IN THIS EPISODE:
- Khambrel Marshall speaks to Houston Mayoral Candidates Lee Kaplan and Gilbert Garcia, who continue to ask for change.
- The Houston Chapter of the National Black MBA Association is celebrating its 40th anniversary and inviting members to brunch.
- Covenant House is organizing a fundraiser that allows people to sleep outside to help homeless youth.
Watch Houston Newsmakers on KPRC 2 and KRPC 2+ at 10 a.m.
Lee Kaplan pushes for new leadership in Houston
Houston Mayoral Candidate Lee Kaplan knows his poll numbers tell a story that will not have him in the winners column on Election Day, but he says quitting is not in his DNA, and hopes at least some of his message for change has gotten through.
“We need somebody new,” he said on this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall. “Somebody who’s never been in politics, hasn’t been the chair of Metro, hasn’t been in the state legislature for 50 years, and hasn’t run perpetually for one thing or another and gotten ensconced in Congress.”
He talks about what he’s learned from voters on the campaign trail and his biggest concern for the city in the years ahead.
Gilbert Garcia says voters deserve the truth
Houston Mayoral Candidate Gilbert Garcia has spent millions of his own money in his race for Houston mayor. He says it’s all been worth it, even as polls show he is far behind in the race, according to likely voters taking part in Hobby School of Public Affairs poll. This week on Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall, he says the only poll that counts is the one the voters cast on Election Day and that his campaign is seeing the results of his push for financial transparency.
“It’s now no longer acceptable to be silent,” he said. “We need to recognize where we are with financials. We need to recognize that 400 million dollar surplus, or whatever they’re calling it is really not there. It’s a façade. We need to recognize that we’re balancing our budget through stimulus funds.”
Garcia says his name recognition has gone from zero to 50% since the start of his campaign and that his only regret might be that he didn’t jump into the race sooner.
National Black MBA Association to hold 40th anniversary Jazz Brunch
The 40th Anniversary of the Houston Chapter of the National Black MBA Association will be celebrated in fine style on Nov. 12. Marcus Franklin is the President of the Houston Chapter and is a guest this week along with past president Errol Allen, and he talks about the history of the organization, the mentoring programs that have helped generations, and the plans for the brunch at the Community Collective (Formerly The Power Center).
Executives prepare to sleep outside to help homeless youth and Covenant House
The goal is to raise more than a $1 million for Covenant House Texas, an organization that focuses on helping homeless youth.
“We have two residential programs, an emergency shelter that meets the immediate needs of these kids as they’re coming off the streets,” said Covenant House Texas Executive Director Leslie Bourne. “We have a transitional living program where they can stay 18-24 months while they’re working and saving their money.”
In order to raise more than $1 million for the programs, executives from across Houston agreed to sleep outside for pledges of support.
“Once you’ve done it, you absolutely want to come back and do it again,” said Sean Maher, the Co-Chair of the Sleep Out Executive Edition 2023. “Because, while you’re experiencing the sleep out that evening, you spend time with the youth. You hear about their lives. Your hear about what they’ve gone through.”
Tune in this week to find out more and about how to sign up to either sleep out or support someone who is.
For more information on this week’s Houston Newsmakers
· Lee Kaplan, (D) Candidate for Houston Mayor
· Website: https://kaplanforhoustonmayor.com/
· Gilbert Garcia, Candidate for Houston Mayor
· Website: https://garciaforhouston.com/
· Marcus Franklin, President, Black MBA Association-Houston Chapter
· Errol Allen, Past President, Black MBA Association-Houston Chapter
· Leslie Bourne, Executive Director, Covenant House Texas Candidate for Houston Mayor
· Website: https://www.covenanthousetx.org/
· Sean Maher, Co-Chair, Sleep Out-Executive Edition 2023
· Website: https://www.covenanthousetx.org/