Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen, facing an opponent for only the third time since 1994, says he has demonstrated a commitment to residents and shown he can guide the city’s growth.
Owen will face current District B Councilwoman Cynthia Lenton-Gary in the May 8 election. Owen was opposed in the last two elections by Greyling Poats and was re-elected both times.
“This city has a great population of families and businesses that care about its future,” said Owen. “I have demonstrated throughout my adult life my commitment to its citizens and its commerce. I have shown I can guide its growth while listening to the wisdom of those that have invested their lives, home and businesses here.”
Owen and his wife of 42 years Jane Owen have lived in Missouri City nearly 35 years and raised their three children there.
Owen said he is running to continue his service to the city and community, and said he had led the city over the past few years in attracting millions of dollars of private business investment, public works infrastructure improvements and park growth, hike and bike trails and providing for better public safety by boosting city police and fire forces.
Owen said it was those efforts that landed the city on the list of the country’s safest cities and one of the top 100 cities in the nation to live in.
“We have leadership in place in this city with the council and department heads that are driven to make this the best city it can be for seniors, growing families and emerging businesses,” said Owen. “I have seen where this city has come from and with this community working together I know where we can take it. These are challenging times. Together as one of the country’s most diverse cities, we can continue to move forward with purpose and prosperity for all our city’s population.”
Owen is a local bank area manager and volunteer, committing hours to YMCA, United Way and March of Dimes and as a Fort Bend Chamber, Fort Bend County Women’s Center and Fort Bend Literacy Council Advisory Board Member. He also is a Lifetime member of the Fort Bend Fair Association and vice-chairman on the Fort Bend Community Justice Council. Owen is a lifetime VP and director of Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, past-president of Texas 4H Foundation, and president of the Asian American Family Counseling Center. He and his wife are members of the First United Methodist Church in Missouri City. He graduated from Southern Methodist University’s Graduate School of Finance and Banking and from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Our community should be the immediate area in which we live shouldn’t it or should it be a racial or ethnic grouping instead?
Hired pol. consult, are you making a case against Owen or for Danny now, your two clients?
I would be interested in hearing a response directly from the candidate himself, rather than his hired henchmen. Why would so many from his own community oppose him unless something smells.
Well if someone claims to have been in the military he better be able to prove it especially if he is portraying himself to be a vet. Just ask him for his DD 214. If he doesn’t have it he is misleading more that just the voters, he is misleading the vets.
Allegations with no proof mean nothing.
If he was ever in the military then just ask him for his DD 214. I know for one I would not like to listen to someone speaking as if they were a veteran but are not.
Danny and his developer friends have found the communist bonanza that they have been looking for, in the infamous “Home Owner Association” scam. It is a fascist, corporate run extortion scam with NO oversight, manipulated elections, NO open records and meetings, and they can take your home at the drop of a hat. The foreclosure racket is often done for reasons that include, political marginalization, religion, race, gender, and mosty importantly for the whistle blower. For these reasons, a Senate Hearing will be held at TSU this WEDNESDAY!
SENATE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
COMMITTEE: Intergovernmental Relations
TIME & DATE: 9:00 AM, Wednesday, April 07, 2010
PLACE: Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
CHAIR: Senator Royce West
The Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. at Texas Southern University, Mickey Leland Barbara Jordan School of Public Affairs, Lecture Hall 114, located at 3802 Tierwester, Houston, TX 77004 (at the corner of Tierwester St and Cleburne St). The Committee will hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charge:
Senate Interim Charge 1: Study current law governing homeowners associations with respect to ensuring that homeowners are given adequate protections against unfair foreclosures and are given proper channels for redress in case of foreclosure.
*Public Testimony will be limited to 3 minutes.
Campaign worker for Allen Owen/Danny Nguyen mcclure, you must have read the post in this thread from the DEP newspaper? It has a contact listed. Why don’t you contact them and ask. You are a researcher as you claim, then contact them. See quote:
“This was searched and found in DEP magazine
Vietnamese American Political Action Committee
Houston, Texas
TWENTY VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS
OPPOSE CANDIDATE DANNY NGUYỄN
April 2, 2010.
We, the Vietnamese-American organizations listed below, jointly announce our campaign against Vietnamese-American candidate Danny Nguyen for the Missouri City Council position 2 At-Large race. As Vietnamese-Americans, we always encourage and support members of our community to run for elected office. However, we take exception to candidate Danny Nguyen. Missouri City has about 500 Vietnamese-American families. We ask not only the Vietnamese-American community in Missouri City, but also all registered voters of the area to withhold their support for Danny Nguyen.
Contrary to Mr. Nguyen’s belief, we oppose his candidacy not only because he is pro-communist, but also for the following reasons:
(1) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks legitimate Missouri City community involvement;
(2) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks knowledge of Missouri City’s issues and concerns;
(3) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks specific knowledge of how government works;
(4) Mr. Danny Nguyen has a conflict of interest with Missouri City due to his shared business involvement with the City; and
(5) Mr. Danny Nguyen makes unsubstantiated claims as to his leadership roles in various community organizations.
Vietnamese-American Organizations AGAINST Danny Nguyen:
1. Vietnamese-American Political Action Committee.
2. Vietnamese Nationalist Party – Houston.
3. Vietnamese Reform Party – Houston.
4. Vietnamese Populist Party – Houston
5. Imperial City Hue Association.
6. Federation of Former South Vietnamese Soldiers.
7. Republic of Vietnam’s Air Force Academy Class 69A – Houston.
8. The Republic Of Vietnam Naval Association – Houston.
9. United Former Armed Forces Associations Of Republic Of Viet Nam- Houston.
10. Communication Corps of Republic Of Viet Nam – Houston.
11. Vietnamese Junior Military Academy Cadet of Republic Of Vietnam – Houston.
12. Dai Viet Cach Mang Party – Houston.
13. Hoa Lu Houston Group.
14. Paratrooper Association.
15. Quan Linh Association.
16. Dep Magazine.
17. Con Ong Magazine.
18. Viet Magazine.
19. Quoc Gia Hanh Chanh – Houston.
20. Tay Ninh Dong Huong Group.
Contact Information: vapac2010@yahoo.com“
What proof do these groups have that he is ‘pro-communist’? Please provide the names of the individuals within these groups saying so. Please provide this evidence here.
just googled danny nyugen anti communist-
http://bolsavik.com/2008/05/houston-college-honors-viet-draws-objection/
Southern Comfort reports Danny Nguyen claims membership in the VFW. VFW membership requires having been deployed into an area of combat. Danny is a member of the American Legion in good standing. I welcome you this Tuedsay (tomorrow) to attend the American Legion at Hickory Barbecue in the Township near Murphy Road and Hwy 6 for the mtg that starts @ 7 am.
Age as you allege could not be a factor to keep Nguyen from VFW membership. Fort Bend Constable Troy Nehls is considerably younger than Danny and I. He’s been a local VFW Commander based on deployment more than 10 years ago to Bosnia and later deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead I based on my USN, USAR and USAF service am in American Legion.
Nguyen however has built his own private businesses and has been active in public life throughout Missouri City and Fort Bend County but he has never done business with the city of Missouri City or Fort Bend Ccounty as a contractor, vendor, partner or sub. His private businesses are all across the Houston region but never has he done business with the city.
To build private business is the absolute definition of anti-communist. I know of no other definition for that term. The antonym of communist is capitalist. If you are working hard and attract private capital and encourage others to do so but otherwise volunteer time and resources you risk and earn from that private business for the city and community you love you are as completely anti-communist as can get.
That is as Texan American as it gets. It can’t be seen any other way.
You are responsible for the website Mr. Levine? To be eligible for full membership, not honorary (which was not posted on the site) you must have served in the US armed forces and deployed to a forward combat area. You need to correct the website.
You also might want to do further background into Mr. Nguyens business troubles as they are also a matter of public record. If it’s your job to make your candidates look good you need to try much harder. You also might want to ask why he has so many hired political consultants on his campaign support list and so many that do not live in Missouri City along with several governmental vendors listed (and yes I have copied the web-pages so if you change them we will make that known too). You are very much known for adding names without approval to your candidates support lists. I’ve noticed a few have already been removed from Dannys.
Happy campaigning and good luck gaining more candidate clients!
“…but he has never done business with the city of Missouri City or Fort Bend Ccounty as a contractor, vendor, partner or sub.”
More carefully chosen words Mr. Levine? Danny was appointed to a highly controversial special interest taxing zone board by the mayor for the high end commercial area on hwy 6 and own property within another proposed TIRZ along TX Pkwy. So he’s not doing business with the city?? Remember tax increment reinvestment zones are supposed to be about rebuilding neglected areas, not political patronage for developers on the mayors campaign finance reports and accelerating growth at the expense of the taxpayer in prime commercial areas. This was all reported here on FBN in 2007-2008.
Memory refresher. See the quote below:
“The Politics Of Tax Breaks And Land Development
By: FortBendNow Archive on Wed, Apr 18, 2007News
Fort Bend Politics
By Bob Dunn
When Kevin Tunstall approached the microphone at Monday night’s Missouri City Council meeting, the District C council candidate hadn’t completed two full sentences before Mayor Allen Owen stopped him.
“Let me caution you,” the mayor said, “I will not allow a political speech” during a council session. It was as if everything that happens before a city council or county commission doesn’t carry political overtones, especially less than a month away from an election.
The subject of Tunstall’s comments, for instance.
He was there to talk about this arcane economic development tool called a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. And it turns out that the theory and practice of creating such TIRZs is fraught with political implications, since TIRZs go hand-in-hand with land developers. And in Fort Bend County, as everywhere else, it seems land developers go hand-in-hand with politicians.
Tunstall said he’d been prompted to study up on the concept of a TIRZ, after two other Missouri City residents – one a past political candidate and the other a current council candidate – had approached council at consecutive recent meetings to suggest a TIRZ should be used to attract business and development along Texas Parkway and Cartwright Road. Council members suggested the two citizens were short on facts about TIRZs and how they operate.
Just The Facts, Ma’m
All of which apparently prompted Tunstall to take a peek at Chapter 311 of the Texas Tax Code, which governs TIRZs.
Basically, a TIRZ is meant as a vehicle for financing structural improvements and infrastructure within a certain geographic area. Taxes paid by the property owners within that area are used to pay for those improvements. The theory is that by adding infrastructure and/or structural improvements, the value of the land in the zone will increase, benefiting both the landowners and the city.
The theory also is that a TIRZ is to be used to jump-start areas where growth and development is “impaired or arrested,” but more on that later.
Tunstall said he wanted to make sure he understood the laws governing TIRZs, so he sought out and spoke with one Patricia Bailey at the Texas Comptroller’s office, identified as a TIRZ expert. Among other things, Bailey told Tunstall her office is required by law to maintain a registry of all the TIRZs in Texas, and her office is required by law to obtain an annual report on the activities of each of the state’s TIRZs.
“A shocking fact,” Tunstall told the council, “is that this young lady had no record of the two TIRZs” Missouri City says it operates.
“I’m sure it’s just an oversight,” Tunstall told council members. “For your convenience, I’ve attached Ms. Bailey’s phone number…and she will be expecting your call.”
“I cannot say tonight that we do or do not” have any TIRZ reports filed with the state comptroller, Missouri City Manager Frank Simpson said as Tunstall walked away from the microphone. “But I’ll look at it first thing in the morning.”
Bailey was out of the office on Wednesday and couldn’t be reached. But you might find a peek at the Tax Increment Financing Registry, maintained by the state comptroller’s office for all TIRZs in Fort Bend County, somewhat revealing.
While I think compliance with the law is of rather major importance, what strikes me about the TIRZ is the reason it was invented in the first place.
According to the tax code, in order for a geographic area to qualify for TIRZ designation, that area is supposed to either:
→ Be someplace that has “substantially arrest(ed) or impair(ed) the sound growth of the municipality or county creating the zone…or constitute an economic or social liability and be a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare in its present condition and use…” or;
→ “Be predominantly open and, because of obsolete
platting, deterioration of structures or site improvements, or
other factors, substantially impair or arrest the sound growth of the municipality or county.”
In Missouri City, they’ve designated an area including Houston developer Newquest Properties’ Fort Bend Town Center as a TIRZ. This is a planned retail development at State Highway 6 and the Fort Bend Parkway that likely will include a big Kroger store in its first phase, and the smaller retailers that typically follow a big grocery store into a strip center.
A report published by Missouri City in 2003 called this intersection the eventual center of the city, once its extrajudicial territory all is annexed. Expectations are that it will become one of the heaviest traveled intersections in the city once the parkway is completed – and it’s pretty heavily traveled already.
Meanwhile, the city is in the process of creating a third TIRZ, near Sienna Parkway and State Highway 6, only with a twist. In this case, the city has also approved creation of a municipal management district. The TIRZ would contract with the management district to build everything developers want within the district, and the TIRZ tax money would, according to a representative of Allen Boon Humphries Robinson, be “funneled” to the management district.
Obviously the above two geographic areas are not blighted and are not in any way arresting or impairing growth and development in Missouri City, Texas. These are probably two of the most desirable tracts of commercial land available in the area.
But they still can be considered for TIRZ designation because the Texas Legislature in its wisdom included a paragraph that gives just about any developer a shot at having his or her infrastructure paid for by property taxes.
You can be eligible for a TIRZ if your land is in “an area described in a petition requesting that the area be designated as a reinvestment zone” as long as 50% of the property owners sign the petition.
Does that still make it the right thing to do? Does anyone think the intersections of Sienna Parkway and State Highway 6, and the Fort Bend Parkway and State Highway 6 wouldn’t turn into big commercial developments all on their own without benefit of tax breaks that developers of other properties aren’t able to obtain?
To me, those questions are what makes the arcane TIRZ a political issue…”
http://www.fortbendnow.com/2007/04/18/29767
PS Aren’t you also working on the mayors campaign Mr. Levine? Amazing how many of the companies/lawfirms involved in these TIRZs are showing up on both their campaign finance reports, isn’t it???
I hate to butt in but businesses are started every day in all kinds of governmental arrangements, not just democracies.
Wow, bladerunner this is not good for Danny but more importantly not good for Mo. City. If his own people are not supprting him something is wrong. We don’t need this kind of press. I was a Danny fan and I have a sign but now I am not happy and I am concerned. In fact, I am going to call him tommorow and research this. Trash day is Monday and guess what sign goes in the trash?
Actually OngBoCau, I’m more concerned with the duplicity I saw at the public gathering by Mr. Nguyen and how he portrayed himself as a victim of the war and then to find there is a movement afoot going on in many parts of Houston that appears he has turned his back on those he was professing to speak for at this public political gathering he paid for in Missouri City. He portrayed himself as staunchly anti-communistic and pro-democracy patron not as someone doing business with many of the close companions of the current regime. I also saw information that makes me further wonder if he is misleading the public since on his campaign website, which I have downloaded and saved a copy of, he claims to be in the VFW, which is highly unlikely considering he was far to young to have served in that war and he has no military record. Additionally his father was in the S.V. army and not the US forces. These are the facts that need cleaning up. If it is repeated mistakes by his campaign team intended to mislead, then he needs to fire them but if they are deliberate they certainly insult those that have served, especially those that went to Nam as many in my family did. I will leave the communistic apologetics to you and his campaign team. I’m sure google leaving China counters much of your arguments. Your spin for doing business with communist or other totalitarian governments would work except Mr. Nguyen isn’t bringing business to them to convert citizens to capitalism or democracy he is bringing their business interests here.
I know what I saw and heard at the fundraiser and it is inconsistent with his message locally. We have enough opportunist in local, regional and state government cashing in. Of course many out here are oblivious to what is going on but are you claiming they don’t have a right to know or that those special interest Houston companies don’t know that this controversy is going on with their candidate in the middle of it? If so I have some land to sell some of the developer boyz in Florida very near a swamp you can drain and turn into another master-planned community and charge to the local taxing entities. LOL
For anyone interested this is what I found in a google search in a Houston paper on the very topic being discussed here. May SC has something otherwise why would so many organizations be up in arms in this community over Danny’s candidacy?
OngBoCau, are you one of the candidates in this race or from one of the campaigns?
This was searched and found in DEP magazine
Vietnamese American Political Action Committee
Houston, Texas
TWENTY VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS
OPPOSE CANDIDATE DANNY NGUYỄN
April 2, 2010.
We, the Vietnamese-American organizations listed below, jointly announce our campaign against Vietnamese-American candidate Danny Nguyen for the Missouri City Council position 2 At-Large race. As Vietnamese-Americans, we always encourage and support members of our community to run for elected office. However, we take exception to candidate Danny Nguyen. Missouri City has about 500 Vietnamese-American families. We ask not only the Vietnamese-American community in Missouri City, but also all registered voters of the area to withhold their support for Danny Nguyen.
Contrary to Mr. Nguyen’s belief, we oppose his candidacy not only because he is pro-communist, but also for the following reasons:
(1) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks legitimate Missouri City community involvement;
(2) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks knowledge of Missouri City’s issues and concerns;
(3) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks specific knowledge of how government works;
(4) Mr. Danny Nguyen has a conflict of interest with Missouri City due to his shared business involvement with the City; and
(5) Mr. Danny Nguyen makes unsubstantiated claims as to his leadership roles in various community organizations.
Vietnamese-American Organizations AGAINST Danny Nguyen:
1. Vietnamese-American Political Action Committee.
2. Vietnamese Nationalist Party – Houston.
3. Vietnamese Reform Party – Houston.
4. Vietnamese Populist Party – Houston
5. Imperial City Hue Association.
6. Federation of Former South Vietnamese Soldiers.
7. Republic of Vietnam’s Air Force Academy Class 69A – Houston.
8. The Republic Of Vietnam Naval Association – Houston.
9. United Former Armed Forces Associations Of Republic Of Viet Nam- Houston.
10. Communication Corps of Republic Of Viet Nam – Houston.
11. Vietnamese Junior Military Academy Cadet of Republic Of Vietnam – Houston.
12. Dai Viet Cach Mang Party – Houston.
13. Hoa Lu Houston Group.
14. Paratrooper Association.
15. Quan Linh Association.
16. Dep Magazine.
17. Con Ong Magazine.
18. Viet Magazine.
19. Quoc Gia Hanh Chanh – Houston.
20. Tay Ninh Dong Huong Group.
Contact Information: vapac2010@yahoo.com
————
They seem to make many good points about why area residents should not support someone that used to be affiliated with them. I also found videos and numerous pictures when I conducted this search. I too wonder what the candidates has to say about all this and why they’ve tried to keep it quiet and now appear to be denying this OngBoCau?
Perhaps since Danny is a developer this is normal behavior. Can you tell us OngBoCau or perhaps the others endorsing him?
So if anyone doesn’t have a problem with him being “pro-communist” then maybe they would be concerned about his many other claims and lack of experience on the listed items run in the Houston paper?
(1) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks legitimate Missouri City community involvement;
(2) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks knowledge of Missouri City’s issues and concerns;
(3) Mr. Danny Nguyen lacks specific knowledge of how government works;
(4) Mr. Danny Nguyen has a conflict of interest with Missouri City due to his shared business involvement with the City; and
(5) Mr. Danny Nguyen makes unsubstantiated claims as to his leadership roles in various community organizations.
No, I’ve not supported every candidate Owen backed…and never confuse friendship or admiration of some qualities with endorsement/backing. I can be friends with those I disagree with politically and admire certain things about them and may ‘support’ them in prayer over maybe a sick relative. I again urge readers to read my posts from the start of this thread. I’ve researched the others you mention and feel no need to plug them by answering anonymous pseudonyms, especially when I’m volunteering for their opponents. My standardized IQ test results revealed I’m far from clueless, fyi…and I know all the games and tricks political players can play as well. I know too much re local politics and at times, I wish I did not…Sometimes, I think ignorance would be bliss.
That is a very good advice mores. I intend on following it but I did do a search on this poster and apparently she has always been a supporter of Mr. Owen and any candidates he backs successful or not. I think that is called being a partisan. The purpose is to steer voters, not to honestly engage in open dialogue on the issue confronting the city.