Just say "no" to career politicians like Sylvester Turner, and robotic supporters on Houston's City Council or Mayor Annise Parker's misguided "it's about me" liberalism.
To voters in Houston, it's a pretty simple, is our city better off than it was six years ago, are our streets better, is our pension deficit situation better, are your taxes lower? The answer to all these questions is clearly, no.
Here are our picks for those candidates who will drive the city forward and work to make Houston a better place:
Houston Mayor - Bill King
Bill King is the clear choice for Mayor. King, who grew up in the Houston area and graduated from the University of Houston, has experienced both success and failure and understands the unique challenges associated with both, which will make him an effective leader, regardless of circumstances or economic environment. With executive experience, both in the public (King was once the Mayor of Kemah) and private sectors, King will have an advantage over his opponent in directing and leading the changes necessary to propel Houston past the challenges the city faces now and in the years to come.
Houston City Council District F - Dr. Steve Le
Dr. Steve Le epitomizes the American dream. As a child he came to the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam. After graduating Baylor University, he advanced to medical school and then began the practice of medicine after graduation. Today he is a successful member of the community and proof of what can be accomplished with hard work and determination. These qualities, along with his conservative philosophy will make him a welcome contrast to the incumbent, who has sided with Mayor Parker on most issues, including the now ill-fated HERO ordinance.
Houston City Council At-Large Position 1 - Mike Knox
Mike Knox is a native Houstonian, a United States Air Force veteran and a career law enforcement officer with the Houston Police Department. At HPD, Knox has become a gang expert who helped create the HPD's first gang unit and wrote a book on the subject entitled, Gangsta in the House: Understanding Gang Culture. Our city will benefit greatly with someone of Mike Knox's experience serving on City Council.
Houston City Council At-Large Position 2 - Willie R. Davis
Pastor Willie R. Davis is an impressive candidate for Houston City Council. This US Army veteran who volunteered during the Vietnam era and served in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Political Science as well as a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree in Theology. In addition to his service as a senior pastor, Davis has impressive private sector experience at companies such as Brown & Root and Phillips 66.
Houston City Council At-Large Position 4 - Lt. Col. Roy Morales
While not exactly a rocket scientist, Roy Morales would be the closest thing to it on Houston City Council, if elected. Much of Morales' work during his service in the U.S. Air Force, where he retired as a Lt. Colonel, involved aerospace projects including joint operations projects with NASA and a stint as an Operations Director for the Space Shuttle Operations Division. He also led a team of engineers to rescue a $1 billion NASA satellite and managed the integration of $1 billion satellite projects. With these types of complex projects under his belt, Morales would be an asset in addressing Houston's challenges.
Houston City Council At-Large Position 5 - Dr. Jack Christie
Dr. Jack Christie's coordination and influence with the city's Human Resources Department has helped shift their focus from disease management to wellness promotion, which has taken the Health Benefits Fund Balance from being $18 million in the red to $43 million in the black, a $61 million swing in favor of the taxpayer. For his unique perspective, innovative thinking and conservative record, TCR gives a strong re-elect nod to Dr. Jack Christie.
Houston City Controller - Bill Frazer
For the position of Houston's chief financial officer, TCR enthusiastically recommends Bill Frazer. Frazer has extensive private sector experience as a Chief Financial Officer and it's a fact that he is the only candidate for Controller who is a CPA. With Houston's financial challenges, TCR believes qualifications and financial expertise are too critical to leave to chance and endorse Bill Frazer, a proven financial professional.
The Houston Chronicle's Inconsistency: Picks Controller Frazer and Career Politician Turner?
The schizophrenic Houston Chronicle correctly endorsed Bill Frazer and then ignoring the reasoning for picking Frazer inexplicably picked Sylvester Turner for Mayor, but not before lambasting him.
If you read the editorials, you would think they should, using the same reasoning, endorse Frazer and Bill King for Mayor.
Let's look at the words used by the Houston Chronicle:
"A slow-motion train crash is perhaps the best way to describe Houston's current financial situation. For the past several years, City Hall has only been able to maintain a balanced budget through one-time gimmicks like selling land or drawing down from cash reserves. Pension obligations have been growing faster than the city's ability to pay them. This path is unsustainable, and we're due for a rude awakening."
"When selecting their next controller, Houston voters should look for someone who can keep a focus on these core problems - someone who is unafraid to ring the siren about Houston's approaching financial crisis.
"Of the two candidates left in the run off, Bill Frazier has proven himself most willing to do the dirty business of the controller's office and warn the public about the looming fiscal wreck."
Okay, the Chronicle gets it right here.
Now look at what they said about the Mayoral race:
"We thought that there wasn't such a thing as a Democratic or Republican pothole, but Sylvester Turner has proved us wrong. In a race that's supposed to be about the issues - pensions, public safety and, yes, potholes - Turner has gone full negative. His campaign is spending enormous amounts of money to hammer his opponent Bill King on matters that range from small to minute. Policies have been misrepresented. History has been distorted. A boat's name has become a topic of speculation... There's much to admire in King's passion for public policy. He has a firm grasp on the challenges facing City Hall, and there's often little difference between him and Turner when it comes to listing the problems that vex our city. But Houstonians deserve a City Hall that can address more than the mere basics. Yes, we can fix the roads, balance the budget, and catch the crooks."
So if the basics are important, why have they not been done? It is not easy. You need focus and leadership.
Based on what the Chronicle said, Bill King can get us back to basics and Turner brings four more years of Annise Parker. The choice is clear, the Chronicle just missed the point.
Can the City of Houston Survive a 4th Term of the Failed Parker Administration? By Senator Paul Bettencourt
There is no difference in Annise Parker and Sylvester Turner on failed liberal policies. They each want another HERO ordinance vote, they jointly proposed an anti-pension reform measure, and they both personally advocate eliminating City Charter property tax caps which would dramatically raise all our property tax bills.
Only a vote for Bill King for Mayor of Houston stops a fourth term of the Parker Administration!
The Disaster That Is Obamacare A Report by Michael Lewitt - The Credit Strategist
TCR Comment: Here it is. You knew it was true. Obamacare has failed.
There is a reason that adults are told to don their oxygen masks before assisting children in the event of an emergency on an airplane. If the most capable people are disabled, the weakest are unlikely to be able to help themselves. The same adage applied to the U.S. economy when Barack Obama took office in January 2009. In the midst of the worst financial crisis in a century, it was imperative that everything be done to address the causes of that crisis and to strengthen the fabric of the economy to position it for sustainable economic growth. That wasn't done. Instead, the president made a historic decision that will rank among the great policy errors of the 21st century. Appealing to his political base, he decided to pursue healthcare reform despite opposition from a majority of the American people and a near-majority of Congress. He managed to sneak the legislation through by a bare majority using a reconciliation process designed for budget items and sold it as a phony civil rights measure. In the rush to pass the highly complex law before losing his Congressional majority, neither the president nor the vast majority of those who voted for the law read the bill or evaluated its unintended consequences.
Submission - What Do Muslims In Europe Want? By Michel Houellebecq
TCR Comment: The best seller Submission, a fictional story of submitting to a Muslim takeover of France, makes an interesting read. What the Muslim Brotherhood wanted as part of the coalition government negotiations is most interesting.
"The real difficulty, the sticking point, is education... The Muslim Brotherhood is an unusual party, you know. Many of the usual political issues simply don't matter to them. To start with, the economy is not their main concern. What they care about is birthrate and education. To them it's simple - whichever segment of the population has the highest birthrate, and does the best job of transmitting its values, wins. If you control the children, you control the future..."
"They want every French child to have the option of a Muslim education, at every level of schooling. Now, however you look at it, a Muslim education is very different from a secular one. First off, no coeducation. And women would only be allowed to study certain things. What the Muslim Brotherhood really wants is for most women to study home economics, once they finish grade school, then get married as soon as possible - with a small minority studying art or literature first. That's their vision of an ideal society. Also, every teacher would have to be Muslim. No exceptions. Schools would observe Muslim dietary laws and the five daily prayers; above all the curriculum itself would have to reflect the teachings of the Koran."
David A. Hartman - RIP
David A. Hartman, an innovative conservative thinker and big time finder of conservative causes and candidates has passed at the age of 79. Founder of Lone Star Report in 1996, which covered the Capitol from a conservative perspective for 15 years. He had a successful career in building, turning around, and expanding a multitude of businesses. Along with his family, they are generous to their community, giving back with a number of charitable initiatives. He was an expert on economic public policy, published by leading publications and think tanks. He was a longtime supporter of conservative politics and this good and generous man will be greatly missed.
TCR on the Air
Red, White & Blue featuring TCR Editor Gary Polland and liberal commentator David Jones on Fridays at 7:30 pm on PBS Houston Channel 8.1, replaying Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 8.1, Mondays at 11:30 pm on Channel 8.2 and on the web at www.houstonpublicmedia.org.
The current show as well as past shows are available on YouTube.
About Your Editor
Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as the most successful county Chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his sixteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last fourteen years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. As a public service for the last 13 years, Gary has published election guides for the GOP primary, general elections and city elections, all with the purpose of assisting conservative candidates. Gary is also in his 14th year of co-hosting Red, White and Blue on PBS Houston, longest running political talk show in Texas history. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.
|