Yes, Mayor Whitmire, all kinds of immigrants go to the Galleria

Thumbs down: Houston Mayor John Whitmire certainly has a way with words. His penchant for speaking without filter can be charming and disarming, but this week he has drawn anger and criticism. In a Houston Landing article about the mayor’s new approach to METRO — more money for road repairs, less for bus rapid transit — Whitmire wondered if Gulfton residents wanted better access to the Galleria. “Most of them are undocumented immigrants. They just want basic services. They don’t want to be part of the Galleria,” Whitmire said. “Do you think they will be welcome at the Galleria?” Yes, Mayor Whitmire, Gulfton residents, documented or undocumented, are welcome in the Galleria. They work there. They shop there – maybe not at Louis Vuitton, but maybe at Nordstrom Rack or Old Navy across the street – and they even go ice skating. We know you’re a former social worker and you think your heart is in the right place, but whatever you want to say about meeting the basic needs of Gulfton residents, that’s not the message you sent . We are a welcoming city, or at least we aspire to be. And what’s more, connecting a thriving employment center to a neighborhood full of people ready to work is transit 101, and supported by voters.

Thumbs up: This sounded like such a great idea. High-tech sensors positioned in high-crime areas would detect shootings and alert police, but Mayor Whitmire made the right choice this week by announcing he would abandon the $3.5 million ShotSpotter program. dollars. As a Chronicle investigation revealed last year, police response times to 911 calls slowed in areas where their attention was diverted by ShotSpotter alerts that generally did not lead to arrests. “I think it’s a gimmick,” Whitmire told the Chronicle on Wednesday. “I think this was concocted by contractors and, personally, speaking to officers, it serves no purpose.” This is an example of the mayor’s frankness that we can support.

Thumbs up: Less than 400 people. That was the margin of victory for Dade Phelan, the speaker of the Texas House, in his Tuesday primary runoff against a candidate who was running not so much to his right as as an agent of retaliation for the corrupt attorney general of the Texas, Ken Paxton. He’s determined to get revenge after Phelan allowed the House to impeach the AG last year over evidence of corruption. Our morale was lifted somewhat by Phelan’s triumph, but 400 people? These are basically Phelan’s parents, counting all of his fifth cousins ​​once or twice removed. This guy has deep roots in East Texas, after all. His victory party was held on Phelan Boulevard in Beaumont. Meanwhile, near the border, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales barely eked out a victory over Brandon “The AK Guy” Herrera, the weapons manufacturer and social media influencer who targeted the incumbent president for voting in favor rather minor gun reforms after the Robb Elementary shooting. in Uvalde two years ago. To all the super voters who showed up in the runoff, a big thank you for keeping us just this side of a winged takeover.

Thumbs twiddle: Despite his Canadian roots, rap superstar Drake has long claimed a kinship with Houston. He’s interpolated our signature “chopped and screwed” sound, sung about our strip clubs, and even hosted an appreciation weekend in Houston. His purchase of a $15 million ranch outside Houston, near Brenham, effectively cemented this love affair: a sprawling ranch with a horse riding arena, an infinity pool, an organic farm and a wine cellar. wine from 7,000 bottles. Of course, as with many aspects of Drake’s music and his carefully crafted persona, the line between homage and appropriation is quite blurry. It’s all well and good showing off your Astros tattoo, but, to borrow a phrase from his nemesis Kendrick Lamar, “when the shit hits the fan, are you still a fan?” It’s a fair question after his appearance at Travis Scott’s ill-fated Astroworld festival two years ago led to a horrific mob surge that killed 10 people. In the wake of that tragedy, Drake certainly seemed eager to distance himself from any responsibility, and his lawyers got him thrown out of the lawsuit filed by the victims’ families. So is Drake a Houston “culture vulture”? Probably, but at least now we’ll get some property tax revenue in return. Plus, after being completely wiped out in a recent volley of disses with Lamar, what better place to disappear and lick your wounds than a 313-acre estate?

Thumbs up: If Drake is bored at his ranch, he could relax this weekend at what is billed as the world’s largest Tesla Cybertruckers meetup at a ranch near Waco. Sure, Texas-made stainless steel beasts have had issues with stuck gas pedals, sharp edges cutting an owner’s wrist, and tires getting stuck in sand, but the Tesla Owners Club of Austin hopes participants will “show off” the Cybertruck’s power on an “exciting off-road course.” We’re not sure electric vehicles have captured the hearts of Texas truck enthusiasts, but hey, maybe some quality, sludge TikToks will do the trick.

Thumbs up: Three years ago we threw away our beaver nuggets and burned our beaver swimsuits in protest when Buc-ee’s betrayed his home state of Texas by building his largest site – heartbreak after heartbreak! – that skinny little state known as Tennessee. Then, in January, the company added insult to injury by planning an even larger site in Arizona. The company ultimately sought redemption. The world’s largest Buc-ee’s will once again be where they belong, on a Texas highway where our freedom-loving travelers will be able to exercise the freedom to use clean restrooms and choose from more than a dozen meat flavors dried. Cherry maple, Korean BBQ, ghost pepper! The new location will replace Buc-ee’s original Travel Center in Luling and will encompass more than 75,000 square feet of air-conditioned Lone Star freedom.