Jab & Lupe Valdez

It's been a while since we've heard from our favorite guest blogger, ¡JAB! and he's got a blog today that's making me re-think my opinion on the people we elect into office. What are your thoughts?

So the election is over now (not counting Minnesota), and there are mixed reviews.  On one hand Obama won.  I think enough has been said about that, no need to pile on.  On the other hand, there’s the Prop 8 issue.  Once again, we all know what’s up with that.  But there are the smaller things, the things that go without a lot of fanfare that people are unaware of: Glimpses of progress that go unheralded.

People making a difference where a difference could not be seen.  Am I talking about Obama?  No. I’m talking about the re-elected Dallas County Sheriff.  The Dallas, Texas County Sheriff was able to push back and defeat a very experienced, highly touted gentleman that tried to get elected into that position but he was defeated, and the current sheriff didn’t have to hide her heritage or her partner to get re-elected.

Yes, that's right.  The sheriff of a major metropolis in a conservative border-state during these times of conservative social and immigration controversy is a MEXICAN LESBIAN in Texas. Just let that marinate for a minute.

‍Lupe Valdez, is the Mexican lesbian Dallas Texas sheriff.  And it’s not like she snuck up on people by surprise.  Oh no, this was her RE-election. She is very well known in the Dallas area.  In these law enforcement parts, the county sheriff is just as well known as the mayor.  And her re-election was not that surprising if you look at the progressive numbers coming out of Dallas. McCain may have won Texas, but Obama won the majority of votes in Dallas County. And in 2006, almost all of the local offices up for election went to Democrats. But the craziest part of the whole thing is that Lupe Valdez has kinda sucked at her job so far!

Not once during her first term did the Dallas County prison system pass their annual state inspections for minimum management standards. Under Valdez, the Dallas County jail system has been under review by the US Department of Justice. And Texans take pride in their jails! Never-the-less, Valdez was able to garner the support of the substantial base she has in Dallas to claw her way back into the big chair. To her credit, she is working tirelessly to make the corrections to these problems that existed long before she came to office. And even though I haven’t been in a jail cell myself, I expect that by the time I do--it’ll be like the Marriott up in there.

So is there still work to be done nationally? Of course there is. But are there incremental steps moving us forward happening? Absolutely. And with people like Sheriff Valdez and others leading the way, I look forward to the progress that lies ahead. VIVA VALDEZ!

¡Jab!

Info on Lupe Valdez: click here.

Info on Dallas, TX: click here.

Info on Prop 8: click here.