Big Jolly Politics

politics in Harris County and Texas

Republican Hispanic Citizens in Action Sends Children with Spina Bifida to Camp

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“The beauty of our land is our legacy to our children.  It must be protected by us so that they can pass it on intact to their children.”  (Ronald Reagan, The New Republican Party, February 6, 1977)

Anthony Magdaleno II
Anthony Magdaleno II

When was the last time you attended a Republican meeting where the focus was on the interests of our young children?  When was the last time you attended a Republican meeting wherein you saw a young child actively giving of his or her special talents for the benefit of other young children?  This was exactly what happened on Tuesday, May 7, 2013, when Republican Hispanic Citizens in Action (RHCiA) held its monthly meeting at the TriniMendenhallSosaCommunity Center.  Through the efforts of Bernadette McLeroy, founder of RHCiA, this month’s meeting was dedicated to raising awareness of spina bifida, one of the most devastating of all birth defects resulting from the failure of the spine to close properly during the first month of pregnancy.  SpinaBifidaHoustonGulfCoast was in attendance with “Vianey”, “Chris”, and “Thomas”, youngsters who suffer from this birth defect.  Our featured speaker was Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack.  Also in attendance was Miss Ellie Rose McReynolds, the 11 year old daughter of John McReynolds.  Ellie is an extremely-gifted artist who donated one of her beautiful paintings that was auctioned off at our meeting to raise funds to send children affected by spina bifida to camp.  (Photos courtesy of Caro V. Delgado)

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Our auction was a lively event.  It started off at $100.00 and ended with Commissioner Radack purchasing Ellie’s painting for $1,230.00!  Then, in the style of a true gentleman, the Commissioner donated the painting back to Ellie for future fundraising auctions!  At the end of the meeting, however, Ellie, being the good-hearted young lady she is, gave the painting as a gift to Bernadette McLeroy so that Bernadette could give it to her own niece!

That was not all.  Commissioner Radack extended an invitation to Spina Bifida Houston Gulf Coast to take 200 children to participate in his soap box derby in Hockley, Texas!  When he said that, you should have seen the expressions on the faces of Chris and his best friend, Thomas, who looked at each other with raised eyebrows and excited anticipation!  Indeed, it was wonderful to see.  In addition, the 70 or so people in attendance enjoyed listening to Chris talk about camp.  This little fellow is indeed “Mr. Personality” and I can assure you that being in a wheelchair has in no way presented any hindrance to him.  All told, the funds raised will enable at least seven children to attend camp!  Lastly, our attendees also had the chance to hear from Thomas’ father, who discussed the realities of dealing with a spina bifida pregnancy, raising a child affected by this birth defect, and what attending camp means to these children.

This is what Republican Hispanic Citizens in Action is all about:  conservatism with COMPASSION.  Our board, which consists of Bernadette McLeroy, Ed Vidal, Tony Garza, Randy Kubosh, Molly R. Salazar, Eric Melchor, Caro V. Delgado, Jorge Ordaz, Jay Asafi, and myself, work individually on our own and/or as a group in RHCiA to promote effective and meaningful grassroots outreach in Harris County.  What is so gratifying is that other Republican organizations are beginning to notice.  For example, Buffie Ingersoll, the President of Village Republican Women, has met with us to learn about outreach and to plan an event in conjunction with RHCiA.  The outreach director of Houston Young Republicans, Corie Whalen, has contacted us about working together as well.  RHCiA continues to be open to working with anyone or any organization – whether it be an individual, other Republican groups, or even the Harris County Republican Party itself – wishing to join us as we continue to “grow” our outreach efforts.

Check out our website at rhcia.org.  Trust me, becoming involved in outreach will convince you that it is indeed better to GIVE than to receive.  If we can contribute millions of dollars to our Party, the least we can do is contribute the spare change to our communities in our efforts at outreach.

The Smiling Children of the Raul Yzaguirre Charter School for Success

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anthony-magdaleno
Anthony Magdaleno

On Tuesday, April 23, 2013, the Tejano Center for Community Concerns, Inc., in partnership with THE Baylor College of Medicine, opened the Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic at our facilities located at 2950 Broadway Street, in Southeast Houston.  Among the dignitaries in attendance were Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and his wife Gwen, Harris County District Clerk Chris Daniel, State District Judge Michael McSpadden, and United States Immigration Judge Clarease Yates.  Top Baylor College of Medicine brass included Dr. Paul Klotman, President of Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Peggy Smith, Director of the Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic, and Dr. Dolores Lamb, Director of the Baylor College of Medicine Center for Reproductive Medicine.  This clinic, funded by Community Health Choice, the Simmons Foundation, and Baylor College of Medicine, will provide basic health-care services, including physicals, immunizations, a pharmacy, and even mental health care services, to those students attending our Raul Yzaguirre Charter School for Success.  Many of our students come from families which, even despite the hard-working efforts of their parents to provide for the needs of their children, are simply unable to afford health insurance.  This clinic is a major step in the ongoing efforts of my colleagues and me at the Tejano Center to provide an optimum learning environment for our children so that they can concentrate on learning, instead of wondering why their tummies might always hurt or why they might always have that runny nose or why they might always have that headache.  The services offered at this clinic are more in depth than those offered by a nurse in a regular school setting and, in that regard, are unique.  In that regard, Baylor College of Medicine and the Tejano Center are also planning on extending these services to our younger children in the surrounding communities who have yet to begin their schooling, especially to ensure that they have had all of their required immunizations.

Our beautiful clinic at the TejanoCenter is the eighth clinic opened by Baylor College of Medicine, which is planning on opening its next teen clinic in the neighborhood represented by Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee.  As is quite evident, Baylor College of Medicine is a roaring freight train when it comes to health care for our children, and it is rolling along fast and strong!

These clinics, and the hard work that goes into creating them, reflect the ongoing efforts of individuals who truly care about those less fortunate than them, and who want to do something about it.  Simply stated, it is the right thing to do.  As an aside, however, I must admit that efforts such as these remind me of something President Ronald Reagan once said many years ago:

“We also believe that Americans, often acting through voluntary organizations, should have the opportunity to solve many of the social problems of their communities.  This spirit of freely helping others is uniquely American and should be encouraged in every way by government.”  (The New Republican Party, February 6, 1977)

Our children … Our families … Education in an environment most conducive to learning … That are what this is all about.

I think President Reagan would be PROUD.

I know I AM.

Kudos to Big Jolly Politics and a comment on Hispanic Outreach

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anthony-magdaleno
Anthony Magdaleno III

I would like to offer my congratulations to David Jennings of Big Jolly Politics, which was recently recognized as one of 2013’s best state-based political blogs by The Fix in a national contest held by The Washington Post.  I commend David for his continuing efforts to ensure honesty, integrity, and transparency in government.  I also appreciate David’s continuing efforts calling for the Republican Party to reach out to minority groups and to welcome them into the Republican Party itself.  David has been a big help to me in my personal efforts to connect Republicans with the Latino community.

While debate continues on how the Republican Party should accomplish this task, to me it is simple:  the Republican Party needs to reach out to minority groups with the only motive being a heart-felt sense of concern for the well-being of these groups.  That is it.  Politics should not play into the equation.  In my opinion, if the Republican Party goes into minority communities to participate in these communities expecting a quid pro quo, individuals in these communities will immediately see through these “good” intentions and the low credibility with which the Republican Party is held will be further damaged.  The issue is one of trust, and the only way trust can be established by the Republican Party is to involve itself with minority groups and their neighborhoods with no motive other than to show it cares and desires to get to know, interact with, and represent the interests of the individuals in these communities.  If the Republican Party does this, the politics will take care of itself.

Let me give you an example:  Although I grew up in Southwest Houston, for approximately the last seven years I have been involved with, and am now vice-chair, of the Tejano Center for Community Concerns, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 1992 in Houston’s East End.  (The TejanoCenter was created to strengthen low-income families in the East End by offering opportunities for children and their parents to better themselves through education, social and health services, and community development initiatives.)  Like many others who are involved in their own voluntary community activities, I got involved with the TejanoCenter simply out of a concern for helping those less fortunate than me.  That was, and continues to be, the ONLY reason I got involved.  However, when I decided to run for HarrisCounty family court judge in the 2010 Republican primary, many of my Democrat colleagues supported me in my run, financially and otherwise, even though they knew I was a long-time Republican.  One of the things that mattered to them was that I was involved in the community and that I cared.  Other Democrat colleagues of mine who participated in other organizations in which I am or have been involved that serve the Latino community here in Houston also offered their support to me as well.  Many Democrats told me that if I was successful in my Republican primary run that they would help get me elected in the general election.  Imagine that!  Democrats working to get a Republican elected to office!

For those who think that I got this support simply because I am Hispanic, you would be wrong.  Minority communities are smarter than that.  A Latino Democrat is no more inclined to vote for a Republican just because he or she is Hispanic any more than a white Republican would be inclined to vote for a Democrat simply because he or she is Anglo.  What mattered was that I was involved in, and cared about, the Latino community.  Let me give you examples of Republicans who hold office and are “doing it right”:  Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and his wife Gwen, who have been longtime supporters of the Tejano Center and are held in high regard by my Democrat colleagues on the board and the community we serve because of their contributions to what we do at the Tejano Center.  Undertaken, I might add, without any discussion of party politics.  Likewise, one of our newest members of the State Board of Education, Donna Bahorich, who was recently elected chair of the School Initiatives Committee, visited the TejanoCenter a few weeks ago to learn about our charter school.  Again, there was no discussion of party politics but only a sincere desire by both Donna and TejanoCenter board members and staff present to do whatever was necessary to further enhance the educational opportunities available for all children.  I can assure you that, after that wonderful meeting, Donna has found a friend in the TejanoCenter.

I conclude by mentioning a story I read in the Houston Chronicle on February 17 of this year reporting about a Cuban mother and her two children who were recently granted political asylum in the United States and settled in Sugar Land, Texas.  Although a local Catholic Church in Sugar Land donated food, furniture, and gifts to this mother and her children, this is what the young mother said about the experience:

“… we appreciate everything the church has done for us, everything they have given to my daughters, but what we really appreciate is the feelings.  The way they treated our daughters and the other kids, the way they were so excited to see us and (were) interested in us.  That’s what we appreciate most, all the kindness and love they share with us.”

It is as simple as that.