23) and Henry Bonilla (the former Republican Rep. from CD 23).

Here are the results from the Texas Secretary of State:

March 2006
U. S. Representative District 28
Henry Cuellar (I) DEM 24,256 53.09%
Victor Morales DEM 2,943 6.44%
Ciro D. Rodriguez DEM 18,484 40.46%
———–
Race Total 45,683

November 2006
U. S. Representative District 23
August G. “Augie” Beltran DEM 2,647 2.13%
Rick Bolanos DEM 2,564 2.07%
Henry Bonilla (I) REP 60,175 48.60%
Adrian DeLeon DEM 2,198 1.77%
Lukin Gilliland DEM 13,728 11.08%
Ciro D. Rodriguez DEM 24,594 19.86%
Craig T. Stephens IND 3,341 2.69%
Albert Uresti DEM 14,552 11.75%
———–
Race Total 123,799

Ciro won that one in the December runoff. Once again, sorry for the foul-up.

The editors asked me to do something in the way of an introduction. I must say, I am writing here in The Texas Observer Blog with some trepidation and an almost paralyzing reverence. The Observer has been and continues to be one of the sweet spots of Texas journalism.

My name is Cody Garrett. I was born in San Angelo and grew up in Tyler and Temple. I have been to every corner of this great state, and I have covered Texas politics in print, on the web, and elsewhere for years. I always keep one eye on The Observer — watching with admiration its forays into the blogosphere.

I think what is important is the work I hope to continue — that hard-boiled approach to news and analysis. Let me just announce, I am hereby taking the plunge — and I will do my best to respect the tradition and level of reporting that has gone before.

Well, I’m off.

In an effort to keep this good-bye from falling into sentimentality or preachiness, I’ll just leave with a recommendation. “Fifty Years of The Texas Observer” pretty much tells the tale of why everyone who works for this magazine does what they do. The anthology was compiled by Char Miller and published in 2004. I came across it by accident while packing up after a different part-time job cut my position. But from the book’s earliest pages, I found a testament to this magazine’s commitment across decades to simple, yet difficult, principles: freedom, equality, and justice. The titles of the very first editorials — “To Enlighten, and Not to Suppress” (Ronnie Dugger) and “Keep Facts Straight, Stand By Convictions” (Paul Holcomb) — tells a reader everything she needed to know about this rag-tag operation. And they do it without a single pun. The current crop of contributors is decidedly puzzled by that.

As frustrating as it can be covering politics, the book is an unexpected record of progress. The problems of fifty years ago seem horrific by today’s standards. Little quirks, like the public obsession with “bra-burning feminists,” covered so well by Kaye Northcott and Molly Ivins, seem pitiable now. And even our 2003 account of House Democrats’ escape to Ardmore, Okla., seems like a story about crises averted. (”If we can stop [the Republicans] now, then my six-year-old will have an opportunity to have a Democratic Congress in her lifetime,” said Rep. Jim Dunnam, who was shooting for optimism at the time.)

And, of course, here is the place for the caveat that these problems are never resolved, just alleviated. The struggle continues. So do the happy hours, hopefully.

I’m off to San Francisco, just because it’s time for this Texas boy to try something new. Please send margaritas.

Thanks for reading. I can’t wait to see how the next blogger only makes this space better.

Today the Texas Freedom Network released a statement excoriating Don McLeroy, Gov. Perry’s recent pick for chairman of the State Board of Education, for his comments on religion and Intelligent Design in a 2005 sermon to his church in College Station. The Observer uncovered and discussed the sermon in a recent blog post.

From Texas Freedom Network’s press release: “This recording makes clear the very real danger that Texas schoolchildren may soon be learning more about the religious beliefs of politicians than about sound science in their biology classes,” TFN President Kathy Miller said today. “Even worse, it appears that Don McLeroy believes anyone who disagrees with him can’t be a true Christian.”

Today’s New York Times includes an opinion piece by James McWilliams, an Observer contributing writer, that looks at the Eat Local movement with a critical eye. The article is a slimmed down version of a longer story currently available on the Observer website.

The fine editors here at the Observer are looking for my replacement, since, sadly, I’m leaving this great position in a few weeks. Here’s the listing:

It’s a part-time job for someone eager to post daily updates to our Web site about Texas politics, government, culture, and the occasional oddity. Curiosity, solid reporting skills, and a measure of self-discipline are all musts. A bit of wit and charm and a sense of humor are also helpful. To apply, send a letter, a resume, and some writing samples to:

Editors
The Texas Observer
307 West 7th Street
Austin, Tx. 78701
editors@texasobserver.org

I’m biased, but I think you won’t find a better opportunity to cut your teeth in political journalism than this here job. Come and take it, as they say.

So maybe those subprime mortgages weren’t such a hot idea.

CNN reports today that more than two million homeowners nationwide with subprime adjustable rate loans will see their mortgage payments spike in the coming months. That means busy times for the repo man.

That could have series consequences in Texas. McAllen is the national capital of subprime loans. Nearly 27 percent of the city’s mortgages are subprime loans — tops in the nation, and ahead of places like Memphis and Miami. Brownsville, the No. 6 subprime market, ain’t far behind.

Subprime mortgages have been a drug for the housing sector in recent years. Mortgage companies cater these loans to buyers with bad credit or low incomes. They lure buyers with low, introductory “teaser” rates for the first two or three years on a 30-year note. After that, the mortgage rates become “adjustable.” And by adjust, we mean increase. A lot.

For instance, as CNN notes, a homeowner with a $200,000 ARM at an interest rate of 4 percent for the first two years would see the mortgage payment jump 39 percent (from $955 a month to $1,331). Many subprime loans from 2004 and 2005 are set to spike this year, which could result in a glut of foreclosures.

The industry argues that these loans are useful if the buyer refinances into a more stable, fixed-rate mortgage within the first three years — a kind of stepping stone. But there’s increasing evidence that many buyers don’t know what they’re getting into. And that mortgage lenders have used subprime loans to shoehorn homebuyers into houses they couldn’t afford, setting them on a path for foreclosure.