Harris County voters deserve this debate
The race to become the next Harris County judge was supposed to include a debate Monday night. Instead, voters got technical difficulties, a disappearing livestream, and eventually, no debate.
Democrat Letitia Plummer and Republican Orlando Sanchez are competing in November to replace outgoing County Judge Lina Hidalgo. The two were scheduled for a virtual debate, but problems began almost immediately. Plummer initially couldn’t hear Sanchez or the moderator. That issue was resolved, and the candidates apparently debated for about 10 minutes, except the public couldn’t hear it because the stream had gone offline.
Then things got messy.
Plummer’s campaign says she waited about 40 minutes to resume and was later told Sanchez did not want to continue that night. Plummer accused him of quitting. Debate organizers, however, blamed an influx of unexpected volume and technical problems and said the event would be rescheduled. Sanchez’s campaign had not publicly responded to the accusation as of Tuesday morning.
I don’t particularly care who won the virtual coin toss or who was irritated with whom. I care about hearing these candidates debate.
The Harris County judge helps steer the government of the nation’s third-largest county, with responsibilities touching everything from budgets and emergency management to public health and infrastructure. And for the first time in eight years, voters will elect someone new to the job.
So fix the Wi-Fi. Fix the stream. Pick another night.
Then put Plummer and Sanchez in front of Harris County voters and let us hear what they have to say.
Lizzo won. Did anybody hear about it?
Here’s something interesting about scandal: Everybody hears the accusation. Far fewer people hear what happens afterward.
Lizzo just scored another legal victory after a federal judge dismissed the remaining claims against her touring company in a lawsuit brought by former employee Asha Daniels. Lizzo herself had already been dismissed from the case.
Now, before the Lizzo Defense League starts celebrating, she is not completely out of the legal woods. A separate lawsuit filed by three former dancers alleging harassment, discrimination, and a hostile work environment is still moving forward. Lizzo denies those allegations.
But that case has also narrowed, including the dismissal of fat-shaming and weight-discrimination claims. That matters because few accusations could have been more damaging to someone whose brand was practically synonymous with body positivity.
And damaging they were.
Lizzo’s latest music hasn’t come close to the success she enjoyed with Special and “About Damn Time.” There could be plenty of reasons for that. Music changes. Audiences move on. Her latest album title certainly wasn’t doing her any favors on social media.
But those lawsuits became part of Lizzo’s identity in the public imagination. That’s why her team needs to be just as loud about every legal victory as the world was about every allegation. Because allegations get breaking-news alerts. Dismissals? Apparently, you have to go looking for those.
RIP Houston actress Carla Jeffreys
Every now and then, I see somebody’s age in an obituary and have to read it twice. Carla Jeffery was 33. The Houston-born actress, best known to younger audiences for playing Bree in Disney’s Zombies franchise, died Sept. 1. Her family announced her death on social media, and as of this writing, no cause has been publicly released.
Jeffery had already spent much of her life working. She appeared in Phat Girlz as a child and later built a résumé that included Shake It Up, iCarly, Curb Your Enthusiasm, American Vandal, and the hugely popular Zombies movies.
Her talent agency said she was more than a client. She was family. I didn’t know Carla Jeffery personally. But there is something about seeing 33 next to the words “passed away” that stops you.
We spend so much time assuming there will be more time. More birthdays. More opportunities. More chances to call somebody, forgive somebody, chase something we keep putting off, or simply enjoy the life we are working so hard to build.
Then you see 33. Jeffery accomplished more professionally in those years than many people manage in twice that time. Still, she deserved more. More roles. More laughter. More ordinary Tuesdays. More life.
Rest well, Carla. Thirty-three years was nowhere near enough.
